Archive for February, 2010
Why do people assume just because I’m chinese-american and have glasses i’m smart?
truth is even though i gave effort, I still got Ds on calculus and physics on summer courses
Despite what people may think, doing well in school has very little to do with intelligence, and more to do with hard work. Traditionally, the Chinese culture values hard work and education very much. So, it follows that those of Chinese decent will work hard at their education, hence seeming “smart” when in reality they just work harder and learn more.
You may not work as hard or may be less intelligent, neither of which are necessarily bad things. People just assume, it helps them in day to day interactions.
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Tell Me More: The best German software on the market
There is a bevy of German software on the market today but only one that can topple all the rest. Tell Me More is a German language learning course that deserves to be at the top. Its state-of-the-art speech recognition technology is unparalleled in the arena of learn-German software. It caters to both the beginner and the advanced learner – it is a product that grows with you. If you are seeking to simply learn to speak German or if you wish to be a master of the language, this sophisticated and specialized product is for you. These are only some of the reasons why:
Ease of Installation and Ease of Use
It is a breeze to install and the whole software is easy to navigate. It has three lesson modes: Guided, Dynamic, and Free to Roam. A beginner will benefit from the Guided mode, which directs learners through the German language learning process step-by-step. The Dynamic mode adapts the exercises and activities to the learner’s progress while more advanced learners will enjoy the Free to Roam mode.
Tell Me More is a complete course in a single box. It has a full progress chart and a score-keeping menu that allows you to monitor your progress. These will let you see your scores on every exercise as well as your percentage of completion of all activities. The software also permits several different users to create accounts and monitor their individual detailed progress.
The software also comes with an 8,000-word dictionary with sound and a grammar guide. It also has a section on the German culture with articles on German history and geography as well as German biographies. Interactive maps accompany the texts, which are all in the German language.
But the real strength of the Tell Me More German software is the speech recognition component which aids the learner in listening to and pronouncing the language. It evaluates how the learner speaks and automatically detects and corrects his errors. There are also 3D animations that illustrate the proper lip and mouth movements to further help the learner correct his pronunciation.
This is by far the most effective German software available today. It covers the basics and the more advanced topics and will have you speaking German perfectly in no time. Its highly developed tools will help you improve your pronunciation and it has superb cultural coverage that gives the learner a good “feel” for the German language.
Each screen has a Help button that deals with most queries. There are also guided tutorials on every page to assist you through the various features. The help information is easy enough to understand but if you need further assistance from the software provider, you can contact them via phone or email.
The software also has an Internet access button that will connect you to the Auralog website. There you will find the latest updates, an online user manual, and a section on the frequently-asked questions. The website also offers a German language tutoring service.
The higher price range might dissuade German language learners from purchasing this product, but it should not. With all the features that this product has to offer, they are definitely getting their money’s worth. If you are serious about learning German, want fast results, and want a well-designed and professional product, this is the perfect German software for you.
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Evaluating Your English Teaching Job Offers – ESL TEFL TESOL
You have decided on being an ESL TEFL TESOL teacher so you are off on the job search. Aside from the obvious considerations such as what country to work in and what TESL TEFL TESOL teacher training or qualifications (TEFL/TESOL/CELTA/DELTA) to obtain; there are other things a teachers should consider when looking at potential job offers.
There are many factors a teacher considers which will affect whether they accept a teaching position. The most obvious factor would be the content of the position (i.e. what is going to be taught). What is the school asking of you as a teacher? You must ask yourself if the ESL TEFL TESOL teaching job is interesting and fits into your career plans as a teacher. The person and ESL TEFL TESOL school you will be working for is also an important consideration so you must take the time to talk to them either via email or phone. It would also be beneficial to ask to speak to other teachers from the school to find out their impressions. Knowing what the job is and whom you will be working with are the first step in deciding whether to pursue it further.
Some may say that the most important consideration would be salary and benefits but these should be a secondary consideration to what you want to do and who you will be working with. Regardless of the salary paid, most people will not stay at a position where they feel unsatisfied or have no growth. In addition, the people you work with or for have an enormous impact on your job satisfaction. However, when considering salary and benefits, do not focus as much on the starting salary but rather on the potential for growth and increases. Does the school have growth potential for you as a professional? Do they spell out cost-of-living increases and meritorious raises? Benefits are other areas that can supplement a position where the starting salary is not as good as you would have wished. Get a list of benefits from the company and formulate any questions you may have regarding them so that you can better discuss the position with management and other teachers at the school.
Another factor that may come into play with many teachers when evaluating a position is the ESL TEFL TESOL resources provided by the school for the teacher to prepare their lessons. Teachers spend a large majority of their time preparing for upcoming classes. This requires readily available resources such as teacher edition books, computer, printer, internet access, and preferably a reference library. In addition, there should be a work area set aside at the school for teachers to plan and prepare. Whether the school already has a set curriculum/syllabus for the class to be taught and ESL/EFL/TEFL student books because the teacher may be asked to help to create these resources (i.e worksheets) for your school year if they are not provided. I have known many teachers that have felt the need to move on because of the demands of planning for a school year without adequate resources.
To help you find that perfect (or near perfect) ESL/EFL/TEFL teaching job, you should ask these questions to all prospective employers/schools:
1. What is the salary?
2. How many months is the teaching contract?
3. Do/Can you sponsor me for all paperwork, including teacher’s license, work permit, and visa extension?
4. How soon can you get this paperwork processed?
5. How many hours will I be teaching per week?
6. What kind of medical/travel insurance is on offer?
7. When are the starting and ending times for being at the school regardless of whether there is a class?
8. About how many school or community events a month are teachers required to attend outside normal working hours (teachers’ meetings, parents’ meetings, school festivals, seminars, etc.)?
9. Does the school have/provide ESL TEFL TESOL student books or will I be required to make my own worksheets?
10. Does the school have whiteboards or chalkboards?
11. Does the school provide all teaching materials needed? What are the items provided?
12. Does the school require that I attend/teach a summer camp?
13. Is there a discipline policy? What is it and how is it enforced?
14. What are the details of the teaching contract “extras” such as:
a. Resigning bonuses
b. Biannual or annual plane tickets to visit home
c. Housing allowances (if no housing allowance then ask about help finding accommodations along with cost in the area of the school)
d. Internet access both in and outside the school
e. Raise schedules
Searching for an ESL TEFL TESOL teaching position is difficult. After spending many hours on a search, making a careful decision regarding a job offer is important. Getting a job offer does not necessarily mean you should take the job. Most schools will not expect you to make a decision on the spot. You will probably be given a few days to a week to make up your mind. If they are unable to provide you with the time to make a decision then you should not consider this teaching job as a viable position. On the other hand, if you decide to go with a school without finding out the proper information, don’t blame the school when the position turns out not to be what you expected or wanted. Weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the job will help you make a more informed decision, rather than deciding on impulse.
When considering where in the world you want to teach, the big 3 for ESL TEFL TESOL jobs are:
Asia: Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia are the popular spots because they have so many ESL jobs available but there are always positions coming up infrequently in places like Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia though you must be a qualified teacher to obtain these. You may even find positions for Cambodia and Laos but you should look at the reputation of employers carefully due to lack of a solid legal system for recourse. Life can become very difficult “off the beaten path”.
Europe: Everyone dreams of teaching in Greece, Italy, France or Spain but unless you are an European Union (EU) citizen it is difficult to obtain these positions. The more frequent positions are available in Eastern Europe in places like Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine and Russia. These positions don’t pay very well compared to the cost of living in some of these countries but they provide lot’s of opportunity for travel while not teaching.
The Middle East: Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE) are the most common with Bahrain, Yemen and Qatar occasionally having openings. Now there are also more teaching positions available in Iraq. The Middle East is popular for the money paid for teaching positions but don’t expect much of a social life due to cultural restraints.
Use and distribution of this article is permitted subject to no changes being made to the content and the original author’s information (About the Author) must be included with appropriate hyperlinks/URL references in place.
About the Author
Michael G. Hines is the Founder of Icon Group Thailand (IGT) – Educating the Future: TotalESL.com – ESL TEFL TESOL Teaching Jobs –
ESLarticle.com – ESL TEFL TESOL Articles – ESLcontentfeed.com – ESL TEFL TESOL RSS Feeds
You want to learn to speak Chinese ?
I’m a high school student in Shanghai, China. I’d like to help foreign friends with her or his Chinese and, at the same time, practise my oral English.
It’s not an ad.I do this with sincerity.
Hope both of us can improve.
this is my msn email@example.com
please contact me by msn. thank you
I’m actually studying Mandarin in my college. I’m currently in Mandarin3. I’m Chinese, but I speak a different dialect.
Learn French Downloads – Fast Learning With French Language Software
Traditional French language learning has generally been of the “listen and repeat” type, either in class or by way of the old tape systems that I’m sure some of you remember (I certainly do). Although more recently we’ve have CDs and DVDs we’re still presented with the same old methods on them. Now however, at last we have more advanced interactive French language software and in recent years French lessons you can download straight to your pc.
But are they any good or is it just technology for the sake of it?
Like everything else there’s some and some. If you search for free French language software you’re going to probably restrict yourself to a few MP3s you can download. No bad thing in itself as it’s always good to have something to listen too. Every little helps.
You might also find a few mpeg clips that you can view online and why not? If they’re free, what have you got to loose?
The problem is that sooner rather than later you run out of useful information. Not surprising really, most of these guys are trying to make a living so they’ll give you a free taster in the hope that you’ll buy the main French software product. Nothing wrong with that, that’s good business sense, but sadly for us it means we’ve got to put our hand in our pocket!
So do we get good value once we’ve done so? Well for a start there’s plenty of choice from kids ages upwards. There’s also a big price range, from around dollars to several hundreds, and from what I’ve seen so far, you get what you pay for.
At the bottom end you’re not getting much more than the free stuff. In the mid-range things get more interesting and at the top you have to say you’re getting pretty comprehensive French language tuition. Most of these are going to come on CD or DVD although there are a few learn French downloads now available that you just pay for and copy straight from the server to your computer. No waiting for the mail and in at least one case a considerable saving over competing products – around $100 instead of $250 or more.
But $100 is not cheap. You can get quite a few books or basic old-fashioned CDs for that money. What makes this course so superior?
Well really we can forget about books straight away. If you’re an advanced French learner then there are books for verb conjugation and grammar that will prove useful but for the beginner you need to actually hear the language, to hear a French person speaking. You just can’t get that from a book.
What about audio CDs though, you might ask, you can hear people speaking on them. Well yes, but it really is just the listed-and-repeat style learning that most people soon find quite tedious.
Modern French language software downloads really involve the student. You have the audio tracks that you always have had (and which you can still copy to a CD or MP3 player) but now you also have illustrated interactive lessons and vocabulary and word games. The software is constantly challenging you and responding to your answers. As a result you feel involved and your rate of learning accelerates dramatically.
We can’t really criticize the old tape systems. Back then, that’s all there was. To translate them to CDs was really a bit of a cop-out. Fortunately some companies have taken advantage of the technology to provide truly immersive learn French downloads that vastly increase our ability to absorb whilst greatly reducing the time it takes us.
About the Author
Get free, independent tips and advice on learning French plus six free professional French lessons here: how2learnfrench.com
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I have been trying to think of a good stage name/name to use for business and I still need help?
I want to do a lot with my life including start a business, modeling, things like that. I need a nice memorable name. My real names are long and just not good to use for business.
I have an extremely mixed background and wish I had a name to like, fit in with a lot of cultures.
For example, Yuri is both a Korean and Japanese name so i’d fit in with both.
Anyway, I was thinking for fashion and all
Aurelie Jiang (Aurelie is French)
Kendra Fox (but people says this sounds like a ho but I think it would do better in Los angeles then the other ones)
Yajaira (spanish, pronouced Yea-hai-rah)
Someone help me! I speak French and am learning other language so that’s why the ethnicity thing important
Francesca for the first name. Any of the above names except Fox..