Thursday, April 2, 2020

Chemistry Practice Exam Preparation

Chemistry Practice Exam PreparationChemistry practice exam preparation helps you pass the chemistry exam. It is therefore important that you perform a thorough study on the subject before taking the exam. Moreover, if you have a friend or relative who has passed the exam then it will also help you prepare well. An exam is for a reason, and you need to pass the test, so you should be serious about your studies.You should do research on the previous exams and study accordingly. Do not think that the exam is easy because you have studied well and passed it. You have to make sure that you understand everything because there are some points which have not been discussed. The most common mistake that people make is that they give up too early. That is the last thing that you want.It is very important that you study before the test. Even if you are confident that you can do well on the test, but you need to make sure that you will learn something from the test. Sometimes the information is not correct, and then you have to try again. One good way to start is to take a chemistry textbook with you.It is best to take a chemistry textbook that has already been tested and explained. The teacher will tell you whether it is worth your money or not. This way you will know if the textbook is right for you.There are some things that you should consider before the pre-test. You will be asked questions that will test your knowledge and skills. You need to be able to answer these questions, otherwise you will not be able to pass the test. Thus you need to pay close attention to these questions.First of all you should focus on the issue and answer it correctly. Make sure that you do not end up making a wrong answer. In that case you will just give up. Then you should concentrate on what you have learned in the past exams and compare them with the questions that you will have in the pre-test.Research is important. Find out how others in your age group have answered the question and try to find a similarity. If you do this you will not have to study for a long time before the test.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Which Chinese Dialect Should I Learn

Which Chinese Dialect Should I Learn From Mandarin to Cantonese - Which Chinese Dialect Should You Learn? Chapters Mandarin Chinese What About Cantonese instead of Mandarin? Learning Shanghainese Other Chinese LanguagesWhen it comes to business, speaking Mandarin Chinese would be hugely beneficial. While Japanese and German still remain useful languages for anyone wanting to work in business, there are so many people want to learn Chinese thanks to the country’s economic growth and globally-recognisable culture.Chinese is becoming an increasingly popular choice for students in schools and universities and is showing no signs of slowing down. However, there's something special about the Chinese language that you should know about: there's no such thing as a single Chinese language and culture.The Chinese speaking world is actually a group of related languages and dialects that, in some cases, are so different to one another that somebody speaking one of the languages would not be able to be understood by a speaker of another. Put simply, there are a lot of Chinese people who can't talk to each other because their version of “Chinese” is completely different.With dozens of languages and dialects spoken across China and language learning being such a long process,  it's very unlikely that anyone would be able to learn to speak all the different Chinese languages.While learning a few Chinese words, phrases, and some simple vocabulary will probably only take a few weeks, if you want to get familiar with Chinese characters, master Chinese grammar, and become fluent in your new language, you're going to have to study for a while.With that in mind, let’s see which language is the most important when it comes to integrating into Chinese culture and settling in China.Learn also about the many varieties of Chinese language spoken today... NingChinese Teacher 5.00 (10) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorraineChinese Teacher £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoyceChin ese Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicoleChinese Teacher £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KatyChinese Teacher £16/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YangChinese Teacher £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ChengChinese Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Mandarin ChineseChinese Mandarin is the most spoken language in the world with a fifth of the global population speaking the language. This makes it a popular choice amongst those wanting to study Chinese or go to mainland China.In fact, when people say that they're decided to learn to speak Chinese, they probably mean that they're going to learn Mandarin since most Chinese language courses will be teaching the Mandarin language.Mandarin Chinese is generally used for business in China and is one of the most useful languages for international business. (Source: InstaWalli)You’re probably wondering what other languages the Chinese speak, too.  It’s estimated tha t around 30 million people are currently learning Mandarin. There are also studies that claim that Mandarin might be the world’s most popular language amongst learners.This is probably why there are so many universities partnering with the Confucius Institute and offering regular Chinese classes to their students and the public. You'll hardly be surprised to find out learning Chinese is becoming more popular outside of the classroom, too!The British Council has also said that Mandarin Chinese is the fourth most important language for Britain’s future!As the world’s 2nd biggest economic power, China is Europe’s second most popular trading partner, just after the United States, and accounts for around 160 billion Euros in trade.While once thought of as an impossible foreign language from a faraway land, Mandarin Chinese is now thought of as the language you have to know given how well China is performing economically.Find out more about Chinese’s influence around Asia. What About Cantonese instead of Mandarin?Every story has its sidekick who doesn’t get as much fame as they probably deserve. Batman had Robin, Fred Flintstone had Barney Rubble, and Wallace had Gromit.Cantonese is China's second language in terms of speakers and is famously used in Hong Kong cinema. (Source: Estial Photography)Mandarin was given official language status in China in 1956 while Cantonese remains in second place and largely ignored both by the Chinese and foreigners when it comes to learning languages.Cantonese is so much more than just a language with roots in the Chinese region of Guangdong (which used to be called Canton in the West).  So why should you consider learning Cantonese?While constantly in the shadow of Mandarin, Cantonese has had the opportunity to quietly grow and develop in the regions where it’s still spoken.Thanks to the economic power of the regions like Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao, and Chinese communities abroad, where Cantonese is predominantly spo ken, the language remains most people’s first choice of language.Discover how you too can learn to speak Mandarin...  A Language for LinguistsThose who love languages are probably already more interested in Cantonese than they are Mandarin.With everybody seemingly learning Mandarin Chinese, there’s something quite interesting about the prospect of learning a language that’s both less popular and less accessible. With 8 tones and a number of similarities with Vietnamese, Cantonese can open doors to a number of regions that Mandarin won’t.Find out more about tones in Chinese by taking Chinese lessons.A Language for HistoriansWhile we’re certainly not forgetting about the history of Mandarin, the history of Cantonese is so rich and interesting that we couldn’t possibly write an articles on varieties of Chinese and not look at it briefly.Guangzhou, the 3rd largest city in China, has witnessed centuries of different political regimes. It’s a place that doesn’t need to pro ve anything to anyone.  It’s nicknamed the “City of the Five Rams” due to a Chinese legend in which 5 immortals rode 5 sheep. You could go as far to say that Guangzhou is an immortal city given the centuries of control it’s been subjected to.A Language for CinephilesHong Kong’s cinema, which is popular locally, nationally, and internationally, helps promote Cantonese. It has its own style and look that helps differentiate itself from other types of Chinese cinema.Understanding Mandarin Chinese mightn’t help you since the subtitles that are provided in Standard Chinese often do little justice to the original dialogue in Cantonese.Discover the fascinating history of the Chinese language...A Language for TravellersBeautiful, modern, and historic. Hong Kong, much like Shanghai, attracts migrants from all over the world. Since Hong Kong was formerly a British Colony, it’s significantly more westernised than the mainland.However, it’s managed to hold onto its Chinese roots , too. When people say Hong Kong Chinese, they’re really talking about Hong Kong Cantonese.In fact, Cantonese is both Hong Kong’s official language and the lingua franca. Put simply, if you’ve set your sights on Hong Kong for either work or travel, you’re going to have to learn Cantonese rather than Mandarin Chinese. Learning ShanghaineseShanghai is the biggest city in China, a global economic hub, and home to the world’s second tallest skyscraper, the Shanghai tower.Read about everything you need to help you learn Chinese...Shanghai, which was once a farming town, has been an important port since the Qing dynasty. (Source: pixabay.com)As the economic centre of Asia, it’s hardly surprising to learn that both Mandarin and English are used in order to close deals.However, Shanghai, which is home to 20 million people, has its own language and dialect which is known as Shanghainese, the Shanghainese dialect, the Hu language, or the Hu dialect.While Mandarin Chinese is taught in schools around the People’s Republic of China from the age of 6, the local language is the one spoken on the streets of Shanghai in the shadows of massive skyscrapers.You’re probably thinking, “Why should I learn a local dialect instead of learning the standard Mandarin Chinese?”I’m not going to lie... That’s a very valid question to ask. After all, most people in Shanghai can speak Mandarin Chinese to some degree and  Shanghai is also home to a significant migrant population that doesn't speak the local language.However, whether you’re an exchange student in China, an expat looking to start a business, or just a tourist travelling through Shanghai, knowing how to speak the local lingo comes with a number of benefits.The Shanghainese like to stick together and promote the use of their local language.  Thus, socialising with the locals in Shanghai and avoiding the expat communities can be difficult if you haven’t bothered to learn their language.I played it safe: took Mandarin lessons with a Superprof tutor!As a member of the Wu language family, which is the second largest linguistic group in China, there are also a tonne of economic and financial benefits to mastering this language.While Mandarin and Shanghainese are not mutually intelligible, the latter has borrowed heavily from the former. This means that if you know a lot of Mandarin, it could be helpful if you decide to start learning Shanghainese.Would you try your hand a learning Chinese's four tones?   Other Chinese LanguagesWhile you might hear languages like Min (spoken in Fuijian and Taiwan), Xiang (in Hunan Province), and Manchu referred to as “dialects” in order to legitimise Mandarin Chinese as the official language of China, most linguists don't like to use the term.According to historians, Old Chinese was closer to Tibetan languages than modern Chinese dialects. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)China is brimming with local languages that bear little resemblance to Mandarin Chin ese as it’s spoken in Beijing.These languages have existed for many years and survived in the face measures to standardise Chinese. Most regions still have regional languages which are used daily by local groups, too.Focusing on one of these local languages could be great for somebody interested in linguistics, anthropology, Chinese history, or anybody wanting to deepen their understanding of local Chinese culture and history for university research, for example.Don’t forget about Pinyin, either.Find a private tutor to help you learn Mandarin Chinese:Mandarin lessons LondonChinese lessons London

Friday, March 6, 2020

Factoring Polynomials Problems - Online tutoring

Factoring Polynomials Problems - Online tutoring Rules for the factorization of the polynomials are given below. 1. The first term of both the factor is x. 2. The product of the second terms of the two factors is equal to the third term of the trinomial. 3. The algebraic sum of the second terms of the two factors is equal to the coefficient of x in the trinomial. Example 1.Resolve into factors x2 + 11x + 24. The second term of the factors must be such that their product is + 24 and their sum + 11, it is clear that they must be + 8 and + 3. x2 + 11x + 24 = x2 + 8 x + 3 x + 24 = x (x + 8) + 3 (x + 8) Or x2 + 11x + 24 =(x + 8) (x + 3) Example 2.Resolve into factors x2 - 10x + 24. The second term of the factors must be such that their product is + 24 and their sum -10, it is clear that they must be - 6 and - 4. x2 - 10x + 24 = x2 - 6 x - 4 x + 24 = x (x - 6) - 4 (x - 6) Or x2 - 10x + 24 = (x - 6) (x - 4) Example 3.Resolve into factors x2 + 2x - 35. In the given equation the third term is negative. The second terms of the factors must be such that their product is 35 and their algebraically sum + 2. Hence they must have opposite signs, and the greater of them must be negative in order to give its sign to their sum = x2 + 2x 35 = x2 + 7x- 5 x 35 or = x (x + 7) 5 (x + 7) Hence x2 + 2x 35 = (x + 7) (x 5)

Thursday, March 5, 2020

5 Ways Behavioral Interviewing Skills Help Professionally, Besides For Job Interviews - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 5 Ways Behavioral Interviewing Skills Help Professionally, Besides For Job Interviews - Introvert Whisperer 5 Ways Behavioral Interviewing Skills Help Professionally, Besides For Job Interviews Interviewing for a job is often daunting and stressful even if you have completed multiple interviews for positions in the past. The behavior-based interviews became wildly popular in the 1970s and is still one of the most popular interview forms used today. A behavior interview allows prospective employers the chance to get to know potential employees on a more intimate and personal level before deciding whether or not they are right for the role that is available. Knowing why behavioral interviewing skills help professionally aside from job interviews is advisable when you foresee a future for yourself working in business or as an entrepreneur on your own. Decision Making and Problem Solving Making decisions and solving problems are two of the most important tasks required of professionals in the workplace. If you are unable to solve problems or make tough decisions, it becomes increasingly difficult to obtain leadership positions and roles with more authority. Before scheduling an upcoming interview it is important to review how you excel in problem-solving and when making decisions in the workplace. Employers are likely to ask questions such as: What are your preferred methods to solve problems in the workplace? Have you encountered a difficult problem at work in the past? If so, what steps did you take to remedy the issue? How comfortable are you with working with other members of your team to come to decisions or to fix issues that have arisen? What are your weaknesses when it comes to solving problems? How have you worked towards improving on the weaknesses that you perceive in yourself? Boost Your Self-Confidence When you are well-versed in behavior-based interviews, gain self-confidence even outside of the interview process. Once you become familiar with behavior-based interview questions it is much easier to feel confident and comfortable with yourself and your professional abilities. Self-confidence is necessary for networking and expanding your reach, regardless of the market or industry you work in each day. Having confidence in yourself is a way to attract other confident individuals and professionals in your life. When you believe in yourself, your abilities, and what you bring to the workplace, obtain any position or role you desire with less anxiety or self-doubt. Some questions you may be asked that are related to confidence during an interview include: How do you remain confident when handling customers or clients who are dissatisfied with the service they have been provided? What are your best workplace skills? Can you rank your knowledge of each subject on a scale from 1 to 10? Are you comfortable with leading a team during meetings and when communicating with clients and customers? What are your weaknesses in terms of your confidence and workplace skills and abilities? How do you remedy your weaknesses when faced with big problems and challenges? Are you comfortable with leading presentations or taking on the responsibility of an entire team? Where do you see yourself in five or ten years if you are still working in the industry? Is this position optimal for the type of growth you are seeking as a professional? How can we help you to achieve the professional goals you have set for yourself? What is your dream position with the skills and abilities you already have? Do you plan to expand on the skills you have already developed in the workplace? If so, how do you intend to obtain the necessary skills and abilities required for potential advancements in your career? Remain Motivated Once you have a clear understanding of behavior-based interview questions that are most commonly asked throughout the interview process, remain motivated in other business-related scenarios and situations. Self-motivation and discipline are both essential elements necessary for success as an entrepreneur or any professional working in a business-centric industry. Motivation is imperative when setting and sticking to both short and long-term goals, even if they are not work-related. Leadership Qualities Leadership qualities do not appear overnight and often require plenty of hard work, consistency, and dedication. Building leadership qualities help to obtain positions while moving up on the ladder in any workplace. When you understand the importance of behavior-based interview questions and you are familiar and comfortable with them, maintain a sense of leadership along with the self-confidence you have built in yourself. Some of the leadership questions that you may be asked while interviewing with an employer who is using behavior-based questions include: Do you consider yourself a leader at home and at work? If so, how do you lead others in your household or who are on your team throughout a project? What has been the most difficult leadership position you have taken on? How did you face the challenges you were presented as a leader? Do you enjoy working as a leader or do you prefer to be lead by others who are managing projects? If you do not enjoy leadership positions, can you expand on your reasons why? Are you comfortable with sharing leadership positions with others or do you prefer to take lead on a project and tackle it yourself? If you do not like working with others in leadership positions, are you able to elaborate? Improve Communication Skills Being comfortable with behavior-based interview questions is a great way to improve on your communication skills. Communication skills are essential whether you are interested in landing a new job or if you are meeting with colleagues or friends for dinner after work. Having the ability to properly communicate and convey your message is a way to captivate your audience while garnering attention from those around you. When you feel confident in what you say, others are much more likely to listen. Some of the most prominent questions you may be asked regarding your communication skills when you are in an interview include: What is your preferred communication style? Do you enjoy meeting face-to-face or do you prefer another form of technology to communicate with others? Do you find it difficult to work with others who have vastly different personalities from your own? How comfortable are you with engaging with clients or customers who have been difficult to deal with in the past? Are you able to remain calm, cool, collected, and professional at all times while communicating with disgruntled clients or employees? How do you approach clients or customers who are unhappy with the products or services you provide? What steps do you take to ensure that our clients and customers are satisfied with the service they have received from us? Are you willing to remain flexible with new methods of communication available for our clients and customers as we continue to expand our business? What are your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to communicating with others? Have you taken the necessary steps to improve on them? How did you discover your communication weaknesses and did it affect your last position? Understanding the importance of behavior based interview skills is a way to feel confident and comfortable with the decisions you make while meeting with employers and hiring managers. The more comfortable you become in your own skin and with the skills you have, the easier it becomes to answer behavioral-based questions with honest and thoughtful responses. Author Bio:

Nationwide Reading And Math Abilities

Nationwide Reading And Math Abilities 12th grade students reading/math scores increased slightly, since their record lows in 2005, according to federal results released November 18th, cited by an article in The New York Times. These reading and math tests comprise the National Assessment of Education Progress test. The Department of Education administered this test to what it determined to be a representative sample of about 50,000 12th grade students nationwide in the spring of 2009. The Department of Education stated that the average 12th grade student scored 288 on the reading assessment portion on a 500-point scale marking a slight increase from the average 2005 score of 286. Roughly 38% of 12th grade students scored at or above the tests proficiency level. If we go back almost 20 years and compare todays national reading results, these scores are not quite what they should be, said Steven Paine, a member of the National Assessment Governing Board. Paine noted that these increases represent mild short-term improvements but long-term decreases. The average test score dropped four points from 292 in 1992 to 288 in 2009. Naturally, students who said they read a lot scored much higher on the reading assessment test than students who said they read little. Students who said they read 20 or more pages every day for school scored 25 points higher than those who reported only reading five or fewer pages a day. For the math assessment test, average 12th graders scores increased from 150 in 2005 to 153 this year. The math assessment is scored on a 300-point scale. Twenty-six percent of 12th graders scored at or above the proficiency level in 2009. These scores cannot be compared to any test scores before 2005 because the governing board changed the test that year. However, in comparison, the 2006-administered national assessment of economics test showed that 42 percent of 12th graders were proficient. On the most recent science and history assessments 18 and 13 percent, respectively, of 12th graders scored proficient. Educators and school policy makers closely examine the assessment test scores, looking for slight nuances of improvements. However, officials have not yet determined if these improvements are significant. Significance depends on the tests margin for error, which increases as the number of test takers decreases. Test administers noted that it is a big challenge within itself simply to persuade high school students to take the test seriously, performing to the best of their abilities. Students are not scored individually; so there is no incentive to perform well and no consequences of performing poorly.

What Science Tells Us about Playing the Guitar.

What Science Tells Us about Playing the Guitar. Scientific Reasons for Playing Your Guitar. ChaptersThe Guitar Creates Real PleasurePlaying the Guitar Helps StressGuitars Removes PainThe Guitar Boosts Your Brain's ActivityPracticing Guitar Trains your HeartThe Guitar Boosts Self-ConfidencePlaying Guitar Improves Your Creativity and ConcentrationGuitars Improve Your Appeal.You wonder why guitarists seem so relaxed and calm on stage?  Why they seem so cool when playing guitar chords on their acoustic guitar or playing guitar solos on their electric?Do they have a better GP? Better health and fitness? (We doubt it.) Do they all do crazy amounts of yoga between practicing their music theory, fingerstyle, or barre chords? Do they all practice mindfulness whilst working on their fretboard, power chords, or guitar tricks? Sort of.Discover how a Fender can stimulate gray matter, annihilate stress and even boost your sex appeal! It's not all about tablature and chord progressions!Throughout time guitars has been a musical instrument that attracted, even fascinated.  For a child or t eenager it's the ideal partner to seduce and express oneself freely through personal compositions, picking up the great hits of our favorite guitar players.There's no age to play guitar: whether you are 8, 18, 38 or 68 years old makes no difference. From that moment you want to play the guitar, as soon you're motivated, is the right time to get started.You can also play all styles of music on the guitar that you enjoy such as blues, rock, pop, reggae, funk, punk or classical music.  You'll just have to choose the corresponding guitar.  However, to be sure to make the proper sounds and not get your family or neighbors screaming, it's recommended to learn the basics of this instrument by taking guitar lessons - with a qualified and reliable guitar teacher.Whether you take online courses, classes with an independent teacher or guitar lessons in a music school doesn't matter, so long as it's right for you. Once you acquire the early guitar basics, you'll discover that you can start play ing many pieces - and you'll even be able to teach others how to play guitar.But beyond that pleasure of playing or reproducing songs, playing guitar has many other implications for you, including your well-being and your health.It's perhaps the essence of any musical practice, and the guitar is not exempted from providing a genuine pleasure.According to a neuro-scientific study from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, listening to and playing the guitar will release wellness hormones including the famous dopamine, commonly called the happiness hormone.Playing the guitar can help your mood!Strangely, and according to the same study, playing the guitar and listening to music would trigger the same chemical process in our brain as sexual intercourse.Some will readily say that playing the guitar is a sort of musical masturbation. The word is maybe a bit strong but the facts are there: the more you listen to music, the more you go at it with your guitar, the more you take pleasure in doing it. That's why your brain will secrete this Hormone that is dopamine.Maybe this explains why guitarists look so damn cool when they play songs on stage!Playing the Guitar Helps StressWe all have busy days. And, whether it's in our private sphere or in the workplace, there are always moments when we get more tense. We're sure you know what we're talking about.Between upsetting bosses, bills that fall at the wrong time, traffic jams, bad weather, an appointment you don't want to face, there are a thousand reasons get stressed during the day.Luckily, once you take possession of your Gibson Les Paul guitar or your Telecaster, plug in your guitar to the Marshall guitar amp, tune your guitar, play the first guitar strings, strum a few chords â€" all these stresses seem to all fade away in no time.Whether you're taking guitar lessons with a teacher or playing in your room by yourself, the result is the same: you're going to relax by playing your 6-strings (this is also true for clas sic bass or acoustic bass!).According to a double study by the University of Loma Linda in California (USA) and the School of Medicine and Applied Biosystems, it has been proven that stress is significantly reduced as soon as one plays an instrument â€" guitars are amongst these.The guitar is good for your health and your mood.  Believe it or not, the guitar's virtues have been known since it's origins, at least instinctively. Blues guitar emerged historically from a time of immense pain for the black community in the United States - and it was felt as both a lament and a community support.And many of your favorite songs will have been written by musicians in moments of difficulty. In this sense, music - and even those small motions of fingerpicking, or concentrating on moving from one guitar chord to the next - is profoundly therapeutic.Also, it seems a lot of this is played out directly on the genetic level, the musical vibrations act on our immune system in response to blood pres sure, which allows us to fight against viruses. Remember this when you are next ill: get playing your pentatonic or major scale, or those songs by Clapton or Hendrix, and maybe you'll feel a little better.Some essential small accessories related to guitar like the pick, the capo, a metronome, just in case and you're ready!Guitars Removes PainIf you have chronic pain, suffering, whether physical or psychological, learning to play guitar and listening to music can disconnect your mind and thereby greatly reduce pain.Destress by playing the guitar!Concentrating on the intonations, the musical vibrations, on the atmosphere rather than on pain, while listening to music helps your body to relax and your mind to escape.This is a study by the University of Utah (United States) in connection with the Center for Research on Pain which was able to demonstrate these effects of music on our body.Think about this when you are feeling lazy and don't want to go to your guitar lesson. Think about th is when you are struggling with a difficult chord progression. Consider this when you are practicing your guitar tabs or your ear training. All of this will help you in the long run - and not just in your ability in how to play the guitar.A recent Scottish study has shown that if you play the guitar - but it works just as well with any musical instrument - you are more able to sharpen your brain functions and activity.This would particularly favor the fight against mental degeneration in the medium and long term. Meaning, simply, by getting yourself on to a guitar course, by whacking through those basic chords and fret positions, by practicing rock guitar, jazz guitar, or rhythm guitar, you are actually staving off conditions like dementia and Alzheimer's.So don't take pills to increase your brain activity: take guitar lessons, compile your tabs, work your scales, study them and play - and your brain will thank you.Learn how to play these distinct styles of guitar!Practicing Guitar Trains your HeartDid you know that rockers have a fascinating cardiovascular system?Indeed, researchers in the Netherlands have revealed that musicians and people who practice a musical activity such as playing guitar for at least 100 minutes a day have a significant drop in blood pressure but also heart rate compared to a person who would not play music.This was reinforced by another study from the Berklee School of Music in Boston, USA, led by the Chair of the Department of Music Therapy, Mrs. Suzanne Hanser.Playing music has a real impact on our health, especially for the elderly. As the heart slows down, stress is decreased as well as anxiety and depression.While you're totally absorbed by your guitar playing, as you forget yourself to the music, blood pressure at the heart drops to completely normal levels, you feel more relaxed. This is why, after a solid time of guitar practice, you might feel less worried about life.And if, by chance, you take guitar lessons where you learn to sing at the same time, it will also have a positive effect on your lungs, making them work their oxygen capacity.Maybe that is why these top guitarists enjoy such longevity...The Guitar Boosts Self-ConfidenceThe guitar is an excellent outlet.Even if singing brings an immediate benefit, playing and creating your own music allows you to express yourself fully, to show others who you are, the emotions you feel, to convey a message, ideas.By expressing yourself totally and without any censorship with the guitar, you will release a strong emotional charge, which will increase your confidence.Singing a song, playing a song, can be easy for some, but creating, composing, inventing a piece is a personal challenge, and once you have achieved it, you will have gained self-confidence.You will know that you are capable of inventing something unique.Developing any old skill can help your confidence. But when you are learning such things as improvisation, complex lead guitar passages, and perf ormance, you'll be showing the world - and yourself - that you can do something really excellent.Find out all of the different ways a good guitar player can earn a living...Playing Guitar Improves Your Creativity and ConcentrationThe more you play the guitar, the more your brain stores information. Once you have acquired all the basics of the guitar - like the main chords, alternate picking, placing your fingers to perform chords or make your first solo - you'll realize that you'll want to learn again and again. The open chords won't be enough: you'll want to develop the range of advanced guitar techniques!It's as if you had put your finger in a gear and could no longer undo it.Are you a beginner guitar player? You need this 'everything guitar'guide...With the guitar, it's a bit like this: after freeing yourself of the techniques you acquired through lessons, you'll access the creative part of the guitar.According to a very serious study of the very serious University of Cambridge, musicians and guitarists continue to be creative even when they stop playing their instrument.They have invested so much in their music that their whole environment becomes a pretext for composing or making changes to their music.It's often during a walk, on a tour, in the evening with friends that you'll hear a sound, a rhythm or that you will feel a certain emotion and want to put it into music.Guitars Improve Your Appeal.It is cliché but nevertheless proven scientifically. The guitar enhances your attractiveness. Ah, the guitar and guitarists!Psychology researchers have done music-related studies that show that women more easily associate musical ability with intelligence, but also with commitment, the notion of hard work and physical prowess.Learn to play these sexy guitar-based songs to seduce your crush!Playing the guitar boosts your confidenceWhy do people like guitarists?Here are two or three reasons that will make you want to take guitar lessons to pull.The guitarist is su pposed to be more creative and more imaginative than other men.The music and the guitar are addressed directly to people's brains: the American neuroscientist Daniel Levitin explains that music played on the guitar solicits almost all areas of the brain and the emotions it generates imply structures around the primitive brain, namely the seat of all our emotions. In short, guitar music comes into contact with our oldest emotions and it's impossible to control them.The guitarist has a transgressive side: myth of the bad boy or not, the guitarist is synonymous with freedom, the man who frees himself from society's rules to make his own way.What if the guitar was the remedy for old age?In conclusion, it can be said that the guitar is the best medicine against boredom and depression.It relieves guitarists and brings many physical and mental benefits.So enjoy your neurons by strumming your Gibson strings like the best guitarists!Quickly take your dose of serotonin, endorphin or oxytocin. Now go with your Superprof as we debunk popular misconceptions about the guitar...

Ask a Private School Admissions Expert Emily Glickman

Ask a Private School Admissions Expert Emily Glickman Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. Emily Glickman is the founder and president of Abacus Guide Educational Consulting, a leading private school consulting service in New York. She currently serves as an alumni admissions interviewer for Columbia Universityand is a vastly well-known expert on private school admissions. Emily has also been featured in several prestigious publications such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. VT: What is the typical timeline for private school admissions? Emily: Families should start to think about private school admissions about a year and a half before a child starts a new school.While the private school admissions process officially starts right after Labor Day, advanced planning means you have more time to research and sometimes visit schools, study for required exams, and improve your familys and students admissions profile. If your child applies to private school, plan for a busy fall!Usually, private schools upload applications to their websites in late August or early September.Then its a sprint:essays, interviews, testing, references, and transcripts.Before you know it, its the New Year and its almost time for February or March decisions. VT: What is the typical process that admissions officers go through to evaluate applications? Emily: Private school admissions directors review a students whole profile: parent and (for middle school and high school) student essays, interviews, school reports, and teacher recommendations. VT: What are the most important things children need to have represented on their applications? Emily: Kids need to seem like they will be successful in a new school.Every admissions officer likes an articulate, friendly, easy-going student with a solid academic record. VT: What are common mistakes parents make when applying to these programs? Emily: Sometimes parents think they need to snow admissions directors with extensive talk about their vast real estate holdings, multiple doctorates from the worlds best universities, and thirty board memberships.While private schools like generous, community-minded people, nobody likes a showoff. VT: How should parents go about determining the culture of a private school, and whether it would be a good fit for their children? Emily: When parents evaluate private schools, they should start with an open mind and a willingness to look at a number of schools. In New York City, its a sellers market, so buyers need to give themselves many possible options.Families should go to school-sponsored events and talk to current parents. Some of my clients have found YouTube videos of school events and the school newspaper to be good ways to ferret out real information that you dont get from marketing materials. VT: How important are standardized test scores when admissions decisions are being made? Emily: For NYC kindergarten admission, ERB scores are critical.I find that for middle school and high school, students grades carry more weight and sometimes will mean more than a disappointing ISEE or SSAT score. VT: What tips do you have in regards to ISEE prep, SSAT prep, and preparation for other standardized assessments that private schools might require? Emily: If students want to have the best possible choice of schools, they should prep.In my experience, prepping can dramatically improve students scores.That said, some parents want to prep years in advance!That is too much.Children are only children for a short period.Test prep should be practiced in moderation, and only when it is productive. VT: What are the most important things parents need to have well represented about themselves when meeting with admissions officers? Emily: Parents need to seem like pleasant, community-minded, thoughtful people who will reflect well on the school. VT: How does networking and having in-school connections affect one's chances of admission? Emily: At almost all schools, some more than others, networking matters.Connections help, especially when a student is qualified. In many ways, NYC private schools are like country clubs.If you know someone there, youve proven yourself to be their kind of person. VT: How can a student best prepare for admissions interviews? Emily: I work directly with students and coach them on how best to answer questions.For kids who want to prepare on their own, my best advice is to show your best self.Its not the admissions officers business if your favorite activity is playing Xbox while scarfing nachos. Instead, discuss your favorite school subject or your interest in American biography. Check out Abacus Guide Educational Consulting for more information or get in touch with Emily at info@abacusguide.com The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Essay Writing in 9 Easy Steps

Essay Writing in 9 Easy Steps Follow these steps to write a successful essay. Step 1:Choose a purpose Which question will you answer with your essay? The question you attempt to answer will determine your purpose. What isn’t what it appears to be? Purpose = to informWhat situation needs to change? Purpose = to persuadeHow have I been wronged? Purpose = to confide Step 2: Select a role Decide how you will approach your topic.Will you inform the reader as a pundit or a philosopher? Will you persuade the reader as an enthusiast, a scold, or a Devil’s advocate? Will you confide in the reader as a confidant? Will you entertain the reader with a story as a raconteur? Or will you amuse the reader by informing, persuading or confiding in the reader in an ironic or absurd way as a jester does? Pundit: The pundit teaches us something by drawing on his or her knowledge of or expertise on a topic. Philosopher: A philosopher searches for knowledge or meaning by asking questions about and proposing solutions to the moral problems of life.Enthusiast: The enthusiast stirs up enthusiasm on a topic in the face of apathy or weak support.Scold: A scold is a faultfinder. He or she will criticize, reproach, quarrel and complain about someone or something. A scold does so with the hope that criticism will eventually result in reform.Devil’s advocate: A Devil’s advocate takes the contrary point of view to anything and everything. By trying to prove the opposite of a widely accepted belief, he or she helps us to re-examine that belief so we might articulate it more clearly, or look on it in a fresh light. Confidant: A confidant reveals his or her feelings on a topic. By articulating hidden emotions, we discover that all of our secrets are essentially the same.Raconteur: A raconteur te lls a story to entertain or inform. He or she personalizes problems making them more accessible to others. Jester: A jester makes light of things the world takes seriously. He or she points out the ridiculous to relieve pent up anxiety through laughter. Step 3: Generate interest in your topic Select a strategy for generating interest in your topic. ask a questionintroduce a surprising fact or statisticquote an authorityshare an anecdoteoutline an opposing view Here are some kick-ass ways to start an essay. Step 4: Define and limit your topic Make sure that you define your terms and indicate what is not covered by your topic. This will help to keep your topic focused. For example, “An abortion is the deliberate termination of a pregnancy. It is different from a miscarriage, which is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy before term.” Step 5:State your thesis Develop a clear and concise main idea in the form of a thesis statement. A thesis statement is a sentence that identifies the purpose of the essay. It usually appears at the end of the introductory paragraph and serves as the organizing principle of the essay. Thesis statements can be either strong or weak. A strong thesis statement makes a claim and summarizes support for it: X is Y because A, B, and C; or X should be Y because A, B, and C. A weak thesis statement is self-conscious in that it makes reference to either the essay in which it appears or to the essayist writing it. Weak theses often follow this formula: In this essay, I will show that X is Y because A, B, and C. Avoid weak thesis statements. Step 6: Organize your essay Arrange your body paragraphs so that they develop the topics in the same order as they are outlined in your thesis statement. This will give your essay structural cohesion. Arrange your arguments from strongest to weakest or weakest to strongest. Write an outline of your essay to help you arrange and organize your ideas. Organize your essay into a 5 paragraph hamburger essay Step 7: Develop your paragraphs Each paragraph should be developed using a single development method. When you change methods, change paragraphs. Example: The example method is the simplest method of development. Each sentence provides examples to support the controlling idea in the topic sentence of the paragraph.Cause and effect: Like the example method, the topic sentence identifies a cause, and each sentence thereafter provides examples of effects. Alternatively, the topic sentence identifies the result, and each subsequent sentence lists the causes for it.Comparison by criterion: A paragraph developed using comparison by criterion involves comparing items one criterion at a time. For example, you might describe the size of item 1 and the size of item 2, shape of item 1 and the shape of item 2, the price of item 1 and the price of item 2, etc.Comparison by item: A paragraph developed using comparison by item involves describing item 1 using a variety or criteria, like size, shape, and price, etc., before describing item 2 in terms the same criteria of size, shape, and price, etc.Narration: A paragraph developed by narratio n involves a description of a series of events that happened in the past in the sequence in which they occurred.Process analysis: A paragraph developed by process analysis describes a repeatable series of steps using words like first, next, etc.Description: When you are writing about an object or scene and want to consider its physical or spatial characteristics, you will want to compose a paragraph of descriptive details. Introduce details in a sequence, moving from top to bottom, left to right, center to periphery, large to small, east to west, and so on. Be systematic.Classification: A paragraph developed by classification analyzes the components of an item or an idea.Definition: When you develop a paragraph by definition, you will identify a class and then list differentiating characteristics. Step 8: Build cohesion with transition words Use the connective words below to show the relationship of ideas from one sentence or paragraph to the next. Exemplification: to illustrate, for instance, for exampleEmphasis: in fact, most significantly, specifically, in particularAddition: furthermore, moreover, in additionContrast: although, however, even so, nevertheless, conversely, yetQualification: for the most part, generally, often, of courseSequence: first, second, third, next, subsequentlyConclusion: in conclusion, to conclude, finally, to sum up Step 9: Develop a conclusion Restate your thesis by rewording or rearranging the words in your thesis. This will remind the reader what you have been trying to achieve. Include a concrete suggestion. What should the reader do now? Finally, make a prediction about the benefits of adopting your proposal. What will happen if enough people accept your point of view? How will things change? Use the Virtual Writing Tutors 100% free essay checker.Become a member to gain access to the essay outliner and other cool free tools. Please follow and like us:

Postcards for Pen Pals - Free Download

Postcards for Pen Pals - Free Download Postcards are great. The colourful picture on the front can surprise, inform, and inspire. The stamp on the back can form part of a collection. There is just enough room to write a few well-chosen sentences. Messages are short and focused. The beginnings and endings are formulaic. Good Pedagogy Indeed, the skills you learn from postcard writing are applicable to other forms of personal correspondence. For example, you always start with dear and end with love, as with a personal email or a letter. (Do people still write letters?) Without a doubt, postcard writing is a great activity for beginner English language learners. Correspondence writing projects with multiple pen pals provide an excellent opportunity for a repeated exchange of meaningful messages with a focus on target structures. In other words, postcard writing for second language learners allows teachers to get students to engage in communicative writing, repeatedly writing meaningful messages on everyday topics that students find motivating. Apart from being a joy to send and receive, a postcard exchange is clearly a pedagogically sound way to practice English. Online or Offline? For online postcard writing, use the Virtual Writing Tutors online pen pal exchange system. It allows teachers to create a virtual postcard exchange project between classes. You can even get students to exchange messages with students taught by another teacher on the other side of the world. But sometimes, offline is better. But postcards cost money. As you know, the ones at gift shops can be expensive. If you cant afford the fancy gift shop versions, you can always make your own. Using MS Word, make a table with four squares. Then, fill the table with photos. Use scissors to trim off the edges and cut up the sheet into four postcards. But designing postcards takes time. Downloading these VWT postcards is a lot faster. They are ready in a jiffy. Enjoy! Download VWT-postcardsDownload Postcards with grammar lessonsPostcards that promote the Virtual Writing TutorPostcards that promote the Virtual Writing TutorPostcards with grammar questionsPostcard backs with a space to write a message, the address, and affix a stamp Download VWT-postcardsDownload A sturdier alternative to plain paper is to buy blank perforated card stock and run them through your colour printer. I have ordered the Avery brand of blank postcards myself. And I can attest to that they were both affordable and well-suited for international exchange writing tasks. They are perforated to separate easily into four cards. Excellent! Online alternative Even faster that printing postcards is to use the pen pal exchange system on the VirtualWritingTutor.com grammar checker website. I created it to automate error correction and target structure detection while students exchanged meaningful messages. As such, online pen pal exchanges seem to me an ideal method of focusing on Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills. In other words, online pen pal writing is great way to incorporate writing tasks in ESL without having to resort to the quasi-academic 5-paragraph persuasive essay every time. (Sometimes, essay writing is absolutely appropriate. When it is, I can suggest a 9-step approach to writing essays that may help with essay writing.) Learn more about the VWTs Pen Pal Exchange If you are not ready to do a pen pal exchange, thats okay. Perhaps you are looking for other ways to boost the effectiveness of your language teaching. If so, check out my 10 mind-blowing research findings to supercharge your teaching. Please follow and like us: