The Advantages of Cal Poly Tutoring

The Advantages of Cal Poly TutoringWhile there are many schools that offer tutoring services, Cal Poly Tutoring is one of the best. Here are some things to know about the tutoring services offered by Cal Poly.All Cal Poly College students have access to the tutoring services offered by Cal Poly's Educational Services Office. This office offers in-home and online tutoring services. The services offered include personal tutoring and group tutoring for Math, Science, English, Social Studies, Humanities, and Psychology courses. An office counselor is available to assist you throughout the tutoring process.The tutoring service at Cal Poly is typically five days per week. There is a minimum wait time for an appointment with a tutor. Once you receive an appointment you are notified of the date and time for your tutoring session. If you do not show up for your appointment, your session may be rescheduled or you may have to pay a late fee.In addition to the Cal Poly Office tutoring services, there are also privately owned tutoring centers available at Cal Poly. These private tutoring centers provide tutoring services on a tuition-and-lunch basis. Tuition is determined by the number of students who are registered in the class. One-on-one tutoring is provided for a fee.The majority of tutoring services at Cal Poly are administered on campus. However, there are a few campus-based tutoring options. An example is the University Prep Tutoring Center.Students at Cal Poly are able to access tutoring at any time of the day or night. Some tutoring is even available during normal classes. During peak times, tutoring is available twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. Thetutoring service at Cal Poly is open twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week.When enrolling in the Cal Poly tutoring program, students must meet specific eligibility requirements. It is not necessary to be in need of a grade improvement in order to enroll in the Cal Poly tutoring program. For exampl e, if you are struggling with test taking, math, or English composition, you will be enrolled in a tutoring program that is specifically designed to improve your grades.Cal Poly is one of the best places to get tutoring. The counseling office at Cal Poly is open twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. The tutoring service at Cal Poly is available twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week.

4 Daily Ways to Totally Immerse Yourself in a Foreign Language

4 Daily Ways to Totally Immerse Yourself in a Foreign Language 4 Daily Ways to Totally Immerse Yourself in a Foreign  Language Think about how you learned how to ride a bike, swim at the pool or play hoops in your backyard.Nobody stuck a book under your nose and told you to read about bicycles, swimming or  basketball first.You learned these things through immersion.In other words, you learned by jumping in and actually doing the activity, and unsurprisingly, this is the best way to learn.This applies to nearly everything we want to learn, from cooking to starting a business, and especially learning a new language!The fundamental concepts of immersion are quite obvious. Learning by immersion is actually something we naturally do without much thought. Most of us learned how to speak our native language because we grew up around people (family, friends, etc.) speaking it around us. We didn’t consciously decide that we were going to immerse ourselves to learn the language, it just happened. Why Immersion Trumps Conventional Book  LearningA study was done by researchers from Georgetown University Medical Cen ter, where subjects were divided into two groups and were observed using a technique called electroencephalography (or EEG), which measures brain processing along the scalp.The two groups were both asked to study an artificial language. One group studied the language in a formal classroom setting while the other was trained through immersion.After five months, the results clearly showed that the immersed group displayed the full brain patterns of a native speaker. This is mind boggling, since 90% of committed language learners are still learning a language using the traditional classroom setting (and paying a premium price for it).The researchers also concluded that for adult foreign language learners to become as fluent as native speakers, they must think like native speakers.However, the fundamentals of immersion taught and provided to these study participants are not automatically set up for the rest of us when we try to learn a new language. This is mostly because the location w e live in prevents us from being fully immersed in the language every day. Perhaps there is a limited number of people (or absolutely nobody) speaking the language around us. Resources to practice might be hard to come by. Still more important, you might find yourself struggling to make room for language immersion in your daily schedule.Well, hang tightâ€"here we are going to explore four great ways to become totally immersed in any foreign language of your choice.4 Daily Ways to Totally Immerse Yourself in a Foreign  Language1. Make it a need instead of a wantThere is a big difference between want and need. While “want” is something that is pretty nice to have, a “need” is something you cannot live without.“Want” can often be confused for external needs, such as impressing those around you, sounding smart or feeling better about yourself. Meanwhile, a “need” comes from within and serves as intrinsic motivation that is long-lasting and sustainable.This is extremely i mportant to immersion. Think about how it feels (or how it might feel, if you have not yet had this experience) to be in a foreign country, completely surrounded by a foreign language you do not know. You need to start learning quickly, or you will not be able to eat, find a bathroom, locate your hotel or direct a taxi driver to your destination. To get immersion at home, you need to simulate this level of urgency and importance.So ask yourself: Why do you “need” to speak your target language?Then come up with at least three powerful reasons. Dig deep. These should be powerful enough to make you want to take immediate action in learning the language.Listening to the stories of language learners, here are some powerful stories I have heard people give to back up their language learning goals:Family needs:“Need to be able to communicate with my family members.”“Need to speak Spanish to have a deeper connection with my spouse.“Need to teach my child so they can be grounded in their cultural roots, before they forget the language.”“Need to learn in order to communicate with my boyfriends/girlfriend’s family.Travel needs:“Need to get around safely and avoid being taken advantage of as a foreigner while traveling.”“Need to learn in order to have a deeper cultural experience, and make the most of my travel experience.”Need to hear peoples stories and learn about their lives.“Need to learn so I can meet friends without worrying about being alone.”Need to study abroad to complete my major and find a worthwhile career that I love.Career needs:“Need to expand my knowledge because the world is becoming globalized with international business opportunities.”“Need to learn a second language to improve your resume for career advancement and additional opportunities.”“Need to work with clients who speak the foreign language, or I’ll be out of a job.”2. Absorb all information in your target languageStart by making a list of all the in formation you absorb throughout the day, from the moment you wake up to hitting the sheets for bed time.Heres what this might look like:You wake up, turn off the alarm on your smartphone  and quickly check up on messages.You turn on your computer and read emails or open up your social media profiles to see whats happening.You read a printed (or digital) newspaper over breakfast, on your commute or at work.You listen to radio in the car or a  podcast  while you walk around town.You get home after work and watch movies or TV shows, or you browse Netflix for a while.While at the gym, cooking or in the shower, you listen to your favorite music.That is a lot of language input! Seems like a waste to have that all in English, does it not?Now think of how you can change everything into the target language you want to learn.You could:Change your smartphones language setting.Change your computers language settings and enable a foreign keyboard layout.Find your favorite news source in your tar get language, or find a new newspaper from a country where the target language is spoken.Stream live radio broadcasts and download podcasts in the target language.Watch movies on Netflix with foreign language audio and English subtitles.Rock out to popular songs in your target language (i.e. Vivir Mi Vida â€" Marc Anthony  for Spanish learners!)Some changes will be small at first, but these changes accumulate into providing an immersive experience for you as time passes.The key to this strategy is that you do not  go out of your way to immerse yourself in activities that you normally do not do. Follow your daily routine to the minute, but just change the language setting on your life.This means that if you do not like reading newspapers, you will not go out of your way to read them. If you enjoy watching movies, continue to watch the movies you enjoy (do not even change the genre) and use tools like Netflix to listen in the foreign audio with subtitles. If you love authentic, real-w orld video content in foreign languages, try using  FluentU  to track down great videos and learn actively from them with interactive subtitles and fun, varied learning exercises.Forcing yourself to do something you do not already  enjoy is one of the fastest ways to stop your learning journey, because your brain will quickly come to associate the foreign language with negative, boring and arduous  experiences, rather than positive ones.MosaLingua, which offers apps for learning Spanish, Italian, French, German and Portuguese, gives you access through its web app to a specially-selected library of native materials for learners, such as e-books and websites, which you can browse through with the aid of a translator tool. You can even save words and phrases you dont recognize as flashcards and review them later.Of course, if you are just starting to learn, this all may seem confusing for you at first. But as you accelerate your learning journey with a professional coach (or another me thod) you will start to make out a few words, then a few sentences, and before you know it, you will begin to understand a good portion of the foreign language information you are absorbing.3. Keep a journal (or blog)This may seem to be mainly beneficial for your writing skills, but improving your writing skills (in any language) will help you become a more effective communicator in both written and oral forms.If you already have a daily or weekly journal you write in, continue to write with  the same frequency, but do it in your target foreign language.If you do not keep a journal, then buy a blank one and start writing on a weekly basis. Then you can gradually increase the frequency as you feel more comfortable with the process. You can write about anything, including how you feel, what you are most excited about, what you plan to do today and what you have learned.If you would like more of a structure, you can borrow the five minute journal format. It is easy!  When you wake up, take five minutes to answer:Three things you are most grateful for today.What will make today great?I am… (something positive, for example: happy, strong, fearless, intelligent, a supportive friend, a great boyfriend/girlfriend, an entrepreneur, etc.)Then at night before you head to bed, answer:Three amazing things that happened today (and why).How could I have made today even better?*Feel free to adjust the questions as you wish. No length limit.The best part about following the five minute journal format is that you will not only improve your language skills, but you will feel happier, more grateful and more excited to explore your feelings about language learning and beyond. This will help keep you in the right frame of mind to keep learning.4. Work with a professional or a partnerLanguage is learned with people and used with people. That is its main purpose. This means that immersion in language learning does not  happen alone.For most of us who are not living in a foreign cou ntry, this leaves us with two options:Find someone who speaks the foreign language (and wants to learn your native language) and try to help each other out by spending half the time speaking one language and the other half speaking the other. This is known as a conversation exchange, and it can be highly beneficial.Work with a qualified teacher online.  Find someone who is professional, trained and 100% dedicated to helping you succeed.In summary, the biggest differences between the two comes down to money and time.Conversation ExchangePros:  You can make friends from around the world, and it is completely free!  Cons:  Your partner is a native speaker but not a professional educator.Conversation exchanges require some time investment on your part. It can take a significant amount of time to find the right partnerâ€"someone who is fluent in your target language and wants to learn your language. You also want someone who has a personality that meshes nicely with your own, who is in a location/time zone that is convenient for both of you and who has good time availability.From there, scheduling and keeping a consistent schedule to practice is also a burden at times, and from personal experience it is rarely sustainable. Language partners tend to come and go, as peoples lives, availability and levels of interest and commitment change. Of course, there is always a chance you will find a great, long-term practice partner, and maybe even someone you can stay with when you visit their home country (and vice versa).You also have to keep in mind that 50% of your time needs to be dedicated to helping the other person. So in a 60-minute session, you are actually practicing your target language for only 30 minutes.Lastly, your conversation exchange is a native speaker, not a professional trained to help give you proper feedback, correct all your mistakes, provide clear and thorough explanations for language lessons and guide you to the fastest ways of learning the languag e. But you never knowâ€"you might get lucky and find a partner whos capable of doing exactly that!Professional teacherPros:  Often leads to faster learning, saved time and better guaranteed accountability and success on your part.Cons:  This costs money, and you will not necessarily be building friendships with people.Working with a professional teacher allows you to receive 100% attention focused on helping you succeed, seamless scheduling experience to guarantee you availability when you are free, immediate feedback and constant accountability.We have seen that working with a professional will not only save you  from wasting time by accelerating your learning speed, but you can focus on what matters in your life, whether it is your work, family or your hobbies, instead of coordinating schedules and spending extra time teaching your  native language to someone else.Following these action steps, immersion can happen at the comforts of your own home.All it takes is a little creativit y, dedication and help from a native speaker or language coach.So now you have no excuse to wait until tomorrowâ€"you can start getting immersed in a foreign language right now!

How to Save Money on a Tutor Time Facebook Group

How to Save Money on a Tutor Time Facebook GroupAre you wondering how to save money on a tutor time Facebook group? There are several ways to do this and they all cost money. It is not going to be cheap but you can save a little bit of money each month on your bill.First you have to make sure that you really want to save money. If you have the need for more help, you can talk with friends and family members that are online tutors and see what they are paying. If they are paying enough to cover the costs, you may want to take them up on it.You will want to join a tutor time Facebook group if you really want to save money. There are many good people online that have a ton of experience and a wealth of knowledge on a variety of subjects. This will provide you with an edge over other online tutors. By using your own judgment and knowledge you will save yourself money.You will also be able to learn from others who are willing to share their knowledge and advice with others. By learning fr om others you will improve your ability to teach others how to do the work.To save money on your tutor time you need to choose wisely. This is a one-way trade. You are not allowed to accept the job and not return the favor. I highly recommend that you use a quality tutor time group in your area so that you can find a mentor who you can learn from.Another thing to consider when using tutor time on Facebook is the quality of the people you are working with. It is very easy to get a bad deal on a one-on-one tutoring situation. Most of the time you will be working with people who are not qualified to teach. Some may even be scammers who only want your money. On the other hand you will be working with good people who are interested in what you are teaching them. So keep that in mind when choosing the tutor time Facebook group you are going to join.

Tips On How To Start A Tutoring Services Business

Tips On How To Start A Tutoring Services BusinessWhen you start to look for tutoring services business ideas, your first step should be to get a tutoring services business plan. A business plan is very important when you are going to start up a tutoring services business.The idea of a business plan is to give you an overview of the goals and features that the business has to offer. There are a number of things that a business plan should include: a description of the business; the name of the business; the type of business, such as tutoring agencies; the method of business, such as through partnerships, joint ventures, etc. A business plan must include all the information that is essential for you to get a license.The purpose of the business plan is to state clearly the nature of business that you have chosen to run. It will also tell you the factors that will be used to determine if you are a good fit for the business, such as the cost of the company, the number of people that are e mployed, the location of the company, the competition, the skills and knowledge that you have acquired and others.A business plan should also explain what methods you will use to get funds from investors and how you will use them. This helps you understand the financing process. It also helps you come up with a budget so that you know what resources you will need to get started. Your business plan should also clearly state if you are going to raise capital from other investors, such as your friends and family.The last thing that a business plan should include is a discussion of the financial position of the company and what you would do to ensure that it does not suffer. Your business plan should be prepared in consultation with a financial planner, who can give you advice about the proper structure of your company. It is important that you list all the possible sources of financing that you can tap to get your business off the ground.When you have completed all the sections of your business plan, you will know if it is useful to the reader. It is a fact that the longer the document is, the better. In order to make it interesting, you should include questions and answers that may help people better understand your business.If you have problems with your business plan, there are plenty of people who can help you improve your business plan. With the help of the internet, you can get a lot of assistance from private tutoring agencies and from the tutoring service industry.

The Best Study Breaks How to Avoid Study Overload

The Best Study Breaks How to Avoid Study Overload Anyone who has spent long nights cramming for a test or writing a last-minute paper knows that countless hours of study are not only miserable, but can also become unproductiveespecially if you are studying for hours straight. Research suggests that taking short breaks can actually improve your ability to remember information and stay focused; however, not all study breaks are smart study breaks. Rather than checking Reddit or Netflix and ending up in an Internet black hole, read on to learn about the best study breaks and how to avoid study overload. 1. Take a walk to boost brain power Give your brain a break and put your body to work! Taking a walk around campus allows you to get some fresh air and can reenergize your brain to power through studying later. Physical activity boosts blood flow to the brain, and thus mental activity, so even a short jaunt around the block can help your studying. The benefits of walking go even further: walks can improve creative thinking, but also impart long-term benefits, such as improved memory, cognitive performance, and enhanced connectivity among brain circuits. Staying in the same place and position for a long time, such as hunched over a table at the library, can leave you tired and unfocused. Get up and stretch your legs so that you can focus on the work ahead. 2. Take a break from studying for a short snack Healthy snacks are the key here. Its easy to munch on junk food while studying, but those foods arent doing anything positive for your body. Skip the processed foods that can leave you feeling groggy and take a 30-minute break to make a balanced meal. If you feel the need to snack, choose a food that can boost your brainpower. Not only can whole grains, fruits, and veggies help you stay energized, but they also contain a healthy mix of antioxidants, fiber, and glucose, which can improve learning, cognitive ability, and boost your energy levels. [RELATED: Can Music Help Me Study?] 3. Take a (timed) cat nap to recharge your brain Sleep is a great way to reset your brain, especially if you are studying during the early hours and late into the night. A 20-minute nap can improve your cognitive function, and therefore help you stay alert and focused. Ironically, longer naps can leave you tired, so be sure to set an alarm clock (or three) and abide by itno snooze button! Nap in a dark, quiet room where your 20 minutes will be used most efficiently. [RELATED: The Importance of Sleep] 4. Find your Zen to avoid study overload Studies indicate that when the mind is at rest, parts of the brain that help with memory storage are highly engaged. There are several potential ways you can give your racing mind a rest. Many campus gyms offer yoga classes, which are a great way to clear your mind for a short period of time. If there isnt a yoga studio on campus, try looking up relaxation or meditation techniques on Youtube in your dorm or apartment. You can also give your brain a break for 20 minutes by turning off the lights, listening to some relaxing music, and clearing your mind. 5. Organize your study space to stay focused A clean workspace is a happy workspace. Studying in a cluttered or dirty location can distract you from the task at hand. Cleaning up a small area can give you a needed break and allow you a small success, which can translate into a more positive mindset. If you feel like youve been productive, youre more likely to remain productive. When the words in your notes start to blur together, take a minute to organize your area and give yourself a much-needed study break. [RELATED: 6 Strategies to Improve Your Productivity] 6. Let your inner artist out to relieve stress Remember all those hours you spent coloring when you were a kid? Turns out you were doing your brain a favor. If studying has you stressed, trade in your pens and highlighters for crayons and markers and take a coloring break. Coloring and similar artistic activities can help alleviate stress, and have even been linked to a boost in brain activity. It may sound bizarre, but more and more adults are turning to coloring as a way to unwind and relax (there are even several coloring books available for adults, featuring intricate designs and patterns). Study breaks can help you avoid study overload and re-focus your energy to power through. Not only that, certain study breaks can also help you better retain the information. Keep your breaks short and intentional to boost your productivity, and you will be well-prepared in no time.

The Top 10 Spanish Songs

The Top 10 Spanish Songs 10 Spanish-language Hits ChaptersPor qué te vas - Jeanette DimechMaría - Ricky MartinHijo de la Luna - MecanoDespacito - Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy YankeeHasta Siempre - Nathalie CardoneMacarena - Los del RioLa Tortura - Shakira ft. Alejandro SanzBailando - Enrique Iglésias ft. Descemer Bueno and Gente de ZonaLa Camisa Negra - JuanesBamboleo - Gipsy KingsWhether you speak Spanish or not, Spanish-language music can make you dance or hum along to their catchy melodies.Spanish or Hispanic music is becoming more and more popular, especially given the Latin rhythms from South and Central America and Spain.In this article, we’re going to look at 10 popular Spanish songs that you can listen to in order to help with your Spanish. Make sure you add these tunes and songs to your Spotify or iTunes playlist. TadeoSpanish Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AnnickSpanish Teacher 5.00 (6) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PeterSpanish Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our t utors LowriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (8) £90/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MartaSpanish Teacher 5.00 (6) £22/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SharonSpanish Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TanyaSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Jose manuelSpanish Teacher £14/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsPor qué te vas - Jeanette DimechLoosely translated to “Why are you leaving?”, the song Por qué te vas from 1974 is one of the most iconic Spanish-language songs of all time.There are so many famous Spanish singers. (Source: Pexels)It was performed by Jeanette Dimech and made popular due to the film Cría Cuervos. It is a romantic song but it’s also sad.The song is so popular that it’s been covered plenty of times.José Luis Perales in 1987.Attaque 77 in 1992.Pato Fu in 1996.Masterboy in 1999.Javier Alvarez in 2001.Sabine Paturel in 2002.Globus in 2006.Suarez in 2010.Marquess in 2014.Hot Bandit oz in 2016.Lucero in 2017.You might have even listened to the song in Spanish classes because it’s quite slow and great for beginners to listen to.Want to learn more about Spain?Check out our guide.María - Ricky Martin ¡Un, dos, tres!You’ve probably heard the Spanish song María by Ricky Martin. In 1995, this was the star’s first real hit. It reached number 6 in the UK charts.While the lyrics aren’t very profound, some may remember the chorus:“Un, Dos, TresUn pasito palante MariaUn, Dos, TresUn pasito patras”Even in 2019, you can’t help but dance to this tune. Gracias, Ricky!It may surprise you to know that Ricky Martin still has Spanish-language hits to this day!Hijo de la Luna - MecanoHijo de la Luna is a 1986 hit performed by the Spanish group Mecano. Considered one of the most beautiful Spanish songs, it’s also very melancholic.In fact, the song is about a woman who asks the moon for a husband. The moon accepts this on the condition that she sacrifice her first child. However, the child who’s born resembles neither the father nor the mother so the father, enraged that the mother cheated on him, stabs her. He abandons the child who’s collected by the moon.Hijo de la Luna was covered over 40 times in different countries.Not your typical hit...Despacito - Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy YankeeWe couldn’t ignore this tune even if we tried. Despacito is the most popular song of 2017 and its success can still be felt today. On YouTube, the video has racked up over 6 billion views!Reggaeton, which is almost always in Spanish, is a hugely popular genre. (Source: Free-Photos)The song left its mark on music history and was played on almost every radio. The title basically means “slowly” or “softly” and describes the physical attraction between two people from dancing and other stuff...Listening to this song is a good opportunity to practise a few Spanish words. Additionally, Luis Fonsi’s voice will want you to get up and dance right from the fi rst line.Check out our brief guide to Spain's history. TadeoSpanish Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AnnickSpanish Teacher 5.00 (6) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PeterSpanish Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LowriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (8) £90/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MartaSpanish Teacher 5.00 (6) £22/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SharonSpanish Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TanyaSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Jose manuelSpanish Teacher £14/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsHasta Siempre - Nathalie CardoneYou may have already heard this song in a Spanish class! Hasta Siempre, which literally means “forever”, is a song which was written in 1965 by Carlos Puebla and performed many times by different artists. The most famous version is the 1999 version by Nathalie Cardone.The song is about Che Guevara, the hero of the Cuban revolution. Guevara is glorified for his actions and speeches on liberty. His words still live on in the spirit of the Cuban revolution:“Aqui se queda la claraLa entranable transparenciaDe tu querida presenciaComandante Che Guevara”The song’s title echoes Che’s slogan: Hasta la victoria siempre.It’s been covered many times and translated into many different languages.Macarena - Los del RioWhen you speak of a Spanish tune, it's hard not to think of this famous song and the accompanying dance. The Andalusian group Los del Rio sang this song in 1993.The song was number 1 in so many countries:FranceGermanyUSAAustraliaBelgiumThe NetherlandsSwitzerlandAustriaIt became hugely famous during the summer of 1996 at the same time as the Democratic National Convention and there was footage of delegates dancing to it.It’s earned its place as one of the biggest one-hit wonders of all time. Even the instrumental version will get people dancing.You can also check out s ome great Spanish series.La Tortura - Shakira ft. Alejandro SanzShakira! Shakira!Shakira needs no introduction.Shakira is one of Colombia's most famous exports. (Source: gustavo9917)She’s had plenty of hits over the years including Hips Don’t Lie and Loca. This song from 2005 is completely in Spanish.This song tells a complicated and passionate love story. It’s a mix of Latin pop and reggaeton.Bailando - Enrique Iglésias ft. Descemer Bueno and Gente de ZonaWith Enrique Iglésias singing this song in 2014, Bailando couldn’t be anything other than a hit across Latin America and the world.With its alluring rhythm and easy-to-remember lyrics, this Spanish-language song even has an English-language version with Sean Paul. This song, like a lot of music, is about love and physical proximity...“Yo quiero estar contigo, vivir contigo, Bailar contigo, tener contigo, Una noche loca, con tremenda loca” (I want to be with you, live with you, dance with you, spend a completely crazy night with you.)The song was #1 in Spain but only reached #75 in the UK!Check out who the most famous Spaniards are.La Camisa Negra - JuanesThe Colombian singer is famous for their song “La Camisa Negra” (The Black Shirt). This song is about a man grieving over his relationship, which is why he’s wearing a black shirt.The beautiful music lures you in with its mix of Colombian folklore and Latin pop. The song was problematic in Italy due to the fact that black shirts were often worn by the fascists. However, that didn’t stop the song from being successful elsewhere.Bamboleo - Gipsy KingsThe Gipsy Kings are a group from the south of France that plays Andalusian music! The group is made up of Spanish and Gypsy musicians and their songs mix Latin pop and flamenco.The Gipsy Kings helped make flamenco music more popular. (Source: winvcf)The song Bamboleo was a hit in 1987 across the world, especially in the United States of America where it reached 6th on the Billboard charts. Th e verses are inspired by a Venezuelan song and the chorus is that of Carmen Miranda’s song of the same name.This song compares love to a frantic dance and calls upon you to live your life in the fullest way possible through joy and, of course, dancing.There are also plenty of artists who sing in Spanish, too. Thanks to artists like Pitbull creating hit songs in Spanish, there's plenty of Latin and Spanish music becoming more popular in the English-speaking world. Additionally, the most popular songs are all available on iTunes, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your music from. Long gone are the days where you have to hope your record store imports hit songs from other countries or that they chart and you can record the radio edit when it comes on the wireless.While there's music like reggaeton, flamenco, merengue, and bachata that are usually in Spanish and an important part of Latin and Spanish culture, there are other genres of music that you can listen to in Spanish. It doesn' t matter whether you like pop songs, love songs, hip hop songs with sick beats, a singer-songwriter doing guitar music, folk, or Christmas songs, you can find tunes in Spanish. In fact, almost every genre of popular music exists in Spanish!Additionally, a love song in Spanish is not only a great way to learn Spanish, it's also just enough to make your heart melt!You’ve probably got a Spanish-language song that isn’t in this list. If you want to learn more about what the Spanish lyrics mean, you should get in touch with a private Spanish tutor to help you learn the language.On Superprof, there are three main types of tutorial available: face-to-face tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials. Face-to-face tutorials are usually the most expensive but also the most cost-effective. This is a bespoke tutorial with a single student.Online tutorials are similar but the tutor provides the tuition over webcam. With fewer travel expenses etc., the tutor can charge less for their tui tion.Finally, group tutorials tend to be the cheapest of the lot because there are multiple students all sharing the cost of the tutoring. That said, you'll get less individual attention from your tutor.Check out some of the tutors on Superprof and get the right one for you. Many offer the first hour of private tuition for free!

4 Necessary Skills for Guitar Improvisation

4 Necessary Skills for Guitar Improvisation Suzy S. For many guitarists, learning to jam with others (or along with the radio or a certain song) is a top request when beginning guitar lessons.   But if youre feeling stuck, youre not alone.   It might just be time to take a step back. Weve discussed tips before to help jazz up your improvised solos, but theres even more preparation that can be done to help with your overall skillset when it comes to this technique particularly for guitar players.   Before you start showing off, consider the behind-the-scenes work that should get its due time. These suggestions from Ultimate-Guitar.com will help you get even better at guitar improvisation: 1. Thorough knowledge of music theory. Why? When theres a chord playing, you need to know which notes sound good over the chord and which ones dont. You need to know which scales you can play over the chords, chord theory to construct your own chords and inversions as you are playing, modal theory so you can open up hundreds of new scale options, intervals, inversions, and much, much more.   Knowing music theory massively expands your options. 2. Memorizing the fretboard. Why? When you know which notes you can play over which chords, the next step is knowing where they are on the guitar so you can instantly find them. This will make guitar playing easier for you if you can see the fretboard clearly as you are playing. If you cant, then its a lot like driving along a road youve never been on before, in pitch black darkness, without a map. 3. Mastery of phrasing. Why? Guitar playing is like a conversation. You need to be able to phrase your licks in such a way that is interesting and doesnt ramble on forever. Phrasing means targeting the right chord tones at the right time, “speaking” with your guitar, spacing your licks and using various techniques. 4. Understanding the basic 7 elements of music. Why? When you understand rhythm, harmony, melody, dynamics, texture, timbre and form, it becomes much easier to improvise a guitar solo and create an interesting sound in real time while playing. You can sense when there is an imbalance in the music, and try to correct it so that you and the listener can enjoy the music more. Of course, working with a guitar instructor can give you even more hands-on tips if youre struggling with specific techniques.   Search for a guitar instructor near you here. Ready to try your hand at improvisation?   If youve learned other tips or techniques, share them with the TakeLessons community!   Leave a comment below or stop by our Facebook page and join the discussion. Like these posts?   Sign up to receive daily updates right to your inbox!   Click here to subscribe. 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 Revealed Emotions.

You Could Be the Problem

Introvert Whisperer / You Could Be the Problem Is the Boss Really being Difficult or is it You? Recently, in a Linked In group associated with HR, someone posted a discussion that well over 2400 people commented on. The flavor of the discussion was: Why is it so hard to find good employees? It’s like a standoff between the frowning faces of the boss and the employee. Both are thinking really bad things about the other. I’d like to give you a perspective from a boss’s point of view regarding this comment. We have all had bad bosses I acknowledge that there are bad bosses. I also acknowledge that without reason, some simply don’t like you and want you to be gone. Despite being bad or disliking certain people, there are things that employees do that make even the best bosses seem like tyrants. What I am speaking about is poor performance and the tough talks that go with it. As a society, we’re taught to be nice to people and they will be nice to you. That concept doesn’t apply to the conversation at work where performance feedback is necessary and most often hard to do. It’s a tough message to give and a harder one to receive. It’s hard to feel warm and fuzzy about someone who just said what you did was a flop. It’s also easy to think that person is being unreasonable or difficult, yet are they really? It’s hard to feel warm and fuzzy about someone who just said what you did was a flop. More than anything else, a manager just wants things to work right. They don’t dream of coming in to the office and giving someone a bad time about their work. There is a higher amount of energy and focus drain that happens when an employee isn’t working up to expectations, because the manager has to go through extra steps to monitor the work. While it is part of the job, usually the manager’s job is not structured in such a way that they really have time for this extra task. It means extra work and extra stress. Then add to that the step of sitting down with the employee to tell them the bad news. This isn’t how most managers want to spend their day. On the reverse side of this, the employee with performance problems almost never really “gets it”. If they did, they probably wouldn’t have the issues to start with. Most managers give the under-performing employee the benefit of the doubt when they start engaging in the tough performance conversations. The benefit in this case, is that if the issue is pointed out, it can be corrected. I have seen instances where, following these chats, the performance actually gets worse and there is often some strange behavior to coincide. I once had an employee, who in their attempt to portray deep listening, eyes would bulge and go unblinking for the duration of our talks. This had to take so much concentration that I knew they weren’t listening; and they weren’t. While performance feedback should be ongoing and non-threatening dialogues, they many times don’t take place. You need to understand, this is part of your ongoing career development. To avoid driving off the performance cliff, here are FOUR  things you can do to aid in your own management: 1. Document your responsibilities and the expectations of your output. Make sure you understand both the qualitative and quantitative elements of how you will be measured. When things change, and they will, update your understanding. 2. If you aren’t receiving ongoing feedback on your performance, ask for it. It’s hard to be derailed when you are receiving information and making course corrections along the way. Engage key stakeholders for this feedback as well. 3. If you foresee a problem due to lack of resources, support or your own training, you need to flag that to the boss at the first sign of the issue. You need to come to an agreement on how the issue will be resolved. They need to be part of the solution. 4. If you still receive a tough performance message, don’t be defensive. Do your best to take in the information, ask questions and ensure your understanding. Develop an action plan that will respond to the issues and validate it with your boss. Once you are in agreement, ask for ongoing feedback to that plan. Keep in mind that when you are in a performance crisis, this is not the time to be trying to add something new or sexy to your workload. I once had a person, who wasn’t performing the basics, who decided the company should pay for their programming classes (which weren’t part of the job). While I believe in ongoing improvement, that was not the time to be away from the desk and adding to an already bad situation. Use your head â€" don’t grab an anchor if you’re drowning. I’ve long held the belief that doing a great job and being a great employee was easy. I still do. I just think that employees need to see the boss as something besides the enemy and to take responsibility for their performance. If you can do that, you will most likely like the boss better and be the “good employee” everyone is looking for. Go to top Do you know what your next career step is?   Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable.   Get your copy now and start your action plan today: CLICK HERE Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleash your professional potential. Do you know what your next career step is? Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today: CLICK HERE for your FREE copy

Is the SAT Essay Required

Is the SAT Essay Required Typically, a portion of SAT prep time is dedicated to success on the essay section. As of late, however, a large number of schools are making the SAT essay optional to applicants. Ivy League schools including Brown, Harvard, and Yale are no longer requiring students to sit for the essay section of the exam. This begs the question, what does this mean for you? Is the SAT essay really required? When examining the requirement behind the SAT essay, its important to understand the SAT essay basics, the benefits and drawbacks of taking the essay, and how recent changes apply to you. Looking to gain a deeper understanding of the SAT essay requirement? Keep reading to learn more about whether the SAT essay is truly required. SAT essay basics The SATs essay is a 50-minute assessment in which youre asked to read a passage and to then write an essay that explains how the author forms his or her persuasive argument. A successful SAT essay will point to evidence from the passage as support for its explanation. The essay is scored on the following criteria: Readinghow well you understood the passage and its central ideas. Analysisyour ability to give insightful analysis of the passage and to evaluate the authors use of evidence and reasoning. Writingyour essay is well organized and shows a good command of standard writing conventions and style. [RELATED: What is an Average SAT Score?] Changes to the SAT essay In 2016, the SAT changed its essay portion from required to optional. This began raising the question for students and colleges alike as to whether to continue using the essay for admissions. Now that the essay is optional for test-takers, many schools are changing their application requirements, as well. In the first eight months of 2018, a slew of prominent schools, including Harvard, Dartmouth, and Yale, announced that they would no longer require the SAT essay. The end result is that only a handful of schools nationwide require the essay, although others still recommend that students take it. There are several reasons schools give for dropping the essay requirement. One primary reason is that many public school students are now able to take the SAT for free during the school day, and those tests dont always include the optional essay, which costs an additional amount. Also, colleges and universities generally already require applicants to show their writing ability in other ways, making the essay test less essential to some admissions processes. [RELATED: ACT and SAT Test Dates for 2018-2019] Who should take the SAT essay? Although the essay is now optional for test-takers and most colleges are no longer requiring it, that doesnt mean you shouldnt consider taking it. First, find out whether any of the schools youre interested in require or recommend the essay. You can find this information here. If your schools of interest require you to submit an essay score, be sure to sit for it on test day. Additionally, if the schools youre interested in dont require the SAT essay, it could still be a good way to showcase your writing skills to these schools. If you choose not to take the essay, inquire about other ways you can show your writing skills to these potential schools. Regardless of whether a school requires or recommends the SAT essay, they still view writing as an important skill for college success. Typically, schools will require their own essays as part of the overall application process, and some are asking students to submit a graded high school essay as an example of their writing skills. Use those opportunities, as well as the SAT essay if you so choose, to showcase your style and analytical abilities, and make the case that youre a worthy applicant. [RELATED: What I Wish I Knew About Taking the ACT/SAT] 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.