Why You Should Choose a Stainless Steel Chemistry Mug

Why You Should Choose a Stainless Steel Chemistry MugIf you are looking for a chemistry mug then you will want to make sure that you are getting one of the ones that are made of stainless steel. This is because stainless steel has the strongest of all metals and is very tough. In addition, stainless steel has the ability to repel all sorts of things.There are several reasons why you should get a stainless steel chemistry mug. One of the most important reasons is that you do not have to worry about using harmful chemicals when you are taking a mug of coffee. This type of mug is more than just a mug, it is a work of art.Coffee lovers enjoy the refreshing and cool drink with a cold cup of coffee. If you like to keep your mug in the kitchen or a desk, this mug is perfect for keeping your coffee hot. You will be able to maintain a constant temperature by just placing the mug in a pan of water.Another reason that you should consider getting a stainless steel mug is that you will be able to create several different mugs for different purposes. When you want to use the mug to serve yourself, it will be very nice to have it as a set of mugs. There are also mugs that you can buy if you do not want to have a mug for yourself.These would include a mug that can hold your tea, soda, or whatever you like to have with you in the morning. If you do not want to spend the money on this mug, there are other types of mugs that you can choose from. For example, you can buy a chemistry mug that can also hold your milk or wine.A chemistry mug is perfect for you if you have dual purpose needs. It does not matter if you need a mug for yourself or if you are going to be serving someone else something. Whatever your reason for buying a chemistry mug, you will find one that you will love.The best part about owning a chemistry mug is that it is one of the nicest things that you can put on your desk. This means that you are able to have a spot that is clean and that will keep your work space well maintained. Make sure that you consider the stainless steel when you are choosing a chemistry mug.

How the Violin is Played in Asia

How the Violin is Played in Asia Asian Violin Practices ChaptersString Instruments in AsiaThe Violin Around AsiaEstablishments for Learning the ViolinThe Greatest Asian Violinists“We are well aware that the future of classical music is in Asia” - Didier Schnorhk, President of the World Federation of International Music Competitions.Playing the violin (or fiddle) is wildly popular in Asia. Asians represent 47% of entrants and 35% of winners in violin competitions such as the Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists.Of course, the violin and other string instruments like the cello and viola aren’t thought of in exactly the same way across the whole continent. In this article, we're going to have a   look at the ancient practices, how the violin differs from region to region, and how people learn to play the violin in Asia. TomViolin Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors StacyViolin Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValtieViolin Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover al l our tutors BenedictViolin Teacher 5.00 (8) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TaisiiaViolin Teacher 5.00 (1) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AmyViolin Teacher 5.00 (1) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LuísViolin Teacher 5.00 (6) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MomokoViolin Teacher £45/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsString Instruments in AsiaThe violin follows a long tradition of string instruments in Asia. While the violin first appeared in Cremona, Italy, in the 15th century, there was already a long history of bowed stringed instruments by other names on the Asian continent.Asia has its own instruments and culture, too. (Source: NeuPaddy)In a lot of countries, there are instruments similar to the violin being played:In China, the erhu is common. It has an open sound box which is often covered with snakeskin. The soundboard is a wooden plank and the strings are made of hairs which are vibrated with a bow.In India, they play the vînâ, a musical instrument that’s very common in traditional Indian music.In the Middle East, the vielle is commonly played, though it's slightly different in each country.In Japan, they play the kokyu is popular. This is like a vielle and a blend of a traditional Western violin and the Chinese erhu and is Japan’s only bowed instrument.It should be noted there have been many a disagreement between luthiers. While Europeans traditionally made the best luthiers, with big names such as Antonio Stradivari and the Guarneri and Amati families, there’s a lot of competition coming from China. Pinggu, a city near Beijing, is home to many luthiers selling violins sold outside of the country. 70% of Geng Guosheng’s sales are to countries other than China.Stradivarius isn’t the only brand of violin you should be thinking about. It's all down to what a musician prefers, after all. Additionally, if you can't play the violin, any violin will sound terrible.An Asian soloi st won’t have the same training and understanding of music as a European soloist. For example, an Asian violinist may not have grown up listening to Paganini, Bach, Mozart, etc. so their musical reference points and their teachers won’t be the same. The same is true for the sound. The violin is different all over Asia.The Violin Around AsiaAsia includes many different countries: 47 in total and the majority of Russia. This means you can’t generalise when talking about the violin.Each country in Asia has its own way of playing the violin. (Source: Free-Photos)The Violin in Southeast AsiaThere are musical influences from the following countries:IndonesiaMalaysiaThe PhilippinesSince these countries were colonised by European empires, you see the violin pop up again and again. The inhabitants of these countries are more familiar with the biola, a local variation of the violin brought by the Portuguese and the Spanish, than chamber music and symphonic orchestras.The Violin in the M iddle-EastThe violin is quite famous in the region where the violin is a part of most countries’ traditional music. We’re talking mainly about the following countries:IranIraqTurkeyIsraelJust like in North Africa, you can find Gyspy music influences. The violin, as well as the kamancheh, djoza, kemençe, and the folk violle, is played on your legs or knees without a shoulder rest or chinrest.The violin is very common in classic Turkish music as well as contemporary popular music. The violin is regularly practised and is taught in music schools just like it is in Europe and it's quite easy to see a symphony orchestra or hear a violin concerto.Passion for the Violin in China, Korea, and JapanWhile the Chinese empire seems to have used traditional bowed instruments from as early as the 8th century, Japan and Korea would take longer to adopt them. This grew from competing musically with Europe and other continents.Learning the violin and modern music training requires discipline and work, two things that are considered very important in this part of the world. As Didier Schnorhk said in South Korea, “There has been a willingness to invest in general education and culture, in particular. Incredible music schools have opened, they’ve welcomed the best teachers from abroad, and created structures which help spread culture.”These plans seem to have had a positive effect.So where can you learn to play the violin in Asia? Where can students become famous violinists?Establishments for Learning the ViolinIn order to learn the violin, you need exceptional training, music theory lessons, and a lot of practice. The main places to get all this are conservatoires and universities.Students go there to learn how to become violinists and will get training on different types of violins and can train regularly with string quartets and orchestras.A lot of Asians come to Europe to learn more about the violin. (Source: 4997826)The best way in Asia to become a violinist is to attend higher education establishments such as conservatoires, specialised music schools, and universities. You’ll be able to improve your playing abroad as well as get the opportunity to enter international competitions if you’re good enough.The most reputable establishments across Asia for learning to play the violin are:The Korean National School of Music in South KoreaThe Delhi School of Music in IndiaThe Khoshnahad Peiman Conservatoire in IranThe Bechmann-Mehta School of Music in IsraelThe Aichi Music School in JapanThe Kuala Lumpur International College of Music in MalaysiaThe Taiwan Normal University College of Music in TaiwanThe Istanbul Mimar Sinan Conservatoire in TurkeyThe Conservatoire of Hanoi in VietnamDid you know that 23% of violinists trained in Europe are of Asian origin?Each year, Asian violinists attend European institutions in order to complete their violin training. This allows them to get a similar musical training to the greats like Beethoven, Brahms, St ravinsky, and Profokiev.The Greatest Asian ViolinistsNot all violinists are created equal. Playing in a philharmonic orchestra or a national orchestra will definitely increase your chances of being one of the greats. That said, there’s still a huge number of Asian violinists winning international violin competitions.There are tonnes of famous Asian violinists. (Source: 6335159)Looking for a good performer?Here are some of the greatest Asian violinists:Ray Chen. A violinist from Taiwan has perfectly mastered modern violin techniques.Kyung Wha Chung. A famous violinist from South Korea.Vanessa-Mae. A classical Chinese-Thai violinist who became famous from a young age.Nedim Nalbantoglu. A violin prodigy from Turkey.Lakshminarayana Subramaniam. An Indian advocate of multicultural violin playing.Kayhan Kalhor. The Iranian king of the violin.How long does it take to become a great violinist?The average age of violinists, not including child prodigies, is 33. Of course, that doesn't mean that you can't learn to play the violin if you're over this age.When we consider conductors, too, there’s also:Jing Huan. A young woman from Beijing.Myung-Whun Chung. A holder of the prestigious Kumkuan award whose both a pianist and violinist.Despite the historical, social, and cultural differences, violin playing in Asia shares a lot of similarities with Europe. Additionally, the traditions of both continents are available to everyone.After all, music is international, isn’t it?Would you like to learn how to play the violin, become a violin virtuoso or composer, and see these great violinists live?If you can't make it all the way to Asia, don't forget there are private tutors available in the UK such as the tutors on Superprof. Since you're a tutor's only student (in that class), they can tailor all the lesson to you.Additionally, a large portion of the tutors on Superprof offer the first hour of tuition for free. This is a great opportunity to talk to them about how they tea ch, what they can teach you, and just to see if you get along. Whether you want to learn the violin for fun, get into a prestigious music school (in Asia or elsewhere), or become a professional violinist, you can find a tutor to help you work towards your goals.For those who live rurally or have a work schedule that doesn't allow them to get regular violin lessons, there are always online private tutorials via webcam. These are often cheaper than face-to-face tutorials as the tutor doesn't have to cover the cost of travelling in their rates.Violin is played creatively around the world, read more regarding how the violin is played in Africa or how violinists  play in America  and the influence of the violin in Europe.

A Dag in A Waka A Travel English Guide for New Zealand

A Dag in A Waka A Travel English Guide for New Zealand New Zealand is famous for its extreme sports, indigenous people called maori and All Blacks rugby team with their pre-game war dance called the haka. However, New Zealand is also known for its particular way of speaking English which has influences from nearby Australia, Britain (its former colonizer) and also local Maori vocabulary.Don’t feel overwhelmed. These different elements make the English spoken in New Zealand a just a little different rather than complicated.Here is a short travel English vocabulary guide to help you out:Food and drinkBreakfast might be referred to as brekkie.A cooler to keep food cold is called a chilly bin.A gathering with friends or family with food might be called a bun fight.A soft drink is called fizzy.A sandwich is called a sarnie.If you are invited to a social event where you have to bring your own food, you will be told to bring your own plate.ClothesA sweater is called a jersey.Beach sandals or flip-flops are called jandals.A raincoat is called an oilskin.A swimsuit is called togs.SocialA friendly conversation between friends is called a yack.A person who is slightly weird or eccentric or a comedian might be called a dag.If someone is happy, they are said to be chuffed.If someone is tired they are fagged out.If someone wants you to leave them alone, they might say naff off!If you are lying you are said to be spinning.RandomYou will hear native New Zealanders referred to as kiwis (after an indigenous bird of the same name).People from New Zealand’s south island are called mainlanders.If something is great it is said to be a beaut (i.e. short for beauty). It might also be said to be flash.If life is going well, everything is said to be hunky dory.You might hear a convenience store called a dairy.A child is referred to as a sprog.Somebody who thinks they’re great and loves to show off is called a skiter.Portable telephones are called cellphones.A holiday home (generally a small one) is called a crib.To steal is called to flog.An apartment is called a flat.To vomit is said to chunder.A university student could be called a scarfie.Any kind of vehicle might be called a waka.A we learn vocabulary for New Zealand, let’s listen to two of New Zealand’s most famous musical exports, The Finn Brothers (from the band Crowded House) with their solo project Won’t Give In.Did you find this lesson helpful? Feel free to share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.

Follow 3 Principles To Improve Your GMAT Score

Follow 3 Principles To Improve Your GMAT Score GMAT MBA Admissions Blog Improving your academic performance, and really any type of performance (i.e., athletic, musical, professional, personal â€" you name it), is a function of following three important principles: Fuel your mind and body habitually Employ strategies methodically Practice the right skills deliberately My belief in these rules is based on my personal academic and professional experiences, my observations and discussions with MyGuru’s students and GMAT tutors, and from methodical research and review of books, articles, presentations, and podcasts on topics related to each of the rules. First, let’s introduce the rules in general (this post), and then discuss how to apply them specifically to improving your GMAT score (our next post). We’ll try to keep things short and simple in these blog posts, while fully covering the main ideas. Rule # 1: Fuel your mind and body habitually Adopt a “growth” mindset There is tons of research that shows your mindset can have a huge impact on how you perform in school, in sports, in music and the arts, and in anything else. People tend towards, in various aspects of their lives, two mindsets: fixed or growth. With a fixed mindset, you believe intellect, abilities, talents, and skills are very much “given” at birth. You have it, or you don’t. Mistakes are seen as evidence that you “don’t have it.” You can read more about how mindset influences success atmindsetonline.com. As a result, you avoid activities that you aren’t good at, and in which you are likely to make mistakes or perform poorly. For example, you may think you aren’t very good at standardized tests, and as a result you might be dreading the GMAT. With a growth mindset, you believe that ability, talent, skill, and intellect are things you can improve over time with practice, feedback, and guidance. Mistakes are viewed as opportunities to improve and learn, and you embrace the struggle. As a result, you tend to learn more, improve faster, and build skills in new areas. Believe in the link between nutrition, exercise, sleep, and performance All else equal, the person who eats better, exercises more, and gets more and better rest, will: Have higher cognitive function Perform better in athletics Get along better with others There are lots of studies and research on these topics, but they often seem so obvious that they are assuming to be minor or important. But, they really aren’t minor. For more information onhow cognitive function can be positively impacted by exercise, proper nutrition, and sleep, visit mindfull.spc.org. Adopting the growth mindset and improving your nutrition, exercise, and sleep are changes best made by building new habits slowly over time, to ensure they stick. Rule # 2: Employ a strategy methodically In one of the most popular blog articles of all time on Harvard Business Review’s web-site, Heidi Grant Halvorson, a PhD from the Columbia Business School, wrote about the nine things that successful people do differently. In that article, she writes that “decades of research on achievement suggests that successful people reach their goals not simply because of who they are, but more often because of what they do.” But, in an accompanying podcast episode where she talks about this blog post, she describes this a little differently. Instead, she says, quite simply, successful people use strategies to reach their goals. Indeed, in my former life as a business strategy consultant we often defined strategy as a clear explanation or description of what you will and will not do to achieve a goal of increasing the market value of a company. When developing business strategy, that meant making decisions about products and services to offer (or not), capabilities to build (or not), assets to buy (or not), etc. The outcome was a prioritized list of decisions and actions covering where and how the company was going to complete in the marketplace. The process of developing a strategy tends to involve: Setting a goal Gathering all of the information required to understand how to meet that goal Prioritizing a list of issues that will have the greatest impact on your ability to meet your goal Developing alternative courses of action (i.e., different paths you could take) Evaluating those alternatives using whatever criteria are relevant Choose the best alternative (or designing one that integrates the best of several) Developing a detailed plan of action to execute that alternative Rule # 3: Build the right skills deliberately As was mentioned in rule #1 and #2, contrary to popular belief, success comes from doing specific things differently, not from being intrinsically smarter or more talented. It turns out that even in highly intellectual fields, like mathematics, people viewed as geniuses have, in fact, spent hundreds or thousands more hours than anyone else in their field practicing their craft with an intense, focused, and mistake-embracing way. They have built their skills methodically and deliberately over time. In fact, Einstein once said, “it’s not that I’m so smart, I just stay with the problems longer.” To be clear, simply working hard or working for a long time is actually not enough. The research shows that skills are built by practicing in what is called a “deliberate” fashion, where you break skills down into component parts, practice with intense focus, get feedback, and learn immediately from mistakes to build good habits. This is the way to build skill in all areas of life: mathematics, reading comprehension, music, basketball, etc. More on deliberate practice and how it builds skills can be found on the Talent Code Blog. In in our next post, we’ll apply these three rules to improving your GMAT score specifically. Also, please visit our GMAT tutoring page to learn more about how MyGuru can help you achieve your best score possible.

5 Ways to Retain Information for Final Exams

5 Ways to Retain Information for Final Exams 5 Ways to Retain Information for Final Exams Students at any grade level and studying any subject will have a textbook with hundreds of pages of pertinent information. Those pages will also contain things that are not covered on final exams but can easily distract students from the core elements or events they need to study. With all of this information to sift through its easy for students to become overwhelmed and give up. However, there are some excellent ways for students to recall whats important in their textbook, so they know what to focus on for those all-important finals. In many cases the teacher will have provided a study guide but, even if they didnt, the textbook would let students know whats important. 1. Bold and highlighted terms Any term or phrase that is in bold or highlighted is important. Students who are still learning how to discern important information can simply use the highlighted elements of the textbook. This can be especially helpful for students in younger grades who are still learning how to figure out which information is important and which information is not. Additionally, if students are studying for a cumulative exam, they may become immediately overwhelmed at the thought of reviewing 300+ pages. However, if students are only focusing on the essential items, those 300 pages will probably be more like 50 to 75 pages total (READ: 5 Tips to Avoid Burnout During Finals Week). 2. The glossary Nearly every textbook has a glossary. Most students dont use the glossary or dont even know that it exists. However, its one of the most crucial elements when it comes to recalling information within the textbook. It can be very frustrating for students to flip through page after page looking for the definition to a term from earlier in the semester. Students dont need to do this. Rather, they can simply refer to the glossary for every vocabulary word that was listed within the book. For the most part, the glossary will include every bold term throughout the textbook. 3. Charts, graphs, and timelines Students should also pay special attention to any graphs, charts, or timelines presented within the textbook. These things are shown in a visual element to emphasize that they are extra important. Additionally, students who respond well to visual study will be able to get a better grasp on these items. If students are looking at a timeline, for example, they will be able to tell when different events happened and how they correlate. Most students tend to skip over these items, but they are some of the most helpful elements when it comes to remembering important topics in a textbook (READ: 4 tips to study for a reading final). 4. The teachers study guide If a teacher has provided a study guide, students should use this as their primary organizational tool. In many cases, the teacher will choose not to have a cumulative exam but rather focus on more recent chapters or pick chapters they feel are most important to test student’s knowledge of. For instance, students might be tested on chapters 6 to 7, 10 to 12, and 18 through 21. If this is the case, students wouldnt want to waste time reviewing chapter 8 and 9. Students should always review the teacher’s study guide before starting their textbook review. 5. Determining key information from unnecessary information One of the most difficult study skills to pick up, regardless of the subject, is to determine which information is not important and which information is crucial. Although students can use the teacher’s study guide and look at the highlighted term already provided by the textbook company, they will eventually need to develop this skill independently. First, students should pay attention to names and dates in history, for instance. Important figures are mentioned by name, and important events include a specific date. Students can also look at how detailed the information is. If the textbook’s authors simply want to give a general idea or background of a topic, they will probably only discuss it for one or two paragraphs. Alternatively, something described in great detail in eight sections will probably be important information. With summer around the corner, make sure you book your Irvine private summer tutor from TutorNerds today. From SAT/ACT prep to foreign languages, weve got you covered. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

El Dragón International School

El Dragón International School El Dragón International School El Dragón is a democratic, organic and international private school. This is our last year in the process of accreditation for becoming a NEASC school and we are a Cambridge School. We are located in Torrelodones, Madrid, 30 by train from downtown Madrid, Spain. El Dragon respects the two main principles of democratic school: free distribution of time and democratic school management. As in any democratic school, in the Dragon, implicit learning is the most important in all learning processes. This means that El Dragon Classrooms extend beyond their doors. El Dragons classrooms are spread all over the world: students are not limited to the four walls of a classroom but spend a large part of their day in different places in which they are learning through their experience, this isimplicit learning. When kids face everyday situations and problems, they learn to be independent and they become capable of solving problems on their own without having to ask for an adult help. In El Dragon, students, unlike traditional educational systems, stop being just receivers of information and they achieve an active role. In the Dragon we form individuals capable of transforming reality, make decisions and carry out their own initiatives and vital objectives ethically and respect different life choices and ideologies. The social model is built on four basic pillars: Mentoring Judicial Committee Parliament Community work The Dragon International School is considered anorganic schoolfor several reasons: 1) Evolves and grows Our mision and goals are very clear but the rules are not rigid or inflexible. This schools projectevolves and growsas needs and interests arise in different moments. 2) Own vision All members of our community (students, families, teachers, non-teaching staff, etc.) can change the school byproviding their own vision. As long as this vision respects the basic principles of our democratic system. 3) Flexible Just as we let the school structure grow in aflexible wayand approaching the needs and interests of all those who are part of it, we let our students choose how to develop, not invading their own interests and needs, but adapting to them. 4) Respet Werespect all educational ecosystems. 5) Fair and ecological trade All the materials we buy for our school come as far as possible from companies located in countries where human rights are respected and follow basic standards offair and ecological trade. 6) Ethical code We try to work with local suppliers that share ourethical code, where human rights and the environment are respected for a better world. 7) Good working conditions At Dragón International School we are positive that organizations made of happy people carry out projects that make other people happy. This is why we offergood working conditionsand a friendly and relaxed atmosphere where the professionals who work with us can fully develop, just as our students do. 8) Family involved We promote shared leisure time between children and families. To us, kids and adults can develop their skills to a 100 percent if they have space in their respective worlds. We organizemulti-age workshops and activitieson weekdays or weekends. 9) Free time We do not see the need of sending children home with tons of homework that makes parents and kids loose so much time. Also because of our food: The kids Teachers are offered by our Chef 100% Organic Food and we choose those products which have beenproduced closer to us. Nutrition is very important for us: Organic food respects childrens development rythm, growth andself-regulation. Fats, sugar and artificial flavor enhancers are avoided. Different types of menus can be demanded: Omnivore Vegetarian Vegan Gluten free Lactose free And any other special menu In Dragón International School, we lucky to have our chefHector Melo. He has recently been named ambassador ofJamie OliviersFood Revolution. All this information is in our website. If you are willing to know more about us you can check it.

Teacher talks Teaching ESL to kids vs. adults

Teacher talks Teaching ESL to kids vs. adults Dave Stewart is a former ESL teacher who currently works as a Placement Coordinator for the Explore Program in China. He has oodles of teaching experience and has spent three and a half years in South Korea teaching children, followed by a year teaching adults in China. He’s in a unique position to discuss the pros and cons of teaching adults versus children, as well as to give a little insight into the differences between teaching English in China and South Korea. In this two-part blog series, we talk about everything from cultural differences to classroom management techniques. There’s a wealth of information in there about teaching in China with loads of ideas about how to manage the differences between teaching adults and kids. Why did you switch from teaching kids to adults? I’d moved home at the time and was struggling to find a job teaching ESL in Vancouver. I had a CELTA certificate, so I ticked most of the boxes, but most of the positions here required someone who could teach adults. I found that employers were concerned that most of my experience was with kids in Korea. It wasn’t really the right sort of experience for the ESL roles that were available in Canada. I tried a few part-time positions but found it hard to make the transition. It became quite clear that there were some big differences between teaching adults and kids. Like many teachers, I realized one of the best ways to get enough teaching experience with adults was to find a country where I could teach adults for a solid year. Moving to China, gave me the chance to improve my adult-teaching skills and figure out ways to translate my experience teaching kids to build adult-friendly lessons. Sign up to Teach Away today for access to the latest teaching jobs around the world. Can you outline some of the differences between teaching adults and kids? Some of the differences between teaching ESL to adults and children are pretty obvious, but it can be hard to imagine the full impact of them until you’re faced with a group of adults and realise some of the teaching methods kids enjoy aren’t going to cut it. One of the big differences is the attention span of your students With adults they will sit quietly, so it’s possible to do longer activities, with kids you need short snappy tasks and even then they get bored easily. The little bit of extra time adults will spend working out a problem means tasks can be more challenging than with kids - where often entertainment is a big part of the native English speakers role as an ESL teacher The potential for conflict is greater in a classroom of kids Designing lessons you’ve to worry about stuff like: Is the hyper kid going to knock over the shy kid if we do a kinesthetic activity? Will implementing a points game cause problems? Does this game require too much patience for kids to concentrate on it? And even, do these kids have the motor skills required to do the activity? With adults there just aren’t those worries, usually they will all be able to behave well and work on an activity. Adults appreciate specific grammar takeaways With kids this can fly out the window. They are distracted easily and aren’t likely to be enthusiastic if you start explaining the finer points of grammar. You’ll teach them the same tenses, but you won’t let them know in the same way. With adults I had to outline the class objectives and key takeaways. Adults learners appreciate knowing the value of the class and what they should know by the end of it. With children it can be more of a case of tricking them into learning, coaxing them with games and activities that won’t make them nod off at the desk. Adults can be harder to engage and more passive in the classroom This is a pro and a con, really. It can make speaking activities a bit awkward. As a teacher you need to get comfortable with the silence and realize it doesn’t reflect badly on you as a teacher. You’ve got to negotiate with the students, gently nudge them to speak more and build up trust. Especially with Chinese students, they can be shy or reticent with expressing themselves in a new language. Taking time to build up a rapport with the students is wise. They’re going to need to trust you before they will want to step out of their comfort zones. Kids WILL go berserk Bored children do not a peaceful classroom make. A bored adult might stare blankly at you or take a nap. A poorly-managed classroom can dissolve into utter chaos. Think running, screaming and the stuff of teacher’s nightmares! Teaching adults has less extreme highs and lows Teaching ESL to kids is a rollercoaster. In a single day you can go from an extreme high to an extreme low. Even in a single class! Things can devolve as soon as an activity they don’t like is introduced or boredom creeps in. With adults, you may not get as many highs, but the overall day will be more balanced and easier to plan. You’ll pretty much know what you’re going to face from one class to the next. With kids, the lows can often be parent related. If you’ve got helicopter parenting going on, it’s going to be stressful. I’ve been called into the principal’s office because I had the audacity to tell the students the tomato was a fruit. Apparently this flew in the face of what a parent had said, and I was asked to steer clear of controversial subjects like classifying fruits and vegetables! How does the development of young learners and adult learners differ in the ESL classroom? I guess with kids it’s down to the fact that they progress as people as well as learners. You’re not just seeing them learn English, but you watch them develop social skills. Kids tend to have less respect for the work you’re doing as a teacher. I can remember students crumpling up worksheets I’d spent ages devising, and just tossing them in their bookbags. With adults they treat those assignments like gold, and value your time as a teacher more. They want to be in your classroom. With a few rare exceptions - these are usually people who are being forced to learn English by their bosses - and in that case they will not disturb the class and tend to just be a bit quieter. With adults you can see them really nail the learning goals overtime, whereas kids the whole process can feel a bit more holistic. If adults are invested in the class they will learn, whereas kids might be more interested in what’s for lunch in the cafeteria that day. So, if you teach adults does everything have to be super serious and academic? Not at all, but you do have to build up the rapport with your students slowly. They’re not going to come into the classroom skipping and joking. I definitely toned down the silliness with adults, but I injected some nonetheless. You have to coax that atmosphere you want out of the classroom. I used songs to help them with pronunciation or threw a plush toy around the classroom to get them chatting. Another thing I did was get them to practice the “P” sound by placing a tiny ball of paper on the backs of their hands and getting them to see if their “P” sound was strong enough to blow the ball from their hands. With adults you can still have fun, a lot of the errors they are making are fossilized, so it’s about getting them to practice in a fun way, without it seeming pointless. Kids tend to want to know what they will be doing, Adults like to understand why they are doing it. Can you give an example of how to connect with your adult students and build trust? I still remember one of my first Business English classes in China. I had the students line up like a hockey team and practice handshakes. They really appreciated it, once they got over the embarrassment, and they were cured of limp-wrist syndrome for all future business meetings! The reason this worked was that it was something they could do with a little effort, everyone was in the same boat at the same time, so no one student was called out alone and they had a valuable take away! Is teaching grammar harder with adults? I would say that with adults you really need to know your stuff. I definitely couldn’t imagine teaching them without a background that involved some kind of TEFL training. Students tend to know the grammar better than you would as a native speaker because they’ve learned it by rote. That means that confident students will challenge you on grammar, so you need to know how to respond. Where are adult learners weak when it comes to learning English? The adult learners are generally strong at grammar and writing but fall down when it comes to listening and speaking. So I would focus on the latter two skills. There’s apprehension among students about coming across as seeming silly or stupid. That’s one of the main reasons they don’t speak up. Once you get over that hump, teaching ESL to adults can be rewarding. You’re not there to be a grammar-monster, merely to encourage them and build up their confidence in expressing themselves in English. What kind of ESL teachers do you think are better suited to teaching adults? It’s definitely a better fit for quieter teachers who are reluctant to be get silly in the classroom. Kids need to be entertained, but teaching adults can give you space to be a little more reserved. It’s not as physical a role in that sense, with kids you might find yourself working a lot harder to manage the classroom. I think someone patient and detail orientated is the best fit for adult learners. What does the average day look like teaching English to adults abroad? I always found the early mornings in Korea a strain. I’m not a morning person, so the later hours in China suited me. My day started after noon and I would have an easy morning, get caught up on Netflix and emails then head into school. My first hour was always a planning period, I could look through the day’s lessons, print supplements and activity sheets. The rest of my day was broken up into three different types of classes. Face-to-face conversation classes with up to 4 students. There were workshops which were regular classes with up to 25 students at a time and life clubs where the students did team-building activities in English. Did you have to design your own lessons and materials? It was a mix, although I found that teaching adults in China was a bit more lenient around lesson planning, I could get more creative. With the kids in Korea I was sticking very rigidly to the books provided and there wasn’t a lot of scope for getting inventive. With the adults I could use the materials provided or, as long as the adults had the same learning outcomes, I could adjust as I saw fit. If you were to teach abroad again, would you choose adults or children? And what country would you pick? I think I would choose adults simply because you end up with more energy at the end of the day. With kids you have extreme highs and lows, which can be draining. With adults, life feels a bit more balanced. I would also go with China, it’s such a big country and there’s a never-ending list of things to do there. In part two, Dave will go into more depth about his time teaching in China. In the meantime, feel free to find out more about the Explore program in China.