Whats So Good About Buckyballs Chemistry?

What's So Good About Buckyballs Chemistry?Buckyballs Chemistry is currently being offered at the online school by Expedia. This interactive game is designed by a couple of university physics graduates and was designed to be a learning tool for college students. However, in all honesty this interactive school science game offers more benefits to college students than it does to college students who are already in college.There are several things to appreciate about Buckyballs Chemistry. First of all, this game is very well thought out. The graphics are nice, and the animations are smooth. Also, the interface is very user friendly. The game play takes very little time to master, and is simple enough for any child of any age to understand.Also, the mechanics of the game are interesting and include a study of your habits are factored into your learning experiences. This helps to show how you learn best, and how you learn best by doing things that you are interested in.College students do enjoy Buckyballs more than their other online students because they have a real life application which is integrated into the game. You are actually using real physical materials, and it is connected to real life data.Furthermore, the other online schools like Kaplan or Science School Online offer physics courses, but none of these courses contain the physics of Buckyballs Chemistry. This physics allows a user to learn physics much faster and also gives a user insight into the concepts of chemistry.Finally, Buckyballs Chemistry can teach a user a lot about life, and in particular, school. It is only one component of a full game course that provides students with a whole game, but it is a great teaching tool.Overall, there are many benefits to the use of the Buckyballs Physics in the classroom. This is a must have for teachers, students, and parents.

How To Plan Your Budget For Your Trip To Portugal

How To Plan Your Budget For Your Trip To Portugal How Much Will Your Holiday Cost When You Visit Portugal ChaptersThe Price Of Accommodation In PortugalHow Much Does Portuguese Transport Cost?Let's Eat Portuguese Food, But How Much Is It?The Price Of Sightseeing In PortugalHow much will your holiday cost when you visit to Portugal? It is a subjective question. Because sightseeing, accommodation, food, the duration of your trip all mean that your holiday to Portugal can be more or less expensive depending on the type of traveller you are and depending on the choices that you make.A traveler who does some camping and cooks for themselves from supermarket brought foods and hitchhikes around the country will spend much less than the person who stays in a 4-star hotel, takes taxi’s everywhere and eat in Michelin star restaurants.Of course, only you can know yourself and your habits, and with this knowledge, you need to come up with a sensible budget for your trip. When you are on holiday, and you want to enjoy everything that the country has to offer, the bill can quickly rise.Here are some travel tips for your budget, whether for a romantic weekend to a cobblestoned town, white sand beach,  or a city break to Lisbon, Porto, or Madeira. Let’s prepare your budget! IrineuPortuguese Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GabrielaPortuguese Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoanaPortuguese Teacher 5.00 (1) £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouisePortuguese Teacher 5.00 (2) £27/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RodrigoPortuguese Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors BlancaPortuguese Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors CarolinaPortuguese Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamPortuguese Teacher 5.00 (6) £11/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe Price Of Accommodation In PortugalModern villa, charming apartment, private rent, castle, palace or unusual tipi, from the most beautiful sandy beaches of the Iberian Peninsula to the Spanish bor der, finding the ideal holiday accommodation during your stay in Portugal can be done in different ways.Although when you leave home, you won't pay your household bills for things like food or electricity. You will still have costs when you travel, and one of the largest of these costs is the transport/airfare and then the accommodation.To find out the price of your accommodation you first need to ask yourself what is more important to you. Price or comfort, Although you can have both good pricing and comfort it is not guaranteed once the price of your accommodation falls below a certain range. Certainly travelling as a backpacker is not the same as travelling in luxury.Your stay is dependant greatly on the type of accommodation, the comfort of accommodation, the services offered and the location of the accommodation.   For example, camping will not be the same price as a 4-star hotel, they do not have the same facilities or probably even clientele.Generally speaking, like with many other countries, the price of housing increases when one gets closer to big cities and in the Summer months.  A Traveller Staying in the heart of Lisbon (capital city of Portugal) Coimbra, Faro or on the Atlantic coast does not require the same budget as a small accommodation in the smallest towns or countryside.You can guarantee a comfortable stay in Portugal, from about € 50 a night for a double room.  For example, in Lisbon, the four-star TURIM Lisboa Hotel welcomes you for around €54 a night.  Outside of the capital, in smaller cities like Porto, you can enjoy a night with breakfast for an average of €42.Airbnb bookings are much more advantageous for singles and groups.  You can meet Portuguese people and rent from them anything from a room, a studio or an entire house / large apartment and divide the price by the number of holidaymakers.  An option like this will cost about  â‚¬30 per night.If you want to meet new people as you travel, especially if you are alone and wou ld like some company. A bed in a youth hostel  could be an excellent solution for you and the price drop significantly with this option. With prices for a bed from about €8+.If you have an interest in meeting the locals and having completely free accommodation, then you can use a solution like Couchsurfing.  The site connects travellers with locals who want to offer a sofa or even a room for one or more days.  It is a great way to meet Portuguese people while saving money.Portugal cities to sandy beaches, from historical castles to religious monasteries, from bustling modern cities to mountainous villages with cobblestone streets. Photo Source: UnsplashHow Much Does Portuguese Transport Cost?Once you have your accommodation sorted for the destinations that you will visit. Then you should start to think about your itinerary and plan the best places to visit and which transport you will need to get around the city/country if you plan to travel around.Getting Around Travel TipsTo vis it a museum, go to the restaurant to taste the pasties of Belem, take a day trip to a neighbouring town or just go out dancing and listen to Fado music. It is not always easy to do everything on foot, and so you will need to hire transport or use the public transport system where ever you are.For example:In  Lisbon,  taking the metro costs € 1.40In  Porto, you will have to pay € 20.The  famous yellow tram in Lisbon Portugal will cost you € 85.How To Move Around PortugalTo change the city, take a day trip to the cities around your location or start your road trip. You will have a few possibilities,Hire a carTake public transport such as the train, coach or bus.Hitchhike - The more adventurous can use this to go from one city to another and discover the country without having to pay for a train or bus.  This method not only saves money but also takes  advantage of the transport time to ask your driver for the best places to visit in the country. Try to learn some Portuguese if y ou want to try this option so you can get to know the driver.The bus is the cheapest form of public transport however if you book in advance you can save a lot on the price of train and coach tickets. It costs roughly about  20 € for a trip from Lisbon to Porto by bus and 30 € on the train. However, the bus will always take you longer so it may be worth paying extra to save time especially if you are on a short trip to Portugal.  Prepare to fall in love. Portugal has secrets waiting to be discovered.Let's Eat Portuguese Food, But How Much Is It?Again how much you spend on food will depend on if you are a foodie searching for Portuguese Heritage on a plate or if you prefer to miss the Portuguese food to save a few euro. Portugal is a land flanked by Coastline on one side, With its long Stunning Atlantic coast Landscape, it's impossible to overlook seafood and fish dishes.Visitors have plenty to eat and enjoy with cod-based recipes being the most popular fish cooked by the Portugu ese. If you choose to go  to a restaurant, expect to spend from around 13 € for a meal.  This will be enough to fill you up and give you a drink to enjoy. If you are happy to pay more, you can enjoy a feast with a starter, main course and dessert.  It is also possible to eat in cafeterias or fast food chains in shopping centres for about  6 € to 8 € per person.And if you decide to go  shopping in a supermarket you can spend as little as €15 - €50 per week depending on what you like to eat.A practical guide for your trip to Portugal. Photo Source: UnsplashThe Price Of Sightseeing In PortugalPortugal, in addition to counting many scenic and picturesque landscapes, can boast many Awe inspiring sites, Journeys to the Coastline, Enchanting cobblestone towns, waterfalls, Roman ruins, tourist monuments, the Azores archipelago and a long list of Unesco world heritage sites to visit.No matter what your itinerary, Portugal will offer a colourful and enchanting journey for any touris t. Let’s not forget white sand beaches and other sea discoveries. While a lot in Portugal is free, there are some heritage sites, museums, and other kinds of tourism that carry a small charge. For example:The beach is freePortuguese museums charge  between € 3 and € 10 for admission.A  city tour in a City Tour bus in the cities including Bustling Lisbon will cost from 20 € to get a ticket.Some tips can lower the price of entry to monuments or museums in Portugal. For example, if you are a student, you can benefit from a 50% discount on some of the best places.  Some museums are even free for Europeans under 26 years old.The Lisboa Card, which is a discount card for tourists which offers free access to 25 museums and free public transport. Costs between €18 and €39depending on the number of days of use.Many museums and monuments are completely  free on the first Sunday of each month so if your trip coincides with this make the most of it.Avoid the tourist streets which te nd to have much higher prices. It is well known that restaurants and shops close to tourist attractions are particularly expensive.  To eat at a decent price,  stay away from historic centres If you want to have a cheap holiday in Portugal or treat yourself with some luxury. Everything is available because Portugal is accessible to all kinds of budgets and travellers. Once you make up your mind about how you want to travel, you will then be able to make your budget and make the most of your visit to Portugal. Have a good trip!

Find Distance Between Two Points

Find Distance Between Two Points To find the distance between two points whose co-ordinates are given. Let P1 and P2 are the two given points, and let their co-ordinates are respectively (x1 y1) and (x2 y2).Therefore, by trigonometry we can find that the distance between two points is given by the formula The distance P1 P2 = [(x1 x2)2 + (y1 y2)2] Note :The distance of the point (x1, y1) from the origin is (x12 + y12) because the coordinates of the origin are (0, 0). The axes are rectangular. Example1 :Let us find the distance between the pairs of points (2, 3) and (5, 7). Solution :We have to find the distance between the pairs of points (2, 3) and (5, 7). Let x1 = 2, y1 = 3 and x2 = 5, y2 = 7 Hence required distance = (x1 x2)2 + (y1 y2)2 = (2 - 5)2 + (3 7)2 = (-3)2 + (-4)2 = 9 + 16 = 25 = 5 The distance between two points = 5 Example 2.Find the distance between the pairs of points (-3,-2) and (-6, 7) The axes are being inclined at 600. Let x1 = -3, y1 = -2 and x2 = -6, y2 = 7 and q = 600 Hence required distance = (x1 x2)2 + (y1 y2)2 +2 (x1 x2) (y1 y2) Cos q = (-3 + 6)2 + (-2-7)2 +2(-3+6) (-2-7) Cos 600 = (3)2 + (-9)2 + 2 (3) (-9). 1/2 The distance = 9 + 81 - 27 = 63 = 37.

Is There an Age Limit to Learn Guitar

Is There an Age Limit to Learn Guitar When is it Too Late to Sign Up for Guitar Lessons? ChaptersLearning Guitar as an Older Person.I Should Have Learned How to Play Guitar When I Was Younger.You Have More Time Now.You Have More Disposable Income.You Have More Experience.Feeling Motivated to Play Guitar?First of all, the guitar is often considered an instrument for adolescents and young adults in their twenties to learn; it’s a symbol of freedom, of rock and roll, escape, pop songs and groupies.This is because the guitar - in all its different forms, from the jazz guitar and blues guitar to the guitar solos and rhythm guitar of heavy metal - is usually pictured with the young.  Popular music per se - and the guitar has become the quintessential symbol of popular music - is dominated by and marketed to young people.As there are very few older famous musicians around (that didn't start off young!) - and as the ones that do exist are usually found in classical music - you would be forgiven for thinking that older people can't start to learn music.However, the guitar is on e of America’s favorite instruments because it’s easy to learn and carry. And there is no reason why, if you're 28, 35, 42, 55 or even 63, you can't still learn to play the guitar. It isn't too late.When should you play the guitar?SaveSave

What is it Like to Attend The University of New Mexico

What is it Like to Attend The University of New Mexico The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Roxanne received her undergraduate degree in biology and chemistry from The University of New Mexico. She is currently a tutor in Albuquerque specializing in algebra, biology, chemistry, and several other subjects. See what she had to say about her experience at The University of New Mexico:https://www.varsitytutors.com/algebra-tutors Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Roxanne: The University of New Mexico has very limited parking for students who do not live on campus. Most commuting students must purchase off-campus parking lot passes, and then ride shuttle buses to campus. Parking is expensive, so living near enough to campus to bike or walk is a great way to save money. The University of New Mexico parking and transportation department provides free city bus passes to students, which is another money-saving option. The campus is in the middle of Albuquerque between the Nob Hill district and downtown. The area is mostly safe, and the campus has thorough security. Lights have also been added around the more dimly lit areas of campus to increase night safety for students, but I wouldnt advise walking late at night alone. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Roxanne:This question is extremely class dependent. Some professors are incredibly helpful, whereas others are busy with their work. Academic advisers availability also depends on the area of study. Most department advisers have open hours of availability, but the university-wide advisers have more limited hours. Teaching assistants tend to be incredibly helpful during their office hours/help sessions, but it is important to remember that they are also students, and they have limited availability around exam times. How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Roxanne:The University of New Mexico has a plethora of clubs and organizations, so every student should be able to find at least one that interests him or her. The school also hosts several campus-wide events for students to socialize and recruit for their organizations/clubs. Dorm life is dependent on the style of dorm that the student is placed in. The University of New Mexico has apartment style, suite style, and traditional dorms. I lived in both the suite style and apartment style dorms, and I much preferred the apartment style. Most students enjoy the community of the traditional dorms. Living in the dorms gives students many other opportunities to socialize through events scheduled by the Resident Advisers. The on-campus dining options are plentiful, and the main cafeteria, La Posada, was recently redone and is greatly improved. The area around campus has plenty of restaurants within walking distance, as well. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Roxanne:The University of New Mexico has a very diverse student body. Business, psychology, biology, and engineering are popular programs. I studied biology and chemistry. I began as a biology major with a chemistry minor, but I bumped chemistry up to a double major once I realized how much I enjoyed it. The university did a fine job of supporting my areas of study. The biology department has several advisers, making it relatively easy to find solutions to scheduling problems and other questions. The chemistry department is less supported, having only one adviser who is also the only adviser for the biochemistry department. 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? Roxanne:I was shy as an incoming freshman, and I had trouble meeting and talking with people at first. I joined Nourish International, and I also became friends with my dorm-mates. Events like Friday Night Live and other student union building-sponsored events were also helpful in meeting other students. Greek life does play a significant role on campus. I never pledged a sorority, but I know many people who were members of Greek life. How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services? Roxanne:The University of New Mexico offers many students employment and work-study positions. The Career Center hosts several job fairs each semester. They tend to under-represent careers in the sciences, so for me they werent extremely helpful, but they do have many opportunities for other areas of work. How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Roxanne:The main campus library has recently been redone. The main area has many supplies for group and private study. If the main area is crowded, there are also several other computer labs and study rooms. If students need absolute silence to study, there is an entire wing of the library where no noise is allowed. The student union building is a great hangout spot, and it also has a computer lab and print area. The dorm lounge situation is dependent on the dorm. Several of the dorm common areas are newly refurbished, but some of the older buildings have rundown common areas that arent great for studying. Describe the surrounding town. Roxanne:The University of New Mexico is in the middle of town between downtown and Nob Hill. Albuquerque is close to several beautiful mountain ranges with many hiking trails. Some of my favorite things to do besides hike are visit trampoline parks, go to movies, and play putt putt golf. Students go downtown a lot on the weekends. Downtown is within walking distance of campus if students arent opposed to a decent walk. There arent many reasons to go to opposite sides of town from campus because they are mostly just residential areas. The University of New Mexico is placed in one of the busiest part of town. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Roxanne:Again, this question is dependent on the area of study. Lower-level courses that many students take for their core curriculum are extremely large. My first class at The University of New Mexico had around 300 students. The honors program only allows up to about 12 students per class to suit the discussion setting of the courses offered. The higher-level classes tend to have fewer students because there are more options to fulfill degree requirements. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Roxanne:I worked as a Peer Learning Facilitator (PLF) during my senior year of college. A PLF is similar to a teaching assistant, but we only work in lower-level science courses that have a high fail/drop rate to help students pass those classes and move on in their degree paths. We also only work for classes where a certain portion is dedicated to active learning. My last semester, I worked for a General Chemistry II course and absolutely loved it. The professor I worked with was incredibly fair and helpful to her students. She wanted everybody to have the opportunity to do their best. It was awesome being part of that class. Working with a professor who was so encouraging to her students was great! Being able to be a part of that class was something I loved most about college, and I wish I discovered the position earlier. Check out Roxannes tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

American English or British English Divided By A Common Language

American English or British English Divided By A Common Language Difference in British English and American English Biscuits or Cookies?By Peter BallHave you ever asked yourself ‘Did I just walk on a colorful sidewalk, or have I just walked on a colourful pavement?’ Well, if you have then you are probably noticing (and getting confused by) the differences between American and British English.At LOI we have staff from both sides of the Atlantic and teach both varieties â€" but what are the differences? How important are they? And which form should you use?I can’t give you a detailed account of all the differences here â€" I don’t have the time, space or expertise. But I will try to outline the basic differences and give you a few clues about usage â€" and hopefully that will be enough to start you off!Difference in British English and American English Pronunciation difference between British and American English.The main difference between British and American pronunciation is that American accents tend to be far less varied than British ones. It’s a really noticeable contrast; here are a few numbers to think about:There are about 230 million native English speakers in the USA (64% of the total number of native speakers around the world) living in an area of over 9 million km2, but speaking only about 10 major dialects between them. Now compare that to Britain where 64 million native speakers (16% of the global total) live in an area of 242,500 km2 (about the size of Michigan) and between them speak a bewildering 50 different versions of the language!Of course, these differences are not confined to accent but include other features such as unique vocabulary and non-standard grammar. I don’t have space to describe this variety but you can find an interesting and entertaining introductory guide to British accents here.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrmfnYTOKFAThis huge variety is the reason why we need to have something called ‘Standard English’ â€" it acts as a baseline against which we can describe other accents. If we had no standard to consider and to use i n public broadcasts, newspapers and books, the language in Britain would simply diverge and fragment to leave us in our own tower of babel!So, right here, we can only consider the differences between Standard British and Standard American English. Thankfully these two forms are pretty similar and native speakers rarely have problems understanding each other when they use these forms. I am just going to look at the one major difference that I think everybody notices.The ‘Rotic’ /r/Now, we all pronounce Rs at the start of words like regular or rectangle â€" right? And we also pronounce the R sound when it is part of the first syllable as in pretend or pronounce. However, things get more interesting when we consider Rs in the middle of words such as garden or energy, and words that end with the letter like teacher or November.If you pronounce the R in the middle or final position in a word you are using a ‘rotic’ R and this is prominent feature of American English â€" because i t was a common feature of the English spoken by the early British settlers. This R has now been lost to Standard British pronunciation (and also to most â€" but not all â€" regional British accents).So in the sentence:Our regular teacher practised perfect proseThe bold Rs are rotic â€" and most British people won’t pronounce them, while most American speakers will.So, while there are a few noticeable differences in pronunciation, most native English speakers, from either side of the Atlantic, can understand each other’s pronunciation most of the time.Some people feel quite strongly about the way we pronounce things and my personal favourite comment on the subject is the song ‘Throw the R away’ by The Proclaimers; you can listen to it here.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUE2jeSaHeMInterestingly, one thing that always stands out in a really good English student is the way that they have native-speaker pronunciation for words and expressions that they learnt for the first time while living in Britain or Ireland. It shows that having ‘a good ear’ is an essential element to language learning.I think that when a student says ‘I don’t understand British accents’, or ‘Americans talk too fast’, what they are referring to is connected speech. Unfortunately, I don’t have the space here to deal with this topic (and it isn’t a difference between American and British speakers anyway â€" as we all do it!) perhaps it is a topic for another blog post… Spelling difference between American and British EnglishLike all other native speakers at the time, Americans in the 17th and 18th centuries used a wide variety of spellings, some of which differed from spellings common in Britain. The first attempt to standardise American spelling was also an attempt to ‘rationalise’ the spelling â€" to make it more ‘phonetic’. This process was largely the work of one man; Noah Webster, who published The American Spelling Book in 1783. Coming at the end of th e War of Independence, he saw it as an important political gesture ‘to have a system of our own, in language as well as government.’This book, and his dictionaries that followed, presented the more rational spellings that typify American spelling, here are a few of the main ones:BritishAmerican-re becomes -erCentre, Fibre, LitreCenter, Fiber, Liter‘-our’ becomes ‘-or’Colour, Flavour, HumourColor, Flavor, Humor‘-ise’ becomes ‘-ize’Realise, Advertise, IdealiseRealize, Advertize, Idealize‘-yse’ becomes ‘-yze’Analyse, Paralyse,Analyze, Paralyze‘ge’ becomes ‘g’Ageing, JudgementAging, Judgment‘-ence’ becomes ‘-ense’Defence, Licence, OffenceDefense, License, Offense‘ll’ becomes ‘I’Travelling, FuelledTraveling, Fueled‘l’ becomes ‘ll’Appal, Distil, SkilfulAppal, Distill, SkillfulOxford Dictionaries provide a useful summary here:http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/british-and-american-spellingAnother good summary herehttp://www.s pellzone.com/pages/british-american.cfmAnd you can find an exhaustive list of all the US/UK ‘pairs’ herehttp://www.tysto.com/uk-us-spelling-list.htmlSpelling Standardisation So what spelling should you use? The important thing is to choose a standard and to stick to it all the time:If you write, ‘There is a drop-in centre in our neighbourhood,’ you are using good British spelling. And if you write, ‘There is a drop-in center in our neighborhood,’ you are using good American spelling. But if you write, ‘There is a drop-in centre in our neighborhood,’ you are mixing the styles and it looks like you just don’t know what the correct forms are!So Remember:US English for the Americas and Asia, but British English for EuropeSet your spell checker to UK or US as appropriateIf in doubt ALWAYS check your dictionary â€" it should give you the alternative spellings (if it doesn’t then throw it away and get a better one)Keep a note of words that you typically spell wrong â€" it’s great to know your enemies!Grammar difference between American and British EnglishLuckily, there are not too many differences between American and British grammar â€" let’s look at the main ones.I love listening to, and talking about, rock music â€" but which of the following sentences are correct?Queen was a band from England.U2 are a rock group from Dublin.In American English collective nouns are treated as singular, as in the sentence about Queen, and in British English they are treated as plural, as in the one about U2.There are similar small differences in how we use prepositions, for example British speakers will say that they studied at university, whereas American speakers will say they studied in university. Also, a British speaker might say he plays football at weekends, but an American speaker will say he plays soccer on weekends.English speakers often use noun phrases, rather than verbs, to describe actions. If I tell you about my daily routine I might say somet hing like: ‘I shower every morning before breakfast.’ There’s nothing actually wrong with this sentence â€" but it sounds a little strange. I am far more likely to use: ‘I have a shower every morning before breakfast’. In this sentence have is a ‘delexical’ verb which means that is has no literal, concrete meaning and is just there to allow the noun phrase to describe the action.These expressions are extremely common in English â€" but where British speakers use have, American speakers use take: I’m overworked â€" I need to take a vacation. (US)She can’t come to the phone because she’s having a bath.(UK)Grandma usually takes a nap around now. (US)We used to have a walk in the forest every morning. (UK)We spoke above about how American English has attempted to introduce more ‘rational’ spellings â€" this is true with many verbs which have irregular past tense forms in British English, for example:The irregular British burnt, dreamt, learnt, smelt, spilt, and s poilt become the regular American burned, dreamed, learned, smelled, spilled, and spoiled.However, American English isn’t always the most logical form â€" the regular British dived, fitted, sneaked, and wetted, become the irregular American dove, fit, snuck and wet!The Present PerfectStudents often ask me which of the following are correct?‘Did you finish it yet?’ or, ‘Have you finished it yet?’Well, as I’m sure you are beginning to realise reading this article, they are both correct â€" they are just examples of American or British usage.The present perfect exists on both sides of The Atlantic and both American and British speakers use it to say things like, ‘I’ve never been to Africa,’ or ‘Have you ever broken your leg?’ However, there is a difference in usage with the adverbs just, already and yet.Did you finish that report yet? (US)I’ve already told you twice! (UK)He just arrived â€" he’s waiting in reception. (US)Sorry if I seem groggy â€" I’ve just got up. (UK)I haven’t finished reading it yet. (UK)I won’t join you for lunch â€" I already ate / I ate already (US)In Britain, and across all of Europe, we listen to American music, watch American TV shows and read American books. This means that expressions like ‘I just did it’ are quite common in spoken English â€" even if they are not considered as ‘standard,’ or actually taught in any textbook. When writing, as with all the other comments in this article, it is important to keep to one standard in you work â€" mixing your grammar is almost as bad as mixing your spellings!Before I finish this section, I should tell you that gotten â€" something many of us associate with American English â€" comes from old English and is still very widely used in Northern England and Ireland.You can find a good detailed summary of the points in this section here.http://www.onestopenglish.com/grammar/grammar-reference/american-english-vs-british-english/differences-in-american-and-brit ish-english-grammar-article/152820.articleFinally, a phrase like ‘Tell me what you already did’ has great immediacy â€" and sounds cool, here the Fountains of Wayne contrast this usage with less certain expressions!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xwqIeiqO2EVocabulary difference between American and British EnglishThe word ‘Americanism’ first appeared in Pennsylvania in 1781, coined by a Scottish minister who was comparing it to the word ‘Scotishism’. By 1806 Noah Webster, compiling the first dictionary of American usage defined the word as meaning ‘love of America and preference of her interest.’ Today the word refers to any word or phrase which is used in standard American usage â€" but not in standard British English.The earliest Americanisms were nouns for things which didn’t exist in Europe, like Skunk, Hickory and Opossum. Americanisms include some old English words that arrived with the earliest British settlers but later became obsolete in Britain, for inst ance Faucet, Diaper and Candy. These were added to by words imported by non-English speaking settlers such as Prairie, Chutzpah, Ranch, and Sauerkraut.Many common, everyday items have different names in American and British English, for example the American Elevator, Sidewalk and Pants are the British Lift, Pavement and Trousers. These words are so common that we soon become familiar with the differences. The main problem comes when words we think are familiar change their meaning when they cross The Atlantic! Words like braces, bog, pants, rubber, dummy, trolley and chips cause real problems because they are so common and familiar to us that we often forget that they have a different meaning! Here is a great summary of the main ‘problem’ words.http://www.bigstockphoto.com/blog/20-british-words-that-mean-something-totally-different-in-the-usIn some situations the differences in vocabulary are particularly striking. When we discuss our cars the British boot, bonnet, windscreen, p etrol, torch and gearstick become the American trunk, hood, windshield, gasoline, flashlight and stick shift.Confusion becomes a lot worse when we discuss our education. At school, it seems like nearly everything has a different name; the British break time, marks, staff room, rubber, holiday and glue become the American recess, grades, teachers’ lounge, eraser, vacation and gum. Also, the phrase public school refers to state education in America but private education in Britain â€" pretty much the opposite meaning!This confusion is made worse by the fact that the education systems in the two countries are very different. In Britain we all love High School Musical â€" but where are those children and how old are they? Are they at school or university? We simply have no equivalent institution in the UK.My advice for dealing with vocabulary problems is to always check with the person you are talking to, check the context if it is a written form, and always keep a list of ‘problemâ €™ words. Here is a complete list of the main vocabulary differences.http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/british-and-american-termsIdioms â€" The Icing on the CakeIdioms are a minefield! They are fixed expressions with a figurative, rather than literal, meaning and do not translate into other languages. They are used to emphasise and illustrate, and create a high level of fluency when used correctly. These phrases express much about the culture and history behind the language â€" but also a lot about the background and attitude of the speaker. This could include their sense of humour, feelings at the time of speaking, and attitudes to things like politics, religion, profanity, swearing, bodily functions, the weather, and sport â€" the source material for idioms endless!Interestingly, an American speaker doesn’t need to have a knowledge of, or interest in, baseball to use an expression like ‘home run’ just as a British speaker can understand that an ‘own goal’ is an uni ntended negative result without being football mad. This means that students don’t necessarily need to know the origin of an expression to be able to use it.For students, there is little point in studying or comparing the differences between American and British idioms. This is because idioms have more than one meaning and can be used in different contexts so that we can’t translate an American idiom into a British idiom â€" or into a non-English one. Also, British and American speakers share some idioms, but not others. Finally, there are far too many idioms for you to study and learn by heart â€" it is far better to deal with them as you find them, and use a few that you are confident with.Here’s my advice for dealing with idioms:Think â€" Idioms are unusual expressions. So ask yourself why that person is using an unusual expression. The reasons are likely to be connected with emphasis, exaggeration, or a high state of emotion! So check the context â€" and the facial express ion!Ask â€" this is what native speakers always do when clarifying meaning with someone from the other side of the pond (Atlantic Ocean â€" a great example of idiomatic understatement). Use expressions like ‘- so you’re pretty angry about that right?’ or ‘OK, you mean that you’re too busy at the moment.’Be honest â€" Try using ‘I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you mean.’Never translate â€" Idioms from your own language may use the same imagery and concepts, but they are unlikely to translate word-for-word into English.Tolerate your mistakes â€" You will definitely make mistakes and create confusion when you use idioms, so be brave and allow yourself the space to try, fail, and try again.Listen and notice â€" British people NEVER say ‘it’s raining cats and dogs’ â€" so why should you? Listen to what native speakers actually say in a given situation, and copy.Notes â€" Keep a notebook of your favourite expressions and add anything new that you hear. Try to us e new expressions soon after you learn them, this is called ‘use it or lose it.’Here is a reference for common British idiom.http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/And here is a much better resource, about American idiom, organised around topics and including discussion questions.http://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/in_the_loop_pages.pdfStandardisationOne version of English is no better or worse than another â€" so it doesn’t really matter which one you choose. Some people say that one version is easier to learn or understand than the other â€" but no research has ever proven this. This means that the version you choose should be based on your needs â€" for example most non-native speakers in South America use American English, and this is true throughout the Asia-pacific region. However, in Russia and all of Western Europe British English is standard.Mixing things up is generally a bad idea. If you mix American and British words to describe your car you could conf use anyone who is not a mechanic. A sentence like; ‘My favourite color is red’ is just bad spelling whichever way you look at it. And if you are mixing US and UK forms then how am I to know what you mean when you say ‘I’ve lost my pants’ or ‘can I borrow your rubber?’English is a wonderfully expressive language, and easier to learn than many others, it is spoken all over the world and can be a door to success in so many parts of your life. At LOI, we see it as our mission to help you achieve your goals with whatever form of English you choose!  ReferencesOnestopenglish / Wikipedia / The British Council / BBC Learning English / Oxford Dicionary / Cambridge Dictionary / Merriam Webster Dictionary / David Crystal â€" The History of English in 100 words / Plus the links provided in the textQuizWhat Form of English are the following?1                   I’ve never learnt to spell properly.2                   Sorry I’m late, which team is winning?3                   Jane usually goes hiking at the weekend.4                   You should always take a shower after exercise.5                   That’s a dangerous sport â€" have you ever gotton injured?6                   I like to have a walk with the dogs in the morning.7                   Did John arrive yet?8                   Who spilled that milk on the carpet?9                   Ireland are going to win the next World Cup!10               You never listen â€" I’ve already told you twice!Now translate them from American to British or vice versa â€" but make only the smallest possible changes!

Usually and Used To - What is the Difference [Examples+Video+Exercise]

Usually and Used To - What is the Difference [Examples+Video+Exercise] One  pair of words that we hear students having problems with in our English classes are Used To and Usually.Look at the examples below to see if you know when to use them.I dont (usually/used to) go to work on the weekend.Do you (usually/used to) work on Monday?I (usually/used to) walk to work when I lived downtown.I didnt (usually/used to) like broccoli.Watch the video to see how you do, then try the exercises below. I (used to/usually) drink coffee in the mornings when I was in school.I (used to/usually) drink coffee every morning.He (used to/usually) be a journalist.Now he (used to/usually) writes fiction.I am (used to/usually) staying up late at night.Ok thats it! You can write your answers in comments and we will reply. You can also use comments to ask questions.Want to try another quiz on used to and usually? Click here. Clemens I used to drink coffee in the mornings when I was in school.I usually drink coffee every morning.He usually be a journalist.Now he usually writes fic tion.I am usually staying up late at night. LOIEnglish Clemens.You made two mistakes. Number 3 and Number 5. Number 3 is: He used to be a journalist. This is about the past. When we talk about our profession in the present tense we dont say usually. For example: I am a teacher. He is a journalist. Usually indicates something that is frequent but not constant. Our profession is constant while we are working in the profession. So, even when Im sleeping at night, Im still a teacher.Number 5 is a bit of a trick question. In this case the correct answer is: I am used to staying up late at night. The meaning isnt about the past it is about the present but it signifies that it is something we are accustomed to. Notice the construction: to be + used to + verb ING. We wouldnt use usually in the present continuous form (to be + verbING) because we use the present continuous form to talk about something that is happening at the moment. For example: I am staying up late tonight! I usually stay up late on Saturdays. I used to stay up late every night. I am used to staying up late.I hope this helps! Adham Bel Karim i usually drink coffee every morning. LOIEnglish Very good Adham! You should try the other questions too! Lewis Great Video!!!!! Thanks Pauline Guédon Hello, Isnt there a mistake in the sentences Did you used to ? and I didnt used to. Shouldnt we use Did you use to and I didnt use to instead ? Thanks for your answer LOIEnglish Pauline,I had to do a bit of research to get a clear answer about this. It is fairly divided about the ed when used with did or didnt. My most trusted grammatical sources however, say that you are correct and there is a mistake in the video. We shouldnt add the ed when using did or didnt in a sentence. In spoken English there is no clear pronunciation difference thus making it a written mistake that is so common to native English speakers it is becoming more and more accepted. Just googling it I found several news headlines that use the ed ending with didnt. Ive read that used to is becoming a modal verb over time and that soon either spelling will be correct. Although, at this time I would write it without the ed with did or didnt. Thanks for the great question! It was a tough one. Im going to record the video over correcting the mistake! Joan Great tip. Lets see if I got it:1. I don’t usually go to work on the weekend.2. Do you usually work on Monday?3. I used to walk to work when I lived downtown.4. I didn’t use to like broccoli. Kristi Black please can you explain articles-a/an,the.no articles? please LOIEnglish These can be tricky especially if you dont have articles in your native language. Here is a video and Ill make a quiz about it sometime this week. http://www.skypeenglishclasses.com/skype-english-blog/videos/english-articles-the-video-exercise/Here is another that could be useful: http://www.skypeenglishclasses.com/skype-english-blog/videos/english-articles-video-and-exercise/One more: h ttp://www.skypeenglishclasses.com/skype-english-blog/dressing-girls-as-boys-a-lesson-on-articles-aanthe-and-gender-issues/ Kristi Black please can you explain articles- a/an, the, no articles? LOIEnglish I had to do a bit of research to get a clear answer about this. It is fairly divided about the ed when used with did or didnt. My most trusted grammatical sources however, say that you are correct and there is a mistake in the video. We shouldnt add the ed when using did or didnt in a sentence. In spoken English there is no clear pronunciation difference thus making it a written mistake that is so common to native English speakers it is becoming more and more accepted. Just googling it I found several news headlines that use the ed ending with didnt. Ive read that used to is becoming a modal verb over time and that soon either spelling will be correct. Although, at this time I would write it without the ed with did or didnt. Thanks for the great question! It was a tough one. Im go ing to record the video over correcting the mistake! Deren Saraçoglu Hello. First of all, thank you for the information you shared. But I`d like to emphasize one thing on the video and the exercises below the video that the negative form of used to is: I didnt use to or He/She/It didnt use to. But instead, I saw that you had written them with the -ed in the end. I think you might like to make the corrections. Thank you again, have a great day.

Where to find honest reviews for online English teaching companies

Where to find honest reviews for online English teaching companies If you’ve spent any time at all researching online English teaching jobs, you will be alarmed at how fake some of these sites look. It’s not uncommon for a stock image of a man in headphones to take up 90% of the screen and for the other 10% of the screen to be occupied by Chinese characters. There’s really nothing more disconcerting than having to google translate job requirements for an online English teaching position. Often, websites for these online teaching companies offer scant information about the position. And when there is information, it’s generally just a list of qualifications/requirements for candidates. To find out anything at all about the actual job, you’re expected to send an email to what may look like a spammy email address. And even when the email address seems professional, it may feel like a headache to actually get in touch with these folk, only to find out it will be a 2 hour per week contract paying you $8 in total. Our advice is not to let bad web design, a lack of details or poor translation put you off. There are other places you can go to find out all the information you need to make the decision. The internet is home to a literal army of online English teachers in the exact same position. They are continually posting reviews, recommendations and advice for teachers in the same boat. All you’ve got to do is know where to look. You’d be surprised at how many of these dodgy-looking sites are actually legit. Like other careers, there are no shortcuts when it comes to a proper job hunt. You’re going to have to commit a few hours to figuring out what’s what in the online English teaching universe and reading up on the various online English teaching companies. There’s no easy way around it and to skip this step might land you locked into a contract with poor conditions and missed pay slips. This shouldn’t be the case, if you do your research, there’s no reason why online teaching won’t be as convenient and lucrative as it sounds. The best places to find trustworthy online ESL teaching reviews 1. Glassdoor Not all the online teaching companies will have reviews listed here (in fact, not many will have a presence on this site), but it’s generally a good place to start your search. They typically have detailed reviews as the process requires users to answer specific questions. 2. Google is your BAE The online English teaching companies should be all over Google, so it’s worth doing a thorough search on them. This will throw all sorts of listings and we recommend looking further than just page one. Tabs are there for a reason, so use them. If you take anything away from this blog post, it’s this: search, sigh, and then, search again. 3. REDDIT Online teachers are on the tech-savvy end of things and there’s only one place that all tech types seek information. Reddit might seem like a monster, but it’s chock-full of teachers answering questions about various online teaching companies, including VIPKID. There are subreddits that will answer your every concern. The internet is a helpful place, so use it. We recommend checking out the subreddit dedicated to online TEFL teachers. 3. Quora This is better than any review site. Chances are any company you’re wondering about has already been mentioned in the numerous questions posted by online TEFL teachers every day. But if you don’t feel like trawling through other people’s queries, why not post your own question. Quora will let you do it on a specific thread and select people to ask the question to. Just searching “teach English online companies” will throw up questions and answers that might already offer plenty of honest feedback about the companies you’re wondering about. 4. Facebook groups If you really want the honest truth about an online ESL company - avoid their company Facebook and jump straight to one of these groups. You’ll bypass all the nonsense. There will be more than enough people willing to give you their opinions about companies and conditions. We recommend the following: Hired online teachers with job reviews, Teach ESL online Online English teachers These are all full of teachers chatting about their positions. Now, I know what you’re thinking - anyone can write reviews on the internet and employees are probably penning odes to their own companies. But it’s pretty easy to spot a fake review and there are as many honest ones out there. So before I tell you where to search for reviews, I’m going to show you how to spot the fake ones peppering those very same pages. Sign up to Teach Away today for access to the latest teaching jobs around the world. How to spot a fake teaching English online job review Someone writing a fake review often seems vague They will list benefits and not go into much detail. This is because it’s hard to say much about something you haven’t actually experienced. Honest reviews for online teaching jobs usually focus on the details of the role because they’ve been in your shoes and know what people looking at reviews need to know. Honest reviewers tend to be specific about their own experiences and qualifications as well as giving thorough examples of working with the company. It sounds weirdly sales-y Use your common sense, the minute you feel like you’re being sold the online job, back right up and have another google. It’s not to say that a fake review is lying, just that what you want is a little more insight than a sales pitch. It’s all about the reviewer The more you see the words “I” and “me” the warier you should be. Psychologists have found that when people are lying - they tend to try and make their experiences seem more personal. A real reviewer will mention themselves, but perhaps in passing, their review will most likely focus on the role and company. The same review is cross-published on numerous sites This one is easy to spot, and if you see the exact same answers cropping up over and over… with the same wording, then it’s probably a copy and paste hack-job. Verbs versus nouns Honest people tend to have some cold-hard facts and their reviews will be full of nouns, so do a little count. Fake reviews are heavy on the verbs as they try to get you to believe their drastic sounding stories. Check the timestamps on reviews If all the good reviews are written at pretty much the same time… be warned! I’m sure there’s some universe where every online teacher logs on at the same time feeling like passionately sharing the positives of the company they work for…but we’re not in that universe. Generally speaking, real reviews will be spaced out. A concentration of reviews for a particular company during office working hours on one particular day in June of 2018 might be a good reason to get suspicious. Review the reviewer ???? Most honest reviewers come with a profile attached. Have a nosey…do they answer similar questions on the site and are the answers genuinely helpful. If it’s on a social network, it’s easy to see if they’re a real person and you can double check LinkedIn to make sure they’ve actually been a teacher. Not everyone has a big online footprint, but it’s not hard to find out a little bit more about the person writing it if you take a minute to look. The review is sloppy People being paid to post fake reviews aren’t paid a lot and usually per review. This means their reviews can leave a lot to be desired and if you’re seeing terrible punctuation, poor spelling and just plain bad English...well ask yourself this - is this person really an English teacher? I don’t know any English teacher worth their salt that would leave a trail of typos in their wake!

italki is Bizspark Startup of the Day

italki is Bizspark Startup of the Day italki was named Startup of the Day as part of the Microsoft Bizspark program. Were excited to get the exposure, as were still trying to tell the world about italki and the potential for online language learning. You can read a short interview about us on the Startup of the Day page. Being part of Microsoft Bizspark has helped us a lot. Through Bizspark, weve gotten access to the entire range of Microsoft development tools, from products like Visual Studio to licenses for SQL Server databases. Database licenses, in particular, can be a heavy cost for startups (Bizspark licenses can be used for production servers), and this has certainly helped us keep our burn rate low. Unfortunately, some companies in China do not pay for software licenses, and this reflects a larger problem with intellectual property here, including movies, TV shows, music, books, and more. Getting ourselves on Bizspark was easy, and for that, we also have to thank our hosting provider, Rackspace. Weve been really impressed the service they provide. Running a development center far away from the servers themselves can be tough, and having a strong partner for managed hosting has made our lives much easier. The italki Team italki is Bizspark Startup of the Day italki was named Startup of the Day as part of the Microsoft Bizspark program. Were excited to get the exposure, as were still trying to tell the world about italki and the potential for online language learning. You can read a short interview about us on the Startup of the Day page. Being part of Microsoft Bizspark has helped us a lot. Through Bizspark, weve gotten access to the entire range of Microsoft development tools, from products like Visual Studio to licenses for SQL Server databases. Database licenses, in particular, can be a heavy cost for startups (Bizspark licenses can be used for production servers), and this has certainly helped us keep our burn rate low. Unfortunately, some companies in China do not pay for software licenses, and this reflects a larger problem with intellectual property here, including movies, TV shows, music, books, and more. Getting ourselves on Bizspark was easy, and for that, we also have to thank our hosting provider, Rackspace. Weve been really impressed the service they provide. Running a development center far away from the servers themselves can be tough, and having a strong partner for managed hosting has made our lives much easier. The italki Team