The Benefits of Reading

The Benefits of Reading Why is Reading Important to our Daily lives? Chapters1. Educational Benefits of Reading Books2. It Teaches You About The World3. It Is Like Multiple English Lessons Rolled Into One4. It Helps You To Become A More Focused Reader5. It Encourages You To Be A Critic6. Health Benefits of Reading7. It Can Impact On Your Readiness To Take Risks8. It Reduces Stress And Negativity9. It Brings Peace And Tranquility To The Soul10. It Is A Source Of EntertainmentIf you do not currently make a habit of reading regularly, you could be missing out on some very important benefits. Here are ten examples of how reading a chapter a day can be good for your mind, body and soul. 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Educational Benefits of Reading BooksReading widely is a great way  of acquiring knowledge. This is why, during any course that you embark on, be it an academic or vocational one, you will ultimately have to read to further your knowledge of the subject. For instance, historians will read ancient artefacts to discover details about their field of study while a trainee car mechanic will read manuals to find out how the parts of different automobiles work.Granted, some people may be born with a more academically attuned mind but have you ever noticed that smart people are usually portrayed in films or TV programmes as the ones with a book in their hand? This goes to show that society sees a link between reading books and being intelligent.  â€˜Skilled’ readers are those who can focus all of their attention onto the subject given in front of them and who can absorb all of the fine details hidden between the lines. If you find this a challenge and don't feel like you are taking information in as you are reading, you may need to work on your reading skills to ensure you are getting the most out of the process.Follow these tips to hone your reading skills!A skilled reader may benefit from having  a photographic memory and thus be able to recall information as it appeared on the page, although this is unfortunately not something that can be taught.Regardless of how good or bad your memory is and how hard or easy you find it to sit down and read, training your brain to be more attentive by doing mental exercises and practicing your reading skills can go a long way in helping you to learn more through reading.2. It Teaches You About The WorldIn addition to providing you with information about a given field, reading can also teach you about the world: through reading you can learn about current affairs, discover pieces of history, grasp human values and learn about different ways of expressing yourself.Take reading a newspaper every morning, for examp le. Most national papers including The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail and The Daily Express offer a wide range of articles across multiple sections. For instance, on a given day you could find out who won a football game the day before, learn about a crisis on the other side of the globe and discover which cities were voted as the best places to live in the UK.Moreover, much of our world's history has been documented in books therefore reading some of these accounts from the past can help you to learn about how our lives have been shaped by historical events.Reading literature is a good way to form an idea of society at the time the story was written!  Check out more about English tuition.Reading can teach you about historical events that you otherwise might not get the opportunity to learn about. Photo credit: The British Library via Visual hunt3. It Is Like Multiple English Lessons Rolled Into OneYet another educational advantage to reading on a regular basis is the way t hat we naturally pick up new vocabulary from passages of texts and equally familiarise ourselves with up to date language trends. A student of English will explore the ways that the English language has evolved from Old English to the language we use to communicate with today, while also discovering facts about life through the centuries.Reading does not have to be limited to books of classic English Literature though, there is an abyss of different texts available to us, even more so now that online publishing is so popular, as well as the ongoing development of social media and blogs. As such, we can take multiple lessons from one single activity.Try reading poetry for a different linguistic flavour! And find all the help for English you need here.Educating yourself through reading might be achieved as a result of picking up a printed book yet it may also come about from reading a blog by a genuine poster on the Internet. Either way, the more exposure you have to a broad range of texts, the wider your own word bank will become and the more knowledge you will acquire along the way.4. It Helps You To Become A More Focused ReaderModern distractions like television, emails and social media mean that we have much lower levels of productivity  than ever before and as such spend our time flitting from one obstruction to another without really benefitting from any of the tasks.Reading helps you to focus all of your attention on one story or account  (or even giving your undivided attention to a particular person, if you are writing a personal letter) and allows you to absorb all of the fine details presented to you. This not only means you will be a better interpreter of information, you could also become more skilled in the art of reading others’ emotions on a social level and thus boost relationships.Focused readers are fast readers, possessed of agile minds! 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It Encourages You To Be A CriticRemaining on the subject of developing skills, reading helps you to enhance your analytical skills and improves your ability to think critically. These skills, along with your newfound attention to detail, all impact on the ease at which you can interpret texts on a higher level.This means that, with more reading, you might find yourself understanding advanced texts far easier, and coming up with relevant counter-arguments or queries to facts that you might not otherwise have thought of  before. By consequence, you will be better at communicating yourself, both in writing and speech.Why not pass these valuable skills on to your young readers?Being a critic of texts al so enables you to develop your own taste and preferences when it comes to reading different styles of writing.6. Health Benefits of ReadingReading is not all about gaining new skills, however. Scientists have proven that staying mentally stimulated through tasks like reading and writing can slow down the progress of, or even eliminate, mental disorders linked to old age such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Just like any muscle in your body, your brain needs to stay active to remain powerful. This also applies to your memory â€" the more you read, the better your abI lity to retain information in the long run.Since older generations are not naturally drawn to the digital advancements of literature in the same way that our younger peers are, they are somewhat limited to reading texts available in hard or paper back, as well as reading hand-written notes or printed stories in newspapers. That said, there is enough information readily available for this group of people even without digit al content  so they have plenty of opportunities to engage with a variety of texts and to allow their creativity to run wild.Discover a place to get a good GCSE English tutor.7. It Can Impact On Your Readiness To Take RisksWhether or not this is a pro or a con is debatable, but scientists have made links between high IQs and doing things that are somewhat out of character, sometimes described as ‘stupid’, even.Although there is only an indirect correlation between reading lots and being one of these people who acts spontaneously, seeing as we have already established that regular readers are often brighter people and that brighter people in turn have higher IQs, then we can conclude that there is a high chance that this theory could be true! Who knew that reading could be so influential on your willingness to let your hair down?Research shows that raising your IQ through reading more could impact on your approach to taking risks. Photo via Visualhunt.com8. It Reduces Stress And NegativityIn addition to the mental health benefits, reading can keep your stress levels down by enabling you to transport yourself away from everyday life and leave any troubles behind you, at least for the duration of the activity. Finding a source of escape can additionally benefit you in the long run as it helps you to be rational and put things into perspective.Help others reduce their stress: teach someone to read!9. It Brings Peace And Tranquility To The SoulAlthough some might find reading to be a boring or even a treacherous task, once mastered it can bring so much satisfaction. Reading is particularly good at calming ones’ nerves, which is why so many people read before bed to help put them into a peaceful slumber.Reading to get a dose of tranquility does not have to be limited to nighttime though, anyone can read when they have a spare moment to help them to switch off from their surroundings and to find a calm and joyous place â€" whether that be by placing themselves in the story or by simply taking themselves out of the equation completely.10. It Is A Source Of EntertainmentLast but not least, reading is a brilliant source of entertainment  that is often free or comes at a very minimal cost.When you consider how long you spend reading a fiction novel, for example, and how much pleasure you get from the experience, it is astonishing that most paperbacks cost less than £8.00. That is more than half the price of an average cinema ticket, which only seeks to entertain for 2-3 hours (and which you can't keep to benefit from again).Buying a fiction novel is cheaper than a cinema ticket. Photo via VisualhuntAs previously mentioned, literature is advancing at a significant pace with many books nowbeing published in digital form for free, with the intention of raising awareness of authors and their style of work.As such, we are privy to some fantastic pieces of writing covering a broad range of subjects to keep us entertained at pretty much any time w e wish. So, instead of watching a funny YouTube video during your lunch break, why not open up your Kindle, flick through the pages of a book or even find some invigorating short stories to keep yourself amused or distract you temporarily from your responsibilities.

Top 10 Mobile App For College Students In 2017

Top 10 Mobile App For College Students In 2017 People use mobile apps for anything and everything today! From financial transactions to playing games, mobile apps rule the roost today. Thus it should come as no wonder that there are mobile apps for educational purposes too. Educational apps cater to toddlers and even research scholars today. The most popularly sought after ones though are the ones designed for college students. With umpteen apps out there, it is important to pick the right ones that can help you improve your grades. Read on to learn about the top 10 mobile apps for college students in 2015 and why online tutors recommend them highly. Nothing beats Dropbox mobile apps when it comes to storage The most important thing that a student should learn first while studying is to stay organized. Dropbox is excellent for storing and organizing data and helps students collate their data in one place. Whether it is documents, videos, presentations or photos, everything can be stored on it and what’s more, new users get to enjoy 2 GB free storage! Referring friends brings in an additional 50 MB of storage and this immediately appeals to students and it is usable on a wide variety of devices. Beat your math blues with Mathway mobile app Almost every student experiences trouble with math especially at the college level wherein it is important to cross check answers and verify them. With Mathway students get to do just that! This is why online math tutors recommend that students use this app to verify and cross check their answers. Learning on the Go with GoConqr mobile app Students can literally learn on the go with the GoConqr app and discover an extraordinary 1.5 learning resources from across the globe to do so! Master English with Dictionary.com mobile app Learning the proper usage of words, their meanings and other forms is very important to have a good command over English and Dictionary.com is the ultimate guide that lets you do so! Learning complex new words and acing that English paper isn’t a distant dream anywhere with this popular app. This app comes highly recommended by every online English tutor! Get better at organization with Pocket Pocket is quite unfamiliar to most students and yet is one of the most useful apps when it comes to organizing information and study material. Students can bookmark content online (articles, videos, etc.) and look them up later. Sty fit with MyFitnessPal It is very important to stay fit and healthy to be able to use one’s mental acuity to its fullest. MyFitnessPal is a popular app amongst college goers for health and fitness and helps them keep track of their dietary habits and also nutrition requirements. Intake of calories and their usage can also be mapped on a day to day basis to learn as to whether the targets for the day have been met and so on. Assuage your food cravings with Allrecipies Dinner Spinner This is perhaps an unexpected one on the list and yet students do need to eat everyday! For those staying alone and away from home, a tasty meal is no longer a distant dream! Whipping up a cool and tasty dinner is very much possible with Allrecipies app and the craze for it is catching up amongst students pretty fast! Explore the world with TripAdvisor Staying away from home due to studies? Explore the lay of the land near your college and learn the local culture, popular customs and places of interest there. With TripAdvisor, you can even get an idea on popular local restaurants, the culture of the place and interesting customs and traditions. Why stay in your rooms when you can explore the world? Manage your income with Mint Of course you are on a limited budget if you are in college, everyone else is! Learning to plan your expenses and manage them becomes imperative and you can do so with Mint. This app helps you link various bank accounts and helps you track your spending and even set up reminders for your bills! Enjoy a pleasurable reading experience with Kindle There is a reason why Kindle is this popular! The reading experience that it offers is unparalleled and the in-built dictionary that it has is ultimate! Just highlight and look up the words that you understand instead of searching it elsewhere. Summary The college experience isn’t without its trials and tribulations. While it has its share of fun, it is important that students do well in their courses and the above mentioned apps help them manage their life in all its aspects from eating right, exercising, managing budgets to studying. Some of the apps mentioned above come highly recommended from popular tutors such as experts in English assignment help online and experts providing homework help in other subjects as well.

Clichés to Avoid

Clichés to Avoid Second language speakers of English demonstrate an impressive familiarity with English when they use clichés in their speaking. Using common expressions shows people that you have been exposed to a lot of English in your life and suggests that you have achieved an intermediate level of proficiency. Nevertheless, advanced second language writers and first language writers who use clichés seem unimaginative and dull. But what is a cliché anyway? What is a cliché? A cliché is a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought. It was once a lively and inventive phrase, but after it caught on it quickly became overused and tiresome. What is the origin of the word cliché? The word cliché means to clicked together. It comes to us from before the year 1825 from the typesetting trade. Instead of having to set every letter separately, typesetters would keep frequently-occurring words and phrases in handy reusable blocks to speed up the job of typesetting a page. A reusable block of letters What is wrong with writing in clichés? When people write in clichés, we wonder if they have chosen to express the idea that way or if that is the only way they know how to express the idea at all. Instead of being a sign of easy familiarity with English, we get the sense that the writer has never thought carefully about alternative phrasings. Worse still is when the writer gets the cliché wrong and comes out with an eggcorn like doggy-dog world. Thats really annoying. Here is a list of clichés to avoid 2.0 -gate does not suffer fools gladly a cautionary tale a chip off the old block a clean slate a crisis waiting to happen a dark and stormy night a diamond in the rough a far cry a favorite Washington parlor game a fine kettle of fish a good soul a kind soul a land of contradictions a loose cannon a mass of contradictions a matter of time a modest proposal a pain in the butt a pain in the neck a penny saved is a penny earned A portrait emerges a ragtag army a ragtag militia a tale of two a tough row to hoe a waste of time a word to the wise ace in the hole ace up his sleeve add insult to injury afraid of his own shadow against all odds air your dirty laundry all fun and games all in a days work all is fair in love and war all is well that ends well all talk all thumbs all your eggs in one basket alls fair in love and war alls well that ends well almighty dollar American as apple pie an arm and a leg an axe to grind An object lesson And heres the kicker and they all lived happily eve r after another day another dollar armed to the teeth as a nation as a society as brave as a lion as clever as a fox as luck would have it as meek as a lamb as old as the hills as old as the hills: as old as time as the crow flies At a crossroads at first blush at first glance at my wits end At the end of the day at the speed of light avoid it like the plague avoid like the plague babe in the woods back against the wall back in the saddle back to square one back to the drawing board bad to the bone badge of honor bald faced liar ballpark figure banging your head against a brick wall baptism by fire bark is worse than her bite barking up the wrong tree bat out of hell be all and end all Be that as it may beat a dead horse beat around the bush bee in her bonnet beggars cant be choosers begs the question behind the eight ball bend over backwards benefit of the doubt bent out of shape best thing since sliced bread bet your bottom dollar better half better late than never better mousetra p better safe than sorry between a rock and a hard place between the devil and the deep blue sea beyond the pale bide your time big as life big cheese big fish in a small pond big man on campus bigger they are the harder they fall bird in the hand birds eye view birds and the bees birds of a feather flock together bit the hand that feeds you bite the bullet bite the dust bitten off more than he can chew black as coal black as pitch black as the ace of spades blast from the past bleeding heart blessing in disguise blind ambition blind as a bat blind leading the blind blood is thicker than water blood sweat and tears blow off steam blow your own horn blushing bride boils down to bone to pick bored stiff bored to tears bottomless pit boys will be boys brave as a lion bright and early brings home the bacon broad across the beam broken record Broken system bull by the horns bull in a china shop burn the midnight oil burning question burning the candle at both ends Burst onto the national political scene burst your bubble bury the hatchet busy as a bee but at the end of the day But first But reality is more complicated but you cant hide by hook or by crook Byzantine rules call a spade a spade Call it luck called onto the carpet calm before the storm can of worms cant cut the mustard cant hold a candle to case of mistaken identity cat got your tongue caught in the crossfire caught red-handed caught with her pants down caught with his pants down caught with their pants down Cautiously optimistic Charm offensive Chattering classes checkered past chip on her shoulder chip on his shoulder Chock full chomping at the bit Christmas came early for cleanliness is next to godliness clear as a bell clear as mud close to the vest Closely watched cock and bull story cold shoulder come hell or high water Commentariat Contrary to popular belief Cooler heads prevailed cost a kings ransom count your blessings crack of dawn crash course creature comforts Creature of Washington critics are quick to point out Critics say cross that bridge when you come to it cry her eyes out cry like a baby cry me a river crystal clear Cue the curiosity killed the cat cut and dried cut through the red tape cut to the chase cute as a bugs ear cute as a button cute as a puppy cuts to the quick Cycle of violence dark before the dawn day out day dead as a doornail Depending on whom you ask devil is in the details dime a dozen divide and conquer Dizzying array dog and pony show dog days dog eat dog dog tired Don the mantle of dont burn your bridges dont count your chickens before theyre hatched Dont get me wrong dont look a gift horse in the mouth dont rock the boat dont step on anyones toes dont take any wooden nickels done that been Double down down and out down at the heels down in the dumps down on her luck down on his luck down on their luck down the hatch down to earth draw the line dressed to kill dressed to the nines drives me up the wall dull as dishwater dyed in the wool eagl e eye ear to the ground early bird catches the worm earn her keep earn his keep earn their keep easier said than done easy as 1-2-3 easy as pie eat your heart out eat your words eleventh hour enough to piss off the Pope even the playing field every cloud has a silver lining every dog has its day every fiber of my being everything but the kitchen sink eye for an eye Eye-popping eyes in the back of her head Face-saving compromise facts of life fair weather friend fall by the wayside fall head over heals fall head over heels Fallen on hard times fan the flames feast or famine feather in his cap feather your nest Feeding frenzy feeding the frenzy Fevered speculation few and far between fifteen minutes of fame filthy vermin fine kettle of fish fish out of water fishing for a compliment fit as a fiddle fit the bill fit to be tied flat as a pancake flip your lid flog a dead horse fly by night fly the coop follow your heart For all intents and purposes for all intents and purposes for the b irds for what its worth force of nature force to be reckoned with forgive and forget fox in the henhouse free and easy free as a bird fresh as a daisy frightened to death full steam ahead fun in the sun Game-changer garbage out garbage Gestalt get a kick out of get a leg up get down and dirty get her back up get his back up get the lead out get their backs up get to the bottom of get your feet wet gets my goat gilding the lily give and take Gladwellian go against the grain go for broke go him one better go the extra mile go with the flow goes to Washington goes without saying Going forward good as gold good deed for the day good things come to those who wait good time was had by all greek to me green thumb green-eyed monster grist for the mill Grizzled veteran Growing body of evidence growing like a weed gut wrenching pain hair of the dog half a dozen of another hand to mouth hand-wringing happy as a clam hasnt a clue haste makes waste Hastily convened have a nice day have high hope s have the last laugh havent got a row to hoe head honcho hear a pin drop heard it through the grapevine hearts content heart-stopping fear hem and haw high and dry high and mighty high as a kite hit paydirt hold your head up high hold your horses hold your own hold your tongue honest as the day is long Hope filled the air horse of a different color hot under the collar Hot-button issue Hotly contested How did we get here? How I learned to stop worrying and love the I beg to differ i love you more than life itself icing on the cake Iconic If history is any guide if only the walls could talk if only walls could talk If past is prologue if the shoe fits if the shoe were on the other foot If you will. Ignominious end ill-advised in a jam in a jiffy In a nutshell in a nutshell in a pigs eye in a pinch in a word in her element in his element in hot water in over her head in over his head In the digital age In the final analysis in the gutter in the nick of time in the thick of it In the wake of in their element in this day and age in your dreams Increasingly Inflection point Intoned is all the rage is heating up is no exception is no panacea is no silver bullet is not alone it aint over till the fat lady sings It couple it goes without saying it takes all kinds it takes one to know one its a small world its only a matter of time ivory tower Jack of all trades jockey for position jog your memory Johnny-come-lately joined at the hip judge a book by its cover jump down your throat jump in with both feet jump on the bandwagon jump the gun jump to conclusions just the ticket justice is blind Keen observer keep a stiff upper lip keep an eye on keep it simple keep the home fires burning keep up with the Joneses keep your chin up keep your fingers crossed kick his lights out kick the bucket kick up your heels kick your feet up kid in a candy store kill two birds with one stone kiss of death knock his block off knock it out of the park knock on wood knock your socks off kno w him from Adam know the ropes know the score knuckle down knuckle sandwich knuckle under labor of love land on your feet lap of luxury last but not least last hurrah Last-ditch effort last-ditch effort lasted an eternity laughter is the best medicine law of the jungle law of the land lay down the law leaps and bounds Less than you think let sleeping dogs lie let the cat out of the bag let the good times roll let your hair down lets talk turkey letter perfect lick your wounds lies like a rug lifes a bitch lifes a grind light at the end of the tunnel lighter than a feather lighter than air like clockwork like father like son like taking candy from a baby like theres no tomorrow lions share Little-noticed live and learn live and let live long and short of it long lost love look before you leap look down your nose look what the cat dragged in looks like death warmed over loose cannon lose your head lose your temper lost track of time loud as a horn lounge lizard Love it or hate it love d and lost low hanging fruit low man on the totem pole luck of the draw luck of the Irish Machiavellian make hay while the sun shines make lemonade make money hand over fist make my day make no mistake make the best of a bad situation make the best of it make your blood boil man of few words mans best friend Manicured lawns mark my words missed the boat on that one moment in the sun moment of glory moment of truth money to burn more often than not more power to you more than one way to skin a cat More than you think movers and shakers much ballyhooed naked as a jaybird naked truth Naysayers neat as a pin Needless to say needless to say neither here nor there never look back never say never nip and tuck nip it in the bud no action no gain no glory no guts no love lost no pain no skin off my back no stone unturned no time like the present no use crying over spilled milk Nondescript office building nose to the grindstone not a hope in hell not a minutes peace Not as much as you think n ot in my backyard not playing with a full deck Not so fast Not so much not the end of the world not unsurprising not written in stone nothing to sneeze at nothing ventured nothing gained now were cooking off the top of my head off the wagon off the wall offers a rare window Official Washington Oft-cited old hat older and wiser older than dirt older than Methuselah on a roll on cloud nine on her high horse on his high horse on pins and needles on steroids on the bandwagon on the money on the nose on the rocks on the spot on the tip of my tongue on the wagon on their high horse On thin ice on thin ice once bitten one bad apple one born every minute one brick short one foot in the grave one in a million one red cent only game in town only half the battle only time will tell open a can of worms open the flood gates opens a rare window opportunity doesnt knock twice opposites attract Or so it seems Orwellian out of mind out of pocket out of sight out of the frying pan into the fire out o f the woods out on a limb Outside the box over a barrel over the hump pain and suffering Palpable sense of relief panic button par for the course Paradigm shift part and parcel Partisans on both sides party pooper pass the buck patience is a virtue pay through the nose penny pincher Perfect storm perfect storm pig in a poke pile it on pillar of the community pin your hopes on pitter patter of little feet Pity the poor plain as day plain as the nose on your face play by the rules play your cards right playing the field playing with fire pleased as punch Plenty of blame to go around plenty of fish in the sea Point of no return Political football Political theater poor as a church mouse Poster child pot calling the kettle black power couple Predawn raid pull a fast one pull your punches pulling your leg Punditocracy pundits say pure as the driven snow put one over on you put the cart before the horse put the pedal to the metal put your best foot forward put your foot down quick as a bu nny quick as a lick quick as a wink quick as lightning quiet as a dormouse rags to riches raining buckets raining cats and dogs Raise the specter of Raised questions Raises more questions than answers rank and file read between the lines reap what you sow red as a beet red herring reinvent the wheel Remains to be seen Resists easy categorization Resists easy classification rich and famous rings a bell ripped me off rise and shine Rise of the 24-hour news cycle road to hell is paved with good intentions rob Peter to pay Paul roll over in the grave Rorschach test Rose from obscurity rub the wrong way running in circles rushed for time salt of the earth scared out of her wits scared out of his wits scared out of my wits scared out of ones wits scared out of their wits scared stiff scared to death Scarred by war sealed with a kiss Searing indictment seasoned veteran second to none see eye to eye See what I did there? seen the light seismic shifts seize the day sent a shiver down my spin e set the record straight set your teeth on edge sharp as a tack Shifting dynamics Shines a spotlight on shoot for the moon shoot the breeze shot in the dark shoulder to the wheel Shrouded in secrecy shuttered the factory sick as a dog Sigh of relief sigh of relief Since time immemorial sink or swim skating on thin ice Skittish donors slept like a log slinging mud slippery as an eel slow as molasses in January smooth as a babys bottom snug as a bug in a rug some background sow wild oats spare the rod Sparked debate speak of the devil spilled the beans spinning your wheels spitting image of spoil the child spoke with relish spring to life squeaky wheel gets the grease stands out like a sore thumb start from scratch stick in the mud still waters run deep Stinging rebuke stitch in time stop and smell the roses Strange bedfellows straw that broke the camels back strong as an ox stubborn as a mule stuff that dreams are made of stuffed shirt Suffice it to say sweating blood sweating bulle ts system is broken table the talks take a load off take one for the team take the bait take the bull by the horns take the plunge take the tiger by the tail takes one to know one takes two to tango Tapped Tectonic shifts Tenuous at best that and a quarter will get you a cup of coffee The argument goes The devil is in the details the more the merrier The new face of The new normal The Other The powers that be The proverbial the quiet before the storm the real deal the real McCoy the red carpet treatment the same old story The situation is fluid The social fabric The talk of the town The thinking goes the time of my life the tough get going the very fabric of our the wool over her eyes the wool over his eyes the wool over their eyes the writing on the wall There I said it there is no accounting for taste they all lived happily ever after thick as a brick thick as thieves think outside of the box think outside the box third times the charm this day and age this hurts me worse than it hurts you This is not your fathers this point in time three sheets to the wind three strikes against throw in the towel tie one on tighter than a drum Tightly knit time and time again time heals all wounds time is of the essence time will tell Time will tell if tip of the iceberg Tipping point to each his own to the best of my knowledge toe the line tongue-in-cheek Tongues wagging too good to be true too hot to handle too numerous to mention Took to Twitter touch with a ten foot pole tough as nails Trading barbs trials and tribulations tried and true trip down memory lane truth is more complicated Turned a blind eye twice shy twist of fate Twitterati two cents worth two peas in a pod ugly as sin Ultimately under her thumb under his thumb under the counter under the gun under the same roof Underscores Unlikely reformer Unlikely revolutionary Unsung hero until the cows come home unvarnished truth up his sleeve up the creek up to his ears in trouble uphill battle upon deeper reflection upper crust upset the applecart Usher in an era of V for victory vain attempt vain effort vanquish the enemy vested interest Victim of her own success Victim of his own success Wait for it waiting for the other shoe to drop wakeup call War of words War-torn warm welcome watch your ps and qs watch your tongue watching the clock water under the bridge we love to hate were not laughing at you were laughing with you weak as a kitten weather the storm weed them out week of Sundays Well-heeled lobbyists went belly up wet behind the ears What a difference a day makes What a difference a month makes What a difference a week makes What a difference a year makes what goes around comes around what you see is what you get when it rains it pours when push comes to shove when the cats away when the going gets tough when you have lemons white as a sheet White-shoe law firm whole ball of wax whole hog whole nine yards Wide-ranging interview wild goose chase will wonders never cease wisdom of the a ges Withering criticism without a care in the world Woefully inadequate wolf at the door words fail me work like a dog world weary worst nightmare wrong side of the bed yanking your chain yappy as a dog years young you are what you eat You guessed it you only live once youre the boss young and foolish young and vibrant Zeitgeist Please follow and like us:

GCSE Poem analysis Carol Ann Duffys Medusa

GCSE Poem analysis Carol Ann Duffy’s â€" Medusa Today is World Poetry Day, a day to appreciate and support poetry around the world. In aid of this, we thought we’d give a GCSE poem analysis from the AQA GCSE English Anthology: Medusa from poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy’s collection of poems, ‘The World’s Wife’. The World’s Wife was published in 1999 and presents the female perspective on stories where the male character has traditionally taken centre stage. So who actually is Medusa? The character Medusa is one of the Gorgons’ three sisters from Greek mythology, who had snakes for hair and whose gaze turned people to stone. Medusa has always been famous - but Duffy tells  her story so that the reader gains some sympathy for this otherwise monstrous character. The poem A suspicion, a doubt, a jealousy grew in my mind, which turned the hairs on my head to filthy snakes as though my thoughts hissed and spat on my scalp. My bride’s breath soured, stank in the grey bags of my lungs. I’m foul mouthed now, foul tongued, yellow fanged. There are bullet tears in my eyes. Are you terrified? Be terrified. It’s you I love, perfect man, Greek God, my own; but I know you’ll go, betray me, stray from home. So better by for me if you were stone. I glanced at a buzzing bee, a dull grey pebble fell to the ground. I glanced at a singing bird, a handful of dusty gravel spattered down. I looked at a ginger cat, a housebrick shattered a bowl of milk. I looked at a snuffling pig, a boulder rolled in a heap of shit. I stared in the mirror. Love gone bad showed me a Gorgon. I stared at a dragon. Fire spewed from the mouth of a mountain. And here you come with a shield for a heart and a sword for a tongue and your girls, your girls. Wasn’t I beautiful Wasn’t I fragrant and young? Look at me now. Overview Medusa is told in the first person as a dramatic monologue by a woman who is insecure and worried that her husband is cheating on her. The poem begins: ‘A suspicion, a doubt, a jealousy’ and it is this jealousy which has turned the woman into a gorgon and now everything she looks at turns to stone. This feeling of doubt resonates throughout the poem, exemplified in the line, ‘but I know you’ll go, betray me, stray from home’. Unlike our feelings towards the traditional monstrous character, this poem evokes empathy for the character as she is clearly distressed and suffering. Especially when she reminisces in the final stanza about the time she was young and beautiful, illustrating her complete lack of confidence.  Nevertheless, she is still presented as a foul character who threatens the reader, with the line ‘Be terrified’. The poem also ends with the line ‘Look at me now’ which has a double entendre (double meaning). It could be read as a cry of despair or, as a threat â€" if you did look at Medusa you would die! This leaves the reader feeling conflicting emotions for the character, probably similar to how Medusa herself feels in the poem. Form and Structure The poem is written in free verse and as it progresses, the importance of the living things Medusa turns to stone increases, going from a bee to a dragon and then to her husband himself. The poem is divided into stanzas of mainly equal length, apart from the final line: ‘Look at me now’. This gives the poem a dramatic ending, leaving the reader unsure whether to feel threatened by or feel sorry for Medusa. Language The poem is packed full of rhyme (including half rhymes, internal rhymes and in stanzas 3, 4, 5 and 6 some end rhyme). This rhyme helps to unify the lines and create a sense of rhythm. The end rhyme produces a sense of finality connected with the death of her victims. Sibilance is particularly used in the first two stanzas to create the sound of a hissing snake. Tricolons (groups of three) also develop the rhythm in the poem. E.g. ‘A suspicion, a doubt, a jealousy’.  In this case the rule of three also emphasises the power of emotions that Medusa is come over by, as ultimately this is what turned the lady into a gorgon. Rhetorical questions,  e.g. ‘Are you terrified?’ are used to involve but also intimidate the reader. The last two rhetorical questions in the poem: ‘Wasn’t I beautiful? Wasn’t I fragrant and young?’ could be addressed to her husband, begging him to show her some affection; they could also be addressed at the reader as she longs to be comforted - she is so horrified by this change in herself. The oxymoronic metaphor ‘bullet tears’ emphasises the danger that Medusa brings, yet still evokes a sympathy from the reader because of her suffering. The whole poem is an extended metaphor for a jealous woman who is grieving for her partner and turns against him. The metaphor describing her husband’s heart for a shield suggests that he didn’t love her properly. Overall, the poem is distressing for the reader as we see a lady who has become paranoid through jealousy, further damaging her relationship with her husband as well as her own well-being as she struggles to find a lost identity. We hope these ideas have been useful and have helped you reflect in a bit more depth on what Carol Ann Duffy is trying to present. Why not have a read of some of the other poems in the collection (there are loads and some are great fun) and see if you can find any parallels? Need an extra hand with some English? Why not book a GCSE English tutor to come to your home from the Tutorfair website? Check out more  Tutorfair blogs  for great GCSE resources New Maths 9-1 GCSE Five Strategies to improve Academic Performance More GCSE poem analyses: My Last Duchess, The Yellow Palm, Nettles, and Praise Song for My Mother

Staying safe while teaching overseas

Staying safe while teaching overseas From speaking with Teach Away Placement Coordinators, we know that many teachers have concerns about safety when considering teaching overseas. This is totally understandable: moving overseas to a new country with an entirely unique set of cultural norms can be intimidating, especially when you’re moving alone and you’ve never visited the city before. One of the benefits of working with a teacher recruitment agency like Teach Away is that we do all the necessary due diligence to make sure teachers are headed to a reputable, safe, and supportive environment. In fact, most countries worldwide have lower crime rates than the US and violent crime is much less prevalent in the UAE, Kazakhstan, or China than in the US. Generally speaking, if you’re smart and observe local culture and norms, teaching abroad will be a safe and rewarding experience. But to start off on the right foot on your international teaching adventure, act responsibly and think smartâ€"start with our list of tips below. Do your research before you go It’s really important to know a thing or two about your new country. Knowledge is power, after all, so familiarize yourself with the country’s basic laws and customs before you leave. You’ll likely come across a lot of useful information. For example, many commonplace gestures in Western culture mean something totally different and even rude abroad. A thumbs up is one example of a rude gesture in the Middle East, South America, and West Africa. You’ll want to read up about what’s appropriate and what isn’t in each country. It’s also not a bad idea to read travel advisories from reputable government sources. Much of the material posted there is precautionary, but it’s best to have a full picture of the region you’re interested in. Dress appropriately Observing how the locals dress and following suit will serve you well, especially if the local dress is moderate. This will prevent any unwanted attention. Keep a low profile and minimize the Western attire you go out in as well. This means baseball hats, sweatpants, jeans, etc. Familiarize yourself with your neighborhood Get to know your neighborhood well and learn which areas are safe and which aren’t. Your school will likely have this type of orientation information for you. Because the school has its teachers’ best interests at heart, you won’t be asked to live in unsafe neighborhoods, but being aware of surroundings is still important. Many travel websites (like Wikitravel, for example), will share with you information about each neighborhood in a city and will give you tips on staying safe while abroad. Pay attention to your belongings As with anywhere you go, pickpockets target the unaware tourist, so do your best to avoid looking like one. Again, take care to minimize your profile by avoiding wearing flashy jewelry or watches. Remember that marketplaces, festivals, public transportation stations, and popular tourist sites are prime locations for petty theft. Keep copies of all your travel documents safe Store your documents and personal information (visas, passports, identification, etc) in a safe, secure place. If you're heading out around the city for the day, leave your passport and other important id at home. If you take smart steps and get into a good routine while teaching overseas, just as you do in your hometown, you should have no problems while you’re abroad!

Our top must-have Dubai experiences

Our top must-have Dubai experiences We’ve been making lots of offers recently for UAE teaching jobs, which has been making us excited for all our lucky teachers who will be making the move to the region very soon! We’ve decided to put together a list of our favorite popular Dubai sights and experiences, as well as a few lesser known hotspots.1. The view from the Burj KhalifaThis is one attraction you quite literally can’t miss! Dubai continued to strive for ‘bigger and better’ with the world’s tallest tower, complete with the world’s fastest elevator to whisk you to the astounding views that await at the top.2. Sunset at Dubai CreekTake a cheap ride on a traditional abra across the creek to the atmospheric calls of evening prayer. Stop off and explore the Deira area, where you can wander the markets for spices and incense.3. Go on safari in the desertYou can opt for an exhilarating 4x4 ride across the sand dunes, or take things more slowly and venture into the desert by camel back. There may be options to camp during the night with Bedouins, share stories and enjoy a nomadic style barbeque under the stars.4. The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural UnderstandingA fascinating place to visit in the early days of your UAE adventure, this centre does an informative and entertaining job of explaining the Muslim way of life. The outdoor surroundings make this a beautiful spot for a traditional Emirati breakfast or lunch, which is served daily.5. The Gold SoukPrepare to be blinded by a dazzling array of gold and jewels at this busy marketplace. Dubai is known around the world for its supply of cheap gold - don’t be afraid to haggle for a bargain.6. Old DubaiThe Bastakia Quarter is one of the few remnants of the old city, which originally begun its story as a successful fishing village. Stroll along winding pathways through a maze of traditional style buildings and galleries. If you get the chance, pay a visit the vibrant textiles market.

Get hired with your TEFL certification (with job postings)

Get hired with your TEFL certification (with job postings) Earning your TEFL certification has the potential to drastically boost the trajectory of your career in education. It opens up doors to the international teaching world and allows you to gain global experience that will prove to be impactful in future career moves - both abroad and at home.But if a TEFL certification is such a powerful resume addition, how come all international positions don’t require candidates to have one?The answer to this question might vary slightly from one hiring body to another, but can largely be summarized by the fact that there is no international body for the recognition of ESL certificates. As a result, TEFL, TESL, and TESOL qualifications are interpreted by hiring schools and organizations based on their issuing institution and number of online learning or classroom hours. In turn, it’s difficult for all overseas job advertisers to ask for specific ESL requirements  when there are so many emerging and unique qualifications. In cases where a certif ication such as TEFL is not specifically required, it is always noticed and beneficial to the applicant.This is not to suggest that there are minimal employers seeking educators with ESL training. There are lots. One organization in particular, called English First, is in need of certified TEFL- or TESL-certified teachers.About English FirstEnglish First jobs allow educators to teach English overseas with one of China’s most reputable language schools. With ESL jobs in cities across China, English First is a great opportunity for teachers to explore some of the world’s most dynamic cities while teaching overseas.ESL jobs with English FirstESL Teachers - English First ChinaOnline ESL Teachers - English First ChinaGet TEFL certified onlineStill need to get your ESL certification? Get certified with the University of Toronto TEFL Online.