Sunday, August 16, 2020

Job Interview Q&A

a teacher | Virtual Writing Tutor

a teacher

How do you define the job?

Imagine a student who grew up playing video games with English speakers and thinks there is nothing left to learn. Now imagine a student who can’t string more than a few words together. For me, being a college ESL teacher means helping the first student set new goals so that he or she can attain new levels of accuracy and nuance, and it means helping the second student discover new levels of confidence and fluency so that he or she can engage with the English-speaking community in new ways.

How many years of experience have you had in education?

I started teaching English when I was 18 years old. I taught a Japanese martial artist visiting Montreal during his gap year. But it wasn't until 1995 that that I got my first job teaching overseas. In total, I taught in Korea for 5 years, at a language institute from 1995 to 1997 and then at two universities from 2002 until 2005. At the college level in and around Montreal, I have taught college ESL for about 17 years. But I have been working at my current college for just 13 years.

Describe your prior experience as a teacher?

I started working as a teacher doing private lessons, but that didn't last long. Otherwise, I have taught at language schools in Quebec, B.C, and abroad. I have also taught at universities in Canada and South Korea. But most of my experience has been teaching in and around Montreal at various the junior colleges.

What was your earliest work experience?

My first job was delivering newspapers in my neighbourhood. I always knew that if you wanted money in your pocket, you had to work for it. So, I got myself two paper routes, and every morning before school, I delivered 70 newspapers in the next neighbourhood to mine.

How did you motivate an underperforming team to achieve its goals?

The clearest example I can think of is a group project I had to do with classmates. We met, set tasks for ourselves and planned to meet the following week to share what we had accomplished. When we met, I was the only one to have met the goals we had set. We agreed to meet on the weekend. I realized that the best way to motivate the group was to lead by example, so I worked day and night to produce my best and most complete section of the project. When we met again and they saw how much work I had done, they realized that the presentation was going to look lopsided. That inspired them buckled down and get the work done. In the end, my hard work early in the development cycle inspired my teammates to work harder and get the job done. Our team scored the highest of all of the teams that present that semester.

income potential

How much could I potentially make if I applied myself?

Statistics

Word count: 448

Error count: 2

**************************************************************

Friday, August 14, 2020

Pronunciation App

Are you unsure how to pronounce a word? Use your browser's speech synthesis system to pronounce any word or phrase you type into the input box below. Adapted code based on Jason Mayes' example here: http://codepen.io/anon/pen/xGXZaW Click the HTML button of your blog, and copy/paste the code found here. I checked this blog post for common grammar, punctuation and spelling errors using a free online ESL grammar checker.

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Socrates

Socrates was an old friend of mine and a complete drunk.

The Socratic method is a party game involving alcohol.

Saturday, May 2, 2020

The Career of a Police Officer - HTML

The Career of a Police Officer | Virtual Writing Tutor

The Career of a Police Officer

Introduction

If you have ever thought of becoming a policeman, this article is for you.

What is it like to be a police officer?

It is very challenging and difficult.

What do police officers do?

Police officers keep the peace. They also have to apprehend criminals and charge them with crimes. They doesn't have a easy job.

What do police officers do on a typical day?

Police officers patrol the city in a police cruiser. They fill in reports and go to court to give evidence.

Where do police officers work?

Policemen work in a police station and in the community. Some police officers work in their police cruisers. Some police officers work at the police headquarters.

How can I become a police officer?

You can apply to the Police Technology Program at Ahuntsic College or John Abbott College. These colleges on the island of Montreal offer a 3-year training program in French and English, respectively. Upon completion of the program, you can apply for weapons training at Nicolet College. Graduates from Nicolet can apply to the various police forces around Quebec and Canada.

How much money do police officers make?

Police officers make on average $75000 per year. Of course, the salaries vary across regions and is starting salary is lower at the beginning of a police officer's career.

What kinds of additional training do police officers need?

Policemen need weapons training and training on new laws.

What are the dangers of being a police officer?

Being a police officer is a dangerous job. During your day, a suspect could punch or kick you while trying to escape. If the suspect is armed, he or she could shoot you. You may be required to draw your weapon and kill someone, causing psychological harm in the form of post-traumatic distress syndrome.

What are the chances that police officers will be replaced by robots soon?

It is unlikely that policemen will be completely replaced by robots. However, speeding tickets are generated by cameras and sent automatically by mail when a driver exceeds the limit.

What age do police officers retire at?

A policeman can retire at 55. Some policemen enter the top ranks and retire much later.

Conclusion

As you can see, being a police officer requires a junior college degree, on the job training, and bravery.

More by this author

Glossary link: https://expressdev.virtualwritingtutor.com/uploads/glossary/125/police-technology%20glossary.html

Screencast link: https://youtu.be/0JejTWWSRvI

Listicle link: http://cop-spot.blogspot.com/2015/09/3-good-reasons-to-become-police-officer.html

Sources and RADARS ratings

Source: https://ca.indeed.com/salaries/police-officer-Salaries

Rationale: to inform or educate

Authority: recognized author

Date: recently published

Accuracy: probably true

Relevance: relevant for this document

Sources: cites sources

Source: https://www.collegeahuntsic.qc.ca/programmes-dec/techniques/techniques-policieres

Rationale: to sell products and services (digital marketing)

Authority: recognized author

Date: recently published

Accuracy: probably true

Relevance: relevant for this document

Sources: no sources cited

Statistics

Word count: 293

Error count: 2

**************************************************************

Sunday, April 26, 2020

My Career as an ESL Teacher - A Hypertext Narrative

My Career as an ESL Teacher.

A hypertext narrative by

Nicholas Walker

Created with

The Virtual Writing Tutor Grammar Checker

Word count: 304

Choice count: 2

Section count: 3

Image count: 3

Error count: 1

Field Related Analysis:

Education : 13 matches (choice, class, college, exam, games, goal, homework, management, semester, student, students, teacher, teachers)

Archaeology : 7 matches (class, college, here, plan, Re, study, tell)

Sociology : 4 matches (class, goal, homework, management)

Target Structure:

cursory (2 matches)

put aside (1 match)

straight A's (1 match)

time management (2 matches)

The beginning of college.

It was the beginning of college. I started thinking about my program. I had to make an important choice.

Choice 1 : Do my homework every week.

Choice 2 : Play more video games.

Do my homework every week.

It was the second week of the semester and my teachers had already begun piling on the homework. After dinner, I gave my English homework a cursory glance and made a snap decision about my time management. I will not put aside my homework, I will do it the night it is assigned, and I will be thorough. This way, I will always be ready, and I can spend more time on homework instead of rushing all of the time. If I have a lot of exams coming up, I will plan which class to study for each day. I will feel confident and have the best chances of pulling off the exam. My goal is to get straight A's all year long.

Write a choice here.

Play more video games.

It was the second week of the semester and my teachers had already begun piling on the homework. After dinner, I gave my English homework a cursory glance and made a snap decision about my time management. Homework can wait. Video games are more fun. If there is something important that I need to do, I am sure my teacher will tell me. The next week, my teacher asked the students in class to share their homework with the person sitting next them. My partner was the most attractive student in class. After my partner shared, I said that I didn’t do my homework. My partner turned to me and said, “You’re a lazy jerk, and I never want to talk to you again.”.

Write a choice here.

New Story

Story

Sunday, April 19, 2020

The Career of a Police Officer - iframe

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Food Glossary

This is an example of a glossary. It contains food terms, parts of speech, definitions in sentence case from Google Search, text-to-speech pronunciation models, images from Wikimedia Commons, automatic translations to French, and authentic example sentences from the Lextutor Concordancer. I found my definitions on Google.

apple: noun; The round fruit of a tree of the rose family, which typically has thin red or green skin and crisp flesh.; Example: They may occur to the discoverer in a flash of inspiration, as in the mythical story of Newton's discovery of the law of gravitation being triggered by his seeing an APPLE fall from a tree.; fr: pomme
bagel: noun; A dense bread roll in the shape of a ring, made by boiling dough and then baking it.; Example: In many regions around the country, the BAGEL, a ring-shaped bread product, is a common breakfast item. A BAGEL is often topped with seeds, such as sesame or poppy, or other spiced toppings, and is often served sliced in half, toasted, and spread with butter or cream cheese or other toppings.; fr: beignet
curry: noun; A dish of meat, vegetables, etc., cooked in an Indian-style sauce of strong spices and typically served with rice.; Example: And he came and he had a massive full plate of rice and CURRY and then he had custard and gooseberry pie.; fr: curry
fajita: noun; A dish of Mexican origin consisting of strips of spiced beef or chicken, chopped vegetables, and grated cheese, wrapped in a soft tortilla and often served with sour cream.; Example: Fry for one minute, then tip in the black beans and fajita seasoning.; fr: fajita
gulab jamun: noun; A milk-solid-based sweet from the Indian subcontinent, popular in India.; Example: He ordered gulab jamun for everybody.; fr: gulab jamun
hamburger: noun; A round patty of ground beef, fried or grilled and typically served on a bun or roll and garnished with various condiments.; Example: She finished her HAMBURGER and drank her coffee and paid her check.; fr: l'hamburger
kimchi: noun; Spicy pickled cabbage, the national dish of Korea.; Example: Like all Korean meals, breakfast is usually served with banchan, or side dishes consisting of KIMCHI , steamed eggs and tofu.; fr: kimchi
maple syrup: noun; Syrup produced from the sap of certain maples, especially the sugar maple.; Example: I like to cook without recipes, freely mixing Marsala wine, mustard, artichoke hearts, candied ginger, MAPLE SYRUP , and plums, hoping something capable of being digested will emerge.; fr: sirop d'érable
pizza: noun; A dish of Italian origin consisting of a flat, round base of dough baked with a topping of tomato sauce and cheese, added meat or vegetables.; Example: What about having a PIZZA with me tonight after work?"; fr: pizza
salmon: noun; A large edible fish that is a popular game fish, much prized for its orange flesh that turns pink when cooked.; Example: Our church held a wonderful candlelit SALMON supper.; fr: saumon.
shepherd's pie: noun; A dish of ground meat under a layer of mashed potato.; Example: The meat was melt-in-the-mouth gorgeous and the shepherd's pie had fluffy mashed potato and flavoursome meat.; fr: tarte du berger
shrimp: noun; A small free-swimming crustacean with an elongated body, typically marine and frequently harvested for food.; Example: She said sharks have no bones and SHRIMP swim backwards.; fr: crevette
smoked salmon: noun; A orange fleshed fish flavored using smoldering wood at low temperatures during a curing process and sliced.; fr: saumon fumé froid tranché
spaghetti: noun; Pasta made in long, slender, solid strings.; Example: Do you want SPAGHETTI tonight? Suits me. SPAGHETTI David? Got some of that lovely oatmeal bread?; fr: spaghetti
zucchini: noun; A green variety of smooth-skinned summer squash.; Example: Top them with your favorite red sauce and some stir-fried mushrooms, ZUCCHINI , and peppers.; fr: courgette

Friday, April 6, 2018

Grammar Checker Forum

The Virtual Writing Tutor has added a community forum to its free grammar checker. Post your text, tell the community what kind of help you need, and benefit from the free proofreading service that the community can provide. You can get help with your grammar, spelling, punctuation, and structure.

It costs nothing to join. Try it today.

If you don't need help with your writing, why not help community members with their writing. A comment or two will mean a lot to struggling writers who need a proofreader.

Friday, February 16, 2018

How to Use the Hypertext Narrative Creator on the Virtual Writing Tutor

Create hypertext narratives with the Virtual Writing Tutor, and improve your vocabulary, grammar, and digital literacy skills in the process.

Embedded Hypertext Narrative

Chemistry and Pharmacology

A hypertext narrative by

Nicholas Walker

Created with

The Virtual Writing Tutor Grammar Checker

Word count: 766

Choice count: 4

Section count: 20

Image count: 20

Error count: 0

Field Related Analysis:

Education : 16 matches (School, ability, campus, choice, college, degree, don, learn, major, project, reader, research, school, semester, test, university)

Nursing : 14 matches (cancer, test, effects, foot, fungus, mushroom, nervous, pharmacist, pharmacology, reaction, species, treatment, treat, chemistry)

Biology : 11 matches (cancer, drive, family, nervous system, pharmacology, reaction, shoot, species, spectroscopy, humans, laboratory)

Target Structure:

a foot in the door (1 match)

background check (1 match)

learn the ropes (1 match)

Start at the beginning.

I'm studying Sciences at Montmorency College to become a pharmacist. It's my final year of college, and I'm perplexed. I'm not sure which university I want to go to.

Choice 1 : Go to the University of Montreal.

Choice 2 : Go to the University of Laval.

By Université_de_Montréal.JPG: Colocho derivative work: Chicoutimi [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Go to the University of Montreal.

I am happy that I have chosen to study at the University of Montreal. I love the professors here, and I'm happy that I am close to my family and friends. After two years of study, this is my last year at university. I wonder what I can do after finishing my studies.

Choice 1 : Work for the army as a chemist.

Choice 2 : Get a foot in the door as a research laboratory chemist.

By René Bélanger [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

Go to the University of Laval.

I decided to move to Quebec and live on the campus of the University of Laval. I have been living here for 2 months, and it's almost the end of the semester. I'm tired of all these exams and I miss my family and friends. I seriously wonder if I want to continue my studies. What should I do?

Write a choice here.

Work for the army as a chemist.

I decided to join the army. After the mandatory background check, I receive a modest salary with benefits since I work for the Canadian Forces. The Sergeant Major has just told me that he is forming a group made up entirely of chemists to work on a top-secret project. He wants me to learn the ropes and then to synthesize a chemical that is easily diffused in the air and has the ability to attack a person's nervous system. The amount that we have been asked to synthesize is enough to kill millions of people! What have I gotten myself into?

Write a choice here.

By User:SPat (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Work in a research laboratory as a chemist.

I have been working for 5 years in this laboratory looking for a cure for cancer. The equipment I use allows me to produce the compounds I want, and infrared spectroscopy allows me to check the purity of these products. My data tells me that it is better to add spores of a new species of mushroom that grows in Brazil to treat cancer. I don't know if it's a good idea since I don't know the effects of this fungus on humans.

Write a choice here.