The Solar System and the Night Sky.

The Solar System and the Night Sky. What You Can See â€" and What You Can’t â€" in Our Solar System. ChaptersWhat is a Solar System? and How was it Formed?What’s in Our Solar System?And What’s Beyond Our Solar System?There is nothing more marvellous than our solar system. It is the only place in the universe that is known (by us, at least) to support life, and part of the wondrousness of this strange little backwater in the Milky Way galaxy is its relative teeny-tininess.Because, really, our galactic home is not hugely significant in the great scheme of things. Our planetary system is on one of the outer spurs of the Milky Way â€" a galaxy that has potentially four hundred billion stars and therefore four hundred billion potentially similar systems. Just to give you an idea, there are thought to be at least a hundred billion galaxies too.Yet, enough of that; the numbers are too much for a mind to comprehend. Let’s focus on the thing that we know a bit more about â€" even if we don’t know much about it at all.Because our solar system is full of amazing things â€" things that we’ve hardly begun to scratch the surface of. From balls of ice in the far reaches of the solar system to the gorgeous rings of Saturn, the system is really a quite amazing place.Here, we’re going to run through some of the most important things that you should know about our neck of the galactic woods: how it was formed, what’s in it, and what lies beyond.  Find out everything about astronomy - and what the differences are between astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology. PetarPhysics Teacher 5.00 (11) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamPhysics Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Dr parikhPhysics Teacher 5.00 (8) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RubenPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FrankPhysics Teacher 5.00 (8) £90/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JidePhysics Teacher 4.80 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DorothyPhysics Teacher 5.00 (5) £40/h1st les son free!Discover all our tutors RahulPhysics Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhat is a Solar System? and How was it Formed?The definition of a solar system is, if you think about it, really quite self-explanatory. It is made up of the sun and everything that orbits it gravitationally.Just as Earth has a gravitational pull, so does every planet, star, or object in the universe. The bigger the object, the stronger the gravitational pull.This is why the Sun â€" the biggest object in our solar system â€" is the thing around which everything spins. The planets â€" and all other sorts of things too â€" are all suspended by this solar pull, which allows us to refer to a thing called the solar system of things that all depend on each other.But as we’ve said, it is wrong to call our solar system the solar system â€" as it is one of literally billions. The closest, by the way, is Proxima Centauri, some 4.2 light years away.Find out about the major discoveries in astrop hysics!So How was the Solar System Formed?Like all solar systems, ours came into being through the collapse of an interstellar nebula or molecular cloud. These big drifting clouds of dust and gas slowly form into clumps due to the gravity of increasingly dense gases.This all happened some 4.6 billion years ago, when the cloud core became the protostar which ultimately became the Sun. Meanwhile, as the gravitational pull of the Sun became stronger, the nebula would have started spinning more quickly, producing the accretion of ever larger planets and objects.Quite an interesting thing to consider is that there would have been hundreds and thousands of protoplanets, dwarf planets, and general debris throughout the solar system, which either got destroyed over the years or else merged with other planets. The remnants of all this can still be seen in the asteroid belt beyond Mars and the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune.Find out more about the formation of stars! Nebulae are some of the most beautiful things in the universe.What’s in Our Solar System?Now you know what a solar system is, let’s take a look in more detail at what you might find if you were to take a trip around it.We suspect that you’ll find most of these names familiar already.The Planets of Our Solar System.There’s been a fair amount of discussion about the planets in our solar system in the last decade or so, as the definition of a planet was changed.This meant that Pluto â€" poor Pluto â€" was kicked off the list and recognised instead as a dwarf planet.So, what is a planet these days? It’s something incredibly specific actually, as such an object needs to meet four criteria:It needs to orbit a star or the remnants of a star;It should be big enough that its gravity has caused it to become round;It should not be so big that it causes thermonuclear fusion â€" as a star would; andIt should have cleared its neighbourhood of celestial bodies, meaning that things either orbit it or do not exist anymore.The Eight Planets in the Solar System.Mercury â€" The closest planet to the Sun, it is also the smallest planet in the Solar System, with an orbit of around eighty-eight days. Like the Earth it is a rocky planet â€" and its surface is heavily cratered.Venus â€" The second planet from the Sun, Venus is actually the brightest object in the night sky after the Moon â€" and it can actually cast a shadow. It is smaller than Earth and, like Mercury, does not have any moons.Earth â€" Home sweet home. Earth is the third planet, and, like Venus and Mars, it sits in the Sun’s ‘habitable zone’. It is, however, the only planet to have an atmosphere that is actually habitable.Mars â€" The Red Planet is the last of the terrestrial planets â€" those planets made of rock. We’ve done twenty-six successful missions to Mars with the hope that maybe we’ll find evidence of life.Jupiter â€" Beyond the asteroid belt sits Jupiter, the largest of the solar system†™s planets. It has a mass two and a half times that of all other planets combined. Made of gas, it has seventy-nine moons, some of which are bigger than Mercury.Saturn â€" Famous for its rings â€" made of ice particles primarily â€" Saturn is the second-biggest planet in the solar system, and it too is a gas giant.Uranus â€" Often used as a dirty pun, Uranus is the first of the ice giants â€" the two planets at the furthest end of the solar system. Predictably, it is made of ice.Neptune â€" The final planet in the solar system, Neptune is cold â€" like, really cold.You can get a maths physics tutor here. Saturn is one of the most beautiful planets. Image from NASAThe Solar System’s Dwarf Planets.Beyond the major planets â€" which pretty everybody probably knows by heart â€" there are the dwarf planets. These are celestial bodies that aren’t quite planets, as they don’t fit the four criteria outlined above.The most important of these criteria is that the dwarf planets have not ‘cleared their neighbourhood’ â€" meaning that they are not gravitationally dominant in their particular area.Pluto, the most famous of the dwarf planets, has not cleared its neighbourhood, for example. Its orbit is affected by that of Neptune. Meanwhile, it moves in what is known as the Kuiper Belt, which, if it were a proper planet, would be in its gravitational sphere.There are potentially hundreds of dwarf planets in the Solar System. However, identifying them requires a lot of work and observation. There are many candidates, but only five have been confirmed.These are Pluto, Eris, Ceres, Makemake, and Haumea â€" of which only Ceres can be found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. All the others are beyond Neptune.What Else is in Our Solar System?Whilst the most famous parts of the Solar System are those planets that are so well recognised, there are thousands of different bodies that constitute the rest of our solar system.For example, there are thought to be over eight hundred thousand asteroids as well as three and a half thousand comets and over two hundred moons.But think about it. The end of the solar system is thought to be where the solar wind reaches and where the sun’s gravity ends. And these are both huge distances beyond what we know of the solar system.The limit of the solar wind is four times Pluto’s distance from the Sun, whilst the gravitational reach of the Sun stretches a thousand times further.Is there life in our galaxy? Let's find out! The universe is just so incredibly - large.And What’s Beyond Our Solar System?When you look up at the night sky, the six brightest points of light you will see are all in the Solar System.After that, however, the brightest things you will see are other stars at the centre of different solar systems.The brightest of these are Sirius (or Canis Majoris), Canopus, and Rigil Kentaurus, part of the Alpha Centauri system (our star’s neighbour). These are all very close stars, with Sirius sitting in the Greater Dog constellation, Canopus in Carina, and Alpha Centauri in Centaurus.

Camera Accessories for Shooting Video

Camera Accessories for Shooting Video The Top 10 Accessories for Filming with Your Camera ChaptersGet a Backpack or Camera Bag to Protect Your EquipmentDon’t Forget Memory Cards for Saving Your FootageLenses: Essential for DSLRs and Hybrid CamerasBuy Emergency Batteries for Your CameraTripods and StabilisersInvest in an External MicrophoneSpotlights for Recording IndoorsA SunshadeFiltersInvest in a ViewfinderWhere Can You Buy Accessories for Your Camera?“It's not what a movie is about, it's how it is about it.” - Roger EbertWhether it’s action, animation, sci-fi, drama, or comedy (the most popular film genres in the UK), we love films!Have you ever wanted to shoot one?To get started, you can make some great videos with your camera. AllanPhotography Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaPhotography Teacher 5.00 (7) £55/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TimothyPhotography Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Anosh nadeemPhotography Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Zan gmoPhotography Teacher 5.00 (6) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RosiePhotography Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MattPhotography Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AndyPhotography Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsGet a Backpack or Camera Bag to Protect Your EquipmentThis might seem obvious, but a camera bag is rarely the first accessory that aspiring filmmakers think of when picking out their camera be it a compact point and shoot cameras or a full-sized SLRs. If you have a lot of equipment, a backpack or camera bag will be essential. (Source: linsepc)Your bag won't just protect your equipment, it’ll also useful for lugging it all around. This is particularly important when it comes to filming whilst out and about.Camera bags are often padded so that your gear doesn’t get jostled around and you can get them either as satchels or as backpacks.Don’t Forget Memory Cards for Saving Your FootageIt’s all well and good pointing your digital camera at something but unless you have a memory card, you’ll have nowhere to store your footage. While most cameras do have some internal memory, it isn’t much so you should invest in one or several memory cards. SD cards are the most common type of memory cards in cameras but some cameras require specific cards.Don’t hesitate to get a few of them. After all, 4K video or even HD video will take up a lot of space; a lot more than photos do. Having a few extra memory cards won’t hurt.It’s bett er to have several smaller ones than one with a lot of memory. If you lose it, you’ll lose everything. By having your footage across several cards, you’ll only lose the stuff on that particular card.Learn more about the different types of camera.Lenses: Essential for DSLRs and Hybrid CamerasA digital SLR camera and hybrid camera have interchangeable lenses. Lenses can be really useful when filming as you can choose the focal distance you want. There are plenty of different lenses to think about, especially when it comes to bigger brands like Sony, Canon, and Nikon.The lens isn’t the only thing to consider but it can greatly affect the image quality. It’s recommended you invest in a lens with a good aperture.In terms of price, you should know that they can cost a pretty penny. Depending on the model, you can pay anywhere between a few hundred and thousands for a lens.Compact and bridge cameras have fixed lenses so you can’t change them. You need to carefully consider this w hen it comes to finding the best DSLR, hybrid, bridge, or compact camera in terms of value for money.With different lenses, you can play around with focal length and depth of field, too.Buy Emergency Batteries for Your CameraFilming can quickly drain your camera’s battery. It’ll run out if you’re filming all day so you should pick up several batteries. Charge them all the night before and you can just swap them over when the time comes. You can quickly use an entire battery without realising. (Source: Deeashley)There are external battery packs available for DSLR cameras that can clip on to the camera’s body. They often tend to be more expensive but they’re a great investment if you’re going to be filming regularly.Check out our advice for shooting video.Tripods and StabilisersThere’s nothing worse than shaky footage. It’s very difficult to fix with editing and it can ruin a whole scene. However, it’s a mistake that a lot of amateur filmmakers make.When holding a camera in your hands, it’s impossible to get a perfectly smooth shot. That doesn’t mean that you can’t fix it, but it’s better to invest in accessories that’ll prevent this rather than fixing it.Tripods are the most common option. They’re usually quite easy to transport as they fold up. That said, they can be quite heavy. The heavier your camera, the heavier your tripod will need to be. If the balance is off, it can fall over.There ar e also camera stabilisers that you can hold. These stabilisers are often used for cameras like GoPros but they can be used with hybrid, bridge, compact, or digital SLR cameras. AllanPhotography Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaPhotography Teacher 5.00 (7) £55/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TimothyPhotography Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Anosh nadeemPhotography Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ZangmoPhotography Teacher 5.00 (6) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RosiePhotography Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MattPhotography Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AndyPhotography Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsInvest in an External MicrophoneRecording sound can often be a nightmare for filmmakers. While it might be fine for home movies, the sound quality in most cameras isn’t great so you should in vest in an external microphone.Rode Microphones are particularly well known and you can plug them into reflex and hybrid cameras.If you can’t connect a microphone directly, you may need to record all the audio on a separate device and sync the audio and video up in post. You’ll need to use a clapperboard or just clap your hands on camera to sync up the audio and video.You can get Zoom recording devices for around £100.Spotlights for Recording IndoorsSpotlights aren’t an essential investment but they can certainly improve your footage. Lighting is an essential part of photography and film. The image sensor needs to capture light to create the images. When filming indoors, it can be tough getting the perfect lighting. When shooting outdoors during the day, you probably won't need spotlights. (Source: Hans)Ideally, you’ll want a device with a full-frame sensor (a hybrid or DSLR camera). If you have a smaller sensor, you might need more light. You'd be surprised at how much sensor size can affect your photography.Spotlights can be pointed in any direction and will do the job.  After all, shooting in low light conditions can be tricky,A SunshadeThe sunshade is often forgotten about even though it’s incredibly useful for photographers and filmmakers. It’s a way to stop the glare from the sun appearing on your footage. Too much sunlight will cause streaks of light to appear on your footage. The sunshade will protect unwanted light sources from entering the lens.  Additionally, it can also act as a small buffer protecting the lens from impacts.FiltersFilters can be attached to the ends of lenses and can filter certain types of light. Whether it’s for photography or filming, you can use them to a lter the colours, contrast, etc.  There are several types available.Invest in a ViewfinderRarely, you can’t see what you’re filming. However, you'll want to see exactly what your camera sees. Most digital cameras now come with an LCD where you can see the image being captured. However, in the sunshine or the rain, you can’t always see this screen. If you can't see what your camera is capturing, you might want a viewfinder. (Source: Free-Photos)Getting a monitor is a good way to see what you’re filming clearly. It’s also easier to focus and set up your shot.Where Can You Buy Accessories for Your Camera?Where can you find lenses, electronic viewfinders, memory cards, etc.?You can get photography and film equipment in most large electronics stores as well as in dedicated camera shops. You can also get everything online.You can also get second-hand accessories. You’ll find you can find everything you need second-hand!If you find yourself confused by megapixels, single-lens reflex cameras, and image sensors, you should consider reading our other articles on photography.If you'd like to learn more about photography and film, there are plenty of private tutors on Superprof who can help you. There are different types of tutorials for different budgets and learning styles so it's up to you which one you go for.Face-to-face tutori als are the most costly but are also the most cost-effective. With just you and the tutor, the tutorials can be tailored to you, what you want to learn, and your preferred learning style.Online tutorials are similar but instead of the tutor being there in the room with you, they'll teach you remotely using video conferencing software. While this is fine for academic and theoretical subjects, it can be trickier for hands-on subjects that benefit from having a tutor there in the room with you.Finally, there are group tutorials which tend to be the cheapest per student per hour. Since the cost of the tutor is shared amongst all the students in attendance, each student will be paying a smaller amount than they would in face-to-face or online tutorials. However, this also means that the lessons aren't as personalised as the other types of tutorials and you won't get as much one-on-one time with your tutor as they have other students to worry about.The choice is yours!

Analyzing Math Anxiety

Analyzing Math Anxiety Researchers at the Numerical Cognition Lab and The University of Chicago have been analyzing the causes of math anxiety. This is a situation familiar to many K-12 students, who seem to freeze when they see a math problem. Their research shows that the anxiety of math teachers and parents can rub off on their students, ultimately affecting theirlearning. Fortunately, proven classroom methods have also been tested to reduce students' anxiety of doing mathematics. These tips include: Focus on learning the process behind math concepts, rather than merely trying to get a right answer. Similarly, don't refer to the textbook's answer key very often. Instead, value the problem and have students arrive at their own answers. Encourage every student to work on the problem on paper. This is in contrast to more traditional methods where one student raises his/her hand, blurts out the answer, and then the teacher promptly moves on to the next question. Give students time to make mistakes, realize their own mistakes, and then time to attempt problems multiple times. Read the full article describing the research here.

15 Phrasal Verbs with Away - English Lesson via Skype

15 Phrasal Verbs with Away - English Lesson via Skype Here you will learn 15 Phrasal Verbs with Away.    Lets kick off with a short video lesson where you will learn 7 phrasal verbs. You can scroll down and read the transcript below.And when youre finished, lets move onto the next 8.   15 Phrasal Verbs with Away Hi thereWelcome to Harrys World of Words and Phrases and English in a Minute.Were focusing again on English phrasal verbs and this time phrasal verbs using the preposition AWAY.TOday, weve got a number of these to get through and Ill give you examples just to explain each of them.The first one is FIRE AWAYSo the verb to fire like to shoot a gun.Fire away we use it when somebody says to you: Can I ask you a question? Yeah, sure. Fire away.Meaning ask me whatever you wish to ask me.WORK AWAYSo the verb to work. Work away means well just get on with it. Okay. Can I borrow your computer? or Can I borrow your laptop? Yeah sure, work away.Just take whatever you need and do whatever you have to do.GO AWAYThis one is very simple. If somebody is very angry with you they might just say go away.Meaning leave me alone, I dont want to be bothered.orGo away on a holidays as a more traditional type of expression. Phrasal Verbs with Away Please share, help fellow students to improve English skills STAY AWAYmeans to keep away from somethingFor example, a child is playing near a fire or near the cooker and the mother is afraid that the child might burn his hand. So she says:Stay away from that please.Stay away. So its given as a warning to keep away.And you might see it on a sign on a fence where somebody wants to protect that garden:Stay away meaning dont come near because you might be trespassingTO GET AWAYAway using the verb get. Get away means I want to go for, for example, a holiday.Oh I would like to get away for a few days. Im tired of this city. Lets get away next weekend and take the kids and just enjoy some skiing.One sad one herePASS AWAYand pass away is a euphemism for to die.My dog passed away last week.My grandmother passed away a few days ago.So when people dont want to use the word died or dead then they use that expression pass away. Okay and then finallyWALK AWAYSo the verb to walk. Walk away. We often again give it as a piece of advice.Somebody is having a r ow with another person so they can say:Look just walk away, dont get involved.Just walk away from the problem.Walk away from a fight because its not worth it, its dangerous.Okay so here are lots of phrasal verbs involving the preposition away:fire awaywork awaygo awaystay awayget awaypass away and finallywalk awayOkay. So as always subscribe to our Channel and join us on www.englishlessonviaskype.com and Ill catch up with you soon. Phrasal Verbs with Away - Image to share Don't keep this to yourself, share it with the world! TO BE CARRIED AWAYto be overly excited  Example: I was carried away by thoughts for a moment but managed to bring myself back.DO AWAY WITHto abolish, to put an end to somethingExample: Schools should do away with uniforms and instead establish guidelines for dress.  GET AWAY WITHto escape punishment for wrongdoingExample: He could have got away with a small fine, but decided to fight the charges.  GIVE AWAY1. to reveal (a secret)Example: Please promise me not to give away my secret.2. to give something free of chargeExample: Have you heard the news? They are giving away a free English course. Id better sign up quickly.PUT AWAY1. to store somethingExample: Before you put away your winter coat, make sure to dry clean them.2. to put someone into prison or mental hospitalExample: He was originally put away for manslaughter for twelve years, but he got out after six.RUN AWAY WITHto secretly go away with someone or somethingExample: Thieves ran away with millions of jewels and cash.TAKE AW AYto removeExample: The new supplement will strengthen your bones and take away the pain in your joints.  TURN AWAYto refuse admissionExample: We were turned away from the restaurant because we didnt have reservations.

What is Burns Night

What is Burns Night Some of you might be wondering what this ‘Burns Night’ thing is your English teacher’s been going on about. Maybe people are so cold by the end of January that all they can think about is a warm log fire? Is it related to Bonfire Night perhaps? Think again… Burns Night is the birthday of the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759-1796). Although it’s more often celebrated in Scotland, there has been a surge in celebrations all over the UK. The most important part of the evening is the Supper: starters and pudding course vary, but the essential component of the meal is the famous haggis, brought in by the chef to the sound of bagpipes. English tutors using Burns poetry Tutors and English teachers often use Burns to introduce children to poetry, as many of the poems are short and funny. It’s also a great introduction to the different dialects historically spoken in the UK â€" after getting to grips with Burns’ style of English, Shakespeare’s poems might not seem so difficult! Burns night Supper: First the Selkirk Grace by Robert Burns: “Some hae meat and canna eat, And some wad eat that want it. But we hae meat and we can eat, So let the Lord be thankit.” When the haggis has been brought in, the host recites Burns’ ‘Ode to the Haggis’, usually stabbing the dish with his dirk (a small dagger) and ending with a toast to the haggis. It is traditionally served with mashed potatoes (tatties) and mashed turnips (neeps). Burns night Speeches The tradition of Burns night speeches can be used by tutors and teachers to introduce young children to public speaking. Immortal memory â€" a toast to Robert Burns, with a short speech reflecting on the poet Toast to the Lassies â€" the male speaker’s view on women! He has to be careful what he says because the next person’s turn is the lassie. Toast to the Laddies â€" the female speaker’s turn to give her view on men and respond to any specific points the laddie made. Important to note: All speeches should be amusing and not offensive! Burns’ poems: After the speeches, further poems by Robert Burns may be sung or recited, ending with a vote of thanks given by one of the guests, which may be followed by everyone singing Auld Lang Syne. Have more burning questions to ask? An English tutor at Tutorfair can help if you want support with public speaking of if you or your child are looking for extra guidance  with poetry analysis.

The Dynamic Duo Music and Language Learning Join Forces

The Dynamic Duo Music and Language Learning Join Forces Music and language learning is the best combo since peanut butter and jelly.I boosted my  Spanish to fluency by listening to Enrique Iglesias, Marc Anthony and Shakira at full blast.  I got truly passionate about Portuguese after discovering Joao Gilberto. Im brushing up on some dusty Japanese skills these days by cranking up the J-Pop.True story.If only I knew sooner just how scientific my off-key singing and  salsa  dancing actually is!As it turns out, theres a reason why so many language learners swear by  studying with music.Whether its  foreign music in the background  to get you in the learning zone,  music and lyrics paired for active learning or just  dance tracks played at full volume for fun times, music can supercharge your learning. What Science Is Telling Us About Music and LanguageMusic Improves Overall  Brain PowerChildren whove been musically trained start out in life with tons of great advantages. For the better part of a century, psychological research has continu ally pointed to music lessons being a key element of early childhood education.By playing or listening to music, many regions of the brain are activatedâ€"even some pretty unexpected regions, ones that are seemingly unrelated to music and listening comprehension.If you can play or are learning to play an instrument, more power to you.  Musical training has been shown to significantly impact brain development.  Playing an instrument exercises your brain, ultimately getting it to make stronger neural  connections and start firing faster. All in all, a nimbler brain can tackle language lessons with greater ease.This is exactly why music is often used as therapy for people facing brain damage and linguistic challenges.Music Puts the Memory Pedal to the MetalIt has been straight-up proven that music aids memory in language learning.  In one recent study, research participants made bigger strides in acquiring Hungarian when they sang their new language.One prominent psychology researcher has devoted his career to the study of memory and music.  But, for Dr. Roediger, the issue isnt so much getting information into your brain as it is  getting information out.  Have you ever spent a huge chunk of time cramming vocabulary or grammar, only to struggle with recalling what you just taught yourself? Then youve experienced this firsthand. Memory is about informative storage  and  retrieval. What good is it to learn anything if you can never access that information again?According to Dr. Roedigers research (along with the work of numerous other intrigued psychologists) music creates a sticky structure that gloms to key information and helps it all get extracted neatly when you need it. Its kind of like when youre trying to remember the order of the alphabet and need to sing a chunk of the alphabet song you learned in kindergarten to help you. I know Id personally be unable to list all 50 United States without the 50 Nifty United States song I learned in elementary school.Mu sic is so darn powerful in memory recall that many medical professionals suggest music as therapy for elderly patients with Alzheimers, dementia and other degenerative memory loss conditions. Hearing songs that held some  sentimental value for them allows them to rediscover  long lost memories, things locked away in parts of their brains which have been extensively damaged by their medical conditions.This beautiful idea brings me to the next benefit music has for  language learning.Music Makes Us HappyWhen youre learning a language, attitude counts. Singing, dancing and music brings joy. The key is to be uninhibited while singing along to your musicâ€"enjoy the experience without any pressure about technique, accuracy or sound.Especially when listening to music that you love, your brain releases dopamine in response.  Plus, its even been shown to  aid those coping with mild to severe depression, lessening feelings of sadness, hopelessness and despair.Singing and Speaking Are One and the SameBut the benefits of music for language learners dont  just end with general brain-boosting effects. Oh, noâ€"music and language learning are inextricably linked.In the first years of our lives, it turns out that our soft, squishy baby brains cant tell the difference between lullabies and nursery rhymes.  Our natural sense for syntax comes from every word we hear in the crib, whether its sung or spoken. Music and language are all one and the same for us. Lullabies impact the way we start speaking and, likewise, the speech we absorb impacts our singing and musical sensibilities.Music Defines YouEven if you dont consider yourself a music-aficionado, you probably know what you do and dont like. The type of music we enjoy is strongly connected to our personalities.No matter what kind of music you like, its most likely out there in your target language. Choose to learn with the music you like best, and youll give yourself a boost of personal satisfaction and enjoyment. This keeps language learning fun and personalized, as it always should be. Thats whatll give you the momentum and motivation to keep practicing!Why Music and Language Are a Dynamic DuoPut simply: Music is  a language.  Think about it. Even when there arent any words set to a tune (or when the song is accompanied by foreign words that you cant understand at all), you can still grasp what the tune intends to express. Is it a happy, upbeat song meant to make you smile? A love song that makes your heart flutter? A blues song about heartbreak that conjures up rainclouds around your head?Bottom line, we can communicate through music. While each culture, society and individual has their own spin on music, music is truly a universal human language. Its a uniquely beautiful form of human expression. Its only natural that we want to channel music into our language learning.There are tons of language and culture lessons that can be learned from the diverse music out there:Culture.  Youll start to hear c ommon pairings of types of lyrics with types of music. For example, if you hear the fanfare of a national anthem, you know that the words are meant to express a strong sentiment of national pride. What words does this language use to capture and express this feeling? When I first heard the Ecuadorian national anthem (starting with ¡Salve, Oh Patria, mil veces! ¡Oh Patria, (We salute you, Oh Homeland, a thousand times! Oh Homeland!), thats exactly the moment I learned the word patria, which is often used by Ecuadorian nationals to describe their country in moments of prideâ€"both in speech and song.Syntax.  Whether you realize it or not, catchy choruses will teach you word orderâ€"so youll have the building blocks to branch out and use the language authentically.Diverse vocabulary.  From lofty, poetic language to hip, trendy slang, music has it all.Bilingualism.  By listening to bilingual music, you can train your brain to switch quickly and seamlessly between languages. Thats an a wesome skill for a language learner to have!The Best Types of Music for Language LearningEarworms. An earworm is a devastatingly catchy songâ€"you know, the kind that wriggles its way deep into your brain through your ear canal. They dig in deep and pop up when you least expect them. Youre minding your own business and thenâ€"oh, dangâ€"that Britney Spears song is playing in your head again. You may even be humming along or mouthing the lyrics. To find good earworms, consult modern pop music with repetitive lyrics and cute choruses. You can even look for television commercials and viral YouTube-based advertisements in your target language. Like, the only reason I know the word for lottery ticket in Spanish is because of this annoying little number.Childrens music.  It might seem below your language level, but even advanced learners can glean new information from childrens songs. Theyre  repetitive and easy to learn, and theyre designed for the ultimate new language learnersâ€"kids! Absorbing the lyrics of childrens songs will embed proper syntax and pronunciation in your mind, and itll teach you essential grammar and vocabulary.Modern music.  Oh yeah, we love the modern stuff. Modern music grants you important  pop culture knowledge which, as we all know, is vital for things like carrying casual conversations, understanding humor and following television programs. Modern doesnt just mean pop music eitherâ€"it refers to anything by artists of our current generations. The topics sung about in these songs often point to key political injustices, social issues, trends, modern relationship dynamics and more relatable things.Traditional music.  While older music can at times be hard to follow due to antiquated language, it can be a goldmine of cultural information. It can also introduce you to more complex and poetic vocabulary. Once youve listened to some more traditional tunes, youll likely hear remnants of these musical styles in more modern music in your target language.Music that you love.  It doesnt matter if you love to listen to it or dance to itâ€"if the song makes you smile or makes your booty shake, use it for language learning. The more addictive you find your study music, the more fun youll have listening to it. This will keep you chugging forward with musical study time.Music you know well.  Listen or translations or unique  renditions of songs you already love, or find songs with similar melodies. Familiarity with the tune, lyrics or meaning will give you a headstart learning language with that particular song.Methods for Studying Language with MusicWrite Your Own Melodies.  The lyrics you write yourself can be some of the most memorable. Its kind of like when you dream up your own mnemonic devices for memorizing thingsâ€"the most vivid images that stand out in your brain will work better than those that other people tell you to use. Need to memorize a series of grammar patterns or conjugations? Organize them and set them up wit h a tune that you know well.Listen Passively.  Keep foreign language on in the background at all times. The key to fluency is familiarity. Your brain needs to learn how to function 100% in the foreign language. It should feel like this new language is normal and comfortable. By immersing yourself in the language with constant background music, youll not only become familiar, youll start picking up on commonly-used words, phrases and grammar patterns.Have a Sing-along.  Pull up the lyrics while listening to your chosen songs and sing as the song plays. If youre lucky, youll find the video on YouTube with lyrics written on-screen for easy reading. As well discuss further in a bit, another great option is using FluentU music videosâ€"these come complete with annotations in English and your target language.Karaoke.  If you live in a major city, chances are pretty good that the community speaking your target language has some cool joints where they love to hang out together. If youre lea rning German, find the local pub where the Germans hang out. From there, you can inquire about karaoke night, or make some new friends to invite to your own at-home karaoke night. If you dont have many diverse international communities in your area, youd be surprised how often local karaoke joints have foreign language music in their machines. And if you really dislike the idea of stepping on stage or singing in front of others, host your own little party-of-one karaoke night at home. Just type the name of your favorite foreign language songs into YouTubes search bar along with the word karaoke. This will lead you to instrumental renditions of the song with lyrics presented on-screen.Dictation.  Its as simple as this: listen and write. Scribble down every word you can catch on the fly, even if its only the odd word or phrase every 20 seconds. If you catch 90% of a sentence but are missing a couple of key words, just write down whatever you heard. Dont stop the music, keep it rolling until the song has played through completely. Then go back again and fill in whatever you missed. The chorus should come together fairly quickly thanks to the repetitions in just one play-through. If youre really at a loss after a couple of plays, refer to the lyrics to see what you missed.        Fill in the Blanks.  This ones a little more classroom-style but, heck, its very effective. Print out a full sheet of lyrics. Use white out or a permanent marker to blot out some words and phrases throughout the lyrics. If youre studying gender, blot out pronouns and gendered word endings. If youre studying verb conjugations, blot out entire verbs or just blot out their conjugated elements.Resources for Learning Language with MusicLyrics TrainingThis online game is all about learning languages with lyrics. Choose your language, your genre, your song and, finally, your language level. Once youre in, settle in for a whileâ€"this engaging resource reaches another level of seriously addictin g.Watch your chosen music video and fill in the blanks in the lyrics as the music video plays. The game levels span from beginner to expert. Beginners only need to fill in a handful of words here and there. Experts need to fill in every single word. Decide which difficulty level allows you to play casually, without stress, but also offers you a little challenge in terms of problem solving.Theres no rush to keep up with the song either, when you mistype or fall behind, the song pauses and allows you to catch up.FluentUFluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news, inspiring talks and more.With FluentU, you hear languages in real-world contextsâ€"the way that native speakers actually use them.Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of FluentU videos on offer:FluentU really takes the grunt work out of learning languages, leaving you with nothing but engaging, effective and efficient learning. It’s already hand-picked the best videos for you and organized them by level and topic. All you have to do is choose any video that strikes your fancy to get started!Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under Vocab.You can use FluentU’s unique adaptive quizzes to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions and exercises. Just swipe left or right to see more examples of the word youre studying.The program even keeps track of what you’re learning and tells you exactly when it’s time for review, giving you a 100% personalized experience.You can see FluentU in action by checking out this video, which uses the program to break down the popular song from The Lego Movie.Start using FluentU on the website  with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the  iTunes store  or  Google Play store.EarwormsThis program is available in various formats; CDs, MP3 downloads and apps  are all available for your educational enjoyment. This one fuses music and language lessons so that theyre completely interwoven.This isnt about learning with popular songs and artists, its about using little jingles for better memorization. Unsurprisingly, this method gets the job done!JamtokThis up-and-comer is currently available as an app for Japanese and Spanish learners. The principle behind this learning program is that the brain absorbs information better when learning and casual enjoyment are layered. So, sandwich up your language lessons with music and games. Join Jamtok as they  ambitiously strive to engage your whole brain for enhanced memorization.Now that youve assembled some fantastic resources, its time for me to release you back into to the world of language learning.Sure, language learning can be hard, but now youve got the scienceâ€"and the know-howâ€"to back you up in all your music-based language studies.Open your ears, expand your mind, boost your brainpower, and start listening to foreign language music today!

Start Fixing Your Grades After Halloween - TutorNerds

Start Fixing Your Grades After Halloween - TutorNerds Tips From a Private Irvine Tutor: Start Fixing Your Grades After Halloween Tips From a Private Irvine Tutor: Start Fixing Your Grades After Halloween Halloween is a fun holiday that presents a nice reprieve from school work (even if most students still have school on October 31st).   However, it is also useful to recognize it as a turning point in your grades for the semester or quarter.   Halloween marks the end of October, meaning that there is only November and some percentage of December left for your classes and grades this period book your private Irvine tutor today. This means that your time is limited to achieve the grades that you want â€" but not so limited that you can’t make an effective change.   Halloween gives you a mental break and stress relief to then focus on making a change afterward.   Here are some things you can do to start fixing your grades after Halloween: Talk to Your Teachers One first step you should take in improving your grades is to talk to the teachers or professors in the classes where you are struggling.   Ideally, you would do this in a meeting or during office hours rather than just a few minutes after class or over email.   Your teacher is the one who knows the assignments and grading policy and is the best equipped to give you practical resources. Your teacher can tell you what grades are possible for you to achieve, what grade you are on track for, what assignments you will need to do well on, and what you should be doing now.   If you are going to improve your grades, then you need to know where you’re at now and where you can realistically get to in the next two months. Make an Early Finals Study Plan If your class has a final â€" especially if it is a cumulative final â€" then you can get a head start on preparation now while you are motivated and not overwhelmed with end of semester stress.   Make a clear and concise study material now.   Make flashcards, outlines, or practice questions.   My ideal approach is to pretend you are the teacher and make a test for yourself based on what you’ve learned so far.   You don’t even have to take the test you make; the act of making it helps your learning, and you can save it for the final time to take it again. Get Started on Final Projects or Papers NOW This is advice that everyone knows, and no one takes it.   If you have a significant final project or paper for the end of your semester, then you should start it early.   Don’t tell yourself that you have plenty of time.   Don’t tell yourself that you haven’t learned enough yet to finish it.   Start something and make a contribution now while you are motivated and ready to make a change. It can be as small as a simple paragraph or a title and a few notes.   Just put some amount of work in now, and you will thank yourself for it later.   It can also help you find areas of confusion that you can bring up to your teacher while you still have plenty of time.   The only way for your teacher to help you with a big project that is a large part of your grade is if you make an effort to start it early, so you have time to ask. Hire a Private Irvine Tutor These tips all require you to hold yourself accountable and be motivated enough to realize change.   Having someone else there to help and keep you on track can be a huge incentive actually to making the change happen without being on your own.   A tutor can make sure you start studying early, make sure that you reach out to your teacher and help you conceptualize your syllabus, and make sure you are on track with big projects or papers. A tutor can also help you catch up at old material or excel at new material.   While starting and early and being focused can be effective in improving your grade, it can only help so much if you simply don’t understand what you’re learning in class or fell too far behind.   A tutor can help remedy these problems in a way that you likely couldn’t achieve on your own.   Make sure to look for an experienced tutor and be clear about what your goals are and what you want to get out of the experience. Let Halloween be more than just a fun holiday and use it as a catalyst to make a real and effective change in your academic career.   You’ll thank yourself for it when you get your final grades if you just put in the effort to start now. Dont wait until the last minute to book your experienced Irvine tutor. Michael C. is currently a private math, science, and standardized test tutor with TutorNerds in Irvine and Anaheim. All blog entries, except for guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

HESS International Educational Group

HESS International Educational Group HESS International Educational Group With more than 30 years of experience, we have refined our selection and training process to put only the very best teachers in our classrooms. At HESS, there is a symbiotic relationship between teaching and curriculum development. The people who write our materials also teach students and train other teachers with them. Being both an education and publishing company ensures that our teachers use the best methods to teach the most effective materials. We also recognize the inseparable relationship between reading and education, and through our bookstores, we support our students, parents, and the public at large with our education philosophy beyond the classroom. Our programs include all-English and bilingual preschools, two streams of elementary school (one each for those who have and have not learned English in preschool), junior high school, an excellent e-learning platform, adult and corporate education programs, overseas study tours, and services supporting the arrangement of long-term overseas study placements. In all of these programs, our main field of excellence remains English language education. However, we teach more than just English. In our preschools, children learn a wide variety of skills and knowledge, thoroughly preparing them for public school. In our elementary and junior high schools, we also support our students with courses in other subjects such as Chinese, math, and science, helping them to become well-rounded and successful students. In addition to the excellent business and conversational English courses we offer to adults, there is also the opportunity to learn French and Japanese at this level. View our Brochure