Blog Posts

Can You Work and Study At the Same Time In the U.S?

1/1/2019

Let’s face it, higher education is extremely expensive over the world and for that, anything that could bring in an extra income is always welcome. Studying in the U.S, in particular, can get really hectic without some reliable sources of pocket money due to the high cost of living in the country. Unless you are an American by law, however, acquiring a job in the country isn’t the easiest thing to do. However, luckily for students, there are always scholarship opportunities and availabilities which students can gain from. Even though, not so easy to get, universities place very strict rules or criteria for students applying for such scholarships. Nonetheless, there have always been other means of scholarships provided by private companies in order to motivate and help students reach their goals. One example is with a Florida Rental company which provides students with a vacation scholarship, to help ease their tuition fees.

There are many hurdles that international students have to contend with first before landing a job in the U.S, particularly due to the limiting nature of a student visa (F1 Visa). The country’s Department of Homeland Security is extremely strict on foreign students who try to go around the rules and seek employment where they shouldn’t. Such students risk getting prosecuted in a court of law, deported back to their home countries, and/or their student visas being canceled. That is the last thing that you would wish for, right?

But even in the midst of all the said challenges, is it possible to work and study at the same time in the U.S if you are a foreign student? The good news is that as limited as your chances could be, it is not entirely impossible. You can liaise with your Designated School Official (D.S.O) to apply for and acquire a social security number (SSN) which is mandatory for any student seeking employment in the U.S. If you haven’t interacted with your D.S.O yet, don’t feel intimidated to contact his/her office now because it is his/her job to make your life as an international student as stress-free as possible. Also, in order for you to have all the necessary documents available and correct, f you are coming from a non-English speaking country, it is advisable to hire a translation company, to help you with the translation as they are very sensitive and minor mistakes can cost you really much. That done, you will be legally allowed to try your luck in the following four employment opportunities.

The 4 Employment Opportunities That International Students Can Pursue in the U.S

1. On-Campus Opportunities

The Department of Homeland Security permits international students to work as dorm attendants, cafeteria attendants, bookstore assistants, and library assistants. You are free to start work immediately after you are admitted to your school, even before you start attending classes. The only limitation to this opportunity is that you cannot work for more than 20 hours in a week within the course of your semester, although this ban is automatically lifted during school holidays. If you take up multiple jobs, then you will have to split up your 20 hours between all the jobs.

2. Off-Campus opportunities

There are two types of off-campus employment in the U.S, i) “Educationally affiliated” off-campus employment Universities often enter into contracts with research institutes in a bid to jointly collect data and conduct extensive research. If your university enters into such a contract, then you are legally eligible for employment within that research project. This opportunity is usually a preserve of post-graduate students.

In another instance, your institution may enter into educational partnerships with other universities or open satellite campuses to support its established curriculum. You are free to seek employment in such off-campus institutions.

ii) “Hardship Circumstances” off-campus employment

If you face sudden economic hardships into your second academic year (first years don’t qualify here), your school’s D.S.O can recommend you for off-campus employment. The hardships could be as a result of the increased cost of living or tuition fees, sudden reduction or total discontinuation of your financial support, emergency medical needs, or any other legitimate cause.

You, however, must prove beyond any reasonable doubt that you didn’t have any direct contribution towards the said severe hardship. If, for example, you messed up in your on- campus employment, the financial crisis that would precipitate from your termination cannot qualify you for an off-campus employment opportunity. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers reserve the right to approve or decline your application. If approved, you will be limited to working for 20 hours off-campus every week.

3. Temporary OPT

Undergraduate students world over are required to partake practical training before or after completing their coursework. In this realization, the U.S Department of Homeland Security allows foreign students from recognized American universities and colleges to find Optional Practical Training (OPT) jobs that are relevant to their university major.

If interested and have completed your first year of study, you can liaise with your school’s DSO to apply for such a job. However, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers reserve the right to approve or decline your application so applying doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be approved for the job.
If you apply for these jobs before completing your degree, you will only be allowed to work for a
maximum of 20 hours in a week when your session is active and full-time when on recess. If you have completed your course, you are allowed to work full-time for a maximum period of 12 months.

4. Internship or Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Just like OTP, students across the world are entitled to an internship in order to equip them with hands-on skills in readiness for the job market. The Department of Homeland Security fulfills this necessity for foreign students by giving them CPT authorization. Your DSO will help you with the application process after completing your first undergraduate year.

You are eligible for either CPT or OTP employment, but not both. The advantage of taking up CPT employment over OTP is that your working hours are unlimited.

Whichever form of employment you find when studying in the U.S, it is imperative that you play by the book to avoid getting into trouble with authorities. If you ever need help in the process of applying for student visa to the U.S, you can contact a travel company to do it for you.

Author Bio: Laura is a marketing specialist at SEOforX. She helps her company advertise its products and services and she has a thorough knowledge on developing marketing approaches for products and brands. Besides being a marketing specialist she has a special interest in financial technology. She finds Fintech fascinating and writes about how the new technology is being used to improve activities in the finance sector.

15 Things Every Student Should Know About Studying in the United States

12/27/2018

Making the decision to study abroad and away from your own country is a tough one and it can be very stressful. Living and studying in the United Stated will be something completely new to you if you are from any other part of the world and there are certainly a lot of things you won’t know before you actually start living there.

In most cases, movies are painting an ideal picture of what it is like to study abroad and most students are expecting a lot more than they will actually get. While some things might be similar, there will always be things one should know about applying to a college in the United States. Here are some important things to keep in mind.

1. Universities vs. Colleges

The very first thing you should know about studying in the United States is that universities are called colleges. In most countries around the world, the term college is being used to explain a type of education less valid than that of universities.

In the US, colleges and universities are the same thing and this is something you should know from the beginning in order to avoid any confusion when picking the course of your choice.

2. The price of textbooks

You have probably seen a movie or two, or even a post on Reddit, where an American student is complaining about all the money they will have to invest into buying their textbooks for a semester. These are in fact the most expensive thing you will need to pay for during your college years.
In order to make this a little simpler and more affordable for you, you should make sure to always ask the professor if you will need to study from a certain textbook or not. In many cases, you might end up never needing the textbook and wasting your money for no reason.

3. Keep notes in your classes

Attending your classes and especially keeping notes is the number one thing that will help you succeed in your studies in the US. Textbooks aren’t always needed and most of the time they are too heavy to carry around with you.

By keeping notes throughout the semester you will be able to know exactly what to study when exam time rolls around. Sharing your notes with other people in your class could even help you make some new friends and find people to study with when you come across a difficult subject.
This way of studying will be a lot easier and you won’t have to struggle with memorizing everything from scratch since you will have already gone through everything once through your notes. An online
platform for translators such as The Word Point can help you get a better understanding of how to keep notes the right way and excel in your studies, especially if English in not your native language.

4. Finding the right studies

One of the best things about the American educational system is that you don’t have to compromise with studying something you are not enjoying. If you find that you don’t like the course you applied for, you can always change the courses and even the college you are attending.
It’s not rare for many students to have more than one major and you can even change your major as many times as you wish if you realize it’s not the right one for you. Lastly, you can also use your college credits in order to swap colleges and not have to pay anything for it.

5. You should have your ID at all times

Carrying your ID with you is always important. Being an international student, you should always have your ID and/or passport with you in order to prove your country of origin and your credentials.
On top of this, you will have to show your ID when buying drinks in any bar, as most have a strict 21 and up policy!

6. Managing your expenses

You have probably heard that US colleges are some of the most expensive in the world. While this applies for some, it is not the general rule. In fact, your college expenses will cover a lot more than just your education. You will be able to have medical insurance, accommodation in the dorms and other important benefits.

7. Networking is important

Making friends and meeting new people will really help you feel less lonely and allow you to create contacts with people who could help you evolve professionally in the future.
Since you will be a foreigner, networking is really important, especially if you wish to live and work in the US after your studies have been completed.

8. Participating in classes

The best way for your professors to notice you is by you participating in their classes as much as you can. While you might feel shy and nervous, don’t hold back from replying to their questions.
Even if English is not your native tongue, you should still try asking questions and answering to your professors so that you can practice and get to know them too.

9. There is no special dress code

You really don’t need to worry about showing up to class in a certain uniform or any sort of proper clothing. Most students will just roll into class in sweatpants or leggings and their warmest, most comfortable hoodie.

10. College clubs play an important role

College clubs in the US turn strangers into good friends and they can play a very important role in your networking and friendships. The good thing is that there are many different clubs you can join based on your interests and skills and you can learn a new skill while going through you studies.

11. Ask for help if you need it

Studying abroad will be difficult for you and you might not be able to fully understand your textbooks or you might have issues with understanding what you need to do for a certain assignment. Asking for help from your professors and peers should always be your priority if you come across a difficulty.
You will definitely not come across as annoying. In fact, your professors will be happy to see that their international students truly care about their subject and about learning.

12. Your driver’s license is probably valid

Even though you should make sure to check the laws that apply in the state you will be living in, it is most likely that your driver’s license will be perfectly valid. This way you will be able to get a car, especially if you plan on staying in the country for a while.

13. Always be on time in class

While some countries might be more lenient when it comes to arriving to class, in America most professors will expect you to be there on time, every single time. Arriving on time, even a few minutes before your professor does will help you create a good impression.

14. Interacting with local students

If it’s your first time in the States, you should keep in mind that many of your fellow students who are Americans have probably never left the country. For your first few weeks there, you will sort of be a new attraction and people are bound to ask you a million questions.
While it might get a little annoying if it happens all the time, you can use it as an opportunity to socialize, make new friends and network with people from your campus.

15. Have a vocabulary list

If English isn’t your native tongue, you might have some difficulty understanding complex words and phrases. The good thing is that it is all a matter of practice, and you will be able to fully understand everything in a short amount of time.

The best thing you can do in order to help yourself in this situation is to always carry a notebook with you, where you will write down all the words you are unfamiliar with. You can even use an app on your phone such as Evernote and make audio recordings of the words you hear in order to practice them again later.

Studying in the US will be both stressful and fun

Above all else, you need to keep in mind that people will be very understanding about the fact that you will most likely not be familiar with the “American way” of doing things. Ask for help when you need it and make as many friends as you can. At the end of the day, your studies will one day end, so you should make sure to enjoy yourself as much as possible and not worry about the little things.

Which of these things about studying in the United States did you not know about at all?

Author Bio: Pauline speaks Portuguese, English, Spanish and Italian and currently she works as a translator at translation service TheWordPoint. She travelled the world to immerse herself in the new cultures and learn languages. Today she is proud to be a voting member of the American Translators Association and an active participant of the Leadership Council of its Portuguese Language Division.

Memory Exercises to Speed Up Learning a New Language

12/11/2018

It’s common knowledge that we can train our muscles to be stronger and better by exercising. What you might not know is that we can train our brains in a similar way. Obviously, you don’t need to go to the gym to exercise your brain though. We can train it by giving it certain mental exercises to do and with this training we can learn any language at a much faster pace. Whatever language you are trying to learn, these techniques will help you to learn it faster.

Some languages are much easier than others. Languages which have similar origins, for example in Europe there are similarities between French, English, German, Dutch etc. Due to these similarities they can be easier to remember because some words may sound similar or have a word in your native tongue which can be associated with that word. However, there are some languages which are so different to any other language that you speak that it makes these kinds of associations impossible.

Memory Processes

There is a process involved in creating a memory which everyone’s brain goes through. The first part is known as encoding: this is where you have noticed a piece of information and your brain is perceiving all of the information surrounding it such as sound, sight, smell, emotions. Linking a sensory input to the piece of information helps our brain to encode that knowledge and makes it easier for you to recall.

“Every piece of information you have come across is stored within your brain. When we practise recalling this information or building upon our information, we form stronger, longer-lasting connections to that piece of information,” shares Lloyd Jones, author at Draftbeyond and Writinity. Similarly, to how you build up your muscles through exercise, exercising our brain builds up the strength of our connection to the stored information. Repeatedly recalling information is one way on how to strengthen these connections. This is why flashcards and other such revision techniques help us to remember what we have learnt.

The Tried and Tested Memory Palace

You may have heard of a technique before known as the memory palace. In case you haven’t, a memory place is a mnemonic device that has been practised since ancient Roman times. Creating a memory palace is as simple as selecting a location that you’re familiar with such as your home, school or favourite café. How it works is you virtually place representations of your memories within a place you already have a strong connection to.

How to use a Memory Palace to learn a language

1. Imagine yourself standing in your memory palace

2. Mentally make your way through the place, notice any objects or features which you could use as your memory stores. This can be anything as long as it is easy to remember, for example your desk might be one memory store, your business cards another and your lamp another. It’s important to remember these objects so that they become imprinted on your mind.

3. The next step is to replace those memory stores with what you need to remember. For example, if the word you are trying to remember is train, maybe the business cards on your desk are all replaced with train tickets, or if you’re trying to remember the word for plant maybe the lamp on your desk has transformed into a plant.

It can be easiest to write these down first and read through them then implement them into your Memory Palace, one room at a time, which will help break it down into bite sized chunks. Practise going through each room by making a story of it that’s easy to remember and soon you’ll know the words off by heart.

Create a consistent routine that works for you

A Memory Palace is just one way to learn the words you need to remember. Other techniques include flashcards, rhyming mnemonics and word association. Even if the association isn’t exact you can make up outrageous ones that might only make sense to you! “Whichever technique or combination of techniques you use it’s important to keep it consistent. Turn it into a routine. The routine itself will also help to build up your memory,” says Terry Kay, foreign language specialist and writer at Last Minute Writing and Researchpapersuk.

Eat well, sleep well, learn well

Aside from the actual exercises, just like muscle training, our brains need other things. We need a good night’s sleep. When we sleep our brain processes the information from the day and helps to strengthen the connections we have been forging. Plus, if you’re tired it makes it much more difficult to concentrate. Your diet can also affect your memory. Brain function and development relies upon a lot of nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, folic acid, Vitamin E and anthocyanin. You can also make your diet a part of your language learning? Learn the words to the food’s which contain these vital nutrients, learn recipes which contain them and practise them every day.

Practise makes perfect. Every time we practise, we strengthen the connections in our brain to the information we’re recalling. If you make a routine of doing those exercises every single day it will help you to learn your new language at a much faster pace.

Author Bio: Charles Phan is a content writer and proofreader at Gum Essays and Lucky Assignments with years of experience. Chris has a degree in Marketing and enjoys writing about business strategies, entrepreneurship and startup companies.

How to Embed Foreign Language into Your Daily Routine

12/3/2018

Any language learner knows that the only thing that they really need to succeed is time. Lots of and lots of free time that they can dedicate to accomplishing their learning goals. Most of us have pretty busy schedules that don’t allow to allocate sufficient time needed to master a foreign language.

But what if you could learn a language without cutting time for your usual daily activities? It’s certainly possible if you apply creativity and planning! The big secret is to embed language learning activities into your daily schedule without interrupting or interfering with them.

There are many ways to do that, and if you want to know what they are, check out the rest of the article. You’ll see that learning a language on a busy schedule isn’t magic, but a matter of time.

1. Listen to Podcasts

Podcasts, whether designed specifically for language learning or entertainment, are a popular way to learn a language. For example, they provide the much-needed practice of listening skills, help to build vocabulary by introducing new words, and become familiar with different styles of speech. Besides, not everyone has an opportunity to listen to native speakers.
They also have one major advantage for busy language learners: the convenience. One can listen to a podcast anytime, anywhere! For example, you can listen to podcasts:

While commuting
While eating
While cooking
While running errands that don’t require a lot of attention
While waiting.

Moreover, podcasts can provide some additional motivation to learn if you listen to those
that include your interests.

2. Hack Your Gadgets to Use a Foreign Language

Many everyday objects that you come into contact with can be great helpers with language learning as well. For example, switch your computer, tablet, smart TV, gaming system, or smartphone to the language you’re learning and you’ll expose your brain to a lot of new words and phrases every day. As the result, you can enrich your vocabulary without doing anything that would take some time off your schedule.

3. Use Smartphone Apps

Apps are another powerful way to embed language learning into your daily routine because you can open them in a couple of clicks and start learning whenever you can. Given the abundance of language learning apps out there, you’ll have to trouble finding one that suits you.
To take advantage of this convenient method, go to an online app store supported by your system (Google Play, App Store etc.), and try searching for keywords like “language learning” or “NAME OF THE LANGUAGE learning.” You’ll discover a plethora of options, so read their descriptions and try some to see what they can give you.

And, of course, try to use them once you have a chance. Language lessons cover grammar, vocabulary, and many other important areas, and are typically short (3-5 minutes), so the only things required are your desire and consistency.

4. Write When You Have Free Time

Writing in a foreign language reinforces your vocabulary and helps to practice your grammar skills, so finding a way to incorporate this activity into your routine is a must. Throughout the day, you have lots of opportunities to practice writing. Commuting is one of them. If you have to commute to get to work/college, use this time to write.

You don’t have to have a prepared topic to practice. You can write about how your day has been like so far, choose some topics from lessons you took on your smartphone, or just write about something that interests you. Then, save that text and analyze it for grammar, punctuation, word selection, idea flow, and other characteristics later. A second look may reveal the mistakes you didn’t notice the first time.

One more thing: you don’t have to have a pen and paper to write! Feel free to use your smartphone’s word processor or a note taking app. They’ll make it easier to check grammar and spelling on your computer, which can be done effectively with Ginger Software.

4. Try to Write Down New Words

It’s a known fact that writing things down improves learning. According to Dr. Helen Macpherson of Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Deakin University who recently gave an interview to Huffington Post, when people write by hand, they have to coordinate verbal and fine movement systems.

"And when we learn new information, for example at school or in a university lecture, we don’t write verbatim, which means we have to create our own summaries and concepts,” explains Dr. Macpherson.

So, try to write down new words and phrases while listening to podcasts and language lessons and doing other exercises. This activity will force yourself to pay attention and enhance your learning.
Feel free to apply these techniques in your daily life, and before you know it, “my schedule doesn’t allow me to learn languages” will become “Check out the amazing progress I’m making!”

Audrey Pilcher is a passionate blogger and freelance writer at College-paper.org. Being engaged in numerous international internships during studies, she gained invaluable experience. Since then Audrey was willing to share it with others. Therefore she became an article writer on studying, self-growth issues. You can check her last publications on A-Writer.

Why Writing is Difficult for Students

11/30/2018

When you’re a student, writing can simply seem like an impossible task. Throughout our school years, we were always taught that the only reason for us to write was to get a grade and we always tried to get it over with as soon as possible. If you’re now a college student, you might be thinking that not many things have changed.

Depending on what you’re studying, there are many reasons why writing could still be difficult for you. You might feel like it is simply not important or even not that useful in what you do. The reality is that writing as a skill, can help you even make a stable income at some point in your life. Here are some reasons why students tend to think that writing is a hard task to accomplish.

Coming up with creative ideas

One of the most common difficulties for students is finding what to write about. Even if the topic is set and all they have to do is the writing, this task can still be intimidating for some people. Writing is a task that requires for the person to be a little creative and to be able to express their thoughts on paper with ease.
For many students, expressing themselves and their thoughts isn’t always the easiest of tasks and that can bring quite a lot of problems in time where they have to write without putting too much thought into it. Even if you are great at arts and crafts, writing can still be tough for you if you are a little introverted or maybe even too much of an extrovert!
The best way to overcome this is to start reading more. Reading anything from books to short stories can really help you expand your creativity as well as your vocabulary. Learning new words and understanding how to use them in a sentence can help you express yourself better and become more creative. The more you read the easier writing will seem to you.

Doing research

Another thing that most - if not all students dread when it comes to writing, is doing the research to support what they wrote. If you have to write about a more particular topic, such as a historic or a medical one, you will have to cite all the sources you used and write down things about studies and relevant information.
When it comes to writing papers, everyone would find writing difficult as it is so much more than just simply being creative and expressing your ideas and opinions. This kind of writing is more demanding as
it is as you will have to have extra knowledge in order to pull such an essay through correctly. The best thing you can do about this is ask your professors for directions and try following them as closely as possible. The more you do this during your college years, the easier it will become.

Staying focused for a while
A common problem for young people and especially young students is focusing their attention on one thing for a long period of time. The way this generation was raised always included cell phones, video games and other kinds of fun activities, which in many cases seemed much more interesting and entertaining that finishing homework assignments. As a result, most people are now getting easily distracted and that can’t be helpful in tasks like writing.
The best way to go about this is to keep all distractions away. Find one room to study in where your electronics, including your phone, are not present. Have your necessary notebooks and pens there but keep everything else away. You can even try and study in your local library or college’s library and see if that can help you concentrate a little bit better.

If you’re having problems concentrating the best thing you can do is keep distractions away. If you procrastinate often and without a reason, you will come to find that even the simplest of writing tasks will seem like difficult and never-ending tasks. Make sure you keep your priorities straight and you manage to stay focused in order to make things easier for yourself.

Finding the time to write

Writing can usually take quite a bit of time. A student’s life is usually very busy and most will feel exhausted at the end of every day. That is absolutely normal and expectable if you take into consideration how many assignments and classes students have to follow.
Writing can seem very difficult if you have a million other things to do. You will simply find it impossible to write if your head it tired and if it’s the third assignment you had to do that day. While that is understandable, there is also a solution to it.
You should leave writing for whenever you know you will have a little bit of extra time and nothing else to do. You will need to be rested and focused in order to better write your thoughts and produce a better outcome. If you leave your writing assignment for the last minute, you will only manage to become nervous and not write up to your expectations.

Writing doesn’t have to be difficult

Even if most students find writing to be quite a difficult task, it can actually be quite enjoyable. If you write about a topic you enjoy, you are bound to find it less difficult and more fun to do. While college and school assignments don’t always have to be fun, they can be less difficult if you pass them up as something you actually like doing.

By keeping distractions away and being more focused on what you write, you can finish your writing tasks in less time, That can help you feel more relaxed and allow you to see writing from a different perspective. Lastly, the more time you spend reading and expanding your knowledge on how other people write, the easier it will be for you to write something yourself, even if that is a boring college paper.

Author’s bio: Jerry is a professional writer and he loves to help students. He has spent the majority of his career in the writing industry, gaining experiences in areas such as editing and writing. Currently, Jerry is a blogger and a Head of CD at WOWGrade.com. Jerry also enjoys reading books and traveling.

New ELS Center Opens in the Heart of NYC!

11/14/2018

ELS has just opened a new flagship center in Manhattan, New York, New York where students from around the world can come to learn English and immerse themselves in American culture.

“It’s inspiring,” Frank Prieto Pinto, an ELS student from Colombia, said of the classrooms in ELS/New York – Manhattan. “When I was living in my county I saw pictures, I saw movies, and now I feel like I’m in the movies,” he said, gesturing to the wall-sized mural of Times Square behind him. Pinto, who is a professor of Strategic Thinking and Management Skills at EAN University in Bogotá, stressed the importance of having a positive learning space. “As a student in this moment, I need a good place to study, and the classrooms are so beautiful.”

The new space boasts a lounge and cafe as well as collaborative spaces for students to learn and socialize.

“... I am confident that this [space]—together with our great staff and great program—will ensure that all of the students at this center will have a priceless and memorable experience,” said Reiji Terasaka, Chief Operating Officer at ELS.

About ELS Educational Services ELS Educational Services, Inc. offers more than 55 years of success in assisting international students—more than 1.2 million to date—achieve their personal and professional goals through English preparation and university study skills. ELS assists international students to identify and gain entry to higher education institutions around the world, including in Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia and the United States.

For more information: ELS Language Centers

Creative Writing Prompts That Will Help You Learn a New Language

11/12/2018

Having creative writing prompts that help you learn a new language is a great idea. A lot of people really don’t know a lot about all this, but we got you covered. We will help you understand this and learn that dream language faster. Now, let's do a little introduction about this. First, I'll break down each of these terms, so get comfortable and keep on reading.

Creative: It involves the use of your imagination or original ideas to create or make something.

Writing Prompts: This is a simple topic where you start jotting down ideas. The prompt could either be a complete paragraph, a single word or a short phrase. A writing prompt helps you get inspired for creativity.

One nice thing about writing prompt is the fact that it is free writing; the main deal isn’t what you write, but the simple fact that you do write. It doesn't even require a story or a story structure; it’s just designed to get you thinking. You can also use prompt as a source of good exercise to help build your creativity level and can help you develop new skills and also come up with ideas. As we know, practice makes perfect. One nice way write prompts so it looks less like a chore and makes it fun is by choosing interesting topics that’d bring up that fun part of you. So try to choose wisely.

How Can I Learn to Write a New Language With Writing Prompts
Writing prompts brings you out of your comfort zone. It allows you to write about something that you really wouldn’t write about on a normal day. When writing about a wide variety of topics or subjects, you'll need to learn about many different words. If you’re learning on your own, try writing these prompts daily. You can set a time variation of about 15-20 minutes per day, this would be an excellent way to practice your new language. Try to use some of the vocab words you learn to write when working through your vocabulary list weekly. If you want to even learn how to speak well, you can start by writing your thoughts down. Learning how to write sentences is a step towards learning how to say it out loud.
So here are some creative writing prompts that will help you learn a new language;
Express Your Family
Family comes first you know, so this is our first creative way. By writing about your family, you won't only use family related vocabulary, but you will also practice defining an age, color, height, favorite food as well as occupation.

Your Friends
It’s great writing about friends because you’re familiar, and talking to them in a simple way or manner should be fun and easy. If you have gotten more advanced with your writing prompt level, you could also write about your great friendship experiences; problems your friends faced; birthday parties; and also how your life was influenced by them. You could also write on what you like about them. Personality description can also be a great way to express more vocab, or you can also clarify how you met using the reciprocal verb concourse.

Tasks
Another good way to practice writing a new language is to write down your tasks. You can pick up two or three of them you would like to accomplish in a day. I know you would be wondering the type of tasks you’ll finish in a day, well here are some simple goals like getting a haircut or grocery shopping. This is also an exercise that gives you two benefits of practicing the new language and also making you productive.

Write on Your Experiences Yesterday
Writing about the previous day's event is also a way to practice, but you could also write about your accomplishments over the past year, month or even week. Making use of this creative way would allow you to practice your writing in the past tense, which is also a nice way for beginners and advanced persons. Talking about your past life or your relatives should be nice too.

Weekend Breaks
Writing about your plans for the weekend is also a great way your future tense. This is also an opportunity for beginners, and advanced persons to practice the future tense. A beginner could write about fun things that they might have been involved with during a previous weekend, while those in an advanced level could write on what their ideal weekend could be if they were given a free vacation or a date with a celebrity.

Night Dreams
If you can remember your dream when you wake up from your bed, you put it down in your journal. You can start by jotting down quick notes to avoid forgetting it. You don’t have to worry about analyzing your dream. Once you make your notes, you can then spend enough time writing down all that you remember relating to your dream. Writing dreams as your prompt is a way to have fun, it is an interesting topic. You can imagine writing all the strange things that must have happened at night.
We have given you five creative writing prompt but here are some other prompts that could be of help to you;

Writing a One-Paragraph Biography of Your Life
Writing about your biography might include varieties of past tense to describe one time actions as well as a description of events that have happened before. You can also practice using sequencing and transition words.

Recount an Event
The event could be historical, personal or even both. You can try to rewrite in the present tense, future tense or even perfect tense. This exercise assists you to become accurate and even faster at verb conjugation in any tenses.

Describe a Joke or a Funny Event
This kind of prompt will challenge you to make up sentences using informal expressions and vocabularies that are exceptional and would get you to think out of the box for distinctive vocabulary.

Write a Short Story
While containing lots of action verbs, try making it very expressive. It can be a story with an unexpected angle or an imaginable twist, the most important part is that you should have real fun doing it.

Discuss any Issue That Affects The Public
Issues like a drought or an electricity outage, for example, can be a nice writing prompt topic. Try expressing the impersonal in various ways to bring up suggestions for people and also solutions that might help out.

Write a Letter to Another Student
You can explain your likes about learning a new language, include the difficulties you experienced while learning it and maybe the reasons why you decided to learn a foreign language.

Convince Someone to Adopt Your Pointview Of an Issue
Make use of persuasive language to try and convince them on your reasons and your strengths and their weakness about the argument. You can make use of a personal decision or political matters or anything or topic that can be argued on.

Write a Short Gratitude Note
You can express your thanks with words of gratitude. You can write a note to someone you feel must have made your day an awesome one with presents or a smile.

Pick any Conversant Topic
When you have an object in front of you, it's easier to try describing the object as descriptively as you can. You could also make use of comparisons and superlatives.
Creative writing helps in influencing your language, try out exercises for better improvement. I hope we helped you with the information you needed, have a great day!

Author Bio: Kristin Savage has graduated from Columbia University where she was majoring in Germanic Languages. Besides English as her mother tongue she also speaks German and Dutch fluently. Currently Kristin is studying Spanish and planning to obtain her PhD in Applied Linguistics since she is interested in how to use her to some extent practical knowledge of language processes in everyday life. She has been a writer at Pick Writers for a few years and is known for her thorough approach to all the tasks and aspiration to fulfill assignments with flying colors.

How to Host an American Thanksgiving

11/9/2018

Thanksgiving is a national holiday and American tradition where families and loved ones gather on the third Thursday in November to spend time together, give thanks and share a meal. During the holiday, universities typically close the campus and grant students a long weekend so they can be with their families. Though there are many similar holidays celebrated around the world, American Thanksgiving has some specific traditions that can be fun to try while you are in the United States. This year, invite all your international friends for a new experience and use these tips to throw a truly American Thanksgiving celebration in your apartment.

Plan Your Feast
Thanksgiving is all about the food, so plan out your menu carefully and make sure you have all the cooking equipment you need. A few days before Thanksgiving, decide what traditional American Thanksgiving foods you’ll treat your friends to, and make sure you have enough room to prepare the meal in your apartment. Head to the grocery store in advance so you have plenty of time to find what you’re looking for. The last thing you want is to be in the middle of cooking and realize you don’t have what you need to complete a recipe. You can even put your own culture’s spin on an American dish for a fun blend of flavors and traditions.
Clean Your Apartment
Inviting all your friends for a Thanksgiving celebration means your apartment may feel a little cramped. A good way to prepare for your guests is by cleaning up your apartment and putting away anything that could limit your space. The day before Thanksgiving, throw away loose trash, vacuum the floors, clean the kitchen and living spaces, and make sure all rooms look tidy and ready for your friends.
Add Fall Flair
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to make your apartment feel festive and create an inviting environment. New throw pillows for your seating areas can create warmth and add a pop of seasonal color. Decorate your table with nuts and pinecones to add texture and color to your holiday table and add a fall-themed wreath to your door to welcome guests. Lastly, scatter battery-operated candles throughout your space to create a warm ambience, while not having to worry about melting wax.

Thanksgiving is a fun way to gather your friends and try a classic American tradition for yourself. Invite one or two close friends to cook with you and share the joy of making your dinner together or watching American football after your Thanksgiving meal. No matter how traditional your Thanksgiving Day is, these tips can help you host a successful gathering of your friends and celebrate the holiday.

Rob Johnson is an experienced international traveler and Director of Higher Education Sales at CORT Furniture Rental, where he works directly with students and higher education institutions.

8 Surprising Things about American Culture for International Students

11/8/2018

From slang to restaurant etiquette, you should be prepared for many surprises about American culture when you decide to study in the USA. International students come here with impressions based on movies. TV shows and movies may represent real life from time to time, but they cannot fully prepare you for the real experience.
Whenever you visit a foreign country, you immerse in its culture. Foreign cultures always manage to surprise you in one way or another. Studying in the USA will be an enhanced experience of the same type, since you’re going to spend more time here.
So what are the most surprising things about American culture you should be prepared for? Let’s list them!

1. The Food Portions Are HUGE

When you order food at an American restaurant, you get a huge portion that you couldn’t possibly eat. If you were used to European portions, expect to be served a double-sized meal.

For foreign students in the USA, food is a culture shock of its own.

2. People Are Polite

Truth be told, it depends where you come from. But most foreign students find Americans to be really nice. A foreign student at Utica College asked 33 international students to identify the most surprising things about America and Canada. They were mostly talking about the food, but you’ll notice comments about people being nice few times.

All cultures have kindness imprinted in them, but not all of them express it to third parties. British people, for example, are perceived as cold and overly intellectual. They make small talk about the weather and don’t care much about the person they are talking too. At least that’s how foreigners see them.

Americans, however, are usually very communicative. They are eager to make contact with foreigners and they will invite them to go out together.

3. Tons of Writing at Universities

The educational system is part of the culture. In America, it’s practically based on writing. Students are writing papers all the time, and to be honest - they are not that good at them.

As a foreign student, you’ll have to fit into that culture.

Maria Olivier, writer for EssayOnTime, explains: “The most surprising things about foreign students in the USA is the volume of writing they have to do. Essays, research papers, term papers, book reports, lab reports, case studies, business plans... you name it. It’s a challenging aspect of education that they have to adjust to.”

Oh, maybe it’s time to start polishing up your academic writing skills before you head off to America?

4. Mega, Super, Giant Stores!

You go out to get some oranges and you go back with complete supplies and at least $300 spent at the superstore.

When you first enter an American superstore, you’ll wish you had a map to navigate through it. On your way out, you’ll notice people buying everything they don’t need.

5. The A/C Goes Nuts

Expect to freeze in closed area during the spring and summer. You might consider taking a sweater when you go for groceries... in summer!

People here go crazy on the air conditioning.

6. People Leave Big Tips at Restaurants

If you plan to work as a waiter while studying, you’ll love this. If you’re just a student who likes the occasional restaurant dinner, you won’t enjoy the fact that you’re expected to provide a generous tip.

In most European countries, people are used to leaving coins on the table as a “thank you for the good service.” In America, you’re expected to tip 15% - 20% of the pre-tax bill. If you’re using coupons, you’re expected to tip on the full amount; not on the discounted price.

If you tip lower or you don’t tip at all, the servers will hate you and might spit in your coffee the next time they see you.

Oh; you’ll also need to tip taxi drivers, hair stylists, and the pizza delivery service.

7. Cheerleaders

When college teams play, the cheerleaders are more fun that the games themselves. If you haven’t seen any movies with cheerleaders, we’d recommend you not to do it. That’s how you’ll get really, really surprised when you see them in person.

These are not your usual sports team fans or audience entertainers. They take it to a whole other level. They are practically gymnasts, so you might start wondering why they don’t use that talent for a more useful purpose.

8. The Super Bowl and the World Series

Oh. My. God! If the Super Bowl doesn’t surprise you, I don’t know what will. This is the culminating game of a regular season in the annual NFL (National Football League) championship. It’s such a big event that people won’t stop talking about it. Brands pay $4 million for a commercial of 30 seconds during the broadcast.

Take a moment to process that.

Speaking of sports, Americans are also crazy about baseball. The annual championship is called The World Series, although only American teams participate in it. Okay; there’s one Canadian team, too.

Go figure.

One Thing Is Definite: You’ll Enjoy It!

Yes; you’ll find the USA surprising. But you know what? This experience will be great because it will surprise you. Embrace the differences and enjoy your stay!

Author Bio: Serena Dorf is a social media savvy Los Angeles-based content writer. She is interested in marketing, writing, and public speaking. In her free time, she is reading classic American literature and learning Swedish. You can find her on Google+ and Twitter.

How To Make Money Tutoring Online

10/29/2018

If you have an academic degree and have a passion for teaching, you can consider becoming an online tutor. However, even if you are not academically inclined or a teacher, you can still do online tutoring. The important thing is to impart knowledge to other people in your own little way. Online tutoring is immensely rewarding. You can tutor online and get paid in the comforts of your home. There are different online tutoring websites to choose from and they have different payment schemes and benefit packages. However, most of them will pay on an hourly basis.

What do you need as an online tutor?

There are only a few things that you need in order to get started as an online tutor:

A reliable computer
A stable Internet connection
A headset with microphone
Webcam or Skype software

Most of the time, you will be engaged in video calls with your students so you may also need to be proficient in English. As for the qualification, it will depend on the agency or company. There are some companies that look for experience and related qualifications. There are others that require that you only pass an assessment test.

Ways to make money as an online tutor

There are several ways you can make money from online tutoring. You can either do it as a business or you can do the tutoring yourself. The latter is a good starting point for getting experience before starting it as a business. By teaching it to others, you become a person of knowledge and experience. If you want to take the path of tutoring by yourself, here are some websites that can help you get started with tutoring online:

Tutor ABC

Tutor ABC is one of the most popular online tutoring companies. To apply for the company, you would need to have a teaching qualification and an experience. Having a university degree, being TESOL/TEFL certified can also be helpful. To apply, you may need to upload a video to help the company assess your teaching ability. You can expect to earn between $8 to $10 per hour on the website.

Smile Tutor
Smile Tutor is one of the largest tuition agencies in Singapore. If you are based there or visiting Singapore for a short period, you can register as a tutor on their website and find hundreds of tuition assignments daily. Applying is as easy as a few clicks and you can get students on a short-term and long- term basis. Rates range from $20 - $100 / hr depending on your portfolio. You can also speak to their coordinators for free to get advice on how to get more tuition jobs.

GoFluent

GoFLUENT requires its online tutors to log in at least 20 hours per week. The requirement is an academic teaching or business teaching experience to be able to work with the company. You can teach English to foreign students and get paid for doing so.

TutorVista

TutorVista has an online tutor base of over 2,000 qualified teachers hailing from different countries and continents. You can have the opportunity to teach subjects like English, Biology, Science, Physics, Math, Grammar, and others. TutorVista has been featured in NBC, BBC, and other media outlets. The potential earning in the site is between $10 to $40 per hour and you are required to register 4 hours of work weekly.

English hunt

The website specializes in teaching English to foreign students. It applies free-talking to test-prep instructions in its curriculum. To work as an online tutor in English hunt, you would need a four-year degree course and a teaching certification. Knowledge is imparted to students through video instructions. The payment is determined on an hourly case-by-case basis.

Tutor.com

Tutor.com is regarded as one of the best online tutorial websites connecting the right tutors to students. It has in its fold Ivy League teachers, the best doctors, professionals, pilots, and others. With the website, you can relatively work from anywhere teaching subjects like Calculus, Statistics, English, Chemistry, and others. You get paid by the hour and expected to log in 5 hours weekly. The pay is between $10 to $50 per hour depending on the subject you teach.

Cambly

Cambly is an ESL website where online tutors teach English to foreign students. No experience is required to work with this company. It has a time tracking feature that monitors the hours you spend for tutoring. At a rate of 17 cents per minute, you can expect to make around $10.20 an hour. Payouts is done weekly.

Chegg

With Chegg, you need to have or at least taking up a degree program to become an online tutor. Once accepted, you will be matched with students depending on the subjects you want to teach. You would be paid $20 per hour with the company.

Author Bio:
Raul H.Powell is the content developer and freelance writer. He writes a lot of article on his carrier. Last one year he is working with Smile Tutor as a content developer and a writer. He has a expertise on writing an article on various types of online tutorial. He also wants to promote such kind of work to develop the skill.

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