How to Write a Cover Letter

How to Write a Cover Letter Job Application Stumbling Blocks: The Cover Letter ChaptersWhat’s In a Letter?Cover Letter ParticularsThe Do’s and Don’ts of Cover LettersMany people new to the job market think cover letters are overkill. After all, you’ve filled out the application that asks for all of your professional information and you’ve attached a resume that covers just about everything else.What’s the point of this letter, then? Especially when all of the experts caution against being both too friendly and too formal in tone?The history of the resume cover letter is substantially shorter than that of the document it covers.Some unpopular theories about how the cover letter came about include that it was indeed meant to cover sensitive information â€" keep it hidden from prying eyes and, because it was usually handwritten, it served as a means of judging a man’s character by the way he wrote.Presumably, the competitive job applicant would have a typed resume, possibly ‘done up’ by a resume service or a typing service.Cover letters came into vogue in the early 20th century and have lingered to torture prospective employees ever since.And you, with so little to put on your resume to begin with, must be going mad trying to figure out what to put in your cover letter that isn’t already included in the other, more important document you just agonised over.Heave a sigh of relief, for your Superprof will now shed light on how you too can write an attention-grabbing cover letter.The tea is now cooling in its mug. The hiring manager kicks back in the chair, picks up the intriguing resume and reads all two pages.Finally, s/he flips the cover letter back over and reads it from beginning to end.If the ‘right stuff’ is missing from this cover letter, that candidate may or may not be treated to a phone interview; it depends on what other goodies can be found in that pile of resumes. Hiring managers look over tons of resumes and cover letters before selecting interview candidates Image by Sue Styles from PixabayWhat’s the right stuff?What you write in your cover letter are facts and details (not minute ones!) that you’ve not had room to record anywhere else in your application or CV.A crucial factor in determining if a job applicant merits an interview is whether s/he has investigated the company s/he is applying to.Most online job application services provide a field for you to check a box in response to the question: “Where did you hear about this job/service/opening?”, and they offer several options: “Online, Social Media, Newspaper, Friend...” and so on.Now we put the question to you: is that lone checked box truly representative of all the time and effort you went into, researching that company? Don’t you think your dedication to finding out about the company you’re applying to deserves more recognition?A paragraph such as this would do nicel y for your cover letter’s opening paragraph:“When I saw your advert in the online ‘Jobs for Students’ page, I discovered that XYZ company operates within the strictest environmental guidelines. As a graduate student working on Earth and Environmental Science degree, you can imagine that I would be overjoyed to learn how you are putting technical knowledge into practice.”What does such an opening paragraph do for you?First, you’ve disclosed where you learned about the position you’re applying for; that is an important inclusion into your cover letter; it lets companies know which of their advertising gambits are most successful.Next, you’ve revealed that you’re not just blindly applying to a company so you can have a job; you’ve already bought into the company by researching it.Finally, you’ve provided a vital link between yourself and the company you’ve applied to; as you prepare for the phone interview you will surely have, you can check the question ‘Why do you want to work with us?’ off your list.That is a question you will likely be asked at a job interview. You should give time and consideration to writing a good cover letter; making notes is a good first step Image by StartupStockPhotos from PixabayCover Letter ParticularsAlthough this letter allows you to be a bit more personable during the admittedly impersonal job application process, you must never lose sight of the fact that it is fundamentally a business letter.Business letters follow a certain format, all aligned with the left margin:The sender’s name and contact details in the top left corner (that would be you, in this case)The dateThe company’s and HR’s contact information - address, phone number with extension, etc.A subject lineA greetingThe body of the letter.A closing lineA salutationYour signatureEverything in a cover letter format is standard on a business letter. However, the body of a cover letter should look a little different; for one, your letter should have no more than three paragraphs.Now, for a time-saving tip: seeing as you will most likely apply for mor e than one job in your life, you might create a cover letter template using this format so that you can adapt it (and your CV) for different jobs.The first paragraph of your cover letter should be devoted to how you came across the job posting and connecting yourself to the job you’re applying for but beware: simply writing “I saw your ad in Student Times and I wanted to apply for it” will earn your CV a quick trip to the bottom of the pile.Give something for your future employer to warm up to the idea that you are the best fit for the job.Your second paragraph should go on to describe the reasons you are such a good candidate, and they may be presented in bullet points. You may even use a bold font to highlight a particularly fitting experience or aspect of your character.Just be careful to ‘bold’ the occasional word or phrase, not entire lines.Your closing paragraph should sum up what you said in the previous two but, please: do not write ‘Like I said above...’. Make use of a thesaurus or ask for help in rephrasing previously-expressed ideas so that they don’t appear repetitive. This is also where you request your interview (more on that later).Writing a cover letter gives you a bit of leeway to showcase your accomplishments and describe in more detail your interest in the position and how you perfectly you fit the job requirements. This could be the result if you do not research the position you are applying for! Image by Robin Higgins from PixabayThe Do’s and Don’ts of Cover LettersSome career advice websites say ‘Aye’ and others say ‘Nay’; quite possibly, the answer lies somewhere in between.The question is: does anybody actually read all of those cover letters?More often than not, the process works as described above: your prospective employer will first scan your curriculum vitae for qualifications and relevant skills. If you have listed what s/he is looking for, s/he will then skim your cover letter for supporting information.Possibly the only time your cover letter will fall under intense scrutiny is if a body makes hiring decisions instead of just one person.To stand out from all the other applicants, you must ensure your resume and cover letter are peerless. To that end, you may want to know how to write an exceptional resume.It’s rather odd that the tips for effective cover letter writing mirror what your elders have always told you to do before stepping out of the house:Always make sure you proofread your work; in fact, you should have more than one set of eyes look it over â€" not just the body of the letter but the entire thing.There would be little that could be worse than writing your contact information incorrectly, making it impossible for your potential employer to contact you!Sign your letter; don’t simply rely on a computer font. Also, minimise any signature flourishes â€" large swoops or circled ‘I’ dots.Make sure that you address the letter to the correct person. Even ‘To whom it might concern’ would be better than addressing, say, the digital marketing manager by mistake. Although, if at all possible, try to avoid that ‘concern’ phrase.Watch your tone! Being confident is good; being cocky, not so much. Likewise with formality. You don’t want to strike a haughty note but you don’t want to sound as if you’d like to interview over a pin t, either.Don’t forget to ask for an interview!Crafty job seekers include ‘delighted to meet with you to discuss…’ or similar; you’re not being forward in requesting your interview, merely assertive.Finally: whatever you do, don’t forget to send your CV along with your cover letter! You wouldn’t believe how often that happens… but not to you because you’ll remember to upload everything, right?Now learn how to write the ‘thank you’ letter that will win you a second interview…

College Math Tutoring - Get 1-On-1 expert math tutor to improve grades

College Math Tutoring - Get 1-On-1 expert math tutor to improve grades 0SHARESShare The last years of your education, where you are perusing the under graduation, post-graduation or any other college degree, makes your career and gives you a particular stream to follow the entire life. This stage is very crucial in shaping your life so why not study your course curriculum by the college tutoring online? Well the course in college is far different of your schools. Here you are not just supposed to limit your knowledge as per your course contents but to the industry and corporate exposures. Many times students do not understand as how to manage the course and at such point, the college tutoring online becomes a real support! You might wonder on the workings of these online tutorials, as how you get connected? How the master does teaches you via the audio-visual facilities? Or how much do these services cost etc. well, for this you are provided with the initial benefit of tutoring for free. Under this, you are given the advantage of selecting a tutor and the subject in which you need help. After this the tutor gives you a mock session wherein the master teaches you and gives an experience of how the online tutorials appear in reality. Surfing the internet, you’ll find plenty of online tutor site who are ready to provide you with their services. All you have to do is to get registered with the best tutorial to match your needs. Go through the benefits which the site is offering as per your requirements. The online tutor covers almost all your subjects. No matter which course you peruse, online tutor is always there to help you in making your notes or assignments. So get the best scores and pass with flying colors! Hit online tutorials now!         [starbox id=admin]

How To Become An Accountant

How To Become An Accountant How To Start Your Accountancy Career? ChaptersThe Qualifications to Become An AccountantHow Long Does It Take To Become An Accountant?What Salary Can You Expect As An Accountant?Where Can You Work As An Accountant?You might be at that point in your life, maybe after university or even later, when you are considering and weighing the career options that you may take or turn down.If you choose accountancy, you will be joining a workforce of more than 350,000 people in the UK.However, you might still be at that crossroad, where uncertainty and the constraints of life can cripple your decision making power. So let's see why anyone would want to become an accountant.First, you have to forget the preconceived notion that all accountants are maths genius. These days accountancy softwares do much of the number crunching for you.Secondly, you have to understand that accountants are needed in every single industry existing on the planet. Finance professionals are required by everyone, from fashion designers to film-makers, from re al-estate moguls to non-profit organisations.Better than a passport, a membership to bodies such as the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, will offer you job opportunities everywhere in the world. Think about the major commercial hubs on the planet: New-York, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Zurich, Hong Kong, Chicago or Singapore.Accountancy is also one of the rare profession that is  not endangered by automation. Yes softwares and AI are getting better and reducing the time you spent crushing numbers, but this mainly means that you will have more time to meet and consult with your client,   advising on financial strategies.You will also have a secured job. Recessions in the past decades have taken their  tolls in term of downsizing and company restructuration but the financial department, being the one that advises on how to go through such harsh times, is also the one that is the less emperiled when times are tough.If you have not yet decided if becoming an accountant would be the right move for you, let's delve  over the question further.Accounting studies are long and laborious but at the end, the potential compensation is worth it.If you work in the UK, all those tax returns will be sent to HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs), which by the way, employs thousands of public accountant to help the government calculate and collect taxes all around the country.Besides governmental agencies, many UK businesses need accountants: colleges and universities, retail stores, health care providers or even the hospitality industry. Even self-employed people such as doctors, nurses, lawyers or actors may need your expertise in making sure that their tax return is accurate.But working as an accountant is much more than filing tax-return, even though the end of the fiscal year period, from January to March, is known in the industry as the busy season.These days accounting firms make most of their through consultancy. The job has evolved, accountants  are no longer str aightforward bookkeepers that make sure all invoices are issues, paid and filed.Anyone can use an accounting program to do that but what most people and almost no software can do, is analysing reports and see what are of a company can be financially more efficient.Forecasting, taxation, budgeting, payroll reporting,   audit or financial reports, are all services any modern accounting firm will provide its customers meaning that each firm as many different specialisations.For example, forensic accounting focuses on the examination of businesses financial records and statistics to ensure that no fraud has been committed, implying a thorough knowledge of government regulation. As a forensic accountant, you will be more likely to work for the government or law enforcement agencies.Or you could specialise in corporate accounting if you hold the right accounting degrees and you would be in charge of  preparation of their final accounts and cash flow statements and well as the analysis and interpretation of a  company's financial results.If you have a very analytical mind, maybe you would be more suited as a certified internal auditor, review a company global risk and control management and improving its financial reliability, compliance with regulation and overall effectiveness.If you are looking for a job, remember the Big Four (accounting firms): Ernst Young, Deloitte Touche, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Combined those four firms audit more than 96% of the 350 biggest British companies and employ more than one million people.Counting money used to be the main occupation of accountants but this has been replaced by consultancy.In any case, accounting might have changed from a simple bookkeeping role a century ago to a multi-national corporation valuation auditing effort today; it remains a pivotal profession to the world of business.

All About The American Revolution

All About The American Revolution What Brought On the American Revolution? ChaptersPrelude to the American RevolutionThe Fight for American IndependenceWhat Was the American Revolution and Why was Tea Involved?Thoughts on the American RevolutionAs our prime ministers are fond of saying, the UK has long enjoyed a special relationship with the United States - quite possibly because the first settlers in that land that would become the U.S. were British citizens!Indigenous peoples’ claim to the land and settlers’ origins notwithstanding, the American Revolution is a fascinating slice of political and economic history that gave rise to world power; one who still today is a leader in global affairs.For better or worse...  Did you know that the Great Depression started in America?We now go back in time, to uncharted territory that could only be reached by ship, to discover the reasons those isolated colonists rejected kingly rule and established themselves as citizens of an independent, yet-to-be-established nation.Rump Parliament in 1651, that was meant to r egulate trade in The Colonies, records show that colonists were not severely impacted by it.However, it sowed the seeds of discontent and anger towards The Crown; sentiments that were passed down from father to son, through the years, with each insult adding fresh fuel to the simmering fire.The idea that England and the monarchy should more greatly benefit from the Colonies’ trade and labour than the colonials themselves was the root of their ire.King Charles II did not help matters when, in the 1680s, he revoked their colonial charter. And then, King James II established dominion over New England â€" as that region is still known today.Politically, that meant that not only did the colonists lose their right to an autonomous government but they became subject to England’s laws once again, including the economically punishing Navigation Act.James II abdicated/was overthrown in 1688. The colonists celebrated their mother country’s change of government with an uprising that cast off dominion rule; the colonies were once again governing themselves.Subsequent English governments did not attempt to impose leadership on the colonists; instead, they treated them as trading cash cows, fervently taxing them on everything they exported, from wool to hats.The Molasses Act (1733) was particularly incendiary because the colonies derived much profit from the sticky, sweet substance.Rather than paying the heavy duties that the law attached to them, the colonists resorted to bribing or intimidating British customs officials working American ports in order to ship their products to other nations.Here, we see the mindset of those engaged in such trade.As those merchants tended to be more politically aware, their circumventing English laws shows their readiness to establish themselves as a trading entity in their own right.By the 1760s, they were ready to fight for total independence from England.The colonial militia would confront British soldiers in full uniform Source: W ikipediaThe Fight for American IndependenceIn quick succession, a flurry of taxation laws was passed in English parliament:The Currency Act was meant to restrict the use of paper money (1764)The Sugar Act imposed duties on a number of items, including sugar (1764)The Stamp Act: anything made of paper, from pamphlets to playing cards, was required to have a stampThe colonists did not mind those taxes as much as they resented being taxed in absentia.With no one in Parliament to represent them, those edicts were seen as unilateral and imposing, especially as the colonies were getting no support from England and, in fact, were made to fight wars â€" for them on foreign soil and against them on their home turf.Of all of the insults, this taxation without representation was the straw that broke the camel’s back.The Sons of Liberty, a rebel group, went on the offensive. They demonstrated â€" not always peaceably, set fire to public records and looted Chief Justice Thomas Hutchinson’s h ome.Other colonists, taking a more diplomatic (and less destructive) tack, presented the Declaration of Rights and Grievances at the Stamp Act Congress in New York.It is important to note that, even at this time, colonialists considered themselves Englishmen, with all of the rights and privileges due them under English law.You can imagine how those with such a loyalist attitude felt when Parliament expressed the idea that the colonies belong to the Crown and thus were completely subordinate to Parliament rule.Besides, Parliament contended they were virtually represented, just like every other Crown subject.It might be seen as a concession to the colonies that the Stamp Act was repealed in 1766 â€" albeit because of heavy discourse from Benjamin Franklin.But, if it appeared that Britain was softening its stance, the Declaratory Act (1766) dispelled that illusion: they were keeping for themselves full rights to make laws and dispositions with regards to the colonies.Nevertheless, that small concession was a cause for celebration, for loyalists and anarchists alike.What Was the American Revolution and Why was Tea Involved?Shortly after the Declaratory Act, the British Parliament passed the Townshend Acts (1767) under the false belief that colonists’ grievance was having to pay internal taxes, not customs duties.Under these new laws, practically everything used in colonists’ daily lives, from tea to the glass to drink it from â€" anything imported into the colonies would be taxed.Americans protested these new taxes because they were not meant to regulate the colonies’ trade with other nations but to generate revenue for England.They had a valid point: already they had helped finance and fight wars, and they were paying heavy taxes as it was: how were they to thrive economically if constantly put upon â€" unlike other British subjects living in England?The crux of the matter was really about tea.The British East India Tea Company was the Empire’s largest co mpany but it was in danger of failing because tea smuggled into America from the Netherlands was much cheaper, undercutting their profits.The five Townshend acts were meant to ensure that anything destined for the American colonies had to go to England first, whereupon the English could sell goods at a huge markup and tax shipments heavily â€" and that included tea.The Commissioners of Customs Act, the fourth of the five Townshends, installed British customs officers in Boston and other ports so that smuggling â€" of tea and other goods became much more difficult.Once those worthies were installed, it became much easier to enforce the Indemnity Act, number three of the five Townshends, which voided tea taxes and sold British tea at cost â€" cheaper than smuggled Dutch tea.That was seen by the colonists as paltry coercion to force acceptance of the stiffer tariffs on other goods and they didn’t like that one bit!Now the pressure, on both sides, was really on...  just as, centuries later, Europe felt the pressure of Nazi Germany!A boat belonging to John Hancock ( the initial signer of the Declaration of Independence) was seized in Boston harbor under suspicion of being loaded with illegal tea from Holland.A large-scale riot broke out. British customs officials, fearing for their lives, fled the scene. To quell the riots and restore order, the British government sent troops to Boston.Boston Harbour, where once a shipload of tea was dumped Source: Pixabay Credit USA-ReisebloggerBoston, Massachusetts March 5th, 1770A large group of colonialists clusters around the British soldiers patrolling the harbour. They are angry, throwing snowball and debris â€" chunks of wood and glass. One British soldier takes a hit and, even though no order was given, they all open fire.Eleven civilians took a bullet; five of them died as a result.This event came to be known as the Boston Massacre and did much to turn any remaining British loyalists into American patriots.The soldiers were tried for their actions and acquitted in a British court. As a result, any chance at cordial relations between Massachusetts and London evaporated.While radical patriots such as Samuel Adams continued to incite anger against Britain, he also implemented and coordinated the Committees for Correspondence in all 13 colonies; a legitimate and respectable way to set up a government to rebel against British rule.That is downright bureaucratic compared to rebel patriot John Brown, who set fire to a British warship!Another bureaucrat, Benjamin Franklin, at the time Postmaster of the colonies, intercepted letters that were construed as proof of England’s intent to systematically suppress American rights.When confronted with this seemingly treasonous act by the British, Franklin admitted to taking the letters. He was then dismissed from his position.During this time, there were several acts of treason committed but, after John Brown’s burning of the Gaspee, no attempts were made to p unish traitors to the Crown.Meanwhile, the issue of tea was coming to a head.Boston merchants were appointed to sell British tea exclusively but they were soon forced to close shop under pressure from other tea vendors and the governor of Massachusetts himself.Furthermore, the governor declared that any incoming British tea ships would be turned back... but not before rascally rebel Sam Adams and his cronies, dressed in Native American garb, offloaded an entire shipment of tea into the harbour.This event became known as the Boston Tea Party; one of the world's most significant historical events.Thoughts on the American RevolutionAs British control of the colonies eroded, other intolerable acts followed. Indeed, they are now known as the Intolerable Acts:The Massachusetts Government Act restricted town meetings and changed its charterThe Administration of Justice Act called for British soldiers accused of wrongdoing to be tried in Britain instead of the coloniesThe Boston Port Act cl osed the harbour until England had been fully compensated for the tea tossed in the waterThe Quartering Act of 1774 required British soldiers to be housed in American citizens’ residences (with no compensation paid to the citizens).It is said that the tighter one holds on to something, the faster it will slip away.That certainly proved true in the case of the American Revolution: the more restrictive England’s laws became, the more reluctant, and then rebellious the Americans became - much as militant Austrians became after their country's annexation prior to the Second World War.Matters having come to a head in 1775, the colonists turned militant.When the British garrison received orders to disarm all rebels, said rebels fought back, earning a decisive victory in the Battle of Lexington and Concord.The first shot fired in that battle, the opening salvo of the American Revolutionary war that launched a brand new nation, came to be known as the shot heard ‘round the world.So di d the shot that launched the first World War!Incidentally, the special relationship phrase was coined by Winston Churchill in 1946, alluding to his American-born mother â€" not necessarily to any economic or political ties.

Future In The Past

Future In The Past Have you heard of future past? In todays class, your dreams are going to come true. We are going to time travel! Can you think of a time last year, and think of where you thought you would be right now? Youve just time travelled, and hopefully you thought of a sentence in the future past. Confused? Dont worry, this blog  post  will show you how to  use the  future past.We use  future in the past  to talk about something in the past that you  thought  would happen in the future (it doesnt matter if it actually happened or not). Take a  look at the diagram below:As you can see, both of the Xs are in the past, but the blue X is slightly closer to the present (now). This is because we thought the blue X would happen in the future. So how do we make a sentence to show we thought something would happen in the future?  There are two ways:Forming Future Past  1. would  + (base verb)example: I thought you would help him.meaning: I thought you  would help him (with his homework), maybe you did help him/maybe you didnt help him.example: He promised he would send a postcard from Hawaii.meaning:  He said (or he promised) that he would send a postcard to me from Hawaii, maybe he did/didnt.2. was/were  + going to + (base verb)example:  I knew you were going to the concert.meaning:  I thought that you were going to go to the concert and you DID go. (When you  use knew it is to show you were correct with your prediction).example: I thought he was going to crash the car, he was driving so fast!meaning:  He was driving dangerously, I thought he was going to crash the car, but he didnt.We use both of these forms in slightly different ways. Would + (base verb) is mostly used to show a voluntary action,  promise  or to make a  prediction:Voluntary action:  I knew Eric  would make  dinner tonight.Promise:  She promised that she would come to my party.Prediction:  I thought it  would be a disaster.When we use was/were + going to + (base verb),  we  are talking about a  plan  or a  pre diction:Plan:  David said that he  was going to bring  his camera with him, but he forgot.Prediction:  I had a feeling that it  was going to be  a disaster.Future Past Listening ExerciseNow that we have studied how to make  future in the past  sentences, lets practice  using them. First, take a  look at this video:As you can see, these are predictions in the past that people thought would happen in the future. I particularly like the  crazy robot that people thought would exist in 1960!Now its your turn to complete some sentences. At the beginning of the sentence, I have written  either  volunteer, promise, plan  or  prediction. That indicates what type  of sentence to write (would + verb or  was/were + going to + verb).Example: (prediction)  I thought that there _would be  _ cars before the 1930s.(promise) They promised I would ______________ before 1960.(prediction) They thought  there ________________ helicopter trains in 1940.(plan) He told you there _________________ lots of c ars in 2000.Great work! You may have noticed in these sentences that I placed time expressions at the end of the sentence. This is because in all future forms, time expressions cannot be at the beginning of the sentence. You must use the  past  simple  if you have a time expression at the beginning of the sentence- look below:As soon as I would  arrive  at the restaurant, I would order  a pizza.  IncorrectAs soon as I  arrived  at the restaurant, I would order pizza.  Correct (past simple)Future Past Gap Fill ExerciseYoure doing great! We just have one exercise left.  Identify if there is a  time expression, and then use either the  past simple or the Future in the Past  (would +verb or was/were going to +verb)  to complete the sentence with the verb in the parenthesis ( ). As always, write your answers in the comment section and we will give you some feedback!(Husband and wife talking on the phone. Husband at football match, wife at home) Before you _____________ (go) to the footba ll match, I _________________ (make) you some lunch.2. They promised that they ______________  (come) to my birthday party, but no one came!3. By the time he   ______________(arrive), it ___________ (be)  too late.That is the end of todays class, we hope you enjoyed it! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below. If you want to continue improving  your English skills, sign up for a free 25-minute class today! Future In The Past Have you heard of future past? In todays class, your dreams are going to come true. We are going to time travel! Can you think of a time last year, and think of where you thought you would be right now? Youve just time travelled, and hopefully you thought of a sentence in the future past. Confused? Dont worry, this blog  post  will show you how to  use the  future past.We use  future in the past  to talk about something in the past that you  thought  would happen in the future (it doesnt matter if it actually happened or not). Take a  look at the diagram below:As you can see, both of the Xs are in the past, but the blue X is slightly closer to the present (now). This is because we thought the blue X would happen in the future. So how do we make a sentence to show we thought something would happen in the future?  There are two ways:Forming Future Past  1. would  + (base verb)example: I thought you would help him.meaning: I thought you  would help him (with his homework), maybe you did help him/maybe you didnt help him.example: He promised he would send a postcard from Hawaii.meaning:  He said (or he promised) that he would send a postcard to me from Hawaii, maybe he did/didnt.2. was/were  + going to + (base verb)example:  I knew you were going to the concert.meaning:  I thought that you were going to go to the concert and you DID go. (When you  use knew it is to show you were correct with your prediction).example: I thought he was going to crash the car, he was driving so fast!meaning:  He was driving dangerously, I thought he was going to crash the car, but he didnt.We use both of these forms in slightly different ways. Would + (base verb) is mostly used to show a voluntary action,  promise  or to make a  prediction:Voluntary action:  I knew Eric  would make  dinner tonight.Promise:  She promised that she would come to my party.Prediction:  I thought it  would be a disaster.When we use was/were + going to + (base verb),  we  are talking about a  plan  or a  pre diction:Plan:  David said that he  was going to bring  his camera with him, but he forgot.Prediction:  I had a feeling that it  was going to be  a disaster.Future Past Listening ExerciseNow that we have studied how to make  future in the past  sentences, lets practice  using them. First, take a  look at this video:iframe width=560 height=315 src=https://www.youtube.com/embed/czr-98yo6RU frameborder=0 allowfullscreen/iframeAs you can see, these are predictions in the past that people thought would happen in the future. I particularly like the  crazy robot that people thought would exist in 1960!Exercises for English Grammar:Now its your turn to complete some sentences. At the beginning of the sentence, I have written  either  volunteer, promise, plan  or  prediction. That indicates what type  of sentence to write (would + verb or  was/were + going to + verb).Example: (prediction)  I thought that there _would be  _ cars before the 1930s.(promise) They promised I would ______________ before 1960.(prediction) They thought  there ________________ helicopter trains in 1940.(plan) He told you there _________________ lots of cars in 2000.Great work! You may have noticed in these sentences that I placed time expressions at the end of the sentence. This is because in all future forms, time expressions cannot be at the beginning of the sentence. You must use the  past  simple  if you have a time expression at the beginning of the sentence- look below:As soon as I would  arrive  at the restaurant, I would order  a pizza.  IncorrectAs soon as I  arrived  at the restaurant, I would order pizza.  Correct (past simple)Future Past Gap Fill ExerciseYoure doing great! We just have one exercise left.  Identify if there is a  time expression, and then use either the  past simple or the Future in the Past  (would +verb or was/were going to +verb)  to complete the sentence with the verb in the parenthesis ( ). As always, write your answers in the comment section and we will give yo u some feedback!(Husband and wife talking on the phone. Husband at football match, wife at home) Before you _____________ (go) to the football match, I _________________ (make) you some lunch.2. They promised that they ______________  (come) to my birthday party, but no one came!3. By the time he   ______________(arrive), it ___________ (be)  too late.That is the end of todays class, we hope you enjoyed it! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below. If you want to continue improving  your English skills, sign up for a free 25-minute class today!

Brasil é notícia pelo mundo, aprenda Inglês com isso!

Brasil é notícia pelo mundo, aprenda Inglês com isso! Em um outro artigo, comentei que costumo ler notícias em Inglês,muitas vezes sobre o Brasil, como forma de melhorar o meu conhecimento da língua e enriquecer o meu vocabulário. Desde o anúncio de que iremos sediar a Copa e as Olimpíadas tem havido muito mais material disponível, inclusive de pessoas que tentam convencer possíveis visitantes de desistirem de vir ao Brasil como na imagem ao lado. Agora, desde que as manifestações começaram, o volume de notícias sobre o Brasil é ainda maior, fazendo com que exista uma oportunidade de melhorar a compreensão escrita e oral do idioma ao mesmo tempo que nos mantemos informados sobre o que passa na imprensa internacional.No entanto, ler notícias e mais notícias, todas elas dizendo mais ou menos o mesmo pode ser frustrante. Se você quer variar um pouco e sair do formato de notícia padrão, saiba que existe uma grande variedade de material circulando, muito do qual é produzido por brasileiros. Desconheço a autoria da image m que ilustra este texto e embora a mensagem não seja completamente honesta, é possível aprender alguma coisa através dos erros. Uma hipótese de dizer o que está escrito corretamente seria: Dont go to Brazil, there crime is free and has full government support. People under 16 years of age have a free pass for all types of crime. There are cruel killings and cases of rape in public transports, but there are no laws for these crimes.Enquanto algumas das coisas que são produzidas têm péssima qualidade, servindo apenas para que você aprenda com os erros. Outras contam com um Inglês praticamente perfeito e efetivamente servem ao objetivo de ajudar a que haja uma melhoria na compreensão e um aumento do vocabulário. Um exemplo disso é um vídeo que tem circulado na rede, que é falado em Inglês e tem legendas em Português.Com a alteração do propósito das manifestações, que deixaram de ser apenas contra o aumento da tarifa dos transportes públicos em São Paulo, passa ndo a ser contra o desgoverno de dinheiro público na construção de infraestruturas para os eventos e um apelo pela melhoria de serviços de saúde e educação, o fluxo de material em Inglês se manterá bastante alto seja por grandes jornais e cadeias de televisão internacionais ou indivíduos que querem que aquilo que têm a dizer seja entendido por um público maior. Particularmente, acredito que esta é uma ótima oportunidade que não deve ser desperdiçado por quem pretende sair da sua zona de conforto e quer começar a treinar e/ou ampliar os seus conhecimentos de Inglês diariamente.

Learn a Language Through Songs Rockin Tools and Tips

Learn a Language Through Songs Rockin Tools and Tips Learn a Language Through Songs: Rockin Tools and Tips Madonna once sang, Music makes the people come together.Theres a lot of truth to that.Music is a cornerstone of culture, and so songs have been written in every language since the birth of speech itself.What might once have been people gathered round the fire now has a 21st-century feel, as individuals the world over get their aural fix over the worldwide web.As you may already suspect, this is great for your language learning.But how exactly can you use this modern musical phenomenon to your advantage?And why should songs form part of your journey to fluency? How Can Songs Help You Learn a Language?Theyre catchy!Theres a reason that annoying song you heard on the radio is stuck so firmly in your head. Melodies are excellent memory tools. Whether its Pachelbels Canon in D or Taylor Swifts Blank Space,  a good, simple melody can be paired with words and make them a lot easier to keep in mind. In fact, many experts even recommend language learners put words theyre trying to learn to simple tunes.Whats more, modern music tends to have a set, repetitive structure. Verses and choruses repeat phrases and words, so listening to them helps to drill vocabulary into your mind. Meanwhile, rhyme patterns help you remember pronunciation and memorize groups of words that fit together. (A very well-used example for Spanish learners is Manu Chaos  Me gustas túâ€"a Peruvian friend calls it the vocabulary song.)Finally, if you find songs you like, you can listen to them again and again, learning a little more each time.They provide contextWhether its a love song, a political anthem or a dance tune, songs have themes. They give  crucial context  to the language youre learning. Unlike lists of vocabulary, which are hard to absorb into your language usage, once you get the gist of a song, you know that all the words you learn from it will be related to it. This hugely increases your chances of being able to use that language in the future.Theyre a cultural adventureMusic is a cr ucial part of any culture, and cultural understanding is a hugely important element of language learning. This insight can help give meaning to your language studyâ€"as well as give you something to talk about!We all love to discover new musicâ€"why not kill two birds with one stone?Learn a Language Through Songs: Rockin Tools and TipsGetting Going: Finding Target-language SongsOn board? Great! Heres how to get startedChoose your songs wiselyThe key tip is this: Pick music that you like. This might sound obvious, but its tempting to just pick the first songs in your target language you come across. However, theres no point in forcing yourself to listen to thrash metal or soporific ballads if they arent your thingâ€"you wont enjoy them and you wont be motivated to keep listening. If you like rap or rock n roll in your native tongue, start with these in your target language!(A personal tip: I really like listening to rap music in foreign languages. Its rhythmicâ€"which helps you to le arn about stress patternsâ€"a mix of spoken and sung words and incredibly varied in theme. Check out  La vuelta al mundo  by Calle 13 if youre a Spanish learner, or  Goldfisch  by Fiva if youre trying to pick up German.)Just like with any listening material you would use to support your language study, make sure to pitch it right for your level. If youre an advanced learner, a childrens lullaby is unlikely to teach you much; however, if there are no words you understand at all in the songs you pick, youll struggle to make progress.Get your resources rightMusic is everywhere, but in a digital world its important to be savvy in what you use to find your optimal tunes. Here are some recommendations:The best source of song recommendations is native speakers of the language. Ask friends or people online what they listen to and try it out. If you dont yet have any connections with native speakers, its really easy to find them. For online connections, try Speaky; if youd rather meet people face-to-face, Meetup often has groups that do language exchanges or gatherings for specific language and culture groups. Theres nothing like listening to some tunes over a drink or a meal!FluentU is an ideal resource for finding and learning through target-language music. Its built on the idea that authentic video content is a fantastic way to learn a languageâ€"and this includes lots of music videos complete with optional interactive captions and built-in learning tools. You can also follow FluentUs language blogs for some great song and additional resource recommendations like these:15 Free Sites for Downloading Chinese Songs7 Hit Spanish Songs Youve Gotta Download8 Catchy French Songs Youve Gotta Download ASAP8 German Rap Songs for Mastering the Language Like a Boss  Invest in an account with a music streaming service like Spotify. I use it to create playlists of music for each language Im learning; this means I can always find my tracks and add to it as I get new recommendation s. The other great thing about Spotify is that you can use the Radio feature to get recommendations based on individual songs or artists. Find something you like, listen to related songs and populate your playlist!Go onto YouTube and search for playlists in your target language. In the modern world, people share all sorts of curated content. For example, you could listen to a list of Disney songs in French, a collection of Swahili music or a playlist filled with Russian rock. These are easy to find! Simply:Search for what you want to find, e.g., Spanish rock songs.Click Filter.Under Type, choose Playlist.Listen and enjoy!Prefer to listen in person? Depending on where you live this could be tricky, but planning a trip to a festival in a target language country is a great motivatorâ€"and will give you a chance to hear loads of different artists as well as give you ideas for music to look up ahead of time, all while meeting people with a shared interest. Time Out has a huge list to sta rt with.Making the Most of It: How to Learn with SongsGot your playlist ready? Already on your way to being a musical multilinguist? Great! Heres some advice to help you make the most of it.Sing out loud!As youre starting to get the words of the songs, sing them out loud! This will fix them in your mind and improve your speaking as well as your listening.If you play a little piano or guitar, look up the chords online and learn to play them, impressing your friends as you go.If not, what could be better than a little karaoke? YouTube is the place to go againâ€"simply search the name of your song of choice and karaoke and theres a good chance someone has created a voiceless version with all the lyrics on the screen. Invite your study buddies round and have a foreign-language karaoke party!Write out lyricsAs youre listening, try writing out the lyrics as you understand them. This will help you remember the words and also help you to build an understanding of the meaning of tricky phras es. Once youve got most of a song but there are a few gaps, you can look them up onlineâ€"although remember that lyric sites like AZLyrics are user-created, so do make mistakes!Do your dialect researchThe biggest drawback (or exciting challenge!) of using pop music can be that, in a medium designed for native speakers, specific slang, dialects or strong accents can slip in. For example, I was bemused about not being able to understand a single word in a specific verse of Articolo 31s  Gente che spera until a native Italian speaker told me it was in the Neapolitan dialectâ€"essentially a different language!The upside of this is that, once you get used to what youre listening to, youll hear a much broader and richer range of language than you might find in a textbook.The best thing to do is a little background researchâ€"Wikipedia, anyone?â€"to find out both where a target language singer or band is from and what the dialectic differences to expect in your target languages are. For ex ample, if youre learning English from a Scottish band, you know its possible that some Scots dialect might slip inâ€"very different from Standard English!Join fan forumsRemember, every great band has great fans. Participate in fan forums onlineâ€"nowadays mostly found on social media, like Twitter or Facebook. (One example is Japanese duo  Ego-Wrappins Facebook page.) Use these resources to connect with other fans, allowing your newfound hobby to expand your language horizons yet further. This may also give you a few new songs to listen toIs there a more fun way to study than to learn a language through songs? Happy singing, dancingâ€"and learning!