The Two Main Approaches to Getting A Chinese Tutor

The Two Main Approaches to Getting A Chinese TutorLearning Chinese is not as hard as it sounds, but if you are looking for an online Chinese tutor you need to know about the two main approaches. The first one is the traditional approach where a person goes to the school, and that's it. That's not something that you want to do, so we will look at the second option, the online method.Many people think that they don't need a Chinese tutor because there are so many classes available at Chinese schools. The truth is that there are dozens of resources available online, and the only thing that is important is whether they are efficient or not.To find a Chinese tutor on the internet, you need to do some research. You need to look at the two approaches: traditional and online. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.When you are looking for a Chinese tutor, you should make sure that you don't pay for anything except the course fees, which are usually very low. Many sites offer courses fo r very cheap, and you will find the best ones that offer the top quality materials for free. All you need to do is to read the reviews of each site, check their quality, and then choose the best one.When you are looking for a Chinese tutor on the internet, you need to know about the two approaches, the traditional and the online method. In the traditional approach, you go to the school and that's it.If you go to a Chinese teacher school, there will be many students there, and at the end of the course, you will be able to speak with them all, so this is not necessary. The online method is not much different from the traditional one, except that you can learn without having to go to the classroom.The next time that you want to learn Chinese, you need to know about the two approaches: traditional and online. Since you need to be in the class, and since most Chinese courses don't let you study all by yourself, the online method is the better option. When you learn in the comfort of your own home, you are less likely to forget.

Languages Resources Day

Languages Resources Day On Wednesday May 24th we held a Languages Resource Day for our tutors. We some amazing tutors of French, Spanish, German, Chinese and English as a Foreign Language. Here we have summarised their knowledge and you’ll find links to their resources. Planning your first lesson The first lesson is all about building rapport and making the student feel confident.  Once they show they have knowledge of the language they’ll be more receptive to learning.  Katja explained that when you’re in a one-on-one tutoring lesson introducing role playing characters can be a great way to build a story and help the student to relax. It also brings more people into the conversation so that you can talk about “we” instead of “you” and “me”!  The first lesson is also a great opportunity to get to know the student’s interest so you can use them later.  Lucinda suggested audio visual resources such as watching TED talks so that the tutees can see difficult vocabulary in action.  For younger students Sonia recommended Peppa Pig as the episodes are also available in French and German Find out their aims Students have a variety of reasons for wanting to learn a language so it’s important to understand what they are hoping to get out of the lessons.  Sonia showed us the work books she uses which are specific to each exam board. By using these the students can practice exam techniques and ensure they are prepared. For student’s learning a language for the first time, whether children or adults, Katja said that introducing the culture of the country can enthuse students. Teaching vocabulary through discussions of food, films and products from the language’s culture (or cultures) can be an effective way to inspire enthusiasm for the language, therein aiding the students’ learning memory Get Creative Katja teaches German to students of all ages and finds that games are a fun and creative way for students to learn.  She feels it’s important to get the students up and moving during the lessons as this can help them to remember the rules.  Resources like this can be expensive but can also be easily made at home.  For example she had created a dice and flash cards for story building which were laminated.  Top tip: Laminators can be bought for less than £20 - laminate your resources so that you don’t have to make them again!  You can also adapt classic board games such as Jenga and Snakes and Ladders. Be visual Lucinda expressed the importance of visual aids - especially for younger learners!  She always makes sure that her resources are colourful.  Katie agreed and showed us an amazing grid she uses to build sentences - this can be particularly useful if the student’s native language uses a different sentence structure.  Emma teaches Chinese and finds visual aids extremely important as Chinese characters can be quite tricky to teach.  Her top tips for teaching tones in language is by using a toy car to map the journey of the tones used.  As a the car travels up the hill the tone goes up! Mariota, who has learned Chinese before, agreed that this would be a really fun way to introduce tones without feeling embarrassed. Speak the language It may seems obvious but all of the tutors agreed that the lessons should take place solely in the language you’re trying to teach.  This helps the client to become immersed in the language and get used to inferring the meaning without being explicitly told.  It also ensures that the students get used to failure and really helps with listening exercises.  It can be tough to train the students to do this but they’ll thank you for it later! Go online Online is becoming increasingly popular on Tutorfair and can be a great way to find students outside of your local area and cut down on travel costs.  Luka has written an a  great  blog on teaching online in general but today we discussed teaching languages online.  Lucinda explained that it’s really easy and effective to teach online as you can send over your powerpoint presentations and worksheets beforehand and go through them together.  You can also type sentences via instant message and ask the student to translate.  Katja recommended chatting via video chat on your phone but using your computer to share Google Docs which can be edited together in real time.  The student then has notes to take away from the lesson! That said, Sonia warned that you have to trust the tutee not to cheat when you’re not in the room with them. Do you have any really useful exercises or top tips for language teaching? If so, we would love it if you upload them to our Resource Centre to share with other tutors!

Choose the Proper Title Miss, Mrs. and Ms.

Choose the Proper Title Miss, Mrs. and Ms. Our expert tutor Susan Clark noted that TutorZ does not support the Ms. in the list of female titles. She found the choices of Miss and Mrs. limiting. Despite the risk of coming across as sexist, but in fact because I am from Central Europe, where this distinction does not exist, I admit I was unfamiliar with this female title Ms. When I responded to Susan that the title Ms. may be only a technicality, I received the following decisive response, which is so good I publish it here.  Susan wrote: Not a technicality! You may suppose that, logically, one can be only married or unmarried, by law. What about someone who disagrees with state marriage contracting laws, and therefore is married by intent but refuses to be married by law, for example? Then there is the matter of how a professional person wishes to be represented publicly. Should my students know prior to contracting whether I am married or not? In my view, that is not their business. In past centuries, it was very important for men and courts to know whether a female were virginal. Thus the distinction Miss and Mrs.. The distinction does not exist for a man, who is always Mr., regardless of his level of sexual experience. In the past, if a woman were not virginal, she might be unacceptable for marriage, for example. And a virginal woman would be considered legally the property of her father, thus lacking the rights of adult persons. The outcomes of such bizarre descriptors included that young women branded as witches in Salem, MA in the 17th century could and often did receive the death penalty, without a trial. Or, to be precise, the trial involved being held under water. If the body floated or sunk, she was innocent or guilty I dont remember which was which, so to say! At that time, young women had no legal standing before a court, so could not defend themselves from the witch charge. By contrast, on one occasion, a man was charged with being a witch. Because he had legal standing, he sued his accuser for defamation, won the case, and stopped the entire program of sacrificing young, innocent girls in and beyond Salem, MA. As you are no doubt aware, for many centuries, female herbalists in Europe who knew how to cure medical conditions by using natural remedies were called witches and were burnt at the stake, because the powerful banksters and rulers did not want people cured. The rulers preferred to cull the human population for their own financial benefit; thus, the knowledge of these herbalists represented a danger to their assets. A laborers work would be stolen in part from him/her for the banksters. But an older, disabled, and/or sickly person was considered useless to those whod take a cut of the labor. For population reduction, then, the herbalists remedies were denied people. Anyway, it is important that clients receive the information they need, and not be allowed to discriminate against tutors based on false presumptions based on marital status, age, etc.. Cheers, Susan? To complete Susans elaboration I like to define the title Ms. Wikipedia describes the title Ms as the last name or full name of a woman, intended as a default form of address for women regardless of their marital status. Being a tutoring company I should mention when to use the other titles.  Mr is used for the male gender. There is only one form here.  Females have more choices.  If the woman is married then she is entitled to carry the Mrs.  Unmarried women choose Miss.  Look at the chart to the right. Its a decision tree enabling you to choose the proper title for Mr, Mrs, Miss. ?Having been enlightened by Susan and convinced about its importance TutorZ has changed our software to include the title Ms to our choices ?for the tutor profile. Once again thank you Susan for your insight. Susan or any other writing tutors can be found on the writing search page in Kissimmee, FL.

SayABC

SayABC SayABC Who We Are Cultivate confidence in every child to find the world full of possibilities in English. SayABC provides international learning experience for 5-12 year old children in China. Headquartered in Beijing, the company offers one-to-four online class taught by certified teachers. Our Background SayABC is backed by tier one investors in China and in the US, and is a dynamic and fast growing online education platform that strives to bring the highest quality ESL learning experience to millions of young learners in China. Our Product We teach students between 5-12 year old,a time when the brain is particularly receptive to language learning and social interactions. Our World Series Our Worlds student materials bring together fun and fascinating information about the real world, supported by stunning National Geographic images and specially-created videos to motivate and enable young learners to learn English. In each Our World level, young learners are exposed to: Language presentation and practice Songs and games Video activities Global values National Geographic Values and Mission pages Our World Readers The Our World Readers support the language covered in the Student Books, encourage reading for fun, and bring storytelling into your English language-learning classroom. With readers for all six levels of the series, including original stories, folktales, myths and non-fiction from around the globe, the Our World Readers are a great way to reinforce and consolidate the key language introduced in the Student Books.

4 Ways to Make Your Tutoring Session More Approachable

4 Ways to Make Your Tutoring Session More Approachable Tips From a Private Irvine Academic Tutor: 4 Ways to Make Your Tutoring Session More Approachable Tips From a Private Irvine Academic Tutor: 4 Ways to Make Your Tutoring Session More Approachable Many students struggle with the specific structure of a classroom environment. Their chairs are often in rows, and there are four white walls with one dry erase board to look at. This may work very well for some students but will be stifling for others. If students have to come home and work in the same fashion with their tutor, it can be difficult for the child to concentrate. However, theres no specific rule regarding how a tutoring session must be run or what materials the tutor and student use. Because the sessions are generally one-on-one, its possible to create a situation that works for any specific student. 1. Young kids need to move Kids in elementary school cant sit all day and then sit all afternoon; they have to move around and engage physically. If its comfortable to sit on the floor or in a bean bag chair, theres no reason why the session cant be run this way. Some younger children can concentrate better if they are not confined by a desk and chair; they could use a clipboard or lap desk instead. Students using technology to complete their homework could use an iPad instead of a desktop. It’s important to see what works for both the student and educator so this session can be successful but still allow the student to move about (READ: Online Research: Whats Legit?). 2. Students need breaks Older students may be just as happy to sit on a chair at a desk but they may need to take breaks throughout the session. This is especially true when it comes to long (2 or more hours) study sessions that take place before midterms and finals. Its a good idea for the tutor to speak with the student or parent to determine how long the student can concentrate before needing to take a break. If a student tries to trudge through the session without a planned break they may start to zone out during crucial information. Rather, its a good idea to schedule session breaks ahead of time when the the tutor has come to a good stopping point when presenting information. Students who take breaks in the middle of an important concept will often forget what has been said and have to start over. 3. Have a warm up session with a new tutor Younger kids, especially, may feel awkward having a new person in their home. They may or may not understand why they are receiving help and they may or may not be happy about it. If possible, its a good idea to have the tutor spend 10 or 15 minutes with the student before getting into academic material just to talk with them and ask about their day. Additionally, parents may be able to arrange for an introductory session where the tutor comes over and chats with the student for a little bit and asks them a few questions about school and after school activities. When it comes time for serious academic instruction, students will usually respond better to an adult they have developed a good rapport with (READ: 4 Reasons Students Dont Adjust Well to an AP Class). 4. Make technology personable There are several ways that tutors, parents, and students (if they are old enough) can work together to make technology work in their favor. If the student and tutor will be working together over a remote technology platform, its a good idea to get a few things out of the way before the session starts. The student and teacher should both check that their internet connection is adequate and test out different platforms. Some students will use Skype, Google Hangouts, or FaceTime while others will use a company sponsored platform. Either way its a good idea to test out the technology before due dates come up. Additionally, its smart for parents to sit down with their child and figure out how they can configure a virtual classroom that will help engage them. Younger children may need to see their tutor on a separate screen while older students may be satisfied with a small image in the corner of their laptop. Our experienced private Irvine, Orange County, and San Diego tutors know how to make the most out of every tutoring session. Dont hesitate to book your tutor before finals. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

Learning When Studying Abroad

Learning When Studying AbroadNowadays there are many choices available for a student who is studying abroad, but what kind of studying experience should you have? There are some factors that will help you make your choice.Potential student always needs to know the basics of study abroad. The first thing is where to go and what to do there. When you are studying in Europe, South America or Asia it will be hard to do your best in your class. So the way to learn is through practice.Most big online tutoring companies can help with all of this. There are various sites on the internet that offer free sample tests and tutoring session. Some other ways to do this are by searching for tutors in the local newspaper or magazine or even through the internet. It is better to research carefully first before enrolling to any online study abroad school or tutoring program.Another consideration is that distance learning is not only about getting better grades, it is also about having fun. This is tru e for both students who are visiting another country as well as for those who are studying online. It is very different from the everyday routine that we are used to, so it is important that the learning experience is exciting for the student.Online learning is quite different from traditional education because there is no classroom experience. You can learn about your subject or course in whatever way you find the most interesting. Many schools and colleges are now offering this kind of learning as part of their curriculum. If you feel that the pace of learning will not be right for you then you can look into online courses which may suit your needs.If you are a student and interested in overseas studies, a good choice for you would be to attend an international college or university or evena city university that is nearby your place of residence. This will allow you to travel with ease because your international study could still be fulfilled while you are staying in your city.Now you have a few things to consider before making a decision about your future and your study abroad. Be sure to check the syllabus of the college or university that you choose to study in. You will need to prove that you have already completed all the previous years of your course, especially if you will be studying abroad.

Make A Chemistry Bulletin Board Fun For Your Classroom

Make A Chemistry Bulletin Board Fun For Your ClassroomUsing a chemistry bulletin board can be a fun way to display important information. This would include things like recipes, reminders for a daily schedule, and interesting chemistry facts. Creating a bulletin board is one of the easiest ways to display all of these things to the students and allow them to see what is important.What you would want to include on a bulletin board is something that will not take up too much space in your classroom. There are several different types of boards you can choose from. You can have one that has the content that you want to put on it, and then the rest of the board is covered in color. This would be a great thing for those who may need an area of their room where they can display important resources.You may also decide to build a bulletin board that includes only one part of the information that you need to display. This would allow you to save some space on your board, and you could even hav e a space on the other side for pictures. If you get a large board, you can add more information to it as time goes on.Making a bulletin board that is going to be used in a science class can be done very easily. You will want to choose a board that is made out of particle board or another type of wood. These types of boards are much stronger than bulletin boards that are made out of cardboard.Next, you are going to need to glue down the pieces of the board, so that it does not collapse. The glue that you use should be white. It will help keep the boards from crumpling when it gets wet, and you can put tape down over the edges to prevent it from getting too wet.You should put paper on the other side of the board so that you can add something to it, like pictures. These can be used for different purposes, such as the students to have something to look at while they work on their chemistry homework. You can also use them for announcements, reminders for a certain date, and other announ cements that you want to make.A chemistry bulletin board can be used to add fun ideas to your classroom. There are many different ways that you can customize this, and you can choose to put more information or less information on it.