How to Sing Like Beyonce

How to Sing Like Beyonce Suzy S. Beyonce has been the center of pop culture attention lately, following her Inauguration Day performance, and love-it-or-hate-it Super Bowl spectacle. The singer is often praised for her vocal range and powerful sound but perhaps her most well-known stylistic specialty is her use of melisma moving between several notes in succession to create a dramatic, bluesy effect. The technique is attributed to gospel and jazz music, but has become more mainstream as artists like the late Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Beyonce and Christina Aguilera have incorporated melisma into their style. For many singers, however, its one of the hardest vocal techniques to master. In order for it to sound good, every single note needs to be on pitch, and often youre running through these notes very quickly. In fact, NPR even ran an article back in 2007 about the misuse of the technique among many amateur singers. Most of these beginners simply mimick their favorite singers style, without having the proper training or know-how to do it right. As youre learning the technique, here are some things to keep in mind, as outlined by the Performance High blog: 1) Practice. If you can do an embellishment pretty well and just a couple notes are not exactly on pitch, then slow it down and clean it up.  Gradually speed it back up until you can consistently do it cleanly at real tempo. 2) Simplify. If youre imitating a very complex run, simplify it.  Take out some of the notes so that you have fewer distinct pitches to hit accurately in the same time frame.  If the run moves both up and down in pitch, consider modifying it to run in only one direction to eliminate pitch bounce. 3) Dont do it. You dont have to sing embellishments to be good.  Excessive use of melisma is a relatively new development in the whole history of music.  Plenty of artists do NOT use lots of embellishment.  Even Christina has songs that do not use much at all, such as Hurt and Fighter. Continue reading the article here. Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by José Goulão

What is it Like to Attend Skidmore College

What is it Like to Attend Skidmore College The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Brandon is a New York City tutor specializing in several subjects such as Economics tutoring, Reading, and College Essay prep tutoring. He majored in Theater, Economics, and Government when he attended Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York and graduated in 2011. See what Brandon had to say about his alma mater: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Brandon: Saratoga Springs is probably one of the most beautiful cities in the northeast; it is mostly a summer vacation town, so it doesn't feel like a college town, but there are plenty of options (food, clothing, etc.) for college students. The economy during the summer months drums up enough business for Saratoga to host some of the most amazing restaurants in the northeast, apparently keeping the record for the largest concentration of bars and restaurants in the continental United States (maybe hearsay? Either way, the town feels like that is true). Getting downtown is as easy as taking a free bus from campus, I think they still run every 30 minutes. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Brandon: My professors were almost always available to speak with and I became close with a few of them. Whether a professor is in his or her office all day or not, every professor has mandated office hours during the week. If these conflict with you, most are usually helpful and willing to accommodate. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Brandon: The dining hall is amazing. Friends of mine from home who came to visit said it was the best thing they've ever experienced, especially at a college. Dorm and housing life is always getting better; a new housing establishment has just been finished and the other options are centrally located and easy to get to. I took the off-campus housing option my junior and senior years, just because I love the city of Saratoga and wanted to be more connected with it. Actually, living downtown is different from living on campus; Skidmore is like it's own little community, and so is Saratoga. I just wanted to get a little more connected with the Saratoga community. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Brandon: Well, it's hard to say which program or major Skidmore sees at it's most important. Sure, there are an abundance of students majoring in Business, Studio Art and Foreign Languages, but there is room for other kinds of majors. I majored in Theater and felt very well taken care of. My junior year, I mounted a production of Jean-Paul Sartre's No Exit at the historic Caffe Lena in downtown Saratoga Springs and Skidmore gave me a grant to pay for the space and the rights for the play. The Theater department was a tight-knit group and we took care of each other. On the other hand, my housemate senior year majored in Physics and went on to graduate school at University of Washington, studying Aerospace Engineering; so, whatever you study, you will probably be accommodated. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Brandon: I found it really easy to meet people and make friends my freshman year. I was really stressed out about making friends and doing well before I went, but once you arrive you realize that most people are in the same boat; everyone is essentially friendless, so if you put yourself out there, people will respond. Greek life doesn't exist at Skidmore, but we have A'Capella groups, and they come close. I was in one, so it seems that way. People who weren't in A'Capella groups probably didn't care too much though. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Brandon: The Business department at Skidmore is reputable and one of the most active on campus. Ben and Jerry's Phish Food ice cream flavor came from an idea that a group in the Business department's 101 class came up with. Most of my friends received a lot of help from the Career Center and were successful in finding jobs upon graduation. It was different for me; I entered the professional theater world after I graduated, so there was not much Skidmore could have done for me other than train me and give me connections with people after graduation, both of which I received. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Brandon: I mostly studied in the library or in my room (aside from majoring in theater, I minored in government and studied economics Skidmore's Liberal Arts tradition took a hold of me). The library was great and spacious, while I was there at least. Recently, I've heard murmurs of over-crowded-ness around campus, but that may not be true. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Brandon: Saratoga is the best city in the north-east. Every time I go back to that place I have a perpetual smile on my face. Some of the best food I've ever tasted comes from Saratoga. It's so quaint, yet so cultured; there are art galleries, performing spaces, shops with oddities, and plenty of delicious food. While there, try The Local, Ravenous, or Putnam Market. There are so many other places, try it all! I lived downtown my senior year, some of my friends did the same thing. I'd say by senior year about half of the class is living downtown, while the other half stays with the on-campus Northwoods housing option, which is just as awesome. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Brandon: I don't think I had a single class size over 30, and most of them hovered around 10 or 15. I was generally amazed by class sizes. I had an acting class my junior year that was 5 students; this was amazing. I got so much up close and personal work with one of the best acting teachers around, a permanent member of the SITI company and excellent actor in his own right. Government and Economics was generally the same thing, I was mostly very pleased with class sizes. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Brandon: My teachers were all so available; I regret not utilizing all of their office hours more and not becoming friends with more of them. The more you forge a close relationship with a professor, the more you will learn. You'll be more engaged in the teacher and the material, and the teacher will be more engaged with you. Only good things can come of this. Check out Brandons tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

An Introduction to StatisticsÂ

An Introduction to Statistics   Applied Statistics in a Nutshell ChaptersWhat is Statistics?Descriptive Statistics BasicsInferential StatisticsTips and Resources for statisticsFrom constructing a confidence interval for a point predictor to hypothesis testing, statistics can be a complex discipline to start to unravel. Luckily, this guide will help you start to understand the broad field of data analysis by walking you through the basics of its origins and composition.Crafting and implementing a study design is a vital part of statistics AisvaryaData Analysis Teacher 5.00 (4) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdeyemiData Analysis Teacher 5.00 (4) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdenikeData Analysis Teacher 5.00 (4) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GokhanData Analysis Teacher 5.00 (4) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OlawaleData Analysis Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ThanushanData Analysis Teacher 5.00 (4) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AisvaranData Anal ysis Teacher 5.00 (4) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Muhammad umairData Analysis Teacher 5.00 (2) £100/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhat is Statistics?In order to begin to answer this question, ask yourself: what is the value of data? While this very question is something modern policy makers have to examine with extreme care, investigating the value of data isn’t an exclusively modern phenomenon.We’re all familiar with the images of data and data analysis in the 90s, which typically drew on the caricatures brought forth by the dawn of the digital age: the Matrix being a prime example. In the present day, statistical data the statistical software to analyse it is available to everyone with access to the internet. From the algorithms that best match your dating profile with another to the way stores identify which items to put on sale - data is ubiquitous in our modern lives.Statistical analysis, however, has been around for centuries. Early statistic ians made the most of the statistical methods they had at their disposal in order to collect, sort and register categorical and quantitative data. While the job of the statistician didn’t involve the inferential tools involved in Bayesian statistics, the basic principles have remained the same throughout the centuries: to collect, analyse and interpret data in order to make more informed decisions.While today we concern ourselves with concepts in methodology and analysis such as sample size, raw data, or effect size, the concept of collecting demographic and economic data throughout history has mostly been interested in investigating the movements of the economy, population and agriculture. While more robust versions of the historical evolution of statistics exists, the basics of statistics can be broken down into three basic phases.The first involved collecting census and observational data to improve sanitary and economic conditions. The second, implemented heavily after the Sec ond World War, was registering demographic and economic data into government databases. The third, which extends to the present day, includes the revolutions in statistical inference brought about by technological advances. With live saving fields such as biostatistics, the improvement of data analysis methods has transformed the standards of living across the globe.Today, statistics has grown to become deeply interwoven with the field of data science. Statistical models have grown to include ones used in AI or machine learning, which often help draw inferences from non-numerical data. Tasks such as predicting an estimator or automatic randomization can be done much quicker in the present day thanks to the invention of statistical and analytical software. Some of the most common languages or programs you’re likely to encounter in statistics and data science field include R, Stata, SPSS, Python, C, and SQL.Learning statistics actually starts at a young age!Descriptive Statistics Ba sicsWhether you’ve built a histogram for a science project or regularly use data visualization tools at work, you’ve participated in one of the most important branches in the discipline of statistics: descriptive statistics. Split into two main branches, this first branch deals with data post data collection and strives to use statistical techniques to understand the composition of the data set.Often the first part of any study design, descriptive statistics reveal vital insights into the qualitative or quantitative data being considered. Whether the data is ordinal, categorical or numerative, there are two categories descriptive statistics can fall under: measures of central tendency or of variability.Measures of central tendency are used when someone wants to understand what the average looks like for one or more metrics. These measures involve aspects like the sample mean, median and mode. These three, while seemingly similar, are appropriate in different circumstances depend ing on whether or not the data has a large amount of outliers. Even the most experienced data scientists are not able to interpret anything about their data sets before conducting preliminary descriptive, statistical analyses.Measures of variability, on the other hand, include characteristics like standard deviation, covariance or the variances. These are used when someone would like to know the spread of the data, which tells you how far the data is spread around the centre, or average. This can be extremely helpful when understanding what percentage of your data falls under a certain range. When applied to financial statistics, the standard deviation can also be seen as the volatility of a particular data set.Descriptive statistics are mostly only for univariate analysis, which is the act of analysing one variable. While this acts as a way of understanding the makeup of things like income or sales, it can also be helpful when comparing the makeup of multiple variables. For example , if a small business wants to take advantage of the sales data it has for a particular event, they can use descriptive statistics to determine the percentage of its customers that are over or under a certain age.Descriptive statistics make up the vast majority of the statistics used by individuals, companies and governments. While forecasting future events is extremely important, many people only need measures of central tendency and variability to extract meaningful information for their decision making. Some of the most powerful measures and included in descriptive statistics are:Correlation coefficientSimple data visualizationDistributions (binomial, normal, Laplace, etc.)Graphing data is one of the essential components of data analysisInferential StatisticsThe next branch of the disciplines combines probability and statistics in order to understand not only what is inside the data, but to use that data to make predictions. This type of statistical analysis, called inferential s tatistics, typically draws from probability theory and a probability distribution in order to conduct multivariate, or several variable, analysis. Also known as mathematical statistics, the statistical theory involved under this branch can also reveal important relationships within the data without the use of probability distributions with non-parametric models.The types of models used in the majority of inferential, statistical data analysis involve mostly parametric models such as general linear regression models or analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests. Regardless of whether it’s a parametric or non-parametric test, however, the mathematician or statistician will have to meet two criteria: have a set of variables they’d like to test and have their data meet certain assumptions.The first criterion is simple and involves a process we all understand, which involves picking one dependent variable or several in order to try to predict one independent variable or more. The second crit erion is where most statisticians have trouble because most data sets do not strictly follow most assumptions required for using certain models, such as the data following a normal distribution. The Gauss-Markov assumptions for classical linear models are the most commonly known and are key to understanding inferential statistics.Inferential statistics is also distinct from descriptive statistics because it involves testing a null hypothesis against an alternative hypothesis. Using the models available, along with statistical software such as R or SPSS, you will be able to derive estimators and predictions on the mean along with their confidence intervals.If you’re just starting to learn about statistics, some of the most common parametric models include:General linear modelsLogistic regression modelsOn the other hand, some of the more common non-parametric models include:Cluster analysisFactor analysisDiscriminate analysisAlong with these models, ANOVA is a common way in which st atisticians determine which model can be more precise by comparing the variances of two or more models.Tips and Resources for statisticsFrom understanding what statistical methodology to employ with categorical data analysis to comprehending how the concept of a random variable effects least squares and regression analysis - here are some statistics tips and resources to follow if you need any sort of statistics help.AcademicNeed help interpreting the statistical significance of your dependent variable or knowing which parametric test to employ on your observational data? Heading over to Stack Exchange, a statistics forum, will most likely give you the answer to your question.If you’re interested in getting tutored in Statistics, browse through Superprof’s community of almost 150,000 maths teachers in the UK. From chi-square tests to drawing inferences from data sets, a maths teacher can guide you through the field.ProgrammingStackoverflow is another great online forum that can help you with everything coding related, from including only certain outliers in your experimental design to running a regression analysis, they’ll help you troubleshoot your coding problems.

Four Tips to Engage Your Students in a Brand-New School Year

Four Tips to Engage Your Students in a Brand-New School Year Theres a lot to do as you prepare for a new school year: getting the classroom ready, organizing your materials and plans, and brainstorming the best ways to engage your students both behaviorally and cognitively. Here are a few tips as you design this years learning activities: Share what you learned over summer. Your positive attitude can have a big influence on your students. Come in excited and your enthusiasm will inevitably rub off on them. Spend time developing a list of your takeaways from any recent professional development or personal projects that pertain to student learning. What are you eager to share with students this year? Give students some control. Empower your students by telling them that they are in charge of their learning. As the school year gets underway, start setting goals and have students come up with their own, as well as steps to achieve them. When possible, invite ideas and input. Rather than dictate, encourage dialogue. Guide students toward competence. The more you can guide your students toward success, the more motivated they will become. You cannot control students work ethic, but you can provide clear, well-thought-out direction in class and offer support and encouragement as students work toward skill mastery. Nurturing students sense of competence helps them feel more engaged in the next task. Commit to building good relationships. Show your students you care. Make your classroom a place where they feel like they belong and are treated fairly. Most of all, make it your class mantra that improvement and learning something new (and not simply obtaining high grades) is success. This year, refine your student-centered instructional approach to promote higher student engagement. Youll see your students become more focused and willing to participate, which will result in a richer class experience and greater levels of student success.

What To Look For In a GRE Prep Course

What To Look For In a GRE Prep Course GRE/MAT Graduate School Blog If you’re planning to take the GRE, chances are that you aren’t treating it as a casual endeavor, but that you are planning to put a lot into it and get a lot out. After all, a graduate education requires a huge investment and, hopefully, provides a huge return. So it should be safe to say that you are making a committed effort to prepare. But with all of the material that is considered essential to an undergraduate education, and the volumes more that is considered specialized, it can be easy to get lost without a roadmap. This is where a GRE prep course comes into play, which requires a decision about which one to use. For that decision, here are five characteristics you should consider: 1. Comprehensive The course you select should be comprehensive, which means it should thoroughly cover all three sections of the GRE (Verbal, Quantitative, and Writing), and have a more or less exhaustive inventory of the topics and information covered by each. A perfect score on the GRE is actually possible, but only if you cover all your bases thoroughly and review diligently. 2. Concise Conciseness is also a virtue, because as much information as there is on the GRE, there is even more that isn’t, and you don’t want to distract yourself with irrelevant information. The course you select should be streamlined and follow as closely as possible the actual format and content of the GRE. 3. Convenient Convenience is an important factor to consider, because with the necessity of preparing for the GRE while still managing the demands of your regular studies, you will want to remove any possible barriers to your GRE prep work. Online courses are great, as long as they satisfy the other considerations, because not only do they not add to your weight load (as long as you already have a laptop or mobile device with you), they are also convenient to access when you have short intervals of downtime throughout the day. 4. Comprehensible The course you select should be easy to read, easy to understand, and easy for you to learn from. You should feel like you are making steady progress in your GRE prep, not struggling to understand the material, which should mostly be review for you anyway. 5. Plenty of Practice Exams The best preparation is practice, and the course you select should provide you with plenty of opportunity in the form of a variety of practice exams. The more of these you can do the better, and the best way to use them is to take them under actual testing conditions, i.e. in a straight stretch of time with no outside references. This will not only reveal where you need to focus your studies, it will also get you accustomed to the testing circumstances, so they will no longer be stressful to you, and your performance should continually improve as you go along. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(215486, '6baac2ae-05a3-4610-9d1f-265c8cbd809f', {});

Alo7.com

Alo7.com Alo7.com Founded by Dr. Pengkai Pan, who holds a PhD from the MIT Media Lab, Alo7s initial angel investors include digital pioneer Professor Nicholas Negroponte, who is the MIT Media Lab Founder, and several international venture capital companies. Alo7 is the largest digital English Language Teaching (ELT) product and solutions provider in China, with more than 10M registered users and more than 5,000 training school partners. We are revolutionizing the way English is learned and taught throughout China, from how schools are managed to how schools and homes are connected in the mobile Internet age. Alo7 aims to be one of the largest online education platform by end of 2018, as large educational institutions in China are all Alo7s partners. Currently, these partner schools are using Alo7s digital curriculum in the classroom setting and have started to offer Alo7s online tutoring services to their existing student bases, with an aggregated number of users easily exceeding one million. In November 2017, Alo7 received funding from Qualcomm, Legend, etc.

The 10 Best Language Learning Apps for User-friendly Study

The 10 Best Language Learning Apps for User-friendly Study The 10 Best Language Learning Apps for User-friendly Study @#$%!Sorry, you caught me at a bad moment.You know how it is. Smartphone technology can be frustrating.Whats really aggravating is when you download a new app thats supposed to make your life easier, and it just doesnt.I dont know about you, but Im not very patient when it comes to apps that take too long to figure out.Especially language learning apps, because language learning is already a big time investment.When I download a language app, I want to be able to understand what its supposed to do and how I can start using it. Like, now.I want to be able to use it until Im comfortable with it, and then keep using it and get better and better at the language Im studying.There are good apps out there for learning languages. There are bad ones. And theres often no immediate way to tell the difference between them.Look, I dont want to come across like some arrogant, entitled person who gripes about technology. Technology is amazing, and we should never take it for granted.But theres so m uch tech out there we dont even need. And as a language learner, its in your best interest to only use what really works.Im going to give you a rundown of some of the best language learning apps. Of course, everyone likes different types of apps, but these are ones with solid, hassle-free features that the vast majority of people can benefit from.And they do their job. If you commit to them, they deliver. Signs of an Effective, User-friendly Language Learning AppSmooth, simple features that are easy to understand and control.I dont care how ingenious of a language learning system youve put together. If its not something you can explain to me in 30 seconds, Im probably not going to use it.We spend a lot of time these days bemoaning short attention spans and going on about how people need to engage more fully with life. But thats not what Im talking about here.Ive read books with 1,000+ pages because they were inviting enough to make me want to engage with them. Just as good books a re well written, good apps are intuitive. Of course, whats intuitive and appealing can differ from person to person, which is why Im recommending 10 apps instead of just one or two.Interactivity.Some language apps mainly contain information. That may be fine if youre looking for reference material, like a dictionary or list of grammar concepts. But if youre looking for an app that will actually teach you something, youll need one that invites you to participate in the process, whatever that may mean. It could be an app that prompts you to speak, for example, or one that gives you written quizzes.You may want to choose an app based on the skill it asks you to practice, but any regular meaningful interaction with the language will help you build your general knowledge. You can always then choose to exercise that knowledge in other ways. Interactivity itself is whats most important.Full sentences and plenty of context.If I had a penny for every language app Ive downloaded that turned o ut to just be a matching game with individual words and definitions well, Id probably have, like, 30 cents because these particular apps are pretty easy to spot. And sometimes Ive even done it on purpose because, depending on the game, they can be fun!But my point is that you have to move beyond individual words. Apps whose features are too complicated can be tedious, but the actual material youre learning should be complex. After all, language is an intricate thing.So lets take a look at some apps that give you all of the above and more.The 10 Best Language Learning Apps for User-friendly StudyFluentUAvailability: iOS | AndroidHow It Works: FluentU is based around the idea of taking real-world videosâ€"like movie trailers, music videos, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turning them into personalized language lessons.It creates a supportive, closed environment, but it does so within the context of an actual video you might find on the web, like a TV clip or commercial. You have contro l over what you learn, but FluentU provides interactive captions, quizzes and multimedia flashcards that give you a guided, non-stressful study experience.In a nutshell, heres what makes FluentU special: Because these videos were created for native speakers, you get access to the real thing immediately. Theres no waiting to graduate and try out your skills in the world. The world is with you right from the start.You can shift around your learning as you like, so its easy to alleviate boredom if theres a particular video you dont enjoy. In many cases, you can find multiple videos for learning the same vocabulary, and you always have the chance to see that vocabulary in context. FluentU also keeps track of all the vocab youve learned, so you never have to waste time studying what you already know.Key Features:  Real-world videos from YouTube that run in a special player with interactive captions. Instant definitions, images and grammar notes. Intuitive pausing. Downloadable PDFs, plus vocab and dialogue tabs with audio clips for each video. Customized quizzes that use spaced repetition for efficient learning.In Summary: FluentU gives you a balance between independent and guided learning. It lets you control your learning environment, gives you supportive tools and also starts you off with real-world language right from the beginning. Unlike many other apps, it doesnt just help you build a strong foundation, but gives you content to increase fluency into and beyond the advanced levels.Rosetta StoneAvailability: iOS | AndroidHow It Works:Yep, Rosetta Stone is legit! Its quality is apparent in the construction of its lessons, which teach you a language through immersion and logic. In the lessons, youre given words and sentences in text and audio to match with images in a way that slowly builds knowledge. Youre also prompted to test your speech against voice recognition technology.What Rosetta Stone excels at is putting you in a controlled environment that keeps you from having to think about too much at once.If youve ever wondered why Rosetta Stone is so popular, aside from good marketing, its probably because it requires very little decision making outside of the actual work you need to do in the lessons. And decision making is often where people get stuck. The limited amount of information youre able to see in the app at any given time helps cut down on uncertainty and stress, which for a lot of learners is a huge benefit.Of course, using a language in the real world isnt as straightforward of a process as using Rosetta Stone. Nor should it be. What Rosetta Stone does is give you a boost up into the language so you can eventually start using it in other ways.Key Features: 30-minute lessons given in an immersive test format. Pictures with matching audio and text.In Summary:  Rosetta Stone is a very supportive system for learning a language that can help you quickly gain a sense of accomplishment. It puts you in a controlled environment where you only have to think about one thing at a time. If youd like to sit back and let the app make all the decisions, this is one of the best choices out there.Innovative LanguageAvailability: iOS | AndroidHow It Works:  Innovative Language gives you access to a dashboard of features where you can learn a language through podcast-style audio and video lessons.You can zoom in on the content of lessons through corresponding notes, line-by-line audio and other tools. Its sort of like classroom learning, but in shorter bursts.What sets this app apart from others is its human element.  While learning vocabulary, grammar or cultural concepts, you have native-speaking teachers talking directly to you. But you can also learn at your own pace and review the material in whatever ways are most comfortable for you.Key Features: Podcast  lessons with corresponding notes and audio clips. The features that are available to you depend on what level of plan you sign up for.In Summary: Innovative Langu age apps are great for independent learners who still want the feeling of being taught by an actual person.HiNativeAvailability: iOS | AndroidHow It Works:  Okay, so HiNative is a little different from the other apps on this list. Its not meant to be used as a main or complete learning system.But whats important is that it gives you something thats missing from many, many other good apps all put together: Controlled, easy and efficient interactions with native speakers.HiNative helps independent learners learn better by rescuing us when we get stuck. It only takes a few minutes to create a profile, during which you learn how to use the platform itself. Then, you can type in questions for native speakers to answer. For example, you can ask how to translate a certain word or phrase. Or you can record yourself speaking and ask someone to evaluate your pronunciation.And thats it.It takes the awkwardness out of communicating with strangers and allows you to learn whatever you feel you ne ed to learn.Key Features: A simple QA chat setup with categories that guide the question and answer process.In Summary:  HiNative is mainly an app to be used in conjunction with other apps. But its also an app that probably any learner will find helpful at some time or another. It fills a very specific but important need.PimsleurAvailability: iOS | AndroidHow It Works:  Pimsleur is a straight-up classic.What you get with Pimsleur is 30-minute audio lessons that include speaking prompts. This is one of the best apps to use if youre planning on learning exclusively in your car or in environments where you cant look at your phone for extended periods of time.However, if you do want to learn from your phone, the Pimsleur Premium app  does come with some bonuses for additional learning, including reading lessons, digital flashcards, games and more.The lessons present scenarios that cover core vocabulary, and they eventually bring you into the dialogue. Pimsleur lessons probably wouldnt b e very stimulating as pure listening material, but once you get used to the format, youll probably become excited for the moments where you have a chance to speak. The time-based physical and mental demands of the program really build your confidence by testing your abilities.Like with Rosetta Stone, you get a limited amount of material at one time, and once you start the lesson, youre locked in for the duration. If youre a restless learner and dont like sitting quietly, Pimsleur may be fun for you, because it requires your full attention and participation. You get to talk, and you can even get up and walk around while youre doing the lessons!Key Features: 30-minute audio lessons with speaking prompts.In Summary:  The Pimsleur app gives you straightforward lessons with an interactive audio format and a logical structure. This is one of the more intensive apps on this list, as you need to do the lessons regularly, and the lessons set the pace for you. If you go with Pimsleur, expect to do some serious work, but also to build a strong foundation in spoken language.DuolingoAvailability: iOS | AndroidHow It Works:Duolingo has the same type of controlled presentation as Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone, but its a bit more flexible. That also means it probably wont work you out quite as hard, but thats not necessarily a bad thing.If Rosetta Stone is like weight training, Duolingo is like cardio. It may not strengthen your practical skills as much, but it allows you to get into a rhythm and slowly build up your confidence in a language. It does this through quizzes that use audio, text, multiple choice questions, translations, jumbled sentences and fill-in-the-blank exercises.Duolingo wont necessarily give you the most useful sentences to practice. In fact, it has a reputation for asking you to translate or put together sentences that are so absurd theyre hilarious.Thats okay, it just means that Duolingo is more focused on building your general vocabulary and sense of rela tionships between words. You wont get the practical scenarios that are presented in Pimsleur lessons or the real-world content of FluentU.Still, its free and a bit addictive. Plus, because there are so many people using Duolingo, youll probably run into other users, which makes it easy to compare progress and engage in friendly competition.Key Features: Quizzes that give you questions and challenges in a variety of formats. A simple, clean interface that tracks your learning and pushes you to study every day.In Summary: Duolingo may be one of the best apps for motivation, and the price makes it easy to just start learning anytime. It wont teach you a language in its entirety or give you the most realistic sentences to memorize, but it can give you basic knowledge and some momentum.ClozemasterAvailability: iOS | AndroidHow It Works:This appealingly geeky app is a sentence miners dream. Simply put, Clozemaster gives you a bunch of sentences to study in your target language. You select from a variety of language pairs and quiz yourself on the sentences using a fill-in-the-blank game.You may think this sounds a bit similar to Duolingo, but while Duolingo sometimes seems to construct the most random sentences out of groups of words, Clozemaster starts with the sentence as the ultimate unit of learning.Content is sourced from Tatoeba, a project that collects and translates sentences from public domain texts. This means that, generally speaking, the sentences you get should be realistic and useful. They may not always be sentences you would actually use yourself, but theyll probably be the type you would encounter somewhereâ€"like in speeches, books, newspapers and other authentic sources. This also means that you can use Clozemaster well into the advanced levels.Key Features: Sets of sentences for various language pairs that can be turned into quizzes.In Summary: Clozemaster is essentially like context-based flashcards. Unlike some of the other apps here, it wont te ach you a language from scratch, but it will give you relevant material for actually learning to fluency. As there are different amounts of material available for different languages, how useful Clozemaster is for you will depend partially on what language youre learning.BeelinguappAvailability: iOS | AndroidHow It Works:Beelinguapp lets you learn with authentic, context-rich content, but instead of using videos or sentences, youll be using whole books. Well, stories and short texts, at least.This app has you enter the language youre learning and the language you want to learn in, then lets you choose from a list of texts sorted by level. Once youve opened a text, youll be able to listen to the audio while following along with the help of a translation and an auto-highlighting feature.Beelinguapp is based on a straightforward concept, but like Clozemaster, this app has major geek appeal. It can be used creatively for a variety of purposes, including learning new vocabulary and prope r pronunciation in context. It can also just be used to take a break from your regular language studies and have fun seeing how far your understanding of your target language has come. However, its most exciting application might be working to increase your reading (and general comprehension) speed.Key Features: Books and stories with auto-highlighting text thats synced with audio.In Summary: Beelinguapp should appeal most to learners who are interested in reading in their target language, as well as independent learners who want to get a bit creative with their studies. It could probably be used as a primary study tool by some language learners, and it can definitely be useful to most. How useful you find it will depend on your goals and preferred learning style.MosaLinguaAvailability: iOS | AndroidHow It Works:MosaLinguas language apps give you lists of vocabulary in a simple phrasebook format with different categories, as well as dialogues.That sounds pretty typical of a basic la nguage app. However, you also get to choose which vocabulary you want to interact with. You can save that vocab in a flashcard deck of sorts, meaning you dont need to spend any time studying phrases that arent geared towards your specific goals. You can then run through exercises in your flashcard deck that help you memorize, pronounce and reproduce your selected phrases.This setup  could be pretty perfect for learners who like to control every aspect of their learning. With MosaLingua, youll always know exactly what youre learning, and it tracks your progress. Youll have access to a variety of content, but you can focus on the subjects youre interested in and customize your learning experience.Key Features: Subject  categories that give you access to phrases with audio and text. Dialogues. Customizable flashcard decks.In Summary:  If you want to take charge of your own learning, but to do it with a limited amount of pre-selected material, youll probably find MosaLingua helpful. The ir apps will likely appeal most to the practical, goal-oriented learner.Learn 50 LanguagesAvailability: iOS | AndroidHow It Works:Learn 50 Languages may be the most no-nonsense app on this list. Nothing about the interface will blow your mind, but the content and organization make it easy to navigate.This app actually uses a setup similar to MosaLingua, with the main part being a phrasebook made up of different wordlists along with corresponding audio clips, flashcards and quizzes. The look is a bit less slick, but everything is free with ads.This app is best for beginners.  The wordlists are divided into numbered lessons rather than categories. You can play through the lists and interact with them through flashcards and tests.Learn 50 Languages gives you a limited amount of information, but a ton of flexibility, and it ensures you learn the basics first. Also note that Im using wordlist very loosely here to describe the format: While you do get access to some individual words, you also get plenty of sentences for context!Key Features: Wordlist-style lessons that take you through the basic vocabulary of a language, including full sentences.In Summary: If you dont want any bells and whistles but just the essentials, Learn 50 Languages is here for you, and its free. Like other apps that focus on the basics, it wont teach you the whole language in terms of content or usage, but it will get you started.Never underestimate the importance of just getting startedâ€"its often the hardest part.The best language learning apps for you are the ones that you can and will use. And keep using.So take these for a spin, and see which one(s) you like!Elisabeth Cook is a language learning enthusiast who blogs about books from all over the globe at Lit All Over.

Super Tutors This Summer

Super Tutors This Summer The summer time is greeting you! While some students are still swamped with finals others already head to the beaches, hiking trails or airports. Yes, the summer time is there for adventure, fun and relaxation. But it is also a chance to catch up on missed courses or prepare for the back-to-school season in fall. Whatever your studying situation might be you probably benefit from hiring one of our excellent summer-time tutors. If youre a parent and wished your kids to cooperate better this summer, read Mays 8 Tips to Get Your Kids to Cooperate. Or perhaps your kids asks a million questions on 5 different subjects within 5 minutes? Check out Mays 9 Signs of ADHD. Super Summer Tutors Monir T. Math, English and Biology. in Fremont, CA. I want to provide students with the skills, inspirational learning environment and knowledge that will lead them to a successful academic and future career as well as making positive every day business decisions. Melissa O. Reading, Autism, Elementary and Special Education in Cumming, GA. I love using students learning style, interests and academic curriculum to craft lessons that are engaging and academically rigorous. Dr. Bibin J. Physics and Mechanical Engineering in New City, NY. Bibin has a doctoral degree in mechanical engineering, is a lecturer and has been teaching undergraduates for 4 years teaching Mr. Bosko C. Math, Physics, ACT in San Diego, CA. I make learning process and understanding math much easier for students by initiating an interactive approach during my tutoring sessions and always keep improving their knowledge by giving them challenging math and logic problems in order to expand their potentials. Best Value Guarantee! Easy match with qualified and trusted tutors at no charge. Find me a Tutor 8 Tips to Get Your Kids to Cooperate Be an example. As with other skills, kids are constantly watching and learning from us. So, make sure that you are actively showing them how to cooperate with other people. continue reading ? 9 Signs of ADHD Does your kid disrupt everyone around him with sudden outburst of laughter for no apparent reason? Does your kid ask a million questions on different subjects within 5 minutes? He probably is ADHD. continue reading ? Why You Should Take Notes By Hand Scientific research says youll get much more out of classes when you are taking notes by hand instead of using your laptop. continue reading ? Did these samples catch your interest? Receive new articles from the TutorZ blog. Its free. Subscribe to Blog Learning to Sail How to Tack TutorZ very own Dirk Wagner shows how to tack a sailing boat. You might try sailing and tacking when youre at the lake or the sea shore this summer. Watch this Video ? Star Tutor Monir Highly Recommends TutorZ “This past 8 years with TutorZ has been a great, positive and successful experience for me.” Monir Tsazan, Fremont, CA. “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.” Quote by Jim Rohn was an American entrepreneur, author, motivational speaker and life philosopher.