Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Should Parents Observe During Voice Lessons

Should Parents Observe During Voice Lessons Suzy S. Should you sit in on your kids singing lessons? Here,  Hayward, CA teacher  Molly R.  tackles the commonly asked question When parents sign their child up for voice lessons, naturally they want to be sure of a few key things: Does the teacher know what he or she is doing? Is the teacher a good match for my child? Is my child making progress? One of the easiest ways to be sure of all this is to observe a lesson and see for yourself, of course. However, this may not always be the best route for a few reasons although some situations are certainly different. The following is what I have found works best for me in my voice studio. At the First Lesson I always welcome parents to sit in on their childs first singing lesson! This way they know what I am about and what they are paying for. It’s tough to start singing for someone that you have never met, and having Mom or Dad there can be a bonus. For some kids, singing comes naturally at lesson number one, though, and they may prefer their parent NOT be there! I let the parent and child decide among themselves in this instance. After the First Lesson Going forward, I prefer students attend lessons on their own. The reason why many voice teachers prefer to work one on one with students is because it’s likely the young student will not open up to the teacher with two adults in the room. That can be stressful and take the fun out of singing! Not only that, some parents have the tendency to play armchair critic when it is solely the teacher’s job to offer vocal advice during lesson time. It is crucial that parents be respectful of the teacher and do not overstep their boundaries. Naturally there are unique situations to consider. For example, I work with some very young (six and under) students, and having a parent in the room is very helpful to get them to focus and also to encourage them. There may also be times when a young student has physical or mental limitations, and having a parent there is necessary. My Studio Policies I’ve found that it’s good to retain some flexibility, but to remain firm about general studio policies, and this certainly includes who can attend voice lessons. As long as you remain open and consistent with communication, I have found that parents are fine with my arrangement. They can measure their kids singing progress in other ways (practice time, performances, etc.). To find the best teacher for your child, you may need to sit in on a few voice lessons… and ask a lot of questions! You will find that the time spent doing this is well worth it once your child gains skills and confidence as a singer. Molly R. teaches online and in-person singing lessons in Hayward, CA. Her specialties include teaching beginner vocalists, shy singers, children, teens, lapsed singers, and older beginners. She joined TakeLessons in November 2013. Learn more about Molly  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 CaseyLessard

Friday, March 6, 2020

Online Work Formula Tutors

Online Work Formula Tutors Work in math involves math questions based on work done by certain number of people in a given amount of time period. In general when we observe, we know that work is dependent on the amount of time taken because to complete any task, a certain period of time is required. While solving questions related to work in math, we use this relation between work and time and calculate the total time taken to complete the given work accordingly. Example 1: Matt takes 20minutes time to mow a lawn and Jake takes 30 minutes to mow the same lawn. How much time will it take if both Matt and Jake mow the lawn together? Let time taken by Matt be, t1= 20mins Let time taken by Jake be, t2= 30mins Now time taken by both Matt and Jake to mow the lawn together be= t Then the work formula==1/t1+ 1/t2 = 1/t Using the above formula, we get: 1/20+ 1/30= 1/t == (30+ 20)/ 600= 1/t==50/600= 1/t Hence we get: time, t= 600/50= 12minutes. Example 2: Brett takes 3 hours to paint a house and Carl takes 5 hours to paint the same house. How much time will it take if both Brett and Carl paint the house together? Let time taken by Brett be, t1= 3hours Let time taken by Jake be, t2= 5hours Time taken by both Brett and Carl to paint the house together be= t Then the work formula==1/t1+ 1/t2 = 1/t Using the above formula, we get: 1/3+ 1/5= 1/t == (3+ 5)/15= 1/t==8/15= 1/t Hence we get: time, t= 15/8= 1.875hrs

3 Workplace Health Promotion Ideas to Increase Productivity - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 3 Workplace Health Promotion Ideas to Increase Productivity - Introvert Whisperer 3 Workplace Health Promotion Ideas to Increase Productivity Keeping employees healthy is crucial for ensuring they show up to work each day able to put their best foot forward. But as employers, it’s hard for us to recognize that health and wellness are actually a crucial part of being a great company to work for. While we may worry about our productivity levels or what should actually be included in work requirements, an appropriate wellness plan can actually help improve business and encourage employees to get more done. Including a corporate wellness plan for your employees doesn’t need to be expensive or extremely detailed. Instead, it can focus on simple changes such as keeping an office clean or encouraging healthy behaviors in fighting off colds and flus. These little changes around the office can help your employees stay healthy, ensuring they come into work each day prepared to tackle their projects and meet deadlines. Here are a few ideas on understanding what is work health and safety and how to prevent cold and flu in the workplace. 1. Keep a Clean Office If you want to prevent your employees from catching a cold or coming down with the flu, you need to understand what causes a cold. While cold-like symptoms can come just from the weather changing or things like allergies, of which you probably can’t avoid, a clean office or workspace prevents the spreading of contagious germs that can lead to sickness. Professional office cleaning services are usually worth the investment, even if you can only bring them in once a week. While you and your team can wipe down door knobs, keyboards, and other shared items during the week, professional cleaners get all the cracks you forget about. 2. Get Moving It may seem counterproductive to encourage your employees to get away from their desks as a method of how to increase productivity at work, but it is crucial for keeping them healthy and happy. There are many ways to promote movement at work, including pushing for walking breaks or allowing employees to take extended time away during the day to go for runs or head to the gym. When your employees focus on maintaining their health through exercising regularly, they can boost their immune system and fight off colds or the flu more easily. Additionally, getting up and away from the computer screen or desk can be refreshing on the mind, allowing employees to come back to work feeling ready to tackle the projects at hand. 3. Encourage Healthy Eating A major part of ensuring our employees don’t get sick during cold and flu season comes from eating healthy and getting the nutrients and vitamins that we need. If we see our employees grabbing fast food like cheeseburgers or pizza for lunch, they’re putting themselves at risk for getting sick â€" which decreases your productivity and can hurt business. But if there aren’t healthy options available, it can be difficult for your employees to get nutritious meals. Try to keep healthy snacks around the office that your employees can grab if they need it. Things like oranges or apples come relatively cheap at the grocery store and can provide a burst of vitamins to hungry employees, giving them energy and keeping them focused. If you have the budget, catered meals once in awhile can be a great way to ensure your employees are eating properly while also showing your care and dedication to their well-being. Our employees spend most of their weeks with us, meaning that while some employers may think health or wellness at work is something they don’t need to worry about, investing in a corporate wellness program is actually a great investment in our companies. As we train our employees to do a particular job each day, we need them to show up for work each day. Calling in sick can put the entire project behind schedule, causes other individuals to miss important due dates or deadlines, and decrease productivity. Keeping a clean office, encouraging movement and exercise throughout the day, and promoting healthy eating habits are just a few of the ways that you can encourage health and wellness in the workplace. To create a plan that fits your needs and the needs of your employees, pay attention to their habits, ask what they would find beneficial, and do whatever is in your power as their employer to help them meet those needs. As you focus on wellness, youll be surprised at the increase in productivity.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Why You Should Learn Acoustic Guitar First

Why You Should Learn Acoustic Guitar First Suzy S. Not sure whether to buy an acoustic or electric guitar for your first try at the instrument? Read on as Corona, CA teacher  Milton J.  shares his expert advice Deciding on which guitar to start with is a big step. Not only do you want to feel comfortable with playing guitar for the first time, but you also want to suit your musical tastes, style, and aptitude. So should you learn to play acoustic guitar first? Or go straight to the electric, if your style leans more toward Hendrix? There is, in fact, a best choice and that is the acoustic. Acoustic Guitars Help With Initial Technique The thicker strings and neck on the acoustic guitar will promote the building of finger strength. This will come into play as you continue to learn proper fingering technique, chords, and strum patterns. Moreover, learning rhythm, and the aforementioned strum pattern â€" the up-and-down motion of striking the strings that creates the main sound of the guitar â€" is easier and more conducive to successful repetition on the acoustic guitar. As you move to the intermediate stage after learning fingering technique, chords, and basic songs, understanding how to utilize the strum pattern as a percussive technique transforms the acoustic guitar into a drum and melody instrument. This opens up the stylistic interpretations of various songs you may learn along the way tremendously! One common misconception prospective guitar players make when choosing which acoustic guitar to purchase start with the question, “Which guitar will be the easiest to play?” I feel this is the wrong question to ask. Try starting with the questions, “Which guitar feels most comfortable for me?” and “Which guitar fits into my budget?” Once you understand those parameters, you’ll find the best acoustic guitar for you to start with. Acoustic Guitars Offer Portability Lastly, the acoustic guitar’s portability will promote more playing, possibly in places away from home. The more possibilities you have early on for playing your new guitar in addition to your lessons, the better. I encourage you to take your guitar to a nice area at your local park, in your backyard or apartment balcony, or with you on that camping trip in order to receive a new perspective instead of just your teacher’s studio or your bedroom. This will help you appreciate your new instrument even more. Now, it’s time to rock out! Find your nearest guitar teacher, garner advice from him or her on where to purchase or rent your first guitar, and use this as a guide as you learn to play acoustic guitar! Have fun! Milton K. teaches guitar, piano, singing, music recording, music theory, opera voice, songwriting, speaking voice, and acting lessons in  Corona, CA. He specializes in classical, RB, soul, pop, rock, jazz, and opera styles. Learn more about Milton 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  simon_music

3 Ways Parents Can Help Their Child With Algebra

3 Ways Parents Can Help Their Child With Algebra Algebra is a challenging subject for many students. Yet algebra is not as difficult as some students believe it may just take more time and attention for some students to learn the basic concepts of algebra 1 and/or algebra 2. Heres how you can providealgebra helpto your child. Practice Problems -Repetition is the key to understanding algebra properly. Have your student redo word problems that they have had difficulties with on previous quizzes or tests. Then, move on to otheralgebra problems in their text book that are similar. Some students learn better through practice instead of conceptually. Make sure to only do algebra problems to which you have the answer key so you can correct your students work. Mobile Apps -Technology might be the key to helping your child understandalgebraic equations. Many algebra-based apps are available on sites like iTunes for free. The U.S. Department of Education donated $740,000 to the Center for Algebraic Thinking to create these apps in the hope of aiding struggling students. Apps are an alternative for students to practice once they understand the initial principles. These free apps provide practice problems with the answer keys built in. Check to see if any algebra apps on iTunes can help your student. Talk with your Childs Teacher -Chat with the teacher to better understand your childs progress. As a professional educator, theyll convey your students weak points and possibly offer you tips on how to help them outside of class. Your student might have trouble with word problems, but understand solving quadratic equations. This information will help your strategy and if you ultimately decide to seek tutoring help, you will be able to speak knowledgably about what areas are causing the most concern for your child. Overall, if you feel your child is having trouble gaining traction in algebra 1 and/or algebra 2, seek tutoring help. The professional tutors at Huntington Learning Center are able to explain subjects in ways that make the most sense to students. Your childs education is vital to their future, so intervene early if you see problems. Huntington Learning Center helps students with homework, as well as quiz and test preparation, so your student can build a better future today.

Making the Tutorfair TV Ad

Making the Tutorfair TV Ad We filmed our very first TV advert at Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School (BCCCS) on Commercial Road, back in November 2015. Our ad will air in January, watch it below! BCCCS is a Tutorfair Foundation partner school, The head teacher Nick Soar, kindly lent us an Art room, a Maths room, and their Library for filming. We also had some of BCCCS’s best drama students and teachers take part on the day, who are the stars of our TV ad! Scene 1: The “Primary Class” In my opinion this is the best scene in the Tutorfair TV ad, maybe because it was the most elaborate scene we filmed, the first scene we filmed and the opening scene in the ad! Before 9am the Year 7 students had already been to hair and make-up (with Bella the make-up artist), taken their seats and practiced the scene a few times before filming! The girls and boys were all giggling and chatting away; the energy in the room was fantastic! Isabella, the star of this scene, plays a student who has missed something in class. After a few more trial runs, Mike the director calls out “Film rolling? OK, action!” Bringing home the reality that we were on a REAL film set! Very. Exciting. The class teacher asks the class “How does Tommo feel about Charlie and Molly?” This question I later discovered, referred to the book called “Private Peaceful” that the students were reading for English Literature. Isabella’s classmates all raise their hands to answer, whilst Isabella shows off her top acting skills and plays a student who feels a little left behind. It’s surprisingly difficult to act without speaking, without overacting or under-acting, with all the lights shinning on you, a fluffy microphone boom above your head, and no less than 9 “grown-ups” standing behind the camera staring at you! So we were all more than impressed with Isabella’s composure, relaxed attitude and expert drama skills, as she didn’t need much direction at all! #nailedit Isabella is in fact one of BCCCS’s top year 7 students; she reads one book every week, loves story writing and problem solving, aims to take her GCSEs early, and in her spare time she is a pro-baton twirler! When asked if she was enjoying the day, she exclaimed “Yes! I am really loving all the attention!” as she really was the leading lady! Personally, my wow moment was when I saw the camera platform, which was attached to a track on the floor. When “action” was called, it was slowly pushed to the right by the camera assistant, which gives the scene a slow and steady panning effect across the classroom. Simple things… But I was dying to have a go! In the final edit of the television ad, this scene is only a few seconds long, but it took roughly 2.5 hours to set up and film, with the class practicing and repeating the scene roughly 10 to 12 times! So by the end of the filming I was desperate to find out for myself how “Tommo was feeling about Charlie and Molly”! Scenes at Home Before the filming day we visited BCCCS and chose some rooms to film in. One of the rooms chosen was the staff meeting room. As we saw the room during half term, it was being repainted and was largely empty. We chose this room to film all the “home tuition” scenes in. Once we'd finished filming the first scene, we walked over to the staff meeting room to set up the next scenes. When we opened the door and we were faced with a huge (brand new) boardroom style table that filled the room and was screwed into the floor... There was no moving that table, we had to think of another option! Thinking on our feet, we had an idea, and went to the Library! We hadn’t arranged to be in the library until after lunch, so the students studying that morning were kindly keeping quiet, but we heard giggles as they watched what could only be described as a very budget episode of “changing rooms” as we TRANSFORMED a corner of the Library into a “home”. We used vases, flowers, a tree, a sofa (I still don’t know where that came from!), a rug bought from the local market, and even hung some fabric as if they were curtains! Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen would have been proud… In the Library “home” we filmed: - The private tutoring scene with Isabella and Mark Maclaine. - The scene with Isabella and her “mum” choosing a tutor, who was played by Rachel from the education company, Spiral. - The scene with the older teen boy, and Madeleine (one of Tutorfair’s top tutors) We then rearranged the Library to look more like a Library again, and filmed student Victoria, with Peter Kirby the director of the Tutorfair Foundation. This appears as the final scene in our TV ad! By this time (due to the time spent making a house in the library), we had run over schedule and it was home-time for most students - Yet we still had one more scene to film in the Maths room. We only had 4 GCSE students to make a full classroom scene, so we needed to find more extras to take part. I was then asked to put on a blue shirt, along with my college Sebastian, and sit in the back of the classroom as a student! Being over 10 years older than my classroom peers, I felt quite flattered to play the role! We were asked to calculate the area of a circle…  â€œAha! Of course! A = pr ²   I knew that… This scene only took around 5 takes and that was a wrap! It all came to an end so quickly, but I had such a truly incredible experience, as did the students and teachers of BCCCS. We would like to thank Nick Soar, James who coordinated EVERYTHING, and the Dancing Aardvarks. Special thanks to the teachers and students who brought the ad to life!

Top 5 Questions to Ask a Career Counselor

Top 5 Questions to Ask a Career Counselor Image via Pixabay What to Expect Before even thinking about putting together a list of every possible question that pops into your head for the career center, its important to first understand what exactly to expect during an appointment. Doing so can not only possibly answer some of the questions you may have but it can also alleviate some stresses and anxieties you might have about the appointment itself. Don’t Expect a Job, Rather Expect a Job Hunt.  Many students are under the false impression that going to a career center is an automatic guarantee of a job. While reaching out to a career center can help you find a job, it is not a lottery of job offerings with you having the lucky scratch-off ticket. With that being said, during your appointment with an advisor, expect them to help you narrow down career choices, pull out inner strengths, discover your passions and compliment those with your skills. This personal evaluation will help you figure out what kind of job you want and in a specific field. According to Richard White, the career center director at Rutgers University, “We [the career center] offer on-campus interviews, career days, e-fairs, information sessions, job postings, resume databases, open houses and special events. Don’t Expect to be Told, Rather Expect to be Shown.  It is natural to assume that going to a place like a career center that you will be told what to do, because after all, school advisors and teachers have done that in our past elementary, middle and high school lives. However, the game is different in college, and instead of being told what to do, you will be shown what to do. With this being said, do not expect an advisor to push you in a direction of a major or career path, like a parent would. It’s not their job to do that. Rather, expect them to help you find what might be a good fit for you based on your major, skills, traits and characteristics, etc. According to Peter Vogt, a Senior Contributor at Monster, “More realistically, your career center will teach you how to explore majors and careers that might be a good fit for you. The professionals at your schools career center should have both the resources and personal expertise that will help you explore majors and careers thoroughly. The career center should also have data on the jobs landed by past graduates in various majors from your school.” Remember Staff Limitations and Be Smart with Timing.  For many college students, procrastination and waiting until the very last minute to do something is basically apart of our DNA. When considering making an appointment with a career center, be responsible and considerate of your timing, meaning, do not expect to drop in and snag an appointment. Many times, advisors take walk-in appointments but this causes a disruption for their schedule for the remainder of the day. Just remember that above all, the professionals at the career center want to help you and ultimately respect you, so it is your obligation to respect them in return. Be mindful of their limitations and schedule, be responsible with your timing, and always be one step ahead of where you want to be. Doing so will always ensure you’re never behind. Image made via Canva.com Top 5 Questions to Ask A Career Counselor Now that you have a reasonable understanding of what to expect from your career center, hopefully now it won’t be as taxing or difficult to formulate a list of questions to help settle any worries or insecurities you may have. The following questions are clear, easy to follow and within the range of your advisor to answer. While there are a plethora of questions that you can ask, some that advisors may or may not be able to answer, in my opinion, these are the top five questions to ask at your career center. 1. What can I do to boost/edit my resume? One of the most important elements of the job process is your resumè. In order to stand out the best you possibly can to potential employers, be sure to constantly and consistently construct your resume. Advisors at your campus career center can definitely help you refine, polish and boost your resume to make it attractive to employers. Don’t worry about the formatting being awful, not having a good amount of experience on paper, or the whole thing just being certified ‘trashable’, it is OK if your resume is a work in progress. Advisors don’t expect you to arrive at your appointment with a perfect resume because if you did, they would partially be out of a job! According to Sarah Yoo of the Muse, “Bring a draft, or even a list of all your experiences and activitiesâ€"from your internships to  being a publicity chair in a volunteer club on-campus to spending your summers as a lifeguard. Counselors can help you craft experience descriptions that draw attention to the skills and personal qualities you have that employers are seeking.” 2. How can I make the most out of my strengths? Many college students have a hard time figuring out their strengths. According to Raymond Tang of Careermetis.com, “Plenty of graduates, job entrants and job-changers only know what they are functionally good at i.e. being good at coding, filling out balance sheets, writing content, etc. but lack the identification of soft skills that are often overlooked.” Career center counselors and advisors can help draw out these softer strengths, helping you identify the skills that you naturally possess skills that will be attractive to potential employers. Not only will advisors help you identify these skills, but they will also help you convey them to employers. Unfortunately, it is not enough just to know you have these strengths, you have to show them. 3. How can I network effectively? As technology has advanced, so has the increased presence of the job opportunities on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. During your appointment, log into social media accounts with a counselor. In order to create and build a strong social media platform, your counselor will help you clean up your accounts by suggesting which pictures, posts and comments to remove to help to make you look better in the eyes of an employer. Second, your counselor will help you search for your ideal job by suggesting using keywords on search engines, job sites and social media. You can even look for people with similar interests as you in regards to finding a job! Doing these two things can definitely help you get on track to networking, but some other advice an advisor might offer is to reach out to your professors, join club organizations, and talk to classmates! 4. What is the best job search strategy for me? It makes sense that since every one of us is different, that we would all have different approaches and strategies to searching for a job. It can be difficult to figure out this approach by yourself since you may not know what is most beneficial for you, but don’t worry, this is where an advisor comes in! Some meaningful and helpful questions to ask your counselor, Sarah Yoo notes are, “How should I allocate my search time between networking,  informational interviews, and applying for jobs? What strategies have been effective for other people applying for these types of positions?” 5. What are my next steps? Your first appointment with an advisor at the career center will be full of great tips and advice, but it will most likely need to be followed up with multiple follow-up appointments. Hence, it is important to ask your counselor what your next steps should be both during the waiting period to see them, and what to expect during your next appointment. They may want you to individually polish your resume to review in the future, or perhaps explore some fields that you may be interested in exploring jobs in. Regardless of what your next steps are, it is important to get an understanding with an advisor on the appropriate actions to take for the future! Image via Pixabay   Making the step to reach out into uncharted territories and seek out the help of a career counselor may seem scary and overwhelming at first, but I promise you that in the long run, you will not regret taking advantage of the services they provide for you. How else can you effectively learn how to harness your strengths, boost your resume, and implement a job strategy? Though it may seem possible that all of that can be accomplished independently and all on your own, it will be way easier and reasonable to seek the advice of someone who is a professional in doing so. The hardest mystery about post-college life is the uncertainty of having a secure job to fall on. Though this reality is daunting, taking a step ahead of the game and considering career options with a counselor will make post-graduation way less shocking and scary because you’ll have a good foundation of how and where to search. Always remember that regardless of who might have a job now, who might have a perfect resume, etc., everyone is a work in progress. As always, good luck!

Sweepstakes The Great English Giveaway

Sweepstakes The Great English Giveaway We are helping people learn English by giving away twenty (20) 1-Month subscriptions to SpeakENG Online English Course!   So if youre learning English, now is your chance to grab more English training for free. SpeakENG is an online course for learning English, and any italki member can win a 1-Month Subscription just by replying to this group post! The SpeakENG program includes access to the Online Course for a full month, plus a 15 minute session with Eleutians certified ESL teachers. What you need to do to enter the sweepstakes: 1) Log on to italki.com or join if youre not already a member. 2) Go to The Great English Giveaway group post 3) Read the rules, and then reply to the post with three things: How you found out about italki Why youre learning English A funny or embarrassing English mistake you have made 4) Thats it! The contest will begin on September 8, 2009 at 12:01 am China Standard Time, and will end on September 20, 2009 at 11:59 pm China Standard Time.   italki will choose the winner before September 30th.   Full contest details are available here. If youre looking for other products to help you learn English, check out the italki Marketplace. Good luck! Sweepstakes The Great English Giveaway We are helping people learn English by giving away twenty (20) 1-Month subscriptions to SpeakENG Online English Course!   So if youre learning English, now is your chance to grab more English training for free. SpeakENG is an online course for learning English, and any italki member can win a 1-Month Subscription just by replying to this group post! The SpeakENG program includes access to the Online Course for a full month, plus a 15 minute session with Eleutians certified ESL teachers. What you need to do to enter the sweepstakes: 1) Log on to italki.com or join if youre not already a member. 2) Go to The Great English Giveaway group post 3) Read the rules, and then reply to the post with three things: How you found out about italki Why youre learning English A funny or embarrassing English mistake you have made 4) Thats it! The contest will begin on September 8, 2009 at 12:01 am China Standard Time, and will end on September 20, 2009 at 11:59 pm China Standard Time.   italki will choose the winner before September 30th.   Full contest details are available here. If youre looking for other products to help you learn English, check out the italki Marketplace. Good luck! Sweepstakes The Great English Giveaway We are helping people learn English by giving away twenty (20) 1-Month subscriptions to SpeakENG Online English Course!   So if youre learning English, now is your chance to grab more English training for free. SpeakENG is an online course for learning English, and any italki member can win a 1-Month Subscription just by replying to this group post! The SpeakENG program includes access to the Online Course for a full month, plus a 15 minute session with Eleutians certified ESL teachers. What you need to do to enter the sweepstakes: 1) Log on to italki.com or join if youre not already a member. 2) Go to The Great English Giveaway group post 3) Read the rules, and then reply to the post with three things: How you found out about italki Why youre learning English A funny or embarrassing English mistake you have made 4) Thats it! The contest will begin on September 8, 2009 at 12:01 am China Standard Time, and will end on September 20, 2009 at 11:59 pm China Standard Time.   italki will choose the winner before September 30th.   Full contest details are available here. If youre looking for other products to help you learn English, check out the italki Marketplace. Good luck!