Sunday, March 29, 2020

A Guide to Finding a Mandarin Tutor in Manila

A Guide to Finding a Mandarin Tutor in ManilaDo you need to find a Chinese Mandarin Tutor in Manila? If you are interested in learning Chinese, but don't have the time to devote to it, you may want to consider seeking out a tutor. As I said earlier, this can be an exciting endeavor if you are committed to your goals.You don't have to be an accomplished Chinese language speaker to enjoy the rewards of hiring a Mandarin Tutor in Manila. There are many people just like you who just want to improve their speaking skills so they can impress others.This means that when you see a Mandarin Tutor in Manila, you have probably seen a lot of them. You may feel apprehensive about what the experience is going to be like. The good news is that you have nothing to worry about.When you need a Mandarin Tutor in Manila, you can find one that specializes in teaching those languages. For instance, you can meet a Mandarin tutor who works in a classroom setting or an online environment. You will be able to pick from his class, including classes he might offer in Chinese for beginners, intermediate level, and advanced. The choice will be based on your schedule, whether you can afford him, your budget, and so on.There are a number of ways to find a Mandarin Tutor in Manila, including going directly to the tutor or using the Internet. It's important to check with the tutor about the methods he will use. This includes which method he will teach you how to speak the language.Sometimes, choosing a Mandarin Tutor in Manila will depend on your financial situation. While the initial tuition fee will be cheap, your overall cost will go up as you pay on a regular basis. That's why it's very important to consider your current financial situation.Sometimes you will also have to pay a 'life-time' fee if you need your lessons for several years. Some Chinese teachers will require a minimum number of lessons before they'll accept you as a client.Once you meet a Mandarin Tutor in Manila, you will star t to see the results. Just keep in mind that you should expect a few things. For instance, the initial investment will be inexpensive, but your ability to speak the language will increase as you continue with the lessons.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Language Learning On a Shoestring The Cheap Fluency Guide

Language Learning On a Shoestring The Cheap Fluency Guide Language Learning On a Shoestring: The Cheap Fluency Guide Its hard to separate languages from money.All around the world, people are paying top dollar for access to language education.In most places, that means English classesâ€"anything from English immersion preschool to business English refresher  courses.In the English-speaking world, there are instead news articles and magazine ads that try to  entice you to go abroad or learn from home.Doing so, they say, will increase your lifetime income by tens of thousands of dollars.Whether or not youre planning to learn languages for the economic benefit, though, you probably want to minimize your costs up front.When it seems like language learning is a matter of financial investment rather than of putting in the time and effort, it might make you wonder whether its even worth it.But did you know you can learn languages without breaking the bank?Below are resources and tips for doing just thatâ€"along with a couple of reasons why spending a little money might not be a bad idea. Language Learnin g On a Shoestring: The Cheap Fluency GuideTip #1: Get Professional Courses On the CheapDid you know you can access or download complete, professionally-made language courses for free?Im not even talking about the free beginner-intermediate app courses like Duolingo.Some publishers make courses and release them absolutely free of charge onlineâ€"either stand-alone or to promote other material:Routledge, maker of the Colloquial course books, offers the companion audio files to each book free on their website. So if you can get a copy of the book used or at a library, the audio companion is yours to explore.A European organization called 50Languages (formerly known as book2) has produced a complete introductory audio course inâ€"you guessed itâ€"fifty languages. Each course is broken up into 100 lessons, with every line recorded slowly and clearly by native speakers.Rounding out the selection of complete courses, there are dozens of older FSI, DLI, Cortina and Peace Corps courses that have entered the public domain and are freely accessible with their audio intact. Theyre available at The Yojik Website.Keep in mind that these courses arent necessarily without their drawbacks. For example,  the FSI (Foreign Service Institute) and DLI (Defense Language Institute)  courses were mostly developed by the United States government in the 1960s and 1970s to prepare diplomats and military personnel for placement abroad.Due to their age and target audience, the language taught is rather formal and perhaps outdated.  Not only will you never learn how to ask for the WiFi password, it’s likely that all the dialogues will use the formal pronouns. You’re definitely going to have to supplement these courses with other, more modern material.However, despite these slight disadvantages, the pedagogy behind the courses is sound. They were designed to be used in a classroom setting and are extremely thorough. If you have the stamina to stick through a few hundred hours of grammar and vocabulary drills, these are the courses for you. Theres a loyal following of language learners online who adore these high-quality free materials.Some of the other courses above are designed to be more basic and may not cover everything you need to learn.However, even after youve finished whatever free language courses there are online, you can still find a whole world of free language content just waiting to be used. One of the most overlooked places for this is likely right in your hometown.Even the tiniest public libraries  usually have at least moderate collections of foreign language material.Take a trip over there (or use the online catalog) to see if you can find some  famous name-brand coursesâ€"not to mention some page-turners in the Foreign Literature section.Tip #2: Take Advantage of Free Trials and DiscountsTheres another category of resources that can give you a lot of content for little or no money.I’m talking about paid language learning websites here. But why do they make an appearance in an article like this?Because many sites offer free trials or limited free access to their content. And pretty much all of them have extensive blog or advice sections with tips and tricks for learning languages.Aside from that, not all paid language learning sites cost a lotâ€"you can often take advantage of cheaper plans that give you limited access, and depending on what youre looking for, this can be more than worth it.Take FluentU for instance. It’s a website offering native-language videosâ€"like movie trailers, music videos, news and inspiring talksâ€"with clickable dual subtitles so that you can look up words instantly. Not only is there a free trial, but pricing differs according to what you need (check out the Basic plan if youre on a budget). Plus, the FluentU blogs give you some of the best learning material you can find online entirely for free, and cover popular languages like French, German, Spanish, Chinese and more.Glossika is another p rolific website with a language course count pushing 60. Apart from an extensive blog and free PDF section, this audio-based site offers a 7-day free trial for major languages and unlimited access to minority or endangered languages. So this might be a good site to check out if youre learning an obscure language.Tip #3: Explore Global News Content OnlineSince youre reading this post, youve likely already started looking for language resources online.But some of the best may barely even register as language resources at all.News sites like GlobalVoices, BBC.com  or NHK World  may seem at first to be completely unrelated to language learning.However, each of these sites translates their content into more than a dozen languages to reach a foreign audience. GlobalVoices even has the links to the translations conveniently located above every article!Major newspapers in cities all over the world now have multimedia websites with hundreds of hours of audio or video content to keep the inte rmediate or advanced learner occupied.By downloading and formatting these translated articles into side-by-side parallel texts, you can quickly check the meaning of an article while continuing to expose yourself to natural, authentic native content.Tip #4: Connect and ShareThe internet was built to connect people.And you can ride that connection straight into a new language experience.Online Language ExchangeThere are two major players on the field of online language exchange right now:  WeSpeke and Hellolingo.Both of these are full-fledged social networks that function similarly to Facebook or WhatsApp.HelloLingo is the third iteration of a vibrant online language exchange community dating back to the mid-2000s called SharedTalk.It’s reinvented itself a few times, but the core concept remains the sameâ€"connecting people through text and voice chat so that they can help one another learn languages.WeSpeke is more of a rounded-out social experience, where you can search for people with the same interests or background as you and add them as friends. In addition to text and audio chat, video chat is built right into the platform!On both sites, you simply register with your native language and the languages you’re looking to learn, and browse around to find people with the opposite language profile.Since English is so important worldwide, native English speakers often find themselves swamped with invitations for free practice!Online Language Learning CommunitiesAnd outside of these specialized exchange websites, you can also find enormous communities of language learners online.One of the largest active forums for language learners can be found, naturally, at language-learners.org. Its biggest section is the language log page, where members keep regular diaries of their progressâ€"usually learning three or four languages at a time.There are also regular forum-wide challenges, including the Free and Legal Challenge. Thats exactly what it sounds like: learning a language only using legally available free materials.Lastly, if youre more the social media type, the Polyglot Club Facebook group is one of the largest language-themed Facebook pages.Facebook moves much faster than a traditional forum, but as long as you stay on top of it, you can use it as a hub to share tips, resources and even set up impromptu language exchanges.Tip #5: Spend Money to Save MoneySticking to free resources can be a great challenge. But theres often an opportunity cost associated with tracking down free online files or waiting for a conversation partner to appear online.And that cost is time.If youre a busy learner or financially motivated to learn a language, there comes a point when spending a little bit of money on the right thing can get you pretty far pretty fast.For example, if you know exactly what you need to learn, then it makes a lot of sense to buy a course tailored to your needs.Perhaps youve got a job working retail and you notice that youre losing potential sales because you cant communicate with Chinese customers looking for cosmetics.Buying a course for business or retail Mandarin could be a direct solution to your problem, and youll likely see benefits much faster than if you started with a free general course.You may also consider hiring a specialized tutor as an alternative to free language exchange.On  italki, you can search for professional, experienced tutors who specialize in specific areas of language education like test preparation, business and more.If your future immigration or job prospects hinge on demonstrating foreign language proficiency, a bit of money spent on an exam-focused tutor could pay off big later.Whichever way you slice it, learning a language without dropping serious cash is an appealing prospect.It takes hard work, but in my view, the best resources for learning are the ones that youre passionate about or fascinated by.Once you can dive into the wealth of native-language content online, youre ju st about set for the rest of your language learning journey.And when your level gets high enoughâ€"maybe youll be the one making the free resources!

Are the national collections of national benefit

Are the national collections of national benefit Last week saw the opening of the Natural History Museum's Darwin Centre Phase II. This impressive extension connects the much-loved Waterhouse building and Darwin Centre Phase I, and will house over 20 million specimens in 3.3km of cabinets. Like the rest of the museum, the centre will be free to access to the public. Most of London's major museums have been free since 2001; this includes the National and Portrait Galleries, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Science Museum. The lack of entrance fee encourages a casual, drop-in approach to the museums, especially for those living locally. This can be extremely helpful when it comes to school research projects, allowing students to get up close and personal with key artefacts, without hefty entrance fees. Six of the top ten attractions in London are now free museums. This increase in popularity is unprecedented, and reflected in the increase of 'blockbuster' exhibitions, such as the Terracotta Army at the British Museum, a paid-for temporary exhibition which attracted the kind of ticket-buying fanaticism usually reserved only for music or theatre events. However, is there a down side to this magnanimity? The museums are currently funded through a mixture of donations, retail, temporary exhibitions (which often do require an entrance fee), private hire and Government funding. The majority of the establishments are based in London and yet the money that funds them is taken nationwide. Is this a fair policy? Although these are national collections, are they of national benefit?

Thursday, March 5, 2020

10 Nerdy Math Facts from Arabic to Qoogol

10 Nerdy Math Facts from Arabic to Qoogol Here are 10 nerdy math facts from ancient Hindu-Arabic to modern day Qoogol. Enjoy ?? 1. The numerical digits we use today such as 1, 2, 3 etc. are based on the Hindu-Arabic numeral system developed over 1000 years ago. 2. What comes after a million, billion and trillion? A quadrillion, quintillion, sextillion, septillion, octillion, nonillion, decillion and undecillion. 3. The name of the popular search engine Google came from a misspelling of the word googol. Qoogol is the  number 1 followed by 100  zeros to be specific: 100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 = One googol 4.  A googolplex is the number 1 followed by a googol zeros, a number so ridiculously big that it can’t be written because there literally isnt enough room in the entire universe to fit it in! 5.  You can use different names for the number 0  like  zero, nought, naught, nil, zilch or  zip. 6. Here is Pi written to 100 decimal places: 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510 58209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679 7.  The only number in English that is spelled with its letters in alphabetical order is forty. 8. 12 + 3 4 + 5 + 67 + 8 + 9 = 100 9.   111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321 10.  In 2010 on World Maths Day, 1.13 million students from more than 235 countries set a record correctly answering 479,732,613 questions. Improve your Math skills and enjoy Math with our Math tutors!

How To Find A Tutor In Manassas VA

How To Find A Tutor In Manassas VAIf you are looking for a great way to earn money without working a traditional job, consider tutoring in Manassas VA. It's one of the best places to teach English because of the excellent pay and flexible hours. The city offers many opportunities for talented students.Tutoring is an important part of a college or university education. It provides students with free training on both theoretical and practical skills. It also gives them practice in communication. While both these benefits are very important, there are other benefits that come from working with students.Tutoring in Manassas VA is usually provided by the local university or community college. However, if you live in the area, you may want to find out if tutoring is offered at your local school district. In addition, consider getting help in looking for tutors. Check online, in the yellow pages, and even at your local library for tutors.If you do not know anyone who works as a tutor, ask o ther friends and family members if they have recently started a career as a tutor. This will give you an idea of what you can expect.For those who live in the area, the best way to find a tutor is to use a service that connects people who need tutors with tutor educators. These services will take care of finding a tutor for you, and they will then help you find a quality tutor at a reasonable price.You may be able to find some help from the community, either through the tutoring center or through a group of individuals who are interested in helping new students get started. If you do not want to work with a group, you can contact each tutor individually to ask for recommendations.Tutoring in Manassas VA gives you many advantages. If you have never been to this city, consider helping a few students with their English today.

Images for Free Tutoring

Images for Free TutoringFree images are also available for downloading to your computer, on the web, or even in books. Images are usually digitally copied or directly recorded as a digital image. However, some people prefer to do this themselves.In Word Processor or Microsoft Word program, the first step is to open the file (also called a picture) in the program. This can be done with a File Menu, and by clicking the Pictures tab. Then, you can paste or select an image from the popup menu.From the list, you will see the images that you want to access. Click on the photo that you want to edit. After clicking, the photo opens in a new window. This is the advantage of being able to edit photos.Selecting a part of the image or a section of the image you want to edit, you can then move it and resize it. If you want to make it a different size, you can click on the Size drop-down menu.The size is very important part of this. Without being able to change the size, you cannot edit the image. Since most photos have a certain resolution, you need to know what will fit best in your computer, before you can edit.If you wish to create a collage of pictures, you may need to go to your local bookstore, or online, and find a file that contains hundreds of pictures. If you would like to create a picture book, you will also need a particular book. This will come in handy, when you are editing pictures in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or your favorite computer software.You can get access to any type of electronic resource material, from local stores, libraries, and online. You do not need to pay a fee to view these resources.

Considerations for Vocal Health Part II

Considerations for Vocal Health Part II Suzy S. Last week, Long Beach instructor Jim S. shared some tips to help ensure top performance when it comes to your vocal health.   However, there’s even more to it than just nutrition and keeping yourself hydrated. Read on for Part II of the article and even more considerations that will protect you from vocal challenges: Use a Neti Pot for nasal irrigation twice a day: A Neti Pot is the safest way of clearing out your sinus passages. You can find Neti Pots in most health food stores and pharmacies. This is a much better and safer way to keep sinus passages open compared to using ocean spray inhalers or over-the-counter nasal inhalers such as Afrin. Anything you shoot up your sinuses has the possibility of forcing mucous further into the passages, as well as causing sinus irritation or re-infection. I use a Neti Pot twice daily even when I feel great. You’d be surprised to find out the amount of pollution most of us are breathing daily! Even though I live oceanfront in Long Beach, CA, smog and brush fires are sometimes in the air, as well as pollution from the harbor and high pollen counts. Choose an ionic/ozone air filter for your home: I prefer Ecoquest’s Living Air Classic. HEPA filters can actually put pollution back into the air once they are filled up. Ionic filters zap particles out of the air and can help keep mold, dust and germ levels way down. This is especially helpful to singers suffering from respiratory illnesses, asthma or chronic allergies. Choose a good water filtration system for drinking and shower water: Our drinking water is especially important. Choose spring water with minerals, alkaline balanced or oxygenated water, or put a filter on your tap. I also suggest bathing in filtered water, as hot water can penetrate through pores, which means we’re getting low levels of chlorine, lead, mercury and other toxins. Over time this can build up in the body and cause challenges. Avoid yelling, screaming and excessive talking on the telephone. It is advisable to rest your voice, especially if you are in an opera or musical theater production and have long hours of rehearsals. Same would be true for those in school/university or church choirs, or soloists who work regularly. Of course, exercise is also an integral part of your vocal health, since as singers we rely on our lungs to provide support for our voices.   Consider these exercise tips to take it one step further: Yoga breath work and Meditation: I make all my singers do a bare minimum of 20 minutes of breath work daily. Gentle Hatha yoga is a great place to start. Yoga breathing techniques can be your greatest asset in strengthening your lungs, developing vocal power and projection, and preventing illness and injury. Here is a list of a few of my favorite breathing techniques to aid in your development: Gentle Hatha: Breathing diaphragmatically in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4. This helps to slow your breathing and it also strengthens the diaphragm. Breath of Fire: This is a Kundalini yoga technique used to tone and strengthen the lungs and sinuses, as well as detox the whole body. Look for video illustrations on YouTube to help you get familiarized with the concept. Bikram Breath: This posture and breath has helped many of my beginning singers to double their power and sound in a few weeks. It also helped me in my early teens to completely rid myself of chronic asthma. Bikram is a form of hot yoga. You can find videos on YouTube, or simply Google Bikram to find studios that teach pranayama (breath work) in your area. Other great forms of exercise include swimming and brisk walks. Readers, what other ways do you supplement your vocal health, beyond the basics?   Leave a comment below, or stop by our Facebook page to join the discussion! Sign up for email updates here! Join thousands of other subscribers and get emails catered to your music interests with advice, tips and more! James S. teaches piano, singing, violin, mandolin, music performance, music recording, music theory, opera voice, songwriting, speaking voice, theatrical Broadway singing, acting and fiddle lessons to students of all ages in Long Beach, CA.   He joined the TakeLessons team in June 2012.   Sign up for lessons with James, or visit TakeLessons to search for a teacher near you! Photo by Unfurled.

Are you Living up to Your Label - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Are you Living up to Your Label - Introvert Whisperer Are you Living up to Your Label? I was having an interesting conversation with a friend yesterday and I was telling her about my dislike in being labeled.   I’ve long had an aversion at being called “Mrs.” or even “Ms.” but the aversion extends far beyond just those titles.   I simply don’t like to be categorized.   People do like to categorize each other as it simplifies communication but it also over-generalizes and anytime that happens, we are wrong in some way about that person. I think that’s why when I write about introverts, I will sometimes say it doesn’t matter if you are or aren’t a “card-carrying introvert”.   The important thing is to look beyond the label and understand if the challenges are ones you relate to then I can help address those issues. My friend said that a lot of people like to live behind a label or a belief system.   It definitely made me think about labels.   Then, almost on queue, I heard a motivational speaker on talk radio.   He is a former soldier who lost his arms and legs while serving in the military.   He said he didn’t consider himself “wounded”.   He said he was wounded but now he’s healed.   He’s living his life to help others see that life can be as good as you choose. Are you labeling you?   Do you have a label that defines your life?   Do you hold certain beliefs about yourself that somehow limit you? If you do, what would your life be like if you didn’t have the label? Or if you changed the label? You may not even be aware that you may have a label but I know people who label themselves all the time.   I have a friend who has called herself “stupid” for the entire time I’ve known her.   She isn’t stupid but at some level, she’s living up to her label.   I told her one time that I never considered her stupid and didn’t know anyone who did â€" so why on earth would she?   Would she call someone else stupid?   No, she would never consider being so cruel â€" but why be cruel to you? See what I mean? Think about labels and if you have any, get rid of them and live label-free. Go to top Personal Branding starts with how well you speak about YOU.  I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook â€" The Definitive Guide to Creating and Using an Elevator Speech.  In this guide, I give you simple to follow instructions for creating a “wardrobe” of ways to talk about you â€" to leave a lasting impression. Get your copy now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

6 Unique Jobs for Singers You May Not Have Considered

6 Unique Jobs for Singers You May Not Have Considered Suzy S. Want to make singing your career? Here are some ideas from Brooklyn, NY voice teacher  Liz T.  to make a living using your voice! Having the gift of a great singing voice is not something you should let go to waste! While you are out there auditioning and recording, waiting for your big break, there are many performing opportunities that will help you get to the next level of your singing career! Check out these fun, unique jobs for singers that I have personally enjoyed doing. 1. Theme Parks Theme parks are a great way for young singers to get performance experience. The entertainment is always top quality at parks such as Six Flags, Busch Gardens, Hershey Park, Cedar Point, Dollywood, and of course all of the Disney parks. Theme park shows include many different styles, including country, rock, RB, and even opera! If you get a summer gig working at a theme park, be prepared for hard work. Most singers schedules are six days a week, with possible shows from 10 am to 10 pm. You have to keep your body healthy during this intense schedule, especially if you are performing outdoors in the hot summer heat. Theme parks can pay anywhere from $400-$1,000 a week, depending if you are equity or not (some theme parks will hire both equity and non-equity actor/singers).  Make sure to check if the theme park gig comes with housing, a meal plan, gym access, etc. some parks will have these benefits for singers, while some will not. Also, theme parks are a great way to take advantage of the holidays! Many of them have special Christmas or Halloween shows. They may need carolers for their Christmas season, or actors for their Halloween haunted house. Work as much as you can during these holidays, and your bank account will be happy! 2. Cruise Ships Cruise ships are a great opportunity to perform the music you love, and to travel the world. You might be singing with a jazz big band, a Latin trio, or in a musical theater show. You can find opportunities directly with cruise lines, such as Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Holland America, and Disney; there are also many agencies that you can audition for privately that can place you on these cruise ships. The perks of working on a cruise ship are that you get free room, board, and meal plan. On board as a performer, you will work pretty much every single day, including holidays, but only for a few hours, usually in the evenings. You will have your days free to spend in port, sightseeing. Performers are treated very nicely on the ships, with many cruise lines giving you special guest privileges to the spa and gym. It’s also a great way to interact and meet other crew members and guests from all around the world. Most cruise contracts range from 3-10 months straight at sea, with no time off, and the salary ranges from $400-$1,200 a week. 3. Churches/Synagogues Being a musical soloist at your local church or synagogue is a great way to share your musical passion with your community! Often, cantors are needed for masses, weddings, and funerals. Cantors will need to be familiar with classical, gospel, and American music. Compensation may be different for each service. Singing religious music is also a great way to stay in vocal shape and to work on your sight reading! These gigs are also great because they are mostly on weekends, so you can still take other work. Also if you have piano or musical directing skills, you can become a musical director in your place of worship. This includes putting together the musical liturgy every week and perhaps directing the choir or ensemble. 4. Voice-overs/Radio These are usually quick, easy jobs for singers to supplement their income. Big organizations or freelancers often need singers to sing or speak for their original recording, which could be a radio ad, jingle, web series, or podcast. I would first approach this as a freelancer, looking in your local entertainment job listings. Make sure you have a demo of your vocal recordings you can also pitch these to agents and casting directors. You’ll find many jobs if you have a versatile voice, such as being able to record in different accents, languages, and age ranges. Rates for voice-over projects vary depending on your union status, and don’t be afraid to negotiate! 5. Teaching Voice There’s no better way to share your love for singing than by teaching others! If you have received your training and hold at least a Bachelors degree in Music, then you are qualified to teach in most institutions (each state varies). There are many schools looking for choral and general music teachers, as well as artists-in-residence for after-school programs. Also, you can start off being a private lesson teacher to students in your community. This is a great option because you can set up a studio in your own home, as well as set your own rates and times. You can even become a voice teacher with TakeLessons! 6. GB Bands Creating your own GB (general business) band or cover band is a great way to get out there performing! Your band might perform at weddings, restaurants, or corporate events. It’s a great way to make some nice money and also get comfortable performing on stage with a live band (and audience). These gigs pay pretty well sometimes you can make up to $1,000 on a weekend! All you need is your own microphone, and the patience to have a few hundred cover songs under your belt! It’s also a good way to develop your own material, and put your own songs to practice. (Make sure you have a nice video reel to send to companies or promoters booking your act.) As you can see, there are tons of good jobs for singers to look into! You can absolutely make money and do what you love at the same time. Get on out there and sing! Liz T. teaches singing, acting, and music lessons in Brooklyn, NY, as well as online.  She is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music with a B.M in Vocal performance and currently performs/teaches all styles of music including Musical Theater, Classical, Jazz, Rock, Pop, RB, and Country.  Learn more about Liz here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by Jeff