Algebra Help - Absolute Value

Algebra Help - Absolute Value Absolute value is the numerical value irrespective of the sign. If we consider a number line, it is the distance on a number line without considering the direction. Absolute value of -2 is 2. NOTE: An absolute value function is differentiable everywhere except at 0 In the interval (-,0] the absolute value function is monotonically decreasing where as in the interval [0, ) it is monotonically increasing. It is an even function because a positive and negative number has the same absolute value. Example: abs (-4) or | -4| is 4 1) abs(29) is (a) 29(b) -29(c) 0(d) undefined Answer: a 2) |6 9| and |9 6| (a) 3 and -3 (b) -3 and 3(c) -3 and -3(d) 3 and 3 Answer: d 3) |-3 x 7| and - |-12| (a) 21 and 12(b) -21 and -12 (c) -12 and 12(d) 21 and -12 Answer: d 4) abs(0) (a) Neither negative nor positive(b) 0 (c) Undefined(d) Either positive or negative Answer: b 5) Place the correct inequality |- 9|---------- |-12| (a) (b) =(c) (d) = Answer: c

30+ Cinco de Mayo Activities, Worksheets, Recipes for Kids

30+ Cinco de Mayo Activities, Worksheets, Recipes for Kids Sign up successful As part of the celebrations, its common to see  street festivals or parades  for the holiday. You may see  women and men wearing traditional Mexican dress; men may wear trousers, a shirt, and a sombrero (hat). Women may wear colorful puebla dresses or pico skirts. Puebla dresses are full-length dresses that are decorated with flowers or traditional Mexican symbols. Pico skirts are long flowing skirts that are made of a light fabric. Participants  also engage in plenty of dancing and eating. Common foods during this celebration include tamales, enchiladas, and mole. Sometimes, parades include a reenactment of the battle in Puebla. Cinco de Mayo Activities Now, lets get to the activities! Jump ahead to specific categories, or explore everything weve rounded up. Cinco de Mayo Vocabulary Cinco de Mayo Printables, Word Searches, Worksheets Cinco de Mayo Crafts Cinco de Mayo Recipes Cinco de Mayo Vocabulary Cinco de Mayo: Words to Celebrate Mexico, via Vocabulary.com Cinco de Mayo Vocabulary Flashcards, via Quizlet Cinco de Mayo Vocabulary Wall Cards, via A to Z Teacher Stuff Cinco de Mayo Activities Free Printables, Word Searches, Worksheets Mexico and Cinco de Mayo Word Searches, via DLTKs Growing Together Coloring Pages and Reading Activities, via Apples4TheTeacher Cinco de Mayo World Scramble, via Teachnology Cinco de Mayo Acrostic Poem, via Teachnology Cinco de Mayo Coloring Page, via Education.com Piñata Coloring Page, via Crayola Spanish Numbers and Colors Printable, via A to Z Teacher Stuff Spelling Word Questions, via Enchanted Learning Mexican Music: 3 Fun Songs for Children Reading Comprehension Worksheet, via ABC Teach Cinco de Mayo Crafts Paper cup maracas, via KinderArt Piñata, via KinderArt Sombrero, via First Palette Ojo de Dios, via SheKnows.com Mini cactus, via Jumpstart Festive Mexican Paper Flowers, via 100 Layer Cake Mexican Wall Art, via Kids Activities Blog Straw Mexican Flag, via Having Fun at Home Kid-Friendly Cinco de Mayo Recipes Quesadillas, via Cooking Light Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips, via Half Hour Meals Guacamole, via About Food Sopaipillas with Chocolate Sauce, via Food Network Magazine Fruit-Filled Dessert Tacos, via Eating Well Marshmallow Gatos, via Party Pinching Cinco de Mayo Breakfast, via Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons Veggie Mexican Flag, via Be Different Act Normal (and Family Fun) Easy Sombrero Cookies, via Random Thoughts of a Supermom  (and Family Fun) Did we miss a good resource? What Cinco de Mayo activities have you used with your kids? Leave a comment below and let us know! And for even more fun, check out our live, online  Spanish class for kids view the schedule and register your child here. Post Contributor:  Breeana D. Breeana D. teaches Spanish lessons in Abington, PA. Specializing in Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education, she is currently enrolled in Temple Universitys Elementary Education program.  Learn more about Breeana here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

How to Teach Russian

How to Teach Russian The Guide to Teaching Russian ChaptersHow Can You Choose the Price of Your Private Russian Tutorials?How to Prepare Russian TutorialsWhere Can You Find Students for Private Russian Tutorials?Which Platforms Can You Offer Private Russian Tutorials On?“Once you stop learning, you start dying.” - Albert EinsteinIn England alone, there are 11.7 million children in primary schools and secondary schools.  This is a lot of potential students to learn Russian. But teaching languages isn’t necessarily easy.As a private tutor, you’ll need to decide what kind of tutor you’ll be, find students, prepare classes, etc. Each learner is different so your job is to ensure that your foreign language instruction is appropriate to what they're studying, the curriculum, or the language skills they want to acquire.In this article, we're going to look at teaching Russian as a second language. Of course, a lot of the advice here could also be applied to other languages such Mandarin, Latin, or English tutoring services.Get to s ee the different Russian courses London available here. LavaRussian Teacher 5.00 (8) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LarisaRussian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors InaRussian Teacher 4.88 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors IrynaRussian Teacher 5.00 (8) £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EvgeniaRussian Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AnastassiaRussian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NikolaRussian Teacher 5.00 (4) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MargaritaRussian Teacher 5.00 (3) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsHow Can You Choose the Price of Your Private Russian Tutorials?One of the trickiest things, when you’re a private tutor, is choosing how much to charge for your tutorials.There are a number of factors to consider when deciding what to charge. (Source: PublicDomainPictures)You don’t want to put potential students off with rates that are too high and nor do you want to undercharge for your services and end up without enough money to pay rent.Fortunately, private tutors can use a number of different criteria to help them decide upon their rates:You level in Russian: Are you bilingual or closer to a B2 level? The higher your level, the higher you can potentially charge for your classes. A native speaker could charge more than someone who's only studied for a year.Your experience: What qualifications do you have? Have you already taught before? Did you spend time in Russia perfecting your spoken Russian? An experienced tutor can charge more than a new tutor. In fact, a qualified teacher could ask for more than someone who's fluent in the language if they've got the right teaching skills.The competition: How much do Russian tutorials cost in your town? It’s better to set your rates in accordance with what everyone else is charging. Really low rates will look suspicious and students will go elsewhere if you choose really high rates.The students’ levels: Whether you’re teaching beginners, intermediates, or experts, exam prep, adult classes, or groups of children, you can’t charge the same for different levels. The preparation time is different for different levels. Generally, the higher the level, the higher the rates and you can't charge a lot if you're just helping out with homework and some basic vocabulary. However, if you're helping someone go from an intermediate level to fluency, you'll have to charge more to cover the costs of preparing the lessons.The cost of living in your town: Those in London can charge more than elsewhere in the UK since the cost of living is so high, for example. Check the market. A language course in one town may be cheaper than another. Also, language tutors in different areas of town will charge different rates for their private tutoring.The service: Intensive classes, group classes, one-on-one tutorials, conversation classes, online classes, depending on what you’re offering, you can change the rates accordingly. You can also offer trial classes and discounts for block bookings. No two language lessons are alike. A conversational lesson doesn't take as much prep as helping an undergraduate with their exams.Don’t forget to take your expenses for materials and travelling into consideration.  As a private tutor, you’ll also need to be self-employed so make sure you set yourself up in order to pay taxes on your earnings.How to Prepare Russian TutorialsThere are a number of well-structured ways to learning a language. Students will need to learn the Cyrillic alphabet, Russian grammar, Russian pronunciation, and all the different aspects of the language. It's down to the tutor to plan their lessons.Even if you're a Russian native speaker, you have to prepare your lessons. (Source: TeroVesalainen)A Russian tutor can’t show up empty-handed or with nothing prepared.  An hour of tutoring usually requires at least an hour of preparation, especially when you’re first starting out. You need to tailor each lesson to the student and offer content that’s in-line with their level and how they learn.After a few years of experience, you’ll have built up quite the collection of useful resources to use in class and preparing personalised tutorials will become second nature to you.  However, a good tutor will always be looking to update and adapt their resources to make them as effective as possible.  That’s why the very first lessons are hugely important because they’re an opportunity to meet the student, get to know them, find out what their level is, and discover how they like to learn.It’s important that you and your student sit down and outline some achievable objectives that you’ll help them meet.When you’re at home preparing your lessons, you should:List the lesson objectives.Under each objective, list the activities.Find useful and interesting resources to use.Prepare the exercises that you’ll use.It’s recommended that you plan every part of your lesson.  Finally, don’t forget that your lesson needs to be planned in terms of timing. For example:10 minutes reviewing the previous lesson: this will allow you to see whether or not the student has assimilated the new knowledge and give you an opportunity to go back over it.20 minutes of teaching the new topic.20 minutes of exercises.10 minutes of review.Don’t hesitate to create revision worksheets and resources for your student to use between lessons.Where Can You Find Students for Private Russian Tutorials?If you’re going to teach private Russian tutorials in person or online over Skype, you’ll need to find students.Your next student may be closer than you think. (Source: PhotoMIX-Company)As a private tutor, you need to learn to find potential students, manage your reputation, and, in short, network.  To find new students quickly, you don’t need to have studied at a business school.Networking can be done with just the people around you. Start by asking friends and family. If you’ve decided to become a private Russian tutor, talk to the people you know. Even if nobody you know is interested in learning Russian, they might speak to other people about it.Word of mouth can work really well when it comes to finding your first students.  Don’t hesitate to spread the word on social networks and look for Facebook groups of people wanting to learn Russian.Of course, if you have students, you should ask them to mention you to their friends and family, too.  Don’t forget to look around your neighbourhood, too. Work often comes up in discussions and a conversation with your neighbours or family will often get them talking about your classes.Don’t hesitate to tell them that you’re teaching Russian private tutorials. The more people that are aware of your line of work, the more likely you are to find students for your tutorials.You should also visit local businesses and leave some ads in your local baker, chemist, or fruit and veg shop.  You can also place ads in places where students regularly frequent: libraries, university campuses, colleges, secondary schools, primary schools, and also in cinemas, music schools, horse-riding clubs, etc.You can also ask in language schools or centres in your neighbourhood and see if they have a Russian course.Which Platforms Can You Offer Private Russian Tutorials On?By using different methods, you can find students more easily. Make sure that you use the internet.  Over 80% of the UK uses the internet. It would be a shame not to reach this huge market of potential Russian students.In addition to networking, there are plenty of online platforms for finding students. (Source: Free-Photos)There are plenty of tutoring platforms where you can place an ad for your tutorials as well as classified ad sites such as craigslist. Specialised sites are arguably the best place to start, though.MyTutorTutor HuntFirst TutorsUK TutorsThe Tuto r WebsiteTutorfairEvoTuitionTutorfulThese are all sites where tutors can put together a profile and advertise their work as a tutor. Some are free, some take a commission per class, and others charge for membership.  On Superprof, the students pay once they’ve found their tutor. The Russian tutor earns the full amount for their tutorial.However, tutors can pay to boost the visibility of their profile in the results in order to help them find more students.  You can offer the first hour of tuition for free, offer webcam tutorials, private tutorials, or Russian academic support.To really get the most out of being online, you need to make sure that you have a presence.  Hopefully, that makes things a little clearer when it comes to teaching private Russian tutorials. Don't forget that you if you know how to speak multiple languages, there's nothing stopping you from becoming an English tutor or a French tutor, either. You can provide language courses in any language if you've got the skills.

8-Year-Old Girl is Gnarliest Guitar Shredder Ever

8-Year-Old Girl is Gnarliest Guitar Shredder Ever Megan L. Im willing to bet that playing like a girl will stop being an insult within this little ladys lifetime! At just 8 years old, Lisa-X  is able to play rapid fire metal solos that will melt your face off and blow your mind. Shes smaller than her guitar, but she sure knows how to make it sound big and mighty. Plus, the sweet grin she gives the camera as shes bending a note around 1:46? Priceless! Child prodigies like Lisa are absolutely amazing, but theres really no wrong age to start playing guitar. Enrolling in guitar lessons is the perfect first step to get your musical journey going. The right guitar teacher can help you learn to play the music you love, and give you personal attention to make sure youre progressing as you should. Search for a teacher on TakeLessons and get started with guitar lessons today! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for safe, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

6 Helpful Diction Exercises for Singers [Video]

6 Helpful Diction Exercises for Singers [Video] Suzy S. Improve your technique (and your next performance) by working on diction! In this article, singing teacher  Liz T.  shares some great exercises to try out Imagine youre  at a concert, and your favorite artist gets up on stage to sing. You recognize a popular song from her  album starting, but when she opens her mouth you cant decipher any of the lyrics. As a singer, paying attention to diction   that is, the way you enunciate your words can  make a big impact on your performance.  It’s a crucial part of connecting with your audience and even having proper vocal health! If you struggle with you diction when you sing, though,  dont be ashamed. It is truly something all singers struggle with! It doesnt mean you are a bad singer but the better diction you have, the more your audience will be able to enjoy and appreciate your performance. There are tons of diction exercises you can try, which will help you train yourself. Start adding these to your practice sessions, and youll notice a difference! 1) Practice Tongue Twisters Try  speaking your favorite tongue twisters first, and then try singing them! I recommend focusing on ones with letters or syllables that are more difficult for you. Start slow, and then work up to a faster speed. Really make sure you are articulating each sound. You can also  try speaking  or  singing the alphabet to get the shapes ingrained in your muscle memory. Here are a few tongue twisters that are great for improving your  diction: She sells seashells by the seashore. Red leather, yellow leather. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. Who washed Washington’s white woolen underwear, as Washington’s washer woman went West. Mommy made me mash my MMs. 2) Study  Phonetics (IPA) For this exercise, take a look at the song youre currently working on, and break down each word in the  lyrics. Break apart the vowels, consonants, and diphthongs. Feel free to write in your score, if you need to spell a word differently for it to make sense in your singing. Many singers refer to the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) when singing. This is a system derived from Latin that is used today as a standardized representation of sounds. It’s a great tool for singers to use and study! 3)  Practice Vowels Take some time focusing on each of the vowels:  ah, ay, ee, oh, and oo. Add a consonant at the beginning (such as mah, may, me) and sing through the list, making sure each one is clear. 4) Practice Consonants Next, focus on consonants, like D, T, and N. Practice  speaking  the different sounds, repeating each a few times. 5) Do Some Lip Buzz/Trill Warm up your lips, tongue, and teeth with simple lip buzzes and tongue trills. 6) Incorporate Breath Support Pick one of the tongue twisters above, and practice saying it all in one breath. Whether you are performing live on stage (using a microphone or not) or singing in a studio, you should always use clear and accurate diction! And if youre struggling,  remember that clear diction may  not happen overnight. Keep practicing these diction exercises, and work with your voice teacher to improve your technique. Good luck! Post Author:  Liz T. Liz T. teaches singing, acting, and music lessons online.  She is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music with a B.M in Vocal performance and currently performs/teaches all styles of music including Musical Theater, Classical, Jazz, Rock, Pop, RB, and Country. Learn more about Liz here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

Who Are the Great Violinists

Who Are the Great Violinists The World’s Most Famous Violinists ChaptersViolin’s Beginnings with MonteverdiJean-Baptiste Lully18th Century: Vivaldi’s Influence on the History of the ViolinRomantic Music and Violinists in the 19th CenturyThe Success of Violinists in the 20th CenturyCurrent Young Violin ProdigiesBeethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Berlioz, Mozart, Brahms, Handel, etc. It’s easy to name the famous composers.While most people can name a legendary pianist, it’s a little harder to name a performer famous for playing the violin or from the strings section.Whether they were a conductor, soloist, or composer, there have been a good number of skilled musicians who underwent violin tuition the instrument and are renowned for violin playing throughout the history of music.Be it romanticism (the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D Major, for example), baroque, or classical music, there are plenty of famous violinists who have performed as solosists and as part of the orchestra.Whether you prefer a sonata, ensemble piece, traditional composition , jazz or rock music, here’s everything you need to know about the greatest violin player from each of the major musical periods! TomViolin Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors StacyViolin Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValtieViolin Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors BenedictViolin Teacher 5.00 (8) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TaisiiaViolin Teacher 5.00 (1) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AmyViolin Teacher 5.00 (1) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LuísViolin Teacher 5.00 (6) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MomokoViolin Teacher £45/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsViolin’s Beginnings with MonteverdiClaudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) was one of the most famous concert violin players of all time. He was born in Cremona, a centre of violin manufacturers in Italy. In fact, Cremona was home to the Guarneri family of instrument builders and Stradivariu s, whose instruments still exist today.It's hardly surprising that the young Claudio became familiar with music very quickly. While there are no sources to prove it, it’s very likely that the musician was trained by Marc'Antonio Ingegneri, the musician for the city’s cathedral.Claudio Monteverdi would have also probably have taken classes at the University of Cremona in order to broaden his knowledge of the subject. The instrument owes a lot of its success to Monteverdi’s works. The opera L’Orfeo helped establish it.While the instrument was also used by the greats, at the same time, it also became a royal instrument.Monterverdi’s main works:L’Orfeo in 1607Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland) in 1640L'incoronazione di Poppea (The Coronation of Poppea) in 1643Other composers also left their mark on the 16th century. With the birth of the true violin, composers like Salomone Rossi didn’t hesitate to make use of the instrument in their piec es and add to the instrument's repertoire.Jean-Baptiste LullyBefore we get anywhere near the electric violins of today, we need to look at another one of the greats from long ago.Jean-Baptiste Lully, with the help of Molière, invented a new genre. (Source: Wikimedia Common)Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) is one of the most famous French composers in the history of music.He is famous for having attracted the attention of Louis XIV and being the royal composer from 1653.This Italian-born musician was the official dancer and violinist. He started his career with the Mademoiselle de Montpensier and quickly caught the attention of the king who made named him superintendent of music and composer for the King’s chamber. He created the Petits Violins (Little Violins) orchestra.He composed music to accompany pieces by Molière such as the Le Bourgeois gentilhomme and Georges Dandin. Some believe that Lully himself even played the odd solo while presenting his work. He held the violin on h is shoulder in order to making dancing easier.At the height of his career, he succumb to gangrene after striking his foot when he conducted somewhat vigorously.Lully’s main works:Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme in 1670Atys in 1676Te Deum in 1677Of course, the 17th century didn’t end with Lully. While he definitely deserves a place in the history of the violin, special mentions should also go to the Italian composer Arcangelo Corelli and the English composer Henry Purcell.If you take violin lessons for beginners, you’ll definitely end up hearing more about them! TomViolin Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors StacyViolin Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValtieViolin Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors BenedictViolin Teacher 5.00 (8) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TaisiiaViolin Teacher 5.00 (1) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AmyViolin Teacher 5.00 (1) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LuísViolin Teacher 5.00 (6) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MomokoViolin Teacher £45/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors18th Century: Vivaldi’s Influence on the History of the ViolinAntonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was one of the most famous musicians during the 17th century and the Baroque period. However, during his younger years, Antonio Vilvaldi was a priest.Vivaldi was considered one of the greatest violinists of his time. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)After being ordained in 1703, the young man gave it all up due to health reasons.Having been born into music, and thanks to his father being a violinist, he became a master violinist and virtuoso in an orphanage and Italian conservatoire.This is where he would write some of his most famous pieces, including his quartet of violin concerti. Here are some of Vivaldi’s violin pieces to add to your playlist:La Stravaganza in 1712Four Seasons in 1725Orlando Furioso in 1727Search for  violin teacher London  now .Wolfgang Amadeus MozartBorn into a family of musicians, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) learnt music early on. A gifted artist, he composed his first pieces aged just 4!While more famous for his piano pieces, the musician didn’t forget the lessons his father, a violin a teacher, taught him. This is probably why the famous artist integrated violin parts into a lot of his works.Important works by Mozart:Violin Concerto No. 5 in 1775Requiem in 1791The Magic Flute in 1791Romantic Music and Violinists in the 19th CenturyIt was at the age of 5 that Niccolo Paganini (1782-1840) started playing the violin. Our older readers probably didn’t want to hear that.The Italian violin star revolutionised the way the instrument is played. His technique brought him a lot of success. Spectators came from far and wide to see his concerts.According to some sources, Niccolo Paganini owed his success to a special ability, being able to spread his fingers more than usual. The musician, who was inte rnationally successful, moved from capital to capital playing for willing audiences. His charisma and gambling made many think that he’d made a deal with the devil.  As a result, the Church refused to bury him when he died.Paganini’s main works:Duetto Amoroso for Violin and Mandolin in 1807Violin Concerto No. 1 in 181624 Caprices for Solo Violin in 1817The 19th century is famous for Romantic music which was expressive and emotive.Get information here about violin lessons online.The Success of Violinists in the 20th CenturyThe Belgian Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931) learnt the violin thanks to his father, who was also a musician. To help his family, the young artist played the violin outside of churches.Once enrolled at a conservatoire, Eugène Ysaÿe, slowly but surely, became a great virtuoso. Positive encounters did the rest.  He became one of the most influential violinists of the 20th century.The Ukranian David Oistrakh (1908-1974) is one of the many musicians who got into music thanks to their parents. With a mother who was an opera chorister, David Oistrakh learnt the violin at the age of 5. After his first tour of Ukraine, his career took off. The Soviet Union even allowed him to travel to the West for a few concerts.David's son, Igor, is also is a gifted violinist. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999) is more than just a violinist. During the Second World War, he played over 500 concerts for the Allies. Having been a star from the age of ten, the young man was already familiar with international tours. Throughout his long career, Yehudi Menuhin supported other artists from totalitarian regimes. He was named a UNESCO goodwill ambassador in 1992.Isaac Stern (1920-2001) started playing the violin at 8 years old, just a few years after arriving in the United States. Originally from Ukraine, Isaac Stern joined the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra before joining the New York Philharmonic. When he died, the New York Times had this to say about him:“Isaac Stern [...] was considered one of the great instrumentalists of the 20th century.”Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987) was a Russian violinist who became a naturalised American citizen after the Russian Revolution in 1917. Before leaving Russia, his father taught him violin from a young age. He continued his studies in the Vilnius Royal Academy of Music and then the St. Petersburg Conservatory. When he arrived in the United States with his family, he continued his exceptional career in a new continent.Current Young Violin ProdigiesThe great violinists of the past have also inspired an entire new generation of virtuosos. Some are already proving themselves and on their way to becoming greats themselves. The best thing about these violinists is that they live in an age where they can be recorded. While for older violinists, you'll have to take our word for it, you can actually search for the concert that you're interested in. Let's have a look at a few international stars of vio lin music.Born in Armenia in 1966, Samvel Yervinyan showed promise from the age of 7. He now travels the world performing. The American Federation of musicians described him as:“a violinist of extraordinary ability, as demonstrated by sustained international acclaim.”Did you hear about the young prodigy from across the Channel?Camille Berthollet rose to fame on the French TV show “Jeunes Prodiges” (Young Prodigies). At just 16 years old, she won the competition and found her way into the spotlight. The young artist then sold over 75,000 copies of her album, the best selling classical of 2015 in France.The prodigies don’t stop there.Born in 2001, the Swedish violinist Daniel Lozakovich quickly became known for his musical talent and is a veritable child prodigy. After showing his mastery of some of the world’s greatest pieces, he made his debut with the Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra just two years after he started learning to play the violin. From Beethoven to Bach vi a Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky, nothing’s out of reach for this young virtuoso. The young boy has performed and toured all over Europe.The younger generations are getting interested in this fascinating instrument. (Source: Tom Swinnen)However, the violin isn’t just for the very young musical prodigies. There are older violinists showing off their talents around the world. The American violinist Lindsey Stirling, who’s 31 years old, has performed shows all over the world including covers and her own original pieces: The soundtrack from Zelda, Rihanna covers, nothing stops this girl.Of course, this list isn't exhaustive and you should also check out composers and violinists like Sibelius, Sarasate, Rossini, Glazunov, Wieniawski, Prokofiev, Milstein, and Mendelssohn.If you want to learn more about the violin and other orchestral instruments like the cello, fiddle, viola, etc., remember that you can find tutorials online and around the UK.

How Long Does it Take to Learn Spanish

How Long Does it Take to Learn Spanish How Long Does It Take to Learn Fluent Spanish? ChaptersBecome Fluent in Spanish: Defining Fluent Before We Get StartedWhat Does Being Bilingual Mean?Learn Spanish Quickly: Is It Possible to Learn Spanish in 6 Months with Total Immersion?How to Speak Spanish Fluently: Take Spanish Classes to Quickly Become BilingualHow to Learn Spanish Fast: Use the Right ToolsYou Could Be Fluent in Spanish with Bilingual SchoolingLearning Spanish while You Sleep: The Key to Bilingualism?Learn Spanish through Hypnosis to Become Fluent in Spanish?The Benefits of Learning Spanish QuicklyCan a Child Become Bilingual in Spanish?When people decide to learn a new language, they’re often concerned with how quickly they can start talking to people without having too many problems.Becoming fluent in Spanish, just like any other language, is usually measured in terms of months and years. The time it takes will largely depend on you, but if one thing is for sure, it's that to be successful, you will need a plan of action for learning Spanish.That said, the re are certain factors that we can look at which can give us a rough idea of how long it would take to learn Spanish if you started from square one.Being bilingual in Spanish means that you can read, write, speak, and listen without any real difficulties. Of course, this is difficult to measure, and is very subjective. In fact one of the only ways to measure someone’s level, is usually in terms of a test.For Spanish, you can opt to take a wide range of proficiency tests, such as the DELE or the SIELE. However, you have to pay for these and the act more as a proof of your level. If you want to take a proficiency test to know your Spanish level before starting out, then you should take an online Spanish proficiency test  that will tell you at roughly what level you are operating at.In general all of these proficiency tests assess  your grammar, vocabulary, and reading. The proficiency tests that give you a language certificate will also test your speaking, writing and listening.  In these language certificate options, the results are graded in terms of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2). A1 is the level of a beginner, and C2 is the level of a native speaker.Learn Spanish Quickly: Is It Possible to Learn Spanish in 6 Months with Total Immersion?You will need to know how to go about learning Spanish if you are to successfully master it. This will require practising as much as possible, and what better way to do this than by living in a Spanish speaking country?If you’re a student, you should consider immersing yourself through a language exchange program.  Share an apartment and avoid other English speakers. That’s not why you’re there, after all.If your level is already quite good, you could apply for jobs in a country where you’ll be speaking Spanish all the time. However, if you don’t speak a single word, you should start off with intensive Spanish lessons and take a basic job. Make the most of the high season by looking for work in hotels or tourism.  Immersion is also great for learning idiomatic expressions and slang.  The first month is your chance to dive straight in. By listening to the locals speaking, you’ll be able to get used to certain words, phrases, and the local accent. However, you should also start speaking as soon as you can. By the second month, you’ll feel more comfortable and won’t be able to stop yourself from trying to speak!How to Speak Spanish Fluently: Take Spanish Classes to Quickly Become BilingualTaking Spanish classes can help you improve your Spanish. In fact, if you want to become fluent in Spanish, classes can help you master the syntax, conjugation, vocabulary, and the pronunciation.You will need to go beyond the level you’re taught in school, though. This is where working with a private tutor can help. They can help you with the basics as well as practising speaking which is essential for anyone wanting to immerse themselves in a count ry that speaks a foreign language.There are professional and qualified tutors available who can use their teaching skills to help you. They are often native speakers who have an unbeatable mastery of the language as well, so your speaking should come along nicely. Of course, the perfect combination is a qualified teacher who’s also bilingual in English and Spanish. Your Spanish tutorials could also be conversational. Conversation classes will help you learn to speak the language fluently.This can help you learn genuine everyday Spanish as its used all around the world as well as receive personalised language coaching.How to Learn Spanish Fast: Use the Right ToolsIf you want to learn Spanish as quickly as possible while taking Spanish lessons near me, you need to use the right resources. These resources will differ depending on the person, so if you are teaching Spanish to children, the resources will differ compared to an adult learning the language on their own. But no matter the situation, if you want to become fluent in Spanish, you’re also going to have to work really hard!Here are some effective ways to help you become fluent in Spanish:Get a Spanish app to practise your Spanish when you’ve got nothing to do: Duolingo, for example, can be installed on both a smartphone and a tablet. It’s completely free and is a fun way to practice your Spanish. With this method, you’ll no longer waste time waiting around.Use free sites to learn Spanish. If you have a break at work or are waiting for your dinner to be ready, why not go online and do a few Spanish grammar exercises to make sure you’ve mastered the basics.Watch or listen to the news in Spanish to train your ear and make you more familiar with Spanish pronunciation. This is a great way to practise without feeling like you’re doing any work. You can also watch plenty of different television channels online in Spanish.Read Spanish as much as you can. There are plenty of Spanish newspapers and mag azines that you can read online for free. You can keep up to date with the news from all over the Spanish-speaking world.You can learn about Spanish customs and culture. (Source: pixabay.com)If you want to become bilingual, you usually have to start young.  There is no minimum age to learn Spanish, and children have a number of advantages when it comes to learning. Plenty of scientific studies have proved it.  If you want to get them into languages at a young age, specialised bilingual schooling is a great option.There are schools that can teach children in both English and Spanish. This means they’ll get a mastery of both languages. However, these schools are mainly for Spanish-speaking families who would like their children to be taught in the language they speak at home.Of course, these places are great for children from English-speaking families  to learn Spanish quickly, too. In fact, practising a language every day is not only the best way to learn but also a great way for t hem to make Spanish-speaking friends.  Why? This is because they’ll learn a foreign language alongside native speakers.There are also bilingual schools where some classes are taught in one language and others in the other.Of course, you can also learn Spanish in Spain. (Source: Agustin Piñero)This means they can also learn Spanish when they’re not even studying Spanish!A student who starts learning Spanish from a young age through until the end of their time at school will have a good mastery of it. The sooner they start, the better. However, this doesn't mean that there is an age limit for learning Spanish. Spanish is a language that is accessible to all people, regardless of their age.Learning Spanish while You Sleep: The Key to Bilingualism?Outside of school, language learning is a real benefit when it comes to your professional life. As an international language, Spanish is no exception to the rule.Becoming bilingual in your free time isn’t as easy as you think even if yo u’re really motivated. There are a few options to help you, though.How can they help you learn Spanish quickly?  While there’s no magic solution, you should still do everything you can to help yourself. Have you heard about learning Spanish while you sleep?Sleeping can be really helpful for learning things, especially foreign languages.Put simply, our brain organises the facts and information from throughout the day while we sleep. There are plenty of studies showing the benefits of sleep in terms of learning. The opposite has also been shown to be true. A lack of sleep can negatively affect memorisation as well as your cognitive development and even your appetite.With this in mind, you can maximise your learning potential by sleeping correctly. Studying just before bed might be a great way to learn, and you might even end up  having dreams in Spanish!Studies on Language Learning and SleepA study performed by researchers in Freiburg and Zurich focused on language learning and sl eep. The participants had to learn vocabulary and then some participants then went to sleep and listened to the words as they slept. The other group remained awake and listened to the words for a few hours. The exams that followed showed that the group that listened to the words while sleeping had learned more. Listening to Spanish as you sleep could help you remember better.Sleeping is really important when it comes to language learning. (Source: pixabay.com)Mosalingua, a language-learning website, also carried out their own study. Their results arrived at the same conclusion as that of the scientists. The results showed that listening to the words you learn during the day as you sleep are better assimilated.Of course, you won’t become bilingual while having a nap. You’ll make much better progress using your free time to study what you’ve learned during the day.Learn Spanish through Hypnosis to Become Fluent in Spanish?Another alternative method similar to learning while you sleep: Learning Spanish under hypnosis.  While this technique is usually used for changing behaviour and stopping people smoking, can it help you become bilingual?Learning Spanish through hypnosis isn't really like what you've seen on TV. (Source: pixabay.com)Hypnotists obviously say that it can. Can it really?  Can we learn a language without being fully conscious?Hypnosis: A Technique for Speaking a LanguageLet’s start with an important fact: Hypnosis isn’t magic. You’re not going to miraculously wake up fluent in Spanish. A few sessions may be necessary since hypnosis is a state between being awake and sleeping where your sole focus is on the hypnotist’s words.In a state of focus, hypnosis can help you with a number of aspects of language learning:Training your ear to new soundsFocusing on speaking and the Spanish accentImproving your concentrationPreventing inhibitionsOne of the hardest things about learning a language is putting the theory into practice. Speaking and co rrectly pronouncing words are often difficult things to overcome. It’s much easier to understand what people are saying but responding to them is a much more difficult challenge to overcome. There’s one simple reason: when you’re an adult, your brain is shut off to new sounds. Sometimes shyness can come into play, too.Hypnosis is a way to overcome some of these difficulties by helping you to improve your speaking.A Typical Spanish Hypnosis SessionYou won’t spend your time sleeping during a Spanish hypnosis session. The session is organised into several parts where you will be under hypnosis. Generally speaking, the lesson focuses on a text. The words studied will be repeated under hypnosis before you work on them while you’re awake. You’ll then repeat the first step.This is oral learning which can teach you vocabulary and expressions but is limited when it comes to learning grammar and conjugations, for example.  However, it is a good way to improve your speaking. If you ’re struggling to express yourself in Spanish, this might be a useful way to complement your traditional classes.Either way, if you want to really benefit, you have to choose the right Spanish tutor or hypnotist.The Benefits of Learning Spanish QuicklyBe careful! Don’t fall for the old “learn Spanish in 30 days” trick.  You have to learn Spanish from the beginning. The sooner you start studying Spanish, the better.If you already have a good level of Spanish, are familiar with irregular verbs, can use the subjunctive, and have a broad vocabulary, you’ll obviously be able to learn more quickly than someone who’s just started studying! Any guide to learning Spanish will include a number of useful tips and tricks to get you on your way to Spanish fluency, and here are our top selections:Speak Spanish every day: whether on Skype or face to face, writing emails or texts, or on social media.Watch movies in Spanish. You’ll soon have watched every movie with Antonio Banderas an d Javier Bardem in the world! When starting out in Spanish, you can also watch TV series.Put your cellphone in Spanish. This will help you learn some interesting vocabulary as well as help you expose yourself to Spanish every day.Learn important joining words and expressions such as “I don’t agree”, “to be honest”, etc. Having a few of these expressions will help you become fluent in Spanish more quickly.Look up new words you hear in a dictionary. As a Romance language, Spanish has a lot of vocabulary from Latin. Half of English vocabulary is from Latin directly or indirectly (mainly from French). Learning Spanish words can help improve your English vocabulary, too.Go out with a Spanish speaker!  El amor te da alas  (Love gives you wings).Can a Child Become Bilingual in Spanish?Of course! For those interested, Spanish can be learned from a very young age.  Don’t forget that the human brain loves learning new things, especially when it comes to languages.The idea that a c hild should master their mother tongue first before learning a second around the age of 7 is complete nonsense.In fact, it’s recommended that a child should learn their second language at the same time as their first by listening to stories in Spanish (every other evening, for example), playing games, and having fun in Spanish (with cartoons, games, or Spanish classes).A child can learn Spanish at exactly the same time as they’re getting ready to say their first words in English.  Now you know that becoming bilingual can be done in a relatively short period of time, you just have to get started. Start by using a few of our tips and tricks.  Learning to speak a foreign language fluently requires that you learn all the different aspects of it (vocabulary, grammar, conjugations, pronunciation). The better you are at each of these things, the better your results will be.   You can start today!

Why was English Wikipedia black last week A English Listening Exercise

Why was English Wikipedia black last week A English Listening Exercise Websites, including Wikipedia, that protested last week.Last week, you may have noticed that the English language version of Wikipedia was blacked out last week. Other sites, like Google, The Oatmeal, Craigslist and Wired magazine did similar things to their websites last week, protesting the proposed SOPA and PIPA laws that the U.S. congress was working on.So what was congress doing that was such a problem that Wikipedia, Google and other important websites would protest? The issue is somewhat complicated, but Salman Kahn of the Kahn Academy  does a great job of explaining the bill in the video below. After the video youll find a series of listening questions._____ ____ that youre the owner of some kind of copyrighted material.What is he asking you to do in the previous sentence?What does he say the purpose of SOPA is?What does he say the problem is?What kind of companies within the U.S. might be hurt by SOPA?When does it get creepy according to Kahn?Why does it get creepy?What are some examples of how this law could be misused?What this allows them to do is _____ first and _____ later.What does he mean by the previous phrase?What does he say is the creepiest thing about the bill?Id be _____.