Playing Games The Best Way To Learn German

Playing Games The Best Way To Learn German How Important Are Games To Learning German or Taking a German Language Course? ChaptersEducational Games In The ClassroomEducational Games For Independent LearningThe Hidden Advantages Of Video And Board GamesAs this title suggests, there could be no more enjoyable way to learn German than through the fun-filled pastime that we all look upon with great fondness: playing a game.While learning German or any language is a challenge, certain learning techniques can reduce the negativity and uncertainty that normally surround the initial phases of language acquisition, and work towards facilitating the process in the long run.One of these proven, successful methods is interactive teaching, i.e. using games, competitions or other interactive activities to help information to be processed and retained much easier.Games do not need to be childish, but all activities should have an element of fun to keep you engaged with the content. SönkeGerman Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ClaudiaGerman Teacher 4.89 (9) £20/h1st lesson free!Discove r all our tutors SefaGerman Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HilaryGerman Teacher 5.00 (16) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LisaGerman Teacher 5.00 (8) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ChrisGerman Teacher 5.00 (19) £39/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors WendyGerman Teacher 5.00 (2) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HowardGerman Teacher 5.00 (6) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsEducational Games In The ClassroomPlaying games is a popular teaching method in school, and it’s no surprise that it makes learning much more fun for all. Educational games, which are designed to teach a skill using psychological methods, are now mainstream in most curriculums.Classroom games can emerge in many ways, but most notably in the form of class participation, recitation, demonstration and memorisation, either used in combination or on their own.Games which rely on technology or other accessories include video and mu sic games, as well as card or board games.The latter two are less popular in the classroom, however, as they are designed for small groups of individuals and thus lose their effect on a classroom of 25+ pupils.The aim of using games in the class environment is to make learning fun, and this game-based learning has proven learning outcomes. The gameplay engages student and keeps them gripped for the duration of the activity, meaning that they learn more than they probably would have otherwise.So, without even realising that they are doing it, students can better understand key language attributes or historical events and expand on these concepts with vigour and vitality.Some of the games that banish boredom in the class are high-energy activities like competitions and quizzes, while games that call for the utmost concentration are memory and logic games such as crosswords, completing the missing word, choosing the right tense, and other focus-inducing tasks.Whether or not students pe rform better when participating in games within small groups or on their own is all dependent on a number of factors: the general behaviour of the classroom, the type of activity presented and the level they are working at are just some examples.Working independently or in groups to win a game can make learning more fun. Photo credit: University of the Fraser Valley via VisualHunt / CC BYUltimately, educational games are any activities that students see as a shift from a normal lesson and which succeed in lifting their spirits and their positivity towards learning.How Do Parents Feel About The Use Of Games For Teaching Purposes?Although some parents might disagree with the use of games in the classroom, particularly those parents of GCSE or A Level pupils, these dependents are more often than not misinformed about the  benefits that educational games can bring to the classroom.It is natural to be concerned with pupils staying on track and focused before exams, but a little bit of l ighthearted fun will do more good than bad, especially if the students are feeling the pressure of the upcoming assessments.Moreover, games are carefully planned and only used in appropriate circumstances â€" so pupils are very unlikely to play games during every single lesson of term!Learn German online with German tutors at Superprof.Educational Games For Independent LearningIf entertaining and educational games are successful in the classroom, then why not, therefore, play games at home to make your language learning journey more exciting?Teachers are normally presented with a range of teaching materials and guidance to make creating games much easier, but if you don’t know what you are doing then you might like to consult some people who do.A range of educational websites and blogs have been set up by either native speakers, teachers or other language experts to help beginners to learn German online. Among these, you are certain to find some games to target your different sens es, as these are clear-cut ways of learning that will no doubt be celebrated by most education-led websites.The website German-Games.Net has been created for just that reason. A quality online app for German language learners, it offers a range of games designed to help you revise the content you just learned via their tutorials and tests, some of which are mix and match games whilst others are multiple choice spelling games.The Goethe Institut, a renowned organisation helping beginners to learn German, also offers a range of interactive activities designed for German beginners.Using your time effectively, like playing German games, can help you to advance your language skills. Photo via VisualhuntFor instance, the website features a simple but strategic game involving a princess whereby the player must experiment with role reversal to create their very own story with the figures.The site also uses classic German fairytales with new perspectives to teach more of the basics to studen ts. In addition, quizzes are presented to test language knowledge and other interactive games are introduced for learners of A2 up, one of which is an adventure task which requires the learner to solve a mystery whilst travelling through Germany.With user-friendly, vibrant graphics that are pleasing to the eye, this website is a must for learners who want to inject a bit of fun into their german lessons!Need more tips and tricks to learn German? Check them out here.The Hidden Advantages Of Video And Board GamesPlaying games, especially if you have a competitive streak, give you an incentive to learn and absorb key language features so that you can feel that sense of elation when you get an answer or puzzle right.By engaging with German in this fun way, it will increase your likelihood of retaining the information you have learned, especially if the games are well-designed and thought out with colours and pictures that relate to the content.Some amateur language enthusiasts are makin g the most of the technological advancements available to them, and it is slowly becoming apparent that this technique does work very well.If you are a keen video game player, for instance, by playing German games you could find yourself easily picking up reading, writing and listening components without even realising it.Not all German classes have to be given in the classroom. Learn how to learn German by  reading German newspapers and authors.Playing video games can help you to pick up language attributes without realising it. Photo credit: jDevaun.Photography via Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NDAlthough this method is never going to teach you to excel in all areas of language, it is a really good way to grasp the basics. Some of those who have followed this approach prior to starting their language course at school found that they were considered to have a much more advanced level than their peers (who probably had no experience whatsoever of the language).It is important to note, howe ver, that constantly playing fast-paced shooting games isn’t going to do much for your language skills, as you are left with so little time to translate. You should ideally be focusing on strategic or role-playing games that give you time to pause and think.Contrary to what you might think, playing single-player is preferable when first learning the language because it allows you to take the game at your own pace. However, as you improve, you might like to experiment with multi-player modes and take the opportunity to listen to and chat with other players in realtime.As you may be aware, video games are no longer limited to Playstations and Nintendos. Most modern games combine video graphics with a connection to real life, some of which even allow you to bring your game's surroundings into your own living room or bedroom with the use of Virtual Reality devices. This makes game playing action far more vivid and thus gets participants more involved and  committed to learning.Meanwh ile, the value of board games in German shouldn’t be underestimated. Games like Monopoly played using German cards can encourage you to decipher the language in order to move forward with your game.Plus, with more than one player involved, you can all put your heads together and take a stab at translating the content on the cards. They do say that two heads are better than one!Discover how to learn German through TV and film and perfect your German speaking with audiobooks and podcasts.If your learning German, be sure to validate your German level with a certification in the German language.Hire a personal tutor to help you progress faster:German courses LondonGerman courses ManchesterGerman lessons Leeds

Reading Materials for Learning How to Sew

Reading Materials for Learning How to Sew Learn How To Sew with Books and Tutorials ChaptersThe Best Sewing Books to Look For in Your Local BookstoreGreat Sewing Tutorials on the WebSewing Tutorial Videos: Good for Visual Learners and Perfecting your Sewing TechniqueAlternative Online Sewing TutorialsLooking for an effective and interactive way of learning how to sew? There is a lot to be said for the digital revolution. The 21st century - the beginning of a third millennium that opened with the Internet already omnipresent - allows anyone with a connection to the World Wide Web to rediscover a multitude of arts and crafts that had previously been reserved for a small group of elite professionals - or else had fallen into disuse.Whether it be learning a musical instrument, bookbinding or origami, the Web is full of pages and blogs run by fans dedicated to transmitting their knowledge on amazing expressions of human ingenuity.Naturally, sewing occupies an important place among the old crafts. Whether you want to become one of the great fashion designers or simply sew adorable clothing for your children (or yourself), the Net is the Holy Grail of learning a new skill.Small steps lead to big ones: using quality sewing tutorials found on the Web will allow you to progress and hone your skills with ever more complicated sewing projects - and eventually play with the big boys (and girls).comprehensive guide that takes you through the whole process step-by-step, from choosing your fabric to understanding patterns - and doesn’t forget the importance of ironing!Alison McNicol, How To Use Your Sewing Machine: A Complete Guide For Absolute Beginners, Kyle Craig Publishing, 2013. This book shows you the basic sewing skills you will need to use your sewing machine and includes some easy projects to get you started.Jane Bolsover, Sewing Machine Basics: A step-by-step course for first-time stitchers, CICO books, 2010. This book has handy tips on how to sew things such as a bias binding and zippers.Jan Saunders Maresh, Sewing for Dummies, Wiley Publishing, 2010Lee Hollahan, How to Use, Adapt and Design Sewing Patterns: From Shop-Bought Patterns to Drafting your Own, A C Black Publishers Ltd., 2010 Teaches you everything you need to know to adapt ready-made patterns to your body and start drafting your own.Caroline Fairbanks-Critchfield, Crafty Little Things to Sew: 20 Clever Sewing Projects Using Scraps and Fat Quarters, Lark, 2017Emma Hardy: Learn to Sew: 25 quick and easy sewing projects to get you started, CICO Books, 2016Emma Hardy, My First Sewing Machine Book: 35 fun and easy projects for children aged 7 years + , CICO Kidz, 2014.Never fear - modern sewing books have gotten more visual, with lots of illustrations of the various sewing techniques. Photo by ohsohappytogether on VisualHunt.comAnd don’t forget your local newspaper stand: there are several sewing magazines out there with step-by-step instructions in every issue for, say, how to sew a button-down dress or make a tote - such as Sew, Love Sewing, Simply Sewing or Mol lie Makes.Discover more resources for learning how to sew...Great Sewing Tutorials on the WebWhen learning something new, there is nothing more frustrating than having to feel your way in the dark, not knowing what simple beginner’s mistake has just ruined your entire project.But now with the Internet we are no longer alone in our endeavours and can profit from other people’s experience without ever having met them.Sewing blogs and sewing tutorials are not hard to find - just google what you want to know and you will be confronted with a plethora of how to’s. The hard part is choosing the best ones to succeed in you sewing project.But fear not! We are here to guide you through this labyrinth of sewing sites and free sewing instructions. Note that we will not be covering sites that offer nothing but sewing patterns without any other explanation.Best Sewing BlogsThere are some excellent sewing blogs out there, a small selection of which are:Sunny Gal Studio makes casual wear and gives you tips on how to improve your sewing.Sigrid’s Sewing Projects lets you follow along with her as she sews specific projects, letting you pick up tips and tricks along the way.Blog for Better Sewing for lovely vintage sewing - and she has her own range of vintage fabrics, too.Male Pattern Boldness:  tired of being a man in a world of women’s sewing blogs? This one is run by a man and includes a wide range of menswear and some women’s dresses.Mrs. Hughes specialises in plus-size tailoring.Made by Rae makes her children’s clothing herself and takes you along for the ride.Made Every Day is a sewing crafts site with a blog.Male Pattern Boldness is one of the few sewing blogs run by a man interested in dressmaking. (screenshot)This is only a small selection. We have tried to cover a wide range of specialities and interests, but in the end, it must remain arbitrary as everyone responds to different approaches and there is wonderful quality to be found almost everywhere. Itâ €™s up to you to take the information gleaned from these blogs and from there try and find the sites that best suit your techniques, styles and what you like to sew.Would you like to find more great sewing blogs?Learn Sewing Basics OnlineFor general sites on learning how to sew from the ground up (as well as specific sewing techniques such as what to do with raw edges or how to hem a skirt), try teaching sites such as Victory Patterns with lots of sewing tutorials; Sew Mama Sew offers tutorials and online sewing classes.Crafts Projects Step by StepYou will have noticed that there is a difference between general sewing tutorials (the fundamentals of sewing) and step-by-step sewing instructions to help you finish a specific sewing project.Re-create sewing projects you find online thanks to simple tutorials. Photo by Dot D on Visualhunt.comSo don’t hesitate to try more precise searches in your search engine - such as “how to make a sewing kit” and many other sewing projects: ther e are almost as many sewing tutorials as there are creative ideas - so we won’t even try to list them all! Try Purl Soho for a variety of projects from home dec, while Tilly and the Buttons has hundreds of cute sewing projects you will be sure to nail - even without sewing lessons.Discover some of the best sewing classes...Sewing Tutorial Videos: Good for Visual Learners and Perfecting your Sewing TechniqueAs time goes by, courses made up entirely of text seem more and more boring. In fact, studies show that the same text presented in different ways (black-and-white compared with colour-coded) will not have the same impact.This is even more true when we come to manual hobbies: a proper sewing tutorial should have a lot of illustrations.Some sites base their whole concept on this: Pinterest, for example, is a social network that lets their users share pictures with others - including fun and unique sewing tutorials.And it is also possible to add sound to image - voilà, we now have an audiovisual tutorial!Many sewing blogs have their own videos on their website while others are hosted on specialised interfaces of which YouTube is the best known.Though there are a few fame-crazed individuals imagining themselves champions of haute couture while posting mediocre content, there are a lot of channels worth mentioning.The Crafty Gemini  Q2HANWith WendySew Over It  Clueless SeamstressThough the quality of sound and the grain varies, the basic information is still good. Very often, you will be following the creation of a specific piece of clothing.Cosmetic pouch or sponge bag, beach bag, tote, pillowcase, cushion - nothing escapes Dailymotion and its rivals!Look up for online sewing classes on Superprof.Alternative Online Sewing TutorialsHave you considered taking online sewing lessons? It might be the ideal solution for becoming a dressmaker without losing motivation when your sewing projects don’t come out just right.No time for physical sewing classes? Try onli ne lessons to learn how to sew! Photo by sassycrafter on Visualhunt.comKnitting, crochet, embroidery: these are activities a sewing teacher can teach you; he can supplement his sewing lessons with digital media to help you make your creations.Whether you decide to get a private sewing tutor or not, don’t forget that you will need some basic sewing accessories available in any local habershadery (thread, iron, zippers, etc.) - a basic sewing kit could be useful for covering your bases - as good quality materials are indispensable for successfully completing a sewing project.There are e-learning courses - paying and free - available on several websites including, of course, Superprof.They will take you through the most basic sewing skills you will need, then build upon them to craft more and more complicated creations. The first fruits of your labour might not be a matched-pattern skin-tight evening dress - but rather a tote or drawer organiser - but chi va piano, va sano e va lonta no, and you will soon be conquering DIY thanks to the best sewing tutorials out there.Also discover where you can find free sewing patterns...

Helping Your Child Cope With Exam Stress

Helping Your Child Cope With Exam Stress Exam season can be a stressful experience for students, but parents may also find it difficult to help their child during this time. Here are some strategies for parents to help their child cope with exam stress written by Priory Group's Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Dr Hayley van Zwanenberg. A parent’s guide to helping your child cope with exam stress By Dr Hayley van Zwanenberg Exam season can see stress levels rise in your children and household. We understand that this can be a challenging time for everyone and is probably the most pressured your child will have ever felt. There are ways you can help to manage exam stress and anxiety so that it doesn’t become overwhelming. While feeling some stress is normal as it can kick start the ‘fight or flight’ response and help your child to perform at their best, unrelenting stress can see their health and wellbeing deteriorate. Priory Group’s Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Dr Hayley van Zwanenberg has provided some exam tips for parents that you can use to prevent their stress from escalating. By equipping them with stress-busting strategies, you will not only be helping your child during exams, but will also be giving them tools they can then use to deal with stresses they face later on in life. Make time to talk Start a conversation with your child when you are both free from distractions. Ask them how they feel. If they say they are angry, sad, worried or anxious, explain that it is normal to occasionally have such strong emotions, but that they shouldn’t have to deal with these feelings all the time.   Let them know that that they can always turn to you for support. If they feel that they are going to fail their exams or perform terribly, challenge these irrational thoughts and help them to recognise all the hard work they have put in so far. You can also help to problem solve their concerns. For example, if they are worried that they won’t get their expected grade, identify the options that are available following on from this so that they are aware that they have alternatives and a future. Help them recognise the symptoms of stress Explain to them what symptoms of stress they should look out for. Are they finding it difficult to sleep and do they constantly feel tired? Are they not feeling hungry or are they finding it difficult to finish their meals? Does their heart rate constantly feel high? Have they lost interest in hobbies that they once enjoyed? When your child is busy revising or preparing for exams, it is important that they check in with their body throughout the day to see if they are exhibiting any symptoms of stress. Get them to set an alarm on their phone, or to take time before meals to check. Has their leg been jiggling? Has their heart been beating faster than usual? Is their mind racing? Let them know that it is not okay to feel like this constantly and that there are ways that they can reduce their exam stress symptoms, which you can teach them. Show them strategies for dealing with exam stress When your child feels that their stress is escalating and becoming distracting, get them to visualise their worries. Then get them to build a metaphorical wall between themselves and these concerns. You can also teach them to put an expiration time on their stresses, where they can only worry for 10 minutes once or twice a day to prevent their anxiousness from becoming overwhelming. You can also get them to sit with you and think of a relaxing place. Ask them to tell you what they see, smell, hear and feel. Encourage them to go back to this place once or twice a day, so that they can practice removing themselves from moments when they begin to feel too stressed. Set times for revision breaks Make your child aware that revising when they are exhausted is not an effective or healthy way to prepare for exams. It is important for them to feel that they have tried their best, but there are ways to do this without it negatively influencing their health and wellbeing. Encourage them to take short, regular breaks. Suggest going for a walk or a drive together, book in time for daily exercise, and make sure they spend meal times away from their books to give them an opportunity to refresh and restart. By helping your child manage their exam stress, this can prevent their anxieties from snowballing into something that impacts their health and wellbeing. If you feel that their stress isn’t improving you may need to get help from your GP, who will be able to give you the right advice and support you need. Dr Hayley van Zwanenberg  is a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist for The Priory Group. You may also be interested in:  The science behind exam stress  or  A top tutor's tips to help with exam stress. Photo by  Alexis Brown  on  Unsplash

Improve Your English in 3 Minutes With This Tip

Improve Your English in 3 Minutes With This Tip I hear it ALL the time. My students use emall  /emincorrectly. Im so used to it, sometimes I dont even notice. But today during one of my classes I noticed the mistake and I decided to investigate why this is so hard for English language learners. It turns out that it is actually quite complex, grammatically speaking. Do you say emall my things/em or  emall her life/em? If yes, you can learn to useem  /ememeverything/em and emwhole/em  and instantly sound more fluent in English. Watch the video for the rules and explanation. p style=text-align: center;iframe src=//www.youtube.com/embed/Clr8Z8Yni7s?rel=0 width=560 height=315 frameborder=0 allowfullscreen=allowfullscreen/iframe/p p style=text-align: center;Think youve got it? a href=/?p=16395Click here to try our quiz./a/p p style=text-align: center;/p

October Language Challenge Public Video Pledges (Part IV)

October Language Challenge Public Video Pledges (Part IV) Check out whos taking up our Language Challenge! If youre taking the Language Challenge and really want to succeed, were giving away 50ITC if you make a Public Video Pledge! Why would you ever want to do this? (Click here for more details) Please take some time to motivate and encourage our Public Video Pledge Challengers by commenting on their Notebook entries! This is the fourth blog listing of October Language Challenge Public Video Pledges o_O And the Pledges just keep on coming! Watch them on our first 3 posts below: PART I HERE PART II HERE PART III HERE Hannah from Canada is learning Japanese Hannah seems pretty motivated: she loves the Japanese language and wants be more confident when speaking it. I totally understand, Japanese is a beautiful language. Its so soft and melodic, if you dont believe me check out her video below. You can tell her how good she sounds on her Notebook entry! Jan from the UK is learning Spain Jan came back from her trip to Spain a little frustrated. Hey, I get it, its hard speaking a language with native speakers when you lack the confidence. Thats what italki is for! Im sure the October Language Challenge will improve your Spanish in leaps and bounds. Spaniards of italki! Leave a comment on her Notebook entry! If I might venture a correction: conciencia means conscience. You probably meant to say confianza ?? Great accent btw!!! Paulo from Brazil is learning English Paulo is a Portuguese teacher learning English. Hes really good at it but he hopes that by the end of the challenge he will be able to speak without pausing as much. Paulo, complete the challenge and youll see how much better youll get! Fluency is just around the corner! He wrote down his objectives on his Notebook entry LilBrito from Spain is learning English LilBrito is definitely being too hard on herself, her English is already very good! But she wants to get it up to a professional level, and we commend her for that. By the end of the month she will be able to have job interviews in English like its nobodys business. Any tips? Write them here > Notebook entry Ian from the United States is learning Cebuano Cebuano is a language spoken in the Philippines by 20 million people, the largest native language community despite not being taught in schools (source: wikipedia). Ians goal > to be able to communicate with his family in Cebu, one of the noblest goals in my humble opinion. Do you have any similar stories? Direct them to his Notebook entry! Its remarkable how you can hear some spanish words in the mix! Tony from the United States is learning Korean Tonys goal is to learn Korean so that he can communicate better with all the Koreans living in Hawaii with him. Im no expert, but his accent seems pretty good! What do you guys think? Let him know on his Notebook entry! Sandrah from the United States is learning Catalan Its great to see another italki Challenge veteran take yet another Challenge. Were really impressed with Sandrah as she was one of the Challenge winners from World Cup Challenge. This time she is out to re-learn Catalan (a language she learned 4-5 years ago but completed forgot (or so she says as she speaks pretty fluently in her video below)). Give Sandrah some love in her Notebook entry! By the way, Sandrah is also a Community Tutor as well. Not sure how these guys pull of learning a language and teaching at the same time but more power to them! Liwin from the Netherlands is learning Chinese Liwin is NEW to italki and has decided to take the plunge immediately and learn Chinese. Shes starting a bit late so has some catch up to do. Shes studied Chinese for 4 years but never had an opportunity to start speaking it. At least with the Challenge, shell get 12 hours (or more) of speaking time! Were sure that she will do well though! Pierre Bredel from the Brazil is learning English Pierre Bredel is yet another Challenger champion having participated in our World Cup Challenge! This time around he is going to take on English (he learned French the last time). Cheer Pierre on by commenting on his Notebook entry! Joshua from the United States is learning Spanish Joshua sent us his Public Video Pledge! He wants to be able to speak more confidently by the end of the month, so that he can communicate with other Spanish-speakers fluently. Check out his video below and drop some words of encouragement on his Notebook entry! Buen ritmo Joshua! Mucha suerte con tu desafío ?? October Language Challenge Public Video Pledges (Part IV) Check out whos taking up our Language Challenge! If youre taking the Language Challenge and really want to succeed, were giving away 50ITC if you make a Public Video Pledge! Why would you ever want to do this? (Click here for more details) Please take some time to motivate and encourage our Public Video Pledge Challengers by commenting on their Notebook entries! This is the fourth blog listing of October Language Challenge Public Video Pledges o_O And the Pledges just keep on coming! Watch them on our first 3 posts below: PART I HERE PART II HERE PART III HERE Hannah from Canada is learning Japanese Hannah seems pretty motivated: she loves the Japanese language and wants be more confident when speaking it. I totally understand, Japanese is a beautiful language. Its so soft and melodic, if you dont believe me check out her video below. You can tell her how good she sounds on her Notebook entry! Jan from the UK is learning Spain Jan came back from her trip to Spain a little frustrated. Hey, I get it, its hard speaking a language with native speakers when you lack the confidence. Thats what italki is for! Im sure the October Language Challenge will improve your Spanish in leaps and bounds. Spaniards of italki! Leave a comment on her Notebook entry! If I might venture a correction: conciencia means conscience. You probably meant to say confianza ?? Great accent btw!!! Paulo from Brazil is learning English Paulo is a Portuguese teacher learning English. Hes really good at it but he hopes that by the end of the challenge he will be able to speak without pausing as much. Paulo, complete the challenge and youll see how much better youll get! Fluency is just around the corner! He wrote down his objectives on his Notebook entry LilBrito from Spain is learning English LilBrito is definitely being too hard on herself, her English is already very good! But she wants to get it up to a professional level, and we commend her for that. By the end of the month she will be able to have job interviews in English like its nobodys business. Any tips? Write them here > Notebook entry Ian from the United States is learning Cebuano Cebuano is a language spoken in the Philippines by 20 million people, the largest native language community despite not being taught in schools (source: wikipedia). Ians goal > to be able to communicate with his family in Cebu, one of the noblest goals in my humble opinion. Do you have any similar stories? Direct them to his Notebook entry! Its remarkable how you can hear some spanish words in the mix! Tony from the United States is learning Korean Tonys goal is to learn Korean so that he can communicate better with all the Koreans living in Hawaii with him. Im no expert, but his accent seems pretty good! What do you guys think? Let him know on his Notebook entry! Sandrah from the United States is learning Catalan Its great to see another italki Challenge veteran take yet another Challenge. Were really impressed with Sandrah as she was one of the Challenge winners from World Cup Challenge. This time she is out to re-learn Catalan (a language she learned 4-5 years ago but completed forgot (or so she says as she speaks pretty fluently in her video below)). Give Sandrah some love in her Notebook entry! By the way, Sandrah is also a Community Tutor as well. Not sure how these guys pull of learning a language and teaching at the same time but more power to them! Liwin from the Netherlands is learning Chinese Liwin is NEW to italki and has decided to take the plunge immediately and learn Chinese. Shes starting a bit late so has some catch up to do. Shes studied Chinese for 4 years but never had an opportunity to start speaking it. At least with the Challenge, shell get 12 hours (or more) of speaking time! Were sure that she will do well though! Pierre Bredel from the Brazil is learning English Pierre Bredel is yet another Challenger champion having participated in our World Cup Challenge! This time around he is going to take on English (he learned French the last time). Cheer Pierre on by commenting on his Notebook entry! Joshua from the United States is learning Spanish Joshua sent us his Public Video Pledge! He wants to be able to speak more confidently by the end of the month, so that he can communicate with other Spanish-speakers fluently. Check out his video below and drop some words of encouragement on his Notebook entry! Buen ritmo Joshua! Mucha suerte con tu desafío ?? October Language Challenge Public Video Pledges (Part IV) Check out whos taking up our Language Challenge! If youre taking the Language Challenge and really want to succeed, were giving away 50ITC if you make a Public Video Pledge! Why would you ever want to do this? (Click here for more details) Please take some time to motivate and encourage our Public Video Pledge Challengers by commenting on their Notebook entries! This is the fourth blog listing of October Language Challenge Public Video Pledges o_O And the Pledges just keep on coming! Watch them on our first 3 posts below: PART I HERE PART II HERE PART III HERE Hannah from Canada is learning Japanese Hannah seems pretty motivated: she loves the Japanese language and wants be more confident when speaking it. I totally understand, Japanese is a beautiful language. Its so soft and melodic, if you dont believe me check out her video below. You can tell her how good she sounds on her Notebook entry! Jan from the UK is learning Spain Jan came back from her trip to Spain a little frustrated. Hey, I get it, its hard speaking a language with native speakers when you lack the confidence. Thats what italki is for! Im sure the October Language Challenge will improve your Spanish in leaps and bounds. Spaniards of italki! Leave a comment on her Notebook entry! If I might venture a correction: conciencia means conscience. You probably meant to say confianza ?? Great accent btw!!! Paulo from Brazil is learning English Paulo is a Portuguese teacher learning English. Hes really good at it but he hopes that by the end of the challenge he will be able to speak without pausing as much. Paulo, complete the challenge and youll see how much better youll get! Fluency is just around the corner! He wrote down his objectives on his Notebook entry LilBrito from Spain is learning English LilBrito is definitely being too hard on herself, her English is already very good! But she wants to get it up to a professional level, and we commend her for that. By the end of the month she will be able to have job interviews in English like its nobodys business. Any tips? Write them here > Notebook entry Ian from the United States is learning Cebuano Cebuano is a language spoken in the Philippines by 20 million people, the largest native language community despite not being taught in schools (source: wikipedia). Ians goal > to be able to communicate with his family in Cebu, one of the noblest goals in my humble opinion. Do you have any similar stories? Direct them to his Notebook entry! Its remarkable how you can hear some spanish words in the mix! Tony from the United States is learning Korean Tonys goal is to learn Korean so that he can communicate better with all the Koreans living in Hawaii with him. Im no expert, but his accent seems pretty good! What do you guys think? Let him know on his Notebook entry! Sandrah from the United States is learning Catalan Its great to see another italki Challenge veteran take yet another Challenge. Were really impressed with Sandrah as she was one of the Challenge winners from World Cup Challenge. This time she is out to re-learn Catalan (a language she learned 4-5 years ago but completed forgot (or so she says as she speaks pretty fluently in her video below)). Give Sandrah some love in her Notebook entry! By the way, Sandrah is also a Community Tutor as well. Not sure how these guys pull of learning a language and teaching at the same time but more power to them! Liwin from the Netherlands is learning Chinese Liwin is NEW to italki and has decided to take the plunge immediately and learn Chinese. Shes starting a bit late so has some catch up to do. Shes studied Chinese for 4 years but never had an opportunity to start speaking it. At least with the Challenge, shell get 12 hours (or more) of speaking time! Were sure that she will do well though! Pierre Bredel from the Brazil is learning English Pierre Bredel is yet another Challenger champion having participated in our World Cup Challenge! This time around he is going to take on English (he learned French the last time). Cheer Pierre on by commenting on his Notebook entry! Joshua from the United States is learning Spanish Joshua sent us his Public Video Pledge! He wants to be able to speak more confidently by the end of the month, so that he can communicate with other Spanish-speakers fluently. Check out his video below and drop some words of encouragement on his Notebook entry! Buen ritmo Joshua! Mucha suerte con tu desafío ??

4 Natural Tricks for Healthy Skin

4 Natural Tricks for Healthy Skin Image via http://sharing.turnto23.com Proper skincare is especially vital for women in their late teens and twenties because this is the time where development peaks and the most effective years in terms of preventing signs of early aging. We are all guilty of too much sun exposure or falling asleep with a full face of makeup after a night of debauchery and that is totally acceptable (although it should be prevented as much as possible). But in order to achieve your most glowing skin potential, you have to exercise proper care and maintenance of your face and you must be cognizant of the products that you use in order to radiate that natural beauty. If you remain consistent with a predominantly holistic (and affordable) skin routine, you can achieve that dewy no makeup needed look that every girl yearns for. Check out some of these super effective tips for achieving your healthiest skin ever! Always use protection I promise, this is not an inappropriate request. By protection I am referring to sunscreen obviously, or is your mind in the gutter?? Even if the weatherman is predicting cloudy skies, your face is still in danger of exposure to harmful UV rays. While we all love a good tan, chronic exposure to UV rays can lead to premature aging, wrinkles, sun spots, sagging and discoloration yikes! These are all consequences that we want to avoid not only in the present but that we definitely want to prevent in the future. To make sure that your skin is always protected from the sun, try not to leave home without applying SPF 15 or higher. You can do this with a moisturizer containing sunscreen or for those of you who prefer a little more coverage, try a tinted SPF moisturizer. Lemony hydration Image via http://zaiqatv.com First thing in the morning, depending on how much time that I have, I either take a shot of raw apple cider vinegar or drink a hot cup of water with fresh lemon before breakfast. I do this not only to wake up my senses, speed up my metabolism, and cleanse my digestive tract, but also to help my skin. The fresh citrus juice mixed with the hot water helps to purify the body, helping to eliminate toxins and reduce the chances of skin sensitivities. A boost of Vitamin C in the morning can also cut down on your body’s amount of free-radicals, causing your skin to stay healthy and work towards looking its very best. Scrub up Exfoliation is so important for healthy and radiant skin. A lack of exfoliation causes the dead skin cells on the surface of our skin to appear opaque and resultantly not reflect any light, resulting in a dull looking face. We definitely want to avoid this because lighting can be a complete game changer. As Michelle Pfeiffer once said, “If they have the right light on you, it makes no difference what face creams you use …” To find your best natural lighting (any time and any day), be sure to exfoliate biweekly with a light scrub that won’t dry out your skin.   You can even create your own mixture by making a paste of equal parts baking soda and water. Once made into a paste, apply the mixture onto your face and massage it into your skin for about a minute before rinsing off with cool water and patting dry. Not only is this DIY exfoliant easy and cheap to make, but it does a wonderful job at clearing your skin of unwanted dead cells. Tone up Image via http://newhealthadvisor.com Contrary to what many say, using a toner is okay and even an essential step to your skincare routine. Applying a toner subsequent to cleansing can help to balance your skin’s pH levels, providing you with a more even skin tone. Toners were originally introduced as a way to restore the skins natural pH after using conventional cleanser products. The skin has a very delicate acid mantle that normally has a pH of around 5. Soap-based cleansers are typically more alkaline (have a pH above 7), which can disrupt the acid mantle on the skin. When the acid mantle is disrupted, it promotes abnormal bacteria growth, and our skin becomes more susceptible to diseases, infections, and even wrinkles long-term. Toners, which are more acidic (a pH of around 3-4), restore the skin to its natural pH. Although we should be using toners, the store bought kind are typically a chemical soup of alcohol and fragrances, parabens, hydrogenated oils, and additives that aren’t even close to being necessary for anyone to have beautiful skin. This is why, along with ingesting it, I use raw apple cider vinegar as a natural toner. I mix one part apple cider vinegar to four parts filtered water and apply it to my face with a cotton ball after cleansing. Apple cider vinegar facial toner made from raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar balances the natural pH of the skin, and breaks up the bonds between dead skin cells (exfoliating) to keep skin pores open. It also can lighten sun and age spots, and can improve acne and acne scars. If you prefer to shop for your toner, be sure to choose one that is alcohol free.

Tips From an Irvine English Tutor eNotes

Tips From an Irvine English Tutor eNotes eNotes: A Literary Companion Many high school students find it difficult to get through the books on their reading list, whether it’s for a standard 9th grade English class or for an AP English class (READ: Ask a Nerd! Taking the AP Exam). There are many options available and some of them are better than others. One option to consider is eNotes. The Great Books List eNotes offers over 40,000 study guides for books on the Great Books list. Although these can be useful for anyone who wants to improve or broaden their  literary skills, eNotes primary purpose is to serve the needs of high school students and their teachers. Although the Great Books list will broaden the minds of young literary students, many texts have forms of English that are difficult for the modern reader to comprehend. For example, Macbeth by William Shakespeare and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne offer fabulous insights and valid moral conflicts but the language is a challenge. Even students who use the plain language version may find it difficult to fully comprehend without an additional study guide (READ: Five Tips for Success in English Class). eNotes offers over 40,000 study guides for books on the Great Books list. Although these can be useful for anyone who wants to improve or broaden their  literary skills, eNotes primary purpose is to serve the needs of high school students and their teachers. Although the Great Books list will broaden the minds of young literary students, many texts have forms of English that are difficult for the modern reader to comprehend. For example, Macbeth by William Shakespeare and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne offer fabulous insights and valid moral conflicts but the language is a challenge. Even students who use the plain language version may find it difficult to fully comprehend without an additional study guide. Historical and Contemporary Students who read period pieces such as the Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe or Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte also benefit from ample background information about the time period and the place of certain characters in society, as well as a complex biography of the author. Contemporary texts can also be an exciting challenge and one of the advantages of eNotes is that it also offers current texts including The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and The Giver by Lois Lowry (CLICK: 100 Best Novels). Accuracy Another advantage of using the study guides on eNotes is the assurance of accuracy. Literature students often Google the text theyre studying and may or may not come across a legitimate source. According to eNotes, the study guides are written by teachers, PhD candidates, and literary scholars. User Friendly Lets say I have been assigned to read 1984 by George Orwell. I can simply click on 1984 and the site will pull up a new page with a summary of the novel. Students are advised to read the summary before reading the full text. eNotes also provides an estimated reading time for each novel to help students manage their study time and understand the complexity of the text. Students who are visual learners can look at the overview on a short YouTube video. Students can also look at a 1984 chapter by chapter summary and analysis, which can be helpful as they prepare for finals. eNotes also provides information about the themes of each text, which is especially important for student reading period pieces of which the themes may appear obtuse. As is common for literary study guides, eNotes also provides a list of primary characters and a summary of their personality or purpose in the novel. In addition, secondary and tertiary characters are listed for reference. While looking through the site for 1984, theres also a list of critical essays which can help students understand how literary critics of the world reviewed this particular novel, or any novel on eNotes, however students should never copy and paste such information to use as their own. For 1984, there are also homework help questions. For example, if a student wants to find out what one of the characters thoughts are on “human heritage and dying” they can do so. Many of the issues that todays high school students have is that a lot of information in period texts asks the reader to ‘read in between the lines’. Sometimes this is simply to make the text more interesting and sometimes it was because the author was not allowed to state outright particular opinions or facts due to the political leanings in the country they lived or in the time they lived (READ: Ask a Private Irvine English Tutor: Writing Apps). Read the Entire Text! Its very important for students to understand that if they only use eNotes they will not receive a passing grade in their class. eNotes, although very helpful, is meant to be a companion to the actual book. Students need to read the full text in its original version or plain language version to fully comprehend the information and do well in their classes. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us post about; our Orange County private tutors are full of right answers.