Language Ninja

When you’re looking to land your first job, there are several things (like a polished résumé and professional LinkedIn profile ) that can help you instantly stand out from the crowd of candidates. But what about your references? It’s common for employers to request references from your past professors, mentors, or managers. Sometimes, including a referrer’s email or daytime phone number might be enough, but the employer may also request a personal recommendation letter with concrete details about your skills and experience. Write with confidence Grammarly helps you communicate the way you intend Write with Grammarly While the standard practice is for your professor or former manager to write the letter themselves, it’s becoming more typical for time-strapped individuals to ask you to draw up the first draft. That’s right —it’s perfectly acceptable in the world of job references to pen a recommendation letter for yourself. You can share it wi...

Sara Davila  is a Learning and Language Acquisition Expert. She has experience in teaching, researching, teacher training and creating learning materials. As one of the foremost experts on the  Global Scale of English , Sara has been sharing her top ten uses of the  GSE Teacher Toolkit  for language teachers in a series of ten blog posts.    Today’s article is number one in the top ten countdown. It provides a step-by-step guide to using the toolkit to support learners at different levels of ability.     One of the biggest challenges for language teachers is teaching a mixed ability class. Students with different levels and abilities will always be present in our classrooms. So, how can we use the GSE Teacher Toolkit to improve mixed ability teaching? Let’s find out.    How to teach mixed-ability classes   Differentiated instruction is the best way to address the challenges of mixed ability classrooms. This is a method that helps teachers adjust aspects of the curriculum to match ...

There’s something magical about storytelling. You choose a book, gather the class around you, and begin:    Coco’s family loved to sing and dance. But Coco’s father wanted to play his music to all the world. He said goodbye, and …   And  what ? What  exactly  did Coco’s father do?   Can you feel yourself getting pulled into the story? That’s because we are curious creatures by nature. It doesn’t take much for us to become involved in the lives of others, which is what stories are, after all.      While good storytelling seems natural and effortless, there’s actually quite an art to it. Read on for six practical tips to ensure that your story time sessions are fun, engaging—and yes, even magical.   1. Choose the right level for the class   As every teacher knows, there’s always a range of English abilities in any class. It’s important to target the comprehension level of the weaker students in the group. This ensures that you grab—and keep—everyone’s attention as you read. The st...

In business, future growth depends on the actions you take now—and so much of your company’s ability to grow depends on productive internal communication. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, poor communication can cost smaller companies up to $420,000 per year ; for larger enterprises, the cost can be as high as $62.4 million annually. The sooner you and your team can improve your business communication skills, the sooner your company will be on the fast track to maximum growth.  Let’s take a look at why effective communication is so crucial for your business, which business communication skills you and your team should prioritize, and finally, how you and your team can start improving them right away. Reach Your Goals with Effective Communication Get Started The power of effective business communication A company isn’t a machine with parts that automatically fit together and work in...

Quick review: Preply makes it easy to find, schedule and connect with native speakers who want to chat with you in your target language. Every tutor I’ve learned with on the platform has been exceptional. Highly recommended. In the Preply review that follows, I’ll explain what I liked about this online language tutoring service. I’ve included screenshots, personal experience, and videos. I want to help you figure out whether Preply is a good fit for you as a language learner, and how you can make the most of it. If you want to learn a language with a top-notch tutor, you can join Preply here . Let’s get started! Table of contents Preply Overview What is Preply? Price Languages Preply: The Good Preply: What Could be Better What is Preply? How Preply Works How I Used Preply for this Review What I Like about Preply Preply Guarantees Satisfaction Preply Covers 27 Languages with Tutors from 185 Countries With Preply, You Can Learn Anytime Test Your Level Email Reminders Wh...

Are Spanish irregular verbs giving you a headache? Verbs are the biggest and most complicated topic in Spanish grammar. If you want to master them (especially if you want to master Spanish irregular verbs), you've got a lot to learn. But don't let that put you off. In this article, we will look specifically at irregular verbs in Spanish. Here’s what we’ll cover: Table of contents What Are Irregular Verbs in Spanish? A Quick Recap of Spanish Regular Verbs The 10 Most Common Spanish Irregular Verbs The Spanish Irregular Verbs by Category: Stem-Changing Verbs Types of Stem-Changing Verbs in Spanish Spanish Verbs With an Irregular "yo" Form Irregular "yo" form with no stem change Irregular "yo" form with a stem change Ser Haber The End of the Beginning Don’t be put off if you’re a complete beginner: I won't assume much if any existing knowledge of Spanish grammar. Ready? Vamos! (“Let’s go!”) What Are Irregular Verbs in ...