Top Acting Schools around the World Find Yours!

Top Acting Schools around the World Find Yours! The Best Drama Schools in the World ChaptersTop Acting Schools in America Top Acting Schools in the UKTop Acting Schools in AustraliaTop Acting Schools in France and SpainTop Acting Schools in IndiaTop Acting Schools in AfricaA Few Tips to Boost your Chances of Succeeding in the Acting World (No Matter Where you Study)More and more young people perceive the glamorous life of an actor as the dream career, but one that is notoriously expensive and difficult to train for. Besides, the truth is, no matter how much innate talent actors may possess, they've all perfected their abilities through sheer hard work and dedication to their craft.Truth is there is no sure route in, and nowadays courses range from the more theoretical options available from most universities to the practical options at specialized  drama schools.  If you are considering drama training, the cost of acting classes might be a major consideration in your choice.Here, we take a look at some of the top conservatories and drama schools throughout the worl d and the celebrated stars of stage and screen they have produced.The bottom line is - and you quite certainly already know it - if you attend one of these highly competitive drama schools you're well on the road to fame and fortune...Find acting classes near me.“Most of the truly remarkable experiences I've had in theatre have filled me with uncertainty and disorientation”? Anne Bogart? Anne Rice (Source: Unsplash)We hope this is useful. Carry on searching and examining the different options whilst thinking hard about what you want from your degree. Do keep in mind that courses are not for the faint-hearted, as you may find you're putting in 35-hour weeks in classes. The rewards at the end of it all, however, should be well worth the hard work!Name of SchoolLocationFamous AlumniThe Juilliard SchoolNew YorkKevin SpaceyTisch School of the ArtsNew YorkFelicity Huffman,Alec BaldwinYale School of DramaNew Haven, ConnecticutMeryl Streep, Paul NewmanAmerican Conservatory TheatreSan Fr anciscoNicolas CageLondon Academy of Music and Dramatic ArtsLondonDonald Sutherland, John Lithgow, Jim Broadbent, Swoosie Kurtz and Brian CoxRoyal Academy of Dramatic ArtsLondonAnthony Hopkins, Mike Leigh, Peter O’TooleNational Institute of Dramatic ArtsKensington, AustraliaBaz Luhrmann, Mel Gibson, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Judy DavisCours FlorentParisGuillaume Canet, Daniel Auteuil, Isabelle AdjaniRoyal School for Performing ArtsMadridMonica CruzNational School of DramaIndiaPriyanka ChopraWaterfront Theatre SchoolCape TownRoxanne HaywardFind acting classes and coaches in the UK with Superprof:Acting classes LondonActing classes ManchesterActing Coach Scotland

The Wonderful History of the Spanish Language

The Wonderful History of the Spanish Language What are the Origins of the Spanish Language? ChaptersThe Roots of the Spanish LanguageThe Golden Age of the Spanish LanguageWhere Does Spanish Come From?: The Contemporary and Modern History of the Castilian LanguageThe Spanish Language as We Know it TodayIf you have read an introduction to the Spanish language, you will know that Spanish is spoken well beyond the borders of Spain. It is a language that is spoken by 440 million native speakers, and it is used as an official language by 20 different countries across 3 continents.In fact, it is spoken to widely that there are a number of different Spanish accents across the world.When you think of Spanish, you probably think of grammar, vocabulary, and linguistics, not to mention the difficulties you had in learning the language at school.But did you know that this foreign language  has a rich and passionate history? Its roots can be traced back all the way to the 8th century, but since then it has gone through many changes, notably as the number of Spanish speaking countries has grown.If you are interested in the Spanish language and culture, then you have come to the right place. In this article, we will chart the history of the Spanish language from its earliest conception, all the way to the present day. TadeoSpanish Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AnnickSpanish Teacher 5.00 (6) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PeterSpanish Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LowriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (8) £90/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MartaSpanish Teacher 5.00 (6) £22/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SharonSpanish Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TanyaSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Jose manuelSpanish Teacher £14/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe Roots of the Spanish LanguageThere have been some amazing Spanish speaking thinkers who have contributed to our world, and they have given some interesting quotes in Spanish. But how did they come to be speaking this language? Let’s begin our history lesson on the Spanish language by going back more than 2,000 years to the age of the Romans.It's the 3rd century BC, and the Spanish language has still not come to be.Between the 3rd century BC and the 1st century BC, the Romans set out to conquer the entire Iberian Peninsula. In doing so, they managed to make several languages that had been spoken on the peninsula up until their arrival, extinct in their original forms. In fact, of those languages, only Basque still remains today.Indeed, history tells us that numerous groups of people were living in the region at the time, such as the Celts, the Iberians, and the Basques. This is not to mention the people who arrived to trade with these groups, such as the Greeks, the Phoenicians, and the Carthaginians.After the conquest of the region, the Romans began to impose Latin on the existing populations. There were two Latin languages in that t ime: written Latin and vernacular Latin (or spoken Latin).Due to the considerable distance of modern day Spain and Portugal from the centre of the Roman empire in present day Italy, linguistic innovations were slow in arriving. Due to the large territorial area of the empire, the Latin developed differently in different areas.It is also for this reason that Portuguese and Spanish share similarities and differences, as the relative geographical isolation allowed them to develop in tandem, but equally to diverge in their own ways, and thus making them distinct languages.But going back to the times of the Romans, and it was the soldiers, settlers, and traders who brought linguistic changes from Rome to the Iberian peninsula, but these mixed with the local languages to form Vulgar Latin. Over time, the original languages had mixed so much with Latin that they had all, apart from Basque, been rendered unrecognisable. Although some still exist today in very different forms to their origin als, they all had a hand in shaping the language that we recognise today as Spanish.Fast forward to the 5th century AD, and the power of Roman Empire was fading. Germanic tribes who were living at the borders of the empire saw their chance and settled on the Iberian peninsula.The Swabians moved in to establish their own kingdom, but they were eventually conquered by the Visigoths, who went on to rule most of the peninsula.In the 8th century, it was the Moors (Arabs from North Africa) who invaded the region.  Coming from Mauritius and Morocco, these Arab-Muslim populations ruled over Spain until the 15th century.Different cultures and languages have impacted on modern day Spain over the yearsThe story of all of this invasions and changes my seem far removed from our aim of establishing the history of the Spanish language, but it is essential to understanding the linguistic changes that occurred in each point in history.Each invading force brought with it its own language. When the Ar abs arrived in Spain,  the lexicon of the time witnessed numerous evolutions drawn from the Arabic language.And it was at the time of the Arab's arrival from North Africa that Castilian, from which Spanish is derived, started to take shape.Castilian was the language of the Asturians, a group of people who were occupied by Muslim invaders before fighting back to from the first Christian political entity in the 8th century. Around two hundred years later, the Kingdom of the Asturias transitioned into the Kingdom of León.The kingdom became one of the most important on the Iberian peninsula, and it expanded south and east during the 10th century under the watchful eye of Alfonso IV.When King Ferdinand I of Castile inherited the Kingdom of León in 1037,  he was able to unite this kingdom with that of Castile, forming the first Spanish monarchy.In the centuries that followed, the Castilian language expanded more and more.Although in the 10th century Castilian still wasn't very widesprea d (it was only spoken in the north of the peninsula and in the center), it increased in importance thanks to the Basques, who integrated the Kingdom of Castile between 1200 and 1370.Thus, the north of Spain began to unify in anticipation of an attempt to reconquer the large swathes of land taken previous by the North African Arabs. The Christian reconquest (Reconquista) began in 1212, under the reign of Alphonso VIII of Castile. All of the cities that the Muslims had occupied  fell one after another. Only Grenada resisted until 1492.The Iberian peninsula has changed over the centuriesAfter the reconquest, Spain was split into several kingdoms: the Kingdom of Castile (with the Castilian language), the Kingdom of Aragon (with the Catalan language), the Kingdom of Navarre (with the Basque language), the principality of Andorra (with the Catalan language) and the Kingdom of Portugal (with the Portuguese language).In 1469, the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon were unified. This allowed the Castilian language to spreadâ€"to the detriment of Catalan. It wasn’t until 1512, with the incorporation of Navarre, that Spain as we know it today was completely unified.Although these languages all developed at the same time, Spanish and Catalan are markedly different. The dominance of the Spanish language at this time is the reason that it is spoken so widely today.Thanks to the economic and political power of Castile, the Castilian language naturally spread throughout the territory. This was, once again, to the detriment of Catalan and Basque.During this period, the Spanish language witnessed numerous changes thanks to the different populations that lived there, including the Basque people and the Arab-Muslims. Arabic enriched the Castilian language with thousands of words, further differentiating it from Basque, whose contributions were reduced.The Golden Age of the Spanish LanguageWhen we talk about the golden age of Spain, we talk about the apogee the country experienced d uring the 16th and 17th centuries.Under the guidance of Charles I of Spain who ruled the Spanish empire from 1516, a lot of expeditions to the Americas were launched in order to further expand the territory. The Aztec Empire was conquered in 1521 and the Inca Empire in 1533.In 1550, Spain was in control of the South-American continent, the Philippines, Cuba, Florida, and Central America. Subsequently, the Spanish language which had been shaped from Castilian over many years was suddenly taken to far away lands with the conquistadors.Charles I of Spain oversaw large scale expansion of the Spanish empireIn 1700, there were 6 million Spanish-speakers in the world. This was thanks to the Bourbon dynasty (in the 18th century) and the great politics of centralisation put in place in order to force populations to speak Spanish.Although numerous languages (including Basque, Asturian, Andalusian, Aragonese, and Catalan) were still spoken in their respective regions, Castilian became the offi cial language throughout the Spanish kingdom.Where Does Spanish Come From?: The Contemporary and Modern History of the Castilian LanguageThe Collapse of the Spanish EmpireBy the early 1800s, Castilian Spanish already resembled what we can recognise as Spanish today.However, this was a time of great upheaval for Spain. Napoleon invaded Spain in 1808 and put his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, on the throne.Napoleon's invasion led to the abdication of Ferdinand VII, and a political crisis in Spain. In the face of this, Spanish Americans rejected absolutism, and Juntas were formed to provide an alternative to European rule. This was the beginning of the end for Spanish rule in the Americas, and Spain lost control over all mainland colonies by 1825 (retaining only Cuba and Puerto Rico).Between 1833 and 1839, the different Spanish governments imposed the utilisation  of only the Castilian language in all the regions of Spain. The administrations also become monolingual. This brought about a r enaissance of the Catalan language, nourished by the resentments of the Catalan people towards the government’s decision.In 1898, the war between Spain and America obliged the Spanish to offer to the Americans the islands of Cuba, Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico. After this defeat, Spain was only left with Spanish Guinea (today known as Equatorial Guinea), a set of colonies controlled by Spanish from 1778.In that time, Spain began to weaken politically as well as economically.This culminated in the end of the monarchy and a military dictatorship that ended in 1930. In 1931, the Spanish Constitution was changed in order to allow the various regions of Spain to utilise  their regional language as well as Castilian.The Spanish Language During the Franco DictatorshipIn 1936, a civil war broke out. The army that had remained faithful to the monarchy and that was beginning to weaken now wanted to overthrow the Republican government which had replaced it. In 1939, General Franco's nationalist forces won the civil war and overthrew the democratic Second Spanish Republic which had existed since 1931.A powerful linguistic repression followed.Republican fugitives under the control of Francoist troops.Franco wanted to return Spain to the great power that it had been during the Golden Age.For him, that meant Castilian (a symbol of Spain’s great power) had to be the only language.Because of this, all regional languages (and especially Basque and Catalan) were forbidden, and books in those languages were burned.In the same vein, he got rid of all Basque names.The Spanish Language as We Know it TodayIn 1975, following the death of Franco, Juan Carlos I became king of Spain. Much more democratic than his predecessor, he radically changed the country and the way of speaking the Spanish language.Today, Spain is divided into 17 autonomous communities, led by their local governments. All are autonomous and speak Castilian.  People in Catalonia, parts of the Valencian Co mmunity , and the Balearic islands speak Catalan, the people of Val d’Aran speak Aranese, those in the Communidad de Foral in Navarre and Basque Country speak Basque, and those in Galicia speak Galician.There is also Aragonese in Aragon, Andalusian in Adalusia, Leonais in Castille-et-León, the Cantabrian dialect in Cantabria, the Canarian dialect in the Canary Islands, the Extramaduran dialect in Extramadura, Asturian in the Asturias, and Murcian Spanish in Murcia.That being said, although Spain allows these regions to speak their desired language, only Castilian Spanish remains an official language. The other regional languages are still not fully recognised.Now you have an in-depth knowledge of the Spanish language. Castilian Spanish is the language spoken throughout Spain, and large parts of Central and South America. Thus, if you learn Castilian, people will be able to understand you in many countries throughout the world.If you are preparing to learn Spanish from square one, why not take a lesson with a Spanish professor? The Spanish language and culture are connected in many ways, so choose someone passionate about both, they will be able to teach you about the links between the two, as well as about the history of Spain.Today, the language of Cervantes compromises dozens of different Spanish dialects, each with their own unique accent. So what are you waiting for? You'll find something that is perfect what you are looking for, and you'll be able to learn Spanish before travelling to a Spanish speaking country in no time!

Tips to Find the Best Online Tutoring Provider for Your Child

Tips to Find the Best Online Tutoring Provider for Your Child 0SHARESShare If one considers the present situation of the educational system, the soaring level of competition becomes evident. This ever increasing rush makes free online tutoring the need of the hour. Majority of parents today are unable to endow time in their childs educational endeavor and thus seek help of free online tutoring service providers. Since the future of the student is in question, it is mandatory that parents be careful while selecting an online tutoring provider. Here are a few specks that can accompany parents in finding the best online tutoring provider: Research Earnestly. Exploring as many tutoring websites as possible can help you in knowing which websites offer the best facilities and educational software to support your childs studies. Carefully Exercise the Pricing. Many online tutoring websites claim to offer free services. This is, however, subject to some terms and conditions. Be circumspect and go through the pricing section to get hold of all the hidden prices and conditions. There are numerous online tutoring service providers. It is the allegiance of the parents to locate the one that is second to none to certify a guarded future for their child. To avail best online tutoring services and explore new educational dimensions visit Tutorpace. [starbox id=admin]

Private Tuition Not Right For Everyone

Private Tuition Not Right For Everyone Why Might Hiring a Private Tutor not be Right for You? ChaptersSome Myths About Home TuitionWhat’s the Price of Success?The Key to Success: Working Out the Pros and ConsHave You Already used a Private Tutor?Around 25% of students have used one on one or online tutoring services.It’s both a lot and a little at the same time. While a good number are having academic support, think about the all the students who aren’t.Some people outright refuse to have in-home tutorials and homework help while others haven’t even considered whether or not they need to contact a private tutor to help them with secondary school studies.Regardless of the subject, having private tutorials can be costly and it can be difficult to find a tutor you like.Superprof understands this is one of the reasons why some students don’t opt for home tutoring or an online tutor. CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support T eacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsSome Myths About Home TuitionSome people don’t think very highly of one on one tutoring or those being tutored.On the one hand, it means that someone might be having difficulties, that they’re not smart, or that they need help with their exams or test prep.Teenagers can be merciless when it comes to criticism.The proudest students could end up telling themselves that they can do it on their own without the help of academic support.Not everyone is really enthusiastic about the benefits of private tutoring. (Source: CSRfm)Don’t believe the private tutorial myths!Here’s a list of myths about private tutorials:Intensive courses don’t work. In fact, plenty of students have quickly improved thanks to intensive tuition.There’s no time for them. Actually, you can have private tutori als in the evening or at the weekend as well as during the school holidays. Of course, you can’t have them during school hours.Private tutorials are just talking: Academic support is a session with a tutor who’s working towards clearing up any difficulties you may be having. They’ll explain and clarify things for you. This does mean you’ll talk more than your usual class but you’ll also learn more.Private tutors are inexperienced students or unemployed: some personal tutors are students and for some, private tutorials are their only income. Rather than focusing on the age of the tutor, which is a terrible indicator of their ability, consider their experience and qualifications!My child is struggling at school because they’re not working hard enough. A private tutor can work to motivate students and teach them to become autonomous learners. Academic support can put students back on the path to success.These aren’t the only reasons some people decide not to opt for acade mic tutoring or supplemental instruction.The Cost. One of the Biggest Reasons People Don’t Hire Private TutorsJust like music lessons (learning to play the piano or guitar, for example), private tutorials can be rather costly.To understand just how much academic support can cost, here’s a crash course in finances.In some cases, it might be a choice between private tutorials and eating. (Source: peakpx)The average cost of a private tutorial in and around London is between £20 and £25 an hour.This means having a couple private tutorials should cost around £50 a week, £200 a month.This is a lot when you consider that the median wage of £34,473. A year of private tutorials would require around 14% of this.It’s understandable that the cost of academic support can be hugely off-putting.A child’s academic success is a huge financial sacrifice for the average family, even more so for those earning less!That said, a good education can be priceless when it leads to socially advan cing. Private tutoring can give a child the necessary study skills to become an autonomous learner, get fantastic grades on an assignment, and get into the best universities.What’s the Price of Success?Working class families are often forced into the job market before gaining the education they’d like to.By going straight into work, there isn’t as much demand for private tutorials from them.Then there's the middle classes, who also find the cost off-putting.And what if they give up their savings and their free time to get private tutorials? Is there any guarantee they’ll be successful?The Key to Success: Working Out the Pros and ConsIt’s hard to make a decision sometimes. We always want to make the best decision without taking too many risks.When it comes to having personalised private tutorials, intensive or otherwise, you never really know if it’s going to work, whether your child will get better scores, or pass their A Levels.How do you guarantee results?There’s no guarantee that a private tutor will provide quality private tutorials.They might say they're an expert in geometry, algebra, calculus, trigonometry, and accounting, etc.All they can give you is their personal information, their experience, qualifications, approach, and tell you what type of person they are.If stress is an issue,  check out our tips  to deal with it.How Can You Tell the Truth from the Fiction?In economics, information asymmetry is when one party has more or better information than the other.In this case, the provider may have never had any students, despite saying so.Maybe they’re not as skilled or as friendly as they say they are.The best idea is to take a sheet of paper and not down the pros and the cons. Just like brainstorming, write everything that comes to mind about having private tutorials. Do you need maths, physics, chemistry, French, Spanish, or economics tutorials?The disadvantages:BudgetLeisure timeMissing out on other extra curricular activities (spor ts, etc).No space at the houseProfessional uncertaintyAcademic failure?The advantages:Better grades for my childCatching upAcademic coaching programmeA Level preparationA feeling of successSelf confidenceBetter options for their academic and professional futureLess money today but more in the futureBetter cultural understandingPersonal development for my child.The list of considerations can be really long. Normally, if there are more advantages than disadvantages, you’ll feel more comfortable with choosing in-home private tutorials.How do you avoid failing exams? (Source: Haiku Deck)Whatever happens, it’s better to at least look for the best personal tutors than wasting more time thinking about whether or not you’re going to have them.Have You Already used a Private Tutor?One reason to not have private tutorials is because you’ve had a bad experience.Have you already tried private tutorials? Have a closer look at how you can help your child. (Source: RyanLab)Perhaps you’ve already had a private tutor for your child and it didn’t go well.It’s better to stop things immediately than to wait to see if things improve. Isn't it?Have your child’s grades even improved?Ask yourself if the problem lies with the tutor or your child.Whoever it may be, it might be time to mix things up.If their report is worrying, stick with it because it might be just the boost they need.We've talked a lot about why not tutorials might not be right for you, but what about the reasons for having private tuition?Search for tutors near where you live, there’ll definitely be a few that you like the look of! Find a home tutor that offers free tutoring for the first hour of class to see whether you like them.

Everyday networking opportunities tips for people who hate to mingle - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Everyday networking opportunities tips for people who hate to mingle - Introvert Whisperer Everyday networking opportunities tips for people who hate to mingle   Shy people or those who consider themselves introverts often see networking as a challenge. But is it really that difficult to mingle with new faces? Well, with time, you will realize that it’s is not that hard at all. Whether you call yourself shy, introvert or just quiet, you can still master the art of networking. One important thing to know about networking is that it’s not all about the ability to mingle; it’s more about building relationships based on sincerity, trust, and understanding. Here are a few tips to help you get better at networking; Learn to take it easy with the meet and greet The simple meet and greet process at networking events is the basis to establishing conversations with strangers and building relationships. If you are shy about meeting someone for the first time, try finding a common connection between you and them and request for an introduction. An organizer or host can help you with this.  You can also tag a buddy along to help you be more at ease. Getting introduced can help take away your anxiety of meeting someone just out of the blue. But if you can’t find someone for the introduction, just take a deep breath and give it a try. After all, it’s better to try than to miss a chance at all, right? Remember that no one is thinking about you and your shyness Most shy people at networking events often fear that everyone is looking at them or is concerned about their shyness. Truth is; no one really is. Everyone is always thinking about themselves and how to make that first impression too. Plus, there are also individuals like you in the same event who consider themselves shy and introverts, so basically you are in the same shoes. Knowing this fact can be the most liberating thing in your networking life. Practice, practice, practice Practice  makes things easier. Try attending a networking event at least once every month or two to gain more courage and learn how to smoothly interact with strangers. You can also attend a networking group that does speed networking to help you practice and get comfortable with talking to people you don’t know. With time, you will find that it becomes easier and easier to approach and start conversations with strangers at networking events. Write down some questions Conversations are a two-way street and so you can’t let the other person carry the whole conversation. If your fear to socialize at networking events is not being to participate in conversations spontaneously, write down some few questions to guide you through. Questions such as “what got you into this career path”, ”what are your future career plans”, ”what are your hobbies”, and more of such could be really helpful in enabling you to contribute to the conversation. These are some of the few things that you can use to help you in starting and running with that all-important conversation at a networking event. Try them gradually and in no time you will find yourself getting out of your introvert-zone and enjoying all the opportunities that networking has to offer. Bio Author: Tony Gilbert is the owner of The RealFX Group. Tony specializes in real estate, real estate marketing, managing the team and achieving set goals. Go to top   NETWORKING Bottom-line â€" I want to help you accelerate your career â€" to achieve what you want by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my 4 Building Blocks to Relationships eBookâ€" the backbone to your Networking success and fantastic work relationships.  Grab yours by visiting here right now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

The Beginners Guide to Microsoft Excel

The Beginners Guide to Microsoft Excel The Basics of Microsoft Excel ChaptersHow Do You Create a Spreadsheet on Excel?IF, AND, OR, and NOT functions on ExcelHow Do You Create a Graph on Excel?Useful Excel Shortcuts“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” - Albert EinsteinAround a quarter of people over 60 have never used the internet. Digital exclusion is a big problem in modern society given that almost everything is happening online!Seniors and those who’ve never touched Microsoft Excel, here’s a quick guide to the digital world.  Alongside the other programmes in the Microsoft Office suite, such as Word for word processing, Excel is great for analysing data and automating calculations.Since things like Excel spreadsheets, keyboard shortcuts, Excel apps, Microsoft accounts, and dropdown menus can sound alien to some, this article will guide you through the basics of using Microsoft Excel so that you'll soon be making a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, Excel worksheets, Excel workbooks, creating charts an d graphs, conditional formatting, etc.This operation shows you how IF functions work. Thus, if the number in cell A2 is greater than 10, the result will be “For”. If the number is smaller, the answer will be “Against”.To compare different data, you can use logical operators including equal (=), different (), greater than (), greater than or equal to (=), less than (), or less than or equal to (=).  These comparisons don’t necessarily need to be done with numbers. You can also use words.The IF function is the main logic function. Other functions (AND, OR, NOT) can be added to specify certain conditions.Thus, the AND function indicates that both conditions must be met for a positive result.  The OR function indicates that only one of the conditions needs to be met for the result to be positive.The NOT function indicates that the condition mustn’t be met in order for the result to be positive.There are plenty of ways for these operations to be used. There are also embedded functions and you can create several conditions if necessary.How Do You Create a Graph on Excel?In addition to creating spreadsheets, Excel is also great at creating different types of graphs. You can use the data from your spreadsheet to create different types of graphs. You can pick the type of graph that best suits your data.You can use graphs to show data more clearly. (Source: rawpixel)Different types of graphs include:HistogramLine chartPie chartColumn chartBar chartArea chartScatter chartRadarSo how do you get started with an Excel graph?Just like with a spreadsheet or table, you need to enter your data in the rows and columns in your current sheet. The data could be from one or several categories depending on your project.You just need to choose the cells that you’re interested in and then click “Insert”. “Chart” will be one of the options. By clicking on one of the symbols, a number of subcategories will appear. There’s a large choice of different styles availab le.Your chart will appear on your Excel spreadsheet. However, you can modify the formatting. You can click on the graph and then on the “Design” tab. There are various things that you can change:The axesThe title of the axesThe title of the chartThe labelsThe graphThe legendNow you know how to create a chart!This doesn’t need to be complicated and it can help you in your everyday life at work.  In fact, you can create charts to present a project to your boss, create reports, or manage your expenses. It can be much easier to understand information if it’s presented visually.Useful Excel ShortcutsExcel isn’t necessarily an intuitive programme. You may need to spend a few minutes in order to understand certain functions or tasks.Keyboard shortcuts can save you a lot of time. (Source: Pixies)To help you use Excel more effectively, you should learn a few of the basic keyboard shortcuts.  Shortcuts are very useful for those who struggle to use a mouse.Here are some Excel keyboar d shortcuts:Close Excel: ALT + F4Open the Visual Basic Editor (for editing macros): ALT + F11Cut: CTRL + XCopy: CTRL + CPaste: CTRL + VSelect all: CTRL + AUndo: CTRL + Z (Undo the last action performed)Redo (Cancel an undone action): CTRL + YItalics: CTRL + IUnderlined: CTRL + UBold: CTRL + BDisplay the cell format dialogue box: CTRL + SHIFT + 1There are plenty of shortcuts that can be very useful in Microsoft Office suite. You can use shortcuts to insert rows, columns, and a whole plethora of other operations.The more time you spend with Excel, the more shortcuts you’ll learn. Bit by bit, you’ll start using Excel more efficiently, navigating around an Excel worksheet with the greatest of ease.  Now you're ready to excel with Excel!If you need more help on how to use Excel, you can get tutorials with a private IT tutor on Superprof. Whether you need help creating a macro, managing a workbook, working with templates, or even using other spreadsheet software, you can get Excel tra ining with one to one tutoring or learn more about Excel online.

Patience, Consistency, Creativity Tips For Raising Bilingual Children

Patience, Consistency, Creativity Tips For Raising Bilingual Children The experience of raising bilingual children can be as challenging as it is rewarding. However, in today’s multicultural world, more and more parents are adopting this approach.If you are raising bilingual children, or thinking about it, here are some tips on how to implement bilingualism in your home:1. Be Consistent.  It is important that you develop a plan as regards who speaks each language to the child and that you stick to it as much as possible. For example, if you decide that the One Parent, One Language (OPOL) technique is best for your family (that you speak one language to the child and your partner the other language), then do so continually. Consistency will ensure that the child has equal exposure to both languages.2. Find other bilingual families. If you can meet regularly with other families who are raising bilingual children you will find a valuable support network. You will be able to ask advice, swap experiences and maybe even trade books and other resources.3. Introduce your child to the cultures of both languages. It is important that children learn more than just the grammar and vocabulary of the languages they speak. If you take the time to introduce your child to the foods, music, traditions etc surrounding both languages, with books, art and music, for example, you will find they will be more eager to learn them.4. Start early. Research shows that it is best to start as early as possible in introducing your child to both languages. This gets them into the habit from the beginning in speaking both languages. Babies’ brains are like sponges and they will be absorbing everything you say even before they are able to speak.5. Have patience. Your child might learn one language faster than another or might appear to be more interested in one language than another. This is perfectly natural. As long as your child has exposure to a second language approximately 30% of the time, he/she should reach fluency over time.Here is a video on the be nefits of raising bilingual children:Did you find this article interesting? Feel free to share it on Facebook and Twitter. Contact us if you would like your child to take English lessons with a native speaker.

FAQs About Weighted vs. Unweighted GPA

FAQs About Weighted vs. Unweighted GPA You probably have a pretty good idea of how your teens Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated based on your own experience as a high school student. But these days, many schools weight GPAs, giving new and confusing meaning to the term 4.0 student. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions to clear things up: What is the difference between a regular GPA and a weighted GPA? A weighted GPA takes into account how challenging classes are, while an unweighted GPA does not. In other words, your student might receive up to 5.0 grade points for an Advanced Placement (AP) English class but only up to 4.0 grade points for a regular English class. So, a B in that AP class earns the same amount of grade points as an A in the regular class. How do colleges compare students GPAs correctly? Because high schools across the country might have different policies for calculating GPAs, you might wonder: how do colleges compare students in an apples to apples way? Rest assured, they have their methods. Admissions officers scrutinize transcripts to look at the classes that students take and their rigor, and they probably recalculate weighted GPAs to their own scale. How can colleges tell that classes are weighted? If your teen is worried about this, put him at ease: the marking system for weighted vs. unweighted grades will appear on the high school transcript. Some schools might include a school profile with the transcript that goes into even more detail on the grading scale, number of honors/Advanced Placement courses offered at the school, and the like. What if a teen takes some regular classes and some honors/advanced classes? Your teens high school guidance counselor can explain how a GPA is calculated, but remember that each classs grade is calculated based on its level. That might mean combining 4.0 grade points for four As in regular classes (16 total points), 4.5 grade points for an A in an honors class and 5.0 grade points for an A in an AP class: all As, but some worth more than others. Whats a typical grading scale? Every school is different, but many schools go with each decile being a new grade. So, 90-100% = A, 80-89% = B, and so on. Some schools go with a +/- scalefor example, 97-100% = A+, 93-96% = A, 90-92% = A-, and so on. Whats a typical marking system? Again, this varies school to school, but typically, unweighted classes receive 4.0 grade points for an A, 3.0 for a B, 2.0 for a C, 1.0 for a D and 0.0 for an F. Many high schools award additional grade points for Advanced Placement (AP), honors, International Baccalaureate (IB) or other college preparatory courses. Weighted classes might receive 0 grade points for an A, 4.0 for a B, 3.0 for a C, 1.0 for a D and 0.0 for an F. It is possible that AP classes will receive more points than honors or IB classes. The GPA is a significant factor in college admission, but its also essential that teens also show colleges that they are challenging themselves in high school. A student who takes a rigorous class load and earns mostly As might seem like a stronger candidate to a competitive college than one who takes all regular classes and earns As and Bs. As always, encourage your teen to work hard and push himself. And if you need support, contact Huntington. Well help your teen build the knowledge and skills to do his best in high school.