How to Find a Good Online Chinese Tutor

How to Find a Good Online Chinese TutorIf you want to learn Chinese fast, there are many ways to go about it, such as enrolling for online Chinese tutoring. Here is some useful information that you may find helpful in applying for and pursuing your future online Chinese tutor career.The first thing to consider is a good online curriculum. If you are looking to achieve your ultimate goal of learning Chinese fast and easily, look at a course with effective audio exercises and a professional instructor who can help you develop your skills and build your confidence. There are many good schools to choose from, and if you have enough time to devote to it, it would be great to enroll at a higher level of a college or university to get a good grasp of the language.Another thing to consider is whether or not a good online tutoring provider has all the necessary accreditations required by the Chinese government. This is important to you, because the more education your Chinese program has, the more experience and training your online tutor will have and the more likely they will be to meet with the approval of the authorities. Even if they are relatively new, the more experience they have, the better the chances of being approved.Your next step is to find a good online Chinese tutor, a good one who has experience, and has knowledge of the language. Online Chinese learning is a relatively new field, so there are a lot of people out there who could do a great job.Once you have chosen a good, experienced Chinese tutor, they will make sure you get the best of education possible. Many places offer courses with time allocated for practice. You are never too old to take part, and once you become comfortable with the English vocabulary and grammar, you can move on to other areas of your study, such as reading and writing.You will also find some companies offering additional services like study guides, audio lessons, and DVD's. Look for a company who can give you the best all rou nd service. Some of the services you may receive include a wide range of resources and guides to get you started, to help you understand the Chinese language and culture, a forum for practice exercises and ideas, and lots more.Online Chinese tutoring should be considered highly important. Good luck!

New York University A Student Perspective

New York University A Student Perspective The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teachtheyre sharing their college experiences as well. Casey is a sophomore at New York University studying psychology. She specializes in trigonometry tutoring, psychology tutoring, and several other subjects. See what she had to say about her experience at New York University: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Casey: New York University prides itself on being in and of the city. Its located in Washington Square Park in the middle of Manhattan. Since our campus is around Washington Square Park, its very urban, but we have plenty of green space and trees as well. There are free NYU buses to take students from the farther away upperclassman dorms downtown, but everything on campus is maybe a 10 minute walk away, at most. If you need to get around, New York has such a vast transit system that nobody has a car. Theres a bike share program that I dont use, but Ive heard its wonderful. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Casey: The professors are amazingly helpful theyre mandated to have office hours, and if those dont work for you, theyll work around your schedule. TAs are the same, and the TAs Ive had classes for are so caring about their students. My academic advisor has been a lifesaver throughout the registration processes and the day-to-day little problems that come up. They only have a handful of students, so you can go to them for just about everything. How would you describe the dorm liferooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students at New York University? Casey: Dorm life at NYU is such a great environment. The freshman dorms are freshman-only and build such a community between students. Our RAs took us on amazing trips and I befriended almost every of the forty-something people on my floor. Most of the dorms are feet away from classes, but some of the upperclassman dorms are a short walk, 15 minutes at most. There are dining halls in many of the dorms, but nobody is too far away from food. There are apartment-style suites with kitchenettes, as well as traditional style dorms that dont have a kitchen. One thing Ive loved about NYU dorming is that every single room has its own bathroom; that means no communal showers. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Casey: NYU has virtually every major imaginable and even a school for students who wish to create their own major. There are dozens of support options and career counseling options available to every student, regardless of what they are trying to pursue. I am studying Psychology at the College of Arts and Sciences and Cinema Studies, which is a cross-school major with the College of Arts and Sciences and Tisch School of the Arts. All of the majors have their own advising network of academic advisors and accredited professors. Ive been very satisfied with the support I have gotten. How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Casey: Making friends as a freshman was a little scary the first day or two, but it was extremely easy to meet people. I met my best friend by complimenting her skirt when I saw her in the elevator, and weve been inseparable ever since. NYU isnt that big on Greek Life, but I know a handful of people who are involved, and they highly recommend it. How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services at New York University? Casey: The career center is amazing and has been pivotal for me in securing internships. NYU has such a vast alumni network that wants to recruit undergrads for every area imaginable. There are so many student support services. There is peer tutoring, skill-building services, and study slams for every subject imaginable. There are great support services for diverse student groups at NYU, such as resources for LGBTQ+ students and the Moses Center for Disabilities. NYU has a center for physical and mental health, as well as a 24-hour Wellness Center helpline. They offer regular checkups for various health concerns as well as flu shots and the like. Theres also so many resources for mental health at NYU, including meditation and yoga classes. How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Casey: NYUs library is beautiful. Its a gigantic building, and Ive always found a place to study (even during finals). There are student lounges in almost every classroom, in the student center, and every dorm that provide a great space to hang out or get work done. Describe the surrounding town. Casey: NYUs surrounding town is New York City. Theres always stuff to do from a Broadway show, to sports games, to awesome food and nightlife options. Youll never be bored! How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Casey: NYUs student body is around 20,000 students, but it feels a lot smaller. My class sizes ranged from lecture halls to 10 person seminars. As it is at most colleges, class size gets smaller as you get past the introductory classes. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Casey: One of my favorite classes was my freshman year seminar. The professor, Eddy, taught me and ten other freshman for the semester and we all became so close. The class was on film and television in the U.S., and it ranged from the 40s to the present. This class encouraged me to follow my passions and study the subjects that interest me. I am still in contact with the professor to this day. Check out Caseys tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Online Tutoring Best Way of Getting Education Right at Your Desktop

Online Tutoring Best Way of Getting Education Right at Your Desktop 0SHARESShare Internet Tutoring is a technology that offers a virtual environment or networked environment in which teachers and learners are separated by time and space. Individual learners or their parents can purchase tutoring time with an online tutoring service. Tutor Pace, a dependable Online Tutoring website has a team of dedicated and highly skilled tutors to cater to your requirement of e-learning. It is a process that offers students guidance on various subjects like Mathematics, Geography, Science, History, English and so on. Students may avail instant homework help, test preparation. The internet can be accessed from home, facilitating students to avoid traveling or stay back after school to get help. This allows students to come back home after school and use their time more productively. Most tutoring services employ several tutors for each subject; students can thus choose tutors of their choice and can schedule sessions as per their convenience. Each student is assigned an individual tutor enabling them to enjoy individualized attention. [starbox id=admin]

A tutors guide to choosing the right school for your child

A tutor's guide to choosing the right school for your child For students and parents, it can often be a stressful experience choosing which school to go to, especially when in some cases there can be many to choose from.   Here, Vishal N, one of our 11+ tutors with several years of experience, gives his top three factors to consider when choosing a school. Choosing the right school 1. Location, location, location! This is often the most neglected factor when it comes to choosing the right school. If you live in Harrow and decide to apply for Whitgift (London), you are looking at a travel time of a minimum of 1 hour and 15 minutes â€" and this doesn’t even take into account any traffic. Not only can this be a stressful journey for parents, but can often take its toll on the child who arrives at school fatigued and not in the mood to learn. 2. Whether or not your child can cope with the pressure As we all know, not all children are the same! Just as some children prefer football over music, some children can work well with pressure from teachers and constant mini-tests on a weekly basis, whilst others may begin to dislike school and everything associated with it. Therefore, knowing whether your child enjoys dealing with pressure and always having to be compete academically with his/her peers is imperative when choosing the right school. Some schools are certainly more academically challenging than others. 3. The atmosphere and how you feel whilst visiting the school One of the most important things is to visit the school on open days. This is a fantastic opportunity to not only meet the teachers and ask questions, but it also allows your child to soak in the atmosphere and helps them imagine how they would feel studying in the school for the foreseeable future. Vishal is one of our experienced 7+, 10+, 11+, 13+, 16+, Common Entrance, Admissions and GCSE tutors. He covers Maths, English and Science and has helped many students prepare for competitive entrance exams at a range of schools. If you would like to book a lesson with Vishal, get in touch with him by visiting his profile here! If you would like to find an 11+ tutor, you can search through our fantastic tutors here!

How to find a job teaching English abroad while youre still in college

How to find a job teaching English abroad while you’re still in college If you’ve spent any time looking through ESL job boards you’ll have seen that there is literally a world of opportunity for English teachers with degrees. But, what about wannabe ESL teachers who are still studying, or are just about to head off on a gap year? Can you teach English abroad before you graduate? Well, yes, you can! Personally and professionally, teaching abroad can be a great opportunity for undergraduates. Opportunities are so varied that you can easily fit teaching English into a gap year, summer break or while you're deciding which degree you want to do. In and outside the classroom, you’ll gain valuable skills that will come in handy whatever career you choose to pursue in the future. Maybe you want to get to know a new culture. Or you're looking to add something impressive to your resume. Perhaps you want to try your hand at teaching. Or you simply want to spread your wings and set off on an adventure. Whatever your reasons for wanting to work and live abroad, teaching English before you graduate could be just the job you’re looking for! Read this:No degree? 5 places to consider teaching English abroad so you can see the world this year I don’t need a degree, great! So, what are the requirements for teaching English abroad? There’s no one answer to this question. Although not having a degree yet may reduce your options a little, there are still teaching opportunities open to you all over the world. None of the following suggestions are always required, but they might put you ahead of the pack when applying: Being a native English speaker. This quality is what makes companies seek you out from all the way overseas. They need you, and your expert knowledge of English. Getting TEFL certified. You don’t need a degree to get a TEFL certification, and, as TEFL qualifications last for life, getting one before you graduate could be a worthwhile investment. Most online TEFL courses are self-paced, making it relatively easy to slot the coursework into your current study schedule. Getting some teaching experience. Taking the time to help out at a local community centre or school will help you figure out whether you actually like teaching, and could give employers and extra incentive to pick you over anyone else. If you’re ready to throw yourself in at the deep end and lead a class yourself, there are also online English teaching companies that hire English teachers studying for their degree, with and without teaching experience. So, now you’re ready to roll! Yes, you can teach abroad before you graduate! Here’s how. Let’s take a look at the different teaching opportunities out there if you want to start teaching abroad before you graduate: 1. Apply for volunteer teaching abroad programs. The easiest way to teach abroad before you graduate is by doing volunteer work. If you can stomach not getting paid or a smaller stipend, there are many advantages to taking on a volunteer role. Firstly, you will most likely be able to travel to whichever destination interests you. If you’re keen to get off the beaten path and experiencing some truly undiscovered locations, now is your chance! Or, if you’d prefer to feel like a local in a classic destination, you can just as easily find opportunities in tourist hotspots like France and Spain. Volunteers can also often choose whether they want to commit short-term or long-term and, depending on the program, the kind of teaching they want to do. If you don’t feel ready to take on a role as a fully-fledged class teacher, how about working as a homestay tutor or teaching assistant? So, the pay might not be great, but for an experience that you can tailor to your exact tastes, volunteering is hard to beat. Read this: All about volunteer English teaching in China 2. Apply for ESL summer camp jobs. If you just have a few weeks free over the holidays, or want to dedicate a part of your gap year to teaching abroad, why not try applying for an English camp? There’s lots of ESL summer camp jobs throughout Europe - especially in countries like Italy and Spain. Perks often include food and accommodation (allowing you to save a few $$) and the chance to act like a big kid all summer long. Camp counselors often spend time with the kids outside of the classroom, so while you’re not teaching be prepared to get involved in activities, meal-times and campfire singalongs. Camp jobs can run through holidays all year, but summer is by far the busiest period, and positions often start appearing on job boards from January onwards. Alternatively, try searching for summer camp teaching jobs by duration or check out large international brands such as English First. Often all that’s required for positions is a TEFL qualification and a passion for teaching! Sign up to Teach Away today for access to the latest teaching jobs around the world. 3. Apply for paid teach abroad programs that don’t require degrees. If you’ve already started studying but are interested in taking a break to teach abroad before you graduate, some international programs accept applications from undergraduate students. It’s worth doing an in-depth search for any countries you’re interested in visiting, but here are a few of our favorites: South Korea’s TaLK program accepts applications from native English speakers who have completed an associate’s degree (equivalent to two years of college/university study). Teacher training is even included as part of the package! Placements last from six months to one year. There are also opportunities in Taiwan for associate degree holders who are TEFL qualified. Schools such as HESS Education organize year-long placements. The French Cultural Embassy organizes year-long teaching assistant positions throughout France for US citizens who have completed three years of higher education. Remember that you can only teach English in a country that doesn’t require you to have your degree already. So developed countries like China, South Korea and most countries in the Middle East won’t be an option for you until you get that. 4. Apply for teach abroad scholarships or grants. It’s a little-known fact that if you’re already studying for your degree in a related field, like education or linguistics, then your institution might offer funding for students interested in work or teaching abroad for a semester at educational non-profit organizations. Some universities will even count this as course work! So be sure to look into any opportunities like this at your school. 5. Travel to where you want to teach! Finally, if you’re feeling independent you could just throw caution to the wind and book a ticket to your chosen destination! In some countries, tackling your job hunt in person is likely to have much better results than applying online. While many countries only issue work visas for teachers with degrees, there are a surprising number of opportunities for those without throughout Asia, Europe and Central and South America. A few words of advice, though. Not having a degree may limit the kind of jobs you can apply for (in this situation, having a TEFL qualification can definitely help you get your foot in the door). Instead of working regular hours with one school, the reality might mean working part time for multiple schools as well as organising your own private students, and it can take a while to build up a strong network of employers. So, if you want to teach English abroad before you graduate, bear in mind that a summer break might not be long enough to make the most of an opportunity like this. If, however you’re on a gap year, or studying abroad for a semester, it could be perfect! If you decide this is the route for you, finance-wise, it's definitely worth making sure you have enough saved to tide you over for a month or two while you set yourself up. And, as you don’t know how much you’ll be earning, keep aside enough for a flight home in your native currency. Finally, make sure you get the right visa so you can work legally without your degree. So, paid work or volunteering? Summer time break or all in for a year? And most importantly, where will teaching English take you? Even if you haven't got your degree yet, there are plenty of ways make your dream adventure a reality right now and teach abroad before you graduate.

How to Be a Better Employee

How to Be a Better Employee Image via Pexels Many of us look to the New Year hoping to become a better version of ourselves. To that end, we make resolutions that, for better or worse, we do our best to keep. Keeping up a resolution, whether college student or not, can be difficult with so many things already on our plate. Our work lives are one place that probably easily qualifies as a place to improve. Whether you have a full-time job off-campus or a part-time campus job, reward is very simply given out through promotions, raises, and positive evaluations for good work and notable qualities such as attitude and cooperation. While it does take a good manager to make a company go, it also takes good workers. The best staff I have worked alongside and the best people I have managed are those who work hard, produce good work, and maintain a positive attitude. And sometimes a resolution helps with that. Andy Teach, author of the book  From Graduation to Corporation,  writes, “No one has a perfect work life and there is always room for improvement. Most people aspire to be better at their jobs because it results in increased happiness and personal satisfaction.” Who doesn’t want more happiness and satisfaction on the inside? So, in the spirit of the New Year that is just around the corner, here are some ways in which you can become a better employee. 1. Get to know your manager. Some managers have a reputation for being cold and hard to get along with. What most managers really want is employees who care about them enough to get the job done right. In order to do this, you have to understand how your manager operates and the way in which he/she wants things done. And in order to understand this about your manager, you have to get to know him. If you can’t figure out what he needs, ask what he needs you to do and how it should be done and then go and do it. The more you communicate with your manager up-front, the easier it will be for you to complete objectives and meet deadlines. Managers don’t normally hang out with employees, but you do need to hang around him or her long enough to know what they want and how they want it done. Remember, it is their company and in order to maintain a good working relationship, things must be done their way. 2. Meet or beat established deadlines. This is one that I struggle with at times, but the key to actually doing it consistently is managing time well. When your manager gives you an assignment with a deadline, it is best if you work on it right away if you can and complete it as soon as possible. Don’t take it with an ‘I’ll see what I can do’ or ‘I’ll take a look at it soon’ kind of attitude. Your manager may not verbalize it, but he wants his work done either right now or as quickly as possible. Once you set a deadline, strive to deliver ahead of time. Rather than stressing and sweating at the last minute, doing things on time or ahead of time gives you and your manager space to deal with any unforeseen problems that may arise. Also, there are two unwritten rules in business. First, usually, managers give themselves time beyond the time they give their employees to finish projects. So if your manager says, ‘I need this done by Wednesday’ and it’s Monday, most likely he needs to deliver it to a customer by Friday. He is giving himself space for any problems to arise too such as employees not getting said project done on time. Second, the employee who is always on time or ahead of time becomes the manager’s go-to person when something needs to be done in a shorter space of time. 3. Take initiative.   It may sound harsh, but your manager does not want to spoon-feed you or micro-manage you. Most managers are willing to train, coach, and even mentor their employees but after the first couple of weeks, to be an effective employee, you will need to take an interest in the company and in the work so much so that you will begin to work on your own. Try to avoid taking every single problem you encounter to your boss. If you absolutely don’t know how to use the printer or can’t find the stapler, ask a fellow colleague. Save time with your boss for higher level matters that require you to think and prove your ability to handle complex tasks. 4. Be honest about what you need. You may have done a good deal of negotiating to land your dream job, whether it is permanent or temporary, but developing negotiation skills don’t end at that point. Managers love good communicators and in order to be one, you have to be honest about what you need to do your job. It doesn’t matter whether it is supplies, more information, additional time, or more hands on deck. Asking direct questions and being thoughtful about your work will encourage your manager and show him that you are on the ball. 5. Keep your word. If you say you’re going to do something, make sure you do it. Try to avoid making excuses about not having work done because when work does not get done, it sets the entire team back, makes customers complain, and might make your co-workers complain to the boys about you. Holding yourself accountable for your actions and keeping your commitments is not only a matter of personal pride, but will be remembered by your employer. Managers want to work alongside people they can depend on no matter what. Your manager has a difficult job to do already. Just the pressure of being in charge and having others dependent on you to make it happen is not always obvious to employees. I hope these tips will help you become a better, more effective employee and to win you over to the management team.

Will Be Gracing The Classroom

5 New Technologies That Are/Will Be Gracing The Classroom image via blog.presta.com Technology is advancing right under our noses. One minute, we are all writing with pens on paper and then BAM, we are suddenly leaving that behind and turning toward technology to get the work done for us. So what can you expect to find being used in a modern-day classroom and in the near future? Here are a few things that you should familiarize yourself with: image via www.padgadget.com 1)  Tablets When I got to college, I assumed everyone would have their nose buried behind a laptop screen, just like it is in the movies. Though many students do use laptops, iPads are starting to sprout up as the new note-taking device/ classroom best friend. You can buy a keyboard if you are speedy at typing, or buy a stylus and still get that “taking notes by hand feel. There are even apps, like NotesPlus, where you can write it by hand with a stylus, and the program will type it for you. When taking notes with an iPad, you can put direct screen shots of important slides into your notes, so you will be able to reference them when you go back to study. Students also have the option to record a lecture as they type/write, which is awesome because we all know how hard it is to write and listen at the same time. iPads are much lighter than computers, another quality that is helping them gain popularity among college students. Some schools have even begun requiring students to have iPads.Who knows how long it will be before pen and paper dont exist? 2)  SMART Boards My sister, who is currently in high school, came home one day and was telling us about this new thing called a  SMART Board, and I had no idea what she was talking about. image via www.plymouth.edu Basically, it is a whiteboard that is interactive, allowing teachers to write digital notes that will be saved and students will be able to access (perfect for if you are absent or slow at taking notes). It is being introduced to colleges as well, when the funding is allowed. Word or PDF documents can be transferred from a computer onto the SMART Board screen, allowing the professor to highlight, circle and write onto the document as much as their heart desires. This is awesome, because it will help students know exactly what the teacher is referencing and provide better communication. 3)  PowerPoint PowerPoints are another great way for professors to get their lectures across, especially if they have bad handwriting! PowerPoints have advanced so much and provide a great note taking experience. image via blogs.nvcc.edu It allows the professors to elaborate on their notes and give more attention to the students, rather than having their backs to the students as they scribble something down every five seconds. Zach Beckman, a third year theater student at UC Santa Cruz, said “it’s great to have videos in class [via PowerPoint] because it is far more stimulating.” Focusing for over an hour is always a struggle for students, so having something to focus on that is actually moving will definitely help. Beckman also mentioned, however, that there were a lot of internet problems in his classroom, which of course does not coincide very nicely with PowerPoint. His teacher would have to refer the students to the videos a lot instead of getting to show them in class. “This particular class was fairly dependent on visual example because it was the medium of set design and the absence of professor commentary was a letdown,” Beckman said. He described technology as being a “double-edged sword” in this case, which is the danger of technology. We love advancement, but there are always things that can go wrong. 4)  Social Media Facebook, really? Yes, and not just for passing the time; Facebook is actually starting to make appearances in an academic setting. Many students will form Facebook groups with class/section mates and their T.A.s in order to get extra help. Students can post documents with study guides, ask each other questions, give advice and get to know one another! I mean, youre always on Facebook anyway, so why not kill two birds with one stone and actually get some studying done as well? image via www.deepspacemarketing.com Abby Ventura, a second year biology student at UC Santa Cruz, had to make a Twitter account for one of her classes, because her professor wanted to be able to inform them via a social media site, but did not want to add everyone on Facebook. He would update his Twitter about tests, homework and other things that students could easily check. Lindsay Banks, a second year psychology student at UC Santa Cruz, had to make a Tumblr account for her art class, and had to upload pictures of her pieces so her T.A. could see them and make sure that everything was being completed on time. Even though we are all so engrossed in our social media sites, it is still a strange concept that soon our professors will all be tweeting us that class is cancelled instead of sending out an email or simply posting a note on the door. Feel old yet? I sure do. 5)  Augmented Reality image via jacket2.org Last year, for our winter Living Writers’ Series at UC Santa Cruz, there was an author named Amaranth Borsuk, who wowed us with her digital pop-up book of poems, Between Page and Screen. Looking at the actual page, you just see a square with some shapes in it, but once you hold the book up to your web cam, the words come to life! And not just as boring old text; the words will spin, make cool shapes, shatter down the pageyou never know what to expect. Though this technology isnt in effect in classrooms yet, I really hope it will be. This will add a whole new realm to the learning experience, and will actually encourage students to read since it will be like uncovering a mystery. The different effects of the text (shapes and such) also add more meaning to the text, and give the author the ability to share so much more with the reader. The software for this awesome reading experience utilizes  FLARToolkit  to project animations in an augmented-reality. The application also uses the  Robot Legs  framework,  Papervision  3D engine,BetweenAS3  animation engine and  Jiglib  physics engine. Want to know more and get your hands on the book? Heres the link. Technology is awesome, but dont forget how to write things by hand either! You never know when good old pen and paper will come in handy. Post your notes and study guides for sale today on Flashnotes. To learn more about Flashnotes, click here.