Sure-Fire Strategies to Play in Tune

Sure-Fire Strategies to Play in Tune Suzy S. Guitar players, did you check out yesterdays video tutorial about how to tune your guitar?   Once you have that skill mastered, you can progress to learning songs and great techniques as you move on to bigger and better things. For the guitar, the strategy behind tuning the instrument is pretty simple once you have the hang of it.   But what about other musicians?   For brass and woodwind players, for example, other factors like your breath support and embouchure come into play. And no matter how good your technique is, playing out of tune can get in the way of all of your hard work. Read on for some great tips for playing in tune from Brass Musician magazine: Embouchure Playing on a steady embouchure is basic for proper tuning across the board. If you are not properly warmed up, your tuning may be thrown off as your lips find each note. As you warm up, your tuning will also change, so be sure to play through that point before a gig or rehearsal. An overtired embouchure will go flat, or start on point and tail off at the ends of notes. There is no quick cure for this, simply work on stamina during practice and take breaks when you can.   You can also try exercises that deliberately change your embouchure, such as bending notes down and up again this trains your lips to find the pitch first with your embouchure, rather than adjusting the instrument to find proper tuning. Breath Support Effective breathing can fix many playing problems before they start. Well-supported notes are necessary before tuning your instrument can even begin. Notes without proper breath support will affect your embouchure, and will bring down the pitch of notes you play. Dynamics While tuning, try playing notes at all volumes, and take note of how the pitch is affected by the dynamic changes. These changes are tied closely with breath support players often confuse playing quietly with weak breath support. Use Your Ears Lastly, and most importantly, any musician must learn to hear the notes they are playing to assess their tuning. Every instrument and every player is different; the only thing that must be consistent is your hearing!   Ear-training is essential for mastering this skill. What tips have you learned to help you play in tune?   Share with the TakeLessons community by leaving a comment below, or joining the conversation on Facebook! Need help finding your perfect tone?   Sign up for trumpet lessons, trombone lessons, flute lessons, clarinet lessons and more with TakeLessons music teachers near you! Like these posts?   Sign up to receive daily updates right to your inbox!   Click here to subscribe. Photo by PeterTea.

Common English Idioms about Knowledge - Learn English with Harry ??

Common English Idioms about Knowledge - Learn English with Harry ?? Here you will learn common English idioms about knowledge and understanding. 10 English Idioms about Knowledge Im sure that you are visiting this website because you would like to learn English and improve your English speaking skills. You would like to learn new English vocabulary words and gain new knowledge. Idiomatic expressions are a very important part of learning English, so today lets take a look at English idioms about knowledge and understanding. 1. GET THE HANG OF SOMETHINGMeaning: to understand how to do something or how something works properly.Example: I got a new phone. It was complicated at first but when I read the leaflet I soon got the hang of it and was able to use it.2. GET THE PICTUREMeaning: to see something clearly or to understand something clearly.Example: I did not know that Michael and Mary were dating, I saw them together in the park and soon got the picture.3. GET YOUR HEAD AROUND SOMETHINGMeaning: to work something out or figure out what to do.Example: My boss gave me a complicated task, it took me some time to understand what I needed to do but eventually I got my head around the problem.4. A GREY AREAMeaning: something not clear and not easily explained. When something is very clear we say it is black and white (easy to understand). If it is not easy it is somewhere in between, that is a grey area.Example: He had two bosses both of them frequently gave him orders. He was not clear as to which one he sho uld report to. It was a grey area for him. English Idioms about Knowledge 5. NOT HAVE A CLUEMeaning: have no idea about somethingExample: John is 21 tomorrow and I do not have a clue as to what I should buy him.6. JUMP TO CONCLUSIONSMeaning: to make a decision without having or knowing all the facts.Example: Brian was not home at his usual time 4pm. His mother jumped to the conclusion that he had had an accident.7. READ BETWEEN THE LINESMeaning: to try to understand what another person has implied in what he/she said.Example: I got a letter from my daughter yesterday. She is coming home for a holiday. Reading between the lines I think she has broken up with her boyfriend. 8. UP TO SPEEDMeaning: to have the latest information about something.Example: The new boss interviewed all the staff and got up to speed very quickly.9. TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONEMeaning: solving problems, looking for solutions and brainstorming ideas with another person instead of on your own  has many benefitsExample: How about working together on month end report? Two heads are better than one!10. CANT MAKE HEADS OR TAILS OFMeaning: cant get my ahead around something, dont understand somethingExample: I listened carefully to my English teacher but I couldnt make heads or tails of the grammar rules he was trying to explain.Here we have common English idioms about knowledge and understanding.

Are you studying effectively (For your learning style)

Are you studying effectively (For your learning style) Improving Academic Performance We’ve all heard someone say: “I’m not doing well in this class because I am a visual learner and all the professor does is give boring lectures.” What does this really mean? There arefour Learning Styles; visual, auditory, reading/writing and kinesthetic. Understanding which one/s you fall into can prove beneficial in the development of study and retention skills. Though we may feel we identify with one type of learning over another, the following are undoubtedly study tips that can help us all- not just in studying for exams but in actually retaining the material we’ve learned beyond them. Visual Learners prefer to see new information and ideas. A visual learner absorbs material best when it is presented using pictures and graphs. Study tips for visual learners include: Take notes during lectures, but move beyond words. Draw small graphics and symbols to show relationships or use arrows to show growth/decline or inverse relationships. Draw flowcharts to document a process. Use outlines when writing notes or mapping out a paper. Organizing notes/ideas in this fashion creates a roadmap for you, helping you to stay on point, ensuring that your writing is easy to follow. When studying from an outline, it iseasier to remember ordered points or data, as you can visualize what comes next in a sequence. (IE: This is useful in Science when studying processes such as Mitosis or even in History when studying historical events.) Make Flash Cards to help you recall information. The process of flipping through important terms, vocabulary, historical people events and their definitions using visual cues and repetitioncan enable students to remember information. Incorporate videos into your study process: Sites such as Khan Academy and Crash Course present dense material in a creative and accessible way. Auditory Learners prefer to hear information over reading it or seeing it displayed visually. Study tips for Auditory learners include: Use mnemonic devices to aid in remembering facts or an order of events. This requires the student to simplify large periods/themes down to the most pertinent, easy to remember, facts. Repeating aloud, class notes or textbook stanzas. When studying, pause to paraphrase and recite aloud, from memory, what they’ve read in the textbook or class notes, before moving on. An instructor asking questions, during lectures/lessons allows auditory learners a chance to repeat the information back to the instructor engaging them in an active learning process. You can also have someone quiz you aloud on course material when studying. Reading/Writing Learners learn best when they read and write material themselves. Engaging with text is more influential for them than listening to a lecture or viewing images. Useful study tactics for Reading/Writing Learners include: Take notes, lots of them! During course lectures or presentations take as many notes as possible. The act of writing out notes goes a long way into “inscribing” material into our brains. HOWEVER, don’t try to write down the speaker’s words verbatim. Instead, put it in your own words and summarize the points. This will prove beneficial when you consult your notes to study. You are more likely to comprehend and retain material written in language which you understand and can most easily remember. When studying, rewrite your notes. The 1st time you take notes it is usually at a hurried pace as you try to keep up with the instructor. In class, you are being introduced to new material, which may not stick this 1st time. Writing your notes, a 2nd time, the material isn’t foreign and you will begin to retain it. Finally, make bullet point lists. When making a bulleted list, we abbreviate material into smaller, more easy to digest bits. This forces you to weed through your lecture and reading notes, zeroing in on the most pertinent info. Kinesthetic Learners are those individuals who are hands-on, experiential learners. These students learn best by performing a task or activity. Perhaps the most effective method for kinesthetic learners is to learn by teaching. When a kinesthetic learner is asked to teach the information to a classmate or family member, they are better able to recall and wrestle with complex subject matter. In an effort to clearly explain, they breakdown the information and in turn internalize it. Taking study breaks is important for kinesthetic learners as they often have a hard time focusing for prolonged periods of time and siting still. Take a short break to go for a walk or do some physical activity, incorporate study into your break by trying to recite what you’ve just learned from memory or by using flashcards. We all respond to new information differently: Many of us prefer to receive visual cues or stimuli, being shown rather than simply told (visual learnign) Others are best able to comprehend something when they hear it (auditory learning) Some like to read/take notes on material on their own rather than listening to a lecture (reading/writing-based learning) Select students grasp information when they preform a task related to the subject (kinisthetic learning) Again, though we may feel we identify with one type of learning over another, the study tips we just reviewed can help us all better digest, interpret, and retain information to improve academic performance. Lisa Alvarado is a Managing Tutor with MyGuru. She is a graduate of the University of Texas (B.A.) Purdue University (M.A.) and is currently obtaining her Ph.D in History from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has worked professionally with university athletics departments tutoring college athletes. Her particular strengths are History, English, Government, Essay Writing, and Public Speaking.

3 ways to live rent-free while teaching English abroad

3 ways to live rent-free while teaching English abroad One of the biggest questions you will have when you find an ESL job overseas is “Where am I going to live?” Finding an apartment or house in a foreign country will probably seem intimidating at first, especially if you don’t speak the local language and don’t know which neighborhoods you are likely to enjoy the most. There’s no need to get stressed out! Finding a place to live while teaching English abroad sounds scary, but in almost every case the school or teaching program that is hiring you will make finding a home very easy. Often, the school will even provide you an apartment for free (yes, seriously!). Housing benefits vary quite a bit from country to country and sometimes from school to school. So let’s break down the different accommodation options for TEFL jobs and where each option is most common. 1. Apply to teach abroad programs that pay for housing Teach abroad programs that cover housing costs include: The Explore Program(China) The English program in Korea (EPIK) Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education(SMOE) Gyeonggi English Program in Korea (GEPIK) The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET) The UAE Government Schools Program English Opens Doors(Chile) Getting to travel the world and get paid doing it already sounds like a pretty sweet deal, so getting free housing to go along with it seems too good to be true. In many countries, not only is free housing possible, but it would be downright strange if your school didn’t provide you with a place to live as part of your contract. Free housing while teaching abroad, huh. What’s the catch? Now, although free housing is a great deal, you should still be aware of a few things. First off, you probably won’t have any say in where you live. A common situation is for the school to either own the apartment (usually a studio) where you will be living or they will have an agreement in place with the company that does. That being said, you shouldn’t be too concerned about the lack of options. The vast majority of the time the apartment provided is perfectly comfortable. Horror stories regarding free housing are surprisingly rare. That being said, feel free to ask your future employer for photos of where you will be living and what will be included. Housing for ESL teachers usually comes furnished, although you may have to buy some items, like cooking utensils and bedding, yourself. You may also have to pay for utilities on your own. Also, in a lot of countries, especially East Asia, most homes aren’t equipped with an oven. This lack of an oven comes as a surprise to many first-time ESL teachers, but it’s actually completely normal in many households. So don’t assume you’ve been “ripped off” if your apartment doesn’t have everything you are used to back home. Typically you will get a private apartment (usually a studio with a small kitchen and bathroom). Sometimes, however, you may find yourself sharing a kitchen and living space with other ESL teachers, especially if you are living on-campus at a university. Note:If you’re a certified, experienced English teacher then many private international schools interested in hiring from overseas do include free housing in their overall compensation package. Sign up to Teach Away today for access to the latest teaching jobs around the world. What about ESL/language schools abroad? Where is free housing standard? In a handful of countries, it is considered industry-standard for schools to provide free housing for their ESL teachers. In South Korea, for example, it is almost unheard of for a school to not provide free housing. Free housing for English teachers in China In China it is also normal for housing to be given free of charge. The wealthy Gulf States in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia,the UAE,Kuwait and Qatar, also almost always provide free accomodation. In the rest of the Middle East, however, free housing for TEFL teachers is rare. Free housing for English teachers in Japan In Japan, free housing isn’t quite standard, but it is fairly common, especially if you are teaching through a government-run program. And across Europe, most language schools expect you to pay for your own housing. 2. Apply to ESL schools and programs that provide housing stipends In a lot of other countries, instead of an apartment provided to you by the school, you will be given a housing stipend (i.e., an extra amount of money to help cover the cost of housing). The great thing about a housing stipend is that you can look at a few apartments and choose for yourself where you’d prefer to live. The downside is that looking for housing in a new country can be intimidating at first. You may also not know if the stipend the school is providing you will be enough to cover the cost of a comfortable apartment. Housing stipends are fairly common among ESL employers in China and Japan. Tips on making the most of your housing stipend If your school is providing you with a housing stipend, make sure they still have resources to help you on your apartment hunt. Most schools won’t leave you completely on your own when it comes to finding a place to stay and will often have a real estate agent show you a couple apartments. But make sure you do your own research beforehand. Before you leave, have an idea of how much apartments typically cost and which neighborhoods you would like to live in. Don’t just choose a neighborhood that is cheap as it may not be close to public transit, grocery stores, or other necessities. Also, if you find a place that costs less than your stipend, find out if you will be able to pocket the difference or if the school keeps it. 3. Apply to homestay teaching programs In a few countries, especially developing ones or ones where the market for ESL teachers isn’t as massive as East Asia, it is common for accomodation to be provided through a homestay. With a homestay, you get to live for free with a host family and you’ll have a cultural immersion experience that is simply unbeatable. The disadvantage is that if you prefer the privacy that having your own apartment provides then a homestay isn’t going to be ideal. Homestays are common through government-run programs, including in Georgia and Chile. Check out Go Abroad for more on the latest homestay English teaching jobs abroad. A similarly short-term alternative to a homestay program, if you’re into the idea, is working at a summer camp, where you can avail of free housing on top of a small allowance. There are a ton of these scattered throughout Asia and Europe. What do I do if my employer doesn’t offer free housing? Finally, you may simply have to find a place to live on your own, at your own cost. The North American Language and Culture Assistants Program in Spain is one example of a teach abroad program that doesn’t arrange accomodation for successful applicants. Same deal with the Teaching Assistant Program In France (TAPIF). Going it alone sounds scary, but it really isn’t! Your school will be able to provide you with resources to help in your house hunt and there are usually tons of online classifieds with apartment listings. Your students and fellow ESL teachers will also be able to offer excellent tips on the best way of finding a place to live. If you are expected to find your own apartment when teaching English overseas, a good idea is to have an Airbnb or hotel booked for your first month so that you have plenty of time to find housing that suits you best.

Announcing the 150-hour TEFL Course from the University of Toronto

Announcing the 150-hour TEFL Course from the University of Toronto We're excited to announce the new 150-hour TEFL course from the University of Toronto! The University of Toronto's TEFL Online has always provided ESL teachers with the best in academic quality. Its TEFL curriculum is designed by instructors at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, the Faculty of Education at the University of Toronto. All of the TEFL Online courses are self-paced and accessible from any internet-enabled device. Every graduate of the University of Toronto's TEFL course receives free job placement consultation from Teach Away after completing their course. Visit the TEFL Online site for more information. Save $200 when you enroll by November 30 using coupon code 'TEFL150' Why take a 150-hour course? As ESL jobs abroad become increasingly popular, prospective teachers must make themselves as competitive as possible. The majority of schools abroad will consider a minimum of a 100-hour TEFL certification, with many institutions now requiring more. The University of Toronto has recognized this demand and expanded their course offerings to accommodate teachers who wish to be eligible for the most competitive TEFL jobs. The University of Toronto's 150-hour TEFL course offers internationally recognized certification from a respected academic institution, with an intensive curriculum designed by experts in the field. Course Curriculum The 150-hour course contains a longer and more intensive core, two areas of specialization, and an additional unit on teaching abroad. 100 hours 120 hours 150 hours Core curriculum 6 units 6 units 8 units Elective specializations None 2 2 Additional units None None 1: Teaching Abroad Special offer For the month of November, when you enroll for the 150-hour TEFL course using coupon code 'TEFL150', you'll receive a huge $200 off the cost of the course. This means you'll be receiving the 150-hour course for the same price as the 120-hour course just by taking advantage of the November sale. Enroll now

SAT Tutoring Timeline How Long Does It Take to Get Results

SAT Tutoring Timeline How Long Does It Take to Get Results Anaheim SAT Tutoring Timeline: How Long Does It Take to Get the Best Results? Anaheim SAT Tutoring Timeline: How Long Does It Take to Get the Best Results? SAT tutoring is a popular service that many students and parents seek out to achieve the best results on important high school standardized tests.   SAT tutoring can be very effective given that you have an experienced Anaheim tutor. Educators who give private lessons for the SAT should be experts on the exam and be able to answer any question a student has . They should also have a concrete plan for how best to help the student prepare for the test. As a private Anaheim SAT tutor, I am often asked by students and parents what SAT preparation will be like, what will the student be doing, and how long it will take to achieve the best results.   Here, I will provide an example procedure for preparing a student for the SAT.   If you want the very best results that your student can achieve, then you should start tutoring early enough to accommodate steps similar to the ones outlined below. Initial Practice Test/Diagnostic Test Tutor Scores and Reviews Review Problem Areas and Incorrect Answers Discuss and Teach Personalized Strategies and Test-Taking Techniques Second Practice Test Tutor Scores and Reviews Tutor Evaluates what Did and Didn’t Improve from previous test. Discuss Second Test, what worked and what didn’t Possible Session(s) to go over consistent problem areas/specific lessons for necessary skills Third Practice Test Tutor Scores and Reviews Review wrong answers with tutor, finalize best strategies for student Possible Session(s) to go over specific areas or specific sections Practice Single Sections and/or full-length tests until test time One Final Practice Test Taken one-two weeks before real test Final Review Session of Final Practice Test + Test Day tips Here, we can see a decent outline of what some ideal SAT tutoring can be.   Notice that the bolded terms are practice tests.   The core foundation of most effective SAT studying is found in taking full-length practice tests.   These allow the student to get used to the test format and instructions, get used to the pacing required to finish all of the questions, and get used to the styles of questions and answers.   Some of the most common problems on the SAT â€" even for advanced students â€" are running out of time, not understanding the directions or format, and being confused by new types of questions. Notice also that following each bolded practice test is a designated time to score and review the practice test.   While even just the act of taking a practice test is beneficial for students, reviewing the correct answers is even more effective at promoting student learning and improvement.   Grading the practice tests also gives tangible evidence of improvement and also a good indication of what the student should expect to get on the actual test.   Your SAT score should not be a surprise if you’ve been studying and preparing effectively â€" it should be similar to your most recent practice test. An experienced tutor can also analyze trends in your mistakes and in how you take the test.   This can help them choose the best strategy for you â€" SAT tactics are not as one-size-fits-all as many would have you think.   After giving a student a new strategy (such as techniques for skimming passages, or skipping certain problems, or designated annotations, etc.), they can practice it together and ultimately take another practice test to see how effectively the student implemented it. After the second practice test, there should be some time to do more intensive and specified review on areas on consistent difficulty.   In general, this should be after the second practice test and not the first.   This is because a lot of problems can be remedied after the first practice test (the first test is almost always the lowest score and the most problems), so time shouldn’t be spent going too in-depth until a second test is taken. When you do finish the second practice test, the tutor can evaluate the mistakes that are still being made and can give potential strategies for the student to try.   They can also go into more detailed review in areas where the student needs to improve or learn new skills.   This review/strategy process can go on for as long as needed until the third practice test. The third practice test is then a way to evaluate if the new strategies are effective and if the new skills have been adequately executed by the student.   At this point, the student will be experienced with the test and the type of questions.   Grading and reviewing the practice test can show if some old test-taking strategies need to be changed if they weren’t effective for the student.   It also will show if there are any specific areas where the student is still struggling. The first three practice tests and the review processes with them will be the majority of many SAT preparation timelines.   At this point, the student has likely optimized their score to very close to their potential.   After this, any additional tutoring is usually to continue to practice difficult skills, work on consistency in answers and scores, and keep the test-taking skills fresh until test time. The third test can be the last practice test if the real test is around the corner, or the student can take another practice test a week or two before the real test.   This is to make sure they’re ready for the real test, but it ideally should not be in the immediate days before the real test to avoid fatiguing the student.   A tutor can also give last test day tips and motivational advice before the real test. So, the timeline for effective and efficient test prep encompasses the time needed to take and review at least three practice tests.   This amount of time can be shorter or longer depending on what skills need to be improved and how long it takes for the student to learn them.   Ideally, these practice tests should be spaced out to avoid the student getting tired of the test or bored.   This is not the only way to effectively prepare for the SAT, but it is an example of a good foundation of what you can expect when wondering about efficient, quality SAT tutoring. Michael C. is currently a private math, science, and standardized test tutor with TutorNerds in Irvine and Anaheim. All blog entries, except for guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

What is CCNY Tutoring?

What is CCNY Tutoring?CCNY Tutoring is a practical approach to help students go back to school. Learning is important, but as our lives become more complicated and complex; it is important that students are challenged by providing them with both the resources they need to become successful and the structure to prepare them for success. The CCNY curriculum is a great place to begin with the many benefits that you will receive from these activities.It is important to take time and find the right education program for your child. Many schools have different courses and each one requires different subjects or credits. It is imperative that your child find a place that has the same programs that are in the same classes.For those that are studying for the CCNY exam, the opportunities are endless. If your child is planning on taking an exam, make sure that your child can actually complete the coursework because if they do not they will be a sitting duck. Whether you are preparing for state level or the CCNY exam, make sure that your child has the tools that are needed. You want to be sure that your child is able to pass the exam so the responsibility falls squarely on your child's shoulders.When you teach, you are teaching specific content that is needed to move through the exams. It is important that you choose a program that can adapt to your child's needs. They may need a course with a very specific requirement, but may not need it all.One thing that you should never forget is the classroom. It is important that you provide a stimulating and interesting environment for your students. This will keep them interested in what you are doing and it will increase their chance of passing the exams. There are plenty of programs out there that offer exciting and fun learning experiences so you will not have to worry about students getting bored or losing interest.CCNY Tutoring is an excellent way to help your child complete their CCNY program. You will find that even at the beginning of the program, they will notice a difference between their school work and their classroom work. They will develop better time management skills, become more disciplined, and will learn how to manage their school work effectively.So if you are looking for an affordable way to make it easier for your child to qualify for their CCNY training, consider finding a high quality classroom, high quality course, and a reliable professional teacher. You will be happy that you made the decision to do something that was necessary for your child's success.