21
Sep
2009
Living on the Gold Coast
The Gold Coast
The Gold Coast is an area in the southeast of Queensland, Australia, made up of 57km of coastline, stretching from Yatala to the border with New South Wales, bordered on the West by the Great Dividing Range at Lamington National Park. Not only does it feature spectacular beaches and World Heritage listed rainforests, but also a variety of shopping opportunities, recreation, cafes and restaurants. If you are looking to live and study on the Gold Coast, there are approximately 51 suburbs, in areas such as:
- Paradise Waters
- Surfers Paradise
- Broadbeach
- Sanctuary Cove
- Coombabah
- Southport
- Hope Island
- Biggera Waters
- Ashmore
- Coomera
- Yatala
- and Chevron Island, among many others.
Activities & Attractions
There is plenty to do on the sunny Gold Coast, from world-reknown beaches to theme parks, water sports and nature tours. Not only are there plenty of beaches, but beaches for swimming, surfing or just still water. Some of the beaches safest for swimming, away from rips and currents, include Burleigh Heads, Bilinga, Kirra, Currumbin, and Hastings Point. If you’re a surfer, the Snapper Rocks can’t be beaten. This is the beach where Roxy Pro and Quicksilver Pro surfing competitions take place. Other surfing destinations include the Spit, Surfers Paradise and Duranbah. Still water beaches suitable for swimming, fishing and other watersports such as kayaking, include the Gold Coast Broadwater and the Harley Park swimming lagoon.
Beyond the coast, along the Gold Coast Hinterland, there are farms, vineyards, villages, National Parks and rainforest reserves. Lamington National Park and Springbrook National Park offer bushwalk tracks where you can experience the rainforest, waterfalls and creeks. At O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat you can tour the tree tops walk, which involves nine suspension bridges up to 15m off the ground in the rainforest canopy. Then there is the Tamborine Mountain Rainforest Skywalk, a 300 metre long walkway that allows visitors to explore the upper levels of the rainforest and offers spectacular views.
11
Sep
2009
English Tutoring
ESL & Tutoring
ESL, or the study of English as a Second Language, is a booming industry around the world due to the prevalence of English in international business, law and culture. Whether this will remain the case as it has since the rise of the British Empire followed by the ‘American Century’, with the rise of China and India as emergent superpowers is uncertain. However, for the present the study of English by those for whom it is not their native language, is not only a growing industry but is also increasingly gaining the attention of academics.
The analysis of ESL study and teaching covers everything from cooperative learning, plagiarism as a cultural phenomenon, the effectiveness of written feedback by ESL tutors, and the effectiveness of phonological learning. Below a study is briefly outlined on the non-verbal components of ESL tutoring.
Tutoring as an “Embodied Activity”
Hassan Belhiah had an article published in the Journal of Pragmatics in 2009 (Vol 41, Iss 4), entitled ‘Tutoring as an embodied activity: How speech, gaze and body orientation are coordinated to conduct ESL tutorial business’. Her study analyses tutorial openings and closings based on data from real-time dialogues involving native American English-speaking tutors and non-native speaker students. The focus of her research was to study the extent to which conversation participants’ vocal and non-vocal actions contributed to the co-construction of ESL discourse as a collaborative activity. Her study was based on the findings of other academics as well, showing the gaze patterns can be used to indicate commitment and engagement, to elicit or show recipiency, and to ensure a smooth flow of conversation. It can also be used to show disengagement, through a variety of mechanisms.
Her findings showed that in the coordination of talk (eg turn-taking), gaze and body orientation there was little difference between participants, though it might be expected since they were from different cultural backgrounds. This is significant because, she claims, that for two people to communicate effectively it is not sufficient, “and perhaps not even necessary” (p841), that they share the same grammar.
7
Aug
2009
Language Tutors
Language Tutors
There are different types of language teachers for different sorts of learning and students. For example, types of English teachers include ESL teachers, EFL teachers, and teachers who teach English to English speakers (usually the study of English literature). Teachers may also teach a foreign language in a language college or Saturday school, in high schools and universities.
A private tutor is someone who teaches a specific subject or skill to a student or group of students, usually outside of a formal learning institution. This should not be confused with the type of tutor who teaches undergraduate students at university, and is usually themselves either a postgraduate student or graduate with a PhD. Private tutors are usually hired independently or through an agency to coach students who need extra attention whether because they are behind or exceptionally advanced. The individual attention which is often lacking in large classes helps students gain skills more rapidly. Tutelage is very common when students are approaching important exams, such as entrance exams to selective high schools or final high school exams. Sometimes schools offer extra tutelage for remedial students or those who cannot speak English proficiently (ESL teachers).
Tutoring
There are different sorts of tutoring, from private tutoring mentioned above, to peer and online tutoring. One type of tutoring is academic tutoring, where the tutor is usually a student at a higher level of education. The tutor can help students as they have previously done the course material, and can teach them additional information as well as encourage them that it is possible to excel. Peer tutoring is where a student in the same level of education or grade helps a fellow student so they do not fall behind. Online tutoring is a way of obtaining help without the hassles of having to meet. This can occur through chat, web and teleconferencing, skyping, and can be scheduled or unscheduled.