All About Stradivarius Violins

All About Stradivarius Violins Stradivarius Instruments and their Amazing Legacy ChaptersThe Stradivari Family: A HistoryWhat Makes Stradivarius Violins So Special?Original Stradivarius Violins: Where are They Now?The Stradivari LegacyRegardless of whether or not you’ve ever picked up a violin or had violin tuition of any kind, the name ‘Stradivarius’ will mean something to you.‘Stradivarius’, the world-famous name given to the string instruments created by one of the finest luthiers in the history of violin making, Antonio Stradivari, represents the genius craftsmanship which is believed to have resulted in the sound of perfection.But what exactly makes Stradivarius violins so remarkable? What is the history of the Stradivari family? Can you still buy an original Stradivarius musical instrument today?Surviving instruments crafted by Antonio Stradivari sell for millions of dollars at auction, however, they are so rare that even if you have this kind of money in your back pocket, the chances of coming across an original 17th or 18th-century Strad are ver y small.There is, however, a number of violin makers who work to recreate certain Stradivarius models as accurately as possible in the hope of bringing the trademark Stradivarius tone back to life once again. Thus, it is possible to buy a violin with a similar sound - but it still won't be a genuine Stradivarius.If you’re interested in the rich history of string instruments and finding out more about why Stradivari pedigree is so prized, our guide is here to tell you all you need to know and Stradivarius violins. TomViolin Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors StacyViolin Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValtieViolin Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors BenedictViolin Teacher 5.00 (8) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TaisiiaViolin Teacher 5.00 (1) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AmyViolin Teacher 5.00 (1) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LuísViolin Teacher 5.00 (6) £40/h1s t lesson free!Discover all our tutors MomokoViolin Teacher £45/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe Stradivari Family: A HistoryStradivarius violins were made by renowned  Italian luthier Antoni Stradivari and his family in the 17th and 18th centuries â€" but how, why and where did it all begin?Although little is known about the details of Stradivari’s life, historians estimate that he was born in Cremona in 1644.Before Antoni Stradivarius was born and made is way in the world as an expert maker of stringed instruments, the city of Cremona had long been regarded as the Italian capital of master violin craftsmen.In fact, it is believed that Antonius Stradivarius (to use the Latin form of his name) was trained as a pupil of Nicolò Amati â€" a leading violin maker at that time who came from a long line of master luthiers who contributed to the development of the style of violin played today.Towards the end of his apprenticeship, Stradivari was working to create his own instr uments while he continued to work for Amati until he set up his own workshop in the late 1660s.Stradivari experimented with the proportions of the violins, violas and cellos that he crafted in an attempt to produce the best possible tone.It was Antonio Stradivari who devised the shape and size of the modern violin, as well as details such as the shape of the bridge.Cremona has long been regarded as the capital of violin making ¦ source: Pixabay - maristeneva0Stradivari’s contribution to modern violin making is perhaps one of the many reasons why his instruments are still regarded as the best of their kind in existence.The Stradivari legacy lived on in two of Antonio Stradivari’s six sons, Francesco Stradivari and Omobono Stradivari, who continued to produce string instruments under the famous Stradivarius label, each one developing their own artistic signatures in the violins’ purfling.So, the reason that the Stradivari name is so famous in the world of music is the contribut ion of the family to the development of the modern-day violin in all its forms, the viola, cello and even the mandolin.What Makes Stradivarius Violins So Special?The violins and other members of the string family crafted by Antonio Stradivari are regarded as the first modern violins in terms of their dimensions and proportions â€" but why exactly did this design become so successful after years of experimenting?One New York Times article explains a study done by a researcher at Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in Missouri to determine how Stradivari’s pioneering design differed from the instruments that preceded it.The Researcher, Dr. Dan Chitwood, used back and front photographs of a range of violins and compared them using a method for comparing the shape and form of plant species to statistically map the shape of Stradivari’s designs to those of other luthiers throughout history.Stradivari's design has influenced violin making for centuries ¦ source: New York TimesThe fi ndings of this research seemed to indicate that the shape of a violin does little to affect the sound of the instrument. Instead, other factors such as the wood from which a violin’s body is carved as well as the varnish, which is often disregarded as a ‘finishing touch’, can change the timbre significantly. No amount of violin tuning can replicate the Stradivarius sound on an inferior instrument.However, Dr. Chitwood’s research did indicate that over time, the distinctive Stradivari design became widely adopted by other master luthiers in the 19th century as they strived to reproduce the Stradivari sound for themselves.So, does this mean that the trend of replicating the Stradivari shape, which is still so prominent, was all for nothing?This finding might debunk the legend of the magic craftsmanship of Antoni Stradivari, but other luthiers also recognised the importance of using certain materials in the construction of their string instruments.So, while the focus on the gen eral shape of the violin may have been unnecessary, the quest to use the exact type of wood used by Stradivari and unlock the Stradivari formula to varnish it was not completely fruitless.Following in the footsteps of Antonio Stradivari and his family has led to a standard shape for the modern violin as well as the production of many high-quality copies which, when the violins are porperly cared for , are on-par with the original Strads according to blind sound tests.Original Stradivarius Violins: Where are They Now?Antoni Stradivari crafted violins in the 17th and 18th centuries â€" that means that the existing original instruments are around 300 years old!But how many instruments did Stradivari make? And how many have survived three centuries?It is believed that during his life, Antonio Stradivari put his stamp on over 1,000 string instruments. These were mainly violins, but his work also included harps, guitars, violas and cellos.Today, around 650 of these instruments bearing the original Stradivarius label are recorded as having survived the past 300-or-so years.So, what happened to the missing 350 instruments?300 years is a long time for anything to survive in pristine condition, and a lot can happen in that amount of time. Many of Stradivari’s creations have been stolen or  lost in accidents such as floods, house fires and even bombings during the world wars.Due to their reputation for being incredibly valuable, very few of them have not been accounted for or recovered.In fact, there is a website dedicated to keeping track of each and every one of the remaining Stradivarius instruments, where visitors can track the whereabouts of each violin, viola and cello.Although a Stradivarius pedigree is seen as priceless, original instruments can fetch eye-watering amounts of money at auction.The highest Stradivarius violin price paid at auction is $16,000,000 (that’s £9.5 million!).There was also an attempt to fetch even more in 2014, when a Stradivari viola was put to auction at Sotheby's with a minimum bid of $45,000,000 ( £27 million), however, the minimum bid was not reached and the viola remains in private hands.Who owns these legendary instruments anyway?Many of Stradivari’s instruments are owned by professional violinists, collectors and aristocrats while some are on display in museums.It is becoming increasingly common for owners of these famed instruments to loan them to professionals for a period of time.For instance, one violin made in 1667 known by the sobriquet ex-Captain Saville is on loan to the famous virtuoso André Rieu, who regularly performs with a symphony orchestra.Keeping the Stradivari sound alive: André Rieu on stage ¦ source: Visualhunt - ~BC~Another of Stradivari’s 1667 works is recorded as being sold to a collector by the name of Francis Aranyi in 1986.So, the violins created by Antonio Stradivari for the art of playing violin music have grown in other types of value as symbols of the rich history of l utherie.The Stradivari LegacyAlthough the original Stradivari and his two luthier sons have long stopped creating string instruments and bows, their legacy lives on in the violins of today.We’ve already seen how the Stradivarius violin shape has been adopted as the standard for modern violins, but did you know that to this day there are still violin makers who strive to exactly replicate these 300-year-old masterpieces?Aside from the companies who mass-produce student violins using the same dimensions of the most famous Strads, there are also many luthiers who seek out the exact materials used by Stradivari in order to make their tributes to the famous craftsman as authentic as possible.In China, master luthier Xue Ping Hue has created a series of replicas of Stradivari’s 1715 Il Cremonese, using only the finest materials in an attempt to create an instrument with the same tonal quality as the original. This limited-edition replica is on the market for £1,999. Fortunately, begi nner violins cost a lot less!So, even modern-day Stradivarius replicas come with a hefty price tag.If you’re a budding violinist or music maestro (conductor or concertmaster), the fascinating story of the Stradivari family and their legendary string instruments is awe-inspiring â€" who knows? Maybe one day you could play a genuine Stradivarius for yourself.Are you looking for violin lessons London or other cities in the UK? Superprof can help!

What Is The Best Way To Learn Spanish For Complete Beginners

What Is The Best Way To Learn Spanish For Complete Beginners How to Learn Spanish for Beginners: Some Tips to Get Started ChaptersWhy Should You Learn Spanish?Different Ways to Learn Spanish for BeginnersGeneral Tips for How to Learn SpanishStarting out on your Spanish language learning experience can sometime seem a bit daunting. For a start, you'll need to know what are the best ways to learn Spanish, and how doing so will benefit you.You can take comfort from the fact that one major decision is already out of the way; you have decided to learn Spanish so you are no longer thinking about the pros and cons of each individual language.If you have absolutely no Spanish experience at all, then let us first begin by saying   ¡Bienvenidos!  Yes, welcome to the world of the Spanish language! You are probably dreaming of being fluent and conversing freely on the streets of Madrid. Whilst it is great to have objectives and goals, please bear in mind that at this stage it is baby steps which will ensure you keep progressing towards your goal.By learning Spanish, you will expand your horizons and enter into the second most spoken native language in the world, after Chinese. This means that any level of Spanish will be advantageous to you.Having a conversational level will allow you to learn the basic greetings and phrases to speak to locals whilst you are on holiday in Mexico. Having an intermediate level will allow you to move abroad to countries such as Spain, Argentina, Peru, and Chile, but to name a few.In this article, we will explain why, as a beginner, you should learn how to speak Spanish, how you should go about it, as well as giving you some tips to keep you on track, and make sure you keep progressing on your Spanish speaking journey.Spanish and English are two of the languages that dominate the AmericasThis means that if you speak Spanish as a second language, you can communicate with a native speaker in Costa Rica, Panama, Bolivia, and Uruguay, showing that if you learn to speak Spanish, you will be opening up your travel prospects enormously.This is great news when you consid er that Chile was named number 1 travel destination for 2018 by the world's largest travel guide book publisher,  Lonely Planet. What's more, Sevilla in Spain, San Juan in Puerto Rico, and Guanajuato in Mexico, all featured on their list of the top 10 cities to visit in 2018. Baja California in Mexico, Bolivia's capital, La Paz, and Lanzarote in Spain, were all included on their list of destinations offering the best value in 2018.Spanish speaking countries offer some of the most beautiful and amazing places to visit in the world, and this is without even considering the rich and distinct history and culture that each one can boast. Speaking Spanish is the key to unlocking the full potential of each destination, and doing so will enrich the authenticity of your experience as you will be able to interact with the locals which could take you to cafes and restaurants not frequented by tourists.Use your Spanish to explore the local cuisineYou are probably thinking that this all sounds g reat, but perhaps you are still worried about how difficult it is to study Spanish. You can be reassured that the Foreign Service Institute placed Spanish in the category of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers. This doesn't mean you should take your Spanish lessons lightly, but it does mean that with a little bit of dedication and personal motivation, you should see results and progress quicker than with languages such as Arabic, Russian, or Chinese.How Will Learning Spanish Benefit You?The sheer number of native Spanish speakers has converted the language into one that people want to learn to speak. As a result, it has taken on increased importance across the globe. Not only is it one of the official languages of the UN, it is also important in the world of business. This means that speaking Spanish can increase your employability immensely, as companies are constantly looking for Spanish speakers to help them do business in Latin America.Many Spanish speaking count ries have seen periods of increased economic growth at various periods over the last two decades, helped by economic agreements such as NAFTA and Mercosur.What's more, many Hispanic countries are seeing a rise in their middle classes, which means that, in general, people have more disposable income to spend on goods, holidays, and non-essential items. Western businesses are keen to tap into this growing market, but having a Spanish speaking workforce is crucial to their success.Outside of the economic benefits to you, you will also see a growth in personal development by studying the language of Cervantes. Just by learning a few words and phrases, Spanish speaking cultures will become more accessible to you. Aside from watching movies in Spanish to learn the language, you will be able to better appreciate the cultural meaning behind them. The same can be said of songs and books. After all, a translated book can never truly convey the exact same meaning as it does in the language in which it was written.There are loads of Spanish speaking films for you to appreciate!An increased cultural understanding will give you a different perspective on the world. You will understand things that happen around you better as you will gradually be able to apply a different way of thinking about them.Ultimately, learning a foreign language, such as Spanish, will open a variety of doors to you. These will be in your professional life through job opportunities, and in your personal life through opportunities to travel and an increased cultural awareness and understanding.Different Ways to Learn Spanish for BeginnersThere are plenty of different ways for beginners to pick up the Spanish language. You will see Spanish courses being advertised at a local language school, options for learning Spanish online, as well as private classes with a Spanish teacher.There is no correct way to study Spanish. In fact, the best way to learn Spanish will involve a variety of different approaches which you mix together. It would be advisable to find some Spanish classes. This will give your learning some structure, as well as offering the chance to interact with other people in the same position as you. Having a tutor there at the beginning is also a good idea for when you run in to difficulties and you need certain things clarifying.A Spanish teacher can give you guidance in your language learning journeyHowever, you should not just rely on Spanish lessons as your sole approach to learning the language. You should use other methods, such as using books for learning Spanish. Research which is the best book to help you begin learning Spanish before you rush out to buy one as you will need one that perfectly suits you.Learning Spanish with an app  is another good way that beginners can support their overall learning experience. Apps have the advantage of being on your smartphone or tablet, meaning that you can use them of the go. They are often also designed for complete begi nners and back you along the way as your develop your language skills in Spanish.You can work on things such as grammar and vocabulary, whilst other apps focus on verbs and their conjugation.As with any new language, you will naturally start by focusing on the basic Spanish that you'll need to hold an introductory conversation. This means that Spanish vocabulary is more important than Spanish grammar at the start. This is because vocabulary makes up the building blocks of how to construct a sentence.Making a correct sentence is more important at the beginning than knowing the grammar behind it. And by making complete and correct sentences, you will start to give to give basic meaning.So it is therefore essential that you commit the new vocabulary you learn (and there will be a lot!) to memory. Start by making lists of new Spanish words, and then try to memorize them. The first list that you will learn will more than likely be numbers, as learning a new language normally starts here. Counting in Spanish is one of the first things you will learnBut once you have the numbers assimilated, try with other lists of vocabulary. If you can, group words together. For example, you could have one list of colours, and another for physical features. These are the types of words that are useful when you start out learning Spanish.General Tips for How to Learn SpanishSpanish is a language that can be learnt by anyone. Obviously each student will require a different approach to learning the language. For example,  teaching Spanish to a dyslexic child  will require a different approach to that of an adult taking an intensive course. But in general, here are our tips for learning the Spanish language.FlashcardsFlashcards are a great way to learn vocabulary. You should write down one word per flashcard, with English translation on the other side. To begin with, just see if you can say way the English word is when you see the Spanish word. As you grow in confidence and your level i ncreases, see if you know the Spanish word when you see the English word.Another thing you could do which words in a similar way is to label everything that surrounds you. For example, in your kitchen you could put a little sign on the fridge that says la nevera, and one on the microwave that says el microondas.Practise Makes PerfectTake every available that you can to practice. If you have a Spanish speaking friend, practise what you learn in your classes with them. If they are a native speaker, they can help you with your pronunciation.As a new learner, you need to be practising as often as possible. This will help solidify what you learn in your classes, and through practising you will pick up the patterns in the sentence structure and grammar.Use Different Ways of Learning SpanishAs we have previously suggested, you should try to utilise as many different ways of learning Spanish as possible so that they compliment each other. This is especially important if you want to teach yo urself Spanish.There is a wealth of resources out there (websites, apps, books, videos etc) so make sure you use them all to practise and learn. Videos in particular are a great way to learn and improve because they deal in depth with specific topics, such as the one below which looks at phonetics.Patience is a VirtueDon't expect your fluency to be flawless after just one less. Language learning is a long process. There will be highs and lows. Some times you will think you are progressing really well, and at others you will think that you have ground to a halt.Don't lose faith in what you can achieve, just remember that ups and downs are natural. If you persevere, you will more than likely come out of the other side. If you do find yourself in a difficult moment, try going back and looking at previous notes and what you have learnt.Reinforcing things that you might already know well can instil the confidence that you need to make the breakthrough that you crave.Vocabulary is KingYou will never stop learning new vocabulary. This is often the case in your native language too. You often come across new words which you don't necessarily know what they mean. The building blocks of any language are the words, so try to learn a few new words each day. Once you have learnt them, try to use them in a sentence to reinforce that you know them.Spanish is a language which relies on around 1,000 common words which you will use day in day out, but once you reach this level, know that there is always more that you can learn.When you learn new words, right them down! Try to group them together so that you can see patterns and common themes in what you are trying to learn.Writing down key words is a good way of memorising what you learnImmersionThe best way to learn any language is through immersion. The more you surround yourself with a language, the more you will absorb. The best example of this is by going to spend an extended period of time in a Spanish speaking country. Ev en when you think that you aren't learning, you will be absorbing what you hear on the radio, or during a conversation in the supermarket.Even if you can't go abroad, listening to Spanish speaking music will help you tune your ear in to the Spanish pronunciation, even if you don't understand every thing that is being said.What a great way to prepare for your Spanish lessons London or Glasgow!

4 Chinese Recipes Made Easy

4 Chinese Recipes Made Easy Why Is Learning To Make Chinese Food Worth The Effort? ChaptersPopular Chinese Cooking Techniques For Chinese RecipesThe Essential Chinese Food  Ingredient ListPopular Items On The Chinese Food Menu.Easy Chinese Recipes You Can Make At HomeFaster Than Calling Your Local Chinese Food TakeawayFocused on minimal fuzz and maximum impact, all Chinese recipes incorporate seasonal and fresh vegetables, fish/meats, rice, and noodles. The result is perfectly balanced, flavourful, delicious, fragrant and wholesome meals, which keep you coming back for more, no matter how many times you have eaten it.It is for this reason that the popularity of Chinese food has spread rapidly worldwide. With the Chinese takeaway being the ethnic staple on the high streets of cities internationally.So when you pick up the phone, to call your local Chinese restaurant, with your stomach rumbling and preparing for the joys of the meal to follow, it is unlikely that you think about when the dish was invented.Much of China's cuisine has been cultivated over thousands of years and has now created a melting pot of cooking styles, techniques, and flavours.Steaming; which is considered to be an extremely healthy way to cook is used in many recipes such as Dim Sum.Boiling; which is one of the simplest ways to cook creates dishes such as Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce.Deep frying; is the key to tasty and crispy textures and creates dishes like spring rolls stuffed with veggies or fried noodles.Roasted meats; done over a hot fire or in the oven reveal crispy skin and soft succulent meat beneath such as the famous Peking duck.Fast Chinese food ready in minutes. Photo source Unsplash.The Essential Chinese Food  Ingredient ListChinese cuisine is full of a diverse collection of unique flavours, which blend together and enhance each other to create the delicious Chinese recipes that we have come to know and love. When eating Chinese food you may not always recognise the different tastes but some of the essential ingredients are:Essential Chinese Ingredient s:Dark Soy sauce, which has a slightly sweeter and less salty taste than other kinds of soy sauce. Made from soybeans.Fresh Ginger adds heat to your dish, tenderises meat and deodorises fish.Chilli sauce, adds a spicy kick to your meal.Toasted sesame oil is the key flavour of many dishes most commonly drizzled sparingly to garnish a dish.Black Vinegar which has a colour close to that of soy sauce but it has a woody, malty and pungent flavour.Oyster sauce is a popular Chinese sauce that has unique fragrant flavour enhancing properties, used often in marinades.Chinese Five-spice powder has a powerful flavour.Monosodium glutamate a natural flavour enhancer.Ingredients for Chinese cookingThe rich flavours in Chinese food recipes which were once a mystery, difficult to buy and intimidating to cook, are no longer restricted to just to the Chinese restaurant, takeout or kitchen. You can now buy previously top-secret ingredients at your local supermarket. Chinese pre-prepared meals and off the shelf products are fast and make it easy to recreate the takeaway experience at home.A favourite on the Chinese food Menu. Photo source Pixabay.My parents were much more experimental. They would order lots of new things from the menu like flavourful black bean duck, roasted crab, Chinese fried rice and there were always cashews, veggies like bok choy, cabbage, broccoli, chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Not to mention the different kinds of sticky rice, sweet and savoury.The taste of the red glistening sweet and sour sauce covering Chinese, makes my mouth water even now, it could perhaps be my favourite Chinese sauce. I always took hours to eat my saucy chicken, and taste every last drop. 4The interesting thing is that when I went to my friends or families house’s, I noticed that when they ordered Chinese food, they always ordered similar items to my family.Chinese restaurants have filled our bellies with delicious Chinese food for centuries. Photo source Pixabay.There was always t he fried rice dish like egg or chicken fried rice, the fried noodle dish like prawn chow mein, the starter like spring rolls, the saucy dish like sweet and sour pork or prawns, and who can forget the thick chicken and corn soup. My mouth is watering again just thinking about it.Learn more thanks to  cooking courses London.Chinese menus are full of delicious selections. The mix of diverse ingredients being turned into any number of new dishes has secured the flavourful Chinese food menu, as a firm favourite on the tables of people worldwide.Easy Chinese Recipes You Can Make At HomeEven if you are not a confident cook, these recipes are easy quick and taste great. All of the ingredients will be available at your local supermarket or your local Asian supermarket and after you have made it once you will be able to gain confidence to make it time and time again. You will be the talking point of every dinner party when people taste your authentic Chinese food flavours and want to know you r 'secret'.If you enjoy these recipes and want to try even more Chinese food recipes, visit the BBC, They offer Chinese recipes  that you can try at home.Recipe for Chinese Chicken And Sweetcorn Soup1/2 a boiled or steamed chicken breast1 can of  green giant sweetcorn1 beaten egg with a pinch of salt300ml water1/4 cup of cornstarchSalt, pepper and/or MSG to tasteOptional: Garnish with Spring onions (scallions) and toasted sesame oilOptional: Add some rice noodles to have more of a noodle soupCooking Time: Less than 10 minutesServes 2 peopleCooking Instructions for Chicken And Sweetcorn SoupAdd a tablespoon of oil to a hot wok or frying pan over a high heat.The chicken should be stir fried but not browned.Add the water to make a broth.Add the sweetcorn and the seasoning then Boil for 3-5 minutes.Add the cornstarch very slowly until it becomes a loose thick paste.  Stir well.Add the egg bit by bit, stirring infrequently until egg ribbons are formed.Remove from the fire.Top with sprin g onions (scallions) and drizzle a few drops of sesame oil on top.You will now enjoy one of the most satisfying textured Chinese soups. If you want to be creative you could also use this as a Chinese sauce for veggies or rice.Simple Chinese recipe ready in less than 15 minutes. Photo source Pixabay.Recipe for Chicken Chow Mein (Fried Noodles)400g cooked egg noodles or rice noodles1/2 small white onionChop a vegetable or two (optional)1 boiled or steamed chicken breast1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon of MSG (or 1 small spoon of light soy sauce)A hand full of bean sproutsVegetable oilChilli flakes to garnishCooking Time: Less than 30 minutesServes 2 peopleCooking Instructions for  Chicken Chow MeinAdd oil to a hot wok or frying pan over a high heat.When you have hot oil add the onion and make sure it is stir fried well.Add the chicken. Fry for 2-3 minutes.Add the salt and the noodles. Fry for a few minutes until loose.Add soy sauce or MSG and the bean sprout s.Garnish with spring onions.Another easy chicken dish, these chicken noodles will have you wanting seconds so double the recipe so you don’t miss out.How can you resist trying to make Chinese food recipes. Photo source Pixabay.Recipe for Sweet and Sour  Chinese PorkPork Marinade - Prepare the Pork 1 day before250 grams of your favourite cut of pork1 tbsp of dark soy sauce1/4 tsp of salt1/2 tsp of baking powderFor the stir-fried ingredients2 Eggs1/2 cup of plain flour1 tbsp of garlic1 cup of your chosen vegetable2 cups of a colourful bell pepper2 cups of pineappleSweet and sour Chinese Sauce1/4 cup of ketchup1/4 cup of water1/4 cup of sugar1/4 cup of vinegar2 tbsp of plum sauce1 tbsp of cornstarchPinch of salt or to tasteIf you like it spicy you can add some chilliCooking Time: Less than 10 minutesServes 2 peopleTip: If you want to replace the Pork and make sweet and sour chicken you need to follow the same process.Cooking Instructions for Sweet and Sour Chinese PorkCut the pork i nto small cubes and add to a bowl.Add 1 tbsp soy sauce. 1/4 tsp of salt. 1/4 tsp of baking soda.Mix and let it marinade overnight to make it tender.Whisk 2 eggs. Dip each piece of tender pork cube into the egg and then coat it with flour, do this twice.Heat the oil in the deep fryer (preferable) Wok or Frying pan to 350 Degrees until you have very hot oil.Deep fry your pork twice.Remove from the fire.Add all of the ingredients for the sauce to a pan.Cook on medium heat whilst stirring.Once it is bubbling, turn the heat to low, until it feels sticky.Remove from the fire.Heat up your wok (Frying Pan).Add 1 tbsp of oil, and 1 tbsp of garlic.Add the bell peppers and pineapple. Stir for 3 minutes.Add the pork and the sauce.Mix well and remove from the fire.Your Chinese pork dish is servedA popular Chinese pork recipe is sweet and sour Pork. Photo source Pixabay.Recipe for Vegetarian Egg Stir Fried Rice250g of Leftover riceDark Soy SauceYour choice of chopped vegetableAn EggTofu (optional )Salt, pepper and/or MSG to tasteCooking Time: Less than 10 minutesServes 2 peopleCooking Instructions for Egg Stir Fried RiceAdd some dark soy sauce to your day old rice.Mix very well until all of the leftover rice is coated.Whisk your egg.Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a hot wok (frying pan) over a high heat.The pan needs to be extremely hot for best results.Add the egg and scramble it quickly. Add your rice and chosen veggies.Must be stir fried energetically for 5 minutes, make sure all of the rice gets heated by moving it actively in the pan.Remove from the fire.A flavourful Chinese dishPerfectly balanced Chinese food - Egg fried rice. Photo source Pixabay.Faster Than Calling Your Local Chinese Food TakeawayMany of the Chinese dishes and recipes can be made in less than 20 minutes, so it is perfect for a treat after a hard day at work  because it is so easy. Or why not surprise your family or friends, no matter what the occasion. Have a look around your local supermarket for some of the ingredients listed above, experiment with texture â€" crispy, crunchy, Chinese sauce, dried ingredients, toss in nuts like peanuts and cashews, go with what you find, taste everything and enjoy the journey.All you need is a love for food, confidence that anything you make will be great and the assurance that you will get better with practice.  With this mindset, you cannot fail to create delicious and authentic better than takeout Chinese recipes.For a truly authentic experience eat your meal with chopsticks.It’s time for a feastEnjoy!Learn more about Asian Cooking with our guide.Panorama of Asian cuisine  The best Asian food blogs  Easy Asian recipes  Asian Cooking in a Wok  Why is Asian cooking different to Western cooking?

Setting Language Learning Goals

Setting Language Learning Goals Why You Need Language Learning Goals ChaptersThe Difference Between Goals and DreamsGoals Make It Easy to Get StartedGoals Help You Take ControlIncrease Your Focus With GoalsGoals Help You Monitor Your ProgressGoals Maximize Your ResultsGoals Define Your ProcessGoals Protect You From ProcrastinationGoals Hold You AccountableGoals Keep You Motivated and Provide MomentumGoals Minimize Your FrustrationLanguage-Learning Goals Guide You to SuccessDo you really need goals if you want to learn a new language? It can seem excessive if you’re just starting out on your path to reach fluency. Why waste time planning out a language learning strategy when you can just download an app and start taking lessons, right? The truth is that setting goals is the first (and most crucial) step to achieving fluency in any foreign language.PixabayGoals Make It Easy to Get StartedSometimes, all we need in life is a little extra push to get started. Language learning goals can do just that. When you sit down to put those ideas on paper, so to s peak, you’re making them real. Tangible. The process of setting up goals, especially S.M.A.R.T. goals, requires you to really think out your language-learning. After working to set up your language goals, you’ll know exactly how to begin and where to begin. And that makes getting started much, much easier.Goals Help You Take ControlWithout language-learning goals, your efforts won’t get you very far. One day you may feel like reading in your target language for 10 minutes, the next day, you may want to try speaking the language. Some days you’ll put in 20 minutes, others an hour, others, not at all. Sadly, these inconsistent efforts won’t lead to much. You’ll just end up spinning your wheels, wasting time.Having language learning goals puts you in control. They give you something to work towards. And every time you make progress and accomplish one of those goals, you’ll feel successful. That feeling helps you take control and continue to push forward because you’ll f eel more responsible for your own success.Increase Your Focus With GoalsIf you imagine that learning a language is kind of like climbing a mountain, then goals function as the path for you to walk on to reach the summit. Do you need a path to reach the top? Not necessarily. But having one keeps you from getting lost, or worse, having to turn back along the way. With goals, you can focus on the steps you need to take to reach fluency, saving you time and money in the process while increasing the likelihood of success in the end.Goals Help You Monitor Your ProgressGoals don’t just function as a path to guide you to fluency in a foreign language, they also serve as goal posts along the way. If you’ve ever gone on a challenging hike, you know that when the terrain gets tough, you pause every so often along the way to catch your breath. In those moments, you gaze back the way you came, seeing how far you’ve progressed.Language-learning goals allow you to do the same. Each and every day that you spend learning your target language moves you closer to the fluency’s summit. But each day is also a small step forward. These days build on top of each other. And before long, you can stop, look back, and see how far you’ve come.English has a whole host of words that can be very funny. Photo Source: Unsplash JulianESOL (English) Teacher 4.00 (1) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EugeneESOL (English) Teacher 4.90 (58) £22/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HelenESOL (English) Teacher 5.00 (20) £32/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SuzanneESOL (English) Teacher 5.00 (2) £45/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaESOL (English) Teacher 5.00 (8) £55/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SamuelESOL (English) Teacher 4.83 (41) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoanneESOL (English) Teacher 5.00 (43) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsGoals Maximize Your ResultsSuccessful people tend to have goals. That’s because success feels good. And when you accomplish a goal, you want to recreate that feeling, and so you go after another goal. This continuous process of setting out and achieving to recreate that feeling fuels progress.The same is true for success in language-learning. With clear goals in mind, you won’t simply stand around waiting for something to happen. You’ll get out there and make it happen. It will feel good. So, you’ll want to keep making that happen, pushing yourself forward to conquer new goals.Goals Define Your ProcessHow you learn a new language matters just as much as the tools you use to achieve it. When you have your process clearly lined out: you’ll know what to study, when, and how. This means you won’t be wasting time when you sit down to learn a new language. Instead, you’ll get right to it, achieving results faster.Goals Protect You From ProcrastinationThere are a lot of reasons people procrastinate. But you can avoid that mindset with clear goals in mind. When you’re dreaming of learning a new language, you never really take a step forward to make it happen. Instead, it just sits on the back burner of your mind. Waiting. But once you put those goals into writing and define your process, you begin moving towards the goal of eventually achieving fluency. You stop procrastinating and start making it happen.It’s important to note, though, that long-term language-learning goals can lead to procrastination. It’s much easier to push efforts down the road when we think we have more time. If you think you have 1 year to learn a language, for instance, you may be more willing to procrastinate. That’s why it’s important to set both short and long-term goals.Goals Hold You AccountableOnce you make language-learning goals, you have to deal with the psychological impact of failure. Saying, “I’m going to reach an A2 Level of Spanish in 3 m onths” means that if 3 months pass and you’re not at A1, you will have failed to reach your goal. People don’t like a failure. We don’t like letting ourselves down.Having goals in place keep us accountable, driving us to spend time practising our foreign languages. You clearly know when you fail to reach what you set out to do. So, even if you’re not in the mood to study or practice speaking in your target language, your desire to achieve your goals can move you to make those lessons happen. After all, we want to feel good about our progress, not frustrated.Often the way people speak in English is not the same as what is taught in class. Photo Source: UnsplashGoals Keep You Motivated and Provide MomentumWhen you know where you’re heading and what you need to do to get there, it’s easier to sit down and make it happen. Deadlines push people to get work done. And with clearly defined language-learning goals, you’ll know where you need to be and how you’ll plan on get ting there.If you miss a language-learning lesson, you’ll know that you’re behind. That thought will linger in the back of your mind until you make the effort to catch back up. And with each small win, you’ll gain momentum. Momentum builds on momentum. So, with clear language-learning goals in place, you’ll make increasingly greater progress over time.Goals Minimize Your FrustrationWe all have weaknesses. And the longer we have to deal with them, the more difficult it is to move past them. Often, frustrations that linger can tear us down. When you set language-learning goals, however, you can target your weaknesses, rapidly improving your abilities.Let’s say you have anxiety about speaking a foreign language. You can read and write well, and you listen with decent understanding. But when it comes to speaking, you freeze. As a solution, try creating a goal around it. Each day you start working towards improving that skill, slowly progressing towards your goal. In time, youâ €™ll improve, leaving you feeling less frustrated.Language-Learning Goals Guide You to SuccessAny time we work toward trying to achieve something incredible and challenging, we need goals. When the journey is long and complex, it’s easy to end up floating along without a clear vision of what we want to achieve. Language-learning goals make that happen. They push you forward and keep you on track so you can rapidly achieve fluency in any foreign language.On a final note, nothing works unless you put the effort into it. Language learning goals will help reach fluency faster. But at the end of the day, you’ll still need to put in the hours to make it happen.

12 Other Ways to Ask for Help in English - English Lesson via Skype

12 Other Ways to Ask for Help in English - English Lesson via Skype Here I will give you 12 other ways to ask for help in English.  Avoid using the same words and phrases over and over again, increase your English vocabulary and speak better English. 12 Other Ways to Ask for Help in English Hi there. This is Harry. And welcome back to our English lessons. Were going to talk to you today about the word help and look at different ways in which you can ask for help.But before I get onto that, just want to remind you all to subscribe to my channel as always. And if you want to keep up with news, then you should join me on www.englishlessonviaskype.com with, theres lots of helpful information, online English courses and everything that can  help you improve your English.Lets look at the ways in which we can say or ask for help.Help is the very short word and we can just say help. Somebody would come running or somebody would  say: ‘Whats wrong, whats wrong?’Just very simply to say Help.Just put a little bit of stress on it to show that you need some help. Either youre going to drop something or youve tripped or fallen or something like that.So instead of just screaming out, what other ways to ask for help in English you can use? We can just simply say to somebody:Can you help me,  please?Very simple. And instead of can, you can replace it with one of the other modal verbs.Could you help me,  please?Will you help me,  please?Exactly the same meaning, but just different ways to to, to express it.I need some assistance.A little bit more form. It could be in an office situation. The bosss struggling. He said:I think I need some assistance with this problem or this spreadsheet or my computer. Somethings happened so I need some assistance.Could you give me a hand?It means will you please help me?This is heavy. Could you give me a hand?I need to shift the bed so I can hoover, could you give me a hand?I need to move the TV into the other corner to put the Christmas tree. Could you give me a hand?So just different ways to ask for help. 12 Other Ways to Ask for Help in English Help other students to improve English Could you hold  that?This is another way to express it. You have something that you you have  in your hands and you want to do  something elseso you  say:Could you hold  that,  please?Meaning could you help me? Just hold that while I work out this  other problem or  while I pay. Hold my bag or hold my  coat or hold something. Could you hold  that?  I need your supportAgain  another way to ask for help.  Perhaps theres a vote coming up  and youre involved in the vote youre  standing for election to a little group  or a committee or something more  important and you ask somebody for the  help:I need your support. Will you vote for me? Will you get your friends to vote for  me?Would you mind helping me,  please?Again a little bit more formal.  It is a  bit more polite.  Adding would or could in front of is making it less direct and more  polite. Another one  isCould you do me a favour?Will you do me a  favour?Can you do  me a favour?  Could you pick up my laundry  when youre going past the shop?Could you do me  a favour  asking for somebody to give you  a little bit of help.  Something a little  less formal and even less informal bit  of slang:Could you give me a digout?Very British English.  To dig out  means  to help literally when you dig a hole is  to take somebody out of a problem.Could  you give me a digout meaning could you  help me with this.  Often that is used  when somebody wants to perhaps borrow  some money from you. Could you lend me a hand?Meaning just help  me for a few minutes or 20 minutes or  whatever it might be,  lend me a hand.Or you could just simply say without asking  a question:I need a helping handI need somebody to  come into the kitchen and help me with  this dinner.And then finallyCould someone help me, please?  So lots and lots of different ways  in which you can ask for help.Let me  just give them to you again:Help the simple scream for helpCould/can/will  you help me, please?  I need  some assistanceCould you give me a hand  Could you lend me a handCould you hold  thatI need your supportWould you mind  helping me?  Could you do me a favour?Could  you give me a digout?I need a helping handCould  someone help me,  please  Okay.  Join me again soon.  Thanks  

Dont be so sluggish that you dont learn what sluggish means - Private Tutoring

Dont be so sluggish that you dont learn what sluggish means BobbiM May 23, 2014 Do you feel tranquil today?  How about boisterous, sluggish, blatant, or fractious?  Let someone know! Sluggish; adj. Displaying little growth or movement; not making progress; seeming to be bottle necked or clogged to prevent advancement. The traffic was so sluggish because of the accident that I was late for work. Tranquility; n. Harmony; silence; quiet serenity; Undisturbed and peaceful. I find such tranquility at the lake that I go there all the time. Blatant; adj. Unpleasantly loud; irritatingly showy or obvious. I blatantly disobeyed my mother and yelled at the mean man. Boisterous; adj. Rowdy, rambunctious, and possibly out of control. After having so much cake, the toddlers were boisterous. Brattle; n. A rattling and crashing sound. The brattle of metal clashing with metal is all I heard during the fight. Brawl; v, n. Verb: To have a loud and boisterous disagreement, possibly even a fight, but more likely just upsetting the calm and quiet. I was suspended after I brawled on the playground when I was a child. Noun: A loud, boisterous disagreement. A brawl erupted at the bar, people fighting over a girl. Adjective: brawling or brawly The brawling crowd disturbed everyone trying to attend the ball. Din; n. Disorder and noise; tumult and confusion. The din at the even was so loud I couldnt hear my friends talk. Discordant; adj. Clashing in ideas or sound or philosophies; harsh with conflict. The beautiful sound coming from the piano made the man scream in agony. Fractious; adj. Unruly and noisy. The fractious toddlers needed someone to guide them to be quiet. Cranky or peevish. I turn fractious if I dont get a good nights sleep. Hubbub; n. An upset or vehement protest or discontent; sometimes a loud, sustained noise. The soccer victory created such a hubbub that the police were called. Obstreperous; adj. Noisy and boisterous; sometimes even aggressive of defiant. Her behavior became obstreperous when her boyfriend disappointed her. Ostentatious; adj. Showy; characterized by a need to be noticed, not always favorably. I admit I am ostentatious sometimes, wanting the press to notice me at the red carpets I am invited to. Strident; adj. Loud and harsh; often grating and discordant; hard on the ears. The strident hurricane alarm alerted everyone of impending danger. Truculent; adj. Tending to argue and disagree, often vehemently and with great noise and commotion. I become truculent when it comes to selling my stuffed animals at a good price. Turbulent; adj. Violently upset or disturbed. After the tornado the creek was turbulent and swept tree limbs away. Having a restless or even revolutionary character. The government climate was turbulent and so people were often afraid to leave the city. Vociferous; adj. Offensively loud and often given to demonstration of agitated emotions or agitated outcry. The lawyer vociferously spoke for the accused and everyone was nervous. Budding; adj. Having to do with new or developing circumstances or abilities. I am a budding trapeze artist and I am excited for my first circus performance. Burgeoning; adj. Growing or developing; blossoming or flourishing. My burgeoning clothing business is very special to me. Embryonic; adj. Of or belonging to an embryo; early beginning; not yet formed or matured; rudimentary. The bird died in its embryonic stage while still in the egg. Fledgling; adj. New or immature; not yet out of the nest; not experienced; rudimentary. The fledging baby bird longed to fly away. Incipient; adj. Beginning to exist or appear; early in developmental stage. My building plans are still in their incipient stage. Initiate; n, v. Noun: One who is being or has been initiated; one who has been introduced to or has attained knowledge in a particular field. Verb: To begin or start a process; to get things going. The initiate met the visitors at the door, ready to initiate them into the world of art. Innovation; n. The act of introducing something or someone; something newly introduced. My innovation is so creative I cannot wait to show my team at work. Nascent; adj. Coming into existence, emerging. I have several nascent ideas that might work in the future of my business.

American Community School Beirut

American Community School Beirut American Community School Beirut American Community School Beirut is a non-profit, independent, secular American college preparatory school serving a multicultural international student body in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. ACS provides internationally-enriched, standards-based curricula, preparing students for the International Baccalaureate, the Lebanese Baccalaureate, and the American College Preparatory Diplomas. The school is accredited by both the Lebanese Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA). ACS is aligning itself with the US Department of States AERO Standards to be sure that international education represents the same high quality everywhere. ACS is a member of the group of schools designated by the US Department of State, Office of Overseas Schools. ACS supports teacher growth and provides an opportunity to enhance and challenge both professionals and students in their community. Seminars, conferences and workshops are offered regionally and globally from Amman to Berlin, Istanbul to Dubai. You will have opportunities to work with international peers who share a commitment to excel in overseas teaching. You can attend workshops, conferences and enroll in masters programs - all aligned with your professional development goals - with appropriate financial help from ACS.

ACT or SAT Which test is right for me

ACT or SAT Which test is right for me As a high school science and math tutor, I get a lot of questions about college prep and standardized testing. Many students struggle between deciding between taking the ACT or the SAT if their desired school accepts both test scores. Over the years I have found a few key differences that help students decide which is right for them.The ACT and SAT tests are a test designed to evaluate a student’s aptitude for a variety of subjects. Each test changed every session, so the scores are scaled to make them comparable from session to session. Although almost every college will accept either score, it is up to the student to decide which test is better for them. Both take roughly 3.5 hours plus breaks, and cover a variety of core subjects. There are, however a few key differences:1. The ACT has a Science section.Although this ‘Science’ section may scare many students away from the ACT, a more accurate title would be ‘Science Reasoning’ section. This section does not test one’s knowledge about physics, chemistry, or biology, but rather tests one’s ability to use the scientific reasoning one has developed in those courses. This section consists of experimental data, charts, graphs, and other information which the student must analyze and use to come to some sort of conclusions.2. The SAT has an unscored ‘experimental’ section.The SAT has an additional, unscored ‘experimental section, which will either be an additional math, reading, or writing section. This means there will be an extra section in one of these categories, but it will not be identified as to which one is not graded, so be sure to try your best on each one.3. The SAT penalizes you for wrong answers.The ACT uses only your correct answers in order to determine your section and overall scores. The SAT however, not only awards points for wrong answers, but subtracts points for incorrect answers. This means that if one is taking the SAT, they are better off leaving an answer blank than ‘guessing’. There are many strategies designed to help a student decide when to skip and when to ‘guess’ on the SAT, but a student should really use their own judgement on how confident they feel about each answer. If they are pretty sure but have some doubt, they might want to guess, but randomly bubbling, or ‘Christmas-treeing’ as it is sometimes called, is highly discouraged.4. The SAT emphasizes vocabulary.The SAT is known for its difficult vocabulary questions, and there are plenty of prep materials out there just to help you learn these. If you are a great wordsmith, this will be a good fit for you, but if you struggle finding synonyms or with particular connotations of words, this might be something you should stay away from.5. The location of the essay portions are different.Does writing an essay tire you out, or warm you up? The SAT starts with the essay portion, with the multiple choice sections all coming after. The ACT, on the other hand, finishes with the essay last. If this is something that could affect how you perform on the rest of the exam, it may be something worth thinking about.6. The SAT is broken up into many small sections.When a student takes the ACT, they take each subject in one long sitting. On the SAT, the subjects are divided into 10 smaller multiple choice sections, with the student switching back and forth between the different subjects. If moving back and forth between the content confuses you, you may want to take the ACT, but if you get tired of a subject after thirty minutes, you may want to take the SAT.7. The ACT is more time-constrained.On the SAT is it important to be conscious of time, but bad time management could break you on the ACT. A student is much more likely to run out of time on a section of the ACT, so it is important to know your limits in regards to time. If you are not the best at paying attention to the clock during exams, you may want to take a timed practice test to see how strapped for time you’ll end up being.8. ACT composite is more important than sections.When colleges are reviewing a student’s scores, they are much more concerned with a student’s composite on the ACT and with the subject scores on the SAT. So if you have relatively strong scores on each section and they don’t differ much, the SAT might be better for you, but if you are weak in grammar but have a killer math talent, than the ACT might be the way to go. 9. ACT questions tend to be more straightforward.The ACT tends to write pretty straightforward questions that might take multiple steps and a little more effort to solve. The SAT however tends to have harder to understand questions, but once a student understands what is being asked of them, it may be easier or simpler to solve.10. The ACT tests more advanced math concepts.SAT and ACT both cover basic logical arithmetic, Algebra I and II, and a good deal of geometry. The ACT, however, also includes some basic trigonometry, which can be difficult for those with a weakness in math. However, the questions tend to be easier to understand, so I would recommend trying out a few problems of each and deciding from there which you may prefer.11. The ACT Writing Test is optional.The ACT essay portion is not included in one’s overall score- it is sort of tacked on to the end. That said, most colleges will require you take this portion as well. The key difference here is if you struggle with writing essays that require you to take a position on a topic and explain it, then you can still do poorly on it without it affecting your overall score. If you are a strong writer, however, you may want to take the SAT so that your essay score helps your grammar score.Determining which exam is right for youThere are many different factors in deciding which test would be a better for you to take. If you are still unsure which you want to take after reading this post, I recommend taking a practice test of each, and seeing how you fair on each one and which you feel more comfortable with. Additionally, there are many different online assessment quizzes that can estimate which one is better for you based on your testing habits and preferences.In the end, it is a good idea to take both the SAT and the ACT, since you can choose which scores to submit to which schools. That way, you have twice the opportunity to impress your dream school.