Thursday, April 2, 2020

Why It Is the Best Place to Go to for Education

Why It Is the Best Place to Go to for EducationAre you a fan of the American television series Beverly Hills, 90210? If so, you may be familiar with Rebecca director tutoring center. The show, which centers on the life of a fictional high school, uses realistic portrayals of high school in order to educate viewers on the realities of high school.If you are also interested in learning about high school, you may want to consider taking a trip to the Beverly Hills, 90210 locations. That's where Rebecca director tutoring center is located. The center is run by Rachel Dunhill, a former teacher and tutor at Beverly Hills High School. Though she is not an actual teacher herself, the center is run by a professional staff and highly qualified and knowledgeable tutors.That is why they are the best Rebecca school. This is where you will learn how to actually live and study the way you would in a real high school. The school itself is a totally different experience from attending a real high sch ool. You will be able to take a whole year, and from it learn about a completely different college experience.Rebecca may not be the best school for everyone. It is entirely possible that if you are someone who does not have a strong social relationship with anyone, this may not be the best educational choice for you. Of course, everyone will have different needs, but the idea is that the lessons are designed for the whole person.The teachers who work at the center are all professional tutors with years of experience. You will be able to have a good experience, as they will guide you through every aspect of being a student at the school. They may not be able to help you get into the best school, butif you are a person who is interested in furthering your education and finding a more challenging program, this is a very good choice.The location of the Rebecca school is just one reason why it is such a good choice. The reality is that all of the schools are fairly close to each other. The location is even on a busy road, so it is not possible to drive there yourself. You can check it out, and if you are one of the good candidates, you can go there and get a real education.Though you may not have the opportunity to take a trip to the Rebecca school in person, you can learn all you need to know at the internet. The center is hosted by Yahoo Answers. The school will be offering virtual lessons for the course. Even if you do not wish to pay for an expensive class, you will still get the information you need to get a better education.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

How Long Will It Take to Learn French

How Long Will It Take to Learn French Take French Language Courses: What is the Optimal Time for Learning French? ChaptersThe Number of Hours Necessary to Learn FrenchWhat Are the Components in Learning FrenchLiving in France to Become a FrancophoneWhether you’re studying French as a foreign language through free lessons in your community, partaking in language services online, or practice your French with other anglophones â€" you’ve probably asked yourself the same question: how long does it take for an English speaker to master French?Whether you’re in Ontario, Los Angeles or London â€" learning world languages has become an even better, more efficient process, even by just translating English to French online.According to the Francophone Observatory, the French language is now spoken by 421 million people. To put that into perspective, Spanish has 451 million speakers and Arabic has 402 million. A fun fact that might not come through in your French class is that the number of Francophones is forecasted to surpass Hispanophones around 2022.Whether you’re interested in learning more ab out the influence of vulgar Latin, are striving for and intermediate French level, or simply want to get a Job in France â€" understanding French is a powerful tool!For language learning to be effective, you must practice every day 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) £100/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe Number of Hours Necessary to Learn FrenchWhether you’ve tried going to language schools, are currently taken a French for beginners course or are part of a Facebook group for French learners â€" it is impossible to know how many hours it will take for you to become fluent in French.However, as French teachers or any polyglot will tell you, French a global language that is one of the easiest to learn. According to a study by the American Foreign Service Institute, or FSI, the Romance language is one of the easiest living languages in the world to learn.As with all language programs around the world, the levels of French language have been set out in a framework created by the European Union known as the CEFRL for European languages. These levels aren’t just for English speakers, but for everyone trying to gauge their knowledge of French. There are six levels ranging from the basic, A1, to the level of complete fluency, C2.The B2 level, an intermediate step that means you are able to listen to French audio and express yourself easily in both written and oral terms, is the one normally required for entry into public un iversities for a language study or maths and sciences. Oral expression is particularly important in French universities, meaning you will have to work on perfecting your accent.The FSI study has grouped some popular living languages into different groups corresponding to the amount of time it will take to reach an advanced level of knowledge.Group 1, 24 to 30 weeks of learning: French, Danish, Dutch, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, SwedishGroup 2, 36 weeks of courses: German, Indonesian, MalaysianGroup 3, 44 weeks: Armenian, Czech, Farsi, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, RussianGroup 4, 88 weeks: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, KoreanAccording to this guide, you might be able to get by in French by trying out some coffee break French podcasts or by listening to some modern French radio channels â€" something that would be near impossible to do with a language like Mandarin Chinese.However, looking at the study, if you’re interested in learning more than just basic gram mar rules or French verb and syntax rules, you’ll need to put in more than 480 hours. Using a coffee break or podcast method should, theoretically, be enough to get you to a level A1 or even A2.If you’d like to reach a more advanced level, however, you might want to consider taking a French lesson either online or with a language institute. According to the study, the FSI recommends spending 600 to 750 hours over 24 to 30 weeks in order to reach a B2 or C1 level in French.This is pretty significant, considering that as a foreigner, you will be able to reach high degrees of autonomy in a language in as little as 6 months!In conclusion, to reach an intermediate level, you will need to study 10 hours a day for 48 days â€" which is the some actually many choose.However, many of us don’t actually have that sort of time to set aside for language â€" unless you’re Canadian French and probably spend most of your day practicing anyways. Here are some tips on what to expect on your jo urney towards becoming fluent.Discover the best French classes London here.One way to get free lessons in French is to simply move to a Francophone cityWhat Are the Components in Learning FrenchWhether you’re studying through a language exchange, French classes or simply by memorizing your phrasebook â€" it’s clear that the amount of time you spend learning is one of the most important factors in language acquisition.There are, however, several other components you’ll have to take into account when studying both French or any of the other Romance languages. Not mentioned below, but can be found with this guide, is a price comparison between the different types of courses you're likely to encounter.What is the Right Methodology?The methodology under which you learn French will vary significantly from the type of learning you’re engaging in â€" be it through Duolingo or through live, conversational French practice with French people.For most people, taking French courses at a university or through private lessons with a native French speaker will result in a much quicker understanding of the language than through self-teaching methods.From walking you through the basics of the French alphabet to understanding the complex rules of French verbs, following a French course has many benefits â€" the most important one being regularity. A French language school or tutor won’t just guide you to your desired level of French, be it beginner French or bilingualism, but it will also help you appreciate French culture and history.The Framework of Studies in FrenchAs with studying any of the many unofficial and official languages around the world, practising French daily is an imperative step towards mastering the linguistics of the language.In order to do this, it will be important to define your goals from the beginning. Whether your goal be in the form of a French internship to living and working in the country, chances are you’ll probably have to take a stand ard French exam.The acronyms for these tests are the DELF, DALF and the TCF, all of which do not have the same levels. In order to prepare for these, the ideal framework would be to study under an intensive program.If you’re looking for free French language resources, there are plenty of French online options: Campus France, Le Point du FLE, Bonjour de France, and the Alliance Franciase. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a master at French to be able to access these sites.MemorizationLearning French, as with all languages, will involve some memorization skills. The recommended way to learn French vocabulary is to divvy up the words you want to learn by what they deal with. For example, for vocabulary words concerning the hospitality sector, you will have to learn specific vocab like the words for hotel, restaurant, bar service, building, tourism, etc.Learning vocabulary doesn’t just deal with memorization, but also the frequency with which you learn these words â€" a lesson al ong the lines of the phrase “use it or lose it.”A study by Harry P. Bahrick concluded that without practicing, people who had studied a language forgot about 60% of their vocabulary in the 3 years after they stopped actively learning it.French people are some of the best language teachers!Living in France to Become a FrancophoneWhile a French course might teach you about French pronunciation or French conversation, there is no language course that can teach you â€" whether it be online French or through a private French teacher â€" better than your own ears.In the mid-1960s, linguist and neurologist Eric Lenneberg developed an important theory on language which stated that acquiring an native accent in a language after puberty is impossible if someone has only been surrounded exclusively in their maternal language their whole lives.More generally, this is known as synaptic pruning â€" a process in which your brain gets rid of informational ties it has not used until then.While t his might seem like a dreary picture for those looking to acquire perfect French as an adult, a French immersion program might be in your best interest. While learning a new language is always stressful and language courses can sometimes conflict with even the most flexible of schedules - becoming a native speaker through intensive French lessons is highly effective.While acquiring your second language can be accomplished through beginners and intermediate level courses, where your language skills will be refined by learning about French language and culture - you can also consider moving to France. Whether it be through an student, internship or another professional opportunity - you will learn new words and phrases daily just as a product of living there.If you'd like to learn French while living somewhere that you can still speak your native language, there are many options to start learning French in the UK. From tutors on our website to UK universities - your journey to master French doesn't have to start tomorrow.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Japanese Lessons Cardiff

Japanese Lessons Cardiff Why Take Japanese Classes? ChaptersHow Should I Learn Japanese?Where Can I Find Japanese Lessons In Cardiff?What If I Want To Learn Advanced Japanese?Are There Other Ways To Take Japanese Lessons In Cardiff?When people think about learning a new foreign language, often people think about learning a European language, such as French, Spanish, German, or even Italian.While there’s certainly nothing wrong with learning these languages (in fact, there can be some benefits to learning a romance language such as Spanish, as it can be easier to learn other romance languages in turn) you might want to consider learning Japanese as your next foreign language.There are so many reasons why learning Japanese can benefit you. For instance:Japanese Is Spoken By MillionsThere are around 128 million speakers of Japanese across the world. In fact, it’s one of the ten most spoken languages on Earth. This means you should have no shortage of people to practice speaking Japanese with, especially if you travel to Japan!It’s A Great Language To Learn For Your CareerIt’s no secret that Japan has a successful economy. In fact, it has one of the largest economies in the world, and many of the most successful companies today are Japanese, with Mitsubishi, Sony Corporation, and Nintendo as just a few examples. This means that the Japanese language can be great to know in the world of business.So, if you are working or plan to work in an industry that does a lot of business in Japan, or you have a lot of Japanese-speaking clients, being able to speak Japanese, even if it’s just within a business setting, can help you put the right foot forward when it comes to your career.Don't ask Google for 'Japanese lessons near me'; Superprof has done all the work for you!Gain An Appreciation Of Japanese CultureAlthough you certainly don’t have to be fluent in Japanese to appreciate Japanese culture, you might find it easier to understand certain aspects of it if you speak the language. For example, if you’re a hu ge anime or manga fan, then learning Japanese may allow you to read or watch your favourite anime or manga in its original language. If you want to travel to Japan, it can be a great idea to learn JapaneseTravel Around JapanAgain, you don’t necessarily need to be fluent in Japanese to travel to Japan, but it can certainly make life easier if you do know how to speak to the locals. From ordering in a restaurant to asking for directions, or speaking a little about yourself, knowing some Japanese can be incredibly useful on your travels abroad.Meet People With A Similar InterestPerhaps one of the most overlooked advantages to learning a foreign language â€" be it Japanese or another language entirely â€" is that taking foreign language classes allows you to meet with people with whom you share a common interest.As such, language classes can be a great way to meet new people and make friends, while also giving you plenty of different people that you can practice your Japanese skills with!If ever you wanted to find an international community who shares your interests, taking Japanese lessons in London would do it!Oth ers prefer to learn about the grammatical aspects of a language first before delving into vocabulary;Some learners may prefer to avoid detailed grammar lessons until they’re more comfortable with the basic vocabulary.So, when looking for a Japanese course, it may be a good idea to research how much emphasis the course places on grammar/vocabulary/pronunciation etc so that you know whether or not the course may be a good fit for you.If you’re not sure if a class’s approach might work for you, don’t be afraid to try and get in touch with the course provider to ask them for more information â€" hopefully they should be able to answer any questions you may have.Might you be wondering about Japanese lessons in Leeds because you anticipate relocating? There are business courses in Japanese as well that may help you get ahead in your careerIf You’re A Complete Beginner, Consider Learning The Japanese AlphabetAs noted above, everyone learns a foreign language best in their own way. Having said that, when it comes to Japanese, one point of reference that many learners find helpful is to study the Japanese alphabet early on in their studies.This is because the Japanese alphabet is very different from the alphabet that we use in English, and it can take some time both learning and getting used to.Birmingham Japanese lessons are unique for many reasons; find out why!Although this may sound daunting, as the Japanese alphabet is such a core part of the Japanese language it is incredibly important to learn, especially if you’re looking to commit time learning and improving your Japanese proficiency.One of the quirks of the Japanese alphabet that Japanese language learners can find conceptually difficult to overcome is the fact that the re isn’t actually one alphabet â€" there are three! They are called:Hiragana;Katakana; andKanji.When you’re first starting out, you may want to focus on learning the Hiragana, as this is often the alphabet that’s first taught to children in schools, so it may be easier for you to ease into. However, if you want to learn a different alphabet from the offset, you’re of course more than welcome to do so!Did you know you could learn the basics of Japanese in Manchester, too?Where Can I Find Japanese Lessons In Cardiff?One of the best places to learn Japanese in Cardiff is at Cardiff University.Cardiff University runs a variety of part-time courses for adults in foreign languages, and Japanese is one such offering.There is a wide range of courses that cater to all types of ability levels, although the primary focus is for learners between basic and intermediate proficiency in the Japanese language.For example, you could study Japanese courses such as:Japanese for Beginners I;Japa nese for Beginners II;Japanese for Improvers I;Japanese for Improvers II;Japanese Lower Intermediate; andJapanese Higher Intermediate.The content of the lessons will vary depending on which course you’re enrolled onto.For example, the “Japanese for Beginners I” course runs over 12 weeks with evening sessions that last for two hours.Japanese lessons in Glasgow are similarly organised...As the course is designed for someone who has had no previous experience with the Japanese language, the alphabet that is focused on in this course is Hiragana (often considered one of the easier Japanese alphabets to learn).According to Cardiff University’s website, the course also covers topics such as greetings and daily expressions, as well as numbers, time and day, shipping, travel, and personal information.When it comes to grammar, a few basic grammatical points should be covered, including:“Noun and desu: future, present and past tenseMotion Verbs: future, present and past tense”Comp are the above course to the “Japanese Higher Intermediate” part-time course offered by Cardiff University.This course runs for twice the length of Japanese for Beginners I (24 weeks) although the length of the lessons remains the same (2 hours in the evenings).The course is designed for those who have “studied Japanese for three years part-time” and intends to continue to develop participants’ speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills in the Japanese language.Edinburgh has fantastic Japanese lessons of offer! Group classes can be a great way to learn JapaneseWhat If I Want To Learn Advanced Japanese?If you are truly passionate about the Japanese language and Japan in general, then one way to really improve your Japanese proficiency is to take a degree in Japanese.As this does take some commitment in terms of time, and carries much higher costs compared to other ways of learning Japanese, if an undergraduate degree is a path you’d like to go down then you can study Japanese at Cardiff University, typically through a joint-degree combination such as:Spanish and Japanese;Business Studies and Japanese;French and Japanese;German and Japanese; andItalian and Japanese, to name a few.Are There Other Ways To Take Japanese Lessons In Cardiff?Cardiff University isn’t the only place you can go to learn Japanese in Cardiff.For instance, if you’re unsure about whether you’d want to commit for 12 weeks of study (or longer) or you’d rather focus on learning about aspects of the Japanese languag e that are of particular interest to you, then you could also consider hiring a private Japanese tutor to help you improve your proficiency in Japanese.Superprof, for example, has a range of language tutors across the UK, so it’s a case of searching for Japanese tutors in your local area and picking out the tutor that suits you.So, whether you:Want to focus exclusively on learning the Japanese alphabets;Want to focus on particular grammatical points in Japanese;Would prefer to dedicate more time improving your Japanese speaking skills and knowledge of common sayings; orWould like to learn Japanese at your own pace,Private tuition, through a tutor such as a Superprof tutor, may work for you.Simply enter your postcode and select the language you'd like tuition in, and you will be shown tutors in your local area that can offer tuition in that subject. So all you need to do is take a look and contact the tutor that you think might best suit you.Now discover where Belfastians go for Ja panese lessons...

Thursday, March 5, 2020

The Oil Painting Techniques All Beginners Should Know

The Oil Painting Techniques All Beginners Should Know If You’re Starting Out in Oil Painting, You Need to Know these Techniques ChaptersWhat Makes Oil Paint So Special?The Basic Oil Painting Techniques You Need to KnowTechniques to Enhance Your Oil PaintingFor those who have never considered learning to paint, it can feel like the art of painting is merely a case of slapping oil paints onto an empty canvas and making something pretty out of it. However, those who have any experience of oil painting at all â€" whether you are a total beginner or a pro â€" know that this is not true.Because painting, just like playing music or writing, requires a lot of skill, practice, and knowledge. And it requires a knowledge of techniques that are specific to the medium in which you are working.Therefore, painters who work with oil paint need to do quite different things than people who work with watercolour. And both of these will use different techniques to those who work primarily with tempera or acrylic paint.The world of painting is not monolithic. It ain’t the same across the board, across different painting mediums , or across styles. Rather, each type of paint requires different techniques â€" as each behaves differently, produces colour differently, and requires different maintenance and preparation.Here, we are going to be looking at the painting techniques specific to oil painting. Because this most popular of painting media is also one of the most complex to master. FernandoPainting Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EmmaPainting Teacher 5.00 (5) £75/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DavidPainting Teacher 4.75 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaPainting Teacher 5.00 (7) £37/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors StefaniaPainting Teacher 5.00 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SakinaPainting Teacher 5.00 (1) £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorrenPainting Teacher 5.00 (2) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Off2themoonholliePainting Teacher £8/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsW hat Makes Oil Paint So Special?Oil paint is a specific sort of paint in which the colour pigments are suspended in slow-drying oils. These oils are usually made of linseed and sometimes even walnut. This means that the paint is much more easily controlled than something like watercolour â€" which is much more viscous and can run.It has been popular with painters across the centuries because of this fact â€" and because it has a much greater colour saturation, meaning that the colours it produces are richer and more vivid. The paints too are opaque â€" meaning that, when applied thickly, you cannot see through to the support onto which they are applied.Given its long drying time â€" which can stretch to years, depending on the colour and the thickness of application â€" it can also be manipulated over time. This means that artists can change and correct their work without having to reapply paint.Compare all this to watercolour painting, say. This is translucent â€" meaning that the c olours applied first can often be seen through the later paints â€" and it is much more difficult to control than oil. Meanwhile, it dries dead quickly. You can see then that different techniques might be required.Let’s have a look at what these might be. Caring for your brushes is an important oil painting technique!The Basic Oil Painting Techniques You Need to KnowWhen you are starting out in learning how to paint with oil, there are a few things that you really do need to know. Because without these fundamental techniques, your painting on canvas won’t stay on the canvas for long.Oil paints crack, they flake, and they darken â€" depending on how you apply the paint. And, unfortunately, this doesn’t produce a hugely good-looking artwork at the end of things.So, before we look at some of the different kinds of brushstrokes, let’s look at what you need to do before you even go near the paint at all. These are the most basic painting techniques you need to know.Check out introduction to oil painting!Preparing Your CanvasBefore anything else that happens with your oil paintings, you need to know how to prepare your canvas â€" and how to choose it too.Because there are plenty of options when it comes to purchasing canvases. These, primarily, are stretched canvases, canvas boards, and canvas paper. Whilst the stretched canvases are those that are pulled around a timber frame, canvas boards are linen or cotton canvases placed on top of cardboard.Canvas paper, meanwhile, usually comes in pads of paper that does not warp under the paint.Priming Your CanvasMost of these are bought pre-primed. However, you need to ensure that this is the case for the canvas you buy. If the canvases are not primed, then you need to do it â€" otherwise, with application of paint, the canvas itself will rot.Priming is done with a type of paint known as gesso, which seals the fibres of the canvas, preventing this rot. If you are doing this yourself, you’ll need to do it in layers.Getting the Right Thickness of PaintSo, your canvas is primed and ready to go. But now you need to prepare your paints too. Because, unfortunately, it is quite unlikely that you are going to want to use them straight out of the box.It’s more likely that yo u will want to thin them first. And the skill that you will learn here is actually the same one that you will use to clean your paint brushes.Because there’s one thing we know about oil, no? It doesn’t like water. So, cleaning your brushes in water just ain’t gonna work. You need something else.Oils and SpiritsWhat you’ll want to use to thin your paint are spirits and oils â€" and it is best to use both as an excess of either can be destructive for your painting.The sort of spirits you want are known as ‘artists’ white spirit’, which is a spirit with the more noxious chemicals removed (it replaced turpentine a little while back). Meanwhile, you can add more linseed oil or poppy seed oil to the paint to make it thinner too.Your white spirit will clean your brush too.Want to learn the basics of oil painting? Learn oil painting!Applying the Paint: the Fundamental PrinciplesNow we’re at the point at which we can start painting. But how are we going to do this? Knowing that oil is a difficult medium to use, surely there are some rules for this too, no?Of course there are. And whilst the best painting practice will take all of these incredibly seriously, it is not the end of the world if you get it slightly wrong. You’ll learn with practice.Underpainting: the BaselayerThe principle of underlaying is that, sometimes, you don’t want to be staring at a sheet of white. There’s nothing to help creative block than an empty space you need to fill.Underpainting is what most artists do with their canvas. This involves covering the canvas with a neutral tone before beginning to paint properly. This also has the benefit of letting you more clearly see tonal values.Fat over LeanWhen painting with oil, there are two ‘laws’ that prevent your paint on your canvas from cracking as it dries. The first one is this: ‘fat over lean’.This refers to the amount of oil that is present in the paint: fat means that there is lots of oil, whilst lean means that it has been thinned with spirit or solvent.Ensure that your early coats on the canvas are leaner than those on top â€" as the fatter the paint the slower it dries. You don’t want the top layers to be drying more quickly than the lower ones.Thick over ThinThe second law is ‘thick over thin’, for exactly the same reason. Begin with thin layers of paint, as these will dry more quickly â€" and you go for much thicker layers later on.Honestly, it is better this way. Because if your lower layers dry slowly, your whole painting is going to crack.Discover some great resources for your oil painting!Techniques to Enhance Your Oil PaintingWith these basic techniques of oil painting covered, let’s move on to some of the more advanced techniques â€" or those that will give you a style all of your own.These are some techniques th at you can use with oil paint. However, there are many more!BlendingBlending is the technique with which you gently mix two paints that are adjacent on your canvas to give the image a smoother effect. It is often used for distant elements in landscape painting for a ‘realistic’ sense.GlazingGlazing is when you use very thin, transparent layers of paint â€" on top of thicker, opaque layers that have been let to dry.We know that oil dries very slowly, so this can be quite time-consuming. However, the effect it produces is wonderful. The vibrancy of the colour is one of oil painting's many benefitsImpastoImpasto is the use of thick oil paint, purposely left thick. It has a nice textural effect in which the brushstrokes and knife marks are visible.Alla Prima â€" or Wet on WetWet on wet is a fairly self-explanatory sort of title. It refers to the process by which you apply wet paint onto previous layers of paint that has not yet dried.Using the Palette KnifeYour paint brush isn’t the only tool that you can use on your canvas, remember. Your palette knife, usually used for mixing, can create cool effects on your canvas too.

Start Vocal Training to Become a Star

Start Vocal Training to Become a Star Start Singing Lessons to Become an Artist ChaptersDo You Dream of Singing in front of a Huge Audience?The Special Case of Opera SingersThe World of MusicalsImprove Your Musical Knowledge with SingingGain Inspiration from Songs from Other Musical StylesHow Can You Learn How to Sing?“I would rather be remembered by a song than by a victory” -  Alexander Smith, Dreamthorp (1863)In recent years, there have been so many TV shows dedicated to finding talent, especially amongst those who have a good singing voice and vocal range.Shows like The X Factor and The Voice are without a doubt two of the biggest singing shows in the UK: especially when you look at the viewing figures they get.It’s quite common that you’ll also find plenty of young people on the playground who want to learn to sing. However, given how risky becoming a singer can be, a lot of people tend to give up on this dream in order to look for safer and more stable jobs.Are you wondering why beginners give up on their dreams of singing so quickly?Usually, it’ s because they lack the talent, the drive, or just don’t put in enough effort in their voice lessons when they're supposed to be learning to sing. This is often the first reason why those who once dreamt of becoming a singer never do.  Of course, you need to be able to sing in key, too!How do you become a famous singer? (Source: Thibault Trillet)Nobody’s born a star, you have to become one!   Singing can work wonders for your mental well-being, but by going professional, you may run the risk of viewing it as a source of worry - so be careful out there! TraceySinging Teacher 4.92 (13) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PortiaSinging Teacher 4.91 (11) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolaSinging Teacher 5.00 (11) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JazzSinging Teacher 5.00 (6) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PerrineSinging Teacher 5.00 (3) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TiemSinging Teacher £40/h1st lesson free! Discover all our tutors TomSinging Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MiriamSinging Teacher 5.00 (4) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsDo You Dream of Singing in front of a Huge Audience?From Justin Bieber to Jeff Buckley, there are so many different famous singers that inspire people to get into singing.For years, people have been inspired by famous people and tried to emulate their favourite singers in order to become one themselves.Generally speaking, the older stars tend to make way for the younger generations of singers. In the past, a mentor would teach their apprentice everything they needed to know and they’d inevitably be replaced by them.However, singing isn’t your typical apprenticeship. You’ll have to dedicate your life to your vocal exercises and your vocal training if you want to become a star. It isn’t something you can do on the side.Your stage presence as a singer is also really important. (Source: Saurav Sen)You have to want t o sing and you have to be willing to put in the work and never give up. You have to remain motivated and be able to deal with the inevitable hurdles that you’ll have to overcome.This is something that’s almost impossible to do on your own. You’re bound to fail at least a few times.  It’s a good idea to start by singing in a choir or group so that you can learn from your peers.Even if you love certain kinds of music, you should try singing all different types of genres: hip hop, soul, folk, pop, rock, etc. You’ll find that you can learn a lot from musical styles that you’ve never even listened to.The Special Case of Opera SingersNowadays, you’re more likely to hear a pop singer than an opera singer.  Despite years of training, opera singers barely see as much limelight as their pop counterparts.However, when it comes to vocal coaching and vocal technique, singing lessons are particularly useful for anyone who’s dreaming of recording an opera album.Mastering a baroque piece for a tenor or a soprano suggests that you’re in complete control of your breathing, adept in classical singing, have perfect pitch, and many other singing techniques that would help you broaden your artistic repertoire.In addition to opening doors to a completely different career where your timbre and tessitura are your greatest qualities, opera singing is also a great way to discover how to sing complex vocal techniques with an instrumental accompaniment (especially in the case of Wagner).An alto, for example, will also have to master their elocution in both English and foreign languages while taking care to correctly warm up their voice and manage stress.  Baritone singers will be expected to sing while accompanied by an orchestra. These skills have also been employed by more contemporary artists in recent years. TraceySinging Teacher 4.92 (13) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PortiaSinging Teacher 4.91 (11) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Nic olaSinging Teacher 5.00 (11) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JazzSinging Teacher 5.00 (6) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PerrineSinging Teacher 5.00 (3) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TiemSinging Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TomSinging Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MiriamSinging Teacher 5.00 (4) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe World of MusicalsMusicals have become hugely popular in recent years and sort of sit as a halfway point between opera and contemporary concerts.  Musicals are seemingly far more popular than plays and operas and include enjoyable melodies, memorable tunes, and a huge variety of different roles and musical styles.Musicals are a great way to get into music! (Source: pixabay.com)You can work on your singing by learning a few songs from the musicals and you’ll soon be making great progress. As a result, there's plenty of voice training, singing exerc ises, and singing tips for those wanting to audition for a musical online.While you’ll obviously need a good voice to sing musicals, there are also plenty of characters who aren’t traditionally singers but rather comedians. There are plenty of people who’ve become famous like this.Improve Your Musical Knowledge with SingingWhile we don’t often think about it, there aren't many famous musicians who haven’t mastered the art of singing.Whether you play the violin, organ, cello, etc., every musician should have a musical ear and be able to sing a given note. It's impossible to find singing success if you're tone deaf!  Even the conductor, who’s expected to be able to lead the whole orchestra, should have the necessary skills to produce a given note with their voice.Learn more about practicing different musical styles.To a lesser extent, dancers should also have some kind of theoretical understanding of music given that they’re going to have to move their body in time to it .  Then there’s the musical stars who do it all with just a microphone.Learning an instrument like the piano can really help your singing. (Source: stock.tookapic.com)Not only do they usually know how to play a musical instrument (or several in some cases) or sing while dancing incredibly (take Michael Jackson, for instance), they often write their own music, too.  Writing a song is a hugely impressive feat and is nowhere near as easy as some make it look.Bach’s Mass, Mozart’s Requiem, Mendelssohn, Monteverdi, Fauré, Schubert, Gounod, Berlioz, Handel, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Brahms, Poulenc, Puccini and Bellini, the list goes on and on. Each of these composers are famous for their profound understanding of each instrument and the human voice.  The world of music extends farther than you would first think.  There are sound and light technicians, stage designers, agents (who are artists in their own special ways), and many other people who can make a musical performance come togeth er on the stage.On the other hand, a singer who masters other aspects of music (you could get a piano tutor, for example), composition, and the performing arts has a huge advantage when it comes to putting on a show over someone who’s only studied how to sing.Gain Inspiration from Songs from Other Musical StylesThere are so many different art forms that have inspired music and vice versa. For example, you could consider poetry to be literature with a musical edge.Literature has inspired music, too. There are plenty of novels and stories that eventually were turned into operas or songs, for example.Music has also inspired painters and sculptors. The surrealist painters of the inter-war period would paint while listening to famous singers.  Nowadays, there are very few creatives who don’t work while listening to music.How Can You Learn How to Sing?Patience is definitely a virtue for anyone who’d like to become a star. After all, nobody really becomes famous overnight.A music sch ool is one of the first places you should visit if you want to learn how to sing. Additionally, there are also places that specialise in just singing. If you’re really serious, you should also consider looking at universities where you can find qualified singing teachers.If you’d like personalised classes, you should consider enlisting the help of a private voice coach who can come to your house for your lessons.You'll have to practise, practice, and practise if you want to get over stage fright. (Source: Thibault Trillet)When it comes to finding the perfect voice, self-confidence can be key. After all, it’s impossible to sing well when you’re nervous.It’s very difficult to ad lib musical education. If you want to become a singing sensation rather than on the dole, you’re definitely going to have to consider working with a good music teacher.  If the student’s going to become the master, they’re going to need a good master, after all.Additionally, you should also mak e sure that you remain active and exercise regularly in order to ensure that you’re in complete control of your breathing as it’s imperative when it comes to singing well.You should also look to nurture your own style so that when you do become famous, you’ll stand out rather than just being a forgettable face in a crowd of similar singers.You should also be careful. Whether you have a long or a short career, there will always be people trying to swindle you, false friends, hangers-on, and dodgy agents trying to use your talent and hard work for their own personal gain!However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The first thing you need to do is start practising! If you want your voice to get better and be able to hit those high notes, you're going to need to be taught by a singing teacher and learn how to sing in tune.You'll also need to do some ear training (for learning how to differentiate good notes) and warm up exercises and work on breathing with your diaphragm. Are yo u interested in improving your posture? You should probably look for a voice coach on Superprof. Don't forget you can also find a teacher who provides singing lessons online, too.Find singing lessons near mesinging lessons LondonSinging lessons ManchesterSinging lessons online

The Best Way To Learn Chinese

The Best Way To Learn Chinese Everything You Need To Know To Begin Learning Chinese ChaptersHow To Choose Your Chinese TeacherHow Much Does A Mandarin Lesson Cost?How Can You Prepare for Your Chinese Lessons?How To Supplement Your Chinese ClassesThose wanting to learn to speak Chinese often come upon a stumbling block: the difficulty of the language often makes it often necessary to learn with a Chinese teacher who either lived in a Chinese-speaking country or is a native speaker of Mandarin.In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about choosing the right Chinese class for you. their fees are not fixed. This means that private Chinese teachers fix their prices themselves, depending on their experience.Chinese lessons can be expensive - but not if you choose them carefully! Photo by Canadian Pacific on Visualhunt.comBut how much does a home Chinese lesson cost?On average, home tutoring in the UK costs about £25 to 30 an hour.Over 400 Mandarin tutors are available on Superprof throughout the UK. Their prices vary greatly, depending on:Geographic al locationTheir level of MandarinThe level at which they teach (beginner, intermediate, advanced)ExperienceAgeThe number of lessons (some offer reduced prices if you sign up for 10 lessons or more).On Superprof, the prices for a Chinese tutor are as follows:Mandarin Lessons London range from £12 (cheapest) to £50 an hour (most expensive) for a Chinese tutor London.In the rest of England, prices go from £5 (teaching as a hobby) to £50 (Business Chinese).Chinese lessons in Scotland can be as cheap as £10 an hour or as expensive as £40.So, do you have to be rich to take Mandarin or Cantonese classes?Fortunately, there are alternatives if you live in a high-price area.You can take lessons at a language institute or learn Chinese online via webcam.But why would you?A language school will tie you down for eight to ten weeks per course and put you in a classroom with other students.This at least forces you to commit to lessons, allows you to meet like-minded students of the Chinese language, and offers lessons with native speakers from a Mandarin-speaking area such as China, Taiwan, Singapur or Hong Kong.It is also usually cheaper, as the course prices, when broken down into hourly rates, are usually quite low: paying anywhere between £130 to £678 depending on the place and the class level, you will find yourself with an hourly fee ranging from £6.50 to £16.95 - well below the average of £20-30 an hour - and the teachers are just as experienced, if not more!Still too expensive?You might instead try finding Chinese exchange students willing to give lessons in their native tongue.Or try private lessons via webcam - without travel expenses, most Chinese teachers offer Skype courses at advantageous rates.Or simply learn Chinese online with free apps for learning the Chinese language.How Can You Prepare for Your Chinese Lessons?“There is no easy way to learn difficult things.” (Joseph de Maistre, 1753-1821)As we know, learning to read and write Chinese is an arduous task. That’s why it helps to really prepare for your Chinese lessons ahead of time.So what can you do?Listen carefully during the lesson to better memorise itRegularly re-read your lessons (rules of Chinese grammar, Pinyin transcription, the order and direction of the strokes in Chinese calligraphy, vocabulary words, Chinese verbs)Find a quiet moment for revision - the evenings just before going to sleep are bestKeep your brain irrigated: eat well, drink a lot, breathe mindfully, sit correctly with your back straight and your feet parallel to the groundAvoid distractionsMake flashcard summaries: one card per chapter or lessonUse mnemonic devices to help you memorise Chinese grammar or symbols.Learning Mandarin means assimilating sounds and rhythms that are completely different from our Romance languages. Just like a musician, you need to train your ear and activate your lexicographical radar.So how can you immerse yourself in the Chinese language while still in Britain? When learning a new subject, it helps to immerse yourself in the area you are studying. Listen to jazz when learning jazz guitar, read Arabic newspapers to learn the Arabic alphabet or listen to foreign movies in the original when learning a language.It’s the same thing when learning Chinese: you need to immerse yourself in it, to hear Mandarin spoken, for example by watching Chinese movies.Even if you don’t actually understand it at first, a beginner Chinese student will be better able to recognise Chinese characters and improve their pronunciation than if they didn’t do this simple exercise.Practise your Mandarin reading skills by reading Chinese newspapers. Photo by Canadian Pacific on VisualhuntImmersing yourself in the Chinese language means plunging headfirst into the language and its environment. It also means discovering Chinese culture and history, the Chinese way of thinking and functioning. It’s almost like going off to live in China without leaving the UK.To acce lerate your Chinese learning curve, prepare a trip to China or Taiwan - or why not try a language exchange programme?What is a language exchange?It’s a way to learn a foreign language for free by meeting with a native speaker. You learn Mandarin from a Chinese national who wants to learn English: an intercultural exchange, a transfer between first and second languages.How To Supplement Your Chinese ClassesThe tones and pronunciation of the Chinese language can sometimes be so difficult to assimilate that two hours of Chinese lessons a week are insufficient for anyone wanting to learn Chinese fast.So here are a few tools to help improve your command of the Chinese language.Is your Chinese dictionary not enough to become a fluent Mandarin speaker? Try out Chinese learning apps and websites. Photo by Nick Kenrick. on VisualHunt.comWebsites and apps to train your Chinese skillsObviously, it is impossible to list all the tools available to learn Chinese online, whether it be websites o r apps, but here is a selection:Hello ChineseMondlyPlecoSkritterLine dictionaryMandarin MadnessLearn Chinese Mandarin Phrasebook Chinese ToolsMosalinguaThe BBCChinese Learner FluentUThe Chairman’s Bao   ChengyuFinding a Chinese exchange partnerMost sites promising to match people wanting to learn a foreign language to those for whom it's the mother tongue often also offer lesson plans, dictionaries and chatrooms where you can find a conversation partner.My language exchange uses the Cormier method: learn the Chinese language by taking part in linguistic workshops of two to four people. The site allows beginner Chinese students to exchange e-mails and offers video chats for more advanced students. This method is mainly for students at an intermediary level.Conversation exchange is another free site that will help you find Chinese people wanting to learn a European language such as French, English or Spanish as conversation partners.These sites make it possible to learn a language i n a social context. How?By meeting at the local pub, for example, and speaking half the time in your native language to teach it to your language partner, and half the time in your new second language to learn it for free.It’s also a formidable opportunity to learn colloquial expressions and cultural information that you don’t necessarily learn in a language class - discover China’s political system and history, or Chinese food with a native.

Ask a Law School Admissions Expert Jeremy Shinewald

Ask a Law School Admissions Expert Jeremy Shinewald Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. Founder of the prestigious Law School admissions consulting firm, jdMission, Jeremy Shinewald has led countless students to acceptance into the most selective law schools. Also the founder of mbaMission, an elite MBA admissions consulting firm, and a past member of the Board of Directors of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants, Jeremy is truly one of the most notable experts in the admissions field. He graduated from the University of Virginias Darden School of Business, where he also served as an admissions interviewer, and has been quoted in major media outlets including the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. VT: How much time should one expect to devote to adequately preparing for and completing a law school application? Jeremy: If you include taking the LSATand prep courses alone for the LSAT can take two and a half to three and a half monthsthen the entire process of putting together a rock solid law school application should take about six months or so. The application process for law school is actually pretty straightforward and is fairly consistent from school to school, but gathering recommendations, preparing essays (personal statements, diversity essays and addenda) and completing the other required portions of the application still take time. VT: What would you say is the single most important thing applicants should focus on with this kind of application? Jeremy: Law school applications are evaluated in a fairly scientific manner. Schools publish a lot of data about their students average GPA and LSAT scores, and they also publish information about the range of these scores (i.e., the middle 50% of the class has X LSAT score to Y LSAT score). This is not to suggest that the LSAT is everythingbecause it certainly is notbut it is often the most important piece of the law school admissions puzzle that is still within a candidates control. Oftentimes when clients contact us at jdMission, their GPA, which is also quite important, is already set. They are contemplating law school but of course cannot go back in time and alter their GPA, so the LSAT score becomes the most significant variable that applicants can still actively influence. VT: What is the biggest mistake one can make on a law school application? Jeremy: The biggest mistake that an applicant can make is being over-reliant on his or her scores and believing that this element alone will be enough to guarantee an acceptance letter. Even if your GPA and LSAT scores are comfortably above the published ranges for your target program, you should definitely not assume that you are a shoo-in. Schools reject many candidates with competitive scores every application seasonYale Law Schools admissions director cautions applicants about this frequently on her blog. Candidates often buy into the idea that the LSAT is the only thing that matters and so do not put enough thought and effort into telling their stories in their essays and other portions of their application. The ones who do are typically in for a real rude awakening. VT: What do law school admissions officers look for most in an applicants essays/personal statements? Jeremy: Excellent personal statements are impossible to categorize. I wish I could offer something concrete, but it is very much a know it when you see it phenomenon. Great essays are experientially based and are sincerethe writer is not trying too hard to sound intelligent. Instead, the writer relies on the core experiences related in the essay to make him or her stand out. We have seen candidates write about their life, career and studies with a profound sense of purpose, touching on the expanse of experiences that have ultimately led them to law school, and we have seen others reflect on a single, brief moment in time that may only loosely be connected to the law school experienceif at allbut that still serves to effectively define their character for the admissions committee. The only commonality among the strongest personal statements is that the reader is left knowing that the writer bared his or her soul in a way that was not cloying, but genuine and meaningful. In short, be t rue to yourself and your story, and write what you want to write, not what you think the admissions committees want to hear.VT: Can anything in a persons application automatically disqualify him or her from being considered for a JD program? Jeremy: Candidates do need to be mindful of their target programs LSAT score and GPA averages, as we discussed earlier. If yours are below a schools average, this simply means that you are like half of the programs most recent class and so should not worryafter all, the nature of an average is such that some people are above and some people are below. However, if your statistics are way below a schools averages, then you may need to honestly consider whether applying to law school at this time is truly reasonable for you. Yale Law Schools median LSAT for its most recent incoming class was 173, or approximately 98th/99th percentile, but the school also accepted a candidate at the bottom of this range with a 157 LSAT, which is about a 65th/70th percentile. I can assure you that the individual with this 157 score was not your average candidate, thoughhe or she could obviously claim some remarkable achievements that led the school to choose this applicant over other candidates with far b etter LSAT scores. So, a very low LSAT score can make gaining acceptance at your target programs more challenging, but there is no clear cutoff that would definitively disqualify you. VT: In what ways does the law school admissions process differ the most from the undergraduate admissions process? Jeremy: The law school application is the fraternal twin of the undergrad applicationthey are from the same family but look a little different. So, for both, you must complete a standardized test, but for law school, this is the LSAT rather than the SAT; for both, you must submit recommendations that are academic in nature, but the law school applicant would ask a college-level professor, rather than a high school teacher. Although your test scores and GPA are important, once you are in the mix, you need to make an impression on the admissions committee through your personal statement/essay. So, the two kinds of applications exhibit a lot of similarities overall, which means the recent college graduate who experienced a rigorous undergraduate application process should find the law school application process pretty familiar. VT: What kinds of things (experience, grades, etc.) might a candidate lack that would lead you to advise him or her not to apply? Jeremy: With law school, we just want to see that a candidate really knows what he or she is getting into. A lot of recent graduates decide to enter law school by default, but simply not having a better option in mind is a terrible reason to commit three years of your life and several hundred thousand dollars in tuition, living expenses and opportunity cost to a specific path. We ask clients all the time, Do you want to know what being a practicing lawyer really means? We regularly find that many applicants actually do not know what working day-to-day at a law firm entails or understand exactly what lawyers do. Many have an impression built from TV depictions of freewheeling lawyers who cleverly force confessions from guilty people on the stand. However, such scenarios really only exist on TVthe vast majority of cases never even go to trial! (They settle.) We never want to advise someone to pursue a path that may not be the right choice, so we often send candidates out to do some mor e research on their options. I actually did this with a client who came to us earlier today, after prepping for the LSAT for three months! No one had yet asked her, Why law school? and when we did, she had no good answer. VT: Is there anything you might see on a candidates application that would quickly put him or her ahead in the running? Jeremy: The qualitative factors involved in a law school application should never be underestimated. I go back to my earlier comments about applicants who take for granted that they will get into their target programs simply because they have high LSAT scores and/or GPAs but are ultimately rejected, while candidates with less impressive statistics are accepted. If the admissions process were purely scientific, Yale Law School would not have let in that candidate with the 157 LSAT. That 157 applicant was accepted because of an exceptional professional and academic track recordand I mean exceptional. I wish I could say, do this and offer our readers something very specific that would be guaranteed to help. Instead, I can only say that candidates need to own their experiences and present them honestly and in a compelling manner. They cannot manufacture good stories where none truly exist, but they can put themselves in positions and take advantage of opportunities that will allow them t o have standout experiences. For many people, this means being active in their extracurricular and community lives, so that they maximize their chances of having an impact on others. VT: What advice do you have regarding LSAT test prep? Jeremy: We encourage the use of such services and strongly recommend Manhattan LSAT. We know the leadership team very well, and we likewise know the instructors very well. Over the past few years, Manhattan LSAT has established itself as the most rigorous LSAT prep firm on the market. The firm invests so heavily in its staff and curriculum that it is not yet making a marketing splash, but it is only a matter of time until word of mouth takes over. We are confident that a tipping point will come soon, and Manhattan LSAT will become the brand of choice. The companys curriculum is just that much better than that of its competitors. I am not here to shill for the firm, thoughcheck out the online reviews for yourself! VT: What do law school admissions officers look for in recommendation letters? Jeremy: Recommendations are best when they are anecdotally driven, because anecdotes lend weight to what the writer is expressing. Too many letters are filled with empty praise and offer no useful details: Jeremy is the best student I have ever had. He is so awesomely spectacular, I cant believe it! Okay, that may be an exaggerated example, but it is not a wild exaggeration. To be effective and truly helpful to the candidates they are supporting, recommenders need to skip the superlatives and show the admissions committees how the applicant stands out from others by relating relevant stories of his or her actions and accomplishments, with detail, thereby revealing exactly what the individual has done to earn praise. If your recommender can achieve that, you are on your way to having a strong and credible recommendation that the admissions committees will appreciate. Visit jdMission.com to get a thorough look at all the services Jeremy and his team have to offer.The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.