How to Prepare a Portuguese Course

How to Prepare a Portuguese Course Getting Ready for Your Portuguese Class ChaptersWhat Will You Teach?What Materials Will You Use in Your Portuguese Courses?Using Media in Your Portuguese ClassesHow to Build a Lesson Plan for Every Portuguese Class You TeachI think we’ve all suffered at the hands of lackadaisical teachers; ones who seem to only care about calling the roll and then letting students do as they please.Conversely, we’ve all most likely had experience with a micromanaging teacher; one who breathes down students’ necks to make sure no lesson time is wasted.Either of those pedagogies may have gotten the job done â€" don’t we remember especially those teachers who made our class time uncomfortable?However, modern educational science supports the idea of teachers being ready for their charges, and being in charge at all times, with no discomfiting tactics allowed.What about you? How will you get ready to teach your Portuguese language classes?Whatever your methodology, let your Superprof give you a hand in planning your language course  and imparting vocabulary in such a way that your students thrive and learn under your guidance.ühl, a German word meaning ‘the feeling of the language’.It is true that any language’s native speakers give little thought as to why their grammar and vocabulary works as it does.Go ahead, put it to the test: ask any native English speaker why ‘would’ is pronounced ‘wood’ instead of phonetically â€" ‘woe-oo-l-d’?So, if Portuguese is your native language, you may have to slow your natural inclination toward rapid-fire Portuguese speaking down, and give a thought on how you will explain how to speak difficult words.Furthermore, you should take extra time going over verb conjugation, especially for irregular verbs!Textbooks are great classroom tools provided your students know how to learn from them! Source: Pixabay Credit: HermannWhat Materials Will You Use in Your Portuguese Courses?Here again, we recall those teachers whose over-reliance on textbooks left us vaguely hungry for better answers.Have you ever heard a teacher say: “Read your book! The answer is in there!”?Although there is nothing wrong with teachers insisting that their students make use of any phrase book selected for them, there is something so painful about a teacher with so little spontaneity that a question will throw the entire lesson off track.Thus it would behove you to not only choose your teaching materials well but to know them inside and out.Textbooks: do you have a few titles in mind?They should work as a tool to study, but not be the entire lesson. Otherwise, your students would soon get bored, reasoning that they don’t need any language classes if reading a book will give them the knowledge they seek.Language courses should generally be interactive and have a good balance of active and passive skills exercise.Except for Conversational Portuguese classes, where the focus would be on listening and speaking skills, all other classes should be fairly evenly divided betwe en reading and writing, listening and, of course, provide ample time for students to speak.Besides textbooks and worksheets, you may consider other classroom tools such as flashcards, posters and, if your teaching space is equipped with a computer and projector, you might design some Powerpoint presentations.Using Media in Your Portuguese ClassesGenerally speaking, it is not people under duress who undertake to learn a language. Most often, people seek to diversify their linguistic ability out of sheer desire.Thus it is a good idea that you, their instructor, to make the class as engaging, lively and fun as you can. One way to do so is to play Portuguese music â€" perhaps at the start of class, or you could build an entire lesson around music!Language and culture are intrinsic to each other. Therefore, as a Portuguese teacher, you must bring Portuguese culture to your students at every opportunity.You might build an entire class around the concept of Fado, for example, culminating i n students penning their own Fado lyrics to share with the class.Most emotive song wins!You may incorporate Portuguese movies into your curriculum. What a great way for your students to enjoy a slice of Portuguese culture all while being exposed to native speakers’ dialogue!What facilities can accommodate the noise and excitement of this type of Portuguese teaching methods?Naturally, you cannot simply show films every class, nor can you let everyone dance around and play music all of the time.You have to budget your lesson time carefully in order to meet learning goals.You may use such a planner or a formal lesson plan template to map out your Portuguese lessons Source: Pixabay Credit: Free-PhotosHow to Build a Lesson Plan for Every Portuguese Class You TeachA lesson plan is a teacher’s guide to each and every teaching session; one s/he drafts him/herself.Far from being static, a lesson plan should be a dynamic document, flexible in every way.That sounds rather counterintuitive â€" planning a lesson whose plan might change at any second, but every experienced language teacher will tell you that rigidity has no place in the classroom!Your basic lesson plan template comes with a header, which should include information such as: how many students for that lesson, what level Portuguese are they learning, what the topic of the lesson is and what teacher and student expectations are.There may also be a segment allotted to expected difficulties and how you might overcome them.The greater part of your lesson plan should be devoted to a minute by minute breakdown of classroom activities.Let’s say your lesson is scheduled to last 50 minutes; here is how to give a complete lesson in Portuguese in that time.For the first five minutes of class, you may engage in an icebreaker â€" a conversational activity designed to put your students at ease.A few rounds of ‘I spy’ would be effective if you have been studying colours: “I spy, with my little eye, something red! ” (spoken in Portuguese, of course!) and all the students should call out red objects, using only Portuguese words, until the correct one is guessed.The next portion of your lesson plan should indicate study time. This is the time that you would talk the most, imparting new language. This ‘study’ action may take up to 15 minutes but no more than 20.Once you’ve given your students that dose of new information â€" shown a film segment perhaps, or shared a song, it is time for them to get busy. There may be writing involved, either in groups, pairs or individually, after which they will do the talking.You may plan on 7-10 minutes for the writing portion, depending on the assignment given.So far, you have spent more than half your class time.For the next 15 minutes, it is your students’ turn: they will demonstrate their proficiency with the new knowledge when they speak Portuguese, incorporating the language instruction you have just imparted.You get to hang back. Listen, smil e, nod... correct mistakes?A word of advice: unless a mistake is severe and recurring â€" maybe someone consistently using phrases or verb tenses incorrectly, it would be best to not step in when an error is made, lest you dam the inspiration, confidence and competence.Unless it is a fantastically glaring mistake, you can safely wait till the last few minutes of class time to communicate those corrections.Besides possibly correcting any mistakes of Portuguese pronunciation or conversation, the last 5 minutes of the class should be dedicated to wrapping up this lesson with a teaser of the next one.A good wrap-up would be a word game, using just-learned vocabulary, or maybe serial conjugation: each student takes a pronoun until everyone has had a chance to shout out a verb ending.And then, it’s a cheerful ‘vemo-nos a próxima aula!’ as your students file out the door.Being well-prepared, knowing what you want to include in your curriculum â€" textbooks, films, podcasts and the l ike...If you have your activities well balanced and ways to ensure comprehension, you may confidently step in front of the class and give your students their best learning experience ever.Now discover how to set your rates for your Portuguese lessons...

What Are Fractions Online Physics Tutors Tutorpace

What Are Fractions Online Physics Tutors Tutorpace Fractions are described as a part of a whole. Fractions have a number written on top and a number written in the bottom. The top part is known as the numerator and the bottom part is known as the denominator and it is written in the form of a/b where a and b are integers and b 0. Fractions form a very important section of numbers in math and operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication or division can be performed on them. Example 1: Add the given fractions, 1/2 + 3/2 + 5/2 The first step is to add the first two fraction numbers. We can directly add the fractions because they have the same denominator 2. This gives: 1/2 + 3/2 = (1 + 3)/2 = 4/2 Now, add the third fraction 5/2 to the derived answer 4/2. This implies we get: 4/2 + 5/2 = (4 + 5)/2 = 9/2 Therefore, adding the three fractions together we get: 1/2 + 3/2 + 5/2 = 9/2. Example 2: Evaluate the given fractions, 2/3 4/3 + 7/3 The first step is to subtract the first two fraction numbers. We can directly subtract the fractions because they have the same denominator 3. This gives: 2/3 4/3 = (2 4)/3 = -2/3 Now, add the third fraction 7/3 to the derived answer -2/3. This implies we get: -2/3 + 7/3 = (-2 + 7)/3 = 5/3 Therefore, evaluating the three fractions together we get: 2/3 4/3 + 7/3 = 5/3.

Sequences and Series Tutors

Sequences and Series Tutors A sequence is a set thing in a certain order Example: 2, 4, 6 (Sequence of even numbers) A sequence contains list of values in an ordered way. All these values are called as terms. A finite sequence is that which contains a finite number of terms. a1, a2, ,an( n is some finite value) An infinite sequence is that which contains an infinite number of terms. a1, a2, ,an, ( n is an infinite number) Different types of sequences are Arithmetic sequence or progression (A.P) d Common difference A.P is of the form a, a+d, a+2d ....... l Last term Last term = tn = a + (n-1) d a First term Sum of n terms = 2a + (n-1)d or a + l n number of terms Geometric sequence (G.P) r common ratio G.P is of the form a, ar, ar..... Last term = tn = ar(n-1) Harmonic sequence (H.P) H.P is of the foxrm 1a , 1(a+d) , 1(a+2d), tn = 1(nth term of corresponding A.P) Harmonic mean of two terms a and b is 2ab(a+b). A X H = G Here A stands for Arithmetic mean H stands for Harmonic mean and G stands for Geometric mean Example: Find the first three terms of the sequence tn = (-2)n/( n+1) Answer: First term = n = 1 t1 = (-2)1/( 1+1) = (-2)/( 2) = -1 Second term = n = 2 t2 = (-2)2/( 2+1) = 4/( 3) Third term = n = 3 t3 = (-2)3/( 3+1) = (-8)/( 4) = -2 The first three terms are -1, 4/3, -2

Italian Alphabet Pronunciation Chart Memory Games to Practice

Italian Alphabet Pronunciation Chart Memory Games to Practice Suzy S. Mastering the Italian alphabet is an important building block in your learning process. Are you just starting  Italian lessons? Learning Italian can seem difficult, but the alphabet is actually very easy to memorize. This is because the Italian alphabet is very similar to the English alphabet, except for a few key differences. Most notably, the Italian alphabet doesnt have the letters J, K, W, X or Y. It’s important that you learn how to pronounce the letters of the Italian alphabet, as this will eventually help you form words and phrases. So lets get started! Reading the Italian Alphabet Take a look at the chart  below  to see how each letter in the Italian alphabet is represented. Remember, there are only 21 letters in the standard Italian alphabet, as the letters J, K, W, X or Y arent represented. SEE ALSO: Interesting Facts About Italy Pronouncing the Italian Alphabet Now take a look at the video below to listen to how each of the letters in the Italian alphabet are pronounced. Practice the correct pronunciation along with the video. Italian Alphabet Practice To help you memorize the letters and pronunciations of the Italian alphabet, use the two practice exercises below. Exercise 1: Matching Game What youll need: flashcards and markers. Gather a pile of flashcards. On one side of each flashcard, draw the picture of an object; for example, a dog, hat, chair, soccer ball, etc.  Shuffle all of the cards together and lay them out on the table or floor facing up so you can see all of the objects clearly. Next, quiz yourself by asking which objects start with a designated letter in the Italian alphabet. You could say, for example, What object on the table starts with the letter acca?” Acca is Italian for the letter H, so you would then point to the card with a picture of a hat on it. This is a fun exercise to do with friends! Exercise 2: Eye Spy What youll need: flashcards and markers. First, gather a set of index cards. On one side of each card, write down a letter in the Italian alphabet.  Next, choose a card from the pile at random. After choosing a card with a letter on it, you will have to identify an object in the room that starts with that particular letter and form the sentence, “I spy a ______.” If you choose the letter P, for example, you can form the sentence, Vedo una porta  (I see a door). Once you have mastered the pronunciation of the Italian alphabet, you will be ready to move on to common Italian vocabulary words! If youre having difficultly mastering the alphabet, you may want to work with an experienced Italian tutor. A tutor can develop a learning curriculum for your particular learning style and goals. Hope you have fun learning the Italian alphabet! Post Author:  Liz T. Liz T. teaches music and Italian lessons in Brooklyn, NY.  She is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music with a B.M. in vocal performance and has a graduate certificate in arts administration from New York University. Learn more about Liz here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by Monica H.

What Makes a Sonnet a Sonnet

What Makes a Sonnet a Sonnet Sonnets: Shakespeare's Favourite Poetic Form ChaptersSo, what is a Sonnet?The Most Important Features of a SonnetThe Main Types of SonnetThe Main Types of Sonnet: A SummaryPlaying with the Form: Other SonneteersWriting Your Own SonnetA Step by Step Guide to Writing a SonnetFind Out More about Different Poetic FormsIf you are studying poetry, Shakespeare, or English literature at any level, you will inevitably have to grasp with this thing called the  sonnet.  Any idea what this might be? No worries if not, because we are here to walk you through all aspects of this poetic form. By the time you have finished this article, you'll be able to identify the main features - metrical, thematic, and rhymed - of this literary form, and you'll be able to consider how to write your own!We hope you find it helpful!Find some fun poetry lessons on Superprof.Secondly, the sonnet, given its brief length, is great for expressing a feeling, thought, or idea. The brevity facilitates the communication of a strength of feeling that can be lost in lo nger forms.Thirdly, whilst the sonnet is traditionally known for focusing its attentions on the theme of love, the form allows for a great flexibility in its content. You will these days see sonnets written on everything from politics to war to ice cream. What makes this possible is the form's argumentative structure, which, as you will see below, is an essential part of the sonnet.The Lady of Shalott, though not a sonnet, makes use of the iambic pentameter Source: Pixabay Credit: MZ Matuszewski0The Most Important Features of a SonnetAs we saw above, a sonnet is simply a poem written in a specific form. But to recognise a sonnet when you see one, you need to know the specific characteristics of that form. So, to summarise, here are the need-to-know features of a sonnet.The Sonnet's Main FeaturesFourteen linesGenerally, all sonnets have fourteen lines. You will find some exceptions, but the poets will do this deliberately.VoltaThe fourteen lines are divided into two sections, usually of eight lines and six. The break between the two parts is known as the volta.Iambic pentameterThis is what we call the metre of the poem: the number of syllables in each line of the poem. An 'iamb' is a set of two syllables, the first unstressed and the second stressed. 'Pentameter' shows that there are five of these 'iambs' in a line. So, you have ten syllables: unstressed, stressed; unstressed, stressed, etc.Rhyme schemeDifferent types of sonnets have different rhyme schemes, and some don't rhyme at all! You'll see more about this below.Let's Add a Little More Detail...So, to flesh this about a bit, let's pay a bit more attention to each feature.Lines and StructureWe've just noted that a sonnet has fourteen lines. But what you need to remember is that depending on the type of sonnet, these lines are arranged in different ways.So, in a Petrarchan sonnet (we told you he'd come up again!), the lines are grouped into two: an octave (that means a group of eight lines) and a sestet (a group of six).In Shakespearean sonnets and Spenserian sonnets, on the other hand, you have three quatrains (four lines) and a couplet (two lines). You'll find more on how these lines rhyme in the sections on each type of sonnet below.The VoltaWhilst you will find a volta in many other forms of poetry, they are really quite important to the sonnet. What do we mean by the volta, then? In Italian, this word means 'turn' - and, in the sonnet, this is the moment at which a change occurs in the poem. This change might be in tone, argument, or thematic focus - but it is very rare to find a sonnet without one.As we note above, these usually occur after the eighth line of the poem - for Petrarch, after the octave, whilst for Shakespeare and Spenser after the second quatrain. You'll notice this change quite easily, as they are usually signaled with a 'but', 'however', or 'and'.Iambic PentameterThis may look like a scary poetry word, but don't worry about it too much. Let's break it down.'Met re' refers to the rhythmic structure of a line in poetry: how many syllables, how these are grouped together. 'Penta-' comes from the Greek word for 'five'. So, from 'pentameter' you know that the metre of a sonnet has something to do with five.As we said above, the word 'iamb' refers to a group of two syllables, one unstressed and one stressed.  There are five of these in each line when we talk about iambic pentameter. As all English literature teachers will tell you, the line will scan like this: dee-DAH  dee-DAH  dee-DAH  dee-DAH  dee-DAH.To see this in action, look at this line from Shakespeare's famous Sonnet 18, in which we have highlighted the stressed syllables:Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?Count the syllables in the line (there are ten!). Now, count the stressed syllables (there are five!).But if we switch the stressed syllables with the unstressed ones, we can see how the line becomes a little clumsy:Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?The Sonnet SeriesOne of t he main historical conventions of the sonnet is that they usually come in series. Think about Shakespeare's poem above. Why is it called 'Sonnet 18'? He didn't name it that. Rather, because he wrote 154 sonnets, each individual one is known by its number.A lot of people have written sonnets in sequences. The most famous early sonneteers all wrote series: Philip Sidney's Astrophil and Stella; Shakespeare's  Sonnets; Spenser's  Amoretti.  This convention has remained with us, as, in the twentieth century many other writers have composed sonnet sequences: Rainer Maria Rilke's  Sonnets to Orpheus,  John Berryman's  Sonnets.  These are the things that have developed the association of sonnets with the theme of love - as all of these sequences deal with a passionate speaker talking to a loved object.The Main Types of SonnetIn the English-speaking world, we usually refer to three discrete types of sonnet: the Petrarchan, the Shakespearean, and the Spenserian.All of these maintain the featu res outlined above - fourteen lines, a volta, iambic pentameter - and they all three are written in sequences. The primary difference is the rhyme scheme.We'll look at these three types of sonnet, and then finally consider some of those that don't really fit into the structure we have all been taught.Petrarchan SonnetThe first sonnet is the Petrarchan, or Italian, sonnet. Named after one of the form's greatest practitioners, the Italian poet Petrarch, the Petrarchan sonnet was the earliest strict sonnet form (he lived from 1304 to 1374).As we noted above, the Petrarchan sonnet is divided into two stanzas: the octave (the first eight lines) followed by the answering sestet (the final six lines). Let's take a look at a Petrarchan sonnet, by the English poet William Wordsworth (as this is easier than reading medieval Italian!).London, 1802(A) Milton! thou shouldst be living at this hour: (B) England hath need of thee: she is a fen (B) Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, and pen, (A) Fire side, the heroic wealth of hall and bower, (A) Have forfeited their ancient English dower (B) Of inward happiness. We are selfish men; (B) Oh! raise us up, return to us again; (A) And give us manners, virtue, freedom, power.(C) Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart: (D) Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea: (D) Pure as the naked heavens, majestic, free, (E) So didst thou travel on life's common way, (C) In cheerful godliness; and yet thy heart (E) The lowliest duties on herself did lay.So, here, in the first line, we've added markings to highlight the stress of the iambic pentameter (try it for yourself in the rest of the lines!).And we've neatly highlighted the volta after the eighth line (do you see how the poem's tone changes - from a critique of England to a celebration of Milton?). In Petrarch, the volta usually separates the shift from an argument or question in the octave to a resolution in the sestet.But what do those letters mean before each line? This is how we refer to rhyme scheme, in which A rhymes with A, B with B, and where each new sound requires a new letter. So, what do we have here? ABBAABBA, CDDECE.The Petrarchan sonnet will almost always begin with that ABBAABBA octave. However, the rhyme scheme of the sestet can change - so watch out. Here, Wordsworth uses CDDECE, but the most common rhyme schemes in Petrarch are CDECDE or CDCDCD.After the Petrarchan sonnet was first brought to England by Sir Thomas Wyatt, Henry Howard began translating and writing his own versions of Petrarch. His works were considered more faithful to the original than the work of his English counterparts. He made modifications to the Petrarchan sonnet which then became the structure of what we know as the Shakespearean sonnet.This structure was established to better suit the English language which was somewhat lacking in the rhyming words that Italian boasts.The Shakespearean SonnetShakespeare's sonnets are famous worldwide (Source: Pexels)The Shakespear ean, or English sonnet, follows a different set of rules. Here, there are usually three quatrains and a couplet following a rhyme scheme like this: ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG. This is the primary difference between the Petrarchan and the Shakespearean sonnet. Let's take a look at Shakespeare's Sonnet 130:(A) My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; (B) Coral is far more red, than her lips red: (A) If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; (B) If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. (C) I have seen roses damasked, red and white, (D) But no such roses see I in her cheeks; (C) And in some perfumes is there more delight (D) Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. (E) I love to hear her speak, yet well I know (F) That music hath a far more pleasing sound: (E) I grant I never saw a goddess go, (F) My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground: (G) And yet by heaven, I think my love as rare, (G) As any she belied with false compare.Much like in the Petrarchan sonne t, the Shakespearean sonnet contains a volta. There is a difference here, however. The volta can either come after the first eight lines or, as in Sonnet 130,   at the beginning of the couplet. Here, it is used to signal a conclusion, explanation, or counterargument to the previous 3 stanzas.In Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 the first twelve lines focus on the speaker’s mistress, comparing her unfavourably to nature. But the final couplet changes the tone completely, that despite all of her flaws he does love her.Shakespeare uses Sonnet 130 as a satire of other poets who compare their loves to nature’s beauty. In fact he takes it to the extreme nearly leaving the mistress completely unlovable!The Spenserian SonnetA contemporary of Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser lived from 1552 to 1559. His sequence,  Amoretti, was his main engagement with the sonnet form - and his other works included  The Faerie Queene, an allegory about Elizabeth I, and  The Shepherd's Calendar, a poem about shepherd s, surprise surprise.The Spenserian sonnet has a similar structure to a Shakespearean one, with three quatrains followed by a couplet. The interesting thing about the Spenserian sonnet is, of course, the rhyme scheme. Let's take a look at Spenser's Sonnet 75.(A) One day I wrote her name upon the strand, (B) But came the waves and washed it away: (A) Again I write it with a second hand, (B) But came the tide, and made my pains his prey. (B) Vain man, said she, that doest in vain assay, (C) A mortal thing so to immortalize, (B) For I myself shall like to this decay, (C) And eek my name be wiped out likewise. (C) Not so, (quod I) let baser things devise (D) To die in dust, but you shall live by fame: (C) My verse, your virtues rare shall eternize, (D) And in the heavens write your glorious name. (E) Where whenas death shall all the world subdue, (E) Our love shall live, and later life renew.So, what do we have here? Remembering that Shakespearean sonnets follow the ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG form, the Spenserian sonnets are slightly different: ABAB, BCBC, CDCD, EE. So, the second rhyme of the first quatrain is taken to be the first of the second quatrain. Again, it ends with a couplet.Where's the volta? Look at line nine, the first line of the final sestet. 'Not so', says Spenser, introducing a contradiction. As in Shakespeare, the volta either appears here or at the beginning of the final couplet.After first octave.ShakespeareanABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GGAfter first octave or beginning of final couplet.SpenserianABAB, BCBC, CDCD, EEAfter first octave or beginning of final couplet.Playing with the Form: Other SonneteersWhilst what we have just covered are the main historical types of sonnets, lots of poets have decided to take the basic structure of the form and change its content. Consequently, whilst these above are important to know, it is worth stressing that they are not the only forms of sonnets around.Let's take a look at just a handful of different sonnets that play w ith the conventions of the form.Carol Ann Duffy's  Anne HathawayA poem which, if you are studying literature in the UK, you will definitely confront is Carol Ann Duffy's  Anne Hathaway.  Take a read and see what she does with the sonnet form.The bed we loved in was a spinning world of forests, castles, torchlight, cliff-tops, seas where he would dive for pearls. My lover’s words were shooting stars which fell to earth as kisses on these lips; my body now a softer rhyme to his, now echo, assonance; his touch a verb dancing in the centre of a noun. Some nights I dreamed he’d written me, the bed a page beneath his writer’s hands. Romance and drama played by touch, by scent, by taste. In the other bed, the best, our guests dozed on, dribbling their prose. My living laughing love â€" I hold him in the casket of my widow’s head as he held me upon that next best bed.So, what's important here? What is one of those key features of the sonnet that is missing here?You should have notic ed: it is the rhyme scheme! Does the poem rhyme? Only in the final two lines. Other than that, the iambic pentameter is still there, as well as the volta.Elizabeth Bishop's  SonnetCaught -- the bubble in the spirit level, a creature divided; and the compass needle wobbling and wavering, undecided. Freed -- the broken thermometer's mercury running away; and the rainbow-bird from the narrow bevel of the empty mirror, flying wherever it feels like, gay!Now, how is this a sonnet? Is it a sonnet, and why? The poet, Bishop, clearly intends it to be so, entitling the poem the way she does. What do you think?E.E. Cummingshere's to opening and upward,to leaf and to sap and to your(in my arms flowering so new) self whose eyes smell of the sound of rainand here's to silent certainly mountains;and to a disappearing poet of always,snow and to morning;and to morning's beautiful friend twilight(and a first dream called ocean)andlet must or if be damned with whomever's afraid down with ought with b ecause with every brain which thinks it thinks, nor dares to feel(but up with joy;and up with laughing and drunkenness)here's to one undiscoverable guess of whose mad skill each world of blood is made (whose fatal songs are moving in the moonBesides the lack of capital letters and spaces (all of which are intentional), E.E. Cummings is known for his experiments with poetic forms. Can you recognise what he has done here to the form of the sonnet?Writing Your Own SonnetOf course if you’re writing your own sonnet you can choose any style you like. But seeing as it lends itself better to the English language and we all know many of them, our guide will stick to writing a Shakespearean-style sonnet.When writing a Shakespearean-style sonnet, there are several rules you need to keep in mind. This style of poetry follows a specific format including length, rhythm, and rhyme scheme.To write a sonnet according to these rules, follow this process: - Select a subject to write your poem about (Shakespearean sonnets are usually about love). - Write your lines in iambic pentameter (duh-DUH-duh-DUH-duh-DUH-duh-DUH-duh-DUH. - Structure the sonnet using 3 quatrains followed by 1 couplet. - Compose your sonnet as an argument that builds up as it moves from one metaphor to the next, until you counterargue this argument in the concluding couplet. - Make sure your poem is exactly 14 lines long.Try your hand at writing your own poem (Source: Pexels)A Step by Step Guide to Writing a Sonnet1. Find InspirationWhereas Shakespeare’s sonnets generally revolve around love, you could, in fact, choose any topic for your sonnet.  You could even look to modern pop songs for inspiration!Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off is a prime (and fun!) example of iambic pentameter usage in a modern context.Other songs sung in iambic pentameter include:One Direction â€" HistoryAlessia Cara â€" Here (a particularly good example as she gives each foot’s downbeat extra stress)Halsey â€" New AmericanaG-Easy/ Bebe Rexha: Me, Myself and IGranted, not one of these songs is a sonnet but they do provide you with a way to get the feel of the iambic pentameter and different ways it can be used.If you wanted to see popular songs in sonnet form... some ingenious and creative soul has taken lyrics from the likes of Beyoncé and The Backstreet Boys and turned them into sonnets!2. Master the Iambic PentameterInternalising the iambic ‘beat’ is no chore; you could practice it while walking â€" left foot unstressed/right foot stressed, by clapping your hands (soft-LOUD soft-LOUD), drumming your fingers... any type of rhythmic activity.Mastering the iambic pentameter is vital to writing a sonnet with proper flow.Once you have found a topic to write about and internalised the iambic beat, writing a sonnet is a breeze!Remember that the first quatrain introduces the situation and, at least as far as Shakespearian sonnets are concerned, follows an ABAB pattern â€" meaning that the third line should rhy me with the first and the fourth with the second.Here is an example of just such a quatrain:Ago, I saw you walking fair one day Though fear forbade my presence should come near. Froze, the words that I could never say Though in my heart remain so very dear.Does it meet all of the criteria for a proper iambic pentameter quatrain and the opening verse of a sonnet? Let’s see:Each line contains five iambic feet (in other words, five duh-DUMs).Line three rhymes with line one and line four rhymes with line two.It outlines a situation (we wonder why the speaker fears approaching and what s/he wanted to say)3. Play with Words.You’ll note that there are several words in this stanza that generally would not be used in normal conversation, at least not in the form or in the place they are used here.Poetic license gives you permission to convey meaning by bending common language rules and expanding word meanings.Our great bard Shakespeare was famous for perverting the meaning of words; his frequent use of anon is the perfect example of such.The word anon dates back to 12th century English. Its original meaning was straightaway, or forthwith. Through Shakespeare’s persistent misuse of this word, it has come to mean the exact opposite: soon, or in a while.We can see why he loved that word: it is compact and convenient, subjecting itself neatly and repeatedly to the iambic pentameter. And it’s easy to rhyme!Make Ample Use of Poetic License â€" so long as you don’t completely vandalise the language!Poetic license permits the use of  froze instead of frozen to describe those unuttered words. Doing so even lends urgency to the situation by implying the words froze upon the sight of the person in question.4. Depict a Complete Scene in 14 Lines.To do that properly and effectively, you should use as many words and phrases that would call up visual imagery as you can.The phrase ‘fear forbade my presence to come near’ conveys so much more than ‘I had an anxiety attac k and couldn’t approach you’, even though they represent essentially the same concept, right?This stanza causes us to see fear as a looming, frightening, domineering entity denying the speaker the privilege of approaching the person in question. By contrast, ‘anxiety attack’ sounds paltry, doesn’t it?The QuatrainOur first quatrain has us off to a great start! We have the right number of feet and the right rhyming pattern; we have visual language that has outlined a situation. Now it is time for quatrain #2:Delight in how the sun kisses your cheek; Tortu’r in how I wish that it were me! Mere audience with you is what I seek As though your heart were once again trusting.Can you identify the components that make this a valid quatrain?Now we know a bit more about the situation: the speaker has apparently broken the subject’s heart and is well aware of the fact. S/he is bitter about the supposed lack of potential trust; we see this in the last line. Imagine that line spat out with self-loathing!And we know that it is a sunny day.This build-up of information leads us directly into the next quatrain and, finally the couplet; the denouement of the situation:Ago, I saw you walking fair one day though fear forbade my presence should come near. Froze, the words that I could never say though in my heart remain so very dear. Delight in how the sun kisses your cheek; Tortu’r in how I wish that it were me! Mere audience with you is what I seek As though your heart were once again trusting.Ne’er! Your cry strikes such a cruel blow! Ne’er! Your mien doth passion-tly aver! How did I force love’s door on me to close When soul and mind, it all I gave to her?And then, Divine, the hand that turns your face! Our eyes, searing, questing, entwine, embrace.Note the rising passion throughout; the third quatrain full of fury and agony until the last two lines; a conclusion in direct contradiction of the rest of the poem.Also, there is an escalating use of poetic l icense. In fact, the more ardent the situation becomes the more license is given to express it all!Feel free to use helpful resources to find just the right words for your sonnet! Source: Pixabay Credit: Truth Seeker08A Helping Hand in Sonnet WritingInternalising the iambic pentameter and employing poetic license is child’s play compared to mastering the vocabulary necessary to write in this manner.Fortunately, in most cases you only need to know the words for what you want to say; a thesaurus and a rhyming dictionary can help you find the right words to tell your story in sonnet form.Some of the better ones we know of are:https://www.rhymezone.com: perfect for finding just the word you’re looking for! https://www.synonym.com: you can also find antonyms, should you know the opposite word of what you’re trying to express https://dictionary.reverso.net/english-synonyms more than just a dictionary; it also offers meanings for common phrases! https://www.thesaurus.com: the simples t and perhaps easiest to use!Fortunately, we don't have to write with a quill pen, as Shakespeare did! Source: Pixabay Credit: Andreas160578Find Out More about Different Poetic FormsThe benefit of poetry is that there are lots of different styles  once you have tried sonnets poems. Give the other styles try, Limericks are light-hearted poems, historically  Japanese Haiku poetry is traditional, to show a feeling  an Epic style poem  would work well, Adding music? then the Ballad poetry style is  for you, If you are looking for a show of Friday night  visit a slam poetry  show or  listen to free verse poetry style. So many kinds of poetry, meaning you will find your best style of poetry.

GRE Practice (Tests) Make Perfect

GRE Practice (Tests) Make Perfect GRE/MAT Graduate School Blog As you're planning to take the GRE, you'll want to set up a structured study plan for yourself. There's no single, correct way to do this, and each student approaches this test slightly differently. Some students may opt for a rigorous prep course, while others might work with a tutor. Still other students strike off on their own, get a few books, sign up for a few online resources and study the material themselves. No matter which approach you decide to take, though, you'll want to find a way to structure your studying and measure your progressâ€"and one of simplest and most effective ways of doing that is to simply take tests as you go along. Practice testsâ€"and especially mock tests that simulate the test-day environment â€"are some of the best tools that you'll have at your disposal as you go get ready to take the GRE. First, they provide structure. If you're diligent about taking these tests at regular intervals, such as once a week, you'll get yourself into a good study rhythm, and lock in 2 or 3 hours of regimented practice in addition to your regular studying. Second, these tests give you a good assessment of how you're progressing. There's no guarantee how you'll do on any given testâ€"and this is true for the actual test as well as practice tests. But what you can do is use these practice tests to establish a score range, a general assessment of how well you're doing. If you take enough of these, and you're putting the work in, you should start to see an upward trajectory in your scores. Once you start to hit your target scores consistently, you'll know that you're fully capable of hitting those scores on test day. Practice tests should therefore be an integral part of any study program. But when should you take them, and how many tests are too many, or too few? That depends on you, of course, your schedule, and how long you've got until the test (you'll find some good approachesherefrom BrightLink Prep). As a rule of thumb, though, it's always good to begin any program of studyâ€"whether it's self-study or with a tutorâ€"with an initial practice test. Even if you've never seen the material before, this will give you a starting point. If you're studying on your own, you'll familiarize yourself with the test, and get a handle on what you need to focus on. If you're working with someone, use that first test to help the tutor work with you on a study plan. After that first test, aim for one full test a week, if you can, with one final test a few days before the real one. You don't want to cram too much in in that last week, and if you have an off-day on a practice test, you don't want that to carry over with you into the real one. Remember, as you're practicing, don't skip or pick and choose sectionsâ€"take the whole thing. By committing to a f ull test, even in practice, you'll condition yourself for the 3+ hour marathon you'll be facing on test day, and make it much less daunting. Similarly, you'll want to try to simulate the test environment during your practice testsâ€"that means no phones (even on your desk or table!), no distractionsâ€"and keep to the allotted time! Tests are easy to findâ€"here are two great resources for some good paper and computer-based ones: one from Prepscholar and this one from CrunchPrep. And keep in mind that each company, whether Kaplan, ETS, Manhattan, whicheverâ€"sometimes have slightly different styles to their practice tests that may influence your scores slightly. Also try to take at least two computer-based tests, as you'll most likely be taking one of these on test-day. None of this requires an overly large time commitmentâ€"just a few hours a week (in addition to your regular studying, of course!) to make sure you've got a structured framework, and progress that you can easily measure. And once you've gotten a feel for these practice tests, you'll be ready for anything they might throw at you on Test Day! About the Author Steve Markofsky is one of our most experienced and qualified test prep tutors. For more information on GRE tutoring and to see profiles of tutors like Steve, click here.

Westerly Hills Academy Becomes HEARTs 5th Partner School

Westerly Hills Academy Becomes HEARTs 5th Partner School Westerly Hills Academy Becomes HEARTs 5th Partner School Westerly Hills Academy Becomes HEARTs 5th Partner School March 25, 2015 HEART Tutoring volunteers began working with 27 third graders at Westerly Hills Academy in January. Westerly Hills, located at 4420 Denver Avenue in West Charlotte, is HEARTs fifth Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools partner school. As the third graders face their first state End-Of-Grade tests, volunteers are focusing on filling in some conceptual gaps in number concepts. The tutors also help build confidence through mentoring and encouragement. The students are working on foundational number sense concepts ranging from the concept of “more” and “less” to decomposing numbers and understanding place value. Of the 28 weekly volunteer tutors, 24 are members of First Presbyterian Church in Fourth Ward. Westerly Hills is First Presbyterians public school partner for community outreach and engagement. The remaining tutors come from companies including Fifth Third Bank and Amec Foster Wheeler. Volunteers spend one hour per week delivering HEART’s lesson plans and receive support from an on-site Program Coordinator. I am glad we can provide a way for Westerly Hills partners to engage as tutors and for Westerly Hills students to receive one-on-one academic attention and encouragement, said Emily Elliott, HEARTs Executive Director. It is a pleasure to work with Principal Gwen Shannon and Math Facilitator Stefanie McBryde. I am excited about the third graders’ progress so far! HEARTs other CMS partner schools are Billingsville Leadership Academy, Highland Renaissance Academy, Montclaire Elementary, and Winterfield Elementary.

What are Best Online Learning Tools

What are Best Online Learning Tools With such a wealth of online learning resources available, it can sometimes be difficult to find the right online tools to fit the needs of your child. We explore several ways to adopt modern educational tools into your kids study time at home. Hopefully you can apply some or all of these tools to your child's learning. Do let us know how your child responds! Best of luck! Online teaching resources These online teaching sites, most of which are free, are a great resource for extra support. These are a few of our favourites. Resource Centre A collection of free resources created by some of our great tutors here at Tutorfair. Browse by subject to find logic games, worksheets and exercises  to use at home.   BBC Bitesize A great website for resources that can be a supplement to in class learning. Engaging and friendly, BBC Bitesize can help children have a clearer understanding of complex areas.   Khan Academy A non-profit educational organisation aiming to 'accelerate learning for all students of all ages'.  The website has thousands of resources available for free, including short youtube lectures covering mainly Maths and Science topics.   S-cool If your child is struggling with their GCSE or A-levels, S-cool can give much needed exam support.  Browse by subject to find revision  topics explained in detail followed by a selection of multiple choice and exam style questions to practice. Edplace Edplace has a vision to supply parents with good quality educational support. By subscribing to the site for a small fee, parents get access to 1000s of interactive  tutorials by qualified teachers in Maths, Science and English. All these resource can be very effective learning tools for children. They are particularly helpful when used alongside a tutor or a parent who can keep the child on track. Online collaboration Most children would agree that working at home can be a lonely, and sometimes isolating experience. To keep children engaged with their studies, online collaboration tools, such as skype, can act as a forum for students to share ideas, ask questions, and help each other through more difficult questions. Explaining complex ideas to a peer can be a very useful exercise in consolidating your own knowledge. This process allows you to find the areas that you still need to work on. Research suggests, after all, that kids work more effectively when they are in a collaborative environment that engages them! Make your own Podcasts We all know that podcasts are great way to engage with a subject. An even better way is to create your very own podcasts! Instead of just writing about a subject,  encourage your child to be an active learner and create a podcast around a specific topic. Working together on a project will help them think more proactively about the subject matter. The other upside with this tool  is that your child can then listen to their recording on repeat, helping to reinforce what they have already learnt. Later on they can also use this as a helpful revision tool. Online Drawing tools Bring out their creative side and encourage your child to adopt a variety of different learning styles. Using resources that engage visual, auditory and kinaesthetic have the best results for students learning new material. One great tool for this is to use online drawing tools, such as Sketchpad to communicate ideas through drawings and diagrams. Helping your child to learn more creatively is fantastic way of making them more successful learners! Online Tuition Most parents find the biggest benefit to having an online tutor is the convenience. Online tuition is the easiest way to find the right tutor, with the best skill set to help your child with their particular needs. Many tutors find that their students are generally very  receptive to an online tutor as they have grown up in a digital age and respond well to this kind of technology. Using  Tutorfair you can browse by subject a range of experienced online tutors from online Maths tutors to  online English Tutors  and online Biology Tutors   to find the right tutor for you. These are just a few helpful suggestions to find the right online learning resources for your child. As always let us know how it goes!