Find a Private Tutor in Belfast.

Find a Private Tutor in Belfast. Where to Look for Private Tuition in the Capital of Northern Ireland. ChaptersWhy Use a Private Tutor?Belfast’s Buzzing Tutoring Scene: Where to Find a Great Private Tutor in Belfast.As in the rest of the UK â€" where it is thought to contribute six billion pounds to the economy â€" the private tuition industry in Belfast is booming. One-on-one tutoring, home tuition, and tutoring online are becoming, increasingly, the way in which people learn.You can attribute this to whatever you want: a greater competitivity among students â€" and parents â€" for the limited number of top school and university places; dissatisfaction with the quality of teaching at school; or a willingness among individuals to invest more in their education.Whichever way you look at it, though, private tutors are beginning to number in their millions across the UK. And this makes it much easier â€" and, simultaneously, much more difficult â€" to find the quality supplementary education that you want for yourself or your child.Here, we want to give you a helping hand to navigate B elfast’s busy private tutoring scene. So, we’ve collected some of the best, most reliable, and most convenient names there are in town. Whether it is a language tutor, a maths and science tutor, or a musical instrument tutor that you’re looking for, we’ve tried our best to make your job of finding them as it easy as it can possibly be. We hope you find it helpful!Find private tuition across the UK and private tutoring in London. A private tutor can change your life - and your grades! CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhy Use a Private Tutor?A private tutor is a real investment. We understand this. However, it is an investment with massive returns â€" both in the immediate term and the long.There is a whole load of benefits to getting yourself or your child a home tutor â€" from the simple fact of greater academic success and improved study skills to greater confidence academically and a new level of emotional, intellectual, and academic support.It’s not just supplemental instruction on a maths exam that tutors provide, nor help with essay writing. A persona l tutor â€" if you choose the right one â€" can help a tutee in all sorts of ways.Parents often want to see an immediate bump in academic results as soon as they have found and paid for tutoring services. And whilst the best tutors provide this, they should also be offering a relationship with the student that transcends the pure academic tutoring. Good tutors should build trust with their students â€" and inspire in them a passion for learning.It’s this that will improve their grades even more in the long run.Whether it’s a chemistry tutor or a French tutor, an algebra tutor or a tutor for an Oxbridge application, the support that tutors provide can be indispensable.Find private tutors in Manchester and personal tuition in Birmingham.Belfast’s Buzzing Tutoring Scene: Where to Find a Great Private Tutor in Belfast.As you’ll see below, there are really many options for someone in Belfast looking for tuition of any kind. Spread right across the city, there are institutions off ering private tuition, and there are hundreds of individual, self-employed tutors ready to come straight to your home.So, you can rest assured that the physics tutor or the Spanish tutor that you are looking for in Belfast is there ready and waiting for you. The trouble is knowing where to look.This all depends on the subject and form of tuition you would like. Because whilst academic tutoring companies and individuals are spread pretty much across the city, for language lessons you might have to head into the centre.However, these days â€" and this is part of the reason for the boom in private tuition â€" we have this thing called the internet. Whilst local tutors do still put up ads in the windows of shops, an easier route for you to find a tutor that suits you is online. And we’re sure that you have embarked on that Google search of ‘find a private tutor Belfast’. You never really know what you are getting this way. So, the first rule of finding a private tutor: meet the pe rson by whom you’ll be tutored before you book any lessons!Find yourself private tuition in Glasgow or personal tutors in Leeds! Belfast is a great place to find private tutoringAcademic Tutors â€" For All Subjects.Belfast has its fair share of academic tutors, teaching everything from language and literature to numeracy, science and engineering. Just take the time to look through your different options and find the one that suits you best â€" in terms of geography, schedule, and cost.Find a Private Tutor for Any Subject, at Any Level, with Aspire Tutors.Aspire Tutors are a well-respected and high-achieving academic tutoring company based, in Belfast, on University Street â€" yet they have centres across the UK.These guys are rare among tutoring companies because they offer academic support throughout the entirety of your academic career â€" from primary school through to when you are at university.They can arrange any specific subject in which you would like support, too. So, they provide quite an excellent all-round service.Get a Maths Tutor or English Tutor â€" or a Tutor for the Transfer Test â€" with Expl ore Learning, Belfast.On the Lisburn Road, Explore Learning are another UK-wide tutoring agency. The difference here, however, is that they direct their expertise into three specific things: English tuition, maths tuition, and preparation for the Transfer Test. So, if your child wants to attend an independent or grammar school, test preparation tuition with Explore Learning might be the best way to do that.Their website, by the way, shows proven results.Take Classes with a Science Tutor at FirstRate Tutoring.Based in Bangor â€" but attracting students from Belfast and beyond â€" FirstRate Tutoring is run by Dr Grant Jordan, an incredibly well qualified tutor of science. He used to work at the universities of Cambridge, Bath, and Ulster â€" among others â€" so he’s got a whole lot of experience.It’s science only here, yet this only lets him maintain his academic strength and focus across different students. And whether you’re aiming for GCSEs or for a degree, he’ll be able to help.Meet Your Perfect Private Tutor with Superprof.Where tuition centres demand that you travel across town, a freelance tutor provides a flexible schedule and a willingness to travel â€" without sacrificing the quality of the service.At Superprof, we connect budding students to local, qualified tutors through our online platform. In Belfast, we have 580 tutors available for home tutoring or for tuition online.Whatever it is you want to study â€" including languages and music â€" and at whatever level you’ll find it here. And you’ll get your first session free.Find private tutors in Edinburgh and private tuition in Cardiff! Get yourself a private tutor - and watch your grades improve.Belfast’s Private Language Tuition.In comparison to academic tuition, people usually want something a little different from their language training.So, whether you are hoping to learn English, become an English teacher yourself, or learn one of any of the languages under the sun, there won’t be any problem finding the right thing for you in Belfast.Take Language Classes at Queen’s University Belfast.Queen’s University is, obviously, one of the city’s hubs of learning. Their Language Centre currently offers language courses â€" both in person and online â€" in twenty-two different languages, from Cornish to Cantonese, from Polish to Latin.It’s a great way to learn languages, as, backed by the university’s stellar reputation, there’s no risk that this will be anything but properly excellent teaching.Find English, TEFL, and CELTA Classes at International House.Belfast’s International House is the home for Eng lish language tuition in the city. Attracting international students hoping to learn English and CELTA students hoping to teach them English, there is a great big lovely vibe of lots of different learning.In the afternoons, the House offers one-to-one classes in English, at a minimum of five hours a week. If you are serious about learning English, then this is the place to come.Private Music Tuition in Belfast.Music lessons provide extra logistical considerations. It’s not like you can just rock up with your book and a pen.So, depending on where you are, you might have to consider the practicalities of getting yourself â€" or your child â€" to the tutoring centre. The easiest way in all this is to see if you tutor can come to you.Source a Music Tutor through Music First NI.On Botanic Avenue, Music First NI is an independent music school in Belfast offering lessons in singing, piano, guitar, and theory and composition.They offer individual tuition in any of these instruments and su bjects to people of any ages. Unlike a lot of music tuition in the UK, their prices are actually reasonable.Search a Database of Music Teachers at MusicTeachers.MusicTeachers is an online database which, associated with the Musician’s Union, lists some of the accredited â€" and most reliable â€" music teachers in Belfast and the surroundings.You’ll find any instrument that you can imagine â€" and you’ll know that they will be reliable, qualified, and experienced.

Find Your Niche In Online Tutoring And Go Ahead

Find Your Niche In Online Tutoring And Go Ahead 0SHARESShare Online tutoring has been in the air over a period of time and there is no student today who knows not the advantages he could reap through such a beneficial system. Still, one would not have realized the special corners one could have in this system and let us see what they are Anything and everything under sun Though the case goes that students wish to avail online tutor for the clarifications, completions and analysis of their subject ware, many could find their curiosities irresistible and wish to do something new in their studies. For such students, many innovative courses are available online and they could find the limitless material available online as a great source to quench their thirst for doing something adventurous and new apart from their routine learning material. Skills also could be developed through online medium as there are many who learn music and dance through e-tutoring devices and enjoy their leisure with good hobbies which are value enriched packages guided by online tutors in the respective fields. A boon for those who have physical ailments Some students may have physical handicaps and it would be difficult for them to have education outside home. Such students find tutoring online as a savior for them and feel enlightened with knowledge and boosted with confidence to take courses of their choice and do their level best with soaring scores in their academics Card Expanding your social circles Though it is generally felt that classroom atmosphere adds on to one’s social network with friends and peer groups, online tutoring platform renders equal or more scope in this matter with its forums for group discussions, sharing of files with peer groups and brainstorming sessions with many students. Hence, learning becomes interactive, enthusiastic and more intermingling for students who opt for virtual tutoring centers. Many more reasons are there for you to pick up best assignment help. Find your niche (the special reason for your choice of e-tutoring) and get ahead in that track. Tutor Pace proves to be one of the tutoring sites that offer all kinds of help for students in their academic areas and helps them come out with successful learning experiences. It is a learning ambiance which promotes positive thoughts about doing the subjects without hassle. The website is unique in rendering mind blowing solutions for all challenging academic tasks. You could avail free online tutoring for 30 minutes, once you complete your registration process with the website. [starbox id=admin]

Good Reads Book Recommendations for High School Students from AJ Tutoring Leaders

Good Reads Book Recommendations for High School Students from AJ Tutoring Leaders Just in time for the holiday season, we crowd-sourced a list of book recommendations from leaders and veteran tutors at AJ Tutoring. The only requirements were that the books be appropriate for high-school-aged readers, and that they not be books that regularly show up on high school reading lists.Fiction and non-fiction, memoir and sci-fi?its all here. Take a look and find something new for your student (or you) to enjoy!The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.Paulo Coelhos masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far differentâ€"and far more satisfyingâ€"than he ever imagined. Santiagos journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along lifes path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.Recommended by Christina.Angelas Ashes: A Memoir, by Frank McCourt.“When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I managed to survive at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood.”Recommended by CJ.The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley, by Malcolm X and Alex Haley. One of Time Magazines 100 most important books of the 20th century. A stark, unflinching look at race relations in America during the baby boom era.Recommended by  Matt.Bad Feminist: Essays, by Roxane Gay.Fantastic collection of essays exploring the pressures women inflict on themselves, as well as the demands society inflicts on us. Roxane Gay is phenomenal?accessible language, impactful ideas, and refreshing directness. 8th grade and up.Recommended by Magen.Catch-22, by Joseph Heller.This book taught me that literature can be entertaining and got me to start reading more on my own.Recommended by Maric h.A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. As much a part of Christmas as mistletoe and carolers, Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” was once read publicly on Christmas Eve each year by Dickens himself. This heartwarming tale continues to stir in us the same feelings of repentance, forgiveness, and love that transformed Ebenezer Scrooge from grumbling, Bah! Humbug! to sharing Tiny Tims happy God bless us, every one!'Recommended by Carmel.The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America, by Erik Larson. Whether youre interested in American history, architecture, the city of Chicago, or the psychology of serial killers?or just enjoy a compelling, meticulously-researched true story?you wont be able to put this book down until its over.Recommended by Karen.Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type, by Paul Tieger, Barbara Barron, and Kelly Tieger.   A fun and eye-opening book that will identify your personality type and help you explore what careers you will enjoy most. Especially useful for high schoolers starting to think about what theyd like to major in!Recommended by Jake.Enders Game/Enders Shadow, by Orson Scott Card. Two of the best books in the Ender universe. Well-written sci-fi classics with crossover appeal. A great pick for adolescents, who will be able to identify with Enders character.Recommended by Allison.Foundation, by Isaac Asimov. Sci-fi with some great twists.Recommended by David.The Ghost Map: The Story of Londons Most Terrifying Epidemic?And How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World, by Steven Johnson. Its the summer of 1854, and London is just emerging as one of the first modern cities in the world. But lacking the infrastructure necessary to support its rapidly expanding population, the city has become the perfect breeding ground for a terrifying disease no one knows how to cure. As the cholera outbreak takes hold, a physician and a local cur ate are spurred to action-and ultimately solve the most pressing medical riddle of their time.Recommended by Jimmy.The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, by N.K. Jemisin. One of the first works by Hugo award-winning author N.K. Jemisin, this is the beginning of a fantasy trilogy that stars incredible female protagonists and explores systems of power in exciting ways. What would *you* do if you could command gods?Recommended by Jessica.Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis. A great intro to Christianity.Recommended by Joe.Musicophilia, by Oliver Sacks. For anyone interested in science and how the human brain works! Musicophilia explores how music affects the human condition through the stories of various people suffering from what Sacks calls musical misalignments. Among them: a man struck by lightning who suddenly desires to become a pianist at the age of forty-two; an entire group of children with Williams syndrome, who are hypermusical from birth; people with amusia, to whom a symphony sounds like the clattering of pots and pans; and a man whose memory spans only seven seconds-for everything but music.Recommended by Jimmy.The Nix, by Nathan Hill. A fantastic novel about love, betrayal, politics and pop culture.Recommended by Pat.Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline. A really fun read for the nerd in all of us. Also, if you like audio books?the audio version is narrated by Wil Wheaton!Recommended by Chelsea and Allison.The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly i nnocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets?an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.Recommended by Merylynn.Secrets of Mental Math: The Mathemagicians Guide to Lightning Calculation and Amazing Math Tricks, by Arthur Benjamin and Michael Shermer. An easy book to read if you only have short intervals of time! Provides cool tricks for operations with large numbers that you can practice anywhere you go.Recommended by Aly.A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens. I love Dickens descriptive language. Every scene in the book is expressed so vividly. Heroic Sydney Carton and friends contrast the true, the good, and the beautiful with the evil, vengeful and misguided Madam Defarge and the French revolutionaries.Recommended by John.Happy reading!

Avoiding an ADHD Misdiagnosis The essential components of an effective ADHD evaluation

Avoiding an ADHD Misdiagnosis The essential components of an effective ADHD evaluation Rates of ADHD diagnoses in the US continue to rise steadily, with a newly published study showing that 10% of todays children and teens are diagnosed with ADHD compared to 6% back in the late 1990s.1 There are many possible reasons for the sharp increase in diagnoses, including increased awareness about ADHD (especially the inattentive subtype), improved health care access, and more rigid education and testing standards in public schools. These factors all contribute to higher rates of proper diagnoses for kids with ADHD who would have otherwise been missed, and thats a good thing. Unfortunately, these same factors can also contribute to higher rates of misdiagnoses among kids and teens who are falling behind academically or are struggling to pay attention and follow classroom rules for reasons that are unrelated to ADHD. With more and more children and teens being diagnosed with ADHD, its more important than ever for parents to insist that their child receive a rigorous diagnostic assessment. A thorough assessment is the only way to minimize the risk of a misdiagnosis and ensure that ADHD is the most appropriate explanation for a child or teens symptoms and behavior. Often, ADHD diagnoses are made in the pediatricians office after a single visit. If these office visits are too brief and rating scales completed by parents and teachers arent included in the assessment process, then the likelihood of a misdiagnosis goes up dramatically. Some pediatricians have a practice that can support the demands of an ADHD diagnostic assessment and have a great deal of experience in this area, but often the most thorough evaluations are conducted by a mental health specialty provider or a developmental pediatrician. When evaluating whether the assessment your child or teen is receiving is as rigorous as it needs to be, look for the following components: Detailed Interview with Parents The foundation of a solid ADHD evaluation is a detailed parent interview that assesses the childs medical history, and social history, as well as his or her history of symptoms of ADHD and other conditions like anxiety and depression. Overall, the goal of this interview is to establish a timeline for the development of ADHD symptoms and behaviors as well as other disorders or situational factors that may also explain a childs symptoms. At a minimum this interview should take 30-60 minutes. Detailed Interview with the Child or Adolescent Older children and adolescents should also be interviewed. Children and teens with ADHD may not have much insight into their ADHD symptoms, but they often have an awareness of anxiety or depression symptoms that may not be as obvious to parents or others around them. Symptom Rating Scales Completed by Parents and Children or Teens In addition to diagnostic interviews, rating scales completed by parents and the child (ages 8 and older) or adolescent themselves are a key component of a thorough diagnostic assessment. Rating scales should include questions related to ADHD symptoms as well as symptoms of other disorders. These measures often include normative scales which allow the provider to compare ratings for the child or teen undergoing the evaluation against a large database of scores to see how the child or teen compares to peers of a similar age and gender. This can help determine whether a childs behavior and symptoms are typical of someone their age or if they have relative weaknesses in certain areas. Symptom Rating Scales Completed by Teachers In order to meet diagnostic criteria for ADHD, children and teens must experience impairment at school as well as at home, making teacher reports an essential component of an ADHD assessment. Like the rating scales completed by parents, these measures should include questions about symptoms of anxiety and depression as well as ADHD and should include normative scales that allow for comparisons with same age peers. A measure of academic performance and skills should also be included to help determine whether a learning disorder evaluation is also needed. Ratings should be completed by teachers who have had the child in the classroom for at least 1 month at the time of the evaluation. If a child or teen has multiple teachers, then ideally each teacher should provide ratings, so the evaluator can determine whether a childs symptoms present differently across classroom subjects and settings. Report Cards Past and current year report cards can be extremely helpful in an ADHD evaluation. Report cards include valuable information about a childs behavior and focus in the classroom over time and can be used to identify the need for a learning disorder evaluation. Learning Disorder Evaluation in Kids and Teens with Learning Concerns In some cases, learning disorder symptoms can look a lot like symptoms of ADHD. When kids and teens struggle to learn new concepts despite having average or above average intelligence, they may have difficulty focusing in class or may act-out behaviorally. If report cards and teacher ratings suggest a history of poor performance in some subject areas but not others (for example, a child or teen receives below average grades in math but receives average or above average grades in other subjects), then a learning disorder evaluation should be completed by the school or by an educational specialist or psychologist. The process of diagnosing ADHD is complex and participating in the evaluation process can take a great deal of time and effort but the effort is worth it in the long run when you receive an accurate diagnosis that can be used to identify the best treatments for your child or teen. 1 Xu G, Strathearn L, Liu B, Yang B, Bao W. Twenty-Year Trends in Diagnosed Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Among US Children and Adolescents, 1997-2016.JAMA Network Open.2018;1(4):e181471. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.1471 ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

21 Righteous Reasons You Should Start Learning Languages with Video

21 Righteous Reasons You Should Start Learning Languages with Video 21 Righteous Reasons You Should Start Learning Languages with Video How many videos have you watched so far today?Video is a huge part of our everyday lives now.Its extremely personal. We often feel like our favorite video games, movies and shows are pieces of our identities.Its also as diverse as the human experience  itself, including everything from comedy sketches and drama series to news broadcasts, live interviews, commercials and YouTube clips.So, of all the countless ways to learn a language, using video is the one dearest to our hearts.Its not that there arent other enjoyable and effective ways to learn a language, or that video is the one single best way to learn, but for most of us, its the most practical.When you get down to it, for those of us living in the real world with all its real demands on our time and attention, effectively using video content is the strategy thats most likely to propel us  from linguistically aspirational to confidently multilingual.Its flexible, accessible, multipurpose, multisensory and scientifically proven t o be one of the most effective approaches to learning a language.So whats all the fuss about?We could go on forever, but today well cap it at 21 reasons you need more video content in your language learning life. 21 Righteous Reasons You Should Start Learning Languages with Video1. 21st century language learning has gone digital.In this day and age, weve got more options than worksheets and sentence diagrams.Digital technology offers us an ever-expanding list of language hacks, but  video is unique in  that, when used right, it can offer most of the same benefits as  real language use.The language classrooms of yesteryear were stocked with endless books and worksheets about  a language, but had little trace of the language itself. Now you can get pretty authentic exposure to native speakers wielding their language by watching the same video  content that they watch at home.In 1986, hunting down some good tapes of TV shows or movies in a foreign language wouldve been an ordeal, but today video content featuring live native speakers  couldnt be further from scarce.2. Videos are like talking, only not.Social situations can induce a lot of anxiety, especially for beginners and early-stage learners.Sometimes the stress of a real social situation can be counterproductive. Instead of focusing on the conversation and the language use, youre internally screaming at yourself not to say something stupid.Conversation is important, but watching videos is a safer way of building up to more conversation. Watching people use the language should help you get used to its sound, rhythm and the way people gesture or the expressions they make when they use it. Youll get a great idea of what a more or less normal conversation looks and sounds like.One way to dip your feet in before taking the plunge into real-life conversation is to sign up for a course like FluentU, which uses everyday video content featuring  native speakers of the language youre learning. All the videos there are ones that natives are watching at home on TV and on their laptops.Youll be amazed at what just a bit of exposure to native speech from the safety of your computer screen can do to minimize the anxiety  of the real thing!3. You focus on the speaker instead of formulating a response.Its hard to be a good listener in any language when youre always  busy  thinking up your responses to the sentences someone hasnt even finished saying.But the truth is, to learn any language well, listening is key.To learn and progress in your language, youll need to take the time to attentively listen to native speakers and observe how they use their language. Watching your target language video material gives you the luxury of devoting 100% of your attention to listeningâ€"you can even pause to ponder those rules and phrases you almost understood the first time around but needed a second to think about.4. Language is more than just the words coming out of your mouth.The vowel and consonant sounds wer e stringing together in everyday speech are only part of the story of communication. Peoples expressions, hand gestures and interactions with their environment (like gesturing towards an object while talking about it) all contribute to the whole picture of communicating in any language.Audio recordings and chats on the phone  are good language learning tools, but movies and Skype calls are better.Thats because looking at all the parts of language and communication as a whole help you not only to better understand  the meaning of what you hear, but also to better retain your understanding of what youve learned longer and use it more intuitively.5. Learning a language is learning a skill, not memorizing facts.We tend to think of our advances  in learning a language as being like a progress bar that we can eventually fill up, but its not quite that black-and-white. You can memorize all your times-tables or the periodic table of elements, but languages arent facts that you can rememberâ €"in fact, memorization can even get in the way of real learning.Instead, languages are  more like skills that you need to develop and practice.If you wanted to learn to ride a bike, would you start by memorizing the names of all its parts? Nopeâ€"the adventurous among us might just hop on and give it a try, but the handiest thing short of jumping in the deep end would be first watching a few  videos  of what this cycling thing looks like in action.Language is similar. Learning about its rules and origins is  important, but  a few clips from a sitcom or nightly news report make for better linguistic training wheels than verb conjugation charts and sentence diagrams.6. Watching videos helps prompt your brain to imitate the learning styles of children.Being exposed to enough real-life language use can signal to your brain that its time for a change.With the right resourcesâ€"like lots of video and audio contentâ€"you can help promote the kind of brain plasticity thats required to real ly learn a language like your younger self.Immersing your brain in the sounds of a new language can help your brain reset itself to a more childlike state, giving a boost to your ability to hear and recognize unfamiliar speech sounds from other languages.By consistently exposing yourself to native language use with  video, you can gradually teach your brain to recognize the new sounds of the language youre learning,  eventually increasing your ability not only to hear and understand but also to use the new sounds and words youre learning.7. Learning a language with video can help you to process that language like a native speaker.One of the more uplifting discoveries of recent neuro-linguistic science is that, contrary to previously long-held beliefs, you can actually learn a language to advanced  proficiency even later life.Under the best circumstances, some learners even achieve native-like brain processing of their second language!Common wisdom holds that immersion gives you the best chance of achieving near-native linguistic glory, but if you cant move abroad tomorrow, dont despair: try creating an immersion environment at home with video!8. Spanish telenovelas, French films  and the rest of the worlds cultural offerings are  too good to miss.Its impossible to separate any language from the cultural heritage that transmits that language to us.One of the biggest components of contemporary culture in most parts of the world today is the TV and movies people consume. Watching the same programs that  native speakers of your target language are watching in their everyday lives not only allows you to observe the language as its used every day, but it also lets you expose yourself to learning about cultural norms and values that influence how people use language every day.When youre practicing your Spanish with  telenovelas and an actress reacts with an ¡hay dios! and open-mouthed outrage, you can assume the name her co-star just called her was one youd better n ot use in polite company.When you catch this years futuristic sci-fi blockbuster, you might be getting a view of that cultures hopes for and anxieties about the future, as well as how people  talk about them.9. Video teaches you to talk like natives do every day.As they say, the camera doesnt lie.TV and movie scripts are generally written to sound like real-life people talking in real-life scenarios, so you can bet that whats on prime time is likely a reflection of the times.If somebody studied an English textbook from the 1970s and took their social cues from there, theyd probably make for an awkward conversation partner in 2016. But tuning  into a couple episodes of NCIS or Parks and Recreation, on the other hand, would give a learner a pretty up-to-date sampling of the way native speakers are talking outside of foreign language classrooms.10. Native speakers talk fast.If youve never actually interacted with native speakers of your target language before, youre in for an unpleasan t surprise: they talk way faster and less articulately than the carefully-pronounced sentences youve been transcribing in your language learning app.Adjusting to the speed of actual native speech can be a discouraging shock if youre not ready for it. Watching videos (especially with target language subtitles) is a good way to start making the mental connections between the neatly-typed words youve written out on your vocabulary list and the way they actually sound when spoken in the middle of a natural native sentence.You can pause, rewind and fast forward, and a video clip is usually willing to repeat itself for you as many times as you need!11. And they use a lot of slang.Its not just speed and clarity that can pose challenges, but also the very words and expressions native speakers of any language use in their daily lives. But truthfully, learning slang has to be one of the most exciting parts of learning a new language.The words people are really using on the street vary between regions and generations in any language, but one thing is sure: most of them dont make it into standard instruction mediums meant for foreigners.Accessing authentic video content in your target languageâ€"anything from teen sensations YouTube channels to everybodys favorite weeknight sitcomâ€"is a good way to get exposure to these different slang words and regional vocabularies.You not only get to hear these new words in context, but you can also get a feel for whats appropriate for whom and in what context before trying it out in sensitive social situations.12. Videos are easier to incorporate into your routine than grammar books.One reason people end up not following through on learning languages is because its annoying. Trying to squeeze flashcards or lessons into your daily grind can be an enormous hurdle, because theres really no natural space for these things in your day.With video, on the other hand, making time for language practice is a breeze: most of us consume plenty of video content already every day between our newsfeeds, idle YouTubing on the way home from work or school, and letting our guts out on the couch to relax at the end of the day.These are all perfect places to slip in some autopilot language learning, by swapping your cute cat  videos  for videos of cute cats with German people exclaiming over their cuteness in German from behind the camera.13. Writing off movie night as language practice is the absolute best.When you do succeed in making language study time synonymous with chill time, youll know true happiness.Thats why were thrilled to tell you that learning a language by watching  movies is definitely a thing, and a thing you should be incorporating into your learning routine.Following extensive storylines and complex discourses is like a gym session for the language learning centers in your brain, and the detailed problem-solving youll naturally apply to gaining an understanding of the plot is about as applied as applied language learning gets.The increasingly detailed context and visual cues in the movies environment are great for learning new vocabulary in context, and its a way better way to pass your evening than worksheets and grammar drills.14. You can learn languages with video games.If watching movies is a solid gym session, then playing video games for language learning is like a triathlon.Video games almost seem like they must have been made for language learning, with their unique audiovisual immersion that makes you participate in a world and solve problems in it. Theres a reason why there are so many educational games for children out there.The cognitive cartwheels you have to turn to play a video game in another language are similar to those you turn  formulating conversational speech, and the in-context learning environment promotes maximum understanding and  retention.15. Because Netflix.Netflix is the media industrys gift to language learners everywhere.Not only can you find shows and movie s in a ton of different languages there, but most of the content is also genuinely engaging and interesting. This means that, once you find the right shows, youll eventually be like every other Netflixing couch potato, only your binges will be in another language.Plus, theres just something deeply gratifying about writing off a six-hour binge as language practice, like a giant nana-nana-boo-boo to the parents who scolded you for wasting your life away in front of the boob tube.16. Getting inappropriately emotionally invested in a show and its characters is actually good for your language learning.Your desperate need for Ross and Rachel to end up together might seem silly, but its actually a way to tap into next-level language learning.Try hard to find good shows with good characters, because theyre actually really good for you.The parasocial relationships we have with fictional charactersâ€"we consciously know that theyre made-up, but they still look and act like real humans, and we often feel as if theyre speaking to  us  personallyâ€"are crucial for childrens acquisition of language, but adults can also benefit from a little make-believe.Our parasocial TV interactions stimulate the parts of our brain that promote empathy and social learning, which allows us to better and more organically learn the language from the characters were watching.Taking sincere interest with something unfolding in a foreign language helps you think about the content, whats actually going on, rather than fixating on the language. You start to follow storylines and characters, not words, just like in the shows you love in your mother tongue. Thats the definition of immersion.17. It gives you something to talk to the locals about when traveling.Not only does watching all your new favorite shows contribute to your understanding and retention of the language, it also gives you great conversation fodder.For those traveling abroad or Skyping from overseas, have you seen the latest episode ? is a great way to start a conversation thats genuinely interesting to you both.Even better, youll usually be able to learn and use all kinds of new vocabulary quickly when it comes to discussing your shows, since your obsessive understanding of the shows plot gives you a great context for learning new words and phrases used by the native speakers you discuss it with.18. We cant always jump on a plane today, but video can always bring languages to us.The fact that you cant drop everything and move overseas is a totally surmountable obstacle.Video content can fill the void in those times when native speakers and frequent conversation just arent reasonable options.Being able to hop on a platform like FluentU or stream news in your target language in the background helps keep your brain as immersed in the language as possible, while still living in your hometown.19. Streaming news in a foreign language is the best way to stay informed.Speaking of watching the news, its another seamles s way to tie a language into your day and to connect studying language with studying contemporary culture.The days headlines seem tedious sometimes, but watching and listening to them tells you whats actually happening  on the ground where your language is spoken, which can have an impact on the way people use language and certain words every day.As a bonus, this will help you learn things like names of countries and geographic features in context, adding  even more to your repertoire of conversation options for the next time you bump into a native speaker.20. The best polyglots have their own YouTube channels.Aside from the ton of language-specific YouTube channels out there providing content for your language learning, the coolest polyglots on the web are also curating YouTube channels with lots of video content to help you learn your target language.Follow your favorite blogs and vlogs to get personalized tips and recommendations for more video content in your target language.21. The web is full of video content in every foreign language you can imagine.In a time when 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube alone every day, the Internet is exploding with digital video content.As the Internet continues to penetrate more corners of the world and other languages assert their presence online, language learners are only going to have more and more options for video content in the foreign languages theyre studying.We tend to think learning a language with video is the best way to go.Sprinkle in summers abroad and private tutors here and there if you can and want to, and experiment with other ways to learn a language to your hearts content.But remember that, at the end of the day, if you wanna get the most bang for your buck in terms of maximizing cognitive benefits and learning a language in a natural, fun way, video is the way to go!

Leapforce

Leapforce Leapforce As a Leapforce At Home independent agent, you will enjoy the freedom and flexibility to choose when and the amount of time you work, allowing you to balance your career, family and friends. Leapforce At Home provides an exciting home-based career opportunity where you can put your acute analytical skills to work, providing valuable feedback and critical insight for some of today's leading companies. Leapforce Leapforce No set hours or schedules. Exciting Research Work. Competitive Pay. Leapforce at Home Agents enjoy competitive pay, have no set work hours or schedules and enjoy the benefits of running their own home-based business. As a Leapforce At Home independent agent you will have the flexibility to schedule your own hours to fit your lifestyle and to work around your career and family demands. You are given complete freedom to choose when and how much you would like to work. Never again will you have to rearrange your personal activities to fit a rigid work schedule. For any given day, you are free to work more or less time. You are in control. All Leapforce At Home independent agents enjoy competitive pay as independent contractors. And there are never any complicated payment schemes or calculations to deal with. Leapforce At Home independent agents conduct in depth internet-based research and provide information evaluation for leading companies from around the globe. Ideal candidates are self-reliant, self-motivated, are very internet savvy, have a broad range of interests and enjoy online research and evaluation.

Everything you need to know about applying (and getting hired) for the EPIK program

Everything you need to know about applying (and getting hired) for the EPIK program Sangsangnim! Also known as “teacher” in Korean. This is a term that you will become very familiar with after you land, settle in and indulge in the incredibly rich culture as an EPIK program participant living and teaching English in South Korea. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. You want to find out more about the EPIK program and how to become an English teacher in South Korea and we’re here to tell you everything you need to know. So let’s dive right in! EPIK is your gateway into South Korea’s vast public school system. It is by far the largest employer for teachers in South Korea, but what’s the difference between the public and private school systems there? Public vs. private schools in South Korea. Private academies, also known as Hagwons, are more likely to function as a business than a school. Teachers will often get paid more here, and work with more foreign teachers as they will often be completely English-focused schools. Students will go to a Hagwon for kindergarten or arrive there after school for English-intensive classes. I personally taught at a Hagwon and was lucky enough to end up in a great neighborhood in Seoul, which is right where I wanted to be. The trickier part about my experience working at a Hagwon, however, wasn’t only the longer working hours than my friends teaching at a public school (about double the teaching time). It was the number of students being pulled out of, or put into classrooms in the middle of a term. Because Hagwons are businesses, you’re often being told what to do by the parents (business patrons), and usually, have to do what they say! Public schools, in contrast, function through three government-run programs: Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) recruit for more than 2,000 schools within Seoul, the country’s capital. Gyeonggi English Program in Korea (GEPIK) recruit for all public schools in the province surrounding Seoul. English Program in Korea (EPIK) are affiliated with the Korean Ministry of Education and recruit for public schools everywhere else in South Korea. These are, by far, the best programs to teach English in South Korea. You will sometimes be earning a little less, but the programs look after their teachers very well, and you will have more free time to learn Korean, see some sights, or whatever you want to do with half the teaching hours than at a Hagwon! All. About. EPIK. Sign up to Teach Away today for access to the latest teaching jobs around the world. EPIK is an incredibly secure program with a great orientation into the country. You can still end up in one of South Korea’s big cities, or in a more rural village, but the program has a lottery system and you ultimately may not end up where you choose. You may also be the only English teacher at your school. But don’t despair! Public schools are a great place to work, and the workload tends to be much lighter than at a Hagwon Sweet! So who’s qualified to teach with EPIK? Any native English speakers with a bachelor’s degree and citizenship from the following countries: Australia Canada Ireland New Zealand South Africa The UK The US You will need a college degree to anywhere in Korea, and the EPIK program is no exception. However, this degree does not have to be in teaching or other related specializations. EPIK requires no prior teaching experience and no degree in teaching whatsoever, which means it’s a great place to start if you’re interested in heading off to teachers college eventually, or just getting a year of teaching experience in to then go teach in other places in the world! Candidates who meet EPIK’s program requirements will also have to have no criminal record, pass a health check and go through all of the steps in getting an E2 work visa. If you’re looking to maximize your chances of getting accepted into EPIK, You will also have a much better shot at a successful EPIK program application with a TEFL. Is a TEFL certificate required to teach with EPIK? Yes. For jobs at most South Korean public schools, you will need to have a TEFL certificate that’s at least 100 hours in length. Wondering which type of TEFL course you need for EPIK? EPIK accepts online TEFL certifications as well as onsite courses. Aside from it being a set requirement, taking a TEFL course will help prepare you for things like managing your classroom and planning lessons once you’re accepted into EPIK. That way, you’ll know what to do when kids start climbing on tables, or an overworked student falls asleep on your watch. The scoop on your EPIK (get it?!) salary and benefits. Wondering how much money you can make teaching English in Korea with EPIK? We’ll get straight to the point. Here’s the great contract deal you’ll get with EPIK: EPIK pay scale ranging from $1,700 - 2,500 USD (or 1.8 - 2.7 million KRW) per month Settling-in allowance of around $300 USD (around 300,000 KRW) $1,250 USD (paid in KRW) towards your flight Furnished housing Health insurance Pension contribution 18 vacation days, 14 national holidays and 11 sick days If you end up teaching somewhere rural, you may also qualify for an extra $100 USD (100,000 KRW) each month. EPIK teachers might also be assigned to multiple schools at a bonus of $100 USD (100,000 KRW) each month for two schools or $150 USD (150,000 KRW) for three or more schools. The cost of living in South Korea is incredibly low. With some light budgeting, you can well afford to have a great night out, with plenty to eat and drink and only end up spending 20,000 KRW (about $20 USD), depending on where you end up. Beer costs around 2,000 KRW ($2 USD), and you can find cheap meals for as little as 3,000 KRW ($3 USD) as well. Traditional Korean BBQ will cost a little more, but nothing compared to what you’ll pay at home! With great shopping and incredible nature, you’ll be well clothed and able to find plenty of things to do at a very low cost! Plus, if you decide to stay another year, your ranking will go up with the EPIK program, which means that you will also qualify for a higher rate of pay. Sidenote: Wondering how your salary with the EPIK program compares with other English teaching jobs around the world? Not sure whether you’d like to teach English abroad just yet? Check out our handy teach abroad salary calculator to find out! What’s teaching with EPIK really like? At your school, you will be expected to work a full 40 hour week, even when you don’t have classes to teach. You will have around 3 to 5 classes a day, leaving you with plenty of downtimes to socialize, learn Korean, or whatever you find to fill the time. You’ll get to know both your fellow teachers and students very well, which means lots and lots of snacks and treats at most hours of the day, in my own personal experience. Where will I be teaching? The short answer is, it depends. EPIK places teachers all over South Korea, except Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. And although you can rank your top 5 choices on your application, you won’t actually get to choose where you end up. Do I have to apply to teach with EPIK through a recruiter? Not necessarily. You can either apply directly through the EPIK website or get the help of a recruiter specifically working with EPIK. Recruiters add a little extra something with their knowledge of the school system, work visa process and ensuring your contract is kosher. I personally went through a great recruiter who even visited the school I was working at during the year to check in. Before I made my choice on private vs. public school teaching in South Korea, he walked me through all options and scenarios very thoroughly. They also sometimes provide assistance after arrival and are good contacts to have after you arrive in a foreign country. Make sure to choose a reputable recruiter to avoid any potential opportunities to get scammed. What’s it like to teach in a Korean classroom? Korean children are passionate, focused, fun, and very, very smart. They often attend school during the day, followed by a variety of academies from math, to music, to English - sometimes several in one evening- before heading home to work with a tutor and finish their homework. As you can probably tell, they are pushed very hard from a young age, which is why it’s important, as a teacher, to inject some fun into their day along with the learning! They will have a lot of questions for you as a foreigner, anything from the color of your arm hair to whether your family is back home missing you. Some will speak near-perfect English, while others will know little to none, and it’s your job to keep them focused, learning, while always keeping in mind- hey, they’re kids! Again, your TEFL course will help you learn tips, tricks, and gain confidence in how to reach these children in a positive way. Recommended reading: 5 steps to becoming a culturally responsive teacher 10 tips for teaching in ESL classrooms OK, you’ve sold me! Walk me through the application process for EPIK. Apply online on the EPIK website, or use a credible recruiter to make the process a little more stress-free. EPIK intake is in August and February and EPIK teachers are placed on a rolling basis, which means the earlier you start, the better! In brief, the EPIK application timeline runs a little something like this: Download the initial application form Collect the following documents: A copy of your passport An apostilled bachelor’s diploma stamped at your local Korean Embassy Sealed transcripts Two recommendation letters A professional photo An apostilled police check (again stamped at your local Korean Embassy) Create a sample lesson plan (there are some great examples online) Submit your application and documents Complete a Skype interview with EPIK Apply for your E2 Visa What happens when I arrive in South Korea? As soon as you land, you’ll get to start your EPIK teacher’s orientation on living and teaching in Korea. You’ll not only make a ton of friends during this time, but you will learn what your job will encompass in the South Korean public school system before heading to your final destination. This is mandatory (and unpaid) for all EPIK teachers, but food and accommodation are provided. Enjoy this time and make the most of it. You might meet some best friends for life! Want more insight into what life is really like teaching English in Korea? Check out these posts: 5 things to know before teaching in Korea Things I wish I knew before I moved to South Korea to teach English Settling into life as an EPIK teacher in Korea. Here are some things you can do to ease into life in South Korea and make it feel more like home: Study some simple written Korean. Trust me, it will help you understand signs and order food. Learn a few useful Korean conversational phrases. Some Koreans do speak at least basic English, but it’s a fun language to learn anyway! Set up a bank account. This will help you start earning, saving (and spending). Oh, and get a phone plan, stat. (Bonus: these tend to be much cheaper than home!) My own personal plan was 20,000 KRW per month ($20 USD), for 1GB of data, which I almost never used up thanks to free WiFi being readily available in most public spaces. Try new food. Don’t shy away from what’s different. There is so much to Korean cuisine, and it all tastes amazing. And don’t forget to embrace everything this wonderful country has to offer. Travel on weekends. The train system is great and will take you anywhere you want to go to in the country, coast to coast! Further reading: Staying connected with loved ones back home when teaching overseas How to avoid cold feet: The teach abroad edition Most of all, teaching in Korea with the EPIK program is an experience where you’ll never stop learning, experiencing and sharing new things! It’s really something you’ll never forget, and you’ll leave with friends, memories and knowledge of a culture that’s like no other. Now that you’re done learning all about the ins and out of EPIK, check out our ESL job board for the latest and greatest teaching in Korea programs for TEFL-certified teachers!