Finding a Japanese Tutor

Finding a Japanese TutorIn general, a Japanese tutor is a professional who spends time training individuals in conversational and speaking skills in Japan. There are many ways in which you can find a Japanese tutor. You may be able to talk to a friend of yours, conduct an internet search, or visit the Tokyo center of the American University of Japan. Finding a Japanese tutor can provide you with not only a great education but it can also allow you to interact with native speakers in Japan.You will be able to select your own program. You can choose to have a tutor in your classroom. You may choose to have a tutor at your office or you may have a private tutor that is available online. You can even choose to take a full immersion program or a part-time program. Either way, the only thing that matters is finding a good Japanese tutor.A good tutor for learning Japanese should have a passion for the language. They should be passionate about learning a new language and should know how to u se language tools to help develop your speaking skills. They should also have time to devote to their students. This way, they can provide their students with the best education possible.If you want to speak a second language fluently for a long time, then you will need to be taught in a classroom environment. Having a tutor is one of the best ways to learn in a classroom environment. By having a teacher who has access to an advanced software program that will assist them in teaching, the classroom environment can be changed into an interactive classroom.Students who wish to learn a foreign language can benefit from both methods. The course can involve both classroom and an online approach. However, it is important to look at this as a long term plan.A college campus can provide you with great opportunities to communicate with other students but only if you have a professor that you can communicate with. If you want to learn the language, you will be better off by making contact wit h a professor at a university. A private tutor is also an option, but you may have to pay up front for their services.Think about how your instructor teaches their classes. Make sure you are comfortable in the classroom environment.

Ask Out - Phrasal Verb of the Day

Ask Out - Phrasal Verb of the Day Todays phrasal verb of the day is: Ask OutInfinitive form: Ask OutPresent Tense: Ask Out/ Asks Outing form: Asking OutPast tense: Asked OutPast Participle: Asked OutAsk Out is a separable English phrasal verb. It can be used in the following way:When you ask someone to go with you to a certain place or an occasion, to spend time together and have fun. In a romantic setting where one or both parties involved is (romantically) interested, then it becomes a date1.  The prince had already asked Cinderella out to go to the movies with him.2. Just because a guy asks a girl out on a date doesnt mean he has to pay for everything, right?iframe width=420 height=315 src=//www.youtube.com/embed/T1uqtnGENzo?rel=0 frameborder=0 allowfullscreen/iframeExercises: Write your answers in comments and we will correct them.Fill in the gaps from the video above:Hes not _____ you ___ because hes intimidated by your professional success.For guys: Did you ever have to ask someone out on a date? How did you g o about it and how did it turn out?For girls: Did you ever get asked out by someone youre not interested in dating? What did you do?Complete the sentences below with the correct form of Ask Out.1. I cant decide whether I should go to the prom or not. I mean, I got _____ ____ by two men. Well, Tom ____ me ___ first, but I really wanna go with Jerry. How can I do that without disappointing Tom, though?2. Maybe I should ___ Sylvester ___ to go with me to the prom instead.3. The Jenkins called and ____ their neighbors ____ for a barbecue.4. If Jim hadnt been too shy, he could have  ___ Sherry___.5. Stuart ____ Sherry ____ on a date while Jim watches.Change the example sentences above to negative sentences (or positive, if the sentence is already negative). Then change them to questions.

New Semester Success Starts With Early Academic Tutoring

New Semester Success Starts With Early Academic Tutoring Happy New Year to our AJ Tutoring family! Were getting back into the swing of things at our offices from Woodside down to San Jose.   Juniors are starting to prepare in earnest for the spring 2015 SATs and ACTs, and our academic tutoring students are building a solid foundation for the semesters coursework.The beginning of the semester is the best time to start working with an academic tutor.By starting early in the semester, students can get ahead in their classes and ensure theyre not digging out from the hole of a low first test grade. While we can help students at any point in the semester, weve found that students see the best improvement in their grades and understanding of a subject when academic tutoring begins at the start of a new semester. Starting a tutoring program early in the semester also allows students to solidify their organizational and study skills, setting them up for success over the next few months.AJ Tutorings academic tutors are available to work with studen ts in all academic subjects.Academic subjects tutored include (but arent limited to!):Math (including AP Calculus AB/BC and AP Statistics)PhysicsBiologyChemistryHistory (including AP US, European, and World History)EnglishSpanishComputer scienceStudy skillsAcademic tutoring at AJ Tutoring is more than just homework club.Most academic tutoring students meet with their tutors for one 1.5 hour session per week.   During academic tutoring sessions, our tutors review the content students must know for their class and ensure that students are completing the homework.   Once the basics are mastered, however, our tutors aim to move beyond the minimum required.   We ask students to complete their homework before their tutoring session, so we can save valuable tutoring time for the hardest questions and concepts.   Our tutors pre-teach concepts that students will be learning in the next couple weeks, so students are familiar with the material and can focus on deep understanding. Lastly, our a cademic tutoring incorporates study skills into every lesson, so students are better equipped to manage the homework and test-preparation process themselves.If you have any questions about how we can help your student succeed in their academic coursework this spring, please reach out to us at (650) 331-3251 or info@ajtutoring.com. Wed love to help develop a gameplan so your student has an enriching and successful semester!

You can teach English in China without a degree (and 3 other myths people think are true)

You can teach English in China without a degree (and 3 other myths people think are true) Picture this. After packing your things and traveling across the world, you arrive in China. You step into the classroom where you will be teaching. Staring back at you are 20 pairs of young eyes. As you look around, you notice the windows at the side of the room and the courtyard outside where children play during the day. The walls are a light blue color and there are books and toys scattered at the back of the room. The noise of children talking has just died down and they’re waiting for you to say something. You’re ready to start your first lesson as an English teacher. How did you get here in the first place? Making the decision to teach English in China may seem daunting. If you happen to be a fresh grad, this may well be a job you never thought you’d consider. So I’m sure you have 100 questions - I know I did. What are the requirements for teaching English in China anyway? We’re glad you asked! There are some common myths about teaching English in China that we’d like to clear up. Here are four important ones about what type of education and experience you need to get the job. 1: “I can teach English in China without a degree.” Nope! You really can’t. Not anymore, at least. Here’s why: Although you don't need to have any teaching experience or a formal teaching credential, the Chinese government have been busy tightening things up on the Z visa front over the past few years. Nowadays, reputable teaching jobs in China now require successful candidates to hold a bachelor’s degree of some kind. Z visa in a nutshell Back up a minute, I hear you say. What’s a Z visa? Well, a Z visa just so happens to be the only visa that allows overseas teachers to legally work in China. Needless to say, it’s critical that you’re working in China under the proper legal status. This means you’ll need to abide by the Chinese government’s regulations - or they won’t grant you a visa in the first place. Pretty standard stuff. Takeaway: if a school or a recruiter claims that you don’t need a degree to land a teaching job in China, beware. Sign up to Teach Away today for access to the latest teaching jobs around the world. A note on ESL job scams in China While a few schools may still claim that you don’t need a degree to teach English at their schools, this is not a good thing. There are lots of scams out there, despite the Chinese government’s best efforts to crack down on these shenanigans, many of which target aspiring ESL teachers online. We don’t want you to get caught up in one. A huge red flag is any school or recruiter asking for a deposit of any kind up front - those supposed dream teaching jobs in China likely don’t even exist. If you do fall victim to an ESL teaching job scam in China, then best case scenario, you probably won't get the same salary and benefits as your colleagues with degrees. Worst case scenario, you’ll be running afoul of China’s working visa laws. Oh! And don’t think that you can fake that all-important degree, either (although we know you wouldn’t dream of it ). The Chinese government now requires all qualifications to be apostilled. That’s an internationally recognized form of authenticating documents, in case you’re wondering. 2: “I didn’t major in English so I’m not qualified to teach it.” This is not true! The good news about being a new grad is that there are many opportunities to teach English abroad, and China is no exception. Your major really doesn’t factor into the equation for hiring schools in China. The growth of people in the country who want to learn English means that demand is increasing faster than ever. And so the demand for teachers is increasing too. Native-English speakers with a variety of education backgrounds are highly sought after for these teaching positions. So, with a Bachelor of Arts, Science, heck, even Engineering, Dance or Environmental Studies - can you teach English in China? Yes! There are options available for you. If this describes you, what you should keep in mind is that the best teaching positions (the ones that pay the highest salary and have the best benefits) are competitive. To be more competitive, consider supplementing your undergraduate degree with a TEFL certificate. Recommending reading: Why teaching English in China is a popular choice for new graduates. 3: “I need to be a certified teacher to teach in China.” FALSE! While being a licensed teacher will make you more competitive to teach in China, it is not required to secure a teaching job. Let’s say you have an undergraduate degree and a TEFL certification - you’d be a great candidate! If teaching is your passion, and you want this experience to kickstart your career, by all means go back to school and secure a teaching license. This will certainly skyrocket you to the top of the recruitment list for hiring schools abroad. But with a desire and passion to go abroad, only having an undergraduate degree and TEFL will work totally fine. The top tier teaching jobs in China (full-time positions at private or international schools) do like candidates with two years of work experience, but this can be in any field â€" it doesn’t have to be in teaching. 4: “I need previous teaching experience to land an English teaching job in China.” Wrong again. Many recent graduates go on to teach in China without any formal teaching experience. You do not need to have any prior teaching experience to get a teaching job in China, so long as you have a TEFL certificate. Many of the Chinese provinces require you to have 120 hour TEFL course, so going for the 120 hours is the best way to make you competitive for the highest number of positions. As always, having both teaching experience and TEFL is the dream team. Recommended reading: 5 reasons why you should teach in China How was today’s lesson? Now that we’ve debunked those four myths around requirements to teach English in China, you can continue your exploration English teaching job hunt with ease. There is, of course, a lot more to cover, like the visa process, what it’s like to live in China and average salaries. You can read about these on our handy teaching English in China info page. To recap, as a minimum, you need to have: An undergraduate degree TEFL certification No matter what, be sure to do your research about the schools you are applying to. Not every place is going to be reputable - and you’d want to know before you get there. Teach Away’s Explore Program helps recent grads get teaching jobs with partner schools in China. We’ve done all the hard work up front, like vetting the schools and making sure they would be a great fit for recent grads. If that interests you, check it out. Now, what were you planning to teach for your first lesson? Before you go, don’t forget to check out our city guides for teachers in China: Teaching English in Hangzhou Teaching English in Nanjing Teaching English in Tianjin

GEMS American Academy - Qatar

GEMS American Academy - Qatar GEMS American Academy - Qatar GEMS American Academy Qataris part of theGEMS Educationfamily, a network of international schools worldwide that offers students the highest standard of education. As a GEMS Education school, we embody the GEMS core concepts of: leading through innovation, pursuing excellence, growing by learning, and global citizenship. GEMS American Academy Qatar (GAAQ) is a state-of-the-art center of inspirational learning for children from Pre-K to Grade 11. Our curriculum is based on U.S. national and Common Core state standards and best practice research. Instruction is focused on the learning needs of the individual child with mastery of essential skills being one of the schools fundamental goals. Our school empowers students to fully develop their intellectual, emotional, social, creative, and physical skills in a challenging and supportive environment. Beyond academics, the school strives to instill in its students a positive attitude towards lifelong learning and an appreciation for cultural diversity, while equipping them with the higher-thinking and problem-solving skills necessary to be successful in life.

One Week Traveling in China - The Scenic Route

One Week Traveling in China - The Scenic Route If you’re teaching abroad in China or elsewhere in Asia, be sure to find the time to travel through China. Earlier, we posted a possible itinerary for exploring Beijing and Shanghai, but there’s much more to experience in China. Take a look at the following one week travel itinerary of a trip to the Guangxi province of China.Day 1 - GuilinTo begin your trip to China, fly to Guilin. Home to 12 ethnic minorities, Guilin lies amongst lakes, rivers and picturesque limestone karsts. First off, head to Elephant Trunk Hill. The hill with a natural hole has become the symbol of Guilin; a boat tour will get you the best view.Day 2 â€" Rice TerracesGet up early and head to the rice terraces of Longsheng, about a 2-hour bus ride from Guilin. Set among small villages, the terraces are an incredible sight year around. In the spring, the flooded paddies resemble scales, giving the ridge its name of the “Dragon Backed Mountain.” Hiking through these terraces will give you a stunning view of the rice fields and surrounding hills.Day 3 â€" Li River CruiseYou’ll have already seen some incredible scenery on this trip, but this river cruise will take your breath away. Boats slowly guide visitors down the Li River, through picturesque hills, rock formations and past scenes illustrating rural life in China. A guide will make the landscape come to life with legendary stories and myths. Once you arrive in Yangshuo, stroll through the small town, enjoy some fabulous food, and explore the night market. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, consider staying for another day for a bike ride through the scenic countryside or a great climbing excursion.Day 4 â€" Travel to Nanning and the Detian WaterfallsYou’ll need to travel from Yangshuo to Nanning â€" a half-day trip â€" in order to make your way to the China-Vietnam border to see the famous Detian Waterfalls (Ban Gioc in Vietnamese). Find a train or bus to Nanning, and spend your afternoon relaxing and enjoying the tropical scen ery at South Lake Park.Day 5 â€" Detian WaterfallsThe Detian Waterfall will be worth your travel efforts. The world’s second largest transnational waterfall flows through three terraces and several scenic routes take you to some beautiful spots. Additionally, visit the border between and Vietnam and China at the 53 Boundary Marker and Cannon Mountain.Day 6 â€"BeihaiMake your way to the fastest growing city in the world, Beihai. It’s well known for its 15 mile long Silver Beach, so make sure you’ve packed your swimsuit! The old street in Beihai features colonial buildings, and the Underwater World highlights the area’s rich marine diversity and China’s naval history. Make sure to try a variety of delicious local seafood for dinner.Day 6 â€" Return to GuilinAfter making your way back to Guilin, take time to explore the city. Stroll through the underground markets to pick up any souvenirs, and watch the artificial waterfall in the large city square at night.China, a vast and diverse country, features more incredible sights than visitors can explore on one short trip. You could plan a hundred different travel itineraries through the country, and the best way to see them all is to spend time teaching abroad in China!See also:One week traveling in IndonesiaOne week traveling in Germany  Header photo credit: By akiwitz, via FlickrDetian Falls photo credit: By jankgo [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The New Language Challenge is Here!

The New Language Challenge is Here! When youre learning a language, sometimes you need an upcoming overseas holiday or a newfound love to push you to study. While we cant help you with your travel plans or love life, we can give your language learning a jumpstart with our italki Language Challenge! THE CHALLENGE Complete 20 lessons by the end of September and win 30 USD in language credits! This is italkis third language challenge, and this time, we are giving you not 2 weeks, not 4 weeks, but 6 WHOLE WEEKS to complete your lessons on italki. On completion of the 20 lessons, we will give you 30 USD for language lessons. Most important, you will have improved your language skills. Nothing beats learning and winning at the same time. HOW YOU CAN COMPLETE THE CHALLENGE But, wait! You may be wondering if this is a) achievable, and b) if it will really help you improve your language skills. In our first challenge in October 2012, we set a goal of 8 lessons in just 2 weeks. We expected only some of our users to complete the challenge, but to our surprise, an amazing 90% of challengers completed it successfully. One of our challengers even took 16 one-hour lessons in 14 days!!! Second, if you are wondering if The Challenge will help you make progress on learning a language, take a look at this feedback from two of our users: The Language Challenge was a great way to push myself even further in my language studies and get that extra motivation to really start with a new language (French). It also was great that it helped me develop some good habits â€" pushing myself to get consistent language practice. Just like working out, you sometimes need that extra kick to help you get motivated and this was exactly what the language challenge did for me! Read more of Bioncas story here With the Language Challenge, what we really want to do is to get your language learning back on track. We want you to set yourself an achievable goal that will help you make progress, and get into a habit of learning. THE MATHS BEHIND THE CHALLENGE In order to complete 20 lessons in more than 6 weeks, we recommend: 3 x 1-hour lessons each week. If you are serious about becoming fluent, we think this is the minimum amount of time you should commit to learning a language. TAKE THE CHALLENGE, MAKE THE PLEDGE In order to take The CHALLENGE, you must take the PLEDGE. The PLEDGE is a way of helping you stick to your commitment. Its also the way we know that youre serious and entering the CHALLENGE. You PLEDGE $10 USD. If you complete it, youll get your $10 USD back, AND get an additional $30 USD in italki Credits. If you dont complete it, your pledge is lost. (Another way to look at it is the losers pay for the winners.) We know you can do it. Be a winner. TELL THE WORLD YOU ARE GOING TO DO THIS Our last piece of advice is tell other people that youre serious about learning a language publicly. Its harder to give up if you have publicly told your friends. Share your plans your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Write about this in your italki Notebook. Tell us in the comments below. JOIN THE LANGUAGE CHALLENGE and start learning a language today! The New Language Challenge is Here! When youre learning a language, sometimes you need an upcoming overseas holiday or a newfound love to push you to study. While we cant help you with your travel plans or love life, we can give your language learning a jumpstart with our italki Language Challenge! THE CHALLENGE Complete 20 lessons by the end of September and win 30 USD in language credits! This is italkis third language challenge, and this time, we are giving you not 2 weeks, not 4 weeks, but 6 WHOLE WEEKS to complete your lessons on italki. On completion of the 20 lessons, we will give you 30 USD for language lessons. Most important, you will have improved your language skills. Nothing beats learning and winning at the same time. HOW YOU CAN COMPLETE THE CHALLENGE But, wait! You may be wondering if this is a) achievable, and b) if it will really help you improve your language skills. In our first challenge in October 2012, we set a goal of 8 lessons in just 2 weeks. We expected only some of our users to complete the challenge, but to our surprise, an amazing 90% of challengers completed it successfully. One of our challengers even took 16 one-hour lessons in 14 days!!! Second, if you are wondering if The Challenge will help you make progress on learning a language, take a look at this feedback from two of our users: The Language Challenge was a great way to push myself even further in my language studies and get that extra motivation to really start with a new language (French). It also was great that it helped me develop some good habits â€" pushing myself to get consistent language practice. Just like working out, you sometimes need that extra kick to help you get motivated and this was exactly what the language challenge did for me! Read more of Bioncas story here With the Language Challenge, what we really want to do is to get your language learning back on track. We want you to set yourself an achievable goal that will help you make progress, and get into a habit of learning. THE MATHS BEHIND THE CHALLENGE In order to complete 20 lessons in more than 6 weeks, we recommend: 3 x 1-hour lessons each week. If you are serious about becoming fluent, we think this is the minimum amount of time you should commit to learning a language. TAKE THE CHALLENGE, MAKE THE PLEDGE In order to take The CHALLENGE, you must take the PLEDGE. The PLEDGE is a way of helping you stick to your commitment. Its also the way we know that youre serious and entering the CHALLENGE. You PLEDGE $10 USD. If you complete it, youll get your $10 USD back, AND get an additional $30 USD in italki Credits. If you dont complete it, your pledge is lost. (Another way to look at it is the losers pay for the winners.) We know you can do it. Be a winner. TELL THE WORLD YOU ARE GOING TO DO THIS Our last piece of advice is tell other people that youre serious about learning a language publicly. Its harder to give up if you have publicly told your friends. Share your plans your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Write about this in your italki Notebook. Tell us in the comments below. JOIN THE LANGUAGE CHALLENGE and start learning a language today!