ESOL Learn English through Literature, Film Pop Culture

ESOL Learn English through Literature, Film Pop Culture Literature, Film and Popular Culture: Free ESOL Courses Lessons at your Fingertips ChaptersEnglish learning through LiteratureHow to Learn English by Watching FilmsListen to the Radio to Improve English ComprehensionPopular Culture, Featuring EnglishLearn English Online via PodcastsUnless you've dwelt on a remote island for the last ten years or so, you could hardly miss the global influence of English language entertainment in all forms.Movies, music, and books now have the freedom to travel globally, more or less without restrictions, thanks to the World Wide Web. Even classic literature such as Lord of the Rings and Wuthering Heights are devoured and discussed by students of English everywhere!In some countries â€" not just Britain, J. K. Rowling and Harry Potter are household names.Even though some great music comes out of African nations, the Caribbean and Asia, overwhelmingly, the singers' names on people's lips the world over are either American or British: Taylor Swift and Adele being examples of such.How does this abundance of entertainment help you learn English? Let's find out!Librivox. Neither site costs any money. Jane Austin, the renegade writer of her time, is currently enjoying a resurgence of popularity. Her novels have seldom been out of print, even though most of her work was published more than two hundred years ago.She only wrote six books, but they have often been turned into movies, sometimes with modern themes.Watching films is an entertaining way to learn English (Source: Pixabay Credit: Geralt)How to Learn English by Watching FilmsMovies give you a triple exposure to the English language and its culture: listening, reading (if you have subtitles turned on) and seeing how the actors are speaking.Native English speakers make exaggerated mouth movements to teach their children how to form words properly. Actors copy that technique in order to enunciate â€" speak each word clearly.You can benefit from actors' diligence by imitating the way their mouths move, as well as their tone and inflection.Arguably the best movie of all time is Citizen Kane. Although a product of American movie studios, even the British Film Institute finds it top-notch.This film is notable for, among other things, extended monologues â€" one person talking at length.Although American cinema is quite popular the world over, both their classic movies and new releases, Britain herself is famous for a substantial number of hits.Do you like comedy? Monty Python movies highlight social absurdity.How about action and intrigue? James Bond is the man for you.Would you like a dose of sorcery? Two words suffice: Harry Potter.Movies, especially new releases, are a great way to pick up on slang and idioms. Pause the movie to write them down for later study!Be sure to use them in conversation once you have mastered them, preferably with native speakers of English.Sites such as Primewire permit you to watch movies for free online, but they do not include subtitles. Still, watching them can help you improve your English comprehension as well as sharpen your listening skills. You might be surprised to know that many Esl teachers recommend watching movies in English. Some teachers even show films in class! One film you might watch if you are taking English courses is The King's Speech, the true story of George VI, who was expected to address the British public via radio. However, his spoken English was marred by a terrible stammer!He employed a speech tutor to improve his speaking skills. After several lessons, he became proficient in English conversation, speaking with a fluency that belied his speaking problem. Naturally, his first broadcast was a hit.You can copy the king's determination to achieve fluent speech by using some of the techniques shown in that movie. programmed to help you learn and improve your English. If you are preparing for Ielts or you wish to develop your business English skills, you can visit their site to get helpful study  hints, take quizzes and register to learn Business English online. Learn about how English can benefit your career in business here.Seek out icons of pop culture to help you learn English (Source: Pixabay Credit Geralt)Popular Culture, Featuring EnglishTo date, Dr. Who has been broadcast in fifty countries around the world â€" from Algeria to Zambia, a country for just about every letter of the alphabet.The Mysterious Doctor, as he is known in China, has such a loyal, global fan base that the show has endured for more than fifty years.He is the crown jewel of English television!Strange as it sounds, the appeal of this face-changing alien lies in his being so down to earth. He even helps non native speakers learn English! Beware, though: not everything The Doctor says is general English. Tardis is an acronym describing his flying machine, and nouns such as Dalek and Cybermen do not describe real creatures.The Doctor uses a lot of slang, and the idiom features heavily in his speech, as do similes.The British Council records podcasts for English learners ( Source: Pixabay Credit: Florante Valdez)Learn how to make English learning easy with our guide to simplifying ESOL Courses.Learn English Online via PodcastsNothing is more fashionable than boarding the tube or bus with earbuds in. You might listen to music, but more and more these days, people are downloading and listening to podcasts to learn English online.Podcasts are short monologues or discussions that you can download from the Internet and listen to as often as you'd like. You can subscribe to a podcast (usually for free) and receive new segments as soon as they are available.Here again the British Council serves its non native community, through their Learn English podcasts. Rather than broadcast on random topics, such as the significance of  prepositional phrases and the proper use of pronouns, each segment is a continuation of the previous lesson involving the same native speakers, who are engaged in ordinary, everyday activities.Subscribing to these podcasts can help you:u nderstand verbs and their tenses, and conjugate properlylearn the difference between an adjective and an adverbrealize the importance of proper punctuationimprove your vocabularyunderstand and use comparatives and superlativesstudy tricky grammar rulesThe English speaking on these recordings is standard Oxford English, spoken clearly and relatively slowly, so that you can follow along â€" the perfect way to improve your English pronunciation.Besides recordings, there are transcripts of the podcast conversations for you to print out and follow along. Doing so will greatly increase your reading proficiency.Copying the podcast text is a great way to improve your writing skills!Books, movies, music and television: a treasure trove of materials that you, who are learning English as a second language can use in your English learning adventure and make English learning fun.Get access to online educational materials and university education with the English language.

Fun French Games for Learning the Language

Fun French Games for Learning the Language French-learning Games To Help You Learn ChaptersDIY Games and Activities to Learn French VocabularySimple Games to Learn French GrammarOnline Games and Quizzes for Learning FrenchCommercial French GamesPlay Video Games in FrenchYou want to learn French outside of the classroom but don’t really know how? Tired of studying only from books and looking for fun new ways to assimilate the French language?Play games instead! Here are a series of activities to make French learning fun! AnnieFrench Teacher 4.89 (9) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors CarolineFrench Teacher 5.00 (13) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LowriFrench Teacher 5.00 (9) £90/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarianneFrench Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ThibautFrench Teacher 5.00 (3) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AnnickFrench Teacher 5.00 (6) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DéborahFrench Teacher 5.00 (10) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SamyFre nch Teacher 5.00 (2) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsDIY Games and Activities to Learn French VocabularyIs reading French newspapers too boring for you, or are you still a beginner? Here are a few games aimed at improving your French vocabulary.Memory or Matching Game (for beginners)A more playful way of using flash cards! You can make your own Memory game by either buying blank memory cards or using index cards. You will only be writing on one side of the cards.Create matching pairs by writing French words and their English translation on two separate cards. Do this until you have thirty-six cards in total.Find a partner (or several) to play with.Mix the cards up as thoroughly as possible.Place them face down in a 6 x 6 grid.The youngest player starts by uncovering one card.He or she can then uncover a second card. If the words match, they can take up the pair and try again.If they don’t, both cards are turned face down once more.The turn then goes to the next playe r who can uncover two cards.The round goes to the player with the most matching pairs.The trick is to remember where all the cards are as they are uncovered, so you can find a match quickly. Don’t forget to have a dictionary handy in case someone contests a translation pair!Vocabulary flashcards make a good memory game for learning a new language. Photo credit: susivinh on VisualHuntAlso, you might want to make more than thirty-six cards to keep it interesting. Just make sure that you store them in pairs (with paper clips, for example) so you can just pick eighteen vocabulary pairs for your next game.Hangman (Intermediate level)Ever get bored in your French classes and played Hangman with your neighbour? Why not do it with French words instead? Here are the rules for those who have never played it.One of you chooses a basic French word. Because we are still learning the French language, that person can give the main category it’s in (baked goods, article of clothing, furniture, verb, etc.)Then he or she puts down how many letters it is.The other person must guess the word. He or she can ask if a letter of the alphabet is in the word.If he guessed correctly, you must write it down in its proper place.If he didn't, someone gets hanged. For each wrong letter or wrong guess of the word, a line is drawn to make first the scaffold, then the noose, then each of the limbs of the stick man who is being hanged. If the stick man is finished before the word is guessed, he is hanged and the player who chose the word won. If the other player guesses the word correctly before the hanging is done, he wins.You can play hangman to prractise your French vocabulary. Photo credit: frankieleon on VisualHuntFor example: our word is “croissant”, so we give the category “baked goods”. Then we show how many letters it is: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Our opponent guesses an “A”. We write it in:_ _ _ _ _ _ A _ _He then guesses an “f”. We draw the base of the scaffolding: ______ __He guesses “R”. _ R _ _ _ _A _ _.He guesses “I”. The vertical beam of the scaffolding is added: __I__And so on until he guesses the word.Advanced: Pictionary or CharadesThis is for advanced French language learning. You will need four people at least to play, though there are versions for only two.You divide into two teams. One team gives the other words or phrases in French. The second team must choose who will explain and who will guess.The first team gives the explainer their phrase and a timer is set. The explainer must either draw it in some way or explain it WITHOUT using the words or expressions their partner should guess.If the partner guesses the French language phrase right, the point goes to them. If not, the point goes to the team that thought up the phrase. The first team to reach ten points are the winners.Bonus points can be given for pronunciation.Simple Games to Learn French GrammarAnyone learning a second language knows that the drag is often not even the vocabulary, but the grammar, with conjugation and sentence structure making it difficult to learn French. Here are some challenges and games of grammar skill to improve your knowledge of the French language.Hot potato verbs (for beginners)To play this game, you will need a ball (for example, a basketball) and some friends. Someone chooses a verb and starts by yelling a tense and throwing the ball to someone. That person has to start the conjugation, passing the ball to the next person, who continues. If there are still people in the game at the end of the tense, a new tense is chosen.For example:The verb is “boire”. The first person chooses “passé composé” and throws the ball to the next person, who has to yell “j’ai bu”, throwing the ball to the next who says “tu as bu” etc.If someone drops the ball, he is out.If someone holds the ball for too long (more than three counts), he or she is out.If someone messes up a conjugation, he is out.The last man standing win s and gets to choose the next verb.A simple ball can help you learn French verb conjugations. Photo on Visual HuntThis is a good game for teachers with large classes, to loosen them up and really make the lesson more challenging, or for a group of friends studying for the same French class.Sentence puzzleThis game requires a bit of preparation. It is great for learning sentence structure and how to make nouns and verbs or adjectives agree. You will need several categories of index cards, depending on the complexity. For a beginner group, three is enough:SubjectVerbAdjectiveMore advanced decks can add conjunctions and adverbial phrases to build longer sentences.You can simply photocopy some pages from a French book and cut them up if you don’t want to think up the words yourself.This game building French sentences is a little like playing with poetry fridge magnets. Photo credit: rob.knight on VisualHunt.comThe cards are mixed thoroughly and each player is given seven cards. One ca rd is placed on the table and the deck is put face down next to it.To play the game, the first player can look at his hand and start building a sentence with the card on the table. The sentence must make grammatical sense! If the verb is in the third person singular, you can’t place a subject card with “je” on it. Adjectives have to agree!If you can’t contribute to the sentence, you take a card from the pile.The person who completes the sentence (it has to have at least one subject, one verb, one object and one adjective) gets one point.The game is over when someone has no more cards in their hand. Then the completed sentences are tallied. To win, you need to have more completed sentences than anybody else. Each card still in your hand is a penalty of 1/4 point.If you like, you can introduce some jokers or wild cards that are played to make adjectives and verbs agree even if they don’t really, but a player putting down a wild card has to say the correct conjugation.Spin a taleTired of watching French films to improve your language learning skills and eager to apply all your new vocabulary?“Tales” is a game of immersion, a sort of round robin. Someone starts a tale in one French sentence and the next person has to continue it with one sentence.The continuation has to make sense both grammatically and in terms of storytelling (a hare can’t suddenly become an elephant). See how long you can make it!Or you can do the classic written version:Someone starts the tale at the top of a piece of paper, folds it down over the text and passes it on. Once everyone has written something the paper is unfolded and the ensuing tale read aloud, usually to hilarity. AnnieFrench Teacher 4.89 (9) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors CarolineFrench Teacher 5.00 (13) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LowriFrench Teacher 5.00 (9) £90/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarianneFrench Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ThibautFrench Teacher 5.00 (3) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AnnickFrench Teacher 5.00 (6) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DéborahFrench Teacher 5.00 (10) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SamyFrench Teacher 5.00 (2) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsOnline Games and Quizzes for Learning FrenchIf you don’t have any fellow aspiring French speakers, here are some sites with language games to play online:French Games has 7 little games to practise your French vocabulary. It needs Adobe Flash Player.Ciel Bretagne has a series of suggestions for making language learning fun.Digital dialects has a number of mini-games to practise specifics aspects of the French language.Additionally, Mindsnacks is a fun little app you can download that will help you improve your French.Commercial French GamesKLOO is the creator of various little games for language learning. They all have a French edition:Card games in which you learn voca bulary and build French sentences.A board game with a similar premise but a more dynamic gameplay.Additionally, the French verb conjugation bible, the Bescherelle, has both online games and a physical board game to help you master French verb conjugation and grammar - with the additional challenge that all the instructions are in French!Play Video Games in FrenchMore and more video games now come with several language options to choose from. Why not French? Get your games from France or click the French option when gaming, whether dialogue-base roleplaying games, quiz games or strategy games. Or see if there is a way to log into a French server in a MMMORPG or other browser game for true language immersion as you interact with French players.If you want to go to the next level, search  for French courses London  to find the most results on Superprof.

How to Quickly Find a Private Tutor

How to Quickly Find a Private Tutor Searching for Tutors Near Me: A step by Step Guide ChaptersWhy all the Urgency?Taking Action: Step OneInitiating Contact With Your Home TutorSuggestions to Help Ensure ResultsDiversifying Your Tutor SearchHuman nature dictates that we only seek help when we need it: seldom do we have the anticipation of craving assistance until crunch time, and then we're caught out!Don't let this happen to you. Follow this guide in order to quickly find the best tutors who has the exact knowledge, skills and ability to help you in your time of need.Needing a tutor urgently is no reason to hit the panic button. Source: PixabayConsidering the pressure you face, it would be well worth sacrificing sufficient time to find those teachers who are most active on the site and respond quickly to queries.However, Superprof helps you save time in other ways. At the bottom of each page, you will find profiles for other teachers of the same discipline, eliminating the need for constantly returning to your search page.You can also read testimonials left by previou s students to help you determine if this is the best tutor for you.When you find a tutor whose abilities match your need, be sure to 'click' the heart next to his/her picture. That profile will then show up in the favourites tab at the top of the page.This step is a vital time saver for the next stage of the process.Superprof takes the stress out of finding a tutor. Source: Pixabay Credit: John Hain 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 tutorsInitiating Contact With Your Home TutorNow that you have collected a selection of potentially suitable tutors on the 'favourites' page, it is time to draft your request.Explain what motivates you to seek help. Highlight when you are available for learning and touch on your preferred method of instruction â€" one on one in your home or at theirs, online, or any combination thereof.Do not hesitate to express the urgency of your situation!Obviously, time is of the essence. Writing multiple requests can be quickly done by first drafting a template, and then copying it to each prospective professor, amending details as necessary.Feel free to contact several tutors at once. Receiving multiple responses means that you get to choose the cream of the crop!Suggestions to Help Ensure ResultsIn spite of your best efforts, you may run into a few dead-ends in your search for the best tutor of the subject you require individualized instruction on.Perhaps all of the tutors in question already have full schedules and are not accepting any new students, even for the short-term. Try broadening your search to a larger radius. Perhaps your ideal tutor is just a few miles out of town.Instead of in home t utoring, consider online tutoring. Private tuition online has proven effective in all but the most physical of studies, such as dancing or swimming.You too will be elated at finding the perfect tutor! Source: Pixabay Credit: Jerry KimbrellYour schedule is too restrictive to permit any sessions outside of what you have already planned on. Here, flexibility is key. You might be able to shift some of your other obligations, at least for the time that you will be in learning mode.No teacher is available to instruct you in your home.Declaring a willingness to meet in the teacher's home would remove that stumbling block. Or perhaps you could agree to meet in a public area equidistant to both of you.Online learning would be a good solution to this challenge, too.Diversifying Your Tutor SearchIn spite of your best efforts, you've found no satisfaction with online results. Or perhaps interfacing with a computer doesn't sit well with you when your need is so specific.It is time to consider ot her strategies.Does your pre-teen need homework help? Is your primary school student struggling with grammar, reading or writing? A college or higher level student might fit the bill.The great advantage of a (relatively) young tutor coaching your learner is that they are likely to understand each other and possibly bond - a proven benefit to successful learning.How to recruit such help: Word of mouth is a quick, easy way, especially if you live in a community with a lot of school-aged children. Who knows? Your neighbor's child might be your child's new Chemistry tutor!You can also post notices on bulletin boards at grocery stores, libraries and on college campuses.Is your teen sweating the upcoming GCSE or fretting over his A-Level?Engaging the services of a certified professor  for standardized tests prep is not out of the question.The advantage of this arrangement is that such educators are well-versed in the subject material and perhaps even know what to expect on exam day.How to recruit such help: visit local schools. Math and science teachers routinely dedicate their evenings and weekends to providing supplementary education to pupils with learning weaknesses.You could also cast a glance at your local paper's classifieds section. It is not uncommon for a certified teacher who wishes to transition to one on one tutoring full-time to test the waters locally by placing an advert.In fact, it wouldn't hurt for you to place an ad yourself, announcing that you are looking for private tutoring.What about that big presentation you're due to give?Head directly to the Continuing Education Center nearest you!Universities all over the UK, even renown ones such as Cambridge and Oxford offer continuing education and 'short classes' â€" intensive sessions that last from one to only a few days. Perhaps your local institute of higher learning also has such courses available?The Learning and Work Institute, is making great strides in helping adults sharpen their professiona l skills. Perhaps they are active in your local community center?And getting the rust off your golden pipes before your parents' big anniversary party?Your local music school may well have an accomplished performer who can coach you through voice exercises.Here, a note of caution. Hiring a tutor with tons of raw talent but little technique will certainly give you soaring vocals to aspire to. However, s/he might not be able to tell you how to attain the modulation you need for that delicate ballad you aim to sing.That aside, the advantage of engaging an artist-in-training: initially driven by need, you might be bowled over by his/her sheer passion and find yourself carried away, without realizing how quickly you're improving.As a last resort, whatever your educational need: if you have not a minute to spare, you can enroll at any of the multitude of tutoring centers whose purpose is to provide supplemental instruction.Your cost will most likely be higher than if you work with a priva te tutor, especially an online tutor. However, these agency fees may be offset by a tax credit.  Unfortunately, tax credits do not apply to you unless you are self-employed and can write the course off as a business expense. You might consider searching for free tuition with a number of charitable organisations.It is difficult to anticipate needing help, especially if you are normally self-sufficient and assertive.Isn't it nice to know that, when confronted with a learning situation demanding a hasty solution, there are literally legions of people prepared to leap to your aid?Now you know where and how to announce your urgent need for private lessons.

Difference between Lend and Borrow - English Lesson via Skype

Difference between Lend and Borrow - English Lesson via Skype Lets talk about the difference between Lend and Borrow.Do you think that English is a hard language to learn? Well, English confusing words dont make it very easy for you, dear ESL students.Lend vs Borrow. Borrow vs Lend. Are you confused when and how to use them in English?I know, I know, many of my students are confused. And this is exactly why Ive decided to create a video lesson. So hopefully by the end of it you will know exactly what is the difference between Lend and Borrow. But you have to watch it to the end!And for those of you, my dear students, who prefer reading to watching, there is a detailed transcript below. (I personally hate watching any videos when I am on the bus.)Do make your life easier and find out the difference between Miss and Lose here. Difference between Lend and Borrow Hi thereIm Harry and welcome back to  my English grammar lessons and were  going to talk to you about another  English expression. And today what were  going to actually talk about is the  difference and the confusion between the  words  BORROW  and LEND.So many of my  students and people out there learning  English get them confused. When do we  borrow and when do we lend?  Theres  actually an old English expression*  which  goes:Never a borrower or lender beThis  really means you should never borrow  money and you should never lend money.  If  you dont do either those things  actually the world is going to be pretty  good for you.So how do we use them?When we BORROW  something,  we take or we  get something from somebody.Okay.  We take  or we get.And when we LEND, we give to somebody.  Okay.  But not permanently.  We  give it to them for a short period of  time and then we expect to get it back  or we expect them to return it to us.A very simple example is when you go to the bank y ou want some money to buy a car. You dont have the money in your account  and the bank will be prepared to lend  you the money.They will give you the  money to buy the car.And  you will borrow the  money from the bank.  You will take it  from them and you go off and you buy the  car and youre a happy camper.  Okay.  But  of course,  you have to return the money. You have to pay it back.So money that  you borrow you must pay back to the bank.And the money that they have lent to you   thats the past participial that they  have lent to you,  they expect you to  return it.Okay.  With interest of course.So thats a simple situation in the bank  of borrowing and lending.If you go to the library less expensive. You wont get a car loan, of course, but youll get books.So you go to the library and you  get some books.  So you borrow books from  the library. Okay. You take one or two  books,  you receive them and you promise  to return them in a few days or a few  weeks.So that the library le nds you the books. You borrow them. You read them. You return them and take them back. Okay. Difference between Lend and Borrow - Image to share Or with brothers and sisters.Brothers and sisters like to lend and borrow things.Sister has all the good records. At least when I was young, my sister had all the good records. And we used to sneak into her room and wed take some of the records to play them on the record player. Those are the  old old days.  And we would borrow them. Okay.  So my sister would come in and say: ‘Where are my records?  Where’s  my record?’  â€˜I only borrowed them. Dont worry,  Ill give  them back when Im finished.’  So she lent  them to us (well, sort of).  We took them and  borrowed them and then we returned them. Okay.So you might have a friend that has  something that you need.  A  bicycle, for example. And you  need a bicycle to go on a cycle with  your friends. You dont have a bike of  your own so you say to your friend:‘Could  I borrow your bike for the weekend? I  want to go on a cycling tour with my  friends.  I dont have my own bike.  Its  down at home and I dont have time to come  a nd get it.  But you know,  Id like to borrow  yours. I  look after it and I return it when Im  finished.’‘Yeah,  no problem,  I lend it to  you.  Im not using it.  Just take it  when you need it.’  Okay.So borrowing and  lending.  Neither a borrower or lender be. Okay.Talk to you again soon and remember you can join me on the website  www.englishlessonviaskype.comRemember,  youll get a  link on those to some of our wonderful  grammar courses.  Weve got a special  offer coming up soon that will advise you about in the meantime youll see some of our grammar courses. They are really good value.Buy them today and  improve your English and Ill talk to  you again soon.*Apologies, I got slightly confused the first time I was mentioning this phrase.  The correct saying is from Shakespeares Hamlet, 1602:  LORD POLONIUS:  Neither a borrower nor a lender be;  For loan oft loses both itself and friend,  And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.

Move Out - Phrasal Verb of the Day

Move Out - Phrasal Verb of the Day Todays phrasal verb of the day is: Move OutInfinitive form: Move OutPresent Tense: Move Out/ Moves Outing form: Moving OutPast tense: Moved OutParticiple: Moved OutMove Out is a separable English phrasal verb. It is normally used in the following ways:When you permanently remove all your belongings and personal items from a place where you live or stay.1. I heard Greg and Sarah are getting a divorce. Who do you think will move out first?2. The Smiths cant stand their neighbors. Mrs. Smith said that they are moving out of state and will live in their coastal home in California.When you move someone or something out of a place to another location.1. Its a good thing that the fireman had managed to move all the people out of the building before the fire consumed the place.2. Daniel moved all the trash out and placed it in the bins while the rest of the students watched.Changing position.1. Superman is awesome! He can move out of the bullets way after it is shot.2. When an ambulance appr oaches, motorists have a choice to either move out of the lanes closest to this vehicle, or to reduce speed.The video clip below is from one of my all time favorite movies, Pulp Fiction. The character who uses Move Out has an unusual way of speaking. See if you can understand him.Exercises: Write your answers in comments and we will correct them.Fill in the gaps from the video above:Its your future, I see a cab ride. _____ ___ of the sticks fells.What advice is the character in the suit giving the other two men?Complete the sentences below with the correct form of Move Out.1. Are you sure youre old enough to ___ __ of your parents house?2. Craig is sick and tired of the urban life, so he decided that ____ __ is the best option.3. I initially ____ ___ here to work.4. As soon as the little girl  ____ __ of the way, the policeman shot the  killer.5. Lily decided to drop by the office before  ____ __ .Change the example sentences above to negative sentences (or positive, if the sente nce is already negative). Then change them to questions.

3 common misconceptions people have about teaching English online (as told by a real teacher)

3 common misconceptions people have about teaching English online (as told by a real teacher) Hello! I’m Shannon - an energetic, caring, goofy and ukulele-playing teacher. I currently live in Toronto, Canada, where I work as an online English teacher with VIPKID. I love that my commute to my classroom is approximately 30 cm, from my bed to my computer desk. From the time my alarm beeps, it takes me about 30 minutes to make a coffee, fix my hair, clip on my pearls and put on a nice shirt so I can teach in my pajama pants. A little more about me: In 2011, I graduated with my BA. After graduating, I worked as a university recruiter for about five years, traveling around Canada to speaking with high-school students about post-secondary education opportunities. I loved working with students on a daily basis, so I decided to go back to school to study for my bachelor’s degree in education. In 2016, I landed my first teaching job through Teach Away, teaching kindergarten students in South Korea. In 2017, during my second year in Korea, I started teaching English online a few evenings a week to supplement my income. Read this: 5 reasons why licensed teachers should try online teaching When I finished up my second contract in Korea, I took a two-month break from teaching and went on a backpacking adventure around South East Asia. Now that I’m back in Canada, I’m taking online English lessons four mornings a week as I try to figure out where in the world I want to travel to next. Anyway, back to the topic at hand! Myths and realities of teaching English online. When it comes to teaching English online, educators have a lot of questions about how the job compares to teaching in a physical classroom. (At least, I know I had!) While it is a different experience and requires tweaking traditional teaching methods to adjust to teaching on an online platform, it can be just as rewarding. So let’s dispell some of the myths about teaching English online together! Watch this: A day in the life teaching English online 1. I need lots of teaching props and tools. Nope! Everything I use in my classroom fits into one shoebox. I’ve got a mini white board, dry erase markers, an old sock turned into a puppet, reward system cutouts, alphabet cards, a notebook, a few small stuffed animals, a mini toy car and a ball of sticky tack. I guess I should admit that the one thing I regularly use in my lessons that does not fit in my shoebox is my ukulele - but that is not a required online English teaching tool. On occasion, I will momentarily run off screen to grab other applicable items lying around my apartment. Sometimes I pop on my chef hat when we talk about food or hobbies, my snorkel mask when talking about underwater life, or I’ll grab my trusty jar of peanut butter to explain the word “squish,” but these are just bonus items. My shoebox of goodies is all I really need to effectively teach a lesson. I can easily throw my shoebox in my bike basket to take to my friend house, in my suitcase on a plane or even just under my arm to the basement on a sweltering summer day when it’s too hot upstairs and I want to save on my AC bill. The items in my shoebox are super helpful when I am teaching, but truly, the most important thing you need as a teacher is a genuine smile and a positive attitude. Those are much more important than knickknacks, fancy backdrops, alphabet cards or lesson plans. An enthusiastic teacher who shows genuine interest in their student is the most important factor contributing to student learning. Sign up to Teach Away today for access to the latest teaching jobs around the world. 2. You can’t build a relationship with your students. Also nope! Every week, I usually meet a handful of new students in my classroom, but I would say that most of my students are repeats. Before each lesson, I facilitate a brief QA session in which my student and I take turns asking each other three questions and providing an answer. Not only is this an opportunity for the student to practice their conversational English skills, but it fosters a stronger student-teacher relationship. We chat about our hobbies, what we ate that day, family members, what the weather is like, what our weekend plans are, favorite colors and so much more! I also have an excel document where I jot down notes on my students to help me remember little details, such as “Sam has a salsa dance competition this week”, “Lily has a pet pig named Lulu” or “if John was an animal, he’d like to be a lion”. Not only can I use this information to personalize my lesson but the kids are excited to tell me about what is happening in their life. For example, during a lesson on measurement, I asked Lily to estimate how long her Lulu is in centimeters and millimeters. She loved it! 3. The lesson is set in stone. Nope, no and another big fat NOPE! One of my favorite things about teaching English online is that all of my lessons are made for me. With my company, I’m provided with powerpoint slides of pictures to inspire conversation, writing activities, stories, questions and language games. That being said, every student has their own personality, likes, abilities and learning needs. I may teach the same lesson to multiple students, but it is NEVER the same experience. While it is important to stick to the learning goals of that particular lesson, the way you execute it is up to you. For example, on one slide you may find a picture of a bear with the sentence, “bears live in caves.” One student might need to focus on the pronunciation of the word “bear”. With another student, you may focus on animal habitat vocabulary and ask questions, like, “where do bees live?” and “where do ants live?” You may discover that you have a very high-level student and choose to ask thinking or opinion questions like, “why do bears live in caves?” Or, “if you were a bear, what would you do?” Another day, you may have a student who really likes music and you could decide to compose a song about bears with them. If you see a stuffed teddy bear on your student's shelf, you can ask them to use it to demonstrate a grammar point, such as, “my teddy bear is eating.” I’m sure you’re already thinking of your own ideas based on these little examples! This keeps things exciting for the student and teacher alike. The more fun you’re having as an online English teacher, the more excited you will be and that energy will, in turn, transfer to your student. So there you have it - some of the most common myths about online English teaching officially busted! When I’m chatting with my friends about home-based jobs, I always highly recommend giving online English teaching a go. I love that this job has allowed me to be flexible with my location, working hours and vacation time. Best of all, I always look forward to seeing my student’s smiling face when our lessons start! If you have any more questions about teaching English online, ask away! The amazing Teach Away team is ready to answer. Recommended reading: Are you ready to teach online? This calculator shows how much you can earn teaching English online Want to teach abroad? Try teaching English online first.

El Dragón International School

El Dragón International School El Dragón International School El Dragón is a democratic, organic and international private school. This is our last year in the process of accreditation for becoming a NEASC school and we are a Cambridge School. We are located in Torrelodones, Madrid, 30 by train from downtown Madrid, Spain. El Dragon respects the two main principles of democratic school: free distribution of time and democratic school management. As in any democratic school, in the Dragon, implicit learning is the most important in all learning processes. This means that El Dragon Classrooms extend beyond their doors. El Dragons classrooms are spread all over the world: students are not limited to the four walls of a classroom but spend a large part of their day in different places in which they are learning through their experience, this isimplicit learning. When kids face everyday situations and problems, they learn to be independent and they become capable of solving problems on their own without having to ask for an adult help. In El Dragon, students, unlike traditional educational systems, stop being just receivers of information and they achieve an active role. In the Dragon we form individuals capable of transforming reality, make decisions and carry out their own initiatives and vital objectives ethically and respect different life choices and ideologies. The social model is built on four basic pillars: Mentoring Judicial Committee Parliament Community work The Dragon International School is considered anorganic schoolfor several reasons: 1) Evolves and grows Our mision and goals are very clear but the rules are not rigid or inflexible. This schools projectevolves and growsas needs and interests arise in different moments. 2) Own vision All members of our community (students, families, teachers, non-teaching staff, etc.) can change the school byproviding their own vision. As long as this vision respects the basic principles of our democratic system. 3) Flexible Just as we let the school structure grow in aflexible wayand approaching the needs and interests of all those who are part of it, we let our students choose how to develop, not invading their own interests and needs, but adapting to them. 4) Respet Werespect all educational ecosystems. 5) Fair and ecological trade All the materials we buy for our school come as far as possible from companies located in countries where human rights are respected and follow basic standards offair and ecological trade. 6) Ethical code We try to work with local suppliers that share ourethical code, where human rights and the environment are respected for a better world. 7) Good working conditions At Dragón International School we are positive that organizations made of happy people carry out projects that make other people happy. This is why we offergood working conditionsand a friendly and relaxed atmosphere where the professionals who work with us can fully develop, just as our students do. 8) Family involved We promote shared leisure time between children and families. To us, kids and adults can develop their skills to a 100 percent if they have space in their respective worlds. We organizemulti-age workshops and activitieson weekdays or weekends. 9) Free time We do not see the need of sending children home with tons of homework that makes parents and kids loose so much time. Also because of our food: The kids Teachers are offered by our Chef 100% Organic Food and we choose those products which have beenproduced closer to us. Nutrition is very important for us: Organic food respects childrens development rythm, growth andself-regulation. Fats, sugar and artificial flavor enhancers are avoided. Different types of menus can be demanded: Omnivore Vegetarian Vegan Gluten free Lactose free And any other special menu In Dragón International School, we lucky to have our chefHector Melo. He has recently been named ambassador ofJamie OliviersFood Revolution. All this information is in our website. If you are willing to know more about us you can check it.