What Is Your Opinion On......

What Is Your Opinion On...... Giving Your Opinion In English Giving Your Opinion In EnglishGiving your opinion in English and any language is important. You can give an opinion on the taste of a sandwich, the color of someones hair or why you think that a person should be the next president of your country.One of the most controversial environmental topics recently has been about poaching. Poaching is when people illegally hunt or catch animals such as rhinos and elephants. This is often done because the animal has something valuable that can be sold for lots of money, like  ivory. Can you think of any other animals that are poached? Why? Let us know by writing in the  comment section so we can see how many different animals are poached around the world.Poaching can be a topic that people have very strong opinions about, which is why we are going to use it as an example for todays class. The video below will tell you a story about the African elephant, so go ahead and watch it.Listening for Opinions In EnglishThat was a difficult video to watc h. Here are some questions about the video. Can you answer the questions or fill in the blank? As always, write your comments below, and well respond!Elephants are one of the most ___________ creatures on this planet.and they are highly ___________, social beings.What is the largest land animal in your country? Can you tell us anything about this animal? Is it social or unsocial? What does it eat? Does this animal have any problems with humans, such as poaching?African elephants have been here for a million  and a half years, and now human intervention is literally changing the face of this incredible creature. In this sentence, what do you think the narrator means when she says that elephant faces have been changed by humans? Write your ideas below so we can see your interesting thoughts.Dr. Tammie Matson said that elephants are a keystone species, meaning they play a very important role in the natural environment. Can you name the two actions that elephants do in the wild that can  change the natural environment?Their ivory tusks are basically just large ____________, but for centuries theyve been used in _______, ornaments, jewelry, even _________ keys.Why do you think that the price of ivory is so high? Do you think a higher price will stop poaching or make more poaching happen?Forms Of Giving Your Opinion In EnglishNow that we have listened to the video, here are  the various ways to give, ask and summarize your opinion: Lets try and put these into practice.  Im going to ask you for your opinion on a topic. Can you write your opinion in the comment section below? Try to use an expression to state your opinion, and summarize using another one of the expressions from the table above.What do you think about poaching endangered animals such as elephants?Practice Giving Your Opinion In EnglishNow lets look at some current news topics. Below there are 3 pictures from current news events. First, think about what the picture could be about with the help of a clu e in the parenthesis  ( ), then write your opinion in the comment section below, using the expressions we looked at earlier.(United Airlines Passenger)2.(North Korean Missile)3.(Easter)Great work! Now we can make our opinion even more interesting by adding how much you agree or disagree with someone/something. Below you can see another table with expressions to show you how to reinforce your opinion.Can you think of something that you strongly agree with and something you strongly disagree with? Wed love to hear  your opinions!Now you can show people your opinions in English, which will allow you to engage in conversation about a variety of topics. We hope you enjoyed todays blog post. If you are interested in taking English classes with native English speakers, sign up today to book a trial class!

English Vocabulary for Halloween ?? - Learn English with Harry ??

English Vocabulary for Halloween ?? - Learn English with Harry ?? Autumn is here (where I am living certainly) and is commonly seen as the stepping stone (route, how to get to another place) from Summer to Winter and of course Christmas and the New  Year.When we think of Autumn our thoughts turn to Halloween and when we think of Halloween we  dream about costumes, dressing up (putting on different clothes) family games such as bobbing the  apple (explained below) and of course the tradition of trick or treating (children dressing in  costumes and calling on the neighbours offering to do a trick, tell a story or a joke in exchange for a  treat candy or sweets).   This festival (annual event of celebration) is probably the second biggest  festival after Christmas. Huge amounts of money are spent on costumes and wigs and spooky (scary) masks. The history of Halloween stretches back many centuries and is a pagan festival. The tradition originally comes from Ireland. Today in Christian world November the 1st is  known as All Saints Day (All Hallows). In pagan times it was believed  to be a time when the souls of dead people returned to earth and the day before or All Hallows Eve (now shortened to Halloween) was a night of celebration before Samhain (pronounced Sow-in) which  is a Celtic /Gaelic word. Even today in Irish Gaelic language November is still called Samhain.Pumpkins or turnips were used as lanterns (lights). The turnip or pumpkin was hollowed out and a  candle placed inside to ward off (scare away) evil spirits. Known today as Jack OLanterns they are  sold in their millions and carved out by families all over the northern hemisphere.The religious aspects are now largely ignored but the celebration continues to grow. Houses, streets  and shops are decorated with anything connected with the dark world of witches, e vil spirits and  skeletons. English Vocabulary for Halloween - Halloween Games Bobbing the apple: A family game where apples are placed in a basin (shallow bucket) with water.  The apples float in the water and you take it in turns (one after another) to try and pick up an apple  in the water with your teeth. You cannot use your hands. It is not easy and lots of water is splashed  around accompanied by much laughter.A ring in a cake: An ancient tradition was for single girls to try and find a husband. There were lots  of old superstitions concerning this practice. Elderly relatives baked a cake (a barmbrack Gaelic  cake) and buried (hid) a ring in the cake. The superstition was that whoever got the slice or piece of  cake containing the ring would get married before the next Halloween. Sometimes other items like  coins would be added which would possibly signify wealth coming to whoever got the coin. English Vocabulary for Halloween - Learn English Words stepping stone  route, how to get to another placeto dress up to put on different clothesspooky scarylantern light, light sourcebasin shallow bucketto take turns to do something one after anotherto bury to hide

A-Level History Revision

A-Level History Revision Revising for history A-level takes time and effort, as you need to know facts and then be able to turn these into persuasive arguments in your essays. Having facts, without the analysis won't get you a high-grade, neither will having the arguments, without crucial evidence to back your discussions up. For this reason, you need to spend time going through your syllabus, working with past papers, writing practice essays and talking through your arguments with a teacher, history tutor or your peers to ensure you are ready for the exam. Thankfully there are many techniques that will help you to revise the subject matter and ensure the information fall into place. Write a timeline of events History is a timeline, so creating one is key for revision. Put together a chronology of important events, and places, with the causes and consequences of the events. This is a great way to revise what you have learnt about a particular topic and refresh your arguments. For instance, create a timeline of the events behind the origins of World War Two focus on events but also how it affected different people, countries and classes. Watch YouTube videos This can be extremely helpful in helping you to recall specific events or understand how policies affected people. Look for credible sources and re-enactments to help you determine what happened and why. For instance, if you are studying World War Two events like the evacuation of Dunkirk, or Churchill becoming Prime Minister. Create short biographies of key figures There's no getting away from the fact that with history you need do need to know the details. That's people, times, dates, policies etc. Writing short summaries, and biographies on cards can help you to remember this crucial information. Pinning these cards on a board and showing how they relate to each other can then also help with your analysis. Use cards to write short summaries of your arguments Examiners are also looking for what you think, and want to know your arguments and interpretation of key events. It's this information that needs to be on revision cards so you can accurately bring all your knowledge together. Read them daily to refresh your mind. Write essay plans This is a technique most students forget about but one that can help you with history revision. Spend time making a series of essay plans on the key areas you have discussed in class or with your tutor. Each plan should have four key points you can make with facts and analysis.This is a great way to revise not only key information but also how you will show the examiner you know and understand your subject. Work with a history tutor Working with a history tutor will help you with all of the above points and with your arguments and revision technique. This can help if you feel the syllabus hasn't yet, fallen into place or if you feel your revision scope is too wide. For more help with revision look at our blog posts on How to deal with exam stress and the Habits of Successful Students. https://www.firsttutors.com/uk/subject/history/a-level/

Adults vs. Kids Can Adults Learn a Second Language

Adults vs. Kids Can Adults Learn a Second Language Children are like sponges.They  can  absorb foreign  languages  so quickly.How many of you have heard this before?Society is flooded with messages telling you who is and who isnt good at learning a language.And if you asked any random person walking down the street who the champion of language learners are, they would probably  say children.This seems like such an obvious truth that its hardly ever challenged.Clearly everyone can speak their native language fluently,  which they learned as a child, but loads of people have trouble getting a grasp on a second language (or third if they grew up bilingual).So it must be that children are the  perfect language learners, and all adults can hope for is to achieve some fraction of their  success, right?Wrongâ€"theres a fatal flaw in this logic. Children live very different lives from adults and their reasons for learning a language  are often just as disparate. In fact, there are many reasons to believe that the popular opinion about how po orly adults learn languages is fundamentally flawed.From the lack of physical evidence for the superiority of language learning in children, a new system of beliefs is beginning to sprout through the cracks of the old, oversimplified model of age and language learning.But where did these beliefs come from in the first place? The Critical Period Hypothesis and Popular BeliefThe Critical Period Hypothesis is the academic name for what most of us have come to believe about adults and language learning. Its basic outline is that theres a fixed period of time in which you can really learn a language and learn it well. After that good luck. Maybe you can aspire to be like Luigi Risotto, the Italian chef from The Simpsons who speaks fractured though understandable English, but dont get any hopes of sounding like a native.This critical period is supposed to run from when youre born to sometime during adolescence, when youre around 15 years  old.  In other words, this is the scientific bas is of  our poor opinion of  adult language learners.But the question everyone wants to know is: Is it true? The answer: Maybe. Theres quite a bit of debate over the topic, and it would be hard to say that anything is settled. But many researchers have come out against the theory, some denying that a critical period exists at all.Take David Singleton for example, a professor of linguistics at Trinity College Dublin. In his papers he regularly criticizes those who side with the Critical Period Hypothesis and  in one of them  he reviews the relevant literature on the biology of the brain only to conclude that theres nothing solid about the science of a critical period. Thats right. No one has landed any fatal evidence that this period exists in our brains at all.So take a breath and let go of all your age-related anxieties.But surely adults and children arent the same, you might say. Well of course not.Whats the Difference Between Kids and Adults Anyways?I think we can all makes some s tabs at the general differences between adults and kids in how they learn. Ive seen very few  toddlers sitting at a desk diligently reading a grammar textbook for hours at a time, though Im sure theres probably one somewhere.But beyond the obvious differences, such as adults being more willing and able to learn in a formal learning environment, there are some hen children learn new things about language, they use the same part of their brain that they use for motor control. Adults, on the other hand, make use of the part of their brain in charge of higher cognitive functionsâ€"the part of the brain that develops later.Ah hah! you say. So there are differences between their brains!  But remember this simple means that  how  we use our brain  changes as we age. It doesnt mean that how  well we can learn things also changes.How else do adults differ? Well, they have  a ton of knowledge already. And that can be both a bad thing and a good thing. Sometimes  the sounds and words weve lear ned when we were little make it much harder to pick apart the words from other languages because were trying to force them into the mold of our first language.But sometimes its the exact opposite. If youre a good reader in your native language, those skills usually translate into good reading skills in a foreign language. Sometimes even the sounds in your native language can  give you a leg up in foreign language pronunciation, as this study on Korean speakers learning English has shown.So Whos Better at Learning a Second  Language: Kids or Adults?Even if the theres no critical period to learn a language, theres still the question of who can learn faster. We can break this down into several categories for ease of digestion.PronunciationAs adults or young adults,  pronunciation is our weak point. Most sources tend to agree that while it is possible in rare cases for adults to gain a completely native accent in a new foreign language, it just doesnt happen that often. Kids are more ad ept at learning and using the sounds of a language.But for most adults, this doesnt really matter. Its more important to be understood than to sound like a perfect native.  After all, isnt that why youre learning a foreign language in the first placeâ€"to communicate with others?And on that score theres a long track record of people who can communicate quite well in a second language learned later in life. Plus,  if you really want to speak like a native, go for it! Its still possible that you could be one of those few adults who really nails the pronunciation in their second language.Grammar and vocabularyIn grammar and vocab, adults and adolescents actually significantly outperform very young children in the short-term. In the long-term, young children will eventually overtake the older age groups, but only if theyre exposed to the foreign language enough.In fact, if a young child is being taught in a formal setting, he or she may never catch up to the  adult at all. You heard tha t right.  Sometimes adults really can outperform children when it comes to foreign language.Reading and complex thoughtI said it before, but Ill say it again: If youre a good reader in your native language, youll probably be a good reader in a foreign language. Thats because adults are good at taking knowledge they already have and applying  it to  very similar new knowledge that theyre trying to acquire. Why reinvent the wheel when you can just make a few adjustments?And in fact, reading and anything dealing with complex thought is  where adults really shine. The critical period in no way applies here, and in fact the oppose could be said: The older the better.  5 Reasons  Adults Can Definitely Learn a Second LanguageIf youve read this far and still find yourself worrying about how well you can learn a language, then lay back, relax and read on to let go of the last of your worries.1. Age is only one factor.We like to worry about age because it seems like theres an obviously better position to be in: being a child. But since this is something beyond our control, we should instead  focus on the myriad of other factors that affect our learning.For example, factors like motivation, personality, the learning environment and learning strategies are all things we can control which have a huge impact on your success as a language learner.2. Children arent as strong as they seem.Everyone loves to heap praise on children. Whether its a mom or dad doting on their own kid or a child that gets random affection from strangers just for being cute, children tend to get a pass for things that adults would never get away with.The same is true for language. Children may sound like great speakers, but usually we have low expectations for them.  Kids  tend to speak in simple sentences using only  very basic vocab. This is perfect for a child that doesnt yet have a need for complex language, but it also means that kids are not really the language superstars we take them to be.3. Even full-grown adults can reach near-native level.This was mentioned earlier, but some adults  do  learn a second  language and sound like a native. If your goal is to move to Mexico, buy a farm in a backwater village and blend in with the natives, dont let anyone dissuade you.With enough practice under your belt and a can-do attitude, in time youll be able to boast about your perfect Mayan grammar.4. Language learning has health benefits.Forget about your ineradicable foreign accent. All that work you spend  learning a new language will keep your brain healthy for years to come. What does a little imperfection in speech matter when your entire clarity of thought is guaranteed to stay sharp well into old age?5. Language learning is about connecting.What is language for? Communicating to other people, of course. Perfection doesnt need to be our endpoint. In fact, we can just as easily choose an entirely different goal, like making friends in a foreign language.Language exchanges or  individual language partners are an excellent way to expand your social circle. Most people will be quite happy if you can speak just well enough to  hold up your end of the conversation.These are just a handful of the most obvious reasons to not pay attention to age. With so many great possibilities available through learning a foreign language, why should you let a social myth about age and language learning hold you back?There are lots of things people miss about being a kid, but being able to learn a new language doesnt have to be one of them. And One More ThingIf youre excited to learn a language as an adult, youll love using FluentU. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that natives  speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse Screen.FluentU has interactive c aptions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.Interactive transcript for Carlos Baute song.You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs learn mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.Start using FluentU on the website  with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the  iTunes  or  Google Play  store.

Inspiring a Love of Math in Your Children

Inspiring a Love of Math in Your Children Inspiring a Love of Math in Your Children “When am I ever going to use math?” Have you ever heard these words from your children?  Struggling  students or even  children  with minimal math anxiety can become frustrated with complex math problems and quickly give in  to the notion that they will never use math in real life situations.   While some kids may fuss about math and daily practice, it’s important that they know that math is all around us.  In fact, math is so ingrained in our daily life, that sometimes  we use  math without even realizing it.  From telling time to calculating a tip to shopping at the grocery store, we are constantly faced with math problems to solve.     Add to that the fact that math plays a pivotal role in getting into college, no matter the desired career path. Performing well on standardized tests helps  students gain admission to their  university of choice and allows  them the most opportunities for career development.   Do you ever struggle communicating  the importance of a strong foundation in math to your children?  Use the infographic below  to help your children tap into a greater appreciation of math.     (View Full Sized Image)     Helping children realize that math plays an important role in our daily lives may be the first step to alleviating their math  anxiety and inspiring a love of learning. Being good at math can open many doors later in life.  Find more great math tips here. You might also be interested in: Fear of math word problems? Why developing reading ability may be the solution to help your child. This Young Kumon Student Learned To Love New Challenges in Math Common Core and School Math The Perception of Math: Venus vs. Mars Inspiring a Love of Math in Your Children Inspiring a Love of Math in Your Children “When am I ever going to use math?” Have you ever heard these words from your children?  Struggling  students or even  children  with minimal math anxiety can become frustrated with complex math problems and quickly give in  to the notion that they will never use math in real life situations.   While some kids may fuss about math and daily practice, it’s important that they know that math is all around us.  In fact, math is so ingrained in our daily life, that sometimes  we use  math without even realizing it.  From telling time to calculating a tip to shopping at the grocery store, we are constantly faced with math problems to solve.     Add to that the fact that math plays a pivotal role in getting into college, no matter the desired career path. Performing well on standardized tests helps  students gain admission to their  university of choice and allows  them the most opportunities for career development.   Do you ever struggle communicating  the importance of a strong foundation in math to your children?  Use the infographic below  to help your children tap into a greater appreciation of math.     (View Full Sized Image)     Helping children realize that math plays an important role in our daily lives may be the first step to alleviating their math  anxiety and inspiring a love of learning. Being good at math can open many doors later in life.  Find more great math tips here. You might also be interested in: Fear of math word problems? Why developing reading ability may be the solution to help your child. This Young Kumon Student Learned To Love New Challenges in Math Common Core and School Math The Perception of Math: Venus vs. Mars

Busses, Fakes and Hurricanes, Oh My!

Busses, Fakes and Hurricanes, Oh My! Image from: abcnews.go.com On Monday, the anticipated Republican National Convention is scheduled to begin in Tampa. Preparation for the event has lasted the better part of a year, and between the city planners, political organizers, and countless staff, the Convention is certain to be a public blowout not seen locally in recent memory. Secret Service, police officers and the brave men and women serving in the United States military have also been busy doing everything in their power to ensure that the Convention goes off without a hitch, but even their thorough efforts may not be enough, and several possible scenarios exist that could rain havoc on Romney’s grandiose parade. Stolen Buses Source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/22/4747141/search-is-on-for-2-stolen-tampa.html This past Monday, a local elementary school reported two school buses missing and are presumed stolen (the official police report described the buses as an orange-ish yellow). Police claim that the buses were spotted headed north on I-75, and they believe the buses to be in either Pasco or Marion County, but they have been unable to recover them. Every report on these buses to date has ended on one particularly questionable note: that “officials say they dont believe the thefts are related to the upcoming Republican National Convention.” Any official that refuses to consider the possibility that two school bus thefts are unrelated to the Republican National Convention is simply thick headed, so that raises the question: are the officials thickheaded, or is the official statement supposed to deflect a public panic? School buses are built for durability and strength. They are effectively bricks on wheels designed to protect the children inside from any crash, collision or assault. In the wrong hands, school buses could be re-purposed to protect the very type of criminals that the buses were built to protect children from. The sturdy nature of a school bus would allow it to plow through barriers, squad cars, and maybe even concrete roadblocks to carry an assault team of disgruntled activists to the steps of the convention center. Possibly even more explosive is the possibility of using a school bus as a guided missile. The gas tank on a school bus is massive, and can carry large amounts of flammable diesel fuel. That fuel could spark a tragic end to the Convention as the bus is turned into an iron fireball aimed at the heart of downtown Tampa. Such an attack would be so swift that police responders would have little time to prevent the inevitable and catastrophic damage.  This scenario is possible, but is certainly unlikely. If the recovery of the school buses is a priority, our public defenders will find a way to get it done. If the Tampa Police Department and the National Guard are vigilant, it is highly unlikely that those yellow time bombs will make it past the first perimeter. It is something to think about though. Why else would someone steal a school bus, of all vehicles? Fake Military IDs http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-08-07/news/33087191_1_id-card-uniforms-police-station A few weeks ago, a man was arrested after a traffic stop for driving without a license. At the police station, an officer discovered that the man’s military ID card was a fake, which prompted a further investigation and culminated in the seizure of over fifty fake IDs and several boxes of assault rifle ammunition from the man’s home. While the vast majority of the fake IDs were historical replica, and the man did not own an assault rifle, the more recent fakes are eyebrow raisers. The man’s car was outfitted with a coast guard issue license plate, and coast guard uniforms and fake ID badges were found as well. He even had a homeland security sticker on the windshield. All of this begs the question: who was this man? No one keeps a collection like that for no reason. It is possible this man was a historian, and just had a penchant for grafting military memorabilia; however, the assault rifle ammo together with the fake IDs paints a different picture. If this man had wanted to do so, he could have walked in military uniform right through several RNC checkpoints without anyone batting an eye. The fact that he owned several boxes of assault rifle ammo is particularly troubling. Perhaps he was simply a middle man who manufactured IDs and acquired ammunition and had planned to hand everything over to other men with more nefarious purposes. All of this is of course speculation, and a moot point, as the man is in custody, and his fakes have been seized. Hurricane Isaac Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/hurricane-isaac-threatens-swamp-republican-convention/story?id=17057501 If armed militia groups, will not be responsible for putting a dampener on the RNC, a hurricane might. Disaster planners and FEMA have been preparing for a convention hurricane for the past year, and contingency plans are surely in place for massive evacuations, therefore there is likely no immediate danger to anyone planning to attend the convention. Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn also played down the possibility of Isaac drowning out the convention, saying that no one should lose any sleep over the hurricane because Floridians are accustomed to these types of storms, and that the event would be held. While this may be the case, the most recent storm trackers place Tampa right at the head of what could turn into a major hurricane. The Bay of Tampa is such that even a mild storm surge would flood downtown and the Hillsborough and put the convention center several inches deep in water. While Mitt Romney likely wants to get his feet wet as the Republican presidential candidate, he surely has other, less literal plans to do so. There is also the possibility that the convention could be delayed by several days due to the hurricane. This would be a minor speed bump on the Romney campaign’s road to the White House, but it would be potentially embarrassing for the Republican Party to have chosen to hold the RNC in Tampa at the height of hurricane season. And also, with tropical storm Joyce barreling across the Atlantic, a minor delay of a week or two could have the same result as before. Regardless of the outcome, there is surely some finger pointing and perhaps a few “I told you so’s” flying around the Republican Party leaders as they contemplate delays in their schedule, while their Democratic opponent will remain dry in South Carolina.

Why You Should Get a SAS Tutor

Why You Should Get a SAS TutorBefore I even start discussing the most important reasons why you should get a professional SAS tutor, it is essential that you understand how the SAT II, as it is commonly known, is administered. Here is a short explanation. In order to make the exam more fair, the eligibility requirements for candidates to sit for the test are based on the sum of their age and their highest level of education. Candidates who have completed high school are not eligible to sit for the test.Therefore, a student who has never sat for a SAT and has never been to college or university for high school equivalency would be ineligible for taking the test. Thus, the SAT is administered by making a list of the candidates who fall into the three categories, known as under qualified, low qualified and high qualified.The score is not the only bad thing that can befall you. In the US, students who do not meet these criteria for sitting for the test can still qualify if they have 'ext raordinary talent'. This means that they are able to demonstrate a certain amount of skill beyond what you would expect in a school or university and they don't simply demonstrate it on paper. They can use it.In order to evaluate whether someone is really talented, they are required to show that they have received a high grade on a previous SAT, especially the Math SAT (or the verbal one) and a high grade on an SAT II. Those who did not appear to have such extra aptitude may then have to retake the Math and verbal tests. Of course, if they had such skills at school, they probably did not have to take the test in the first place. So in order to compete, students must prove their ability to excel beyond what you might expect from them.Moreover, students who have no teaching qualification are usually disqualified from qualifying. This is because being a teacher or student with a college or university degree requires an equivalent of teaching experience. To qualify, the candidate must h ave been awarded either an assistant professor postdoctoral associate, or full professor.Students who have a low qualification may also not qualify. It is mainly due to the requirement that the person has to be enrolled in an institution of higher learning or degree-granting college.At this point, you probably understand why you should get a SAS tutor. However, you must also understand why some SAS tutors are better than others. In addition to being qualified to teach you the exam, you must also know that there are many things that can go wrong.