English As a Second Language - Learn To Speak English With Ease

English As a Second Language - Learn To Speak English With EaseEnglish is one of the most widely used languages in the world. It is spoken widely in countries like the United States, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, China, and many other. There are some books and media that are specially designed to teach English as a second language to native speakers.Many people have asked if it's really possible to learn English without getting a tutor. The answer is yes; you can learn English by yourself and probably make some progress in your life and give you a chance to better understand the world around you.There are hundreds of self-help books and media available in the market. You can also find them in the internet. If you are doing it by yourself, it's still better to use the proper techniques.Remember that learning things is difficult. Even with the best methods, it will not be possible to completely learn something without any help. So you should start out by giving it some time to absorb the material. When you feel that you know more than before, then you can start asking for help from others.If you want to do it by yourself, you can do it by using your own computer. However, there are some things that you need to consider before using your own computer. In case you don't have the right computer skills, then you should ask somebody to use the computer with you so that you will be able to take advantage of the internet's features and explore new things.If you find it difficult to learn English on your own, you can take a few courses from the internet. There are also some online courses, which will be perfect for your situation. The choice of course will depend on your budget and if you want to find a tutor to join you in the process. The best thing to do is to seek the guidance of an expert who can offer the best advice.This English as a second language course is suitable for all learners, from novice to expert. There are also some free samples that you ca n find on the internet.

English Idioms about Memory - Learn English with Harry ??

English Idioms about Memory - Learn English with Harry ?? Everybody has memories. Hopefully, you have a lot of happy memories. Memories are very important for humans. And of course there are many  English  idioms about memory and mind  in our  language. In this post you are  going to learn English idioms about memory or that are in some ways connected to memories.  I wish you a lot of memories!When you scroll down, you will also see an English video lesson about confusing English verbs REMIND vs REMEMBER.   10 English Idioms about Memory and Mind 1. YOUR MEMORY IS PLAYING TRICKS ON YOUThis means you recall or recollect something that actually happened differently in real life.Example: Michael told his son that he was at the Cup Final the day his team won the Football Cup for the first time. In fact he watched it on television. His wife reminded him and said your memory is playing tricks on you.2. BEAR SOMETHING IN MINDKeep something in mind when the opportunity arises.Example: John got a phone call from his friend. His friend wanted to know if he knew of any good jobs that were available. His friend told him that he was prepared to do anything. John said he would bear that in mind if/when he heard of any jobs being available. 3. FOOD FOR THOUGHTSomeone gives you some idea to think about  (food for the brain!!).Example: Mary was talking to her best friend about her relationship problems with her boyfriend. Her friend gave her some advice as to how she should approach these problems. Mary was very grateful and thanked her friend. She told her: You have given me plenty of food for thought. I will think over your recommendations and let you know what I decide to do.4. A GUT REACTIONYour gut is slang for your stomach or area around your stomach. A gut reaction is usually your first reaction when you hear about something or are asked your opinion about something. Its what your body tells you.Example: Dmitriy asked Pavel for his opinion about his choice of a new car. Pavel could not decide between two cars. Dmitriy told him: My gut reaction is to choose the car with the 4 seats. Your wife is expecting a baby and this would be more practical. 10 English Idioms about Memory 5. LOSE THE PLOTWhere you go a little crazy and forget what you were really supposed to do and do something entirely different. A plot is like a plan or an idea.Example: Francois was supposed to make a presentation to the staff about the new budgets and targets for 2020. Instead his presentation was about his ideas to quit his job and take up writing science fiction stories full time. He has lost the plot, he must be having a breakdown!6. (TO BE) MILES AWAYDaydreaming about someone or something and not concentrating on the real world.Example: Jack was sitting at the kitchen table looking into space. His wife called his name two or three times before he answered her. Sorry I was miles away.7. BETWEEN TWO MINDSWhen you cannot make up your mind about a choice or a decision as to what you should do.Example: In the restaurant the waiter handed Jennifer the menu. When he came back to take the order Jennifer said: I am in two minds whether to have the meat or the fish. What would you recomm end?8. MEMORY LIKE A SIEVEWhen you cant retain things in your memory and quickly forget about things.Example: Jane was not a particularly hard worker, she was vague and a poor timekeeper, and she had a memory like a sieve.9. ON THE TIP OF YOUR TONGUEWhen you have a feeling that you know something but cant remember (a name, a word, etc).Example: Oh, whats it called? Dont tell me its on the tip of my tongue.10. RING A BELLWhen something is familiar to you, you’ve heard or seen it before but you can’t remember fully.Example: His name rings a bell, but I cant remember where I heard it before. Confusing English Verb Pairs - Remind vs Remember  In this English video lesson you will learn what is the difference between REMIND and REMEMBER. Remind vs remember. Intermediate level English lesson to help you improve your speaking skills.

Awkward Phrasing

Awkward Phrasing The Virtual Writing Tutor has thousands of rules to catch grammar errors and word choice errors, but only just a few to catch awkward phrasings. The reason is that an awkward phrasing is not necessarily incorrect. It is, well, awkward. As such, unless the awkward phrase is really jarring or really common, I usually let it slide. Anyway, it is sometimes difficult to know what exactly is meant by phrases such as, according to my memory, he proposed to me, a car that is a gift, my big parents house, and it hurt my heart. The Virtual Writing Tutor grammar checker is, after all, a machine. It doesnt understand you. It merely scans your sentences for patterns in its database of error definitions. It dont want it to misinterpret what you have written and give you bad feedback. However, here are a few awkward phrasings I couldnt let slide. You must admit, some readers would be left scratching their heads by these surprising sentences. According  to  me/my  memory AWKWARD:   According to me, the best way to get downtown is to take the train.BETTER:   In  my  opinion, the best way to get downtown is to take the train. AWKWARD:   According to my memory, my most spectacular success has to be back when I was 10 years old and I won a sword fighting championship.BETTER:   When I think back on my life, my most spectacular success has to be back when I was 10 years old and I won a sword fighting championship. EXPLANATION:    The phrase According  to  X means If what X says is true. It is strange to doubt the truth of ones own memories. You may often suspect that you have forgotten one or more details, but only mentally deranged people have memories of things that never happened. If you are concerned that you might have might have remembered a detail incorrectly, you can say, If memory serves  me  well or If I am not mistaken. When you say according to me, you sound crazy. Proposed  to  me AWKWARD:   While I was walking, I saw my friend and he proposed to me to embark in his car.BETTER:   While I was walking, I saw my friend and he proposed that I embark in his car. BETTER  STILL:   While I was walking, I saw my friend and he invited  me  to get in his car. EXPLANATION:    The most common context in which we use the phrase he  proposed  to  me is when we wish to say he proposed that we get married. It sounds very formal. Otherwise, companies might propose solutions, as in, my company had  proposed  to  me  that I could come back to work after having the baby which you can find in the BNC-COCA corpus here. In any case, the phrase he proposed to me sounds overly formal for most contexts. A new car that is gift AWKWARD:   She got a new car that is gift from her parents.BETTER:   She got a new car as a gift from her parents. AWKWARD:   Sarah got a job that is nurse.BETTER:   Sarah got a job as a nurse. EXPLANATION:    A relative clause following that helps us identify which one is being discussed. You might say, I bought the dress that was on sale. It tell us, not any dress but a specific dress. Since we already know in our example sentence that she got a car, we dont need to ask Which car? We already know. Rather, what we want to know is why she got the car or how she got it. In such a case, as a gift tells us more useful information. Similarly, we know in our second example that Sarah got a job. Which job is obvious. It is the job that Sarah got. What we want to know is what kind of job. A job as a nurse provides the information we dont already know. My big parents house AWKWARD:   I went to my big parents house early in the morning.BETTER:   I went to my eldest uncles house early in the morning. EXPLANATION:    Only a Korean or somebody who is familiar with Korean culture would understand what a big parent or a big father or a big house is. English does not have a word for the patriarchal head of the family in this way, so you must specify that you are referring to your fathers eldest brother when you write in English. Otherwise, it sounds awkward. It hurt my heart AWKWARD:   When I saw the dogs in their cages, it hurt my heart. BETTER:   When I saw the dogs in their cages, it made my heart ache. EXPLANATION:    While the meaning will be clear to most readers, it hurt my heart is not a common expression in English for the emotional pain we feel when we see something sad or pitiable. Instead, we say my heart aches for X, or it made my heart ache to see X. Please follow and like us:

How to get started with Online Tuition via Skype

How to get started with Online Tuition via Skype Have you ever thought about Tutoring from the comfort of your own home? Online tutoring is an ever-growing field as more and more people are finding the ease of being taught in the comfort of their own homes more viable. Online tuition connects students with private tutors via the internet and the lessons are carried out in real time.This guide is aimed at tutors hoping to set themselves up as an online tutor; widening their student scope and making themselves more available. Installing Skype The first (and most fundamental) thing is to have a computer that is linked to the internet with a good broadband connection. It is also important to invest in a microphone headset as the sound quality will be better than a built-in webcam and microphone that many computers come with today. The microphone headset will usually cost around 10 to 15. The next thing to do is make sure you have Skype on your computer. Skype is basically internet based communication software by Microsoft that specialises in providing free video chat and free voice calls for users from all over the world. Skype users will only require Skype credit (where you will need to pay) when calling landline or mobile numbers. Setting up a Skype account is an easy task and many tutors will already have a Skype account ready. But for those that don't here is a quick and easy guide for setting up a Skype account: First you'll need to download and install the latest version of Skype. It's a very easy process and it is completely free. Just follow these nine simple steps: Type www.skype.com in the address line of your internet browser. Click the download button on the home page and Skype will begin to download. (If the download doesn't start automatically you can start it manually by clicking Start Download Again). If you are prompted to save or open the program always choose save the file to your hard drive. Do not open or run the program during the download process! . Choose an easy to remember location (such as Windows Desktop) and click OK. When your download is complete double-click the Skype Setup program (or click Run if you have the option). When the installer program launches it will ask you to choose a language; select it from a drop-down menu. Read and accept the End User License Agreement to proceed. You may be asked to install certain other browser add-ons but if you don't want them just uncheck the box and click Next. Click the Options button. This page gives you the option to launch Skype as soon as the installation is complete. The box is already checked (just uncheck the box if you don't want it to launch right away). Click I agree - Install. Skype will ask you to set up an account by entering a Name, a Skype Name and Password. The next screen asks for your e-mail, country and city. Once you complete this Skype will automatically launch. And that's the installation process done! You are now well on your way to start the online tutoring process! Before that, let's take a look at how to get started with Skype. Getting Started With Skype Getting started with SkypeOnce the installation process has been completed a screen will pop up to help you get started exploring Skype. You'll be able to: See what you can do with Skype.Here you'll find information about both the free and paid features of Skype. Check that your sound functions.Test your speakers, microphone and Webcam to make sure they are all working properly. Find friends and import contactsYou'll be able to search for people and check whether your email contacts are on Skype. After you have explored and got to know a bit more about the program you'll want to set up your Skype name and password. Your Skype name is what other people on Skype see when they contact you i.e. GeographyTutorEmma133. Setting up your Skype name and password: Click the Don't have a Skype Name? (The Create a New Account page opens). In the Enter Skype Name box, enter the name you have decided to use. Skype names must start with a letter, be between 6 and 32 characters long, include letters and numbers and have no spaces. They should always be in lower-case. Choose a Password and enter it in the Password box. A Skype Password must be between 6 and 20 characters and must contain at least one number and one letter. All Skype passwords are case sensitive so make sure you pick a password that is easy for you to remember! Select the check box to accept the Skype End User License Agreement and Privacy Statement. Click Next to continue to another Create Your Account Screen and enter your email address. This is optional but recommended. Enter your country, region and city.Again optional but useful for when others search for you. Now that you have your Skype set up you are ready to start your online tutoring. It's a good idea to set up your Skype profile by providing some information that will help other users find you more easily. To do this just open your Skype Profile screen and choose Skype -Profile - Edit and fill out any relevant information you feel necessary. It would be a good idea to fill in the AboutMe section just to give students an overview of who you are and what you offer in terms of tutoring. Making A Skype Call Now let's take a quick look at how to initiate a Skype call so that you are ready to contact your student for their first online lesson. Double-click the student's Skype Name. This will open your contact's profile window. On the screen there will be a video and a telephone icon.Double-clicking the video icon you will initiate a video call with your student. By double-clicking the telephone icon you will initiate a call without video.3. When you student answers the call, just talk!And that's it! It really is that simple. Screen Sharing On Skype Skype also allows you to screen share which will be an essential part of your online tuition. Screen sharing basically lets you share your computer screen with anyone on Skype so you will be able to show presentations or information to your student easily. How to share your screen:1. Start a video call.2. After the call has started, click the button in the call bar and select Share screens.3. A dialog box will appear. Just click Start to share your entire screen.4. You can change your screen sharing options anytime by clicking this icon in the floating call window.5. You can stop sharing anytime by clicking the Stop sharing button in the floating call window. Now that you are setup with Skype and ready you'll need to get yourself some students. If you are new to tutoring, there are some great resources out there to help you out.First Tutors is a totally free service for tutors and at no point throughout the process will you have to pay a penny. It is a very simple and easy process and in no time you will be setup as a tutor ready to start taking enquiries from tutees to begin your journey as an online tutor. Remember to treat your students well, plan your lessons and keep your students updated with any reading or video homework they may need to do before the lesson so as to not waste their time and yours. Strive to constantly look for ways to improve your teaching and if you ever have any questions or need any information our friendly customer service team are always available to give you a helping hand; online tuition has never been easier. Post By: Anna MichaelidouAnna has been a private tutor of both English Literature and English Language for fifteen years having taught all levels from nursery school right through to university level. She is a writer, content marketing executive and a busy mother of four lovely children.

June Language Challenge Update Learning Brazilian Portuguese

June Language Challenge Update Learning Brazilian Portuguese Jairet has his own blog called The Crummy Life and is taking the June Challenge and just posted this update. Reposted with permission. Original Post here. June italki Language Challenge Update: Brazilian Portuguese Olá! Tudo bem? This month I am participating in the June italki Language Challenge. Maybe you saw my first post with my public pledge video, where I said what I aim to accomplish and used a bit of português brasileiro. What did you think? Well it is time for an update, because week three has just begun. With my birthday in week one, and being in a wedding in week two, life has been packed  to the gills  with action and excitement. I originally set the goal of taking three classes per week so that I could easily expect to meet the challenge of completing twelve total hours in June. Then, my family gave me the dates for our annual trip to Lake Tahoe, June 22nd 29th! Luckily this happened in week one. I made the decision to up the ante  to finish the challenge a week early so that I dont have to finish the challenge while on vacation, just to take away the need to be in front of a computer while I want to be on the lake, on a hike, or rock climbing with my wild man father. In week one, I completed three sessions. In week two, I completed four more sessions. Now we are in week three, and I have completed one more lesson. Also, I have four more scheduled before the family fills up the cars on the 22nd. That means I have completed eight, and I have sessions nine through twelve scheduled already! I am on track to complete the challenge on June 21st, over one week early. Thats all for now. If you have more interest in what italki is all about, check out my previous post or head tothe italki website for details. Muito obrigado por ter vindo. Até mais! June Language Challenge Update Learning Brazilian Portuguese Jairet has his own blog called The Crummy Life and is taking the June Challenge and just posted this update. Reposted with permission. Original Post here. June italki Language Challenge Update: Brazilian Portuguese Olá! Tudo bem? This month I am participating in the June italki Language Challenge. Maybe you saw my first post with my public pledge video, where I said what I aim to accomplish and used a bit of português brasileiro. What did you think? Well it is time for an update, because week three has just begun. With my birthday in week one, and being in a wedding in week two, life has been packed  to the gills  with action and excitement. I originally set the goal of taking three classes per week so that I could easily expect to meet the challenge of completing twelve total hours in June. Then, my family gave me the dates for our annual trip to Lake Tahoe, June 22nd 29th! Luckily this happened in week one. I made the decision to up the ante  to finish the challenge a week early so that I dont have to finish the challenge while on vacation, just to take away the need to be in front of a computer while I want to be on the lake, on a hike, or rock climbing with my wild man father. In week one, I completed three sessions. In week two, I completed four more sessions. Now we are in week three, and I have completed one more lesson. Also, I have four more scheduled before the family fills up the cars on the 22nd. That means I have completed eight, and I have sessions nine through twelve scheduled already! I am on track to complete the challenge on June 21st, over one week early. Thats all for now. If you have more interest in what italki is all about, check out my previous post or head tothe italki website for details. Muito obrigado por ter vindo. Até mais!

Finding the Right Child Care Option - Aloha Mind Math - ALOHA Mind Math

Finding the Right Child Care Option For most working parents, finding the right care for their child is a quite a challenge, considering they need to leave their children in the best hands while away at work. With various childcare options that are available these days, parents can breathe a sigh of relief and ensure they find a safe and reliable child care facility. Here are some of the options parents can consider: Crèches/ Day Care Centers A popular option for most parents, day care centers offer various facilities for children across different age groups. A day care is considered a safe option as children not only interact with kids their age but also are watched well in an almost home like environment. Kids have play time, nap time and feeding time and follow a disciplined schedule. Most big cities have day care centers which are usually open between 8am and 8 pm on weekdays. In metros,daycare centersmay offer extended hours and some may even be open for 24 hours to cater to the growing number of parents working night shifts. Nannies/Baby Sitters Nannies and baby sitters work well for mothers who need child care support for a few hours during the day when they are out on work. Enrolling with an agency for child care or contacting your local association will help find a nanny to help out with the baby. Alternatively post an Ad in the local magazine or papers for your requirement to find a reliable nanny. Interviewing the nanny and going by the previous work record and recommendation will go a long way in finding someone good and reliable. Family If you live in the same city as your parents, nothing can beat the comfort of being able to rely on a family member to look after the child. Usually one finds grandparents are flexible and happy enough to look after your child, whenever it is required. This is the best case scenario since you will be rest assured your child is in safe hands. It is essential to consider all options before making the right choice for your child. Evaluate the various types of childcare available, quality and cost.After all, every parent wants the best care for their child at all times.

So You Think You Can Sing

So You Think You Can Sing Image by Gabriele Ottich from Pixabay First, you dont have to buy an instrument. The member fee or class cost is the only thing youd pay for, but asides from that, just bring yourself, the music, and a pencil. Typically, the group meets for an hour, sometimes two depending on if theres a concert coming up or not. The music isnt overly difficult, and if youre not sure about what to sing, to mouth the words until you start learning to blend your voice in with everyone else. Theres some brain work to do in the midst of rehearsals, but once you start hearing each piece of music come together, you can relish in comfort of knowing youre helping produce something amazing. Joining a choir is a long term commitment, but when you hear the results, youll be glad you joined. Anyone can sing. Simple as that. It can take a few years of practice, and you have to keep at it until you hear it. But, when that moment hits and you hear yourself matching pitch with your favorite artist, youll be glowing for days. So while you may think that the person next to you in a choir sings better, remember that you will one day sing so perfectly, folks will crack a smile when they hear you rockin a familiar tune and even join in. The moment could turn into a musical for all I know. Why not, though, join a band if you want to just play music with others? Singing is on a different level of musicianship. If you sing a song with two or more people, you all share in the tonality of a song, matching pitch, harmony, and rhythm. But most importantly, its that natural sound coming from your vocal cords that makes singing so special. You feel it as much as you hear it. Two guitarists doing the same only hear it by extension of their instrument and self-sense of tonality. This, in turn, makes singing a much personal experience, one which you can and should share with others. As a bonus, after you pick up singing, learning another instrument will be ten times easier since youll a working knowledge of pitch. Theres little reason for you to not join in a choir. Im sure you would love to belt out dont stop . . . BELIEVING when that banger shows up in your Spotify playlist. And why not? Its a collective moment when everyone stops what theyre doing to sing it. Dont let your doubts stop you from enjoying the little things in life. Sing. And sing louder and louder. As Sophie Develyn puts it in her interview with   Georgina Jones of  Turn Lights On, if you’re singing Queen every day you’re gonna be happier in work, and if you’re happy you do better work, and if you do better work the company makes more money â€" it’s easy! Literally, everyone benefits from your decision to become a singer. But it all needs to start somewhere. So whaddya say? How about you consider joining a choir this year and let your inner self ring loud.