Easy Recipes for Beginners!

Easy Recipes for Beginners! The Beginners' Guide to Making Unmissable Meals ChaptersCooking Lessons: Easy StartersEasy Recipes for Main CoursesDesserts for BeginnersVocabulary“Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.” - Sophia LorenOver the years, people have started spending less and less time cooking.  With busier lives (between work, family, and leisure), we spend less time cooking and more time focusing on other things.However, you don’t need to spend 3 hours in the kitchen making a complicated dish in order to eat well and enjoy your meals.People generally think that simple meals can’t be tasty. If you're sick of jacket potatoes, cheesy beans on toast, instant noodles, or prepackaged sandwiches, here are a few examples of quick and easy dinner recipes that beginners can make. GiovanniCooking Teacher 4.83 (12) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HalimaCooking Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HakimCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors VincenzoCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Disc over all our tutors GinellaCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ArronCooking Teacher 5.00 (2) £9/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoshuaCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FlickCooking Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsCooking Lessons: Easy StartersStarters often seem complicated but they needn’t be.  There are quick and easy recipes that can impress your guests. They don’t require a lot of ingredients or time.It might be time to eat less pizza and start cooking your own food. (Source: joshuemd)Are you ready to impress the in-laws this weekend or do you just need something you can quickly make on a weeknight after work for the whole family?Basil and Lemon Sardine TartinesPreparation time: 15 minutes.Cooking time: 5 minutes.Budget per person: £1.50Ingredients:4 large slices of farmhouse bread16 sardines in oil1 lemon1 teaspoon of dried basil or a few leaves of fresh basil1 shallot 100g of butterSaltRecipe for serving four people:Remove the skin and bones from the sardines.Work the butter into a paste in a salad bowl.Add the sardines, lemon juice, crushed shallot, salt, and basil.Toast the bread for a few minutes in the oven.Spread and you’re ready to go!Surimi TabouléPreparation time: 15 minutes.Cooking time: 5 minutes.  2 hours standing time.Budget per person: £2Ingredients:180g of bulgur8 rolls of surimi1 tomato1/4 cucumber1/4 red pepper10 mint leaves1 lemonOlive oilSaltRecipe for serving four people:Cook the bulgur in 750ml of salted boiling water for 5 minutes.Take off the heat and let it swell in the water for 5 minutes.DrainDice the tomato, cucumber, and pepperMix with the warm bulgur.Add 50ml of olive oil, juice from the lemon, crushed mint leaves, salt, and minced surimi.Leave to stand for 2 hours.For a vegetarian alternative, you can replace the surimi with feta or tofu. Of course, if you prefer mushroom, carrot, spinach, or other veggies, you co uld always add them instead.Discover what foodies always keep on hand...Tomato Noodle SoupPreparation time: 15 minutes.Cooking time: 25 minutes.Budget per person: £1Ingredients:3 tomatoes50g of tomato concentrate100g of vermicelli1 onion1 garlic clove1 cube of chicken stockOlive oilRecipe for serving four people:In a pot, brown the onion, garlic, and crushed tomatoes in 50ml of olive oil.Add the tomato concentrate, 800ml of water, the stock cube (you can replace this with vegetable stock if vegetarian)Bring to the boilSimmer for 25 minutesAdd the vermicelliCook for 3 minutes before taking off the heatThis filling and hearty meal can be can be served as a starter or as a main dish on a cold winter's day. In fact, most soups are pretty quick and easy to make.Easy Recipes for Main CoursesFor original pasta dishes, stuffed vegetables, and quick meals, follow this guide. You don’t need to spend several hours preparing them nor do you need a chef’s qualification. These recipes are af fordable, easy, and quick.They also make a change from mac and cheese, a burger from McDonald's, or meatballs out of a tin.Cooking blogs are great for ideas on what to make. (Source: RitaE)Ready to go?Shirred Eggs with HamPreparation time: 10 minutes.Cooking time: 10 minutes.Budget per person: £1.50Ingredients:4 large eggs4 soup spoons of thick creme fraicheA slice of ham1 small tomato1 demi baguetteOlive oilSalt and pepperRecipe for serving four people:Baste 4 ramekins with olive oil.Cut the ham into strips.Spread the crushed tomato, ham, and creme fraiche into the bottom of the ramekin.Break an egg into each ramekin.Season with salt and pepper.Bake for 10 minutes at 180 °C in a water bath (bain-marie).Serve with bread cut into soldiers.What cooking tools should you have in your kitchen?Salmon TagliatellePreparation time: 10 minutes.Cooking time: 10 minutes.Budget per person: £1.50Ingredients:400g of fresh tagliatelle2 skinned salmon steaks100ml of cooking creamCooking white wine Olive oilSalt and pepperRecipe for serving four people:Cut the salmon and sauté it in a pan with olive oil for 5 minutes.Add 50ml of white wine and reduce.Add the cream and reduce.Season with salt and pepper.Cook the pasta with the salmon sauce.Quiche Lorraine/Vegetable QuichePreparation time: 10 minutes.Cooking time: 35 minutes.Budget per person: £2Ingredients:Pie dough3 eggs400g of heavy cream200g of lardon strips125g of grated cheeseNutmeg, salt, pepperRecipe for serving four people:Place the dough in a cake tin and pierce it with a fork.Cook the lardons in a pan without adding anything to themWhip the eggs, cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a salad bowl.Place the lardons onto the doughSprinkle the grated cheese.Bake for 25 minutes at 200 °C.For a vegetarian option, you can replace the lardons with vegetables like courgette, peppers, broccoli, carrots, etc.Discover our beginner's cooking guide!Impress your friends with your cooking. (Source: rawpixel)Stuffed Goat’s Cheese To matoesPreparation time: 10 minutes.Cooking time: 20 minutes.Budget per person: £1.50Ingredients:8 tomatoes350g of fresh goat’s cheese50g of walnut kernels200g of wheat semolina30g of breadcrumbs1 tablespoon of honeyOlive oilSaltRecipe for serving four people:Cut the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out the insidesMix the goat’s cheese, honey, the insides of the tomatoes, a tablespoon of olive oil, nuts, breadcrumbs, and salt in a salad bowl.Insert into the tomatoesPlace the tops back on the tomatoes and add tablespoon of olive oilCook for 20 minutes at 180 °CServe with semolina prepared in advance.If you don’t like goat’s cheese, you can always replace it with ricotta or cream cheese with herbs.Buckwheat Pancakes with HamPreparation time: 15 minutes.Cooking time: 15 minutes.Budget per person: £1.50Ingredients:4 buckwheat pancakes4 slices of ham4 eggsLettuce80g of grated cheese4 tablespoons of thick creme fraicheOlive oilVinaigretteSaltRecipe for serving four people:Fry the 4 eggs with a bit of olive oil and salt.Put to one sideReheat the buckwheat pancakes with a bit of oilPlace a slice of ham into the middle with the crème fraîche, egg, and grated cheeseFold the pancake into a squareRepeat for the over pancakesServe with lettuce and vinaigretteFor a vegetarian option, you can always replace the ham with mushrooms or sliced avocado.Sautéd Pineapple PorkPreparation time: 15 minutes.Cooking time: 10 minutes.Budget per person: £1.50Ingredients:400g of pork tenderloin1 jar of sliced pineapple200g of rice1/2 a red pepper1 shallot1 tablespoon of cornstarchOlive oilSaltRecipe for serving four people:Dice the pork and sauté it in oil in a frying pan or skilletPut to one sideIn the hot pan, sauté the crushed shallot and diced pepper.Dilute the cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of pineapple juice and salt.Add this pineapple sauce to diced pineapple.Cook for 2 minutes.Serve with rice.If you're a big fan of pork, you could replace the pork tenderloin with tender pork chops, too.Desserts for BeginnersDesserts are far from a hassle!There are easy recipes. Feel like a homemade chocolate cake but you’re on your own or can't be bothered with baking?Mugcake it is!Forget complicated crumble, clafouti, rice pudding, or crème patissière. Let’s make things simple.You should only really get strawberries when they're in season. (Source: Engin_Akyurt)Chocolate MugcakePreparation time: 5 minutes.Cooking time: 3 minutes.Budget per person: £1Ingredients:1 egg20g of flour20g of sugar30g of butter40g of dark chocolateRecipe for one person:Place the butter and chocolate into a mug and microwave for 30 seconds.Smoothly mix and then add flour and sugar.Mix again.Add the egg and mix it in.Put in the microwave for 1 minute.I bet you didn't think that a cake could be baked in less than ten minutes, but there you have it! There definitely won't be any leftovers.Orange Blossom French ToastPreparation time: 10 minutes.Cooking time: 5 minutes.Budget per person: £2.50Ingredients:1 stale baguette (usually leftover from another meal)Orange blossom3 eggs140g of unsweetened condensed milk2 sachets of vanilla sugar2 tablespoons of powdered sugarRapeseed oilRecipe for serving four people:Whip the eggs with the condensed milk, vanilla sugar, and sugar.Add a tablespoon of orange blossom and mix it all together.Cut the bread into slices.Quickly plunge the bread into the mix and take it straight back out and put it onto a plate.Heat the oilBrown the bread on both sidesServe warmThe orange blossom adds a refreshing zesty and tangy addition to a traditional recipe and while we've put it down as a dessert, it's also great for brunch on the weekend.Speculaas and Strawberry DessertPreparation time: 10 minutes.Budget per person: £1.80Ingredients:300g of strawberries8 speculaas2 pots of vanilla puddingWhipped creamRecipe for serving four people:Wash the strawberries, keep four to one side and place the rest into a blender.Place the mix into ramekins and cover with half a pot of vanilla pudding.Sprinkle speculaas crumbs on top.Serve with whipped cream, a bit more speculaas on top, and half a strawberry.As you can see, you can get most of these on the table in 30 minutes or less and for those that take longer, it's just because you have to cook them for a little longer.If you're out of dinner ideas, don't forget there are books and websites with plenty of easy dinners you can make. Some websites even organise their recipes by ingredient so you can see what you have in your cupboards and make it.Whether you're looking for hearty casserole recipes, how to make a satisfying stir-fry, making some chilli con carne in a slow cooker, there are a number of great websites as well as books to get you started.Or you can search for a  cooking course  London and learn how to make more elaborate dishes.If you're willing to spend more time, there are also plenty of great resources on how to make a roasted chicken dinner. If you've got chicken in th e fridge or freezer, there are easy chicken recipes for your weeknight dinners or suppers, too!VocabularyIf a few terms were Greek to you, here’s a couple definitions. We've got a few definitions in our other articles on cooking, so make sure to read them, too!Kneaded ButterThis is butter at room temperature that has been worked with a spatula until it has a creamy consistency.DiluteThis means adding a substance to a liquid to weaken it. It’s similar to dissolving.Now discover the best cooking quotes to keep you inspired...

8 Questions to Help You Find the Right Private Teacher

8 Questions to Help You Find the Right Private Teacher Suzy S. If youre thinking about taking music lessons, language tutoring, or any other type of one-on-one instruction, you might start by taking a look at your schedule and budget. But dont forget that finding the right teacher should be just as important, and in some situations, an even bigger priority. Think about it: your teacher will be the one pacing your lessons. And when it comes to learning, nobody is the same. Your teacher has to match up well with your learning style and personality, and understand how to keep you motivated. As you search for your teacher, consider the following questions and think about what you need as a student: 1) Whats your learning style? Everyone has their own unique way of learning and retaining information. Think back to when you were in school (or if youre setting up lessons for your child, ask him or her what currently works) were you always doodling in your notebook? Did you learn best from looking at diagrams or images? Did you color-code your notes, or did rewriting them over and over help with memorization? No matter what subject youre taking on, your teacher should cater your lessons toward your personal learning style and some may be better than others at this. Try discussing this with your teacher at your first lesson, and make sure they understand how to tailor your lessons appropriately. Along with this, keep special needs or learning disabilities in mind. Check in with your instructor prior to your first lesson to discuss your needs, and make sure your teacher is equipped to help. 2) Do you want to learn specific concepts within your lessons? Looking for private tutoring  for your child? Perhaps your elementary student is struggling with math overall, and would benefit from some extra guidance. For older students, however, often the struggle is in a specific  concept within their math class, such as algebra, geometry, or calculus. Or, maybe its more SAT prep than just math. Similarly, as a music student, you wouldnt just book a music teacher youd be looking for a guitar teacher, a piano teacher, or a trumpet teacher. And if you have a specific genre or goal in mind, youll have an even better experience booking a Flamenco guitar teacher, a classical guitar teacher, or a country guitar teacher. Finding an instructor who lists these kinds of specific subjects will help you stay focused on your goals and individual needs. 3) Whats your experience level? Even the best teachers and professionals once started out right where you are, as a beginner! And they may have even started teaching years before they became experts, gaining experience along the way. Because of this, its important to make sure your teacher is equipped to teach a student at your level. This isnt a big deal for a beginner, but should be taken into account for intermediate and advanced students. The students age plays a big part, too.  If youre booking lessons for a child, finding someone with experience teaching kids can make a huge difference theyll know how to remain patient, keep your child focused, and cater each lesson plan appropriately. Teens may work best with younger teachers they can identify with, or need someone who guides them along without making them feel like a child. 4) Is finding a teacher who has been background checked important to you? We know safety is a big concern for many students and families especially if youre inviting your instructor into your home for lessons. As youre searching for a teacher on TakeLessons.com, simply look for the Background Check: Verified label within teacher profiles, which shows theyve completed a criminal background check in the last year. 5) Do you have schedule restrictions? Is your scheduling always changing, do you have other commitments that might get in the way of a consistent lesson time, or do you travel often for work? If you need a teacher who can accommodate a more flexible schedule, keep this mind. Teachers may have different policies regarding reschedules or cancellations, so discuss this before any issues come up. If youre looking for a certain day or time, filter your search results as needed to see teachers with open availability. 6) Is your teachers experience level important to you? Would you prefer that your teacher has years of experience, over someone fresh out of college? TakeLessons teachers have the opportunity to add their affiliations, awards, and years of teaching experience to their profile. However, keep in mind that often this is more of a personal preference. Younger students, for example, often identify better with younger teachers, who can teach the basics and be a fantastic role model for inspiration. Dont discredit a teacher based on these factors, but you may want to keep it in mind if its important to you. 7) Do you want to take lessons in a studio, in your home, or online? Logistics matter! Will you be easily distracted taking lessons in your home? Are you a frequent traveler who needs the convenience of online lessons? Filter your search results by Location to view the teachers who offer what you need. (Not sure how to choose your lesson location? Here are four questions to ask yourself.) 8) Have you seen reviews or feedback about the instructor? Trying to decide between two teachers in your area? Reading feedback from other students can be incredibly helpful! Past and current students can rate their TakeLessons teacher in several areas, including professionalism, reliability, and teaching skill, as well as provide open-ended feedback about their experience. This feedback displays at the bottom of our teacher profiles, and can also be filtered within search results. Finally, once youve selected your teacher, dont feel like youre locked in. Sometimes, personalities clash. Maybe your teachers studio location isnt where you thought it would be, or they werent equipped for your goals and needs. As time goes on, you might need an instructor who teaches at a more advanced level. Whatever the case, remember that youre free to switch teachers at any time. As a student, youre in charge of your success and pairing with the perfect teacher for you is part of that! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

Ask an Admissions Expert Audrey Kahane

Ask an Admissions Expert Audrey Kahane Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. Audrey Kahane earned her undergraduate degree in Sociology and her Masters degree in Counseling, both from the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, Audrey served as a University of California, Los Angelesinstructor for its College Counseling Certificate Program. She has been writing a college-themed column in a Ventura County community newspaper for more than a decade. VT: How far ahead of time should a student begin working on his or her college application? Audrey: I have my students start their applications during the summer before senior year. The Common Applicationopens on August 1, but the essay prompts are already available. Its much less stressful to get your applications done during the summer, without the pressure of daily homework and tests. Also, nobody should expect to submit a first draft of the essay. By starting in the summer, students have enough time to write multiple essay drafts, resulting in the strongest possible application. VT: What are the best ways to go about selecting a terrific essay topic? Audrey: Think of a story from your life that reveals something about you that admissions officers wont learn from the rest of the application. Students often think they need to write about a major event or big idea, but the most compelling essays are often about a moment or a seemingly-mundane experience that caused a shift in how the student sees herself or the world. Make sure that the story includes some reflection. Essays are not just about what happened, but why this experience matters. Spend some time brainstorming until you find an idea that excites you. You may need to try out several ideas until you find the right one, and thats fine, because once you have the right idea, the writing will flow. If its exciting for you to write, it will probably be exciting for admissions officers to read. VT: Are there any essay topics you get tired of seeing or would warn students to stay away from? Audrey: While I never rule out a topic, it is certainly more challenging to come up with a fresh approach to the how our basketball team was struggling but came together and triumphed essay. Writing about painful experiences, like divorce or death in the family, or a struggle with an anxiety disorder, can also be difficult. While these experiences can certainly impact who you are and how you see yourself and the world, it is important to think about what admissions officers will learn about you that will make them see you as a compelling addition to their college. If you write about a difficult life experience, make sure the essay shows how you have grown from the experience and developed qualities like resilience and persistence. If you feel you need to tell the story in order to explain a drop in grades, it may be better to use the additional information section of the application to provide context for your academic performance. The main essay is where you want to show admissions officers what you will bring to the campus community. VT: What is the biggest mistake a student can make on a college application? Audrey: Likeability is rarely talked about, but its very important in college admission, especially when colleges have lots of applications from well-qualified students. One admissions officer said that when he reads an application, he asks himself, Would I want to eat pizza at midnight in a dorm with this person? Students sometimes try so hard to impress admissions officers, but think about it when someone tells you how great she is, do you like that person? The goal in a college application is not to impress the reader or come across as perfect, but to create a bond with the reader. Its great to be confident, but its even better with a touch of humility. VT: What is the typical process an admissions officer goes through to evaluate applications? Audrey: It depends on the college. At some big public universities, the process is simply a matter of meeting GPA and/or test score requirements. At many colleges, an application will be read by two readers, and one is often a territory representative who is familiar with the students high school. At some schools, applications will go on to a committee review. Many colleges use a holistic approach, where admissions officers evaluate the rigor of the curriculum and grades as well as test scores, but also consider teacher recommendations, extracurricular activities, application essays, and many other factors that cant be quantified. They evaluate a students achievements in the context of the opportunities available to that student. There are institutional needs that come into play as well. The college might want to recruit more students from a certain part of the country. If financial aid resources are limited, the school might need more full-pay students. VT: What do you think is the single most important thing a student should make sure they present in the best possible way on their application? Audrey: Colleges will get many applications with similar transcripts and test scores. You want to submit an application that only you can write. This means using a conversational approach in your essay and helping admissions officers hear your voice your attitude, your personality, your take on the world. Youll know that your voice is coming through if friends or relatives can read your essay (without your name on it) and know instantly that you are the person who wrote it. Your essay should sound exactly like you. VT: How should students go about determining the culture of a university, and whether they would be a good fit? Audrey: The first step is to think about what kind of culture would be the best fit for you. Does your vision of college include cheering for your team at football games? Or does your ideal Saturday night consist of seeing an independent film and discussing it over cappuccino? Once you know what is important to you, there are lots of resources, including guidebooks and websites with student reviews. One of my favorite suggestions is to start reading the school newspaper, which should be available online, to learn what issues are being discussed on campus, as well as whats going on lectures, concerts, and other campus events. Check the organizations listed on the student life section of the schools website to see if there are clubs that sound interesting. If you love the outdoors and find that a school has a hiking club, ski club, and bicycling club, you know there are people who share some of your interests. You can even email the contact person for the club to ask about the school. Talking with students is the best way to learn about the culture of a university. Talk to friends, neighbors, or relatives who attend the school, and if you are visiting, arrange to meet them and some of their friends. VT: Early-action, early-decision, binding/non-binding, regular decisions...With so many choices when applying, what do you recommend to students? Audrey: This is a complicated question, and the answer depends on the student and on the college. If a student is considering applying early decision, which is binding, she needs to be sure that she would attend if accepted, and that her family does not need to compare financial aid or scholarship offers. Early action is not binding, but many colleges see early action as evidence of a students interest, which can be helpful in admission decisions. Early applications are not always the best strategy, especially for students who need to show improvement in grades during the first semester of senior year. Some colleges defer all students who are not admitted early and reconsider their applications during regular decision. If a college does not defer many early applicants to regular decision, and there is a strong risk of rejection during the early round, it may be better to wait and submit your strongest application. VT: How important are grades and standardized test scores when admissions decisions are being made? Audrey:Grades are always important. In addition to looking at grade point average, many admissions officers will look at the trend, so a low grade in 9th grade is less likely to impact admission decisions than a low grade in 11th grade. Standardized testscores are also important at the colleges that require them. Students who dont perform well on standardized tests should make sure to apply to some test-optional colleges. The good news is that there are more colleges choosing to become test-optional every year. VT: What tips do you have for students asking their teachers for letters of recommendation? Audrey: A required letter of recommendation should be from a junior- or senior-year teacher. If your favorite teacher, who you know will write the strongest letter, is from sophomore year, thats fine for a supplemental letter. That doesnt mean you always ask a teacher from the class where you got the highest grade. Sure, its great to have a teacher rave about how you are the best writer shes seen in ten years of teaching AP English, or to have your History teacher write that you contributed the most insightful comments to class discussions but if a teacher writes that you fought to be admitted to AP Chemistry even though you didnt meet the schools requirements for taking the AP class, and that you came in for extra help after school every week and were committed to mastering the material even though it was a struggle, that is a letter that can really impress admissions officers. Most importantly, you want a letter from a teacher who knows you well and can provide details about your academic endeavors so the recommendation doesnt sound like the 100 other letters the admissions officer is reading that week. An English or History teacher is often a good choice since admissions officers like to know that students can write well. If youre applying to engineering programs, a math teacher recommendation would be important. Ask your teachers before the end of the school year, especially if they get lots of requests. Then you can follow up when school starts, and give them a list of your colleges with application deadlines. If you dont currently have a class with the teacher, it can be helpful to give her a brief letter, thanking her in advance for writing the recommendation and reminding her of your favorite project from the class, or a paper that she said was unusually well-written. It can also help to tell your teacher about your college plans. If youre applying to business programs, your teachers letter might include examples of the leadership youve shown in class as well as your facility with statistics. Teachers in some schools may be asked to write 40 or 50 recommendations, and they can understandably get burned out. They write recommendation letters on their own time, often giving up evenings and weekends. Be considerate and give them at least four weeks. Its also not in your interest to have a frazzled teacher scrambling to write a letter three days before the application deadline. Be sure to write thank-you notes to everyone who wrote a recommendation for you, and share your good news when you get your acceptances. Visit Audreys website for more information. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Your Culture, Your Traditions, Your Heritage Talking About Minority Languages in English

Your Culture, Your Traditions, Your Heritage Talking About Minority Languages in English Those of us who speak English as a dominant language can overlook the difficulties faced by people who speak minority languages. Many students of mine speak Basque as their principal language  and have often shared their experiences with me on this issue. I did my schooling through Irish and come from an Irish speaking family so this topic is of great interest to me.What is a minority language?A minority language is a language spoken by a less dominant sector of the population of a country of territory.Some minority languages are endangered and face extinction.What Makes a Minority Language? Small number of speakers.Political reasons (some languages are associated with terrorism).Prejudice (some languages are simply considered less important than dominant languages).Possible Problems Associated With Minority Languages Limited resources for education through the language,Long travel periods to attend schools where the language is taught ,Few job opportunities in work using the languag e,Hostility from those who do not speak the language.Positive Aspects Of Speaking Minority LanguagesEach has its own particular culture and literature,Gives people a strong sense of place and heritage,Where funding for educational purposes is available, the quality of the teaching can be excellent as classes are small and teachers are generally specialized and passionate about the subject.While we think about these issues, lets listen to a report on the current state of minority languages in Europe and answer the questions that follow it.Where is the first school located?What has been the first school’s recipe for success?When did the first Diwan schools in Brittany open?How many such schools are open now?What is the method used in Diwan schools?Why are there criticisms that the Diwan schools are against the French constitution?What problems have Diwan schools faced as a result?What does Remi Guillou think about the two approaches to learning Breton?When was the European Charter f or Regional or Minority languages set up and what is the aim of the Charter?What is the big problem being faced by the Charter now?Why does Alice James think that the Welsh language is alive where she lives?For what two things is the Breton town of Plomelin famous?Why, according to Guy Le Lay, are people surprised when they go Wales?According to Emyr Lewis what is the difference between the Welsh language and Breton and speakers?How many regional or minority languages exist in the European Union today?What do they need to survive?Did you find this blog helpful? Feel free to share it on Facebook and Twitter.

4 Tips for Helping Middle School Students Increase Academic Independence

4 Tips for Helping Middle School Students Increase Academic Independence If youre the parent of a new or soon-to-be middle schooler, brace yourself for some major changes. Middle school is more intense and has a heavier workload, with most middle school curriculums including five core subjects and two electives. Children are expected to do more, question more, and think more critically. Above all, middle school demands that children function as independent students. But how can you encourage your child to engage in the activities that promote greater independence? Here are four tips that will encourage independent learning and significantly benefit your child: Establish a good routine. Middle school is a time when children must take ownership of their academic responsibilities, and theres no better way to encourage this than to promote a solid nightly homework routine. At the beginning of middle school, parents should help children establish good habits: laying out a homework plan at the start of each study session, studying in a place that fosters their productivity, and embracing an organizational system that works for them. Its fine to keep tabs on this to make sure children are staying on top of everything, but its essential that parents put their children in the drivers seat. Promote goal-setting. Setting goals is a powerful exercise that encourages children to think about school more intentionally and narrow their focus on what they want to achieve (and how they will do so). Parents and their children should spend time setting goals at the start of each new semester and writing down the obstacles and to-dos to overcome them. Its also helpful to get children thinking about what each goal really means to them personally by dividing them into short term and long term. For example, your childs goals for math class might be to stay up to date on all homework assigned (short term), develop and follow a weekly study plan (short term), and improve his or her attitude about math in middle school (long term). Encourage self-monitoring. In simple terms, self-monitoring is a strategy that helps students check their own work for mistakes or areas that need improvement. As students become more independent, they should be able to uncover clues when reading for information or recognize when somethinga series of steps in a math problem, for exampledoesnt make sense or seem right. Self-monitoring strategies can strengthen this ability. When children do homework for each of their classes, parents can encourage them to ask these types of questions along the way: Are all steps in the directions clear to me? Does this make sense so far? If not, what part is confusing me? Do I recognize this problem as a similar type of problem that Ive done before? How confident do I feel about what I just read? I got that problem wrong the first timewhat can I do to get it right next time? How would I restate what I just read in another way? Step up the planner usage. Many children start using planners in elementary school, but middle school is when this becomes essential. With seven or eight classes to keep track of, children must stay organized, and its hard to do without some sort of organizational system and a planner. Explore whether your childs school has a class or program dedicated to helping students create a binder system for all classes and use planners effectively. At a minimum, make sure your child has a weekly planner and is keeping track of: Test and quiz dates Homework assignments each day (and upcoming deadlines) Other important dates for school (such as parent-teacher conferences) Middle school is a major time of transition in large part due to the elevated expectations for students. Help your child be successful by nudging him or her toward increased independenceand follow the lead of his or her teachers, who have this goal top of mind as well. Lay the foundation now and by the time your child reaches high school, he or she will be ready to face any challenge with confidence. About Huntington Huntington is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntingtons mission is to give every student the best education possible. Learn how Huntington can help at www.huntingtonhelps.com. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. 2017 Huntington Mark, LLC. Huntington Learning Center, the three-leaf logo, and 1 800 CAN LEARN are registered trademarks of Huntington Mark, LLC. Each franchised Huntington Learning Center is operated under a franchise agreement with Huntington Learning Centers, Inc.

NOVA

NOVA NOVA The NOVA brand delivers high-quality instruction and other language services to those who wish to improve their communicative proficiency in foreign languages. Students of a wide range of ages and ability levels, from complete beginner to very advanced, can choose to take small group or private lessons face-to-face in one of the many NOVA school branches throughout Japan, over a video-conferencing system or online from the comfort of their own homes, or a combination. In addition to conversation skills-based lessons, test preparation courses are offered to students studying for specific English tests such as TOEIC or TOEFL. Also popular is our range of NOVA Plus courses. Some of these courses focus on specific skills (such as grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, etc.,) and some are geared towards specific purposes (such as business or travel). As an additional supplement to classroom-style lessons, most branches also offer a conversation practice style of lesson known as Voice. Voice provides students with an opportunity to practice what they have learned in their lessons in a supervised, but self-directed forum to help them become more accustomed to and confident communicating naturally in a second language. For younger learners, we offer NOVA Junior, a program developed specifically for children aged 3 to 12. Through our NOVA Junior program, students learn to read, write and communicate confidently in English in a fun and supportive environment. The program is designed to complement what they learn in school and prepare them for future studies. For students who are interested in languages other than English, French, German, Chinese and Korean face-to-face lessons are also taught in selected branches across Japan. Lessons in all nine languages offered by NOVA (including English) are available through the Multimedia Center, based in Osaka. The Multimedia Center offers both small group and private lessons, both online and through a video conferencing system. The curriculum mirrors the classroom curriculum with the added appeal of extra audio and visuals. NOVA students on free-booking plans can take lessons at any NOVA branch within Japan, whenever seats are available in lessons of their ability level(s). NOVA branch schools are generally open seven days a week. On regular weekdays, schools are typically open from around midday until 9:30 p.m., and on weekends and national holidays from 10:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Larger schools may be open from 10:00 a.m. through to 10:20 p.m. every day of the week. The Multimedia Center offers lessons up to 24 hours a day (depending on the language). This provides students who want to take lessons outside of regular branch opening hours, and also those who live in remote areas, extra scheduling options. Advantages of NOVAs learning system: Group class sizes are limited to a maximum of four students for adult classes and eight for NOVA Junior classes. All instructors are native speakers of the respective language that they teach. Lessons are taught in the target language only in order to be fully immersive. There are many opportunities throughout the lesson to practice and apply the language being studied. An individual, electronic study record is maintained for each student and used to identify, monitor, and cater to individual learning needs. Study systems are flexible and convenient to use; students are able to combine different courses, languages and study locations. Instructors All NOVA instructors are native speakers of the language that they teach. Some begin their NOVA careers with previous experience as educators and some with no prior teaching experience. Regardless, every instructor completes a comprehensive training program before they start teaching for NOVA. The program equips them with everything they need to be able to teach high quality lessons and provide excellent customer service. All NOVA instructors are committed to meeting and exceeding student expectations and supporting student progress towards the achievement of their goals. View our Brochure

Costa Mesa Tutoring Tips 5 time-saving study tips

Costa Mesa Tutoring Tips 5 time-saving study tips Tips from a Private Costa Mesa Tutor: 5 time-saving study tips One thing very few students have is an abundance of time. It seems like as soon as one assignment is finished another one is given and as soon as one test is taken another one is on the horizon. This is frustrating for students who are trying to squeeze in sports, volunteering, test prep, and other afterschool activities. If students can cut out unnecessary work and become more efficient, their lives will be a lot easier, and they will experience less stress throughout their high school career. Each student is tackling a different set of subjects and has their individual set of strengths and weaknesses, but there are a few tips every student can take to save time. 1. Annotate Many students forget what they read within a few minutes of finishing a chapter or text. Because of this, they end up re-reading chapters over and over again when they review for an end-of-chapter quiz or major exam. As a way to save time students are encouraged to annotate or take notes as they are reading so they can refer to specific important elements they identified the first time around. Although annotation takes a few extra minutes now, it saves hours later in the term. 2. Organize High school students spend a lot of time looking for note cards or papers they have misplaced from earlier in the term. This is time spent unnecessarily and keeps students from efficient study practices as well as their free time. Organization is a key element to staying on top of things during the high school years, but many students need help from a parent or tutor to find a great organizational system that works for them. One way to get started is to store information electronically where countless amounts of information can be saved in one place (READ: 5 things to do before taking the fall SAT). 3. Find a great study buddy If students can find an excellent and motivated study buddy, preparing for exams will take about half the time it used to. Students can break up a number of vocabulary words or terms they each need to look up and summarize different concepts within longer chapters and then discuss it with each other. However, its important to find a study buddy who is interested in succeeding but is also comfortable speaking up if they dont understand a specific concept. Finding a great study buddy, or group, is highly valuable to any motivated high school student. 4. Eliminate distractions It’s easier said than done, but eliminating distractions is one of the most effective ways to save time while studying for an important exam. It seems like there are so many more interesting things to be done when a difficult task is in the immediate future. However, the more students procrastinate, the more they prolong stressful and confusing study sessions. Its a good idea for students to take a few minutes before they sit down to study and think about what might cause a disruption throughout the afternoon. Is there cell phone on? Are they going to get instant messages on their laptop? Is social media a distraction? Do they have a proper notebook, pencil, calculator, dictionary, etc. already in front of them? Thinking about a few basic things can make a big difference when it comes to making a study session efficient. 5. Create a vocabulary folder Most high school study guides contain jargon; words that are related to a specific topic or field. These words can be difficult to memorize, to put it mildly. One great way to save time when studying is to create an organized folder of vocabulary words and terms either on 3 x 5 cards or electronically, so students can build upon their list of terms overtime. By the middle of the semester, students will be able to avoid repeatedly looking up words because they already have their homemade glossary. This might take the average student an extra few minutes now but can save them a ton of time, later on, making their study more efficient and their stress level lower. Make the most out of your study sessions with the help of private Costa Mesa academic tutoring from TutorNerds. From foreign languages to test prep, we have you covered! Call us today to book your tutor.

You Are What You Eat; The Benefits of Food Co-ops

You Are What You Eat; The Benefits of Food Co-ops https://www.facebook.com/OshkoshFood?fref=ts Everyone has heard the cliché ‘you are what you eat’. Most of us don’t consider how true this actually is. Food is food right? It is all the same anyways so it must not matter where it is coming from or what is actually being eaten. Wrong and, you guessed it, wrong again. I will not go into what people are eating (that is a whole other debate) but I really think we as consumers need to re-consider how and where we buy our food. It makes a difference, not only in the health of our bodies, but for the local economy and (dare I say it?) the environment as well. There is this big stigma that doing what is ‘right’ for the environment is painful, inconvenient, and just a plain old hassle. Take buying groceries for instance. It is so much easier to drive to the conventional grocery store and buy their food. True, you may not know where it is coming from, how safe it actually is, or that all of the money you spend is not helping the local economy out in any way, but those are not really that big of issues in the first place, right? What if there was a way to solve all of these problems without actually giving up going to a grocery store? Cue food co-ops. For those who do not know what a food co-op is, it is actually a rather simple concept.   A food cooperative (food co-op) is basically the local version of a grocery store. Instead of a big company, it is run by shareholders and members from the local community. The produce sold at co-ops is generally the same as what would be found in a conventional grocery store, but member owners assess the needs of their community and can offer alternative products. This materializes into more local, natural, and organic food options and variety; it also keeps the focus on the consumer’s needs and wants. Thinking of the big picture, a food co-op keeps money circulating in the local economy since the produce is coming from local sources and the employees are all from the area as well. So a food co-op is a pretty good idea and all, but how does that apply to a college student? Well, a great example is the food co-op that is in the works for Oshkosh, Wisconsin. I recently interviewed fellow student Bridgette Weber from UW-Oshkosh, who has done a fantastic job getting involved in her local community. She has helped get plans underway for a food co-op to hopefully be set in place in the downtown Oshkosh area. This specific co-op, Weber told me, is a not-for-profit (not to be confused with a non-profit). Every member will be an owner of the co-op, which means they get to help make decisions regarding the co-op (they also get to participate in things such as member only sales). It is not necessary to be a member to shop there however, which is great for those who may not have the money to be a member, but would still like to buy their food locally. As far as pricing goes, the co-op wants to keep it as affordable as possible. Remember they are a NOT-for-profit business, but consumers also have to come to terms with the real price of food (which is often different from what is paid at the grocery store). In addition, EBT and WIC would be accepted at the co-op so it’s available for all people. Oh, and one more great thing, at least for Oshkosh, with a co-op near downtown, it right next to campus and therefore closer than the grocery store. On top of the other benefits, it makes it that much more accessible. All things considered, a person is not just what they eat; they are the community in which they are involved in. It is fantastic to have good food at affordable prices, but it’s even better when that food connects people to their local communities. Food is something that everyone has in common, and that’s a pretty dang good thing. As for me, I cannot wait for Oshkosh to get their food co-op set up; it will be exciting to be connected to my local economy and community. For more information about the Oshkosh Food Co-op and ways to get involved the email is Oshkoshfoodcoop@gmail.com. They can also be reached on Facebook at www.facebook.com/oshkoshfood, though joining the email list is the most direct way to get involved.  Internships are offered according to skill set, and volunteers are always welcome. For more information about food co-ops in other places, check out websites such as http://www.localharvest.org/food-coops/ and http://www.coopdirectory.org/directory.htm. They are great resources for finding a co-op no matter where you are.  Consumers deserve the best product at the best price while making responsible and conscious choices about how their decisions will impact others around them. Buying good food from a local food co-op is just the beginning. Eat well, friends.