How Do You Give Guitar Lessons via Webcam

How Do You Give Guitar Lessons via Webcam Can a Guitar Teacher Give Lessons Online? ChaptersA New Way: Giving Guitar Lessons OnlineThe Freedom of Giving Guitar Lessons via WebcamLessons From Guitarists All Over the WorldOnline Guitar Lessons Are More PracticalThe Internet: a Guitarist's EncyclopediaGiving Online Guitar Lessons as a Method for IntrovertsGiving Guitar Lessons to Make Ends MeetA music school may be the classic option to learn to play the guitar, but the Internet has revolutionized the world of private lessons by allowing anyone to coach internet users around the world.With a good quality webcam and strong connection, demonstrating how to play a piece of music, detailing exercises or correcting hand placement is a breeze.If you too want to give guitar lessons by webcam, don't wait to discover all the good reasons to do it! Do, re, mi, fa, so, and off we go!How to teach guitar lessons with a webcam?

6 Tips for Accepting and Giving Constructive Criticism

6 Tips for Accepting and Giving Constructive Criticism Constructive criticism can often feel uncomfortable, vulnerable, and even unproductive. It can seem like a roadblock to completing a project or your overall work. However, if framed correctly, constructive criticism can be one of the most helpful ways to move forward in your work, and can also be an opportunity to support your peers. When accepting constructive criticism, its key to be open to feedback and willing to create a plan of action based off of it. If youre asked to give constructive criticism, its important to be specificand kindwith your input and to tailor your feedback to the correct context. Learning to graciously accept constructive criticism, and thoughtfully provide it to others, can greatly elevate your learning. Keep reading to discover six tips for accepting and giving constructive criticism. Tip #1 for accepting and giving constructive criticism: be open to change When receiving constructive criticism, its easy to become defensive about your work. While its completely human to shield yourself from discomfort, and it can be vulnerable to share your work, the key to getting the most out of constructive feedback is to be open to change. Constructive criticism may include suggestions like: Deconstructing a project Discarding certain parts and starting over Trying a drastically different strategy within your piece of work Helpful feedback is structured in a way that encourages you to see the full potential of your work. This perspective of trying something new can help unlock things you hadnt previously thought of. [RELATED: Top 10 Essay Editing Tips] Tip #2 for accepting and giving constructive criticism: plan action steps Receiving criticism can be overwhelming. To help with this, reflect on any feedback by free-writing, chatting with a classmate or colleague, or even meeting with your teacher or supervisor. Then, make a plan of concrete steps to take next. Break down large steps into more manageable tasks. Remember, especially if youve received conflicting feedback, you dont need to follow each piece of advice from classmates. Its more important to synthesize the input and take steps toward what you see as important for your project. Tip #3 for accepting and giving constructive criticism: remember the nature of criticism While receiving constructive criticism, remind yourself that this feedback is only for your specific project or performance, and does not have any bearing on who you are as a student, a person in your field, or as an individual in general. While this many seem obvious, its easyespecially in vulnerable moments of receiving feedbackto incorrectly apply the criticism to a bigger picture. In these moments, remind yourself that the scope of the feedback is limited. [RELATED: The Importance of Writing Skills] Tip #4 for accepting and giving constructive criticism: be specific One of the most helpful ways to give feedback is to be specific. Give exact examples from the workfor example, if youre peer-reviewing a classmates essay, quote actual lines and examples from the rough draft. Also offer specific strategies that your colleague can tryin the same scenario, suggest, for example, a rewording of the thesis or adding more evidence to support a claim. Specificity is important in both positive and critical feedback. Pointed positive feedback helps us understand what weve done well and can continue doing, while specific constructive feedback shows us specifically what we can focus on moving forward. Tip #5 for accepting and giving constructive criticism: dont be afraid to ask questions Tone is often misunderstood in written, or even oral, feedback. To help you convey your feedback more effectively, use language that centers around your experience of engaging with the work, rather than on what the person did wrong or couldve done better. You can use questions to both understand your colleagues project better and potentially help them better understand their own work, such as: What do you mean by this? Im confused by can you clarify? What are you trying to convey here? Tip #6 for accepting and giving constructive criticism: tailor feedback to the context When giving feedback, keep the larger context in mind. Consider the desired outcome, as well as appropriate etiquette for this context. More specifically, youll want to refer to a rubric or other established feedback protocol to guide both your wording and the amount of feedback you give. Lastly, keep in mind that your classmates work is not your own. While you might have done the project differently, your classmate has a unique vision for the work that could produce a strong, though different, outcome than one you wouldve come up with yourself. [RELATED: How Students Can Improve Their Research Skills] The discomfort of constructive criticism can often stymie a project or lead you to avoid any instances that involve it altogether. Thinking of it as an opportunity to reinvigorate your work is a great way to receive feedback. Dont forgetgiving feedback also develops your own critical perspective that you can apply to your own work. 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 at blog@varsitytutors.com.

Learning German Language The Best Friend of English

Learning German Language The Best Friend of English The Germanic Language Family: A Godsend for Those Learning How to Speak German ChaptersA Common DenominatorEnglish Words Which Have Crept into German VocabularyLearn German by Speaking English!Links Between German and English-Speaking CultureA large part of the native English-speaking population believes learning German to be a difficult task.According to the British Council, the European Survey on Language Competences showed that just 9% of British teenagers had progressed beyond a basic level in the language they were learning, compared to an average of 42% in other countries.With English being related to so many other European languages, the reason for this disparity between language students in Britain and the rest of the world seems to stem from the lack of necessity to learn a language, as the age-old excuse goes: “everyone speaks English anyway”.So, in theory, language learning shouldn’t be any more difficult for native speakers of English than for anyone else learning to communicate  auf Deutsch!The low level of progress in foreign language skills for English speakers could be due to British attitudes towards language learning.With the vast majority of pop culture featuring music, television and films in English, students are barely exposed to other languages and therefore, don’t feel the need to learn about German and improve their proficiency in other foreign languges.Non-English speakers, on the other  hand, are surrounded by the English language from a young age and can experience it passively.This means that by just tuning into the radio, they can start to pick out common English words and phrases and form a base for more formal learning.So, perhaps the difference in progress is down to the determination of the students.As it is so easy for British students to slip back into their native language, they can fail to recognise the benefits of achieving fluency in a foreign language.And as pop culture is dominated by the English language, making the effort to communicate in and appreciate a second language can seem more d ifficult than it actually is.Deutsch and Englisch, and refers to everything from borrowing English words to using them excessively and even adopting some English grammar.Other examples of the English invasion of the German language include downloaden (to download), which can be conjugated as a regular German verb according to the tenses and cases in a phrase.See where you can find a good German course here.Learn German by Speaking English!On this side of the channel and indeed throughout the English-speaking world, borrowed German words are far less common.You may not notice them, but they do exist!Some German gems we use in our day-to-day lives include:RucksackDoppelgängerWanderlustDelikatessenAngstFestPoltergeistAbseilJust like English words in German, these terms are lexicalised.This means that the umlaut on Doppelgänger may be removed, since English does not have umlauts or accents in its alphabet, and the plural form of Rucksack is pluralised with the addition of an ‘s’, rather than using the German pluralisation, Rucksäcke.This collision of the two languages can be explained by the special relationships maintained between Great Britain and Germany over the centuries.Despite the complex history of the German borders and more than one devastating war, the UK and Germany have a lot in common.Even from the 13th to the 17th century, the two lands engaged in trade as part of the Hanseatic League, which used German merchants to facilitate trade between cities across Northern Europe, including London.Later on in history, the British and German royal families began to intermarry, which, in the late 17th century, stood for healthy international relations.English, too adopts words from German such as 'abseil' ¦ source: Pixabay - Ellen26Up until the reign of Queen Victoria, the Germans and Brits more or less shared a royal family.In science and technology, too, Great Britain and Germany have been great allies, sharing ideas and pioneering research since the late 19th century.The German spirit for innovation is still present today, and German is the second most popular language for scientific publications, coming closely behind English.Links Between German and English-Speaking CultureLanguage and culture are largely interlinked, and since the English and German languages are so closely related, you can witness this in the geopolitical relations between countries speaking these respective languages.Regardless of the reported incomprehension between in the countries in the light of the UK's exit from the European Union, economic relations will always thrive.Today, there are around 100,000 Brits living and working in Germany, and some feel such a part of German culture that they have applied for German citizenship amid Brexit fears.So, the golden duo that is German and English goes beyond linguistics!The binding link between language and culture is the exact reason why total immersion in German culture will send you on your way to success. Over the course of your German lessons, bit by bit you will understand that despite their differences, German-speaking and English-speaking culture hold common economic and political values which go back centuries.This is why it is so important that students both on the continent and in the British Isles are given the opportunity to learn the other country’s language, regardless of how ‘useful’ it is perceived to be at the time.Learning languages quickly improves your career prospects as well as your ability to engage in intercultural communication.Another point English and German hold in common is that they are widely spoken languages. English is spoken as an official or primary language in more than 50 countries, and German in 25, including Switzerland, Liechtenstein and, of course, Germany.This means that both languages have a major influence across the globe, and knowing how to speak them both can only be beneficial for developing and maintaining healthy international rela tions.

Economics Tutoring - Making You Understand the Value of Learning Economics

Economics Tutoring - Making You Understand the Value of Learning Economics 0SHARESShare Economics is a basic study of human behavior in fulfilling wants and needs of individuals and society. Every individual’s good Economics knowledge is a sure stepping stone to successful economic condition of a country. Tutors in online Economics tutoring make students realize how valuable it is to learn the subject to improve their country’s welfare How online tutors in Economics make you understand the value of Economics learning? ? A country’s welfare basically depends upon its good economic features and positive developments in the areas of production, income and savings. Online Economics tutors make it their responsibility to inculcate the essential principles of Economics into student mind to make them understand how they could contribute to improve the economy of their country ? For this purpose, they make use of numerous online tools to show the students appropriate graphs, diagrams and pictures to analyze the concepts and laws like Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility and Supply and Demand. When the student understands that Economics basically deals with human attitudes for self fulfillment, he goes on to explore how individuals could share the responsibility of enhancing the economic condition of their country ? Economics help to grasp advanced levels of Economics makes room for comfortable learning levels for a student. The graphing tools and problem solvers online are handy measures to encourage positive learning of the subject Tutor Pace supplies good number of ways and means to understand the value of Economics learning for students. Get  Economics Tutor Online  Now! [starbox id=admin]

The Art of Being Productive in High School to be a More Attractive College Applicant (Part 1)

The Art of Being Productive in High School to be a More Attractive College Applicant (Part 1) ACT SAT Prep and College Admissions Blog Most students know they need to be productive, because getting into an excellent college requires much more than good grades nowadays. It now requires a well written application highlighting many interests and accomplishments, including a high GPA. Webster defines productivity as “the effectiveness of productive effort, especially in industry, as measured in terms of the rate of output per unit of input.” Indeed, students today are expected to do a lot in high school. How and why has the concept of productivity become so important for motivated high school students? Let’s start by acknowledging that high school (and college) and indeed the learning process in general can be negatively affected by too many concerns around productivity. Part of the “magic” of learning is engaging deeply with material, struggling hard to learn some things, really enjoying other things, and getting exposed to new ideas. The fact of the matter though, is that the college application process is competitive, and students do need to find ways to do a lot in high school to position themselves well in the eyes of top colleges. While it is tempting to just take for granted that motivated high school students must excel at multiple things to gain admission to highly selective colleges, it can be helpful to step back and remember how this situation came to be. The answer lies in how much more competitive and global the economy has become. Consider a high school student today vs. 30 years ago. 30 years ago, in far more parts of the country than is the case today, a large percentage of high school students did not plan on applying to college. There were well paying local jobs available for high school graduates in a variety of fields, most notably manufacturing. Much of the training required occurred on the job. This meant that in high school many students could opt to focus on maybe three major things: getting good enough grades to graduate, enjoying the high school experience (sports, social life, music, etc.) and perhaps working to start saving money. Of course, 30 years ago, many other students were indeed applying to college. But at that time, the number was lower, because of the other group of students I mentioned above. There were also fewer students from other countries applying to U.S. colleges and universities. The net effect was that competition to get into a good college was less intense. There just weren’t as many people applying. Contrast that with today. A very good college today might have a similar number of available spots in its freshman class, but 2 or 3 times as many applicants vs. 30 years ago, which simply creates a far more selective admissions process. Applicants have more people to “beat” for each slot. Whereas the primary criteria for admission in the past was grade point average, today GPA is just one of many factors. To be able to differentiate and choose amongst applicants, colleges today must look at all of the other things a student has been able to accomplish, both to identify applicants most likely to thrive in college, but also simply as a means of ranking students with otherwise similarly impressive GPAs. But, a word of caution; quality probably matters more than quantity. While students today do need to accomplish more in high school to stand out in the college admissions process, the quality of what you accomplish still matters. And, demonstrating that you put yourself in leadership positions is also very important. If you have a good but not great GPA, take 7 AP classes but get a B average in them, play three sports, are in three clubs, were in the school play, and are in the band, that’s impressive because it’s a lot of stuff. However, it might be more impressive if you had a higher GPA, took 4 AP classes and aced them all, and were the captain of one sports team as well as the president of a club. Remember, if two students take the same AP class and one gets an A while the other gets a B, one way to describe the situation is that the student getting the A was more productive with his or her time. He has an A to show for his efforts. Of course, if one student takes an AP class and gets a B and the other student doesn’t even take that AP class, that is also an example of one student being more productive in high school. So, how can high school students start to be more productive? Now, while being productive is important, let’s acknowledge that high school students are kids, and it’s important to enjoy the high school experience and have fun. Stressing yourself out by trying to join a bunch of activities you think you must join is a recipe for failure. You are less likely to excel at something you don’t enjoy. And as we’ve stated above, quality matters more than quantity. So, a productive high school student accomplishes more things per year, yes, but they also need to be the “right” things. As a college admissions officer, you’d also like to see a resume full of activities that hang together somehow logically. If you took AP biology, chemistry, and physics and were involved in some sort of pre-medicine or health careers club, that hangs together well. I think students should think about a six-step plan to becoming more productive and building a high-quality college resume: Identify the activities and subjects you value and are genuinely interested in Identify key areas of alignment between what you value and what colleges would also value to create “leverage” Set goals and build a plan to meet them Get organized Prioritize and re-prioritize Get help when you need it In our next blog post, we’ll dive deeper into each of these six steps.

10 of the Best American Colleges for Studying a Foreign Language

10 of the Best American Colleges for Studying a Foreign Language These days, were all pretty excited about all the new ways that are popping up to learn languages online.And for good reasonâ€"who wouldnt want to become fluent without ever having to change out of their pajamas?But if youre going to learn a language in a more formal way, there are worse places to do it than a college campus.The right college can give you everything you need to build a sophisticated knowledge of both the language you want to learn and the culture associated with it from the ground up. Experienced teachers, motivated classmates and piles of easy-to-access resources are all in one place!Whether youre looking to major in multiple languages and kick off a career as a heavy-hitting translator or just looking to take some classes on the side, some college language programs are going to give you more to work with than others.Heres what you should know when picking a college to study a foreign language, including what to pay attention to when making your decision and ten sta ndout programs to get you started. What to Look for When Choosing a College to Study a Foreign LanguageThe first thing to look at in any foreign language department youre interested in is their bread-and-butter: what languages do they offer?You should be able to find a list on the schools website. Importantly, you want to check which languages are offered continuously and which are only taught occasionally. The languages at the core of their program will be the ones they have full-time faculty for.The next thing to pay attention to is how the languages are actually taught. For example, some schools will have immersion programs  you can sign up for. If youre going to major in a language, you also want to look at the requirements to see what it all  actually entails.Finally, research any additional perks and resources the school offers. Do they have a language center that hosts events? What are their study abroad opportunities like?Looking at both the core of their program and the e xtra resources that make that school special should give you a good overview. And if you want to really get a clear picture, nothing beats an in-person visit!What to Do If You Wish You Were a College Student But Youre NotEver wish you were in college again? If not, you probably will by the time youre done reading about all the language learning resources these schools give their students.Thats okay! While its true that many of the features that make these programs unique are only accessible to students enrolled full-time in the schools, in many cases elements of the program will also be open to the public. Look into all of the following possibilities:Can you audit a course or take a summer course?Are there special courses like summer immersion programs that are open to the public?Are some of the services provided through the language program, like workshops, non-credit courses and digital tools, open to the public?Can you take distance learning or extension classes?Even if you arent a college student, universities tend to be pretty into the free exchange of ideas and all that, so you might find you still have access to some of these resources.10 of the Best American Colleges for Studying a Foreign LanguageMiddlebury CollegeLocation:  Middlebury, VermontMiddlebury is well-known among language learners for its Language Schools, which provide an intensely immersive summer language learning environment.Based on that, you might expect Middlebury College proper to be a good place to learn a language, and the school doesnt disappoint. Their first-rate program covers 11 languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.It also includes partnerships with the Monterey Institute of International Studies, where you can complete an accelerated Middlebury/Monterey BA/MA, and the Middlebury C.V. Star Schools Abroad, where you can take your language studies overseas.University of California, Los AngelesLocation: Los Angeles, CaliforniaUCLA isnt just a big school in a major U.S. city. Its also a language learning hub.They offer a diverse array of languages that would make most language departments green with envy. Thought you couldnt study Armenian, Quechua, Uzbek and Yoruba in college? Turns out you were wrong!Their Center for World Languages provides a rich collection of language learning resources, including everything from an online database of learning material for 150+ less commonly taught languages to an Italian library and  foreign language teaching workshops.And because second language acquisition is one of the Center for World Languagess research focuses, innovative language learning techniques are always making their way into UCLAs classrooms.University of Wisconsinâ€"MadisonLocation: Madison, WisconsinBy the numbers alone, UW-Madison produces more language majors a year than any other U.S. university. During their time at the school, these students have access to an impressive colle ction of language learning resources, including classes in over 40 languages and study abroad programs  with ties to over 60 countries.UW-Madison boasts an impressive  26 conversation tables  that meet regularly during the school year, so you  can have  casual conversations outside of class in a relaxed environment.Theres also the Language Institute, a center for research, career advising, interdisciplinary studies and the federally funded Russian Flagship Program.Cornell UniversityLocation: Ithaca, New YorkCornell offers classes in languages ranging from Akkadian to Zulu. Altogether, there are 52 languages offered, including 31 that can be taken for at least two years.The schools Language Resource Center is home to a media library as well as a language lab. It also hosts talks related to language learning, many with an interdisciplinary bent.In the past, a distinguishing aspect of Cornell has been its immersion programs in Asian languages, most recently its summer Mandarin intensiv e. Although the future of these offerings is unclear, Cornells language program in general remains very strong.Harvard UniversityLocation: Cambridge, MassachusettsIts no Middlebury, but Harvard still isnt too shabby. Case in point: It has courses in 80+ languages, more than any other U.S. college.The schools Language Resource Center has a space for watching international TV (armchairs included!), screening rooms and a computer center. And if these on-campus resources arent enough, you can also get a discounted Rosetta Stone subscription through the school.Indiana UniversityLocation: Bloomington, IndianaIndiana teaches a dazzling array of foreign languages and has the Center for Language Technology, which puts together regular workshops, conversation hours and festivals for language learners.The school also hosts more Language Flagship Programs  than any other U.S. universityâ€"programs that combine one-on-one tutoring, group instruction, immersive environments and interdisciplinary work to help students reach ACTFL Superior proficiency within four years.University of PennsylvaniaLocation: Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaLike other top language schools, University of Pennsylvania offers a competitive selection of languages.More unique to the program is the Penn Language Center. Through the center, you can request a language tutor or become one yourself, and you can take proficiency assessments.If you have an interest in sign language, business or medical professions, you can also sign up for specialized language courses in those areas.Stanford UniversityLocation: Stanford, CaliforniaStanford stresses that because their program is all about becoming proficient, it emphasizes doing rather than knowing. Much of this doing happens with the help of the Digital Language Lab, which administers spoken and written testsâ€"including the Simulated Oral Proficiency Interviews students take to graduate.Stanford students also have easy access to a rich array of study abroad opport unities, and 50 percent (!) of Stanford students have studied overseas by the time they graduate.University of California, BerkeleyLocation: Berkeley, CaliforniaBesides taking courses and potentially majoring in one of almost 70 languages, students at UC-Berkeley can supplement their studies with a minor in Applied Languages to gain an understanding of how people learn languages and how languages interact with their broader cultural context.Meanwhile, the Berkeley Language Center is a dynamic hub of learning and research. Some of the centers activities include publishing a journal, putting on a series of workshops and curating a collection of foreign language film clips for students.Yale UniversityLocation: New Haven, Connecticut Unlike its rival Harvard, Yale offers a mere 53 languages. But foreign language students at Yale arent left out in the cold. The Center for Language Study runs a thriving tutoring program and courses in special purpose languages like medical Chinese and med ical Spanish.Plus, if the language youre interested in isnt one of the 53, you can apply to receive up to four semesters of funding and support for outside study through the Directed Independent Language Study program.All of these ten schools provide excellent environments for language learning, but each school has a slightly different emphasis, so youll want to do as much research as possible on the programs youre interested in.For example, all the schools have language centers, but some of the centers are more research-oriented, some offer tutoring, some hold events and workshops, etc. Likewise, all the schools have study abroad opportunities, but each school will have a slightly different catalogue of study abroad options.And the school thats the best fit for you may not even be on this list!In the end, if you know what your priorities are, keep an open mind and do your research, you probably wont go wrong. And One More ThingIf youre looking for extra support to supplement your college language classes, or if youre looking to get a head start on a future language major, 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 captions 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 Fluen tU 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 store  or Google Play store.

Biology gives you a brain. Life turns it into a mind.

Biology gives you a brain. Life turns it into a mind. Biology gives you a brain. Life turns it into a mind. Jeffrey Eugenides Jeffrey Kent Eugenides is our contemporary. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, half Greek, half Irish. What explains his choice of a literary movement writing short stories of Greek and Irish descent. In 1999 his novel The Virgin Suicides was filmed by director Sofia Coppola. Another novel from him Middlesex won the prestigious 2002 Pulitzer Prize. He is also a well-known patron of the arts. Proceeds from the sale of the collection of short stories My Mistresss Sparrow is Dead to Writing center 826 Chicago, established to encourage young writing people.