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Learn Spanish Language – Smooth Sailing The Process

admin — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 08:28:00 +0000

Learning the Spanish language, as with any other language is a daunting task. There is a lot to learn and it takes a long time to do it. However it seems to be further complicated by a fact I just recently learned. There appear to be many different kinds of Spanish. As with English you expect a language to have different dialects and accents. The people in New York Speak a lot differently form the people Georgia or Minnesota. However the basic structure is the same and the vocabulary is the same. The same is not necessarily true for Spanish.

First of all I learned there is Latin American Spanish and there is Spanish in Spain. These two things appear to actually be quite different. Sure the language is the same, most things are the same, but there are many words that are different and there is an entire verb conjugation that is used in Spain that is not used in parts of Latin America. This should not be a problem right; kind of like the English language in England has words for things that are not used in English in the United States. However, if you use a word in the US that someone would use in England 9 times out of 10 people will know what you are talking about. The same is not true when you learn the Spanish language, this I discovered recently.

As any other student of a language would, I bought a Spanish to English/English to Spanish dictionary. Should have been easy enough except for the fact that I have occasionally used words from the dictionary and people have had no idea what I was saying. After consulting with my tutor I discovered my dictionary is a Spanish for Spain dictionary and that was what was causing my problems. Of course this important piece of information was not printed on the dictionary.

Gregory Newell is a web author who’s written about hot to learn to speak Spanish. If you want to learn Spanish language then you might be interested in reading more.

Evaluating Job Offers for Teaching Abroad

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:48:14 +0000

You have decided on teaching abroad so you are off on the job hunt. Aside from the obvious considerations such as what country to work in and what training/qualifications to obtain; there are other things a teachers should consider when looking at potential job offers.

There are many factors a teacher considers which will affect whether they accept a position. The most obvious factor would be the content of the position. What is the school asking of you as a teacher? You must ask yourself if the job is interesting and fits into your career plans as a teacher. The person you will be working for is also an important consideration so you must take the time to talk to them either via email or phone. It would also be beneficial to ask to speak to other teachers from the school to find out their impressions. Knowing what the job is and whom you will be working with are the first step in deciding whether to pursue it further.

Some may say that the most important consideration would be salary and benefits but these should be a secondary consideration to what you want to do and who you will be working with. Regardless of the salary paid, most people will not stay at a position where they feel unsatisfied or have no growth. In addition, the people you work with or for have an enormous impact on your job satisfaction. However, when considering salary and benefits, do not focus as much on the starting salary but rather on the potential for growth and increases. Does the school have growth potential for you as a professional? Do they spell out cost-of-living increases and meritorious raises? Benefits are other areas that can supplement a position where the starting salary is not as good as you would have wished. Get a list of benefits from the company and formulate any questions you may have regarding them so that you can better discuss the position with management and other teachers at the school.

Another factor that may come into play with many teachers when evaluating a position is the resources provided by the school. Teachers spend a large majority of their time preparing for upcoming lessons. This requires readily available resources such as teacher books, computer, printer, internet access, and preferably a reference library. In addition, there should be a work area set aside for teachers to plan and prepare. You should also look at whether the school already has a set curriculum/syllabus and student books because you may be asked to help to create these resources for your school year if they are not provided. I have known many teachers that have felt the need to move on because of the demands of planning for a school year without adequate resources.

Searching for a position is difficult. After spending many hours on a search, making a careful decision regarding a job offer is important. Getting an offer does not necessarily mean you should take the job. Most employers will not expect you to make a decision on the spot. You will probably be given a few days to a week to make up your mind. If they are unable to provide you with the time to make a decision then you should not consider this as a viable position. On the other hand, if you decide to go with a school without finding out the proper information, don’t blame the school when the position turns out not to be what you expected or wanted. Weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the job will help you make a more informed decision, rather than deciding on impulse.

To help you find that perfect (or near perfect) job, you should ask these questions to all prospective employers:

What is the salary?
How many months is the contract?
Do/Can you sponsor me for all paperwork, including teacher’s license, work permit, and visa extension?
How soon can you get this paperwork processed?
How many hours will I be teaching?
What kind of insurance is on offer?
When are the starting and ending times for work?
About how many events a month are teachers required to attend outside normal working hours (teachers’ meetings, parents’ meetings, school festivals, seminars, etc.)?
Does the school have/provide books?
Does the school have whiteboards or chalkboards?
Does the school provide all teaching materials needed? What are the items provided?
Does the school require that I attend/teach a summer camp?
Is there a discipline policy? What is it and how is it enforced?
What are the details of contract “extras” such as:

Resigning bonuses
Biannual or annual plane tickets to visit home
Housing allowances (if no housing allowance then ask about help finding accommodations along with cost in the school area)
Internet access both in and outside the school
Raise schedules

Michael Hines is the founder of http://www.TotalESL.com, a free resource helping the ESL/EFL community in Asia and the Middle East for jobs, resumes, schools, resources, yellow pages, classifieds, information and lessons.

Wonderful Examples of Audiobooks and the Easy Way of Fitting them into Daily Living

admin — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 10:41:14 +0000

An active life makes it challenging to get around to reading all the titles you want to. Often we do not see that lengthy commutes and many different activities take up massive chunks of our time. Making a living, caring for kids or looking after your house all cut down the time available to spend on your interests. You can simply use the hours you spend driving to catch up on books you don’t have time to read. With convenient downloads, you can indulge in Discover Your Sales Strengths by Benson Smith and Tony Rutigliano by Download Audio Book Online, or audible books narrated by Lee Ravitz when you are driving.

Multi-tasking is becoming an essential in the modern world. Audible books such as Pimsleur Hindi I Part 1 by Dr. Paul Pimsleur for sale from Download Audio Book Online take advantage of the dead moments in our routine, it may be minutes passed waiting at the dentist’s surgery or taking the kids to piano lessons. A tremendous variety of audiobooks may be downloaded straightaway in mp3 format these include Pimsleur Albanian Compact by Dr. Paul Pimsleur, and if you’ve got an iPod or other mp3 player and earphones you have the opportunity to listen to a best seller or a great novel, for example audiobooks written by W.E.B. Griffin without hauling a cumbersome book with you.

Audible books offer a multitude of advantages such as hiring or purchasing the instructional book which interests you and listening to it in your own time. Want to learn Greek? Why not try out audio-books? You can catch up on current business trends, or you can enjoy studying modern views about religion or spirituality.

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A sizable selection of literary genres and titles exist. Whether you like history, or you are crazy over politics even interested in personal development, you can download most audiobooks immediately. Many plans are open; you can subscribe to a service and rent or instead purchase what appeals to you.

Reading fans can always find a time to read, even so audio books offer a handy alternative. A author or celebrity can intensify the enjoyment of numerous books. Simply reading a novel is not the same as enjoying audio titles recounted by Louisa May Alcott, with the additional nuances presented during a performance. The depth of your reading experience will be enhanced by listening to audio books like Drummer’s Dome by Jerry Stearns & Brian Price and often go much deeper the words on a page. Don’t forget about audiobooks next time you think of buying books, audio books can be marvelous way of fitting all the reading you need to achieve into a frantic lifestyle.

Great Books to Listen to: an Easy Way to Fit them into Your Day

admin — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:47:04 +0000

Dorothy Parker Audio Collection by Dorothy Parker is unquestionably great reading, but busy lives make reading troublesome to do. Sometimes we don’t realize how lengthy commutes and different everyday chores take up enormous chunks of our time. Earning a living, caring for kids or even looking after your home all cut back the free-time you have for your interests. If you’re a keen reader who finds it challenging to fit it in, journeys to work may be a chance for catching up. Thanks to downloads, you can spoil yourself with Alchemist by Paulo Coelho by Download Audio Book Online, or audiobooks recounted by Elizabeth Kostova when you are busy doing other things.

Nowadays multi-tasking quickly becoming unavoidable. Audio-books such as Basic Economics: A Citizen’s Guide to the Economy by Thomas Sowell for sale from Download Audio Book Online make better use of of the wasted hours in our schedule, it could be time passed waiting at the physician’s office or buying groceries. Audio books are available to download as audio data files suited for your PC, laptop computers and media players these include Mission Song, The by John Le Carre, so make use of your mp3 player and headphones you have the chance to hear a biography or a great novel, like audiobooks by James Patterson without carrying cumbersome books around. Audible books provide many advantages like renting or buying the instructional book of your choice then enjoying it at your leisure. How about learning Italian? Try an audiobook! You can review current business trends, you may even find out about the paranormal. Audible books exist in a massive variety of titles and genres. It really doesn’t matter if you love travel writing, or you are crazy over politics or even if your interested in health and physical fitness, most are available through online downloads. Choices are wide open; you can simply subscribe to a program and rent or buy the title outright.

Reading will always be an important skill, however audio-books offer a great alternative for busy people. Numerous stories, for example audio books narrated by Bernard Goldberg, are even better when recounted by the author or a noted actor. Just reading a title is not quite the same as savoring an audio title narrated by Lee Ravitz, including the additional niceties of an real performance. The depth of your experience can be heightened by listening to an audio-book like Manassas by James Reasoner and frequently go much deeper the written word.

Don’t forget audio-books next time you look at purchasing books, audiobooks can be tremendous means of fitting all the books you like into a frantic lifestyle.