Tips for Parents 4 Ways to Help Your Child in Music

Tips for Parents 4 Ways to Help Your Child in Music Suzy S. Not sure how to encourage your child in between his or her music lessons? Show your support with the following strategies from Nashville teacher Dave L.: So your child has begged you for music lessons,  chosen an instrument, and is about to begin this new and exciting journey in music what now? Youve just paid a bunch of money for an instrument, instruction books, accessories youre considering the time and money its all going to take in order for them to do this what ELSE can you as their parent or guardian possibly do for your child to help them succeed in their musical journey that the teacher CANNOT provide? This article will give you a checklist of options. The main assumption is only that your child is important to you (obviously!) and you already provide them with a living space some or all of the time. The final assumption is that we as the teacher/parent team want your child to be successful their endeavors. So whats first? 1. Help your child create a special music area. This could be an extra room or their own room. Include items such as a music stand, metronome, perhaps an instrument stand, a place to keep their instruction books, and also an audio source such as an iPod or CD player. This space should be a place where they can play uninterrupted away from outside distractions like their cell phone, pets, friends, and siblings. It should also be an area that is kept clean (by the student) once kids see the value in maintaining this type of area as their own, theyll take pride in ownership, which will spill over into their learning. 2. Understand that interest = practice, and not necessarily the other way around. You obviously want your child to practice as much as his or her teacher does. But neither the teacher nor you as the parent can truly force the student to do this while also expecting them to find enjoyment in playing music. The student must develop an intrinsic motivation to do this. Help your child create a practice schedule that fits with their daily activities if theyre a beginner, 15 minutes a day is a great start. While theyre practicing, peek in once or twice as more of a fan or audience member. Show interest and ask open-ended questions about what theyre doing, like Wow, that sounded really cool how are you making that sound? or Can you show ME how to hold the instrument?   then all of a sudden the student gets to play teacher for a minute and show you what theyre learning, which only strengthens the learning process for them. 3. Help your child create a fun music library that incorporates the instrument theyre playing. Ask your childs teacher for recommendations if you arent sure. Also, bringing them to live concert events that feature a soloist or group playing the instrument of study is a great way to motivate your child. This may also be a nice way to introduce them to music that is exciting to you, as well! 4. Encourage discovery. Allow your child to make his or her own discoveries in music as often as possible. This encourages independence, confidence, and motivation. So many times I see parents come down hard on their kids for not practicing, or smothering the child with criticism, many times with all good intentions (impress the teacher, progress faster, etc.). But its my opinion that this approach isnt best. We want to help them reach their OWN goals. The discovery in this case may be that music just isnt what interests them which is OK! Other students will discover a brand new love for life through music and along the way continue to learn about the world, themselves, and humanity. I believe its our job as educators and parents to help our youth find exactly what theyre looking for. Music is just one of MANY vehicles we can use. Thanks for reading! Dave L. teaches clarinet,  flute,  music performance,  music theory,  piano,  and saxophone lessons in Nashville, TN.  Dave holds a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from The University of Central Florida, and is currently the touring keyboardist/saxophonist for Platinum-selling band Sister Hazel. Previously he  toured with artists such as 80s pop icon Tiffany and Grammy-nominated vocalist John Berry. Learn more about Dave here! 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 woodleywonderworks

Oliver Twist

Oliver Twist The Underside of Life: Oliver! ChaptersSynopsis of Oliver!Differences from the Original TaleOdditiesProduction HistoryAwards and RecognitionGenerally, when one goes to the theatre, it is in expectation of a good time, perhaps a few laughs and certainly some fantastic singing, all conditioned on a happy tale.Oliver! is a show of a different tone.Based on the Charles Dickens tale of an orphaned boy in 19th Century London, the stage show does not shy away from the harshness of life, abusive relationships or pickpocketing on the streets of London.Still, it has wowed audiences in the UK and internationally, so much so that, since its opening night at London’s West End in 1960, it has enjoyed several revivals. It was even adapted to film!Today, your Superprof takes a break from all of the giddy, feel-good shows that have graced the stage to review a tragic story that reflects perhaps the worst of humanity.Keep those tissues handy; you may shed some tears! TraceySinging Teacher 4.92 (13) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PortiaSinging Teacher 4.91 (11) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolaSinging Teacher 5.00 (11) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JazzSinging Teacher 5.00 (6) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PerrineSinging Teacher 5.00 (3) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TiemSinging Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TomSinging Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MiriamSinging Teacher 5.00 (4) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsSynopsis of Oliver! Clive Revel was a most excellent Fagin in the musical Oliver! Source: Wikipedia Credit: Harvey SabinsonDay’s end at the workhouse; the story opens on streams of starving, dishevelled boys. Served only a thin gruel and knowing that is all the food there will be, they dream about glorious food as they slurp every last drop from their bowls.Oliver has the temerity to ask for more. Instead of a second serving of mean food, he is told to gather his meagre possessions. Mr Bumble then sells him to the local undertaker, ostensibly to be apprenticed.Waking from an uncertain night spent in a coffin, Oliver has no chance to acquaint himself with the household before another apprentice insults his late mother. As Oliver takes him to task, the undertaker’s wife and daughter arrive on-scene.Repulsed by this urchin’s violence, they intend to return him to the workhouse but, in the confusion, Oliver gets away. Thus begins his life on the streets.He falls in with a gang of petty criminals; soon , he too begins a life of crime but, when Dodger and Bates leave him holding the bag after picking a wealthy man’s pocket, it’s up to Fagin and Bill to bring him home.Coincidence can be a strange beast: the wealthy old man that the Dodger had robbed was the grandfather Oliver did not know he had and did not know had been searching for him.With greed aplenty, the workhouse keepers respond to a newspaper ad advertising a reward for any knowledge of Oliver’s whereabouts.Mr Brownlow, the wealthy old man who is Oliver’s kin, questions their motives â€" clearly, they have no interest in the boy’s welfare, only the promised reward. Disgusted, he throws them out.Nancy, the long-suffering wife of gang-leader Bill Sikes, regrets her life lived wrong. She has grown to care deeply about Oliver and, seeing a chance for him to escape a poor life, approaches the wealthy old man herself.They agree to meet on London Bridge so she can bring him his grandson but her abusive husband suspects her of something…He follows Nancy and Oliver and, when the time is just right, he clubs her to death and runs away with the boy. Oliver’s grandfather, so close to meeting the only family member he has left, is shocked to instead discover Nancy’s lifeless form.Soon, Bill appears at the top of London Bridge with Oliver, proclaiming to the crowd below that he will murder the child. The police, sneaking up on Bill, shoot him dead and return Oliver to his grandfather.By no means is this an uplifting story like The Lion King.Differences from the Original TalePresumably set in Victorian England, the story actually takes place a few years before Queen Victoria ascends to the throne, during King William IV’s reign.One could never accuse Charles Dickens of penning lighthearted fairy tales with happy endings; even the enormously popular A Christmas Carol wraps fundamental human goodness in a blanket of often cruel reality.However, unlike other popular musicals, Oliver! is not uplifting ; there is no sense of triumph over adversity.His tales tend toward the elaborate; for that reason, musical author Lionel Bart opted to leave many sub-plots out. For instance, Mr Monks, so vital to the story’s final twist (no pun intended) does not feature in the show at all.His villainous acts were added to Bill Sikes’ and Fagin’s, making the original character superfluous. Mrs Mann, Rose Maylie and Harry don’t feature in the musical, either.The Dickens novel that this show derives from has been seen as antisemitic because of the handling of ‘the Jew Fagin’ â€" portraying him as evil and sneaky.Lionel Bart, who wrote the music and lyrics for the show, gave that central character more of a comedic turn, making him more sympathetic. That may also be why, contrary to the book’s ending in which Fagin is hanged, the show sees him contemplating turning his life around.Likewise, the Artful Dodger, a fairly active character throughout the book and in the first part of the sho w, rather fades from view in the second act… unlike the novel, where he is sent abroad to a penal colony.The idea of Bill using Oliver as a hostage is not a part of the original story; it came from the 1948 film directed by David Lean.In the book, Mr Brownlow is not Oliver’s grandfather; rather, there is a tenuous connection between him and the boy’s father that filters through nearly the entire cast before the boy and his benefactor are brought together.A similar situation plays out in Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables and is likewise omitted from the stage show. The boys of the orphanage sing Food, Glorious Food as their opening number in Oliver! Source: Wikipedia Credit: from the Broadway playbillLionel Bart composed the magnificent score entirely in his head. He did not know how to write music so he hummed the entire show to a piano player who wrote it for him and also  arranged the orchestrations.In the original London show as well as on Broadway, Davy Jones played the Artful Dodger. He was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical but gained fame only later, as a Monkee.Steve Marriott and Phil Collins also took turns at playing Dodger!Georgia Brown (Nancy), Ron Moody (Fagin) and others averred that there was plenty of friction during the show’s original run; many of the cast members simply did not get along.In a strange twist, Mr Bart was compelled to sell all rights to Oliver!, present and future, because he had fallen on hard times. He only gained £350 from the sale. The buyer later sold those rights for £250,000!When the show arrived in America, complete with already-painted sets and brickwork, the American set designers were distressed at their garishness. With just hours to go before showtime, the painters were still hard at work, revamping the scene.They continued working through the performance and even took a bow with the cast at the end of the show. Reviews favoured the ‘London painters’ but subsequent critics wondered why they had been cut from the show.Join the discussion: should Hamilton be considered a break from traditional musical fare because some of its songs are rapped rather than sung?Production HistoryOliver Twist by Charles Dickens was published as a serial novel in a monthly magazine; it took 26 months for the entire story to see the light.In a sense, you could say the stage production mirrored the original story’s publication.It opened in London in June 1960, running for more than 2,600 performances. It was choreographed by Malcolm Clare and directed by Peter Coe. Costu mes and scenery were designed by Sean Kenny.Before playing on Broadway in the US, the show opened in Los Angeles to generally favourable reviews. When it finally made it to Broadway, it only ran for 774 performances. Some of the London cast, Davy Jones among them, featured in the Broadway show.And then, a year after the Broadway show closed it enjoyed a revival â€" 64 additional performances.London’s revival of this Dickensian adaptation came nearly 20 years after the original show’s run but made use of the original sets, which were still intact. In 1983, it was revived in London yet again over the Christmas season, after which it moved back to Broadway.International adaptations a Dutch version and a Japanese one; it met with particular success on Australian stages, too.Today, Oliver! Is often performed in schools across the UK; indeed it has become a favourite of the school musical genre.Furthermore, the story was made into a film in 1968 and, unlike other works of Charles Dick ens, it is the musical rather than the original tale of that was produced.The Phantom of the Opera met with the same situation: the musical rather than the original story was made into a film. Oliver and his gang of thieves revived at the Drury Lane Theatre Royal in 2009 Source: Wikipedia Credit: Expressing YourselfAwards and RecognitionPlenty of Dickens novels have been made into shows and films but none received quite the accolades that this terrible tale of orphans and pickpockets has.From the table below, you can see that whipping a starved orphan and committing burglary is apparently not that repugnant when told through the magic of musical theatre.And let’s not forget the abuse heaped on Nancy!Oliver Twist was Dickens second novel and, like his other works, a brutally honest look at life in pre-Victorian England but, unlike in The Pickwick Papers, humorous elements fail to appear in Oliver Twist.Unlike the musical Chicago, so outrageous a show that one can't help but laugh!We should credit Lionel Bart for eliminating some of the more grotesque and pathetic elements â€" not sending Fagin to the gallows, for instance.He leaves in just enough to make the story both cr edible and enduring; the hallmark of an excellent show.Just see for yourself!Table of Awards for Oliver!Year and LocationAwardCategoryResultLondon Revival 1994 1997Lawrence Olivier AwardBest revival Best director Best Actor Best Actressnominated nominated nominated wonLondon Revival, 2009Lawrence Olivier AwardBest revival Best actor Best Choreographernominated nominated nominatedLondon Revival, 2009What's Onstage AwardsBest revival Best actor Best supporting actor Best supporting actress Best takeover of a rolewon won nominated won nominatedOriginal Broadway ProductionTony AwardBest musical Best leading actor Best leading actress Best featured actor Best original score Best producer Best director Best conductor Best scene designnominated nominated nominated nominated won nominated nominated won wonBroadway revival, 1984Tony AwardBest Lead ActornominatedNow discover the magic of Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterpiece...

How To Write A Resume For Law School Applications

How To Write A Resume For Law School Applications Your law school resume is not the same as your internship resume. The strategies and how youre selling yourself are completely different. If you take the time to write yours accordingly, youll be one step closer to law school. Everyone knows the LSAT is the cornerstone of your law school application. But, its not like the SAT to undergrad. You need to prove complete academic and professional experience, not just great analytical skills. Thats where a strong law school resume comes in. Who are you: Your law school resume needs to provide more than a list of your past experience, achievements and grades. It needs to answer a much larger question: who are you? Personal statement: Answer in one sentence who you are, and be as unique as possible in your personal statement. Passionate, Driven, Curious, Exceptional, Innovative, etc are meaningless buzzwords. All those words mean are No, Chance, Of, Getting, In. You have to be different. You need an interest in additional to law. Maybe its the environment, and you went to undergrad for geology. Maybe it is communications, medical, engineering. Whatever it is, its who you are, and its your personal statement. Your personal statement is the first section, right under your name. Example: Personal Statement: Professional journalist who will use Harvard Law Schools education to protect journalists rights to the first amendment. Ortake the opposite stance: Personal Statement: Professional journalist who will use Harvard Law Schools education to protect citizens rights in the media. Describing internships: You have now established your theme, and thread it throughout your resume. In your internship explanations, discuss how you helped defend journalists rights, instead of stating boring facts like: researched previous cases for local law firm. Example: Defended local journalists rights to freedom of the press by establishing and articulating how previous cases were relevant. Helped client exercise first amendment rights by establishing (name precedent established) But, what if you didnt have the fancy law firm internship? And instead interned as a magazine writerand only got one article publishedon some silly cat fashion show? Its going to be hard to spin that, but you need to find a way to show how you protected journalists or citizens rights. Dont write about the article you created, but focus on your personal statement theme. Example: Protected citizens rights by only printing quotes and names of individuals who signed full disclosure agreements in published article on feline fashion show This protected citizens from any association with the feline fashion show, while also establishing new protocol of gaining full disclosure for magazine quotes Describing education: Similarly to describing your experience, focus on your personal statement. Dont write about how you made the deans list or earned a 3.7 GPA. You can add that in your awards/accolades section. Example: As a member of the law club, created a guiding principles file for school newspaper, outlining how to protect citizens rights If you didnt do something like this, its not too late. Do it now, and email it to the papers editor. Add an accolades section: You can just list when you graduated, if you made deans list, your GPA, scholarships or other awards. Include an interests section: This is the part where you describe your Mt. Everest climb or your internship in Beijing. You dont have to do something that extravagant, but you need to do something. Create a blog or an in-depth research project on your ownor talk about the varsity sports team or the band you play in. You want your readers to take a step back and say wow, thats interesting. Emphasize education or experience: This can be difficult as some schools prefer to see your education first and your work second. But, which expresses your personal statement better? Place that one first. Use a template: Search your Microsoft word, Photoshop or InDesign programs for templates. Or download one from the internet. Two pages: Its preferred to use two pages for your law school resume. Dont include high school honors: Youll just look juvenile and unaccomplished if you do. This guide is a great start to crafting your perfect law school resume. But, if you really want to impress law school admissions, youll need more than a great resumeyoull need a great LSAT score. Varsity Tutors is here to help with all your law school application needs. Contact us today to see how an LSAT tutor can help you.

How to Make the Best Use of Your Arabic Classes

How to Make the Best Use of Your Arabic Classes Tips for Making the Most out of Arabic Language Lessons ChaptersGet Your Body Prepared For Arabic CoursesDon't Be Afraid to Ask Your Teacher Questions During Your Arabic TuitionRegularly Attend Your Arabic Lessons and Practice in Your Spare TimeKeep Learning Arabic Outside of Your Private LessonsLanguage learning has long since been considered important. But now the traditional foreign languages of French, Spanish, German, and Portuguese, are being usurped by different languages, such as Mandarin and Arabic.Taking private Arabic classes  with a tutor is the best way to learn to speak like a native. And it's also a good way to learn the Arabic language because you can start to build a rapport with him or her from the first lesson.But sometimes not everything goes to plan:You might have difficulties concentrating, your attention might often be disturbed, or perhaps you have a hard time listening or memorizing.Yet you have the feeling that you could progress more quickly.It could even be that you are worried that your child is losing the enj oyment of learning Arabic due to problems in his or her private Arabic courses.What is clear, you want to feel that you are progressing with your Arabic, and you want to benefit as much as possible from your classes. What's more, you don't want to waste your time. Therefore learning literary Arabic or any one of the different Arabic dialects from each of the Arabic speaking countries at an optimal level is important.There are some useful tips to optimize your progress and better serve your Arabic lessons. Superprof has made a list of the main techniques to adopt in order to learn Arabic effectively while still putting your heart and soul into it.Actively listening during lessons allows the learner to retain information more quickly: when a student reads their notes, the memorizing process will be accelerated.In order to optimize learning, one must be willing to learn to speak Arabic in the most optimal way possible.Thus, your body must be fully prepared before entering you Arabic cl ass.Sleep WellIf you take an intensive Arabic course, whether it is a class to help you  pass your high school tests, or an adult course for a job interview, it is important to sleep well the night before the class.Sleep helps tremendously with concentration. You should sleep an optimal amount; not too little and not too much.Stay HydratedScience has established that staying well hydrated has a positive effect on a person's ability to learn and memorize new information.Thus, it is important that you drink plenty of water to avoid tiredness, headaches and a decrease in your performance. Studies have found that well-hydrated people work better than those who do not drink enough water.Eat ProperlyTo be physically fit and able to pay attention in your private Arabic lessons, you have to eat well. This nourishes your brain with nutrients. Eating healthy (fruits, vegetables, protein) will help you learn Arabic.Oxygenate Your BodyIf you are experiencing anxiety or don't feel confident, it may benefit you to exercise. Do some workouts to bring oxygen to the body. You will then mobilize less energy when listening to your Arabic teacher, and you will likely understand more quickly what he is saying.Eliminate All Sources of DistractionStaying focused will mean that you learn Arabic quicker, and therefore the number of Arabic lessons required to master the language will decrease.In order to focus your attention on the course and not on anything else, eliminate sources of distraction and stay present. Meditation techniques can help eliminate the flow of external, positive thoughts.If you are thinking about a piece by J. S. Bach on the piano you are going to play after the Arabic lesson, your ability to learn and memorize information will slowed down.This may seem obvious, but turn off your TV, your computer and your mobile phone. Creating an optimal Arabic learning environment to take advantage of your course is the most basic thing that you can to do to improve your chanc es of success.The Arabic language can be difficult, especially learning the alphabet, Arabic writing and Arabic grammar, etc.If you want to read and write in Arabic script, this will take time. Arabic words and phrases are harder to learn than in French because Arabic uses a different alphabet to the Latin one used in most western countries.It is therefore important to be determined. To learn to read, write and speak as an Egyptian, Moroccan, or any native Arab speaker, take notes during the course. The differences between the different dialects in Arabic speaking countries (Lebanese Arabic is different from Palestinian Arabic, which is different from Saudi Arabic) when compared with Modern Standard Arabic makes things even harder.Not only does the vocabulary differ depending on which dialect you speak, but the sentence structure and other grammatical intricacies may also be different. Expressions can also vary greatly, as well as pronunciation.It will, however, be a very enriching experience. It is among the most spoken languages in the world with around 300 million native speakers across the Arab world. It is also an official language in many Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa such as Egypt, Lebanon, Qatar, Syria and Iraq, but it is also widely spoken outside of these places.If you are attentive and aware, your efforts will not only be rewarded - you will improve your oral pronunciation as well as your Arabic writing - but your teacher will also be motivated by your own determination: it is a self-sustained and virtuous circle!Staying focused on the present moment when you are in your Arabic class will  inevitably help you participate in the lesson. Your personal investment and desire will make your memorization efforts easier and you will feel that things will start to assimilate themselves on their own.Here is a good online Arabic course for you.Don't Be Afraid to Ask Your Teacher Questions During Your Arabic TuitionTo learn a new language you need to stay open minded and confident: look words up in the dictionary, but also ask your teacher, that's what he or she is there for!Don't forget that your teacher is not there to judge you: all questions are good questions and there is no such thing as a bad one.Especially for beginners learning Arabic, each question that you ask helps to clarify something in your mind that in turn solidifies some of the basics.If you have a problem with Arabic vocabulary, a question about the pronunciation of a letter, or an issue with the meaning of a word, a good native Arabic speaking tutor will answer you in a clear and concise way.The Superprof  platform can help you find the perfect Arabic tutor for you.To learn the Arabic language effectively and quickly, no question should be overlooked. Often, students are fearful of asking questions because they are worried about what the reaction of others will be.And even if your Arabic teacher cannot answer your question, which can happen as lan guage is not an exact science, ask him or her to try and find out the answer before the next class.Private lessons are not lectures: if you participate and ask your teacher questions, you will memorize most of his or her answers more quickly.It is also a medium to improve your oral expression. The brain more rapidly internalizes vocabulary and Arabic pronunciation if you repeat things orally.Another fundamental aspect in optimizing your private lessons is to understand that Arabic language and Arabic  culture are an integral part of your Arabic learning.Ask your Arabic tutor about the culture of Arab-Muslim countries, their history, customs and other topical subjects. Immersion is important. By immersing yourself in all the aspects of the language, you will have a better understanding how it is built and how to best memorize the words. Read Arab newspapers or even the Quran, it'll teach you a lot about this Semitic language's construction.If Arabic is the mother tongue of your teach er, he or she will be well placed to answer all of your questions, not only about Arabic grammar and pronunciation, but also about Arabic civilization, language and culture What's more, your tutor will probably be able to help you with any questions you may have about Islam, the Quran or the Arab world in general.If you have not already done so, ask him to bring you revision exercises (Arabic GCSE) to each class to keep you up-to-date and to give you opportunities to practice in between classes. These could be exercises on Arabic vocabulary, the Arabic alphabet, Arabic verbs, or Arabic grammar in general. Working individually outside of your private Arabic lessons will help you progress at a faster rate and reinforce what you learn with your tutor.With a Superprof Arabic tutor, you could learn Arabic London or elsewhere in the country!Regularly Attend Your Arabic Lessons and Practice in Your Spare TimeIf you want to be successful in anything that you do, you have to work hard and  p ractice regularly. The same can be said of studying Arabic.It is very important that you review what you have studied in previously lessons.In order for Arabic tuition to be effective, it is important to regularly review previous classes.Reread your notes, your teacher's aids, and repeat difficult vocabulary to yourself out loud.If you have evening classes after work, intensive courses before an exam or sessions between college courses, finding a suitable time to revise the language of Ismael will be of great help to you.Given the choice between keeping your brain active in the evenings after work by revising and doing exercised based on Arabic words and phrases, or watching a boring television programme which doesn't challenge your mind, which one would you rather do?Revising Arabic can  stimulate your brain, and as a consequence, your cognitive dispositions.Just like doing exercise, this will be hard at the beginning. But once you are used to your new routine, you will feel better and more alert in the evenings, and you will see a noticeable improvement in your level of Arabic.Find yourself a moment without distraction - isolate yourself from others in the house - and revise your lessons, using the memory technique that suits you best.In the same way as for music lessons - piano, guitar, vocals, drums or violins - it is better to revise for between thirty minutes and one hour a day, rather than try to cram all of your revision into the two hours before your next lesson.And you will see that after a few weeks, your efforts will be rewarded to the extent that you remember the taste and pleasure of learning and upgrading your language skills.Keep Learning Arabic Outside of Your Private LessonsAs a beginner you couldn't imagine it a few months ago, but you now cannot wait for your private lesson to begin and you now feel the urge to practice Arabic at any time. Reading and writing in Arabic is not easy, not to mention how to pronounce the words. Therefore you ha ve to keep practising to maintain your momentum in order to keep improving.Reading Arabic newspapers can help you to learn ArabicThe price of Arabic classes can vary massively so depending on your budget, it might be even more important for you to study more in your spare time. Here is how to practice Arabic outside of private lessons:Learn Arabic online.Read the Arab press: newspapers written in literary Arabic will help you learn the alphabet. Even if you do not understand what you read at first, it will be beneficial to read Arabic script.Listen to Egyptian newscasts will stimulate your mind and your listening comprehension in Arabic.Have an oral conversation with someone who speaks fluent Arabic. This is perfect if you want to master Arabic grammar and become bilingual.Plan a language study vacation or a trip to a Maghreb country. It will be an opportunity to improve your level of practice while feeling like you are on vacation.How are your private lessons in literary Arabic ser ving you?You have increased your concentration skills, you have better academic results, you have learned a new language, you have gained confidence and you are now able to communicate in Arabic and understand an Arabic conversation on television.

SAT Subject Test Online SAT Prep Online Tutoring Tutorpace

SAT Subject Test Online SAT Prep Online Tutoring Tutorpace SAT Subject tests are the popular standardized and recognized tests taken by high school students in order to gain admissions in the colleges and universities in the United States. There are about 20 subject tests available in different subjects like Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, English Writing, History, Foreign languages etc. SAT Subject tests are preferred by many colleges and universities because with the help of these scores they can analyze the level of knowledge the student has in that specific subject area. Students can generally take the test in a particular subject area in which the student is most confident. This makes the student give the best performance in that specific subject and those scores can be sent to the desired college or university. However in some cases, colleges prefer only certain specific subjects as their admission requirement and therefore students must take the test only in those subjects. Hence it is recommended for the students to confirm this from the college or university officials about which test they prefer them to take. SAT Subject tests generally are of 1 hour duration and consist of multiple choice questions. There is negative penalty on wrong answers and therefore students have to be careful before guessing the answers. Since time is a constraint during the test, students should practice answering questions quickly and in order to save time, students can first try the easy ones and then try the difficult questions. To take the test, students can register online on the official website of the College Board.

How to Learn Yoga on the Nintendo Wii

How to Learn Yoga on the Nintendo Wii Can I Practice Yoga Classes Properly on the Wii? ChaptersYoga, it's everywhere you lookDiscover Yoga on your ConsoleDoing Yoga on the Wii: the DrawbacksAre you trying to get into yoga?It's pretty trendy these days! From mobile apps to video games, there are plenty of ways to start yoga at home.Have you invested in Wii Fit?Do you think the fun aspect will make starting yoga more enjoyable?So, yoga as a video games, a good or bad idea?Let's take a closer look. CarleyYoga Teacher 5.00 (5) £100/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LynnYoga Teacher 4.89 (9) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GenYoga Teacher £45/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JulieYoga Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AliceYoga Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LauraYoga Teacher 5.00 (6) £70/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors UndramYoga Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LottieYoga Teacher £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsYoga, it's everywhere you lookSince all th e stars rave about the benefits of yoga for both body and mind, this practice has become a serious celebrity phenomenon.Do you read magazines? You can't go a week without seeing an article like:5 yoga poses to burn caloriesYoga: exercises for good digestion5 good reasons to do yoga with your partner… And countless others. The idea of having fun with yoga has become the perfect remedy for every-day stress and gloom in recent years! Even more original, there's now cat yoga!There are also yoga programmes for seniors, to help manage arthritis or take control of their sciatic pain...Because you hear about it all the time, you've undoubtedly started to take an interest. Have a think about giving yoga a try since it's not just a celebrity fad, it's actually good for your health!Search for yoga classes near me in the UK.Discover Yoga on your ConsoleHave fun doing yoga in your own living room. Source: Visual huntPlaystation, Nintendo,  X-box... The giants of the gaming world have long inve sted in this niche sport. Zumba, pilates, fitness ... We can now do everything in front of our TV screens. Yoga is certainly not the exception. So, forget Zelda, Super Mario and Just Dance for a moment.Wii Fit U is the must-have game for any self-respecting woman wanting to take care of her figure with minimal effort (or simply to have clear conscience).Some women are looking for relief from their monthly pain while others are trying to beat the postpartum blues...And with Wii Fit U, as well as 77 exercises, there is also a yoga program  suitable for managing all sorts of pain.No big change from Wii Fit Plus, which already existed on the classic Wii. Only 19 exercises have been added. In both cases, yoga is one of them.It's not that difficult!Forget the classic yoga mat, instead you do it on the balance board. This high-tech accessory lets you analyse an incredible number of factors, including weight distribution and your center of gravity. This feature allows the virtual coach to d etermine if you're executing the yoga pose correctly.Beware! If you are dealing with a slipped disc or tendinitis, it would be best to do yoga with a tutor...In terms of features, there are all the classics:3D demo,Burned calories tracker,Earn credits to unlock new exercises,Constructive criticism for you to progress.If you choose to do yoga with this program, you will be able to carry out different poses:The half moon pose,The warrior pose,The tree pose,The hinge pose,The half-boat pose,Etc.You can also practise breathing exercises, or discover the game program to improve your balance.Are you a more of an X-Box or Playstation person? You can find similar games from both brands to practice yoga in front of your TV. Overall, the features are very similar. There are a who range of different video games dedicated to yoga. They all promote a fun approach to exercise.Discover these yoga poses that are likely to relieve your back pain... bought on by too much gaming...?Doing Yoga on the W ii: the DrawbacksYoga classes allow you to advance your learning and have individual direction. Source: Visual huntWhile the Wii allows you to learn yoga gradually, as well as other exercises (aerobics, fitness, not to mention the must-have mini games), you can still miss the basic principles of yoga.Yoga is not the gym.Yoga is not limited to just poses and breathing exercises. The goal of yoga is not to lose weight or burn calories. Of course, this form of exercise has so many physical benefits and help you relax. However, you will miss out on many other aspects of yoga.Yoga is a philosophy of life, based on self-knowledge and living in harmony with one another. It is another way of understanding everyday life and learning to live in the moment. Yoga also helps you to let go.Learning yoga allows you to:Understand the relationship with yourself and others differently,To know your body, take care of it, stretch it and test its limits,Master your senses,Learn how to concentrate and me ditate.So, even if the Wii helps you practice and discover poses, to really know the basics of yoga, don't hesitate to join yoga classes wth a professional yoga instructor. You will notice the difference. To do yoga well, you need to be able feel and focus.When you're constantly looking at a screen to follow instructions and check what you're supposed to be doing, it's hard to do the pose properly.Developing harmony between body and mind requires the assistance of a yoga teacher (a yoga class online, in London or across the country) who will teach you all the precepts of yogis.Now learn how yoga is helping scoliosis sufferers!

Using the Science of Habits to Improve Performance in School Part II

Using the Science of Habits to Improve Performance in School Part II Improving Academic Performance In a previous article on the power of habits, we discussed how habits are a tool our brains use to be more efficient. Instead of consciously analyzing every situation, thinking about various courses of action, and then deciding what to do, we use habits to automatically do this or that to save time. In theory, this allows us to decide to use our brain power to focus on things that really matter and really do require conscious deliberation. This is sometimes a good and sometimes a bad thing. It’s good when the habit is brushing our teeth each morning and night, or looking both ways before we cross the street. It’s bad when we grab a few cookies without even thinking about it when we are bored, or react negatively to constructive feedback. Consider this quote by the philosopher William James â€" “All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits - practical, emotional, and intellectual - systematically organized for our weal or woe, and bearing us irresistibly toward our destiny, whatever the latter may be.” What should be clear, then, is that habits are powerful. They often end up determining how we behave in a wide variety of areas, and play a large part in our personality and success in school, work, and life. In our last article, we also covered how habits work (i.e., the cue, craving, routine, reward sequence) and how to change them (identify the cue, then change the routine…) and briefly discussed the importance of keystone habits. In this article, we’ll do two things. First, we’ll go into more detail on the importance of keystone habits and second, we’ll discuss how students can harness the power of habits to earn better grades, get higher test scores, and generally perform better in school. The Importance of Keystone Habits “Typically, people who exercise, start eating better and become more productive at work. They smoke less and show more patience with colleagues and family. They use their credit cards less frequently and say they feel less stressed. Exercise is a keystone habit that triggers widespread change.” Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit Keystone habits are habits that seem to have spillover effects. For whatever reason, they seem to be the type of habits that once formed, make it easier to form other positive habits. Duhigg and others hypothesize that a keystone habit, even when it may be a small action or activity, tends to influence how you conceptualize yourself. A keystone habit reflects the type of person you are choosing to be. Perhaps the most common keystone habit I’ve read about seems to be exercising regularly, as referenced in the above quote. So, the idea is that once you start exercising, you are more likely to eat well, because you are becoming the type of person who is healthy. From there, you can envision that it obviously becomes easier to stop smoking or drinking, because those aren’t activities that a healthy person engages in. But it’s probably also a little easier to build a habit around reading more books or meditating, because once you begin to view yourself as physically healthy, introducing habits to improve mental health as well seems complementary. Robert Sun wrote an interesting article for the Huffington Post, suggesting that developing proficiency in math through deliberate, focused practice could be a keystone habit for students that spills over into all other subjects. We’ll return specifically to habits for students later in this article. An important driver behind the importance of keystone habits is the notion that small, incremental change can lead to large change and improvement over time. Again, from the book by Duhigg â€" “Small wins are exactly what they sound like, and are part of how keystone habits create widespread changes. A huge body of research has shown that small wins have enormous power, an influence disproportionate to the accomplishments of the victories themselves.“ So, you might have a long-term goal to lose 100 pounds or improve your grade in a class from a D to an A or come back from a 20 point deficit at halftime to win a basketball game. None of those impressive, “large” victories is possible without a collection of small victories. Building a habit of doing one minute of running in place each morning, boxing out on defense on every play, or completing every single homework assignment are all small steps which will not by themselves accomplish the larger goal, but which are probably necessary steps along the right path. How students can leverage habits to improve academic performance Harnessing the power of habits is a powerful strategy for success in school. Students can think about three different categories of habits that could lead to improved performance: Mental habits that influence how you think about success in school and positively or negatively influence your attitude Habits that influence how you spend time or behave before, during, and after class Habits that influence how you perform when taking tests Mental habits that influence how you think about success in school We write a lot on this blog about the importance of a growth mindset, which says that your intellect is more like a muscle you build with effort, not a trait you inherit at birth. A related concept is that of “grit,” which Angela Duckworth documented and wrote her PhD thesis about after discovering that, for example, self-discipline was a more statistically significant predictor of academic success than IQ. Digest that for a moment. The discipline to do homework, keep trying, and put forth sustained effort (i.e., having grit) in school is more important than raw intellect as measured by IQ. Now, back to mental habits. In my experience, many students, without realizing it, have a habit of adopting a “fixed” mindset about school (i.e., believing that they just don’t have the “talent” for a given subject) to explain a lack of effort or a poor result. Other students have a habit of explaining a lack of understanding or performance on the quality or style of the teacher. You might conceptualize these as common, unproductive mental habits. If you notice yourself thinking this way, consider trying to change your habit to something far more positive. For example, say you encounter a difficult calculus problem in class. The current mental habit might go something like: Cue: you notice you do not understand this problem â€" at all. You feel lost. Craving: you don’t want to feel the guilt or bear the responsibility of realizing that with particularly hard work or extra effort, you could understand it. You are busy with many other subjects and activities. Routine: you tell yourself that the folks that do understand these difficult problems have a natural talent for calculus. They don’t even work as hard as you do, and yet they understand the problem. Reward: you are mentally “off the hook” and relieved of the responsibility of asking a question in class, staying late to get extra help, or considering getting a tutor or other form of supplementary help. A different, changed and far more productive mental habit might go something like: Cue: you notice you do not understand this problem â€" at all. You feel lost. Craving: yes, you don’t want to feel the guilt or bear the responsibility of realizing that with particularly hard work or extra effort, you could understand it. You are busy with many other subjects and activities. HOWEVER you also want to do well in school, as you know grades play a large role in getting into a great college. It would feel great to get an A in the class. Routine: you tell yourself that the folks that do understand these difficult problems have probably put in a fair amount of focused effort. It appears easy now, but that’s because they’ve studied hard outside of class, and if you do the same, you’ll understand this problem and others like it, and will be able to do very well in the class. Reward: you are mentally “off the hook” as it relates to dealing with your lack of understanding. But now, instead of the reward being a lack of responsibility for the current situation, it is that you have a plan. You’ll ask a question now, or follow up after class, to make sure you understand the problem. Summary I hope that you now see that habits, and in particular keystone habits, are incredibly important to understand and, hopefully, harness for good. In our next and final article, we’ll cover two more ways that students can leverage an understanding of habits to improve performance in school: Use habits to influence how you spend time or behave before, during, and after class Use habits that influence how you perform when taking tests

Self-Publish or Perish

Self-Publish or Perish Ouch! No college teacher is going to die because they dont self-publish. What an overstatement! Luckily, the pressure in academia to publish research does not extend to college ESL teachers like me, so why use such a provocative title? Because self-publishing keeps you engaged in the best parts of teaching. Also, teachers who are not fully engaged in teaching ESL might not last in the job. With the teacher shortage we are facing in Quebec, we want teachers to persist. We also want teachers to excel, and self-publishing could be the way to help make that happen. Of course, all teachers adapt materials, create activities, and design evaluations. We are all involved in materials development to some extent. Slapping a cover (or a URL) on your best ideas and getting them out into the world for other teachers to useand give you feedback onis the next logical step. Self-publishing in ESL Self-publishing keeps you engaged in your job. gets you thinking about the precise needs of the students in front of you that the big publishing houses miss.gives you something to talk with your colleagues about other than administrative rules and office gossip.helps you articulate your pedagogical ideas more clearly.makes you more self-conscious about the quality of your lessons and activities.invites constructive criticism from teachers who try your lessons and activities. Why talk about this now? I have been developing ESL textbook materials for publication since 2004, I have been working on this grammar checker website since 2012, and trying to express my ideas in this blog more recently. My friend Frank Bonkowski has been at it for many more years. While discussing the positive effects of self-publishing as a form of professional development to supercharge ESL lessons, Frank suggested we do a conference talk on the topic. After all, in the past 2 years I have won 3 awards, and Frank has been called upon to give teacher training to American in-service teachers at a distance. We seem to have acquired some expertise in our field over the years. So, we sent off proposals for two related talks at two up-coming conferences. Two conference talks in the works Both proposals were accepted! Thats right. We will be presenting some practical advice at the RASCALS Colloquium in Rimouski in June to ESL teachers teaching at colleges across Quebec. Two months later in August, we will be sharing our ideas on the topic again at LangFest 2019 with an audience of polyglots, translators, and second language teachers (not just English) teaching in a variety of contexts. In the lead up to LangFest 2019, we agreed to an interview to introduce ourselves to conference goers. An interview Frank and I have just finished that video call with Tetsu Yung and Nicolas (last name unknown), two of the organizers of LangFast 2019. The goal of the interview was to help conference goers get to know us before our talk in August. Who are we, you ask? Frank Bonkowski is a College ESL teacher at CEGEP de St Laurent, teacher-trainer, and materials developer. You know who I am. We are thrilled to have been invited to speak on a topic that is so important in ESL: self-publishing. Self-publishing means creating and distributing your own materials, on paper, online or a blend of textbooks and companion websites. For Frank it is a labour or love. For me, it is the only way I can bear to teach ESL year after year. I need the stimulation, innovation, and inspiration self-publishing provides me. Without it, I would have given up on ESL teaching years ago in frustration. Tetsu Yung: Hello everybody. Its Friday again. We have today Frank how do I pronounce your name? Bong-koff-ski? Is this correct? And then we have Nicholas Walker. These are English teachers I dont I dont remember if we have had English teachers before but specialists in teaching English which is a very important topic at Langfest, so welcome to YouTube. Thank you for taking the time to come on our show. Thank you. Frank Bonkowski: Its a pleasure to be with you and thank you for having us giving us this opportunity. Nicholas Walker: Yeah, thanks for having us. Were excited to participate in your conference and were thrilled to be able to talk about our topic which I think is so important to our field. Tetsu Yung: Thats fantastic. So to remind everybody this is our second of our series to introduce our speakers at LangFest 2019 so we have begun to I guess let the cat out by starting to introduce our speakers. We havent had a chance to compile everything and put putting them on the on our website but we are slowly rolling out everything as the on a rolling basis as we go. We are translating a lot of the text that we get in the biographies and in the descriptions. So, thats coming up. I remind everybody that we do have a LangFest app so we will we will fill that up I guess to populate it with all the information, and itll be ready for everybody in in a few weeks I think, within 2 or 3 weeks. I think we should be able to roll it out at least our first draft and I also want to do one announcement before we get into the interview once again to remind everybody that this year for the first time we will be holding LangFest at university de Montreal a new venue for us. We have been very fortunate to have Concordia University host us for the past three years and it was, its been fantastic we want to thank Concordia again. But this year we thought you know little change of scenery for the folks who come to visit us year after year and also for us to have a new experience, so we have I actually went to visit the University of Montreal yesterday to look at the venue and its going to be fantastic So without further ado lets get into todays interview. Do you have anything to say Nicolas before Nicolas: No, I think youve covered pretty much covered everything. Im just just trying to think is this the first time that we have another Nicolas apart from me giving you target Tetsu Yung: I think so. I mean 50 percent of the screen right now is Nicola so its good Nicholas Walker: We have you surrounded! Tetsu Yung: So, Nicholas why dont we start with you with you and get to know your your involvement in the language world what do you do you know what occupies your time. More to come Please follow and like us: