Introduction to Spanish Culture Daily Life More

Introduction to Spanish Culture Daily Life More Suzy S. The Spanish culture is one of the most beautiful and exciting in the world. Its no wonder Spain is one of the top travel destinations for tourists every year! If youve already checked out our infographic with  50 interesting facts about Spain, now its time to dive a little deeper! Whether youre planning a trip to visit this enchanting country, or youre just curious about it, heres a little introduction to Spanish culture and its customs. Let’s go Vamanos! Intro to Spanish Culture Spanish Food Dining Spain is a wonderful country for many reasons, but one of our favorite reasons is the food! In Spain there are many bars. On small streets you can find two, sometimes three bars all right next to each other. These bars offer  more than just tasty drinks; they usually have delicious  food as well! The tradition in Spain when going out to eat is to go for tapas   small portions of food that used to be made to enhance the taste of liquor. However, the tapas later became just as important as the liquor, and today its a highly distinguished cuisine. When you go out to eat in Spain, try a variety of tapas bars and a variety of tapas. Here are some popular Spanish tapas that youll undoubtedly come across: Albóndigas: Meatballs with sauce. Allioli: Garlic and oil the classic ingredients are only garlic, oil, and salt, but a  common form of it includes mayonnaise. It is served on bread or with grilled fish, meat, or vegetables. Bacalao: Salted cod loin sliced very thinly, usually served with bread and tomatoes. Boquerones: White anchovies served in vinegar (boquerones en vinagre), or deep fried. Calamares or rabas: Rings of battered squid. Carne mechada: Slow-cooked, tender beef. Chorizo al vino: Chorizo sausage slowly cooked in wine. Chorizo a la sidra: Chorizo sausage slowly cooked in cider. Croquetas: A common sight in bar counters and homes across Spain, served as a tapa, a light lunch, or a dinner along with a salad. Empanadillas: Large or small turnovers filled with meat and vegetables. Ensaladilla rusa: Mixed boiled vegetables with tuna, olives, and mayonnaise. Gambas: Prawns sauteed in salsa negra (peppercorn sauce), al ajillo (with garlic), or pil-pil (with chopped chili peppers). Papas arrugadas or papas con mojo: Very small potatoes boiled in salt water, then drained, and slightly roasted. Theyre served with mojo, a garlic, Spanish paprika, red pepper, cumin, olive oil, wine vinegar, salt, and bread crumb thickener. Queso con anchoas: Castilla or Manchego cured cheese with anchovies on top. Solomillo al whisky: Fried pork scallops, marinated using whisky, brandy, or white wine and olive oil. As you can see, the food in the Spanish culture usually has a LOT of garlic! They also serve, and are very proud of, their jamón serrano, or rustic ham. Its very common for bars to compete and claim they have the best jamón. Religion in Spain One thing to be aware of in Spain is the importance and prominence of Roman Catholicism. Its by far the most prominent religion in the country. In fact, 68% of Spaniards identify themselves as Catholics! Thats a big statistic, and it explains why there are so many churches and beautifully decorated cathedrals in Spanish culture. Religious Celebrations in Spain If youre planning on going to Andalucia during the week leading up to Easter, check out one of the biggest festivals of the year Semana Santa. The festival is particularly celebrated in Seville and it runs for one week. This week is a big deal in Spain. Some people will spend all year planning for it! Streets are blocked off, bands will come out and play, and bars and restaurants participate by having specials. SEE ALSO: 20 Spanish Traditions and Customs Spanish Culture in Daily Life The daily life in Spain is much different than what you find in other countries. You always feel great in Spain because everything seems so relaxed. The streets are relaxed  and  the people are relaxed. The key difference in Spanish culture is that people don’t get stressed out over simple things. If youre five  or 10 minutes late for something, they simply say, “No pasa nada!” This Spanish  phrase basically translates to, “Don’t worry about it. (Of course, when it comes to business meetings and occasions where you have time limits, then this might be frowned upon by some.) Siestas in Spanish Culture Perhaps the most difficult part of getting used to Spanish culture is the daily work schedule. All throughout Spain, they have the infamous tradition of the siesta. This is an old tradition that  involves taking an afternoon nap in the middle of the day, which is usually the hottest time of the day. The siesta is a wonderful thing if you feel like taking a nap or just relaxing after lunch. The problem is that if you have things you would like to get done, you really can’t go to any stores because everything is closed! The typical work hours in Spain are from 9 AM 2 PM, and then the city shuts down. Afterward, however, things open back up again from 5 or 6 to 10 PM, or even later. This can be a very hard schedule to get used to, but if youre there (especially in the summer), youll see why this tradition is actually very necessary because of the heat! Family Dynamic in Spain This brings us to another difference about Spanish culture: people are very friendly because they  look at one another as family. In Spain its very typical to be close to your family, and this helps them in treating neighbors  just the same. Its not uncommon for  family members to live just a couple houses down the street, or even in the same house together for their entire lives. This creates a strong family dynamic and level of trust between other people you get close to as well. Nightlife in Spain The nightlife is an extremely exciting part of Spain! In Spain, its normal to stay up until midnight  or later on weekdays. However, the  weekends are  when the fun really begins. A typical Spanish evening out on the town does not start before 11 or 12 PM. People will stay out until 5 AM, or sometimes later when they go out for parties, clubs, or even just drinks! Other Social Events in Spanish Culture If youre a true Spaniard, you might go see an evening bull fight (corrida de toros), or sometimes a night of listening to live flamenco music. The tradition of bull fighting has actually subsided quite a lot in Spain, and now you can only see it in the south of Spain. Flamenco music, on the other hand, is everywhere throughout Spain. Its considered a high art form, and you can find flamenco dancers (bailes de flamenco) and shows in almost any city. In reality, though, not all Spaniards like to go out and watch flamenco all the time. Some do, but its actually a spectacle thats mostly catered toward tourists. The real Spanish thing to do is to go out for tapas and then go see a  fútbol (soccer) match. Holidays in Spain The people in Spain know how to party!   They also have a lot of holiday time off. In Spain, every saint gets their own holiday, and depending on which city youre in, or what churches are nearby, you might get a day off (usually three or more per year). Besides the religious holidays like Easter, Christmas, and Semana Santa, there are many other great occasions to celebrate in Spanish culture. One is La Feria (the fair), or if youre in other parts of Spain, they might have Carnaval. This is a time when every city in Spain has their own celebration. Nobody works and its fun for the whole week. People dress up in traditional flamenco-like dresses at La Feria, and for Carnaval, everyone dresses up in a ridiculous costume (like Halloween, except its for a whole week). Common Spanish Phrases Here are some Spanish phrases and words youll hear used a lot around Spain. They might not be in every travel dictionary you can pick up at the store! Venga: Come on/let’s go/yeah right This word is just a small exclamation, but Spaniards use it all the time. It can be used in a variety of contexts so its a good phrase to know. Yo quiero/yo no quiero:  I want/I don’t want Me gustaría:  I would like (polite) These two Spanish phrases are  helpful for when  you  need to ask for things during your travels. ¿Dónde está…?:  Where is… This is a  good phrase to know if youre in unfamiliar places and you need directions from  a local. Así:  Like this/like that/this way This is a handy little word  that  you can pair with a word like como  if you want to say “like this/that” (Como así). Por favor:  Please Gracias:  Thank you These are VERY IMPORTANT words in Spanish, especially when speaking  with people you just met! SEE ALSO: Best Apps to Learn Spanish A Note on Spanish Greetings Its good to know how to greet someone politely in Spanish culture. In English, even speaking with people you may not know, its common and acceptable to simply say “Hi” or “Hello.” However, in most romance languages its common to greet people you dont  know formally. Buenos días:  Good morning Buenas tardes:  Good afternoon Buenas noches:  Good evening Hola: Hi  (for people you know) These are just glimpses of the cultural experiences youll discover in this amazing country. There are many more customs and traditions unlike anything we have here in the U.S.! The Spanish culture is truly remarkable, and if you get the chance to go to Europe, you must visit this wonderful place. Who knows, you may never want to leave! Post Author:  Christopher S. Christopher S. teaches Spanish and Italian in West Columbia, SC. He received his Bachelors degree from Humboldt State University  and has been teaching since 2004.  Learn more about Christopher S. here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

Transformation Math Tutors

Transformation Math Tutors Transformations in math refer to the ways in which a given geometric shape can be transformed in the coordinate plane by the methods of reflection, rotation, translation or dilation. The process of reflection, rotation and translation mean that the given shape is being flipped, turned or moved respectively in a certain direction in the coordinate plane. However, with these three methods the objects size never changes and stays the same. But Dilation is a method in which the objects size is changed by a certain scale factor. Example 1: In an X-Y coordinate plane, ABCD is rectangle where point A is at (1, 4). The image of the rectangle ABCD has the point A at (-3, -1). Which transformation is used here? Given: point A= (1, 4) and point A= (-3, -1) Since the points have been moved, hence the transformation used here is Translation! The x coordinate has changed from 1 to -3 =change= 1 (-3) = 4 units to the left. The y coordinate has changed from 4 to -1== change= 4 (-1) = 5 units down. Example 2: The length of a side of an object is 6 units. The length of the image of the same object is 18units. Which transformation is used here? Given: object side length = 6 units Image side length = 18 units. Here, clearly the size of the object has been changed since the length of the object is changed. Therefore the transformation used here is Dilation. Scale factor = (Image length) / (Object length) = 18/6 = 3 This implies that the object has been enlarged by a scale factor of 3!

What Are The Different Hindi Dialects Spoken in India and Which Should I Learn

What Are The Different Hindi Dialects Spoken in India and Which Should I Learn Which of the Hindi Dialects of India Should You Learn? ChaptersWhat is the Hindi Belt?Hindi and Urdu: One Language, Two Languages or Two Dialects?Learning Hindi: Hindi Dialects in IndiaIndian Hindi Creoles and PidginsHindi Dialects Outside of the Indian SubcontinentWhich Hindi Dialect Should You Learn?It’s hard enough to try and figure out which language of India you should learn - Sindhi, Telugu, or Tamil? Or maybe Punjabi? Is it easier to learn an Indo-European language or will you dare to try one from the Dravidian language family?But once you have decided on Hindustani as the language in India with the most speakers and as being the most universally understood, you still find yourself confronted with the question:Is there only one dialect of Hindi? If not, which should you learn?Superprof is here to help! if not, or if you already speak and read Arabic and don’t want to learn another new alphabet, Urdu is the way to go. You’ll be understood on either side of the border anyway.However, if you are more interested on an academic l evel, you will notice greater differences in the language of poetry and literature, and you will have to consider whether you prefer Muslim literature or Hindu literature. However, if you find yourself in a bind and can’t decide - and don’t mind studying on the other side of the Pond - the University of Texas offers combined Hindi-Urdu language programs.Hindi is written using the Devanagar script. Photo credit: basicshit.org on VisualHuntIf you choose Hindi, it’s probably best to stick with the standardised version. Everyone in the Hindi Belt and much of North India will understand standardised Hindi, and if you are moving to India you will soon pick up the local dialect - it’s easier to find Hindi lessons near you than a teacher who speaks Awadhi or Bundeli.However, if you are moving to Fiji or the Andaman Islands, finding a tutor who can teach you the local Creole is the way to go - maybe you can find Fiji Hindi class online to help you out.Whichever you choose, when learn ing Hindi, make certain that your teacher or language coach speaks Hindi as his or her mother tongue. Many Indians understand Hindi (Bollywood again) but didn’t grow up speaking it. They might have a good grasp of Hindi vocabulary, maybe even speak it relatively fluently, but they won’t know the finer points of grammar and idiom the way a native speaker would.

4 Duets to Sing for Beginners (Plus Tips to Shine!)

4 Duets to Sing for Beginners (Plus Tips to Shine!) Sign up successful 2. (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life from Dirty Dancing (1987) This very romantic upbeat 80s rock song makes you want to dance right from the beginning! Its best for a male bass and a soprano or alto; each singer has his or her own verses and then you sing the chorus together. 3. A Whole New World from Aladdin (1992) This beautiful Disney love ballad by Alan Menken can be sung in either gender, although its best if a tenor and a soprano sing this song. It has beautiful lyrics, and is great to perform at a coffeehouse, karaoke night, or school recital. 4. Take Me or Leave Me from Rent (1996) This fiery love song between two women from Jonathan Larson’s musical Rent is a strong belt song. It shows lots of attitude and emotion, and is very fun to sing! Its definitely a good one to work on those Broadway chops! And as youre practicing these duets to sing, keep the following tips in mind: Pick a song you both like. There are many duets out there, ranging from contemporary RB love songs to country ballads, and showtunes to classical pieces. Pick a song that will showcase both your voices, whether singing male and female, female and female, or male and male. Also, if you feel it is appropriate, don’t be afraid to try a song that was meant for the opposite gender sometimes these are the best duets! -Practice your parts alone, then together. First work hard at learning your vocal part on your own, and then practice and perform with your partner. If both of you are trying to learn your parts at the same time, if you are singing in unison or in harmonies, it’s going to be more difficult. It is best if you are both feeling solid and comfortable on your own parts before putting them together. Also, explore different duet combinations some voices blend more than others, and if the duet is not working for some reason, it could be because your voices are clashing. You and your partner should be working as a team. Add parts together and harmonies. Now that you have practiced both of your parts individually, it’s time to put them together! Do it slowly at first. Take each part section by section, and slow it down if you need to. While you should be listening to your duet partner, try not to let their part distract you. Duets can be sung in different ways, by two people singing different verses, and the same chorus, or completely different lyrics at the same time. Choose a duet that is right for you, and that you are passionate about. Once you have mastered your duet, I encourage you to add some interesting harmonies your audience will love this! I wish you all the best in working with your duet partner, and if you feel like you need more help, schedule a voice lesson with me through at TakeLessons! The song ideas dont stop here   check out our list 400+ songs to sing! Liz T. teaches singing, acting, and music lessons in Brooklyn, NY, as well as online.  She is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music with a B.M in Vocal Performance and currently performs and teaches all styles of music, including musical theater, classical, jazz, rock, pop, RB, and country.  Learn more about Liz here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo  by  morganknorr

Atoms, Modal Verbs and Phrasal Verbs An English Listening Exercise

Atoms, Modal Verbs and Phrasal Verbs An English Listening Exercise If youve been taking our English classes for any time, you probably already know that modal verbs and phrasal verbs are some of the most difficult things to learn. Weve done a lot of lessons to explain them, including a video series on English modal verbs.Recently I was watching this TED Ed video on the size of atoms and noticed that it had a lot of modal verbs, and a few phrasal verbs as well. Its a really interesting video, with great animation. You can watch the video below, and then try to answer the questions in the exercise. Fill in the gaps with phrasal verbs or modal verbs. You can put your answers in comments, and well let you know if theyre correct.1. You probably already know that everything is ____ __ __ little tiny things called atoms.2. You _____ even know that each atom is made up of even smaller particles called protons, neutrons and electrons.3. Lets ____ __ each of the atoms.4. You _____ remember the old pictures of atoms from your science class.5. If you ______  _ ___ the blueberry and ____ searching for the nucleus, ___ be invisible.6.  So, if everyone on the earth _____ their own car, and they dont, and you put all of those cars into your box, that _____ be about the density of a nucleus.Reading questionsHow big would the nucleus be if you made the atom the size of a football stadium?What do you think the gorilla in the background is a reference to? (Hint, it is related to another scientific experiment). Mariz  Hi Paul, it is certainly a good exercise! I have a friend whos teaching an ESL course I will refer this to her. The students for sure will like this ?? LOIEnglish Thanks Mariz! Im glad you enjoyed it. How did you do on the the exercise? Anna Pfitzner COULD you publish the tapescript as well?

Tips and Tools for Students with ADHD

Tips and Tools for Students with ADHD Messy backpack and binder. Disorganized desk. A poor or non-existent organizational system. If your child has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), youve likely dealt with one or more of these issues during the school year. It can be incredibly frustrating to see your child operating in such an inefficient, ineffective manner, but there are ways you can help him or her improve those executive functions and develop strategies to stay organized and on task. Here are several tips and tools that will help your ADHD student: Embrace charts and checklists. A daily assignment chart will help your child keep track of homework and ensure you know whats expected at home. Try a simple sheet with subjects across the top and days of the week in the left-hand column. Your child should record any homework at the end of each subject or class and keep this chart in one central place, such as a binder. At night, this chart should become your childs to-do list, which he or she can keep on hand during homework time and check off as tasks are completed. Checklists posted by the door (or wherever your child gets ready for school) with everything needed for the school day are also helpful visual reminders. Use a day planner. A day planner is a good idea for any student, but especially important for ADHD students who struggle with organization. Help your child learn the basics of referencing the planner frequently and during homework time and using it to plan a schedule for any bigger assignments or projects. Many students use day planners successfully to stay on top of their assignments as well. Whether your childs planner is simple and used for high-level recording of extracurricular reminders, due dates and test dates, or detailed with homework assignments, its a useful daily companion. Master prioritization. Often, children with ADHD lack strong time management skills. A consistent routine helps such children become accustomed to staying on task and setting aside time for both have-tos and want-tos. Before sitting down to do homework, have your child rank each subject in order of priority. Due dates that are furthest away should be lower on the list than assignments due the next day. Then, have him or her estimate how long each assignment might take and set time limits for each. A stopwatch or timer is an invaluable device for helping your child avoid veering off on tasks. Create a system. Help your child develop a system for keeping track of handouts, supplies, notebooks and more. Whether thats a color-coded filing system for each subject, inboxes at home used in conjunction with a binder with subject dividers, or a combination of methods, the key is to embrace the everything in its place mantra. Teach your child to always store similar items in the same location and to develop good habits for organizing the backpack and desk at the end of each homework session. Lastly, your support is critical as your child learns to be an effective student. Keep tabs on homework and project deadlines and keep a family calendar and bulletin board in a central location. Make organization a family practice. Most importantly, remind your child that all his or her efforts will pay off in the long run. With reliable procedures in place and continued practice, your child will learn the routines that help him or her the most. If your child has ADHD and is struggling to stay organized and keep up with school work, call Huntington. We work with many ADHD students and use proven instructional strategies to help them stay focused and be successful in school. About Huntington Huntington is the tutoring and test prep leader.Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntingtons mission is to give every student the best education possible. Learn how Huntington can help at www.huntingtonhelps.com. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. 2017 Huntington Mark, LLC. Huntington Learning Center, the three-leaf logo, and 1 800 CAN LEARN are registered trademarks of Huntington Mark, LLC. Each franchised Huntington Learning Center is operated under a franchise agreement with Huntington Learning Centers, Inc.

Irvine Physics Tutor Tip What is a Newton Weight vs Mass

Irvine Physics Tutor Tip What is a Newton Weight vs Mass Irvine Physics Tutor Tip: What is a Newton? Weight vs. Mass Irvine Physics Tutor Tip: What is a Newton? Weight vs. Mass A common problem for physics students is conceptualizing new types of measures and what they represent.   It’s easy enough to understand meters an,d seconds; we’re used to these concepts of distance (even if it isn’t usually in meters) and time.   Other units, however, aren’t as commonplace in our everyday lives and are harder to understand.   As a tutor and physics teacher, I’ve found that students having a strong understanding of units and being able to trace and connect different units helps them dramatically in both their physics understanding and their physics grades (book your private Irvine physics tutor today). Here, we will be discussing one of the main culprits in physics confusion that is introduced very early in an introductory physics class: the Newton. You are likely familiar with the concept of weight in everyday life. Things have different weights, and we measure them in pounds, ounces, and sometimes tons.   You’ve likely also heard metric system units of weight: notably grams, milligrams, and kilograms. But in physics, this gets more confusing.   Pounds are rarely or never used. Kilograms are still used, but they are a unit for “mass” rather than weight.   Instead, the “newton” is introduced as the new unit of weight.   So, in real life, we use kilograms to describe weight, but really, they’re for mass?   What is a newton and how is it different? Our answer is in a fundamental physics equation that you will need to quickly commit to memory to succeed in physics: F=ma. This is called Newton’s second law. Knowing the equations is the key to understanding new units and what they measure.   This equation is defining “force.”   Force is the measure that is describing what we call weight in physics.   Mass is an intrinsic quality of matter.   If we multiply that mass by an acceleration, we get the force. The reason we often equate these two in everyday life is that the acceleration of gravity is always the same for us on Earth.   Specifically, the acceleration is around 9.8 meters per seconds, squared (m/s2).   So, if we know the mass of an object, we can always multiply by 9.8 to get force it exerts downward or its “weight.”   Because of this, mass and weight have become synonymous when talking about the force that objects exert downward since we are almost always talking about objects on Earth and at a typical altitude. A way to understand this new unit of force is to break it up into its fundamental components.   We can do this by replacing our equation for force above with the units for each variable: force is measured with Newtons, mass with kilograms, and acceleration in meters per second2. Using this unit definition can help you check answers during a test.   If your final answer is a force, then the units you end with should be: Similarly, if you get an answer with those units but didn’t know what is, now you know that it is representing force. Knowing your units is an important tool in physics to check answers and aid in understanding new concepts and new measures.   Every time you learn a new unit, you should be asking yourself what it is measuring and how it is defined with the more fundamental units. Our experienced Irvine physics tutors are here to help you succeed in your physics class. Call us today to book your tutor! Michael C. is currently a private math, science, and standardized test tutor with TutorNerds in Irvine and Anaheim. All blog entries, except for guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.