Futurelearn's English Teaching Course is Great For Travellers

Problem
I travel a lot so I find it difficult to commit to being in one place and teaching English to pupils who want ongoing lessons.

Answer
I now have the answer. Online teaching.

I signed up for two of Futurelearn's free courses, Italian and teaching English.

Teaching English is a revelation. The course shows you interactive classrooms. Pupils can raise their hands if you have several pupils.

I have found using Skype challenging so I would welcome a video on how you set up a video classroom. How long does it take?

I might try working for a company before going it alone.

Recording lessons is wonderful. A student who is late or sick can catch up.

I have been a member of bilingual Toastmasters speakers' clubs. I would like to create a demo lesson on public speaking, with a Chinese speaker and the English translation as subtitles and vice versa, so you can watch it in real time and replay it later.

It's great for people learning to translate simultaneous translation.

I love the idea of having the lesson recorded.

Video lessons are a great idea for homeschooling.

Children in hospital would benefit. So would refugee camps.

Teaching English to immigrants would be cheap and widely available.

In the past, I have been asked by pupils to help them create a c.v. (Americans call it a resume) for jobs such as being a waiter in a local restaurant. Instead of scrappy notes on bits of paper in handwriting they cannot read, the pupil would end up with a recorded lesson and be able to take a screenshot or maybe print out their c.v.

Is anybody else in Singapore doing this? I'd like to get together and practise it.

Useful Websites in alphabetical order

Adobe classroom

Future learn
futurelearn.com

Google hangouts
iTalk
Kahoot
Skype
Vedama
Zoom

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Dealing with redundancy at home and overseas, jobs, condos, cars and cats

Problem
The company sets up a new business or employs new staff members. A year later people are made redundant. What should the company do? What can the employee do?

UK
Years ago in the UK, I was a young copywriter in an advertising agency when the company lost an account and I was made redundant.  Personnel told me that I had lost my job and asked what I was going to do next. I had no idea. they suggested that as I had been working as a copywriter, if I did not want to take the opportunity to change direction, I should look for and apply for copywriting jobs advertised in the advertising industry newspaper Campaign (which had been started by the late Philip Kleinman who wrote an amusing column. The PR man circled two ads and suggested that I phone up.

The way I like to remember the story is that I looked too bewildered or shy, and either out of pity or to get rid of me and my having a glum face for the rest of the hour before I left, he decided to take action and help.

He phoned the two numbers and confidently and matter of factly asked for personnel, described me and my situation, asked if they would like to interview me in person, and would they like to speak to me on the phone, put me on to them to give my name address and date of birth for their records, and I instantly had a job interview (for a job which I got).

Even more impressive was the action taken in the USA after I went to live there. A British company closed down its entire operation. The HR department, before the office files and phone were removed,
asked for a day's grace until after the weekend to deal with the paperwork requried by law of giving the staff their final wages and statements.

The HR department did two things.
1) They ran off useful paperwork.
a) A Record of each persons' employment history in the form of a C.V.
b) Added two testimonials from the HR department and each person's boss or colleague.
c) They listed all the companies in the area, plus the names and addresses and phone numbers of the HR departments and the local newspapers or magazines which advertised jobs - in fact reproducing that 'week's job ads, such and such a company in the next street was advertising for two secretaries and one post boy, and three delivery drivers, and so on.

2) They organized a job fair courtesy of the local hotel in the lobby. Al the companies on the nearby industrial estate were asked to send the HR department to sit at a desk, give out leaflets on their company, lists of jobs available, and collect CVs from our staff.

Our staff then went around collecting information, speaking to HR (which gets around the fear of phoning them later), and handing over CVS.

Each Friday for the next six months, the head of HR held a party either at her house, or a rotating list of homes, or a nearby cheap restaurant, in which we all got together. Those still looking for jobs gave their CVs to those who had found jobs, to hand into the new companies. Of course, anybody who had taken a new job and didn't like it could tip off somebody keener, "I'm going back to my old company and family in San Francisco, so if you are still looking for a job, I'm resigning from my job here on the East coast on Monday."

When the head of marketing found herself a new job three months later and needed to assemble a team of market research interviewers, she was able to mop up those still looking for jobs.

HR is an Americanism for what, in the UK, was and still is called Personnel Department.

In Singapore an advanced speaker using the old Toastmasters International system, acted out a scenario where he had to deliver bad news such as redundancy to an employee.

Redundancy
Moving back to the UK or your home country in a hurry involves various practical moves.

Singapore Rentals
We took out rental agreements in Singapore. The rental agreements were for two years. The only reason why you could move out instantly was if your job ended and your work permit was withdrawn. You had to have your employer guaranteeing the payment of the rent, I think for two months.

So your problems can include disposing of the condo, the car and the cat.

Selling A Car
One problem in the USA was to sell the car in a hurry. This was achieved simply by putting a sign in the car window saying, Want to Buy This Car, Only $...... phone this number ........"

Selling A Car Quickly
I must admit that for years I had thought that people who advertised cars with a sign in the window were criminals on the run. But on this occasion, we found a trustworthy buyer who trusted the seller.

Advertising A Garage Sale
One way to sell up household goods is to have what the Americans call a 'garage sale'. How do you advertise it? The system is to write your phone number two dozen times on a fringe of tear-off vertical slips at the bottom of the sheet so that numerous people can take your number and call you.

What is safe, what is legal and what is feasible changes constantly. Armed with these ideas and energy and enthusiasm, check sources in your area to find the best practices in your country to help yourself and help others when you have need.

UK
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker

Why and how to label your photos

Problem
How do you keep track of your photos?


Aps for phones and storage systems are getting more canny. (I tried to type cannier, or cannyer, which is what I would say if I spoke to you, but neither word looked right.)

In emails, I save photos in three places. First, by who sent me the photo. Second a copy in a file called photos. Then onto my laptop in iphoto or a storage system.

In many phones you cannot label photos with names or places or subject matter. On a laptop or big screen it is easier.

However, the first essential is to label photos the day you take them. Use your holiday brochures to check places and correct spellings. At a conference or club use the agenda before you file it or bin it to note names.

That's really handy if somebody you hardly know asks you for a photo you took of them. Saves hours of searching.

Remember to label yourself and family with at least your first name and any clothes or hats or uniforms, city and country. For example, Anne in wedding dress; Anne by Tower Bridge in London, England; Anne in London, Canada; Jane by taxi in Paris, France; Susan by horse in Paris, Texas;  Anne in suit for cv; Peter with golf clubs; John on elephant; Simon speaking on stage at conference in South Africa.

This will save hours of time when somebody asks for a photo.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please save and share links to your favourite posts.

Learn Languages From Songs With Subtitles: Hebrew to English, Arabic and Aramaic

Problem
What do songs in foreign languages mean?
Can I learn words the easy, fun way from songs?

Answer
Yes, just go onto YouTube and type in the title of a song and the words 'translate into EnglishP or "subtitles in English' or 'lyrics in English', or just the language you are learning.

Story
I've been trying to learn languages from songs for years. Nursery rhymes and songs. At kindergarten (that's a German word from the German word kindergarten) and in primary school (for Americans, this means elementary school) I was taught Frere Jacques which I have remembered life long.

Now, today, I've discovered something else. I was sent a link to an Israeli song. I'm started learning Hebrew on Duolingo (I wanted to learn the alphabet, and I also started Russian and Greek). I have been to Russia, Greece and Israel a couple of times or more. However, from the Israeli song I recognised only two words, erev for evening - looks almost the same, and beseder, which I thought was enough (or in context OK?).

Urgh! I then went searching for the lyrics, and instead of finding the English in a column alongside the Hebrew, which is what you tend to get if you type in the words of a classical song such as something from an Italian opera, I found a link to another version of the song by some other singers with subtitles along the front.

Songs are excellent for learning languages. They are memorable, so you want to sing along with the chorus, then you keep repeating the tune and the words in your head. So now I am on a quest to find a song in each language I am learning, preferably one with helpful vocabulary.

The Hebrew song, when you stop to think about it, is quite humorous. I like the line about everybody giving you advice!

Hebrew, Arabic and Aramaic
Incidentally, Hebrew and Arabic are similar with a base in Aramaic, which is the language which would have been spoken in the streets of Jerusalem two thousand years ago in the era of Jesus and the Romans (along with lots of other notable figures from world history). I think Aramaic is still used for weddings and funerals worldwide at Jewish events, as well as being spoken in villages by several groups today, alongside Hebrew and Arabic, by Moslems, Jews and Christians in Aramaic speaking areas. (See my previous posts on Hebrew, Arabic and Aramaic words and names of people. Ben is son in Hebrew, as in Benjamin and Ben Hur, whilst Bar, another word beginning with B, is Aramaic for son, as in Barmitzvah (son of the law or good deed) and Bar Kochba.

Google translate would not translate Rak b/Yisrael but I then found the translation is on the Youtube website at the start of the song and throughout.

Words from the song
adam - man/person
b' in
Bar - son in Aramaic
ben - son in Hebrew (Benjamin - biblical name meaning son of my right hand)
chinam - advice
ha - the
kol - whole, all
Rak - only
shalom - peace in Hebrew, salaam, peace in Arabic, Jerusalem - city of peace
shel - of (as in the song Jerusalem shel b a h a v - 0ops trouble with autocorrect - Jerusalem of Gold
simcha - celebration
yam - sea
yishun - sleep
yom - day (as in Yom Kippur, the Jewish religion fasting holy day)
If you can recognise the words Adam (man), ben (son) shalom (peace), you already know three words of Hebrew and if you know salaam you know one word of Arabic. Build, build, build on your languages. Habonim - (ha-bonim) the builders - a name for a youth group.

Im is the Hebrew plural for a noun, such as cherubim - lots of cherubs, bonim - lots builders.

Uni (pronounced Uh - knee (+I in Hebrew)
rot-ze (want)
bonim (builders).

Tips
I'll repeat:
Go onto YouTube and type in the title of a song and the words 'translate into EnglishP or "subtitles in English' or 'lyrics in English', or just the language you are learning.

Here's the song which started my quest today for translations of songs with subtitles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvabkdetO1s

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, teacher of English and other languages.
Also correction and translation of websites and other material such as CVs, instruction books and sales materials.
Pleas look at my other posts on this blog and my other blogs on language and spelling in blogger.com . You can see more Angela Lansbury author, poet, speaker, Toastmaster, profiles and posts on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, on my web pages and my books on Amazon.com and Lulu.com Please like my pages, follow and share.

Packing List For Summer Courses

If you take a summer course, writing, songwriting, painting, sports, etc you may wish to make a packing list.

PASSPORT/ID/driving licence
MONEY/local currency for taxi?
Taxi and hotel address.
Friend/relative/conference organiser phone number and email.
Check family or friends have not moved since your last visit.
Hotel at destination open 24 hours where you could go in case of overbooking, or arriving delayed, in the night.

Address checks
Check local hospitals in case you have to be taken to hospital for minor injury and have a preferred hospital, or whether you'd prefer to drive home.
Check address and opening hours of local pharmacy (US name is drugstore).
Check address of local stationery shop/bookstore.
Check address of nearest coffee shop/restaurant for a break or entertaining hosts or entertaining networking contacts.
Take addresses of family, colleagues, businesses you could visit nearby if staying longer.

TICKETS
for train, plane. Take printed copy even if it's online in case computer breaks down.
Check time changes - are you arriving a day later? Check tickets match. Check day of week travelling.

I once flew home from a trip to the Isle of Man on Saturday, expecting to set off on a Monday to meet a group - but on Monday found they had left on the Sunday. I missed a trip to Venice to stay at the famous hotel. PR was so angry she refused to let me pay for myself for another flight and join them a day late.

On another occasion we flew to Asia, having given our hosts our departure date instead of arrival date. They cooked us a special local dinner prepared by a local lady on Saturday night, but we arrived on Sunday.)

Packing List For A Short 2-7 day educational summer course

For a songwriting course
Book on songwriting
Laptop with online songwriting course
Your songs filed alphabetically
Packet notepad for ideas
Pens
Folder
Business cards
Smartphone or device for recording song ideas
File of websites/addresses to share with new contacts
C.V.

For a writing course
A4 pad
Pen
Pencil
Pencil sharpener
Stapler filled with enough staples
Paperclips
Rubber bands
Loose leaf file
A5 or A4 box file
Briefcase or paper holdall or tote bag
Luggage tag (to distinguish your conference bag from other people's)
Dictionary
Draft of your book
Poem to read at open microphone night
Plot book or poem outlines
Flyers adverting your books
Business cards
List of your published books in date order
List of your favourite authors and books
Not of books you already own so you don't buy duplicates

Speakers /Authors giving readings
Address cards
Copies of your book
Copies of previous books to hold up during talk
post-its placed in passages you wish to read.
(Or large print photocopies of the section you wish to read as bookmarks)
Speeches and poems with highlights for important words.
Mark pauses for laughter.
Printed copy of your speech, hard copy and on line, so if you fall ill or are delayed somebody else can read out your speech and give the audience your shared advice and website.

CLOTHES
Check dress hire shops for last night fancy dress party at conference/birthday party/New Year's Eve.
 Walking shoes/sandals/evening shoes/beach, gym or sports
Socks/tights

OUTERWEAR
Coats, jackets, raincoats, rainhats, umbrellas, overshoes, waterproof boots or shoes
Dresses/caftans
Skirts
Blouses
Shirts
Shorts/Bermuda shorts/cargo pants/culottes
Trousers (USA pants/cargo pants)

Underwear pants (UK - in the USA pants are what the British call trousers so for you reading in the USA pants and underpants or panties), bras, vests, slips.
1 Neutral pair co-ordinating with all outfits
2 Special evening pair or co-ordinating with special outfit
3 Spare shoes in case others get broken or dirty
Slippers for hotel
Beach shoes
Scarves, belts, and jewellery.

BITS AND PIECES
4 Picnic: plate, cutlery, lidded box, plastic bags; water bottle./ Emergency kit: tinned sardines, grapes, orange, Kendal mint cake.
5 First aid kit
6 Cosmetics
7 Toiletries: washbag; facecloth; microfibre towel/turban;Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, shaver, shaving gel, shampoo, conditioner, soap, bacterial wipe, hair tint (for long trips), comb, brush, nail file, manicure scissors, tweezers, emery board, toenail clippers, nail varnish remover pads, nail varnish, moisturiser.
Pills (regularly taken with daily pill dispenser)
Emergency pills for stomach ache or colds, antibiotics, hay fever, allergies

SWIMWEAR
Swimsuit and swimhat -
Beach towel or wrap/sarong

Nightwear night clothes night dress pyjamas/wrap (even if you sleep nude, wrap helps if fire alarm
Spare bag fold-up suitcase/tote bag/carrier bag, for souvenirs/books/newspaper/wines/literature/ gifts for others/gifts you're given/certificates won
Wrapping paper for gifts and
Spare card for unexpected birthday/wedding/baby arrival/new home/local festival

Outfits for each day, with matching underwear and socks, shoes and coat and hat
(Unless your colour scheme is all black, or black and white with red or blue scarves, and ties
Belts to match all outfits

STATIONERY
Phrase book and dictionary for all destinations (If on laptop, find them and mark as favourites to find them easily and fast when needed.)
Print phrases you are likely to need at destination to please hosts
(Greetings, thanks, my name is, welcome, translation of first line and punchline of your speech to audience or thanking hosts for a meal)

SECURITY
Jacket with zipped inside pockets (or sew in pocket, or sew zips into inside pockets.
Belt with concealed pocket
Change purse

CLEANLINESS & SAFETY
Clothes washing gel/powder
Fly killer spray
Fly repellent for skin
Fly repellent clothes from specialist camping/trekking shops
UV clothes for outdoors
Sunglasses
Sunhats
Suncream
Calomine
Sting relief
Picture of local venomous snakes or wildlife so if you're bitten but can't catch it (dead!) you can point to picture or tell hospital what bit you.

Thank you card to post from destination country or leave behind with host.
Note of host's favourite chocolates, wines, authors colours, for buying gifts at airport as you depart to see them (or to send after you have left).

Make your own list in two columns for day and evening. Day of week (or date for longer than a week).
Rule a line left margin for ticks for when you pack to go, and on right for ticks for when you return.
Copy list on phone and email it to yourself/your family.
You could photograph the contents in the suitcase, and the suitcase showing brand name, in case your luggage is lost.

SELFIES
Finally photograph yourself at the doorstep as you leave.
Check when you get home you are still in the complete outfit, have not left your hat, coat, gloves on the plane or in the taxi.

LABELS
Label your clothes and your children's clothes with name tags or half tags which you can use to prove ownership at lost property without revealing to thieves where you live if your home is left empty or you don't want granny and the babysitters and dogs alarmed by burglars who were hoping the place was empty!

TURN OFF/THROW OUT
Leave 30 minutes extra for turning off heating, checking gas, fridge, waste bins, locks.
Before you go, turn off heating/air con or set on low. Set alarms.

Throw out milk and fruit or give it to neighbours. (We once were glad we had not thrown away the milk. We had a delayed flight, drove home, reclaimed the milk, made coffee. Then got a call to say come back for another flight. Gave the neighbours/family the milk a second time!)
 Leave door keys with trusted family. Tell hosts at other end you are leaving on time/delayed.

Angela Lansbury, BA Hons, travel writer, author, speaker.