Get Certified to Teach Spanish!

Get Certified to Teach Spanish!Tutor certification for Spanish is one of the benefits for professionals who are passionate about learning the language. The certification provides students and teachers with the tools necessary to communicate better and learn the language more effectively. Some examples of how this helps students and teachers include greater vocabulary and more accurate pronunciation. The effectiveness of a tutor in this area will help students at all levels in finding employment, depending on their ability to understand and speak the language.A tutor will give students a range of tools to help them in their Spanish course, including help in finding books in the local language, setting up practice sessions and games and using audio guides. The certification helps students and teachers understand how to use these tools and make it easier for them to communicate and learn the language. The international environment means that employers need to ensure that their employees have the skills and knowledge to engage with the workforce.As technology continues to improve, employers are finding it difficult to match tuition fees with tuition costs. Expensive language courses can leave employers short of employees they need to meet the needs of a rapidly changing global workforce. In such cases, it makes sense to offer the most effective courses at the best possible prices.Tutor certification for Spanish is one of the options available to help students and teachers become fluent in this language. Tutors receive two requirements in order to earn this certification. The first requirement is to be licensed in their field of specialization in the United States. The second requirement is to complete a four year degree program, such as a Master's in Teaching in the United States or an International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBD) in any country.Students who work as tutors for Spanish language courses are required to teach one course per year. Tutoring students for thi s course helps students develop skills and build their confidence in speaking the language. At the end of this four year program, graduates will be able to speak fluent Spanish.After graduation, tutors may also want to apply for a number of teaching and certification programs that recognize their achievement by awarding a student's diploma. This certification offers a pathway to employment for individuals with a history of excellence in teaching and a desire to work in an area that requires the ability to communicate in the target language.With a tutor certification for Spanish, students will find a pathway to the job market that is rewarding and prepares them for their future. The student's Spanish experience will be enriched through their tutor certification.

Learn the History of Embroidery

Learn the History of Embroidery A Beginner’s Introduction on the History of Embroidery ChaptersEmbroidery Designs Throughout History Starting in The Bronze AgeIron Age and Dark Age EmbroideryEmbroidery Stitches for Medieval TapestriesEmbroidery History In Gold and WhiteTudor Embroidery FlowersThe 19th Century of Embroidery to the PresentSince the beginning of time, people have adorned their clothing with fancy needlework and hand embroidery. Be it by sewing shells on a shirt, cutting out patterns in leather skirts, sewing gold and precious stones onto a dress or adding a needle-woven border to simple linen shifts, early civilisations found many ways to embellish their clothing. It is therefore rather surprising to find that the art of embroidery can’t be traced back earlier than about 600 BC. This may in part be due to the fact that very few early textiles have survived. And of those that have, not all have been examined by textile specialists. For example, early Egyptian fabric was often marked with hieroglyphs mentioning the owner or the quality. What is unclear is whether these marks were needle-stitched or woven directly into the cloth, as woven bands and even repeated woven designs are known from some Egyptian textile finds of the period from about 1340 BC.Looking for sewing courses London?5th century BC. In Bronze Age Scandinavia, stem stitch and various twined and buttonhole stitches were used to embellish clothes.Learn how to embroider with our beginner tutorial...Iron Age and Dark Age EmbroideryIn the 5th/6th centuries AD, when Egypt was part of the Byzantine Empire, the festive, wide tunics of the period were decorated with roundels and panels. Most of these decorative strips with their marine and pastoral designs were woven in a technique similar to Jacquard weaving. But a few roundels have survived in split, stem, and chain stitch. Like later Dark Age examples where line stitches were used to fill out forms, the outline of the figures was stitched first, with the embroidery continuing in an inwards spiral until the section was fille d. Chain stitch is a technique we find again in later Dark Age textiles; in the 7th century, the burial garment of the Merovingian Queen Bathilda  used chain stitch to imitate her precious jewellery - as she retreated to the Abbey of Chelles at the end of her life, she had probably left the real jewellery behind or donated it to the abbey. In honour of her queenly status, the simple white shift she was buried in was stitched with rows of necklaces and several brooches. The 10th century embroideries from Mammen in Denmark used stem stitch and herringbone stitch for animal figures and bands depicting acanthus leaves and human faces. Though they are too fragmentary to know for sure, they probably decorated a cloak or tunic.Also discover how you can get started in embroidery...Crafting Goldwork in the Dark AgesGold has long fascinated mankind with its rich sheen and its failure to oxidise. They found ways to wear it - making it into jewellery, and eventually adding an embroidered gold f inishing it onto their clothes. Gold thread were generally couched into place with wool and later silk thread as it can’t be sewn in the traditional sense. Though gold was probably incorporated into clothing at a much earlier date, one of the earliest confirmed use of gold embroidery is from the tomb of Merovingian Queen Arnegunde of the 6th century BC. Her outer garment had goldwork embroidery cuffs in a rosette design .Goldwork from the sleeve cuffs of Queen Arnegunde. Die Franken: Wegbereiter Europas. Exhibition Cataloguie. Mainz: von Zabern, 1996.A small fragment from the late 8th to early 9th centuries from Maaseik, Belgium uses surface couching for gold threads and split stitch on the backgrounds - a precursor to the Opus Anglicanum of the medieval period. The stole and maniple of St. Cuthbert used stem stitch for the outline and, again, split stitch for filling in the figures. The gold thread for the background was held in place with simple couching.Discover how you can lea rn to sew with easy embroidery patterns!single stitches are laid crosswise and couched. Bayeux stitch is commonly referred to as laid and couched work; in Scandinavia, where it probably originated, it is called Refilsaum.KlosterstitchIn the cloisters of Northern Germany, nuns made elaborate wall hangings for the choirs of their church in a special couched stitch known as Klosterstich, “cloister stitch”. In the 13th-16th centuries, the monasteries of Lüne, Ebstorf, Heiningen and Wienhausen produced beautiful tapestries in brilliant colours depicting biblical and allegorical scenes and scenes from popular novels of the period (Ywain, Tristan). Though now Klosterstich has survived almost exclusively from Northern Germany, a few examples from southern Germany suggest it was more common than the evidence suggests - it is possible that there it was mostly produced in a secular context. Klosterstich is a self-couching technique - that is, the thread laid down is the same as the thread used for couching. Klosterstich is worked with vertical laid stitches. They are set from top to bottom and couched from bottom to top. In Klosterstich the couching stitches are practically invisible, separating it from similar techniques such as bokhara stitch, where the couching stitches make patterns atop the base embroidery. Roumanian stitch is also similar, but is worked horizontally rather than vertically.German Brick StitchGerman brick stitch is a counted-stitch embroidery technique using a variation of brick stitch somewhat reminiscent of bargello. Where brick stitch only uses stitches of the same length, medieval German brick stitch will sometimes use up to three different lengths to make the pattern. It was popular in the 14th and 15th centuriesBrick stitch often uses colourful geometric patterns in counted stitch. Photo credit: Catrijn on Visual hunt / CC BY-NC-NDThe most common form is a recurring geometric pattern covering an entire surface. It was mostly used for purse s, cushions, and hangings for furniture, but wall hangings in German brick stitch have survived, including some that show figurative scenes. You can find some patterns based on originals here.Kloster? Bayeux? Learn how to sew these and other easy embroidery stitches...Embroidery History In Gold and WhiteThe following two techniques were used mostly for religious pieces and have yielded some of the most beautiful examples of medieval embroidery.Opus Teutonicum or German whiteworkDuring the period of Lent just before Easter, the usual, richly-decorated altar cloths and hangings were packed away and replaced by white ones. But just because they were white didn’t mean they weren’t decorated: starting from the 12th century, whitework altar cloths have survived using a variety of stitches including stem stitch, chain stitch, long-armed cross-stitch, buttonhole stitch, brick stitch and a variety of openwork techniques. In harmony with the theme of Lent, they depicted the death and resu rrection of Christ.Opus AnglicanumThe Middle Ages brought for several goldwork techniques, including or nué (a couching technique with amazingly subtle shading) used from the 15th century onwards. But the most common was the so-called Opus Anglicanum. The term was coined in the 13th century for a technique that existed long before - the same we have already seen for the 8th/9th century Maaseik embroideries. English embroiderers were famous for their ecclesiastical vestments in gold and silk, so that anything in that technique was called “English work”. In a secular context, small bags and pouches showing lovers or scenes from medieval novels have also survived in Opus Anglicanum.Opus anglicanum was used for religious garments such as this cope. English goldwork was famous throughout Europe. 27.162.1Metropolitan museum of Art / CC0 1.0The coloured part of the embroidery is done in split stitch, with the gold couched in place.Learn more about embroidery by joining a sewing class near you. Even in Scotland, you can find sewing classes Glasgow or Edinburgh.Tudor Embroidery FlowersThe Tudor Period is a Golden Age of embroidery for any historian - an amazing amount of pieces have survived, including some in Elizabeth’s own hand.This cover for a book of poem was embroidered by Queen Elizabeth I herself when she was a girl. English Embroidered Bookbindings by Cyril James Humphries Davenport, F. S. A,. edited by Alfred Pollard, London, 1899BlackworkThough black embroidery was known in England before that, the introduction of blackwork to the English court is credited to Catherine of Aragon who supposedly brought it over from her native Spain when she married King Henry VIII in 1509. In the Tudor period, it was a common decoration for shirt cuffs, smocks and bonnets. It is a form of counted-thread embroidery  generally done in black, very often in Holbein stitch. Though it could be done in other colours as well, it was almost always monochrome. Diaper patterns we re used for filling.A painting of Elizabeth I showing blackwork embroidery on the sleeves and bodice. By Unknown - Scanned from Thomasina Beck, The Embroiderer's Flowers, Devon, England: David Charles, 1992, ISBN 0715399012, Public Domain,Floral motifsElizabethan embroidery otherwise used a number of stitches, of which some of the most common were tent stitch, gobelin stitch, running stitch, detached buttonhole and chain stitch. Intricate floral designs were the most common; and stumpwork became popular at that period.Learn what supplies you need in your kit to start simple embroidery projects!The 19th Century of Embroidery to the PresentWhat student of 19th-century literature doesn’t remember poor Fanny Price undoing stitches in Lady Thomas’s tapestry-work to do them again correctly? The embroidering lady is an enduring image of the 19th century, and indeed, many of the embroidering techniques popular today were used at that time. Various articles of daily life were embroidere d, from fireplace screens to footstools to doilies and “tidies”, to little bags and huswifs (needle rolls). As over the course of the 20th century machine embroidery became easier and embroidery was no longer the fashionable embellishment of choice for clothing, it became purely a hobby while at the same time ascending to an art form, with embroidered images being created solely for the joy of owning them.Ready to start sewing? Find sewing classes near me  or online sewing classes.

Listening Exercise David Bowie, Well Miss You

Listening Exercise David Bowie, Well Miss You David Bowie is perhaps one of the most influential pop/rock stars of our time. He had a very interesting life full of devastation, talent, and addiction. He pushed music, pop, and performance to  a new level. In remembrance of him, weve created an extensive listening exercise. We hope youll enjoy listening to it as much as we did!Watch the videos below,then answer the listening questions in comments and well reply.What was unusual about his parents?What kind of child was Bowie?Who was the most important person in his life?What happened to his eye?How did he say his eye help him?How many bands did David Bowie have?Why did he change his name?What devastated David in his personal life?His father wasnt very supportive of Davids music career.  True/False?David didnt like acting. True/False?How did he start his life as a rockstar?What did musicians and fans have in common?David felt like he was a natural performer. True/False?Audiences loved The Hype. True/False?What very conventional deci sion did he make?There are several more videos in this series about Bowies life. Also, the  Canadian astronaut below, Chris Hadfield spent five months in space â€" a time in which he gained international fame for his extensive use of social media while floating above Earth. But one of his most impressive accomplishments was his cover of David Bowies Space Oddity â€" not only the first musical recording in space, but a cover Bowie called possibly the most poignant version of the song ever created.Lock your Soyuz  hatch and ____ your helmet __.This is ground control to Major Tom, youve really _____ the ____.What does the above phrasal verb mean?I hope you enjoyed our lesson about David Bowie. He will be missed!  LOI has several lessons about important musicians. If you want to study  English while learning about great  musicians, try taking some of our classes.

Passive Voice Can be Mastered in 30 Minutes or Less!

Passive Voice Can be Mastered in 30 Minutes or Less! Do you often struggle with the English passive voice and need to be reminded when and how it is used?  Take 30 minutes out of your busy day to practice, and afterwards, youll feel like a master.  Lets get started! English Passive Voice Lesson!English Passive Voice VideoFirst, take a look at  this short grammar video  with review questions about the basics of passive voice.  Or, if youre too excited and just want to  begin, we can review the important facts here:WHEN  is the passive voice used?we dont know who or what does the actionthe action is most importantHOW  is the passive voice used?form of to be (OR to get-this is common  in American English) + past participleLets review the verbs be and get in  each tense, then you say  a sentence of your own after reading the example:English Passive Voice TensesPresent: is/am/are washed - get/gets washedexample: The dishes are washed by the dishwasher.Past: was/were robbed  - got  robbedexample: The shop got robbed the other night.Presen t continuous: is/am/are being made  - is/am/are getting  madeexample: The jewelry is being made for Mothers Day.Future: is going to/will be built  - is going to/will  get  builtexample: The apartment will be built next year.Present perfect: has/have been discovered  - has/have gotten  discoveredexample: The cure for cancer has not been discovered.Modals: should be prohibited  - should get  prohibitedexample: I think smoking in this restaurant should be prohibited.You  now know how and when passive voice is used.  This understanding can be strengthened by listening to examples of passive voice here:and here:  Youre almost there.  Its important to  review some irregular past participles that are different from their past simple form:English Past Participlesbite - bitten                see - seenblow - blown              show - shownbreak - broken                sing - sungeat - eaten              speak - spokengive - given                take - tak enknow - known              tear - tornovercome - overcome                wake - wokenride - ridden                  wear - wornrun - run              write - writtenOk, now its time to put it all together!  Change  the following sentences from active voice to passive voice.  Write your answers in the comment section.English Passive Voice ExerciseExample:  ActiveThe emotions overcame her.  Passive: She was overcome with emotions.The choir is singing songs.The nail has torn his  shirt.The fans  will see  Beyonce tonight.The police found the thief.Many students are taking that test this year.Teachers gave the award to the most creative person.A dog might bite him if he gets too close.He dresses himself every day.The owners will show the remodeled house this Saturday.His mom wakes him up every day.Great work!  Dont worry, if youre still not feeling like a master, remember to keep practicing, and take a class with LOI to perfect your skills!  Finally, h ere are 3  things  that should be kept in mind  about passive voice:Politicians often use the passive voice to intentionally obscure the idea of who did the action.  (Mistakes were made.)We often hear and see the passive voice in crime reports and scientific journals.If youre not sure if you have the passive voice, try ending the sentence with by aliens.The aliens attacked the town (by aliens).The town was attacked (by aliens).

How to know when its time to move onto a new teaching job

How to know when it’s time to move onto a new teaching job Before you considered teaching overseas, you had very specific reasons for deciding. But as with any job, as you gain experience, your priorities and career objectives change, and you might now be considering whether or not you should renew your teaching contract for another year or move on to a new challenge. But how do you know when it’s really time to move on? There are some tell-tale signs that taking on a new teaching job elsewhere - perhaps in a new country - might be the right decision for you. You’re keen for new teaching experiences Do you feel like you know your job like the back of your hand and want to challenge yourself further? Stuck in the same daily routines? Have you stayed at the same career level for several years now? You might be ready for a change. Take a long look at how a job change will enhance your job experience. The key word here though is experience - you shouldn’t only consider a job change because of salary. More money can be encouraging for a short time, but if you aren’t working in a city that you like or you settle for a new job that doesn’t challenge or excite you, you won’t be happy for long. Remember, learning opportunities can often be just as valuable as salary in the long run Your interests have changed Maybe you were a recently licensed teacher when you started out and was looking for something close to home. Maybe you’ve already taken the plunge and wanted to try teaching overseas and now you’re keen to immerse yourself in a different culture. Maybe you set some foreign language goals for yourself. Or maybe you’ve just always wanted to live in South East Asia. It’s normal for your priorities to have changed over the years. Maybe you’ve just completed your year-long contract and now you have a newfound sense of wanderlust. Whatever the case, if you find yourself daydreaming about new teaching abroad experiences, it might be time to look elsewhere. The great thing about signing a shorter contract is that you always have more flexibility: when your year is up, the world is your oyster! You find your work-life balance is shifting Teaching is hard work. But if you find that you’re burning out, beginning to have less ‘me’ time, and you’re perhaps not receiving the recognition and support you deserve, it might be worth considering moving on. Having personal time to yourself that allows you to unwind, reconnect with family, or get out and have fun are absolutely critical, wherever you are. One thing worth doing is having a conversation with your employer before you decide not to renew your contract. If you like the city you’re living in and enjoy your co-workers but don’t feel challenged enough, mention it! Many employers will take your feedback to heart and might even work with you to adjust your role if they can. Otherwise, you’ll know that you’ve explored every avenue to improve your current job situation and now it’s just time to move on. Whatever you decide, remember that making changes to your career is a way of initiating progress. Here’s to new adventures!

Pranav, age 13; Haruyo Tanaka, Instructor

Pranav, age 13; Haruyo Tanaka, Instructor Pranav, age 13; Haruyo Tanaka, Instructor When Kumon Instructor Haruyo Tanaka first met a then four year old Pranav, she had no idea that by age nine he would become one of the youngest people in the world to pass the Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist exam or that he’d be taking calculus at Moorpark College by age 11. With nearly eight years of Kumon study under his belt, Pranav is just getting started. With a strong student-parent-instructor relationship at Kumon in place, Pranav has completed the Kumon Math curriculum and is working on completing the Kumon Reading Program. When he’s not honing his tech skills or tackling college level coursework, Pranav likes to unwind by cultivating his family garden and playing Pokeman video games with his sister. Pranav is anxious to complete college and has set his sights on beginning graduate school by age 18.  Drawn to the sciences and fascinated by the wonders of the universe, Pranav wants to be on the cutting edge of scientific discoveries. “In science there’s many things yet to discover and many unknowns. I want to make a scientific discovery so it can help the progress of science,” says Pranav. It is an understatement to describe Pranav as a determined young man. His drive and tenacity to be at his best is an inspiration to youngsters and adults alike.  Click here to meet Pranav as he talks about his Kumon experience. You might also be interested in: Discovering True Potential: An Early Learner’s Journey through Kumon Angel, age 10: Alison Mori, Kumon Instructor Shreya, Age 9; Jenny Valdecanas, Instructor Hansuja, age 7: Dee Mahtani, Kumon Instructor Pranav, age 13; Haruyo Tanaka, Instructor Pranav, age 13; Haruyo Tanaka, Instructor When Kumon Instructor Haruyo Tanaka first met a then four year old Pranav, she had no idea that by age nine he would become one of the youngest people in the world to pass the Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist exam or that he’d be taking calculus at Moorpark College by age 11. With nearly eight years of Kumon study under his belt, Pranav is just getting started. With a strong student-parent-instructor relationship at Kumon in place, Pranav has completed the Kumon Math curriculum and is working on completing the Kumon Reading Program. When he’s not honing his tech skills or tackling college level coursework, Pranav likes to unwind by cultivating his family garden and playing Pokeman video games with his sister. Pranav is anxious to complete college and has set his sights on beginning graduate school by age 18.  Drawn to the sciences and fascinated by the wonders of the universe, Pranav wants to be on the cutting edge of scientific discoveries. “In science there’s many things yet to discover and many unknowns. I want to make a scientific discovery so it can help the progress of science,” says Pranav. It is an understatement to describe Pranav as a determined young man. His drive and tenacity to be at his best is an inspiration to youngsters and adults alike.  Click here to meet Pranav as he talks about his Kumon experience. You might also be interested in: Discovering True Potential: An Early Learner’s Journey through Kumon Angel, age 10: Alison Mori, Kumon Instructor Shreya, Age 9; Jenny Valdecanas, Instructor Hansuja, age 7: Dee Mahtani, Kumon Instructor

Tips From an Irvine Tutor Ace Your Finals the First Year of College

Tips From an Irvine Tutor Ace Your Finals the First Year of College 4 Tips From an Irvine Tutor to Ace Your Finals the First Year of College Finals week is just around the corner and it can be a very stressful time for any student, especially if its their very first year in the college environment. College finals are different than those given in high school and students will need to avoid distraction while they focus on one of the most important weeks of the school year. Freshman might be studying as part of a group or they might be preparing solo, they may be writing final papers or studying for multiple choice exams, regardless of the specifics there are some universal tips and tricks that can help college students ace their finals while still maintaining their sanity our private Irvine tutors will help you prepare for your college finals. 1. Peace and quiet While students prepare for finals week they need to have peace and quiet in order to concentrate on the task at hand. They should find a quiet place to study so they are not disrupted but they also need to shut out any unnecessary tasks during this time. This means social gatherings can wait, social media should be avoided, and students should aim to keep the week as stress-free as possible. Once students have completed their final papers and exams, they can go back to their normal schedule but they need to focus on getting good grades right now because college level finals can be worth up to 25% of the overall class grade. 2. Effective study habits College students need to handle their study time efficiently and prioritize whats most important. The first thing students need to do is read their syllabus and any pertinent communication from their professor or teaching assistant to find out what will actually be on the final exam. If the syllabus explicitly states that the final exam will only cover the second half of the semester, then students dont need to be focusing on things they learned the first couple weeks of the term. Its essential for students to make an outline ahead of time so they know everything they need to study and how long its likely to take them to finish. Students who are organized have a much better chance of getting a high grade on any final exam. Our in-home Irvine tutors will help you develop your effective study habits. 3. Time management College-level exams are much harder than those completed during the high school years. Eventually, students learn how long it takes them to study for a particular course but college freshmen wont yet have this luxury. First-year students are encouraged to double the amount of time they studied in high school in order to successfully cover all the material necessary to ace a college-level final. Students who have been struggling in a particular class may want to leave even more time. Students who dont yet know how to structure their time during finals week should call their one-on-one tutor and set up some time so they can get organized and focus on important material (READ: Irvine Tutoring Tips: 4 Finals Week Pitfalls to Avoid). 4. Balance Many college students get used to cramming, meaning they avoid studying until a day or two before the exam and then try to complete everything in one session. This almost always results in a subpar paper or a mind that is overly fatigued and ill prepared to take an important test. Rather, students should strive to find a level of balance were they can focus on material for a couple of hours at a time and still get enough sleep, exercise, and healthy meals even during finals week. That might mean beginning study sessions two or three weeks before finals but its definitely worth it to have a rested brain that can ace any exam. Stressed about finals? TutorNerds is here to help. Call us today to book your experienced Irvine tutor. Click here to learn more about our private Orange County tutoring. Members of the TutorNerds team and our private tutors write every blog post. If you have any questions about our blog, please email us at pr@tutornerds.com.