ESOL Lessons in Birmingham

ESOL Lessons in Birmingham The Best ESOL Classes in Birmingham ChaptersTake ESOL Classes in a SchoolOnline Courses to Learn EnglishLearn English with a Private TutorOf all the metropoli in England, Birmingham presents some amazing statistics: it boasts the second-largest population in our country and it is considered the second centre for finance, commerce, culture and social engagement, after London.Birmingham’s six universities make her our land’s largest centre for higher education,   again, second only to our country’s capital city.With numbers like that, who could blame anyone for wanting to live in Birmingham?According to the latest census numbers, just under a quarter-million people who live in Birmingham were born outside of the country and just about half of that number have claimed ‘brummie-ship’ for less than 10 years.A brummie, in case you don’t know, is what natives of Birmingham call themselves.And more people are moving into the Birmingham area all the time: if things keep up as they are now, the population is expected to increase 8% in two years.How much of that number will be immigrants seeking a better life for themselves and their family? How many will be asylum seekers or refugees?How many international students will find life in Birmingham so agreeable to will stay on after graduation?For most of these groups, there is just one small hurdle to their starting a new life in Birmingham: the language barrier. Somehow, those who do not speak English when they arrive must learn how.Here is where your Superprof jumps in: now we help anyone seeking English courses to find the lessons they need.These adults-only classes are part-time and they last for 35 weeks and may be free, depending on your situation.Discover the wealth of ESOL courses in London...Many ESOL classes in the Birmingham area are for adults only Image by Ernesto Eslava from PixabayESOL Classes at EXLOf all of the schools we scoured for this article, only one prominently advertises preparation for the Life in the UK test and the UK ci tizenship test.Anyone hoping to claim residence in this country must sit one or the other exam.While many courses in and around Birmingham will teach you English as a foreign language, EXL stands out as one that will prepare you for those all-important exams.Enrolling with them is much the same as with any English program: first, you must meet with an advisor who will test your level of English.Based on your test results you will be placed in a class with other students who speak English about as well as you do.This one-of-a-kind program will, of course, teach you all of the English you need to know to function in society but then, it goes further. You could select:ESOL-work: English skills to find a job in BirminghamESOL- skills for life: learn how to talk with doctors and shopkeepers, and how to talk to officialsESOL- citizenship: learn everything you need to know to pass the important citizenship examThese courses are only open to adult learners but EXL also offers language cours es for international students.There are so many ESOL courses on offer in Birmingham that, should we list them all, this article would take a year to read. You might instead refer to a page where the most popular schools that offer ESOL lessons are listed.And if you are looking for ESL classes elsewhere in the UK, you might find our companion article helpful...Online Courses to Learn EnglishIt is easy to empathise with someone who has just landed in our city: the noise, traffic and crowds must be frightening, especially if one doesn’t understand the language or the culture...To that end, the British Council has set up a treasure trove of resources free of charge so that non-native English speakers can pick up basic English phrases and cultural tips at home.Their welcome page is laid out in such a way that English learners can find exactly what they’re looking for:vocabulary and grammar lessonsgeneral language skills such as speaking and reading, listening and writing, as well as pronunciation and a bit about numbers and basic mathlife in the UK: videos about different cities and regions in our countryEnglish for work: words and phrases one might need to find a job or to actually workThere is also a video collection of other ESOL learners describing their experiences living in the UK.For all that these pages are well designed and surely helpful, there is little opportunity for learners to practise their speaking skills.If that is the case, you might want to search for a language centre near you where you can enrol in English lessons.Or, if you feel comfortable with the idea of having a conversation with a native English speaker â€" but not in a class, you might look into this next option.Or why not get a private tutor to help you learn English online.This helpful web site would also be a great learning tool for ESOL students in Cardiff...For those ESOL learners not yet comfortable in a classroom setting, they may take online English lessons Image by Juraj Va rga from PixabayDistance Learning ESOL CoursesDue to the growing need for language training in English and, sadly, not enough teachers to fill all of those jobs, the next best step would be for schools to sponsor classes online.Distance learning is not a new concept; even before computers, it was not uncommon for businesses to make tele-training available to their employees.However, computers and the Internet has made it easy to host large classes, wherein students benefit from direct instruction and can even talk with their teacher and classmates.The ESOL Centre is just such a concern. This school is based in Nottingham but its classes are available all over the UK.Unlike other schools listed in this article, English teaching is all that this school does and they do it very well!You may start out as a beginner and progress to higher levels of learning or, if you already speak conversational English, you might begin at the intermediate level.Each class is a certificate program, mean ing that, once you complete that course, you will earn a certificate of achievement.The fees for these courses are low. For example, if you take their beginner course you will pay   £89 for a 12-week course. That amount includes your group classes and tutor support.It would be difficult to find a better learning opportunity anywhere... but let’s try.Learn English with a Private TutorKeeping in mind that some who need ESOL lessons have escaped from terrible conditions and might not be ready to take on any new challenges, it is quite possible that they would hope for an English teacher to come to their home for lessons.Find out whether ESL tutors in Leeds also make house calls...Should that be the case, tutors would be the best language teachers... and one would be hard-pressed to find better ESOL tutors than at Superprof.Most Superprof tutors have earned their TEFL certificate or the equivalent CELTA and have years of experience teaching English abroad or teaching ESL at home.You c an verify their qualifications as well as their teaching experience through student testimonials right on their profile page.These ESOL tutors would be happy to give lessons in your home or by webcam; you can also arrange to take lessons with a small group of friends or family.Are you worried that private English lessons might cost too much?You can rest easy knowing that the average cost of one hour with a Superprof ESOL tutor is low; £18, to be exact. And most of them give their first lesson at no cost to you!Superprof has 71 ESOL tutors in the Birmingham area; they are just waiting to help you learn all about Great Britain’s language and culture.Are you ready for some serious language acquisition?How about finding English lessons in Belfast?

How to Take Online Yoga Classes

How to Take Online Yoga Classes Where Can You Learn Yoga Online? ChaptersOnline Yoga VideosThe Best Free Yoga WebsitesThe Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Yoga ClassesGetting Online Yoga Classes with an Instructor“Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.” - Swami SivanadaYoga is more than a discipline, it’s a vocation, a way of life. The ways in which yoga is taught are changing. Yogis are leaving their usual yoga centres and offering yoga retreats from the comfort of their own homes!All you need is an internet connection and a computer, tablet, or smartphone to enjoy online yoga classes near me. Whether you pay for the courses or get free ones, you should learn more about the different types of yoga courses and their advantages!In this article, we're taking a look at the different modern approaches available to budding yogis and how practising yoga doesn't necessarily cost you an arm and a leg. CarleyYoga Teacher 5.00 (5) £100/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LynnYoga Teache r 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 tutorsOnline Yoga VideosAs you know, yoga's more than just a case of doing poses. There’s all the vocabulary you’ll have to learn like asanas (postures) and ancient techniques like pranayama which comes from the Sanskrit words “yama” and “pana” which mean “control” and “breath” respectively.An online yoga course can come in in many different shapes and sizes:Yoga classes for beginnersIntermediate or advanced yoga coursesIntroductory yoga classes near meCombined yoga and meditation coursesThe goal of a yoga session is to allow the body and mine to connect in order to achieve mindfulness, which is often referred to as zen. However, there are a lot more benefits to yoga than just that:Combating stressLearning to calm downMastering your concentrationMaking your body more flexible and receptive to emotionsJust developing a few of these habits will help you in your everyday life. There’s nothing simpler than learning by watching a video! You can also learn all the classic yoga postures and positions such as:Fish PoseBakasanaNaukasanaLotus positionAdditionally, there are also specialised videos. These videos focus on techniques such as:Pranayama breathing exercisesMantra, mental maps of your needs and your energyNidra, which focuses on relaxationYoga Kundalini, which transfers energy along your spine.Iyengar yoga, which has 200 asanas and 14 pranyamas, no less!These are just a few examples since yoga is made of thousands of postures and exercises. This can be an absolute nightmare if you don’t know where to look for free online yoga classes!By stretching and then relaxing, your muscles will become more flexible. Your body will become agiler after just a few yoga lessons!The Best Free Yoga WebsitesYoga is becoming more and more popular and there are even businesses whose staff are encouraged to do yoga in group classes in order to strengthen the bonds between colleagues.Yoga helps unite your body and mind. (Source: evitaochel)If you want to start doing yoga, you just need to find one or several good yoga websites to get started. By finding the right yoga site, you’ll end up wanting to practise regularly, which in itself is useful for your mind, body, and spirit:Increased flexibilityA yoga session includes the recommended amount of daily exerciseMore definitionCombat stress and anxietyImprove concentrationImprove your self-confidenceYoga courses aren’t usually online. They’re usually found in places like:Yoga centresYoga studiosYoga schoolsDistance yoga coursesYoga villagesYoga wo rkshopsYoga housesYoga associationsNow you can find yoga courses online, on TV, on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. You can basically bring your yoga tutor with you in your pocket.There are a number of websites, some more reputable than others, like:Strala at HomePsycheTruthYoga with AdrieneYoga JournalYoga OnlineThere are often free videos but some are only available with a subscription, with several subscriptions available. This is why YouTube videos are more accessible. They’re free, can be accessed whenever, and are great for anyone looking to get started with some yoga!You can start with a traditional yoga sequence for beginners before moving onto more intense yoga exercises to strengthen your muscles or let go.The Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Yoga ClassesWhether it’s online or not, the main focuses of yoga are:Improving your well-beingFinding a better balance in lifeEffective anti-stress exercisesOnline yoga courses allow you to go at your own pace rather th an that of the rest of the class. (Source: lograstudio)That doesn’t mean that everyone can enjoy yoga remotely by just watching online yoga videos. You need to be happy with doing yoga on your own. You could always have a few friends round at the same time to practise yoga with you on your patio, in your living room, or in your room.This means that there’s no guide there to correct your posture, tell you when you need to put more into it, or to help you meditate. In addition to this being a waste of time, it can also be very dangerous doing yoga poses wrongly as you can easily injure yourself.The other problem is that you may have to stay at yours for fear of damaging your tablet or your smartphone. However, if you’ve got the right case for it, you could always watch a video for a beginner on the beach without any worries.Another problem is that while a yoga studio can accommodate dozens of people moving around, you might only be able to get a few people in your room. There ma y be certain postures that you won’t be able to do because there’s not enough space or your room isn’t properly furnished. In this case, you may have to look for a different type of class.The last disadvantage of doing yoga at home is that videos aren’t as motivational as having an actual instructor there. With nobody to spur you on, it’s quite easy to just click stop or say that you’ll do it tomorrow.Of course, there are plenty of captivating types of yoga like Ayurvedic yoga which focuses on positive thinking and establishing lifelong habits.Once you’re hooked, nothing will stop you. Especially once you find courses that you can follow in real time. There are plenty of different ones in different styles like:Laughter yogaHatha yogaYoga NidraKundalini yogaBikram yogaPower yogaAshtanga yogaJnana yogaBhakti yogaRaja yogaKriya yogaSivananda yogaYoga IyengarYou can also find classes based on the type of student:Yoga for pregnant women (prenatal or postnatal yoga)Yoga clas ses for childrenYoga classes for anyoneYoga classes for all levelsYoga classes for beginnersIntermediate yoga classesAdvanced yoga classesExpert yoga classesTo ensure you make the right choice when choosing what kind of yoga you’ll do, you need to choose the most important element: the teacher! If you've chosen the wrong instructor or teacher, you'll end up wasting your time and money as you make very little progress.Getting Online Yoga Classes with an InstructorWhile you might be capable of finding good free yoga video on YouTube, specialised websites, or on yogis’ websites, the most important decision you’ll make is choosing the right tutor to help you progress.As long as you have an internet connection, you can do your yoga classes wherever you like. (Source: Pexels)In addition to teaching you certain yoga poses, your tutor can even take you to do yoga in interesting places like the beach, forest, or in the snow! You're not getting out of doing  snowga  that easily!You can look at your potential instructor’s qualification on Superprof, too. This can help you see which yoga tutor has the right qualifications for you. They can also offer you a variety of different packages, both in-person and online:Introductory yoga classesYoga trainingDynamic yoga classesTaster yoga sessionsStress management classesIntegral yoga classesTailored private tutorialsGuided relaxation classesAb toning classesClasses for strengthening your neckBack pain relief classesClasses for learning how to breathe correctly or concentrateWhatever the course, most classes will play out in a similar way: after a quick sun salutation, warming up, or a sequence of postures, you’ll find yourself doing a few stretches on your yoga mat that feel as good as they do bad!Of course, if you want to see if yoga's for you, trying out a few videos online before hiring an online tutor could be the way to go. If you end up getting serious about doing yoga, then it might be worthwhile investing in hi ring a private tutor to help you do yoga at home or at a yoga studio or gym.Yoga classes can help you improve your physical condition, understand your true potential, gain self-confidence, and find inner peace. Doing yoga with a private tutor is the way to go!

I Just Tell It Like It Is and Other Excuses We Tell Ourselves - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / “I Just Tell It Like It Is” and Other Excuses We Tell Ourselves - Introvert Whisperer “I Just Tell It Like It Is” and Other Excuses We Tell Ourselves Have you ever been guilty of saying something like “I Just Tell It Like It Is”? Especially when what you said has angered someone or at least they got “put off”? I know at least a couple of people who seem to routinely say this when they knowingly have left a trail of unhappy people in their dust. I had someone tell me a story where they had left someone fairly enraged. In the story, they had used this as part of the explanation of why they said what they said. I was asked my thoughts on it, as they wanted to know if they were wrong in saying what they had said. My first response to their question of me was to ask them a question. “Is the relationship with this person important to you personally or professionally?” I wanted to know because the response was really most relevant to that one thought. If the relationship didn’t matter, then what they said also didn’t matter regardless of whether or not it angered the other person. The response I got was: “Of course, the relationship matters but I shouldn’t have to tip-toe around this other person. I had to give them my honest opinion.” Here is my perspective on this sort of thing:   There is a difference between giving honest, open input and being rude or thoughtless in how you phrase things. I think people often hide behind rudeness saying they are simply being honest. This is lazy. Think through how you say things to others â€" it always matters. There are 100’s of ways of being honest in what you say to others. Being conscious in what and how you say it will go a long way to preserving the relationship â€" and potentially even inspiring the other person. Not everything warrants comment. Have you ever had someone say something about you or something you had done that was really unwelcome? If you feel compelled to say something, make it useful and constructive. Also realize that if you weren’t asked for your opinion, they most likely don’t want it no matter how constructive it is. Even if you’re the boss, you need to think through the best way to speak about their poor results, when poor results have taken place and impact you in some way. You have to understand that when we do something â€" anything â€" part of us is tied to this thing emotionally. To insult the by-product of anyone’s effort is to insult them at a personal level. If your goal is to correct the result of what another person did, then discuss expectations versus outcome. To flatly say “This is crap” (or a close version) not only lacks any constructive information to do anything with, its insulting and as far from “relationship nurturing” as possible. Don’t fool yourself by thinking its ok to say anything in any way you want. Most of the people in your life and work are people that are important to your future. Invest in your future by honest AND well thought out communication. Go to top OFFICE POLITICS Power-Influence-Office Politics: it comes down to your Strategic Relationships and understanding of how you build each one of these elements. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that outlines all of this and meaningful actions you can take today!  Start watching now by clicking here! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Learn Italian for a Career in Fashion

Learn Italian for a Career in Fashion Learning How to Speak Italian can Help Your Earn a Place in the Fashion Industry ChaptersLuxury Italian BrandsMilan Fashion Week: A Symbol of Italian ExpertiseWorking in ItalyThe Best Way to Learn ItalianLearning any language is a good idea, whether you learn Chinese, learn Portuguese or even learn Arabic.Regardless of your reasons for learning a foreign language, whether you want to improve your career prospects or you’re interested in exploring a certain culture, the language you learn can have an impact on your potential career paths.For this reason, many people who are aiming to enter a certain profession learn the language that goes with it.The Italian language is known around the world for its beauty, and when it comes to the fashion industry, Italian is the language of choice.So, how exactly is Italian useful for fashionistas? DanielaItalian Teacher 5.00 (9) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LuciaItalian Teacher 5.00 (4) £17/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarilùItalian Teacher 5.00 (8) £22/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tut ors MarcoItalian Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AntonellaItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £14/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GiusyItalian Teacher 5.00 (3) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EnricoItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FedericaItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsLuxury Italian BrandsFashion symbolises two countries in particular for a lot of people: France and Italy.This reputation comes from the successes of many different clothing brands and high-end fashion designers, as well as the style know-how of each country’s citizens.UK fashion designers often take their inspiration from the luxury fashion designers of Italy, adding their own touches along the way.But, historically the top spots in fashion are occupied by France and Italy with their respective big-name haute couture houses:Dior, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy, Jean-Paul Gaultier and many others for FrancePrada, Fendi, Versace, Giorgio Armani, Gucci et Valentino for ItalyFor many, these are the brands of their dreams, and the idea of working in the French or Italian fashion industry would be the ideal profession.Italy is home to many big names in fashion ¦ source: Pixabay - Grizzlybear-seFashion is an exciting and ever-evolving world where Italy is a major powerhouse, starting new trends that spread across the world and producing huge profits year on year.To cite an example, in 2014, the Italian fashion industry produced a turnover of around 52 billion euros, an increase of 2.7% on the previous year.Italian exports are also on the rise, with a growth of 3.8% in 2014 and a turnover of 28.5 billion euros.In a world where the gap between the rich and the poor is widening in every country, the luxury industry has never been so successful. The good news for the other side is that Italian high-street fashion is also booming, as the tailor-made looks of the high-end runway make their way into our fashion outlets.Why not take Italian lessons then and become a part of the fashion scene? There are many options available to those who want to learn to speak Italian, getting used to writing in a foreign language and mastering the tricky Italian pronunciation along the way.Milan Fashion Week: A Symbol of Italian ExpertiseThe 4 great emblems of global fashion are the Fashion Weeks that take place in London, Paris, New York and Milan.Seven days dedicated to the biggest fashion houses, featuring fashion parades and models showing off each designer’s creations as they strut down the catwalks and stars gather to discover the latest creations.Of these four unmissable events in the high-fashion industry, Milan is the most highly anticipated.And Milan Fashion Week is doing pretty well as in 2015, Milano Moda Donna saw a 25% increase in the number of events, with an impressive 70 parades and 83 presentations in Showroom.During the same year, more than 40% of participant s in Milan Fashion Week came from abroad â€" and you could, one day, be one of them!If this is your aim, you’ll need to be in a position that means you can travel as part of your job, and to get a job like this, you’ll need to have a good education.For example, you’ll need to demonstrate fluency in your spoken Italian with a relevant qualification such as an Italian degree, or a joint honours degree including Italian.This experience will give you the necessary level of proficiecy (such as listening comprehension, using Italian vocabulary appropriately, faultlessly conjugating Italian verbs and writing fluently with the correct use of Italian articles) to use your second language in your career.You can learn Italian online with a tutor if you have a busy schedule - or find an Italian tutor near you with Superprof.Working in ItalyTaking private Italian language courses through one to one tutoring just once a week can be a rewarding decision that gives you useful language skills you can use for the rest of your life.Learning a new language cannot only work wonders for your confidence on a personal level as you gain the ability to communicate in Italian with those who speak it as a native language, your conversational Italian can also open doors in the professional world.Do your research before you work abroad ¦ source: Pixabay - greekfood-tamystikaAt the end of 2015, the website Italie-France.com found out that there were nearly 47,900 companies working in Italy’s fashion industry with a total of 411000 employees.It may reassure you to know that being a native speaker of Italian is not the only criterion recruiters are interested in. If your first language is not Italian, bear in mind that Italy’s employers are looking for skilled workers, and you should not let your mother tongue affect your career path.To take an example of this, Claudio Marenzi, president of Sistema Moda Italiana (the Italian Federation of fashion and textiles) told the French finan cial newspaper Les Échos:‘We have a hard time finding [skilled workers], and we must not lower our guard in the fight against counterfeiting.’So, the exciting jobs are out there, all you have to do is put in the hard work!The Best Way to Learn ItalianSo, what will you actually need to do to learn a new language in the most effective possible way?There are plenty of opportunities to work and study whilst you learn the language, but a good level of knowledge prior to this is usually required â€" so how do you get started?Here are just some of the many paths you can follow:Study Italian at School and UniversitySome schools offer Italian as a foreign language, which means that if you’re a school, college or university student, you may have the opportunity to gain formal qualifications in the Italian language and culture as a young learner.If you’ve always dreamt of learning to speak perfect Italian, the earlier you start learning, the better.So, as soon as you get an opportunit y to take Italian as a second language and even gain GCSE, A Level and degree-level qualifications, take it.With the help of language professionals to teach you, you’ll quickly get to grips with Italian words and phrases as well as commonly-used expressions which will come in handy in your oral communication, as well as Italian grammar points such as conjugation and learning about the correct use of nouns, pronouns and adjectives, so you can wave 'ciao' to your phrasebook!Thankfully, the Italian alphabet is the same as ours - making learning Italian far easier!Learning a language at an educational institution also means that you will get an introduction to learning about Italy and its culture as you start to learn more about Italia, and you may even get the opportunity to visit the country with your class.One to one Italian LessonsFollow a language learning programme that is tailored to your individual learning needs and goals can make for successful language acquisition, so you'l l be speaking Italian in no time at all!Superprof is a platform where students can find tutors to help them achieve their academic goals â€" including learning languages such as Italian.Tutoring is a great way to improve quickly ¦ source: Pixabay - Free-PhotosLearning Italian on a one to one basis in private language lessons is one of the best methods to learn Italian quickly and effectively.So, if you don’t like the idea of taking several years to become confident in a language, finding a personal Italian tutor is the ideal ways to make significant progress in your Italian learning and become fluent in the romance language.Language Exchange in ItalyTo speed up your learning of a language, spending time in an environment where it is the primary method of communication could be just what you need.The best way to make your Italian speaking significantly more natural and fluent, surrounding yourself with native Italian speakers during a language exchange programme is the most effect ive option.Taking Italian lessons in the very place where the language is spoken will always be more rewarding than taking an Italian language course in your home country â€" and you can even get a holiday out of it!Take a Trip to ItalyIf you’ve got the travel bug, visiting Italy and discovering its rich culture and history with your very own eyes will teach you a lot about the country and motivate you in your learning of the Italian language.Everyone learns differently, and immersion in Italy’s vibrant culture has the potential to teach you a lot more than the grammar exercises and oral tests that so many people loathe.With some basic Italian and some time spent under the Mediterranean sun, you could learn far more than you ever bargained for!Learn to love Italian through the countries fantastic musical heritage  or world famous Italian cuisineCheck out Superprof to find your ideal private tutor to help you master the Italian language:Italian lessons GlasgowItalian lessons Lond onLearn Italian online

Best Practices Study Planning

Best Practices Study Planning Improving Academic Performance Whether the topic is ACT prep or improving performance in a math or history class, developing a customized study plan is without a doubt a critical success factor. It’s something I talk a lot about with parents, and something we constantly reinforce with our tutors. But, what are the key components of an effective study plan? In this blog article, we reproduce and share a “follow up email” sent by one of our most experienced ACT tutors to a new student as a means of illustrating the key issues any good study plan should address. We have changed the names of the tutor and student to protect their identities. Emails like this should be a core element of any effect tutoring relationship. Here’s the full text of the email. Hey Frank It was great to meet you today. I wanted to follow up with you and the team (CCed here), and like I said today, my apologies in advance for the length. Once we get the 'setup' completed, we should be able to provide more condensed updates for everyone. Please feel free to only respond to the relevant sections. Location: I will reserve a study room at the same library roughly 4 weeks ahead of every session (that's when slots become available). If there are ever any dates with no slots available, I will follow up to figure out a spot to meet. Frequency/times/schedule: Given your goals (27 to a 32) and test date, I would recommend starting with two 1.5 -hour sessions per week. This could always be adjusted as we go along depending on progress made, your school workload, etc. Let me know your thoughts on this as well as your general weekly availability given that frequency. I will then generate a list of my availability and send it over. In the past, I've done 3-hour sessions for ACT prep if you'd prefer to do 1 3-hour session per week, but I'll leave that up to you. If you want to do more or less hours, not a problem either. Between-session work: I’ll assign between-session practice problems, as it can oftentimes be helpful to have gone through some problems ahead of time so that we can jump straight to the questions that you missed, rather than working through sections from the beginning. Essay: I generally have students write timed practice essays on their own and send it to me rather than doing a timed essay during our session. You can send a scan or photo of the essay, and I will then type it as-is, provide some edits and general comments, run some analytics (reading ease, grade level, passive sentences), and send it back to you. We would usually briefly review the edits at the start of the next session. Materials: In addition to the Real ACT Prep Guide, I have access to 29 practice tests (7 electronic), so we shouldn't have an issue finding materials. If you try to let me know ahead of time, you can take one of them home for the week for diagnostics or other scheduled practice. Otherwise I included the links if you'd like to get them from Amazon. Meeting Notes: You (and the team) can access all of my extant meeting notes using a link that I’ll send you at any time. The latest notes should automatically sync to the folder within 24 hours of our session. Some sessions have more notes than others -- when you do any timed/independent work, I will record updated scores there. Today's should already be synced to the folder. Contact information: Do you have a cell number I could use in case there are ever any last minute changes? I can be contacted via text/call at 414-550-9109, or via email. Prep plan: Once we get a final schedule down, I will send you a general summary of our prep plan. It will have 3 main components, all based around your official test date in June and your baseline score: (1) session schedule subject designations; (2) between-session work, if any; (3) scheduled full-length diagnostic tests before June. I will use the comfort levels you gave today (available in today's meeting notes) to determine how long we work on each subject, but we'll make sure to update it as we make progress in certain areas. Since you weren't able to complete a full diagnostic before our session today, I've attached a new electronic practice test (2014-15) that you can use if you do find the time to complete a full (~3 hour) diagnostic. I would update the prep plan based on those results, otherwise I will adjust the plan as we move forward in each subject together. Math guide: I will have a hard copy of this next session, but I've attached a copy of a general math guide that I've compiled for past ACT students. Not all of it is relevant, so we will cover what parts to take notice of next session. Please let me know your thoughts on: (1) the schedule/frequency; (2) between-session work; and (3) contact information at your earliest convenience. I'll get a prep plan summary over to you and the team as soon as we get these down. Looking forward to working with you! Best, Michael Obviously, this email is very thorough and quite detailed, but it is a great resource for both tutors and students to recognize all the parts of a strong study plan which will serve as a road-map to a succesful tutoring relationship!

Help Your Child Learn English with 10 Reading Tips

Help Your Child Learn English with 10 Reading Tips Reading is a great way to get your child interested in learning English as well as a fantastic  tool to supplement their English classes by teaching them vocabulary and grammar.Here are ten tips to get your child reading:1. Set a routine. Get children used to a specific time for reading, maybe after their bath or at bedtime. This will get them into the habit of reading.2. Make reading fun. You might want your children to be science whizzes when they are older and that’s great but it’s likely that at a young age books that are too grown will be boring to them and make them less likely to read. If they are interested in puppies and birthday cakes  allow  them to read books with these themes. You will find that this will make them more interested in book time.3. Let them pick out their own books. You will find that children will be particularly interested in reading if they have chosen the books themselves.4. Talk  to other mothers with children of the same age about what their chil dren are reading. You might get new ideas and even be able to swap books with them.5. Don’t promote reading to the extent that you become anti-television. Remember that television series like Angelina Ballerina (see our blog on books for preschool children) among many others are based on books. You might find that your child is more interested in a book if he or she is already familiar with the television series.6. Keep it short and sweet. For young learners it’s a good idea to keep reading time short, maybe between 20 and 30 minutes. This will keep the experience exciting and they will be less likely to become bored.7. Don’t force your child to read. There will be days when your child is simply not interested in reading or books and that’s fine. Leave it for another day.8. Don’t force a child to sit down while reading. Some children like to walk around or play while they are with their books or listening to a story. They still could be paying attention.9. Don’t associat e books with punishment. For example, if a child misbehaves you might be tempted to tell them to turn off the television and go to their rooms with a book. This could be a mistake if you are trying to encourage reading as it  could give the child negative associations with books.10. Sit  with them during their reading time. Children will be even more eager to read in English when they realize that it is an opportunity for them to spend quality time with you.Did you find this article helpful? Please share it on Facebook and Twitter. Also, feel free to contact us if you would like your children to have English classes with a native speaker. Hooptour2 Excellent post we need more READING in this world. I have bookmarked these 10 tips. best rated essay service I guess the most effective to help the children for reading is to inspire them to read different interesting but easy story books. Also that books should be chosen where there will be visual appearance of the narrated story. LO IEnglish Yes. I find that my friends that arent native speakers feel slightly timid about reading books to their children in English, however, it doesnt matter if your pronunciation isnt perfect. It introduces the idea that there is more than one language and that there are several words for one thing. This will allow them to be more accepting of learning a new language. If you have anyone that speaks English pretty well have them read the book to your children too.

4 Ways to Combat Procrastination in Online Classes

4 Ways to Combat Procrastination in Online Classes Image via Pexels 1. Find Your Motivation, Then Use It! Finding motivation for class is not just exclusive to online classes, but can apply to all. Online classes, however, are different from regular classroom ones because they are 100% virtual and are attended/completed at home. Because of this, you are way more vulnerable to distractions that can make it hard to be motivated to sit down at your desk for an hour or so and dedicate time to your online class. A great way to fuel your motivation is to write out a schedule of tasks to do each day for your online courses; include a time period and the length of time it will take you to accomplish your task, this will help you to hold yourself accountable, stay on top of your to-do list, and avoid procrastinating! Furthermore, if you find that you really have trouble with procrastinating, sticking to deadlines or starting on time, set alarms and timers on your phone to remind you when you would like to start something and time it to avoid getting distracted. 2. Cut Distractions: Speaking of distractions, when you are engaging in your online class, try to take preemptive measures to reduce distractions, as this will help to keep you from procrastinating. Social media, texting, music and television, etc. are all huge distractions that can affect your participation in online classes. Take breaks when you feel that you deserve one, perhaps to get a snack or something, and set a timer. During your break you can have the freedom to be consumed by all of your distractions, however, once that timer ends, get back to work! Doing so again helps build self-discipline and pushes you to get your work done faster. If you’re looking for a more in-depth article on online class distractions and tips to beat procrastination, check out my article, here! 3. Break Up Your Work: It is incredibly easy to become overwhelmed with a certain amount of schoolwork when everything piles up all at once. When this happens, the task seems too large to conquer or complete, making it easy to procrastinate and put off doing the work. To help avoid waiting until the last minute to complete assignments, break up your work into smaller chunks to make it easier to deal with. If you can do little pieces of work here and there, you’ll notice that you finished the assignment in a reasonable amount of time and didn’t overwhelm yourself in the process! A blog post by Study.com  uses an example of completing a large research paper to help, stating, “  maybe you have a 10-page research paper due in your English class in two weeks. Instead of thinking that youll never be able to get the paper done in two weeks, break it down into little steps that can be tackled individually. These steps could be: gathering research and information, creating an outline, writing pages 1-5, writing pages 6-10, proofreading, etc.” 4. Find a Study Buddy: Because you’re not in a physical classroom, engaging with fellow students is a bit more disconnected than usual. In this case, to try and help with procrastinating, find a study buddy or make a friend in your online course and ask if you both can do work or study together. Having another person in your circle can hold you accountable on the work you need to complete and motivate you to do so! Image via Pexels Procrastination consumes us all from time to time, and its particularly easy to fall into a cycle of procrastinating when taking online classes. However, if you can find motivation, cut down on distractions, break up your work and have a study buddy, you’ll find that you can get your work done faster than before. As always, good luck!

New italki Help Pages

New italki Help Pages Sometimes people want more explanations of how to use the various features on italki. Thats why weve created the italki Help Pages: http://help.italki.com/ If youre unsure how to use a feature on italki, simply click the image at the top of any page and it will take you straight to that Help section. The Help images look like this: In the Help Pages, youll find explanations of every feature and policy on italki. For example: help.italki.com FAQ Frequently Asked Questions How to find a Language Partners How to find a Language Teacher How to use the marketplace Tips on how to get the most out of italki Our policies and service agreements We often hear from new users that they have no idea where to begin on italki. Even older users dont know the details on how the teaching marketplace works. We wanted to start pulling together the best explanations of what italki can do, and put those in a central place where everyone can get access.  If you dont want to view the help banners anymore, you can click on hide explanation in the upper right corner. If you have suggestions for additional topics or questions to be covered in the Help Pages, please contact us through our feedback form or email us at feedback (at) italki (dot) com and let us know.   Well keep expanding these pages so that theyll eventually cover everything you need to know about italki. New italki Help Pages Sometimes people want more explanations of how to use the various features on italki. Thats why weve created the italki Help Pages: http://help.italki.com/ If youre unsure how to use a feature on italki, simply click the image at the top of any page and it will take you straight to that Help section. The Help images look like this: In the Help Pages, youll find explanations of every feature and policy on italki. For example: help.italki.com FAQ Frequently Asked Questions How to find a Language Partners How to find a Language Teacher How to use the marketplace Tips on how to get the most out of italki Our policies and service agreements We often hear from new users that they have no idea where to begin on italki. Even older users dont know the details on how the teaching marketplace works. We wanted to start pulling together the best explanations of what italki can do, and put those in a central place where everyone can get access.  If you dont want to view the help banners anymore, you can click on hide explanation in the upper right corner. If you have suggestions for additional topics or questions to be covered in the Help Pages, please contact us through our feedback form or email us at feedback (at) italki (dot) com and let us know.   Well keep expanding these pages so that theyll eventually cover everything you need to know about italki.