Teach Yourself How to Sing 5 Helpful Tools

Teach Yourself How to Sing 5 Helpful Tools Megan L. Would you like to teach yourself how to sing, but arent quite sure how to do it? Although hiring a singing teacher right from the start can get you where you want to be sooner, there are also some great tools for you to use when practicing on your own. The following can help give you a head start: 1. Keyboard One key to singing is understanding the notes, so the first thing youll need is a keyboard or piano. You don’t have to invest in a grand piano, but getting your hands on a small keyboard will help you get familiar with different notes and scales. Any simple, new, or used electronic keyboard will do the trick. Once you can clearly distinguish notes and imitate them, you can move on to simple melodies, intervals, and more. 2. Pitch Pipe A pitch pipe gives you the starting pitch as you learn to sing a song. It’s a very easy tool to find any music store should have a range for you to choose from and they are usually pretty inexpensive. You can use the pitch pipe alongside a keyboard, or on its own if you’re singing a cappella, without an instrument or melody accompanying you. This important tool not only helps you get started, but it also keeps you on track while you’re singing simply revisit the pitch as youre practicing to make sure youre still correct. 3. Metronome A metronome  helps you maintain a steady pace while singing. Simply set it to the speed you want, and start practicing as you listen to it clicking along, youll be able to tell if youre slowing down or speeding up. The latest metronomes on the market are small, so theyre easy to carry around with you if you want to take it along to a singing class or band practice. You can also find apps for your smartphone or tablet that work as a metronome. 4. Recorder Any voice recorder will work wonders when you’re practicing. You can find recorders made specifically for vocalists, or most smartphones have a recording feature that you can use. Again, whether you’re trying to teach yourself how to sing using a keyboard or without any instrument at all, a recorder can be extremely helpful. As you practice, record yourself so that you can keep track of your progress. You can also record a song that you enjoy listening to and would like to learn, and use it as your guide when practicing on your own. 5. Private Voice Teacher The ultimate singing tool is, without a question, a private voice teacher. A voice teacher can help guide you along at the right pace and teach you correct techniques, so if you’re serious about developing your singing skills and becoming a singer, don’t think twice about finding a teacher. A professional not only helps you with expertise and real-time feedback, but also by encouraging you to stick to a practicing schedule to keep you on track to reach your goals. Although these tools can help you  teach yourself how to sing  at a beginner level, a private voice teacher is necessary if youre serious about improving. At an early stage, great tools like a keyboard, pitch pipe, metronome, and recording device help set a good foundation but if you are dedicated to becoming a better vocalist, then investing in a professional’s guidance is your ticket to success. Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo  by InSapphoWeTrust

Thinking About Pursuing a Career in Accounting and Switching Majors

Thinking About Pursuing a Career in Accounting and Switching Majors Pursuing a Career in Accounting Pursuing a Career in Accounting If you want to pursue a career in accounting, it is not a big deal that you must have special skills to manipulate accounting numbers. As a Certified Public Accountant, CPA or Chief Financial Officer, CFO, you will be responsible. They will review and analyze various aspects of financial information for any entity, public or private while financial information are analyzed for several purposes, including: Audit Tax Reporting Advisory Responsibilities for Pursuing a Career in Accounting As an Accountant (CPA) or Chief Financial Officer (CFO), you will be asked to prepare and provide financial reports. It is required to represent the companys board of directors about its overall health, financial strategy or to advise the board about potential mergers, acquisitions or any expansion plans that the company is considering. But in reality, it’s not about crunching the accounting numbers, the technology (accounting software’s) took over the manual book-keeping process. Even though with all the accounting software available to do the job for you, your presence will still be needed as a problem solver for company. Since you will be working very closely with top management or board of directors of the company. In order to become a certified public accountant, you will need to earn not only an additional credits hours. You also need credit hours in addition to your bachelor’s degree but also pass the four semester CPA exam. The average salary for a beginners working as CPA is about $45,500 and it’s around $40,900 if you are a tax accountant. But working as a financial officer/controller, one can earn average starting salary of $90,000, according to Glassdoor.com. More options available for pursuing career in accounting After passing the CPA exam, you have two choices, one is to start your career as CPA of your own firm. And secondly you can work as full time for big or small, public or private companies. Even in major economic crisis, the accounting jobs have a fewer cut than other types of jobs. The beauty of the accounting career is that you will gain a diverse interest which eventually will help you grow as you progresses in your accounting career. Lot of people think that accounting is not a lucrative field, but it’s a very stable field. It’s going to stay here even with the tough economic environment or the accounting software’s that do the job for you. Whether it is the new accounting law that just passed by US congress or it’s a new investment in the renewable energy companies. The accountant will be needed to solve the financial puzzles for the companies. You being a versatile accounting professionals can easily switch career to either finance. You can also start your own business if don’t like the accounting field. According to the latest survey 75% of those says that accounting degree is must in order to advance in their career. 65% respondent says that they will recommend that one should major in accounting in order to get a good start in their career. The most students pursued major in Accounting, Business and Finance. It’s a great idea if you start your career as an intern early when you are in either junior or senior class of high school. For Pursuing a Career in Accounting working at one of the 10 big accounting firms below can be helpful: Deloitte: Ranked number 1 accounting firm. Annual revenue approximately were in the range of $15,067 million and $20,057 million. Company headquarter is in New York City, NY and it employs approx. 35,000 people. PwC: Second in the top 10 accounting firms. The annual revenue ranges from $12,000 to $14,050 million. Companys headquarter is in New York City, NY and employs approx. 30,000 people. Ernst Young: Holds the third position in the top 10 accounting firms. Annual revenues ranges from $9,500 to $11,000 million. Also the companys headquarter is in New York City, NY and employs approx. 30,000 people. KPMG: Came on the 4th place in top 10 accounting firms. Annual revenue ranges from $6,200 to $7,000 million. The company headquartered in New York City, NY and it employs approx. 24,000 people. McGladrey: Hold the 5th position in the top 10 accounting Their annual revenue ranges from $1,350 million to $1,500 million. They are based in the state Illinois and currently employs approx. 7000 peoples. Grant Thornton: Placed on 6th position. Their annual revenue ranges from $1,250 million to $1,300 million. The company headquartered in Chicago, IL and employs approx. 4000 people. CBIZ/Mayer Hoffman McCan: Number 7th position in the top 10 accounting firms. Their annual revenue ranges from $785 million to $800 million. They headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio and employs approx. 4100 people. BDO: Holds the 8th position in the top 10 accounting firms. Their annual revenue ranges from $620 to $700 million. Their head office is located in Chicago, IL and currently employs approx. 3000 people. Crowe Horwath: Positioned themselves on number 9th position. Their annual revenue ranges from $600 to $620 million. They are headquartered in Oak Brook Terrace, IL and currently employs approx. 3000 people. Clifton Larson Allen: On number 10th position. Their annual revenue ranges from $550 million to $600 million. They are based in the State of Milwaukee and currently employs approx. 4000 peoples. There are some accounting placement services also if you don’t live near the top 10 firms above. The top accounting placement services are: Robert Half Finance Accounting: Accounting employment and staffing agency. Their offices spread across Unites States. One can search for Robert half on google search engine and find their office near you. Accounting Principals and Staffing Services: Provides accounting employment and staffing services. They matched the right skills with right type of job. Kelly Services: Global company providing the job placement in accounting, finance and other industries. Accounting and Finance Staffing Services: Expert in matching the right skills with right type of accounting and finance jobs available. Kforce Staffing and Solution: Professional accounting placement services matching job seekers and employers in accounting, finance, and healthcare. The college students can start their career as an accounting tutor helping students in junior or senior high school. Several tutoring companies students can work part time as tutor. Tutor Pace is one of the best tutoring companies that offers a handsome hourly rate and one can work conveniently from home, library, or even café. If you preparing for CPA exam and you need assistance, you can connect with Tutor Pace Online Accounting Tutors anytime, anywhere. With so many doors open now a days to accounting and financial professionals, I recommend students, entry level professionals and hiring managers to do their homework to learn what certifications is best for them. Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save

The Guide to Drawing Mountains

The Guide to Drawing Mountains How to Draw Mountains ChaptersHow to Draw a Mountain: Pay AttentionWhat Techniques Should You Use to Draw a Mountain?Drawing a Mountain: The Steps to FollowFinding Models to DrawPractise Drawing“An artist must be a reactionary. He has to stand out against the tenor of the age and not go flopping along.” - Andre MauroisPainting, drawing, and art are both relaxing and creative pursuits. While there was a huge boom in colouring book sales, it quickly plummeted afterwards. That said, painting is becoming more popular.White backgrounds with pine trees, bears, and alpine lodges are popular amongst many artists.So why not learn how to draw them?With coloured pencils, oil paint, or graphite, you’ll soon know how to draw a snowy mountain top!Art supplies at the ready! In this article, we'll be looking at painting and drawing mountains. FernandoDrawing Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EmmaDrawing Teacher 5.00 (5) £75/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DavidDrawing Teache r 4.75 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaDrawing Teacher 5.00 (7) £37/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorrenDrawing Teacher 5.00 (2) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SabrinaDrawing Teacher 4.33 (3) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Julia janeDrawing Teacher 5.00 (5) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EvelinaDrawing Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsHow to Draw a Mountain: Pay AttentionYou need to pay attention when drawing real things. Unlike creating something yourself, when you draw a mountain, you need to look at the details to ensure that you capture what makes it real. If you want to draw a mountain, you first need to pay attention to it. (Source: kimura2)Ideally, you want to be looking at some real mountains. It’s harder to get more realistic than the real thing. Of course, not everybody lives opposite or even near a mountain to have the time to sit down and think about them as they draw them.Furthermore, you can also get a feel for your surroundings. You want to capture the atmosphere and ambience when you draw a landscape. In some cases, you’ll need to take some artistic licence to convey the things you can’t see. In other words, you need to convey how the mountain makes you feel and what they're really like.To draw well, you need to be in a comfortable place with your sketch pad and pencils. You don’t want to lug all your art supplies up the side of a mountain, after all. A couple of pencils and some paper will do the trick.  You need to try and reproduce the shapes of the mountains and their proportions on paper.If you aren’t lucky e nough to live next to some beautiful mountains, you might want to find a photo of some online. You can also copy from somebody else’s work but just for practice. Using this work would be plagiarism.What Techniques Should You Use to Draw a Mountain?Graphite, watercolours, gouache, acrylic paint, oil paints, Indian ink, mixed media, etc., there are plenty of different materials and techniques to choose from to show off your drawing skills. It's a good idea to start with the technique that you're most comfortable with. (Source: aalmeidah)For those just getting started, we recommend you use a graphite pencil. This means that you’ll be able to correct any mistakes that you make when sketching.Of course, there are no rules when it comes to what you’d like to use to draw your mountains. On the other hand, it’s not very easy lugging oils and canvases up the side of a mountain either. Most people opt for watercolours when painting nature as you can get watercolour palettes from most art shops. You just need a few paintbrushes, your colours, and some water.Once you’ve finished your sketch, you can always add colour to it there or take it back with you and finish it at home. Don’t worry too much about your choice at first. FernandoDrawing Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EmmaDrawing Teacher 5.00 (5) £75/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DavidDrawing Teacher 4.75 (4) £40/h1st l esson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaDrawing Teacher 5.00 (7) £37/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorrenDrawing Teacher 5.00 (2) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SabrinaDrawing Teacher 4.33 (3) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Julia janeDrawing Teacher 5.00 (5) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EvelinaDrawing Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsDrawing a Mountain: The Steps to FollowOnce you’re sitting comfortably in front of your mountain or photo, it’s time to start drawing. Make sure you practise drawing mountains. (Source: KeithJJ)Sketching the OutlineWhether you’re a beginner or experienced artist, you’ll want to start with a sketch. Some experts can skip this step but it’s always a good idea to plan out your drawing with a sketch where you can correct any mistakes quite easily.Start with the outline of the mountain on your sketch. Follow the contours and summits you see. For more realistic drawings, you need to pay particular attention to the proportions between the various mountains.In addition to drawing the outlines, you also need to separate the various mountains from one another.You need to be flexible when doing a sketch. Don’t hesitate to make several marks in the same place. You’ll choose the best one when it’s time to ink. Before then, let your hand go with the flow. You’ll soon start making quick and steady progress.Even if your drawing isn’t perfect, try to let go.Discover how to draw beaches.How to Draw ReliefOnce you’ve got the main contours drawn, it’s time to give your drawing some relief. You can also complete this step with a pencil. You always have your rubber if you make a mistake.As you’ll have noticed, mountains aren’t smooth. You can’t just draw a few triangles alongside each other for a mountain range.  To give your drawing more relief, you need to work on areas of light and shadow. Mountains tend to have deep crevasses. You need to darken these areas with your pencil either through crosshatching or shading. This will give your mountains more character.You can then add some vegetation to the sides of your mountains.Learn how to draw gardens and parks.Colouring Your DrawingYou can keep your drawing in black and white if you want, but colour can bring it to life.Like we explained before, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to adding colour to your art. Acrylics, pastels, markers, coloured pencils, etc., you can even colour your work digitally on a computer.You can colour your picture realistically, respecting the colours as they appear in real life, or you can colour to accentuate certain areas. You can work with light and shadows to add depth and relief to your images. You need to use colours and darker shades for deeper areas. Soon, your drawing will be finished.It’s quite complicated making specific marks when drawing a mountain. Some artists prefer to draw realistically whereas others prefer to draw to a feeling. Every artist has their style.After all, mountains drawn by young children are just as recognisable as mountains as those drawn by adults. Each artist has their techniques, style, and inspiration.  The most important thing is to enjoy yourself when you draw.Learn how to draw houses.Finding Models to DrawIf you don’t live near a mountain, you’ll have to find examples of mountains you can work from. What better resource than the internet for finding images from all over the world.You can start by searching for images on Google. Find a cop yright-free image and practise drawing.  Social networks are also great places to find mountain landscapes. There are plenty of users sharing photos of their holidays in the mountains in both summer and winter.This is particularly true on networks like Pinterest and Instagram. You can also find drawings and paintings shared by other artists that you can use as inspiration.There are plenty of examples of images done with charcoal, pastels, pens, inks, and paint on social networks.Practise DrawingThe best way to draw better mountains is by regularly drawing mountains. Any artist will tell you that you need to regularly work on your art. Your practice will help you to develop reflexes and drawing will become second nature to you.By copying or imagining mountains every day, you’ll start to see your work getting better. You can always ask a private tutor for help with drawing mountains. (Source: Fotocitizen)If you don’t want to teach yourself, you can always look for art teachers or tutors to teach you in a workshop, class, or private tutorial.There are also classes for drawing landscapes. A tour guide and art teacher can accompany you up a mountain and help you as you draw. In addition to showing you how to draw, they’ll also show you the best parts of the mountains to draw.Drawing and painting classes are also important for learning the techniques you’ll need and developing an understanding of light and shadow, proportion, still life, or life drawing.You’ll learn how to create drawings and colour them!If you'd like to take a drawing class, learn about figure drawing, painting techniques, basic drawing, ceramics, or art history, or sculpture, consider getting in touch with a private tutor on Superprof. You can get either face-to-face tutorials, online tutorials, or group tutorials.Each come s with its pros and cons so take your time when deciding what's right for you, your learning style, and your budget. Face-to-face tutorials are more cost-effective but also more costly while group tutorials tend to be cheaper but you won't get as much one-on-one time with your tutor.Keep in mind that many of the tutors on Superprof also offer the first hour of tuition for free. You can use this time to get to know them, discuss what you want out of your tutorials, and agree upon the conditions of your private tutorials. Try out a few different tutors before you decide on the one that's perfect for you.

The Cost of Visiting Morocco

The Cost of Visiting Morocco How Much Does It Cost to Visit Morocco? ChaptersHow Much Does Transport Cost in Morocco?How Much Does Accommodation Cost in Morocco?How Much Do You Need to Budget for Attractions and Activities?How Much Does Food in Morocco Cost?A Sample Budget for a Week in Morocco“Travel the best way to be lost and found at the same time.” - Brenna SmithOver 9 million travellers visited Morocco in 2017, 12% more than in the previous year. A new record for the country! A trip to Morocco isn’t very expensive and it’s just a few hours from the UK by plane. However, cheap doesn’t mean free. You’ll still need to budget before you go there.In this article, we'll look at the cost of getting to Morocco, how much you'll pay getting around the country, and other things you'll need to budget for. HalimaArabic Teacher £13/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KotaibaArabic Teacher 5.00 (3) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SoledadArabic Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NancyArabic Teacher 5.00 (1) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TaouesArabic Teacher £8/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DinaArabic Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AbrarArabic Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors UsamaArabic Teacher 5.00 (1) £17/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsHow Much Does Transport Cost in Morocco?Before you go to Morocco, try to establish a budget. Transport is a significant part of any budget. Before you can start bartering in the souks, you need to get there. (Source: DanielWanke)Getting to MoroccoFirstly, you’ll need to get to Morocco. There are several airports with direct flights from the UK. From London, there are direct flights to Essaouira, Rabat (the capital), Fez, Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier, Casablanca.There are also direct flights to Morocco from other cities in the UK including Liverpool, Manchester, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, and Newcastle.In terms of rates, you can expect to pay between £30 and £250 for return flights depending on where you go, where you fly from, and when you travel. Generally, the later you leave it, the more you’ll pay.  You can compare the cost of flights on sites like Skyscanner.Check out our guide to visiting Morocco.Getting Around Morocco by BusIf you are staying in an all-inclusive hotel, you won’t need to worry too much about travelling around. If lying around isn’t for you, the bus network between the main cities and eve n a few secluded parts of the country is quite advanced.There are three main bus companies:CTMSupratoursSATASYou’ll need to pay around 5Dh for your bags (around 50p) with a surcharge if you have more than 10kg. Here are some example prices:Casablanca-Rabat: between 25 and 60Dh.Tangier-Fez: between 115 and 125Dh.Rabat-Marrakesh: between 135 and 190Dh.There are also buses to Meknes, Ouarzazate, or even Kasbah. Make sure you get to the bus station early in the morning if it’s warm because you won’t be the only one to opt for the bus.Taxis in MoroccoIn the city, you can cheaply travel by taxi as long as you know the rates. Insist that your driver puts the meter on. If they refuse, don’t ride. Official taxis have to respect the rates, with the meter generally starting at 2Dh (3Dh the evenings or from in front of your hotel) and between 4 and 8Dh per kilometre.Make sure you have small change so you can pay exactly what you owe! In the event of a conflict, take the taxi’s number and mention that you’ll get in touch with the Tourist Police. You’ll see that there’s no conflict.Would you like to learn Arabic before you go?Other Types of TransportTo save money, you might think about hitchhiking, which is quite common in Morocco. You need to be sensible and careful. Don’t do it on your own.It’s not recommended that you rent a car in Morocco, even though all the main companies are there. Insurance contracts are a little blurry and driving in Morocco is complicated.Need Arabic lessons London?How Much Does Accommodation Cost in Morocco?There are several types of accommodation for those travelling with their family, as a couple, or on their own. If you’re going on a honeymoon, for example, you’ll probably want something with all the trimmings in a hotel in Marrakesh.Other travellers may prefer youth hostels as they’re cheaper. Why not opt to stay in a riad in the Medina in Marrakech? (Source: kkortmulder)Hotels in MoroccoAs for accommodation, the cost of hotels varies according to location, rating, and season.  There are large hotel chains like Ibis and Sofitel but there are also independent hotels for all budgets, too.You can find a double hotel room for as little as £4 a night in Meknes. In Casablanca, rooms are available for around £50 a night and in Tangier, you can expect to pay around £40 a night.It’s not necessarily advantageous to opt for a youth hostel unless you’re in one of the larger cities like Rabat, Casablanca, or Marrakesh. There’s not a lot of them and, in some cases, you’ll pay as much as you would for a hotel.Airbnbs in MoroccoIf you’re looking to stay in Morocco, you can always look at Airbnb and get a private room with a Moroccan family. You can expect to pay between £30 and £70 a night for a private room.If you want to enjoy a Moroccan riad, you can expect to pay anywhe re between £30 and £250 depending on where you are.  There are more available in the north of Morocco than in the south so think about them if you’re planning on visiting a lot of Morocco.Find out the best time to visit Morocco. HalimaArabic Teacher £13/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KotaibaArabic Teacher 5.00 (3) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SoledadArabic Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NancyArabic Teacher 5.00 (1) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TaouesArabic Teacher £8/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DinaArabic Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AbrarArabic Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors UsamaArabic Teacher 5.00 (1) £17/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsHow Much Do You Need to Budget for Attractions and Activities?Going to Morocco and not doing anything would be a shame! While certain activities like the souks and beaches are free, you’ll have to open your wallet for the other activities. While unmissable, trips to the desert on a camel aren't free! (Source: Wolfgang_Hasselmann)Any good trip to Morocco should include some time in the desert. Whether you go to the Merzouga dunes or the Sahara desert, you’ll have the choice of going on a camel or in a Jeep. Most tour operators offer trips lasting several days in the desert.You’ll be camping in the desert under the watchful eye of a local guide. This is another way to enjoy Moroccan culture and customs while enjoying a view straight out of 1,001 Nights.Most hotels can help you book your trip to the desert for around £50 for 2 days and a night in a tent.How Much Does Food in Morocco Cost?Morocco cuisine is very famous. It’s a blend of Berber, Arab, and Jewish cuisines with some African and Indian influences. With so much good food to eat, it's convenient that it's not very expensive! (Source: annazuc)You can have tagine, couscous, mechoui, briouats, as well as mint tea at the end of each meal. There are also local specialities that you’ll have to try.  For those with a sweet tooth, you’ll enjoy your time in Morocco. Pastries with almonds, honey, cinnamon, and orange blossom. In terms of cost, you can eat in a restaurant every day for every meal. Lunch will cost you between 20 and 50Dh (around £2 to £4).A Sample Budget for a Week in MoroccoNot everyone will be travelling on the same budget. That’s why we’ve put together three sample budgets: the backpacker budget, the average budget, and the premium budget.Backpacker BudgetNot including the flights, you can spend less than £300 for a week for two people in Morocco.  Here are the average prices for two people: £25 per night for accommodation £10 per day for food £4 per day for transportOpt for free activitiesThe budget will be s imilar for most Moroccan cities but you won’t be able to do trips to the desert or anything like that.The Average BudgetWith £700 for a week for two in Morocco, you can enjoy beaches or the souks in Marrakech. For two people, it’ll cost you: £55 per night for accommodation £25 per day for food £10 per day for transport £6 per day for activitiesYou could always do a camel trip, for example.The Premium BudgetThis is for those without almost no spending limit in Morocco. If you’ve saved up a bit, you can make the most out of almost everything Morocco has to offer. You can bring back argan oil and babouches for the whole family. For two people, you’ll spend over £1,000 for the week: £75 per night for accommodation £30 per day for food £20 per day for transport £20 per day for activitiesEnjoy everything Morocco has to offer.What are you going to do when you go to Morocco?Whether you visit the High Atlas Mountains, Chefchaouen, the Atlantic Coast, or the Mediterranean Sea, make sure you get the most out of your accommodation.Check out our tips for visiting Morocco.Before going to Morocco, you should consider learning some Arabic. Fortunately for you, there are plenty of talented Arabic tutors on Superprof. There are three main types of tutorials available: one-on-one tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials.One-on-one tutorials are a bespoke service offered to you by your tutor. During the lessons, you'll have their undivided attention, making these the most cost-effective tutorials available. However, they also tend to be the most costly per hour as you're paying for personalised tuition and all the tutor's time both inside and outside of your classes.As long as you've got a webcam, mic, and decent internet connection, you can enjoy online tutorials. This is when your tutor teaches you remotely via a video call. Since the tutor has fewer overheads, this type of tutorial tends to be cheaper than one-on-one tutorials.Finally, online tutorials are wh en the tutor teaches a group of students. These may be students who already know one another or strangers. Either way, with several students footing the bill, these tutorials tend to be the cheapest option per student per hour of tuition.

You Can Improve your LSAT Score

You Can Improve your LSAT Score LSAT Law School Blog With modest preparation, my score jumped almost 10% the second time For those who sit forlornly staring at those admission grids, showing admitted students’ LSAT scores and GPAs, there is hope. I am living proof that you can improve your LSAT score. Yes, the test bills itself as one that requires no preparation. It purports to be simply a review of your existing analytical and critical thinking skills. Anyone who believes that probably won’t do well in American corporate/legal culture. There are tricks to the trade, and insider knowledge to be gained. I’d bet my law school debt that no one on the LSAC committee sends their children to take the LSAT without extensive preparation. However, I did not have insider information when I first took the test. I went to a state university on the West Coast -- University of Oregon, in laid-back Eugene, where many students imagined a fulfilling life without entry into a top school. I’d always tested well, so I read a couple of exam books and tested myself at my leisure. I was doing pretty good! I took the LSAT Winter Term of college, while I was interning in Washington, D.C. I arrived to register early in the morning at the Georgetown campus, and stood in line behind students who apparently all had taken the Kaplan course. They were talking about the exam with the familiarity of obsessed fans, like people talk today about the details of the Kardashian family. It was unnerving to me how confident they all sounded and how much they knew. Then we started the first section â€" the analytical section, normally my strong point. I did great on the first problem but then looked up at the clock and panicked. I’d used up much of the time already and I’d have to scramble to get through at least two more problems. I worked feverishly, watching the minutes tick down, when the woman seated in front of me calmly set her pencil down. She set her pencil down! Time wasn’t even called yet, and she was done? That unnerved me only more, as I frantically filled in a few more bubbles before time ran out. I wasted several minutes into the next section trying to shake off my disappointment over the first one. On our break, I waited in line for a bathroom stall, while two women talked about how easy the analytical section was. My heart sank as I dragged myself back to my seat with self-flagellating thoughts. And then, I opened the test book to my next section â€" another analytical section, that was far easier than the first one. Aha! There were two sections, so the first must have been the test section! When it was all over, I did manage to score in the high 80th percentile. But I usually scored in the 90th percentile on standardized tests, and I aspired to a Top 20 school. So I enrolled in a prep course at San Francisco State. It was four Saturday mornings from 9-1. Each day was devoted to strategies for approaching a different section, and on the last day we took a full, timed LSAT test from a prior year. The second time I took the LSAT, I went in confidently â€" I had a plan, I knew what to expect, I knew exactly how to pace myself, I knew not to listen to other people in the bathroom, and I’d trained myself to shake off the prior section as soon as we started a new one. This time, I scored in the high 90th percentile. Nine percentage points higher than the first time, which was enough to win admission to a Top 20-ranked law school. I wanted to return to the Northwest, and at the time, the University of Washington Law School, in Seattle, had been climbing the rankings and had just sneaked into the Top 20. Keep in mind that I’d had little to no prep, and certainly not very useful prep the first time I took the test, so there was room to improve. If you take a good prep course the first time and then want to re-take the test again, you can probably improve your score, but it may not be a dramatic improvement. The lesson I offer is that you can prepare for the test. There are tricks to be taught, approaches to be learned, meta strategies to the test overall. I’ll be blogging over the next few months sharing tips and insights for the test. During law school, I taught a law school prep course myself. I worked with a friend who’d taught for years with Kaplan. He was one of those geniuses who earned near perfect scores across the range of LSAT, GRE, GMAT, you name it. I will share the Kaplan strategies I learned from him, along with my own techniques. I’m not a freakish test genius like him, but I do fairly well in the LSAT corner of the world. It’s too bad that the LSAT score is so determinative, but in most law schools, I believe, it remains paramount. It certainly doesn’t measure emotional intelligence, or the range of other skills that go into making productive members of society. But it is what it is, so prepare yourself as best you can â€" and later I’ll write a blog about admission strategies if you don’t have the stats for a top school.

Are Weighted Vests and Stability Balls Helpful for Kids with ADHD

Are Weighted Vests and Stability Balls Helpful for Kids with ADHD Occupational therapy (OT) tools like weighted vests and stability balls are often prescribed in the classroom for children with ADHD. In theory, these tools help children stay more focused, be more productive, and have fewer behavior problems. But are they effective for kids with ADHD? While these OT tools are widely used, with school districts spending millions of dollars each year on these supplies for kids with ADHD, research examining their effectiveness has not been conducted until recently. Researchers at Florida International University sought to address this gap by conducting the first controlled study examining the use of weighted vests and stability balls for kids with ADHD.1 The study was conducted in a summer program specifically designed for children with ADHD, which included daily classroom sessions (as well as other activities throughout the day). In the study, 64 children between the ages of 7-12 were randomly assigned to receive stability balls and weighted vests at 60-minute intervals throughout the week during the classroom sessions. All of the children also received behavioral interventions (like a daily report card), and half of the children also received ADHD medication. Researchers measured the effects of weighted vests and stability balls on academic productivity and classroom behavior. The results showed that the weighted vests and stability balls had no impact on either classroom behavior or academic productivity for kids with ADHD. In contrast (and as expected), the ADHD medication and behavioral interventions did improve both classroom behavior and academic productivity. So, what does this mean for your child? Since this is the first study examining the effectiveness of these occupational therapy devices for kids with ADHD, and the number of participants in the study was small, more research is needed before we can draw any firm conclusions. However, the study does suggest that parents and teachers should be cautious about relying too heavily on these tools for kids with ADHD. If you and your childs school decide to use occupational therapy devices in the classroom, make sure that you: Request that teachers complete rating scales measuring ADHD symptoms and academic productivity before the devices are introduced and again one or two weeks after the devices have been in use. If you do not see any improvement, then the child should stop using the stability ball and weighted vest. If you do see improvement, have rating scales completed one month later to make sure the improvements are long-lasting. Consider the stigma that may come with using these tools in the classroom. A child using a stability ball and/or a weighted vest will stand out from their peers, and not usually in a good way. So, consider the social impact that these devices may have on your child before approving their use in the classroom. The benefits of the device need to outweigh the potentially negative social effects in order to truly be useful for your child. Always use these tools in conjunction with evidence-based interventions for ADHD. Stability balls and weighted vests are not stand-alone interventions for ADHD, and they should never be used as a replacement for evidence-based strategies. 1 Macphee et al, (2019) The Effect of Weighted Vests and Stability Balls With and Without Psychostimulant Medication on Classroom Outcomes for Children with ADHD. School Psychology Review. 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.

Can I Learn a Language in 6 Months What the Experts Say

Can I Learn a Language in 6 Months What the Experts Say Can I Learn a Language in 6 Months? What the Experts Say Go ahead. Mark your calendar.Six months from today.The day youll have learned a new language.Dont believe me?The idea of learning a new language can definitely be overwhelming. So many words! Such unusual grammar! Maybe even a completely new alphabet to learn from scratch…Nevertheless, learning a language  isnt something that needs to take years and years of study. There are many people who become adept at multiple languages as adults.But can you really learn a language in just half a year?When it comes to learning a language fast, a few experts are cited repeatedly: Chris Lonsdale, who gave a popular TEDx talk entitled  â€œHow to learn any language in six months;”  Benny Lewis, founder of Fluent in 3 Months  and Tim Ferriss, who also purports to answer the question  â€œHow to learn any language in three months.”They each have their own approach, but there are common threads that run through all of their rapid-language-learning philosophies. And we can harness those for our own benefit.In this post, Ill highlight some of the most important themes from each of those three experts. Then, Ill help you bring it all together to create your own six-month study plan.Lets get started on day one of your six-month learning journey! Can I Learn a Language in 6 Months? What the Experts SayChris Lonsdale Says: Start Using the Language ImmediatelyLonsdale bases his approach around a set of language learning principles and actions. Here are some takeaways that are most important to our goal of learning a language in six months:Listen to your target language a lot, right from the start.Remember that understanding is about more than knowing all the words.  Use facial expressions, body language, context and style to get meaning right from the get-go, even before you worry about knowing every vocabulary word.Focus on core language. In other words, focus on learning high-frequently vocabulary thats most relevant to you. Lonsdale notes that for most learners, this early cor e language will include sentences like how do you say that? and repeat that please.Get a language partner  (or in Lonsdales terminology, a language parent). This is a  native speaker wholl support you on your journey and speak to you regularly.Unfortunately for us, Lonsdale doesnt exactly answer the question of how to get there in six months. Nevertheless, we can use these actions to help us when were creating our study plan.Benny Lewis Says: Hack Language Studies for Faster LearningIrish blogger Lewis has become popular with his talent as a polyglot, gaining a strong online following. He gave a  TEDx talk on Rapid Language Hacking  to lay out the foundations of his language-learning-fast philosophy:Forget the idea that language is a talent you either have or you don’t. He claims to have thought he was completely useless at them before starting with Spanish! This myth of language learning talent also comes up in Lonsdales talk.Remember, its almost impossible to know  nothing  of a language. With nearby languages, there are cognates, i.e. words with the same root: for example, English shares roots of  -tion ­  words with Latinate languages like Spanish and Italian.As an Italian learner, its very useful for me to be able to guess at words like  nazione  (nation). Meanwhile, even the most unrelated languages now have a shared vocabulary (Coca-Cola, anyone?).Take advantage of the internet to start communicating right away. If you live in a city, there will almost certainly be people who speak your target language around. Otherwise, find friends of friends who would be willing to Skype you from time to time. You can even check out italki to find a language exchange partner or professional tutor for one-on-one lessons.Use mnemonics to remember words and expressions. This could be thinking of a sound the word reminds you of, or singing an expression to a simple melody.Create SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Ambitious, Realistic, Time-bound. In other words, you sh ould pick concrete goals thatll challenge you without overwhelming you, and give yourself a deadline for achieving them. Well discuss how to do this more specifically later in this post.Like Lonsdale, Lewis says that you should use the language right away. And make mistakes! This will help you to learn and to get over embarrassment about speaking with native speakers.Lewis uses a lot of languages in his talk, which lends authenticity. He definitely knows what he’s talking about!Tim Ferriss Says: The 80:20 Rule Means You Can Achieve a Lot in a Little TimeTaking a different tack from the motivational TEDx style of Lewis and Lonsdale, Tim Ferriss takes a more theoretical approach to the goal of learning a language in a few months. He has a three-point approach to language-learning, which incorporates the following:Effectiveness: Pick learning materials thatll work for you and your goals (i.e. effective).Adherence: Keep motivated and prioritize learning in your life so that you adhere to your study routine.Efficiency: Make sure your study regimen and tools are propelling you forward at a reasonable rate.Importantly, he refers to the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80:20 rule. This is the idea that 80 percent of results of any task come from 20 percent of the input, material or effort. He applies this to learning a language, arguing thatâ€"although total language mastery might take years of applied learningâ€"its perfectly possible to achieve conversational fluency in three months.How? Like Lonsdale, Ferriss emphasizes relevance of learning: Dont read something you wouldnt care to read about in your native language, as itll make it harder to understand, engage with and remember. So, if youre a Japanese learner interested in baseball, reading about the Japanese leagues might be a perfect place to start.So, What Should You Do to Learn a Language in 6 Months?All these guys take a different approach to tackling the problem, but there are clearly some common theme s across all of them. With all that in mind, what should your plan of action be to learn your chosen language in six months?Step 1: Start Using Your Target Language TodayThis is something all of our experts agree on, but it might sound counterintuitive to beginner language learners. How can you start using a language before youve learned any of it?We can go back to what Benny Lewis said:  In all languages, you already have some words you can access, and when youre speaking face-to-face or over Skype with someone you can use hands, facial expressions, noises, props and so on to get your meaning across.I had a very memorable conversation with a Korean learner of English in Seville, who was using limited vocabulary to explain to us the history of a particular Korean liquor. It was (intentionally) hysterically funny, so dont worry about your speaking partner getting irritated!Find a native speaker near you, take a trip or go online to find chat buddies. It doesn’t matter if you make m istakesâ€"you will!â€"as this is all part of the process of learning. As you begin to speak, youll get familiar with building sentences, listening to the sound of the language and hearing common phrases and expressions.Step 2: Familiarize Yourself with the Core LanguageA common theme from our expert friends was focusing your early learning on core language. In English, for example, this would include functional words like  and, the, a,  pronouns, such as  she,  I,  they  and the most commonly used verbs like  to have,  to be and to do.When youre in the early stages of learning a language, there will be a steep upward curve as you start to see how you go from saying single words to sentences, and learning these words will form the basis of that.How do you know which words to learn? Ferriss lists the 100 most common words in written and spoken English, which you can use if youre an English learner, or otherwise compare to key words in your target language. You could also try searching for your target language plus the term common words on Memrise, a digital flashcard app. There are many such lists covering Spanish, Korean, French, Dutch and much more.All the while, you should be going back to step one: whenever you learn something new, incorporate it into your speaking. For example, in Italian Ive been trying to correctly use phrases featuring the word  ecco, which is similar to the French  voila. This means Ive recently been walking around like a child, pointing at things and shouting “There it is!” Now I think I’ve got it.Step 3: Set Those SMART GoalsWhile a lot of learning will happen naturally as you speak and listen and read and write, you can’t take that for granted. Youll of course have to put in effort.Moreover, set SMART goals, as we discussed above. Its one thing to say you want to be fluent in six months, but what does fluency mean for you?I can give you an example of a goal I set myself last fall. By Christmas, I wanted to be able to hold a f ull conversation with my Italian girlfriend’s 5-year-old niece. So, it was:Specific: A successful conversation with a specified person.Measurable: Did I do it or not?Ambitious: She speaks no English and, as a child, doesn’t always understand that not everyone gets what she says, so it’s a challenge!Realistic: I wasnt expecting to debate the finer points of continental philosophy with a college professor…Time-bound: I knew I had to get it done by Christmas.This was a huge help. I focused on language that would allow me to have that conversationâ€"school, family, toysâ€"and I practiced it whenever I could. The result: success!Step 4: Use Learning Material You Care AboutOur experts note that you need to practice your target language with material that matters to you.You might consider videos and music to help with your listening. You can use YouTube to find all sorts of different videos. While I was learning Spanish, I picked up a great deal from the rap group  Calle 13. Findin g music you love in your target language is a fantastic thing to do, as you can listen to it over and over, understanding a little more each time.For a resource that combines relevant, entertaining material with active learning, check out FluentU. This innovative tool transforms authentic target language videos, like movie trailers, new clips and funny commercials, into a language learning experience.Nowadays you can find news sites online in any language, and these are really useful for your reading skills. The language tends to be very functional and informative (whereas literary works are often a little challenging in the early stages) and its relevant to a wide range of language learners since it gives you up-to-date vocabulary that native speakers are using in their day-to-day lives.Each video comes with clickable captions you can use to explore the meaning and context of any word thats unfamiliar to you. The videos are updated regularly so youre sure to find topical, authentic material that native speakers watch themselves. Then, FluentUs Learn Mode creates flashcards and exercises thatll ensure you actually learned from the video you watched.In other words, its comprehension practice that aligns exactly with what the experts say: to learn a language fast, you need to use relevant, engaging materials.Step 5: Look Up the GrammarYou can practice all you like, but you still have to understand the grammar, right? Well, yes. But grammar study doesnt have to be the repetitive trawling through books and verb tables that it was in schoolâ€"this can be the thing that really hampers your attempts to get fluent fast.If you notice a certain grammatical form when people are speaking to you, look it up! Itll elucidate the reasoning and allow you to incorporate it into your speaking (back to step one!), which is far better than studying grammar in isolation.Makes sense, right? Drilling dry grammar rules out of a textbook will only get you so far. For most people, thats so boring as to kill your drive to learn. But even for people who thrive on book learning, if youre not seeing and using grammar rules in context, theyll have very little impact on your actual, measurable language development.All of this ties into the core principles weve been discussing. Make all of your learning relevant and comprehensible, and youll hit your target in no time.Step 6: Keep It EnjoyableThe final step is to go back to one of Ferriss’ principles: adherence. Learning a language should be a challenge but not a chore. If you’re reading this blog, I’m sure you’ll agree that one of the great joys in life is to be able to communicate in a new language, and ultimately speaking is far more important than passing an exam.So  make sure you have fun  in your language studies to keep that motivation up for all six months of your study plan. If youre not sure how to do this, here are a couple of ideas that have worked for me:Make it competitive. Im an incredibly competit ive person, so for me, adding elements of a game can make it extra rewarding to learn a language. This could be with another person: although this shouldnt be about one-upmanship, finding a friend who wants to learn and testing yourself against each other can be a big help.Write a song. Use some of the vocabulary you have learned to create ditties or translate your favorite song into your new language.Use humor. Ask your language partner to tell you some jokes. Once you start understanding foreign-language jokes, you really know youre getting proficientEat! Food is obviously the best thing about any new culture, so find some recipes in your target language you can try out and cook for your friends.So, think about your goals and get speakingâ€"today. Good luck! And One More ThingIf you only do one thing to try to learn a language in six months, give FluentU a shot. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, y ou learn real languagesâ€"the same way that real people speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse ScreenFluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive TranscriptsYou can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.

Sprucing up Meals on a Budget

Sprucing up Meals on a Budget Image via pexels.com Grilled Cheese A grilled cheese sandwich is one of the simplest meals you can make without breaking your bank; all you really need is two slices of bread and cheese. The simple recipe of bread and cheese gets old after a few tries, and there are various ways to make your grilled cheeses look and taste like something you could pay money for at a restaurant. Adding meat like grilled chicken breast or honey baked ham to the sandwich makes the meal more filling and adds protein that college students tend to skimp out on. The cheese often melts faster than the meat can thoroughly warm up, so try heating the precooked meat in the microwave before adding it to the sandwich. If you love barbecue, try slathering the meat with barbecue sauce, fusing a grilled cheese and BBQ pulled pork sandwich. Another more vegetarian-friendly option is to change up the butter and/or spreads you use in your grilled cheese. Instead of using regular butter on your bread to give the sandwich a golden crispiness, try adding herb-infused spreads, such as apricot garlic butter. Consider adding basil pesto to the inside of the grilled cheese, adding more flavor to each bite. Ramen Ramen is the infamous g0-to option for inexpensive and convenient dining for college students. Add hot water, wait a few minutes, and you have something to hold you over until your next meal. However, after multiple meals consisting of ramen out of a package, the single packet of seasoning will get boring. The best option to making ramen more filling is to add protein, whether it be chicken breast, beef, or an egg. Make the unhealthy meal a little more healthy by adding fresh vegetables to the ramen; just use whatever is in season or cheapest, like mushrooms, spinach, or green onions. Enhance the seasoning packets or forgo them altogether by adding your own seasonings. For a spicy kick, theres gochujang, red chili flakes, sriracha, or Tapatío. For a more savory flavor, there is Japanese curry powder, miso paste, or fish sauce. Theres also the option to skip out on the traditional ramen preparation method by using the packaged noodles for a variety of recipes, including pad thai. Image via pixabay.com Potatoes Potatoes are a personal favorite and staple to a grocery shopping list. They can be bought in bulk and can be prepared in various ways. Dice potatoes and toss them in vegetable/olive oil and a mix of garlic salt and pepper, and leave them to bake in the oven. These are an easy side to baked/grilled chicken and steamed vegetables. Avoid dropping a few dollars on fries; several visits add up and leave you unaware of how much money youre putting aside for something as simple as an order of fast food fries. Instead of dicing your potatoes, slice them to your preferred length and width to make french fries. Trying picking up chorizo during your next shopping trip to make papas con chorizo. Complete the quick meal with a sunny-side-up egg and a tortilla. Spam Meat packaged in a can may be suspicious at first glance, but the price and the convenience are enough to overcome any beginning suspicions. The precooked and preserved meat is easier on a college budget as it can be bought in bulk and used over an extended period of time due to the prolonged expiration date. One of the most common ways of incorporating Spam into a meal is making spam musubi   a slice of spam, rice, and sauce wrapped in seaweed. Spam musubi is convenient for students that are on the go; make it in bulk and you will be set for several meals and be able to take said meals to class, study sessions, or work. Another way to add Spam into your meals is to replace it with other forms of meat, which are often more expensive. Add diced Spam into your scrambled eggs or omelets, or use it as another ingredient for your fried rice.