What is So Important about a Growth Mindset

What is So Important about a Growth Mindset Why You Need to Know about the Growth Mindset. ChaptersWhat is Growth Mindset Theory?Fixed vs Growth Mindset.How to Develop Your Growth Mindset.Resources to Help You and Your Growth Mindset.Growth mindset theory is one of the most influential and widespread theories of intelligence in the education system right now. It has taken the wider world by storm â€" and its popularity seems to be ever-growing â€" with its presence felt in the world of business, professional development, and even politics.And there is a good reason why this theory holds the importance that it does. As a theory, it tells us that success can come through a change of attitude â€" or a change of ‘mind set’ â€" and a resulting transformation of the ways in which we behave, respond to failure, and engage with problems and challenges.It holds that children can be educated in such a way so that they can respond to challenges with gusto and enthusiasm â€" so that, ultimately, nothing will stand in their way.It sounds cool, no? And, honestly, it absolutely is. T hat’s why we’re focusing a series on the subject. A series that will help you to understand what a growth mindset is, why you might want it, and what you will want to avoid. And a series too that will help you to develop your own growth mindset â€" with resources to help you do just that.So, let’s take a look at all you need to know about the growth mindset. And remember, it’s all about the challenge: the growth mindset starts by recognising that everything is still possible. The growth mindset can start in the classroom.And, most importantly perhaps, the ways in which all of these things are affected comes to play an influence on our process of learning and our own success. Whether it be academic achievement or professional growth, our mindset affects it all.Fixed vs Growth Mindset.We have seen that the difference between the fixed mindset and the growth mindset affects all aspects of our lives. Yet, let’s give you a few examples to clear up any confusion.The vast majority of the examples that Dweck herself uses come from the education system. This is where she did her research â€" and where the influence of her theories is felt the strongest. The difference in mindset is a difference in approaches to learning, to cultivating skills, and to attitudes to perseverance and failure. Leave your fixed mindset behind!Acquiring New Skills.We saw above that one of the differences between the growth mindset and the fixed mindset is in the way we respond to new demands and challenges. And that distinction between ‘oh, I’m not a maths person’ and ‘let’s give it a go!’ remains fundamental.The fixed mindset is based on the idea of an innate ability: if you are born smart, you stay smart; if you are born not smart, there’s no way you are going to get smart.This attitude means that people are not willing to try to learn and grow. For someone with a fixed mindset, effort is irrelevant for success because competent people shouldn’t need to make an effort.As a result, people with a fixed mindset tend to shy away from challenges that might present a setback; they don’t take the risks necessary to persevere through struggle and try harder to achieve. They give up due to a fear of failure.Meanwhile, according to Dweck, those with a growth mindset recognise the n europlasticity of the mind, it’s ability to develop like a muscle. These people are much more willing to accommodate new strategies with which to navigate challenge; they are more willing to have the inclination to learn new things.Relations with Others.Another crucial difference in the two mindsets is their interaction with other people. By this, we mean the ability of the two mindsets to recognise the success of others, and to receive praise and constructive criticism.People with a fixed mindset tend to see others a challenge to themselves. Whilst averse to personal growth, they also see the successes of others as a challenge â€" as something intimidating, threatening, or problematic.The same applies to advice from others: people with a fixed mindset tend to see advice as an attack â€" as if they have done something wrong.Meanwhile, growth mindsets are all about openness. The success of others is not something to resented but to be inspired by. Criticism and advice are less an a ttack than a means by which to grow further.How to Develop Your Growth Mindset.Knowing all this, there are a number of ways that you can develop your own growth mindset â€" and to change your mindset to remove some of those limiting beliefs.These are a number of thought experiments that you can do to change your attitude and to begin to move away from that fixed mindset that may well have been holding you and your self-confidence back.Find more ways to develop your growth mindset!Rethink Failures as Lessons.Failures do not need to be fatal events that stop you in your tracks forever â€" and force you to give up on something. This is the attitude of a fixed mindset.Your capacity for perseverance in confronting adversity is one of the major elements of a growth mindset. You should begin to see failures as opportunities for further growth, or as lessons to be learned.The brain develops through making mistakes, so embrace them. Because it will bring you success in the long run.Reframe W hat it Means to Be a Genius.Geniuses are not just extraordinary minds. They are not intelligences that are born out of the void that can perform any task that they need to.You should stop thinking of genius as simply innate ability. Because it isn’t. Ella Fitzgerald wasn’t just born with a voice like that. Nor did Einstein never make an effort.Rather, genius comes with work, with effort, with grit. Stay curious about learning with your growth mindset.Resources to Help You and Your Growth Mindset.There is a whole load of ways to develop your growth mindset. And there is a huge number of different resources online to help you get there too.You can see all of the details of these in our article on the resources for growth mindset development, but let’s just take two here as a sample.Dweck’s TED Talk.One of the most important resources for understanding the growth mindset is Carol Dweck’s TED Talk, ‘The power of believing that you can improve’.In the video, Dweck outlines the primary differences between the fixed mindset and the growth mindset â€" and all of the ramifications of that difference.Mindset Works.Mindset Works is one of the largest providers of growth mindset educational resources on the internet. And whilst many are subscription only, it is a hugely impressive collection of resources for any serious about changing their habits of mind.

How Long Does It Take to Learn Guitar

How Long Does It Take to Learn Guitar Suzy S. Beginning guitar lessons can be exciting!   But if youre expecting to wake up the morning after your first lesson and suddenly have killer technique, think again.   So how long will it really take to learn?   Unfortunately, theres no straightforward answer.   Check out Beverly Hills instructor Adam S.s take on the frequently asked question: How long will it take me to learn how to play a song? Its a common question I get from many of my beginner students. The answer is different for everyone, but I always preface the fact that it comes down to practicing.   I strongly recommend practicing for a minimum of 15 minutes each day.   That way, you will definitely start to see improvement within a short amount of time â€" usually within a few weeks. For beginners, I recommend starting out by learning the basic open chords.   These chords are: A, A minor, B7, C, C7, D, D minor, D7, E, E minor, E7, F, G and G7. With the knowledge of just these 14 chords (or even just some of them), you will be able to play literally hundreds of songs!   A ton of pop, rock and blues songs utilize the basic open chords.   Most beginner guitar method books should have a chord chart (usually in the back section) that will show you a visual image of how to play them all. This is my BEST advice for beginners, and I see positive results every time. Keep it simple: learn the basic open chords and practice them for 15 minutes per day.   Each week it will get easier and soon you will be able to play an actual song by knowing a few of the open chords.   In time, you may even be able to write your own songs! Adam S. teaches bass guitar, guitar, music performance, music recording, music theory, and songwriting to students of all ages in Beverly Hills, CA. Adam joined the TakeLessons team in June 2012, with over nearly 20 years of experience teaching. Sign up for lessons with Adam, or visit TakeLessons to search for a teacher near you! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by blvesboy.

Where Can I Give Portuguese Lessons

Where Can I Give Portuguese Lessons Where Can I Give Lessons in Portuguese? ChaptersThe Case for Learning PortugueseTeaching Portuguese in SchoolsPortuguese Language Courses in a Training CentreGiving Portuguese Courses IndependentlyIf we were to write ‘anywhere you please!’ as an answer to that question, this would be a very short article indeed!The fact is, if the conditions are right, you could indeed teach Portuguese anywhere you’d like, from the coffee shop on the corner to the community centre in your neighbourhood; on a college campus or in a classroom.“What conditions apply?” - you might ask.That is the topic your Superprof is going to talk about today.psychological and physical impacts of such an ability are impressive.People who are bilingual are better multitaskers or, conversely, are better able to focus on their task at hand. Furthermore, science has proven that language learning  at any age can stave off dementia and other age-related illnesses.Learning a new language significantly improves memory, sharpens your listening skills and c an even give you a broader worldview.That’s all well and good, but why should one learn Portuguese, specifically?It isn’t even listed in the top 5 languages to study, nor is Portugal’s or Brazil’s economy such that those countries would be considered powerful economic entities any time soon.It is true that learning Italian, learning French and learning German all figure prominently in the British Council’s report of languages that should be taught in schools, along with Mandarin Chinese and Arabic.However, Portuguese is a Romance language, on par with French, Spanish, Italian and Slavic and, once you speak one such language, it is hardly a jump of intellect to master the others.You might say that learning Portuguese provides one with a gateway to other Romance languages, even if it is the lesser chosen one for language study.The next argument would be whether to learn Brazilian Portuguese or European Portuguese.Here we posit a different but equally valid hypothesis: langua ge and culture are intimately intertwined.So, if your intent is to learn a new language in order to appreciate world cultures, Portuguese studies would have you covered because you will be introduced to Brazilian culture as well as Portuguese culture.If your motivation for learning a language is to enjoy all of the benefits you would derive from such an activity, again Portuguese is the answer.By offering two distinct linguistic flavours under the same name, people studying Portuguese may meet broader horizons than if they focused on only one tongue.And, the fact that Portuguese could lead to further language learning down the road is just icing on the cake!All of this will aid you in marketing your language skills and in enticing others that they, too, could speak Portuguese.When one thinks of Portuguese lessons, naturally a classroom comes to mind Source: Pixabay Credit: WokandapixTeaching Portuguese in SchoolsTop of the line in desirability must surely be a bona fide teaching pos ition in a public, private or independent school.The challenge comes in finding a school that offers language classes in Portuguese: as previously stated, GCSE statistics indicate other Romance languages and Chinese take top spots.Here, you will need to sell the idea of Portuguese classes; a task that might be made easier by pointing out some of the information in the first segment of this article.You will have to have some qualifications to teach in such an educational facility.If you are a native speaker of Portuguese, you may have to prove your English language capability, perhaps through an IELTS or TOEFL test result.If you are bilingual, you will have to prove your ability to speak Portuguese, perhaps by providing a CAPLE or CEPLE-Bras exam result.Furthermore, whether a Portuguese native speaker or bilingual English speaker, you must have attained at least a bachelor’s degree, and you must be in possession of a Qualified Teacher’s Certificate or QTS.Note: if you were a teac her in Portugal, you should be able to expedite your QTS application.Unfortunately, Brazil not being in the European Economic Area, if that is your home country, you will have to take the circuitous path to attain your teaching credentials.Teaching Portuguese Courses at UniversityIn order to give Portuguese classes at undergraduate level in any university in the UK, you must hold at least a Master’s degree in your chosen major.If you wish to teach at the graduate level, you must hold a doctorate; the general rule of thumb being that you must be one level higher than the students you teach.At these educational levels, no QTS is needed; however, all other criteria apply.Portuguese Language Courses in a Training CentreIn spite of the admittedly lackadaisical showing in language learning in secondary schools, if the number of language training centres around the country is any testament, there are plenty of people who want to learn a language.Why not Portuguese?At such facilities, you r fluency in Portuguese would be an asset!On the plus side, teaching conversational Portuguese or Portuguese for business at such a language school would present you with students who have demonstrated a desire to learn.They sought your language course out, after all, and are paying good money to learn Portuguese words and phrases.As with teaching in a public school or uni, language training centres offer you set hours and perhaps even teaching materials, such as textbooks and workbooks.You may want to discover resources for your Portuguese courses...On the negative side, you may not be permitted to inject your own curriculum into your teaching; most centres have their own, proven method of teaching language already in place.And, you may not earn as much as you thought.While language instruction is generally not considered an inexpensive proposition (if it were, more people might do so!) you will only see a portion of the high fees the clients pay.And, you may not have the right to dismiss students who are negligent in their studies.In short, choosing this option to teach your native language is a balancing act: do the pluses outweigh the minuses for you?If so, this would be a great option to explore.However, if you want the freedom to teach grammar, vocabulary and Portuguese pronunciation as you see fit, only to the students you find desirable and within the schedule that suits you the best, going independent would be your optimal choice.We're not being facetious: you may teach Portuguese anywhere you feel comfortable! Source: Pixabay Credit: SasintGiving Portuguese Courses IndependentlyWhether you learned Portuguese speaking in schools or from birth â€" it is your native tongue, teaching people how to speak the language you love independent of any facility or institution gives you the greatest freedom:to set your scheduleto select your studentsto devise your curriculumto choose and design your teaching materialsto plan your lessonsto set your prices per less onYou could teach in your home, in your clients’ homes, in a rented classroom or in a mutually convenient, prearranged location. You could even teach Portuguese in your local coffee shop or restaurant!You may choose to teach small children using the immersion method or offer test prep to GCSE or A-Levels students.You might help adults learn to speak basic Portuguese and suitable expressions ahead of their holiday cruise to Lisbon or approach international businesses with the idea of teaching business Portuguese onsite, to select members of their staff.You could volunteer your time for Portuguese lessons at your local library and/or community centre, host a Brazilian culture event to introduce people to the language and culture of that country...This is what we meant at the start of this article: the possibilities are endless!You could also host online lessons.If you live outside of any metropolitan centre, perhaps teaching Portuguese online would give you the greatest opportunity to reach any learner in need of your particular brand of pedagogy and your Portuguese proficiency.Naturally, you would need to prepare for such courses slightly differently than for classes conducted face to face and you would need a decent webcam and a good set of headphones.Beyond that, giving lessons online cuts virtually all of your overhead out!No travelling to clients’ homes, no going out in bad weather, no renting classrooms or buying coffees so that you may occupy a seat in their shop for the duration of your lessons...From the comfort of your home, you can show your online students Powerpoint slides, teach them how to conjugate irregular verbs, listen to them pronounce sounds that don’t exist in English...listen as they become fluent in your preferred language.There are so many different ways you could teach Portuguese in this country! Some of them require more time, officialdom and sacrifice on your part, and some less. Some offer more opportunity for diversity in teac hing and some can be downright restrictive.Why not ask any of Uk’s 300 Portuguese Superprofs their thoughts on the subject?Now discover this handy template for giving Portuguese lessons...

Ask an Admissions Expert Hope Murtaugh

Ask an Admissions Expert Hope Murtaugh Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. Hope Murtaugh is a Princeton Universityalum who later went on to join the Princeton admissions office as an Admissions Officer before eventually being promoted to an Assistant Director role. She has been an independent college admissions consultant with Dunbar Educational Consultants since 2011, a unique group of 20 consultants around the world who draw from a collective 340 years of expertise in education. VT: How far ahead of time should a student begin working on his or her college application? Hope:There is usually a learning curve associated with writing effective essays for college applications. It takes multiple drafts and possibly several attempts at different topics for a student to find his or her voice in the essays, a voice which speaks in an emotionally compelling way to the reader. I recommend that students begin drafting their primary personal statement as soon as theyve caught their breath after finishing their junior year. An early start is especially important for students who are applying to colleges on an Early Action, Early Decision, or early rolling admission plan. VT: What are the best ways to go about selecting a terrific essay topic? Hope:The best essays are those which immediately go deeply into a students intellectual processes and emotional intelligence. As long as the essay responds to the prompt that is asked, it can be on any topic that reaches these depths. As you consider topics, ask yourself questions like these: What inspires my enthusiasm to the point that words pour out of me when I begin to talk about it? What do I care most deeply about? VT: Are there any essay topics you get tired of seeing or would warn students to stay away from? Hope:I hesitate to say that any topic is off-limits to a good writer, but one area to stay away from is any discussion of teen romanceit simply isnt an appropriate topic for applying to an academic institution. It is also very difficult to reach back into early childhood and write about something from that time in your life without sounding immature. This would include talking about childrens books. VT: What is the biggest mistake a student can make on a college application? Hope:The biggest mistake would be showing negative emotion or hostility toward others in your community, whether it is prejudice, judgment, criticism or defensiveness. A college application is not a therapy session, so dont use it to vent. Another mistake is to fill out an application hastily due to procrastination; admission officers see through that immediately. A hasty application says that you, the applicant, didnt care enough to spend your time on itso how can you ask the reader to care more than you did? VT: What is the typical process an admissions officer goes through to evaluate applications? Hope:Each college has their own process, but a subjective, holistic review usually starts with a summary of the applicants academic and non-academiccredentials and may involve the calculation of an in-house rating which roughly categorizes the applicant with others who present similar credentials in that colleges applicant pool. Next, the first reader will read the entire application, making note of items of particular interest along with subjective evaluations of the content and context of the application. For example, a note about an essay might say, Rich use of language; unusual insight into prejudice. Perceptive about group dynamics in her class. Another notation might highlight the fact that the applicant has unusual family or work commitments, or that the high school has an unusually rigorous grading scaleanything that is particularly relevant to understanding the student, his or her context and the case for admission. Each piece of the application (recommendations, essays, non-academic activities, etc.) will be reviewed and notated. Finally, the reader will attempt to make a judgment call on whether this student is to be admitted, denied, or tabled for further consideration later in the reading process, when more of the applicant pool has been evaluated. The first reader probably has a daily quota of applications to consider, and this read takes the most time to complete. Most selective processes would continue along the same lines with a second, more experienced reader and then the application would proceed to whatever group of people will make the final call. In many cases, this is a sub-committee or the Dean of Admission. At all points in the process, the eye is on the individual applicant, what makes this particular students best case for admission, and whether that case is compelling enough to stand out in the applicant pool of that college in this particular year. VT: What do you think is the single most important thing a student should make sure they present in the best possible way on their application? Hope:If I have to pick one thing, it would be intellectual passion and initiative. Emotional intelligence and maturity would be a close second. VT: How should students go about determining the culture of a university, and whether they would be a good fit? Hope:There are many characteristics to consider about colleges, most of which fall under the category of the usual suspects such as geography, class size, campus environment, and caliber of the student body, faculty, and administrators. However, all college communities reflect the human shortcomings of their members. So, students should recognize that no college will be perfect, however they may define that word. Show me a college with 4,000 people and I will show you 4,000 pathways through that college and 4,000 unique sets of experiences with and opinions about that college. There is no substitute for a prospective students own feeling about the culture and fit of a college. Prospective students should visit campuses during the school year, if at all possible, rather than relying on guidebooks and Internet discussion boards. While visiting, remember to suspend judgment until the end of the day and try to meet and observe as many students and faculty as possible. Eat a meal in the dining hall and eavesdrop on a few different groups of students. Strike up a conversation with a faculty member, if you have the opportunity. Ask open-ended questions and listen well. Dont base impressions on a single tour guide. VT: Early-action, early-decision, binding/non-binding, regular decisions...With so many choices when applying, what do you recommend to students? Hope:I cannot make a blanket recommendation because each students situation is unique. However, some general rules apply. Remember that binding Early Decision is like getting marriedyou are walking down the aisle with a college and you are committed to attending there if they admit you. This makes Early Decision inappropriate for anyone who needs to compare financial aid offers between colleges, or for anyone who is not absolutely sure that they want to attend that college. Early Action programs are good choices for students who have a strong, consistent academic record through the end of the junior year and who will have completed any required standardized testing by November of the senior year. VT: How important are grades and standardized test scores when admissions decisions are being made? Hope:Again, every students case is individual, but in general, these academic credentials will sort the applicant into a layer within the applicant pool from which his or her admission becomes more or less likely. If you fall into the top portion of the applicant pool academically, then you are much more likely to be admitted than if you fall into the very bottom portion of the applicant pool. A good example of this is available on Princeton Universitys website. Here you will see the layers of their applicant pool as determined by GPA and SAT scores. While the overall admit rate for the Class of 2016 was 7.9%, 10.4% of the students with a 4.0 high school GPA were admitted and only 2.7% of the students with a GPA less than 3.5 were admitted. And while 18.7% of students with SAT scores over 2300 were admitted, virtually no one with an SAT score below 1500 was admitted. VT: What tips do you have for students asking their teachers for letters of recommendation? Hope:Ask your chosen teachers right before the end of the junior year. Select teachers who meet the requirements of the colleges to which you are applying--sometimes they specify that you must ask a science or math teacher if you are applying to an engineering school, for example. When asking, do it in person and have a resume available. Ask them if they feel comfortable writing a positive recommendation for you for admission to college. If the answer is yes, offer to meet with them after school to discuss your activities and your hopes for college and to answer any questions they might have. This is also a good offer to make to your school guidance counselor who will be writing the schools recommendation for you. Be sure to follow up with a nice thank you note! Check out Dunbar Educational Consultants for more information. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Heart Math Tutoring Receives School Sponsorship-Level Grants from The Belk Foundation and Faison Enterprises - Heart Math Tutoring

Heart Math Tutoring Receives School Sponsorship-Level Grants from The Belk Foundation and Faison Enterprises - Heart Math Tutoring Heart Math Tutoring Receives School Sponsorship-Level Grants from The Belk Foundation and Faison Enterprises Heart Math Tutoring Receives School Sponsorship-Level Grants from The Belk Foundation and Faison Enterprises January 30, 2017 Heart wrapped up 2016 with school sponsorship-level grants from The Belk Foundation and Faison Enterprises. The Belk Foundation has made a two-year commitment of $40,000 per year, and Faison Enterprises has awarded $30,000 to Heart. The grants are at the “school sponsorship” level, each providing tutoring from September to May to over 50 students who are performing below grade level in elementary math. This is the fourth year of Heart’s partnership with The Belk Foundation and the first grant award from Faison Enterprises. Funding supports an on-site coordinator, tutoring supplies, volunteer recruitment, assessments and data analysis. “We are very grateful to The Belk Foundation and Faison Enterprises for believing in Heart’s program. We could not recruit and support tutors and students without this funding,” said Emily Elliott, executive director of Heart Math Tutoring. “Hundreds of students who are falling behind will build skills and confidence at an accelerated pace because of these partnerships.” Read the full press release here.

Irregular Verbs

Irregular Verbs Learning English can be a difficult task sometimes. Idioms can be many students  achilles heel whilst  adverbs can be  especially  difficult .  Today, we are going to look at another challenging topic- how to use irregular verbs in the past tense.  First, lets look at these videos which explain past irregular verb categories, making them  easier to remember. So get your popcorn ready, sit back and enjoy the videos.Grammar Videos: Irregular VerbsDid you get that? Easy, right? Lets see how well you understood  the video. Below Ive made a table of irregular verbs. Ive highlighted the 12 categories from the videos to make it easier for you to remember the different rules. Look at the examples, and then try to fill in the gaps with your answers.  Remember to write them in the comment section, and well respond!English Irregular Verb Exercise: Gap FillNow lets put those past irregular verbs into practice. Below Ive made 15 questions with the verb in parenthesis(). Go ahead and think of how we would change these to the past tense, remembering the rules we just learned together. Its an interesting story about an Olympic fencing medalist, and well watch a video about it after this activity. Write your answers in the comments section to show the world your English level!  When I _________(to qualify) for the Olympic team, the focus ___(to be) about me being the first Muslim woman in hijab to represent team USA at the Olympic games.I ______(to want) to challenge the narrative that Muslim women are meek and docile and oppressed.As a kid, I ______(to play) softball, I _____(to try) tennis, I ___(to run) track.My teammates ____(to wear) tank tops or  shorts, but my mom always ___(to have) to adjust the uniform so it would adhere to the tenants of my faith.  When I ___(to be) about 12 years old, my mom and I ____(to be) driving past a local high school, and we ___(to see) athletes that ___(to have) on long jackets, long pants, and they ___(to have) on these masks.  Thats whe n we __________(to discover) fencing.Once I ______(to find) fencing it ___(to be) the first time where I ______(to look) like my teammates, and that ___(to be) just this really gratifying experience for me.More English Gap Fill Exercises:As a young athlete, I really ______(to look) up to Serena and Venus.  They never _________(to conform) to what the tennis community ______(to want) them to be, and through their prowess, they ______(to force) society to accept them as they ____(to be).  That was something I ______(to want) for myself within fencing.When I _________(to qualify) for the Olympic team, my life immediately _______(to change).It ___nt (to be) until opening ceremonies that I ___(to be) overcome with emotion.I ____(to tell) her to bring home the gold!No one _______(to think) we would win a medal.  We ____(to be) underdogs.When it ________(to happen), Im like oh my god.From the time I ______(to walk) onto the podium to the time they ___(to put) the medal around my neck, l iterally just like complete disbelief.I ___(to meet) Serena and Venus in the Olympic Village.Im sure they _______(to think) I ___(to be) crazy, but I ____(to feel) like I ___(to have) to tell them in that moment how much they _____(to mean) to me growing up.Good work! That was the difficult part- now for the easy part! Lets see what this story was about and head to the  Olympics for some inspiration. Now, You can check your answers while you are listening.English Listening ExerciseWasnt that a great story? I hope you enjoyed it. So, if you still feel like you need more practice before we move onto the next section, I encourage you to read  this  blog post  from LOI English.English Verb Identification ExerciseFinally,  have a look at this short story:John awoke from his sleep, and bent forward to pick up his slippers to cover his cold feet. The wind blew fiercely outside, but he didn’t need to go to work because it was the weekend. He drank a hot cup of tea and fed his ginger cat, Toby. He then ate his breakfast while he read the newspaper. Something caught John’s eye, and he was shocked to see the front page of the newspaper had his face on it…..You guessed it. the story has some past irregular verbs in it. I can count 11 irregular verbs-can you spot them? Excellent work! You may have noticed that the story is incomplete. If you are feeling inspired after watching some great videos in this class, please go ahead and write how you think the story will end in the comment section- wed love to hear your ideas and give you some feedback. Try to use some of the past irregular verbs weve talked about. Furthermore, if your story is particularly good, you will find your name on the LOI English Past Irregular Verb Wall of Fame! So good luck, and get typing.Sign up  now for some great, interactive Skype English classes with LOI English.

5 tips on workplace etiquette in Hong Kong

5 tips on workplace etiquette in Hong Kong Starting a new teaching job in any Asian country can be intimidating because many of these countries have a lot of customs any traveler should be aware of, especially when meeting new people. Hong Kong, often described as a place where “East meets West”, due to its Chinese roots and influence from British colonization, can be confusing for any expat. We’ve compiled some tips that will help you before your big move to teach English in Hong Kong:When meeting someone, greet them with a handshake, but be aware that this handshake may be a bit less firm than a Western handshake.Exchanging business cards is also the norm, but be careful when you are doing this! When presenting and receiving business cards, use both hands to hold the card by the corners. If you use only one hand, this could be seen as rude. Also, when you are receiving a business card, look at the card when you take it, or else it could seem dismissive.Gift giving is common. When you first start out in a new workplace , you could bring in treats, such as pastries or snacks, for your colleagues. This is not absolutely necessary, but it is common in the Hong Kong workplace. Plus, you’d get to bond with your new coworkers over food!Standing and sitting can be tricky. Perhaps you’re eating lunch out with coworkers and a friend sees you from afar and swings by your table to say hi. Since they’re standing, you should definitely be standing up as well when you’re chatting with them, as a sign of respect. Hong Kong Chinese can be reserved and uncomfortable with body contact, so avoid hugging, kissing, or patting people on the back. Now that you know a bit about these customs, you’re ready to try these out in Hong Kong! View  our current opportunities there on our job board.

June Language Challenge Tracys update learning Esperanto AND time management

June Language Challenge Tracys update learning Esperanto AND time management Tracy is taking the Language Challenge with the goal of learning Esperanto, but shes got a long way to go. Does this apply to you as well?  Dont give up! A photo posted by Italki (@italki) on May 22, 2015 at 6:12am PDT What’s your goal? I want to talk with others about  language learning in Esperanto (and to see how quickly  I can learn it). Ive heard that a large proportion of the people at the Berlin Polyglot Gathering speak Esperanto, and that it’s very easy. I’m curious to see how much I can learn in a short period of time, and  Id really like to be able to have a 15-minute long conversation with an Esperanto speaker, especially about languages, language learning, and their reasons for learning Esperanto. I’m still not sure if I’ll be able to make it, but this is my goal. At the beginning of my first class, the only words I knew were “saluton”, “dankon”, and “lernu” (because of the Esperanto community lernu.net), so this will be a fun test to see how far I can go after starting with practically nothing. After my first hour of class, Id already gained a reasonable understanding of basic grammar and phrases for asking basic information about another person (and how many languages they are learning)! A secondary goal is to learn Esperanto  through my second language (Chinese). All of the languages I’ve studied previously, I learned through my native language, English. So, my Esperanto classes are a no-English zone. Just in the first hour of class, I was already very amused by the ways that the 3 languages I’m most familiar with: English, Chinese, and Spanish, are variously influencing my attempts at Esperanto! How’s it going? Esperanto is great! It’s been a long time since I started a new language, and I love it! It’s like giving my brain a shiny new toy. I’ve heard that someone else in the office has studied Esperanto before and I’m already excited to try out my 1 hour of learning on him. As for the 12 hours… Between my family visiting, a music festival, going-away parties, a generally demanding schedule, and the fact that at the beginning of the Challenge, there was only one Esperanto teacher, I knew that I’d have a hard time scheduling lessons. I was, sadly,  correct. That being said, I really do want to learn as much Esperanto this month as I can, so I’m glad that now I just have to figure out a way to fit my next …11.5 hours into 1/2 a month. Deadlines make things happen. Im still committed to finding a way to fit my hours into  the next  two weeks. The fact that my classes are so fun is definitely going to help me put in the time. However, if I have trouble scheduling Esperanto hours, I might fall back on scheduling more time to practice Chinese or maybe even start dabbling in other languages that Id like to focus on later. How are your classes? Really fun! My teacher Teddy Nee has an obvious passion for languages and language learning. I’m very fortunate in that he’s also fluent in Chinese so I can avoid using English (my native language) during my lessons. I’m really looking forward being able to talk with him (and others!) about language learning in Esperanto! Someone commented before that Esperanto was so easy that you can learn quickly without a teacher. But, the way I see it, if Esperanto is that easy, then I should be able to learn EVEN FASTER with a teacher! Since my goal is to talk others, then I might as well jump into practicing that! What are you doing outside of class? At first, my daily goal was to write one question and answer pair that I want to be able to say in Esperanto. I’ve been discovering that actually, a better way to do this might be to write out my questions and answers for the week all at once and then make sure I look at at least one every day. This method would let me get all of the “thinking” done in bulk and then during each day of the week, I can just relax and follow my own instructions. So, I might change that to have a weekly goal of generating my desired questions and answers for each day of the week and then a daily goal of reviewing my notes on the way to and from work + before bed. Duolingo has recently opened an  Esperanto section, and I’m excited to start using  it as a supplement, but (this is embarrassing) it actually seems to be incompatible with the device that I have right now ?? (an old iPod that is incompatible with the current iOS). So, I’ll have to either use it on my computer or hurry up and get a new device. [Edit: Actually, its because the Esperanto Duolingo is still in beta version, and was unavailable on mobile devices. ] Other than that, I just discovered some old videos for Chinese speakers learning Esperanto on Youku, and I walk around on my commute to and from work, reading from my notes and asking myself questions out loud, mumbling like a crazy person.  I should also start making use of the lernu! community and resources. Tell us more about Esperanto: Even though Esperanto doesn’t have a country, I’m learning that it does have a sort of culture. For example, I learned that since almost everyone who speaks Esperanto does so as a second or third language, Esperanto speakers are attentive to taking into account each others’ native languages and how different native languages may influence the way a person speaks Esperanto. I appreciate that level of consideration for others! I’ve also heard that some people have suggested learning Esperanto before learning other languages. After the very little bit that I’ve learned so far, I already agree with this for 2 reasons: Since Esperanto is a “Conlang” a ‘constructed language’, it’s very well organized. There are no exceptions that I know of. There is a pattern to the vocabulary and to the grammar that just snaps into place (it was designed to). It’s very elegant. Since Esperanto IS so well-organized, the basics can be learned very quickly. This means you wouldn’t have to spend much time training your language learning skills on Esperanto before moving on to a different language. If you’ve never studied a language before, I think learning Esperanto would be a great way to make it very plain to yourself how a language is structured. Then, when you begin learning other languages, you will already have a sort of abstract language “blueprint” in mind that I think would make it much easier for you to approach learning other languages. Esperanto seems it could be a kind of training wheels for mastering the process of language acquisition. Maybe I’m just a little over-enthusiastic about my classes right now, but I’m on the verge of saying that everyone (at least, English speakers or Europeans) should try Esperanto before they learn any other languages, even if just as a sort of language learning boot camp. Tips for other Challengers? Really, I think the hardest part (for me, anyway) is scheduling the lessons. I often get anxious about scheduling my time because I try to anticipate what else might be going on. I easily over-plan things. But, once I just bite the bullet and put the time on my schedule, it actually is easier than I think, and I actually feel much better knowing that the hours are there on the calendar. Its actually kind of a relief. I would highly recommend just buying packages for the amount of time you need to finish and then just requesting the sessions all at once and getting them on your calendar. Its so much easier than having to decide hour by hour when to have class. Get the decisions out of the way and then just do it. This is actually very good time management practice for me, so not only am I learning Esperanto on italki, but I’m learning some good life skills as well! I’m also very glad to be reminded how much fun it is to start a new language this is definitely a positive addition to my life. June Language Challenge Tracys update learning Esperanto AND time management Tracy is taking the Language Challenge with the goal of learning Esperanto, but shes got a long way to go. Does this apply to you as well?  Dont give up! A photo posted by Italki (@italki) on May 22, 2015 at 6:12am PDT What’s your goal? I want to talk with others about  language learning in Esperanto (and to see how quickly  I can learn it). Ive heard that a large proportion of the people at the Berlin Polyglot Gathering speak Esperanto, and that it’s very easy. I’m curious to see how much I can learn in a short period of time, and  Id really like to be able to have a 15-minute long conversation with an Esperanto speaker, especially about languages, language learning, and their reasons for learning Esperanto. I’m still not sure if I’ll be able to make it, but this is my goal. At the beginning of my first class, the only words I knew were “saluton”, “dankon”, and “lernu” (because of the Esperanto community lernu.net), so this will be a fun test to see how far I can go after starting with practically nothing. After my first hour of class, Id already gained a reasonable understanding of basic grammar and phrases for asking basic information about another person (and how many languages they are learning)! A secondary goal is to learn Esperanto  through my second language (Chinese). All of the languages I’ve studied previously, I learned through my native language, English. So, my Esperanto classes are a no-English zone. Just in the first hour of class, I was already very amused by the ways that the 3 languages I’m most familiar with: English, Chinese, and Spanish, are variously influencing my attempts at Esperanto! How’s it going? Esperanto is great! It’s been a long time since I started a new language, and I love it! It’s like giving my brain a shiny new toy. I’ve heard that someone else in the office has studied Esperanto before and I’m already excited to try out my 1 hour of learning on him. As for the 12 hours… Between my family visiting, a music festival, going-away parties, a generally demanding schedule, and the fact that at the beginning of the Challenge, there was only one Esperanto teacher, I knew that I’d have a hard time scheduling lessons. I was, sadly,  correct. That being said, I really do want to learn as much Esperanto this month as I can, so I’m glad that now I just have to figure out a way to fit my next …11.5 hours into 1/2 a month. Deadlines make things happen. Im still committed to finding a way to fit my hours into  the next  two weeks. The fact that my classes are so fun is definitely going to help me put in the time. However, if I have trouble scheduling Esperanto hours, I might fall back on scheduling more time to practice Chinese or maybe even start dabbling in other languages that Id like to focus on later. How are your classes? Really fun! My teacher Teddy Nee has an obvious passion for languages and language learning. I’m very fortunate in that he’s also fluent in Chinese so I can avoid using English (my native language) during my lessons. I’m really looking forward being able to talk with him (and others!) about language learning in Esperanto! Someone commented before that Esperanto was so easy that you can learn quickly without a teacher. But, the way I see it, if Esperanto is that easy, then I should be able to learn EVEN FASTER with a teacher! Since my goal is to talk others, then I might as well jump into practicing that! What are you doing outside of class? At first, my daily goal was to write one question and answer pair that I want to be able to say in Esperanto. I’ve been discovering that actually, a better way to do this might be to write out my questions and answers for the week all at once and then make sure I look at at least one every day. This method would let me get all of the “thinking” done in bulk and then during each day of the week, I can just relax and follow my own instructions. So, I might change that to have a weekly goal of generating my desired questions and answers for each day of the week and then a daily goal of reviewing my notes on the way to and from work + before bed. Duolingo has recently opened an  Esperanto section, and I’m excited to start using  it as a supplement, but (this is embarrassing) it actually seems to be incompatible with the device that I have right now ?? (an old iPod that is incompatible with the current iOS). So, I’ll have to either use it on my computer or hurry up and get a new device. [Edit: Actually, its because the Esperanto Duolingo is still in beta version, and was unavailable on mobile devices. ] Other than that, I just discovered some old videos for Chinese speakers learning Esperanto on Youku, and I walk around on my commute to and from work, reading from my notes and asking myself questions out loud, mumbling like a crazy person.  I should also start making use of the lernu! community and resources. Tell us more about Esperanto: Even though Esperanto doesn’t have a country, I’m learning that it does have a sort of culture. For example, I learned that since almost everyone who speaks Esperanto does so as a second or third language, Esperanto speakers are attentive to taking into account each others’ native languages and how different native languages may influence the way a person speaks Esperanto. I appreciate that level of consideration for others! I’ve also heard that some people have suggested learning Esperanto before learning other languages. After the very little bit that I’ve learned so far, I already agree with this for 2 reasons: Since Esperanto is a “Conlang” a ‘constructed language’, it’s very well organized. There are no exceptions that I know of. There is a pattern to the vocabulary and to the grammar that just snaps into place (it was designed to). It’s very elegant. Since Esperanto IS so well-organized, the basics can be learned very quickly. This means you wouldn’t have to spend much time training your language learning skills on Esperanto before moving on to a different language. If you’ve never studied a language before, I think learning Esperanto would be a great way to make it very plain to yourself how a language is structured. Then, when you begin learning other languages, you will already have a sort of abstract language “blueprint” in mind that I think would make it much easier for you to approach learning other languages. Esperanto seems it could be a kind of training wheels for mastering the process of language acquisition. Maybe I’m just a little over-enthusiastic about my classes right now, but I’m on the verge of saying that everyone (at least, English speakers or Europeans) should try Esperanto before they learn any other languages, even if just as a sort of language learning boot camp. Tips for other Challengers? Really, I think the hardest part (for me, anyway) is scheduling the lessons. I often get anxious about scheduling my time because I try to anticipate what else might be going on. I easily over-plan things. But, once I just bite the bullet and put the time on my schedule, it actually is easier than I think, and I actually feel much better knowing that the hours are there on the calendar. Its actually kind of a relief. I would highly recommend just buying packages for the amount of time you need to finish and then just requesting the sessions all at once and getting them on your calendar. Its so much easier than having to decide hour by hour when to have class. Get the decisions out of the way and then just do it. This is actually very good time management practice for me, so not only am I learning Esperanto on italki, but I’m learning some good life skills as well! I’m also very glad to be reminded how much fun it is to start a new language this is definitely a positive addition to my life. June Language Challenge Tracys update learning Esperanto AND time management Tracy is taking the Language Challenge with the goal of learning Esperanto, but shes got a long way to go. Does this apply to you as well?  Dont give up! A photo posted by Italki (@italki) on May 22, 2015 at 6:12am PDT What’s your goal? I want to talk with others about  language learning in Esperanto (and to see how quickly  I can learn it). Ive heard that a large proportion of the people at the Berlin Polyglot Gathering speak Esperanto, and that it’s very easy. I’m curious to see how much I can learn in a short period of time, and  Id really like to be able to have a 15-minute long conversation with an Esperanto speaker, especially about languages, language learning, and their reasons for learning Esperanto. I’m still not sure if I’ll be able to make it, but this is my goal. At the beginning of my first class, the only words I knew were “saluton”, “dankon”, and “lernu” (because of the Esperanto community lernu.net), so this will be a fun test to see how far I can go after starting with practically nothing. After my first hour of class, Id already gained a reasonable understanding of basic grammar and phrases for asking basic information about another person (and how many languages they are learning)! A secondary goal is to learn Esperanto  through my second language (Chinese). All of the languages I’ve studied previously, I learned through my native language, English. So, my Esperanto classes are a no-English zone. Just in the first hour of class, I was already very amused by the ways that the 3 languages I’m most familiar with: English, Chinese, and Spanish, are variously influencing my attempts at Esperanto! How’s it going? Esperanto is great! It’s been a long time since I started a new language, and I love it! It’s like giving my brain a shiny new toy. I’ve heard that someone else in the office has studied Esperanto before and I’m already excited to try out my 1 hour of learning on him. As for the 12 hours… Between my family visiting, a music festival, going-away parties, a generally demanding schedule, and the fact that at the beginning of the Challenge, there was only one Esperanto teacher, I knew that I’d have a hard time scheduling lessons. I was, sadly,  correct. That being said, I really do want to learn as much Esperanto this month as I can, so I’m glad that now I just have to figure out a way to fit my next …11.5 hours into 1/2 a month. Deadlines make things happen. Im still committed to finding a way to fit my hours into  the next  two weeks. The fact that my classes are so fun is definitely going to help me put in the time. However, if I have trouble scheduling Esperanto hours, I might fall back on scheduling more time to practice Chinese or maybe even start dabbling in other languages that Id like to focus on later. How are your classes? Really fun! My teacher Teddy Nee has an obvious passion for languages and language learning. I’m very fortunate in that he’s also fluent in Chinese so I can avoid using English (my native language) during my lessons. I’m really looking forward being able to talk with him (and others!) about language learning in Esperanto! Someone commented before that Esperanto was so easy that you can learn quickly without a teacher. But, the way I see it, if Esperanto is that easy, then I should be able to learn EVEN FASTER with a teacher! Since my goal is to talk others, then I might as well jump into practicing that! What are you doing outside of class? At first, my daily goal was to write one question and answer pair that I want to be able to say in Esperanto. I’ve been discovering that actually, a better way to do this might be to write out my questions and answers for the week all at once and then make sure I look at at least one every day. This method would let me get all of the “thinking” done in bulk and then during each day of the week, I can just relax and follow my own instructions. So, I might change that to have a weekly goal of generating my desired questions and answers for each day of the week and then a daily goal of reviewing my notes on the way to and from work + before bed. Duolingo has recently opened an  Esperanto section, and I’m excited to start using  it as a supplement, but (this is embarrassing) it actually seems to be incompatible with the device that I have right now ?? (an old iPod that is incompatible with the current iOS). So, I’ll have to either use it on my computer or hurry up and get a new device. [Edit: Actually, its because the Esperanto Duolingo is still in beta version, and was unavailable on mobile devices. ] Other than that, I just discovered some old videos for Chinese speakers learning Esperanto on Youku, and I walk around on my commute to and from work, reading from my notes and asking myself questions out loud, mumbling like a crazy person.  I should also start making use of the lernu! community and resources. Tell us more about Esperanto: Even though Esperanto doesn’t have a country, I’m learning that it does have a sort of culture. For example, I learned that since almost everyone who speaks Esperanto does so as a second or third language, Esperanto speakers are attentive to taking into account each others’ native languages and how different native languages may influence the way a person speaks Esperanto. I appreciate that level of consideration for others! I’ve also heard that some people have suggested learning Esperanto before learning other languages. After the very little bit that I’ve learned so far, I already agree with this for 2 reasons: Since Esperanto is a “Conlang” a ‘constructed language’, it’s very well organized. There are no exceptions that I know of. There is a pattern to the vocabulary and to the grammar that just snaps into place (it was designed to). It’s very elegant. Since Esperanto IS so well-organized, the basics can be learned very quickly. This means you wouldn’t have to spend much time training your language learning skills on Esperanto before moving on to a different language. If you’ve never studied a language before, I think learning Esperanto would be a great way to make it very plain to yourself how a language is structured. Then, when you begin learning other languages, you will already have a sort of abstract language “blueprint” in mind that I think would make it much easier for you to approach learning other languages. Esperanto seems it could be a kind of training wheels for mastering the process of language acquisition. Maybe I’m just a little over-enthusiastic about my classes right now, but I’m on the verge of saying that everyone (at least, English speakers or Europeans) should try Esperanto before they learn any other languages, even if just as a sort of language learning boot camp. Tips for other Challengers? Really, I think the hardest part (for me, anyway) is scheduling the lessons. I often get anxious about scheduling my time because I try to anticipate what else might be going on. I easily over-plan things. But, once I just bite the bullet and put the time on my schedule, it actually is easier than I think, and I actually feel much better knowing that the hours are there on the calendar. Its actually kind of a relief. I would highly recommend just buying packages for the amount of time you need to finish and then just requesting the sessions all at once and getting them on your calendar. Its so much easier than having to decide hour by hour when to have class. Get the decisions out of the way and then just do it. This is actually very good time management practice for me, so not only am I learning Esperanto on italki, but I’m learning some good life skills as well! I’m also very glad to be reminded how much fun it is to start a new language this is definitely a positive addition to my life.