5 Reasons Why Its Important to Practice French Conversation

5 Reasons Why Its Important to Practice French Conversation Megan L. Learning French by reading and writing is a good place for some students to start, however there comes a point where you must speak French in order to truly improve. French tutor  Carol Beth L.  shares her advice for students who are ready to take the plunge into spoken French Conversing in a foreign language is not easy. In some ways, its almost akin to public speaking. It puts you on the spot and tests your ability to think using a set of linguistic tools that are not as automatic as those of your native language. Many French students â€" especially beginners and lower-level students â€" are self-conscious about conversing in French because they know how imperfect they sound. But this makes it even more imperative to get out there and practice. Here are a few reasons to practice your French conversation: 1) Get over yourself and your imperfections. As mentioned above, many French students â€" especially beginners â€" are understandably self-conscious. There is no better way to gain confidence with French than through real-life practice. 2) Its not like the movies. Life generally isnt. In a movie, everything is scripted. (Well, almost always.) The same is true of your textbook and the written exercises you might also do. Starting from a script is great. It provides you with a baseline, including examples of common situations and ways to say things. To become truly proficient, however, you must eventually take the plunge and remove the book. 3) Solidify your ability to speak French. You may have heard it said in the past that “your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.” Ghandi originally said this as part of a much more serious context. Yet the basic idea can also be applied to learning a language â€" and when it comes to your thoughts, you can focus on which thoughts you wish to strengthen. You know and believe that your knowledge of French must be encouraged in order to become proficient. By translating your thoughts into action, you can train your brain to use the parts of it that contain your knowledge of French. By doing so, you are strengthening those parts of your brain and the connections between them. 4) Solidify your ability to think in French. When it comes to conversation, thinking in French can be just as important as speaking in French. If you can think in French, your rate of speech will almost invariably be faster than those who cant or dont. It doesnt usually happen immediately, but keep in mind that thinking in French doesnt necessarily mean that you can say anything and everything. It does mean that the web of French vocabulary and grammatical tools you have at hand in your head has cohesively developed, and that you can proficiently navigate it. 5) Meet other francophiles and francophones. You may make a few French-speaking friends with similar interests. If you can establish your relationship in French, you may also gain an advantage when it comes to practicing, maintaining, and improving your French. In addition, you will have strengthened your social network. So, are you ready to go for it? Start searching for a conversation group or class in your area to get started! Check out these tips for learning French for ideas on how to find your group. Its out there waiting for you! Working with a private tutor is another wonderful way to practice speaking and improve your French. French tutors are available to work with you in-person or online via Skype. Find your French tutor today! Carol Beth L. teaches French lessons in San Francisco, CA. She has her Masters in French language education from the Sorbonne University in Paris and has been teaching since 2009. Learn more about Carol Beth here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by  saxman777

4 Important Facts to Know About Your GPA

4 Important Facts to Know About Your GPA At the end of your report card every year, listed under your current grades, is your cumulative GPA. You might know what is typically seen as a great GPAfor example, something at or near a 4.0 and what numbers represent weaker GPAs. But you may not know how your GPA is calculated, how it will influence your college admissions process, and how you can use it to decide what kinds of colleges might fit you best. Your cumulative GPA is a powerful marker of where you are academically and what kind of academic performance you might be capable of later on. When looking at your GPA from this past school year, keep these four important facts in mind: 1. Your cumulative GPA may be weightedand different schools have different methods of weighting GPAs If you take some honors or AP classes, your grades from these classes might result in your cumulative GPA being calculated with higher numbers. For example, some schools grade AP classes on a 5.0 scale and honors classes on a 4.5 scale, thus making it possible for your cumulative GPA to be over a 4.0. If your school weights these more advanced classes by adjusting the grading scale, then your cumulative GPA may be a weighted GPA, intended to reflect the increased rigor of your courseload. Furthermore, the way one school weights its more challenging classes may not be the way other schools weight theirs, and some schools may not weight their classes at all. Before you get excited about your GPA, figure out if your school weights classes and if the cumulative GPA on your report card is weighted or unweighted. [RELATED: How LSAC Calculates Your GPA] 2. Colleges may place more emphasis on your unweighted GPA Colleges receive a copy of your official high school transcript that may include both your unweighted and weighted GPAs. Because high schools calculate their weighted GPAs in a myriad of ways, many colleges look to standardize the grading scales of their applicants by putting everyone back on the old 4.0 scalemeaning that colleges may look at your unweighted GPA as well. Colleges can then assess the rigor of your courseload by looking at which classes are listed on your transcript. Thus, if you have an unweighted GPA of 3.7 and took four AP classes, you might be more enticing than a candidate with an unweighted 4.0 who took no challenging courses. 3. You can use your GPA to determine how competitive of a college applicant you might be Most colleges share the average GPAs of students in their recent entering classes, and you can use this data to help determine if you are a competitive applicant for certain schools. Applying to a few reach schools is standard for most students, but it should be noted that your reach schools should be just thatwithin reach. Use your GPA as a guideline during your application process. However, keep in mind the college admissions process is typically holistic, meaning the application reviewers review all aspects of your academic history and what you have to offer, so try not to completely write off a potential school due to a target GPA mismatch. Your GPA can act as just one of many guiding factors as you research colleges to find which are the best statistical fits. [RELATED: Is MCAT or GPA More Important for Med School?] 4. Colleges may use your GPA as an indication of how well you will perform academically at the collegiate level Colleges know that a past record of strong academic performance typically begets future strong performances. Colleges look at GPAs not only as evidence of your high school accomplishments, but as likely predictors of future promise. Your GPA may represent what you will bring to a school academically and how well you might do once you graduate from college. Make sure youre putting your best foot forward by working consistently hard and challenging yourself throughout your high school career so that your GPA reflects a promising candidate who is ready to take on a collegiate courseload. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us atblog@varsitytutors.com.

How To Study Smarter By Discovering Your Learning Style (Infographic) - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / How To Study Smarter By Discovering Your Learning Style (Infographic) - Introvert Whisperer How To Study Smarter By Discovering Your Learning Style (Infographic) Discovering your study style will enable you to better understand your strengths and weaknesses so you can reach your full potential as a student.   A Brief Introduction to Learning Styles The term “learning style” can be defined as the ways in which peoples’ brains process, absorb, comprehend and retain information. As such, learning styles are not really concerned with  what  learners learn, but rather  how  they prefer to learn. Your learning style is unique to you and can be influenced by a diverse range of cognitive, emotional, experiential and environmental factors. In fact, studies show that everyone uses a mix of learning styles.   The Advantages of Knowing Your Learning Style “It is better to know how to learn than to know.” Dr. Seuss   Developing an awareness and understanding of your unique learning style will empower you to boost your academic performance. Knowing your learning style may also boost your confidence when it comes to learning and this can may you achieve your goals without doubting yourself or your abilities. It will allow you to create customised study strategies, this will take some of the stress out of exam preparation and will help to make your revision sessions more fruitful. What’s more, you will also be able to communicate more effectively with your teachers about your needs. What Are Some of the Most Common Learning Styles? Style 1: Visual Learning Most people fall into the “visual learner” category. Visual learners tend to learn best by sight and prefer visual demonstrations over verbal explanations. These individuals typically find it easier to visualise things in their mind so videos, photos and diagrams can be useful learning aids. Style 2: Auditory Learning   After visual learning, auditory learning is the most common learning style. Individuals with the auditory learning style are best at processing information through sound. It is not uncommon for auditory learners to have excellent communication skills. They also show a preference for thinking aloud so they find it useful to discuss ideas in a group setting. Style 3: Kinesthetic/Tactile Learning The least common learning style, a mere 5% of all people fall into the Kinesthetic/Tactile category. These people generally absorb information most effectively when they are engaged in a hands-on activity. They usually find it easier to concentrate when moving and dislike being sedentary. For best results, those with the kinesthetic learning style should attempt to integrate some form of movement or activity into their study sessions. Learn More If you would like to find out more about the different learning styles, then you should take a look at this interesting infographic which comes courtesy of Study Medicine Europe. This useful guide explains how cultivating an awareness of your learning style can help to improve your chances of academic success. It also lays out the various styles of learning and offers specific study advice for each category. It supplements this with some more general study tips. Scroll down to the infographic below to discover the best and study techniques for each learning style.

3 Big Challenges and What You Should Do - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 3 Big Challenges and What You Should Do - Introvert Whisperer 3 Big Challenges and What You Should Do We constantly face challenges in our life.   There are 3 big challenges I think we face almost daily. I’d like to offer up my thoughts on things to do or consider with those challenges. Here are the challenges: Making hard decisions Staying focused on your goals when life intervenes Finding balance (yes, it’s there as well) Let’s take a peek at the challenges and some things to consider:   Making hard decisions I one time heard someone says that there are no “bad” decisions; decisions are neutral.   It’s what you do and how you respond to the outcome of your decision. In general, I think that is a wholesome way to look at decisions because all decisions that arent life-threatening, illegal or immoral all can get “managed”.   By that I mean there are always unknowns that you don’t know or can’t predict at the time you make a decision. You must figure out how to handle those unpredictable things.   We have to adjust.   We have to problem-solve.   There is never a straight line between a decision and an outcome. Maybe there is an element of expectation adjustment to go with decision-making.   The expectation should lean toward realizing in order to get to the desired end result; you will have to weave around a few obstacles.   You have to keep your eye on your goal for the decision you made and recognize you still have work to do. Staying focused on your goals when life intervenes   I see this so much that it’s obvious, as humans, we can really only focus on a couple of important things at the same time.   This is especially true with our careers.   We are focused on finishing school and launching our career.   Once we do that; we get married, have kids and buy a house.   It’s big fun and very exciting but while we’re doing it, the career tends to go into autopilot.   We wake up one day in the future and wonder what happened, as we aren’t where we prefer. I think there are two things you can do to help you stay focused: Have someone dedicated to help remind you to occasionally pay attention to “other important things”. It can be a trusted mentor or a professional like a coach. Make a point out in time when you’ll restart your focus. The person I mention in number one can help you with a future restart. Finding balance   My view on finding balance is that it’s an ongoing part of life.   You have to constantly make decisions about what to do and what to delay.   It’s like your money; you can’t pay for everything all the time.   You have to decide what is most important right now and wait to do or pay for something at another point in the future. As a gal who used to work for me said: “It turns out you can’t do it all, at least not all at the same time.”   It’s true and while it might not always be fun, it’s part of keeping you functioning well. Go to top Do you know what your next career step is?  Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

How to get ahead in academics this summer

How to get ahead in academics this summer Summer tutoring can turn you summer into a growth experienceFor most students, the school year is coming to an end sometime in the next few weeks.  A seemingly endless expanse of summer break stretches out in front of them.  Visions of beach days and sleeping in abound.  However, time goes quickly and before they know it, August is rolling around again and it’s time to head back to school.The “summer slide” is well-known, for good reason.  After taking several months off from academics, many students lose some of the achievement gains they made the year before.  While we don’t advocate devoting your entire summer to school (everyone needs a break!), it can be beneficial to weave learning into some of your free time so you’re not starting the school year at a disadvantage.Here are a few ideas to get you started:Read for fun.Aside from being an enjoyable way to pass the time, reading for fun builds your vocabulary and reading comprehension.  Students who read for fun te nd to do much better on the SAT and ACT as well.  Don’t assume that reading for fun has to mean picking up the classics like Dickens and Dostoevsky (although those are great too!).  For more reluctant readers, even magazines can do the trick.  Try magazines with well-written feature articles like ESPN The Magazine or The Atlantic Monthly.  Get a subscription and distribute the magazines around your house so you’ll pick them up when you have a free minute.   Remember, you can use a Kindle to bring books and magazines with you wherever you go!Get a head start on test prep with easy-to-use apps.Yes, there’s no substitute for old-fashioned in-person test prep for the most personalized instruction (this might be a good time to mention that current AJ Tutoring students should take practice SAT and ACT tests with us this summer!).  However, there are some great SAT and ACT prep apps out there that will help you take your test prep with you wherever you go.  Try the College Boar d’s app for SAT prep and ACT Ups app for the ACT.  Even doing a question or two each day will help you make headway in your test prep for next school year.Improve your organization and executive functioning skills.One of the most underrated contributors to academic success is the ability to stay focused, avoid procrastination, and make a study plan (and stick to it!).   A student who knows everything there is to know about US History but starts a 5-page essay the night before it’s due is probably not going to get the grade that he’s capable of achieving.  This summer, start by reading a book like The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg to learn how to automate your willpower and change your habits for good.  Then, harness modern technology for your benefit by trying a few productivity apps.  Google Calendar might be a good solution if the traditional planner has never worked for you.  Todoist is a powerful to-do list app that helps you plan out your tasks and reminds you whe n they’re due.  Finally, practice your new habits and try out your new technology on a smaller scale over the summer: use them to help you complete your summer assignments for next school year.Explore an academic interest, or work ahead for next year’s classes.Have you noticed a recurring theme yet?  Technology can help you make the most of your time this summer, allowing you to integrate learning with your summer plans.  The last few years have seen an explosion in free or low-cost online classes.  Interested in learning CSS, a foreign language, or early American history?  Coursera, Khan Academy, and Codecademy are a few options among hundreds of such websites.  However, while online courses are a great way to explore a new academic interest, many students have trouble staying motivated when they’re not meeting in-person with a teacher. For those students, AJ Tutoring offers a variety of 1-on-1 summer classes at our offices in the Bay Area.  Our summer offerings range from bridge classes to get you ready for AP Calculus to enrichment classes in subjects like Java.  To sign up for summer classes at AJ Tutoring or talk with a director about your summer plans, please fill out a consultation request or give us a call at 650.331.3251.   Wed love to work with you this summer!

Why I Volunteer - Annick and Lourdess Story

Why I Volunteer - Annick and Lourdes's Story Meet Annick S and Lourdes D, two of Tutorfair’s lovely language volunteers. As respective native French and Spanish speakers, Annick and Lourdes have used their impressive language skills to tutor Senior students at Pimlico and Paddington Academy. We help them tell their stories below. Although the two tutors volunteered in different schools and in different subjects, both Annick and Lourdes are in the unique position of learning how to teach  a group of less-than-timid teens a language that has been innate for most of their lives. “I was a bit . . . a bit shocked,” Annick begins, recalling her first day at Pimlico Academy. “[The students] don’t sit down, they’re not quiet, and they’re very tiring.” Annick reminds me of some of my own favorite High School educators: patient enough to teach, with a no-nonsense attitude that suggests that you listen. Carefully. “But,” she continues, “as they get to know you and you get to know them, you find some middle ground. You learn to take it as it comes, and if you don’t think of a solution or a way to do it better, you let [the students] get on with it. Then you go back in a few minutes and maybe they will get it. Maybe there is progress.” When I speak to Lourdes a couple weeks later, I am struck by the parallels between her and Annick’s experiences, right down to their first day. Lourdes remembers, “I went to class, and the teacher introduced me to the students who had more difficulty. The teacher said, ‘Don’t be afraid because their behavior is not so good,’ but it was fine with me because I used to work with difficult children. I understand that sometimes they’re difficult, and that’s okay. I just like to work with them.” In these few sentences, Lourdes exemplifies a quiet kind of perseverance, and immense dedication to her students. When I ask her what motivated her to reach outside of her comfort zone and become a volunteer tutor, she says simply, “The children.” “They are special, they are innocent, they are funny, and I have fun with them. Sometimes it is difficult, but you have to give your time, because it will make you feel like a better person, too. These children are the future.” Despite her earlier reservations, when I ask Annick the same question she remains focused on her pupils, too. Her favorite part? “The interaction with the students,” she says. “Opening their mind to other things, and showing them there is more around that they could explore.” It’s easy to see why these two make such fantastic volunteers, isn’t it? Thank you, Annick and Lourdes! If you're a tutor, teacher or an aspiring educator looking to make a difference, visit the Tutorfair Foundation to find out how you can join the future of tutoring.

Guest Post Top ACT Reading Strategies - TutorNerds

Guest Post Top ACT Reading Strategies - TutorNerds Guest Post: Improve Your Score With These Top ACT Reading Strategies There are a lot of reading strategies out there for the ACT.   The problem is, many of them are not necessarily actionable.   A tip to “read more” or “be confident” is not exactly the most efficient studying strategy for the ACT Reading section when you have 2 months or less for preparation. Why not? The ACT reading questions are not like what you’ve seen in a classroom. Often, these questions have been specifically designed to confuse you.   The good news is, the ACT writes questions so that there is one undeniably correct answer.   All you need to learn is how to find it! Here are 5 proven strategies to help improve your ACT reading score: 1. Read the easiest passages first The ACT reading topics are divided into 4 types: Prose Fiction, Social Science, Humanities, and Natural Science.   For those who do not consider themselves the next “renaissance man,” it’s perfectly fine to be better at one type of passage compared to another.   If Natural Science is your bread and butter, tackle this one first.   You’ll be more likely to ride through the rest of the passages with confidence rather than reading and answering the hardest passage first. This is a great strategy to utilize on test day to start off the Reading section on a good foot. 2. Eliminate the wrong answer The ACT answers are black and white when it comes to what’s correct and what’s incorrect.   Understanding the lack of a gray area on this test is vital when going through the answer choices for each question because this strategy focuses on eliminating the wrong answers first. Meaning you’re left with an answer that’s 100% correct. Each incorrect ACT question has a detail that makes it clearly wrong. If an answer introduces a new or unrelated concept, it’s wrong.   If the answer is too specific or, reversely too broad, it’s wrong.   Two other words to look out for are extremes like “always” or “never.”   The more you practice finding these incorrect answers, the easier it gets to spot them quickly and easily. 3. Diagnose your main weakness with a practice test This strategy is all about finding out what your weakness is during real testing conditions and then what your score could be if you had more time to finish.   To find where you struggle, you’ll first need to obtain an official ACT practice test.   You will set the timer for 35 minutes and take the test as if it were test day.   If time is up and you aren’t finished, do not stop working.   Reset your stopwatch and record the time it takes to finish the rest of the questions to the best of your ability.   For these questions answered with additional time, simply add a little tick beside each question that required the additional time.   Now grade your test using the answer key and create two scores: 1.       Timed Score: The score you earned within the 35 minutes 2.       Unlimited Time Score: The score you earned if time were unlimited How can you use these scores to determine your weaknesses?   Here are a few scenarios to look out for and what they can mean: •       The two scores are more than 2 points different: This is a sign that you are struggling with managing your time and need to practice reading more passages to finish faster. •       Your unlimited time score is lower than you’d like: This is also a sign that you need to put more time into reading passages across all the ACT reading subjects.   This is a good moment to identify which types of passages you are struggling with and prioritize practicing on those passages until you feel comfortable. 4. Underline Summarize While you are reading the passage, underline any important nouns or sentences you come across. For every paragraph, write a brief summary to help you remember what you read.   This can be as little as 3-4 words, so long as it helps you manage the information once you refer back later. Underlining and summarizing this text helps you to digest the main points and be more prepared to answer the questions that follow.   If you prefer a systematic approach to underlining for comprehension, you can utilize the following system: •       Main ideas: double underlined •       Supporting details: single underline •       Key words: Circle 5. Try to answer the questions before looking at the answers Like I mentioned earlier, the ACT writes answers to your questions to confuse you or make you second-guess your answer purposely. After reading a question and before looking at the answers, try to figure out what the answer is. This will help you to steer clear from the tempting incorrect answers the ACT will throw at you. These strategies can all be utilized congruently with one another to help develop a smarter approach to improving your ACT reading score. The most important thing to remember is to do what works for you. Good luck! Kristine Thorndyke works at Quesbook, a company dedicated to providing free ACT practice tools and resources to students around the world. Our private Orange County ACT tutoring will help you improve your score without the stress. Call us today for more information. All blog entries, with the exception of 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.

Canada Horizon International Education Incorporated

Canada Horizon International Education Incorporated Canada Horizon International Education Incorporated LOCSS is the only British Columbia Offshore School in Central China.It is certified to offer the BC program from Grade 10 through to Grade 12 Graduation.We also enroll a Foundations Year for students who are almost ready for Grade 10; however, require an extra year of English to promote maximum success.Our first graduation class of 42 students received their BC Graduation Dogwood Certificate. Of our 42 Graduates, 34 are attending the University of Toronto or the University of Alberta. The other graduates attended Canadian and International Universities. We will enroll 160 students for 2018 - 2019. Construction is completed for a new school building for our LOCSS BC Program.The new building is built on our current school campus, it will be ready for September, 2018.We are currently housed within a private Chinese school of 3,500 students (Grade 7 12), with excellent facilities. We are an exciting school creating traditions as we grow in Lanzhou, Gansu, China. We are located in Lanzhou, along the famous Silk Road, and on the shores of the well known Yellow River.