Philosophy of Tutoring

Philosophy of TutoringThe philosophy of tutoring is rooted in the idea that teaching means to make people understand. It is the act of teaching without teaching through direct teaching method. A philosophy of tutoring believes that, it is not the students' but the teachers who are the 'brains' behind the whole learning process. Students need to learn the theory and knowledge of the subject taught to them and they need to acquire practical experience through the course which they will be taught.Good Instructors tend to spend most of their time teaching students what they know and not for teaching them what they do not know. This is because they understand that one needs to lead the class in order to help them come out of the class. The best way of leading a class is to guide them by giving them the answer to what they were expecting in the first place. It is only by doing this that you will be able to guide them in the right direction. When they get to know about things that are impor tant to them, they can relate to their teacher's lectures better.When a student understands the lessons that you teach them, they will relate to your lectures more and this in turn will help them better understand what they need to do in order to achieve the end result. At this point, a student will not be able to hold a bad thought. They will have learnt the lesson well and are more willing to persevere in their learning. They will not be so easily distracted or confused.Different classes are given in a certain school depending on the level of students. In a grade five class, there are lots of reading material and there are few things that the students should do to become advanced in their studies. They should also attend the proper lectures and take a part in the classes. It is the teacher's job to give all the students the discipline to complete the assignments they are required to do. A Philosophy of Tutoring teaches the students that all the lessons they have to study are worth studying.A philosophy of tutoring is really useful for high school students who may not know how to read newspapers or books. They may not have a lot of interest in reading but the tutor is able to make them understand the importance of reading. When students are not reading books but just listening to the lectures, they might be very interested in what the teacher is telling them.A philosophy of tutoring also helps in making the students understand different subjects. Students can also get into discussion with their tutor. If they talk to each other, they can better understand each other. It is up to the student to keep going back to their tutor in order to maintain the philosophy of tutoring. They can refer to the notes that their tutor has provided and check up their notes to see if the philosophy of tutoring is still valid.A Philosophy of Tutoring encourages students to study well and they also do their best to make themselves masterful in their studies. However, they should no t stop doing good and useful things just because they are great at something. Every student who seeks the help of a tutor should believe that the help is not just to give him some tips and ideas but to make them great and complete them.

What is it Like to Attend Ball State University

What is it Like to Attend Ball State University The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teachtheyre sharing their college experiences as well. Phylecia earned her bachelors degree in electronics art and animation from Ball State University in 2011. She specializes in english tutoring, as well as a number of other subjects. See what she had to say about her time at Ball State University: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Phylecia: Ball State University (BSU) is a midsize coeducational university in Muncie, Indiana. The university has roughly over 20,000 students, is near affordable transportation, and is located in a traditional rural town. BSU offers several safety services, such as public safety advisories, public crime logs, and free on-campus transportation known as Charlie Charter. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Phylecia: The professors are always available. Many instructors provide a syllabus that includes their contact information (email and phone) and their office hours. Additionally, students are encouraged to schedule meetings with their academic advisors and teaching assistants. How would you describe the dorm liferooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Phylecia: I highly recommend that students live in a dorm during their first year at Ball State University. Dorm life enables freshmen to socialize with others, make lifelong friends, and most importantly, experience something worthwhile. BSU offers students several opportunities for them to socialize at events, such as Late Night and the Ball State Carnival. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Phylecia: Ball State University is known for its amazing teaching program. The Teachers College is ranked as one of the best professional education programs in the nation. The general education I received at BSU motivated me to continue my writing certificate at UCLA Extension. How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Phylecia: It is fairly easy to make friends and meet people at Ball State University. BSU provides several activities, events, and organizations for students. Although Greek life is important, students are able to meet people through several student-run organizations, such as Black Student Association and the Excellence in Leadership Program. How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services? Phylecia: The Career Center is a great place to find jobs on and off campus. The advisors provide various services, such as career counseling, interview training, and internships for students. Additionally, the Career Center also holds several fairs for specific majors every year. How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Phylecia: Study areas such as libraries, the Student Center, and dorm lounges are easily available and extremely spacious. My go-to study space is the gorgeous Bracken Library. Describe the surrounding town. Phylecia: Muncie, Indiana is considered a college town. Students can do various activities, such as going shopping, eating at five-star Yelp-rated restaurants, and drinking coffee at beautiful cafes. Muncie Gras (a Mardi Gras event) and the Ball State Carnival are fan favorites among students. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Phylecia: Ball State University is considered a midsize school. Lecture class sizes range between 75100 students, whereas smaller class sizes are between 2530 students. Most classes take place in smaller classrooms. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Phylecia: My favorite art instructor was Mr. Johnson. He was the head printmaking professor at Ball State University. Mr. Johnson was the first teacher to admit me into the highly rigorous art program and helped me nurture my skills. Check out Phylecias tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

7 Reasons Introverts Are Good at Writing Which Is Good for Their Career - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 7 Reasons Introverts Are Good at Writing Which Is Good for Their Career - Introvert Whisperer 7 Reasons Introverts Are Good at Writing Which Is Good for Their Career It’s a well-established fact that writing is good for a person’s career. From communicating through email to being able to market and present yourself well, writing is essential. There’s no end of benefits that come from writing, especially now that social media posts are now such an important part of modern business. What many people don’t realize is that introverts are naturally inclined towards writing, not solely because it gives you a lot of time to spend alone and reflect. 1.            It’s Less Intimidating than Speaking For many introverts, being the center of attention is a total nightmare. You may find public speaking a bit of a nightmare, and you may not enjoy talking on the phone and dealing with unpredictable issues. Writing, however, gives an introvert a safe and quiet space where they can deal with everyone, and they can do so over email. This means that you can put your foot down on certain points, showcase how knowledgeable you are, and prove that you’re a great employee, without the panic that comes from speaking up in public. You can use Language Tool to check the work is well done, and you can also find some great advice on Paper Fellows regarding how to write for business. 2.           You Appear Credible If you’re introverted, you may seem quiet and some people will incorrectly assume that you potentially don’t speak up because you’re not sure of yourself. Writing helps you show that this is not the case at all, and it can give you a platform to showcase your knowledge. Being grammatically perfect also makes you look more credible and professional, and you can check on your work with Easy Word Count grammar checker or even from reviewing a grammar guide such as Quick Books. 3.           You Have Time to Reflect We all know that we should think before we speak, but by writing, an introvert can make sure that they have thoughtfully produced every piece of work, that it’s fact-checked and in line with company policy, there are no accidental mistakes. If you need to be authoritative, you can use referencing tools like Cite It In or have an editor at Write my essay test your work. 4.           You’re Aware of Your Surroundings An introvert won’t lose their cool and respond to someone too casually, or make it clear that they’re annoyed with a customer. They’ll always be aware they’re at work, and will maintain a professional attitude. If you want to be sure that you’re writing properly for business, you can use Custom essay. Introverts are less distracted by office chatter, and don’t get as bored and distracted when they’re working alone as some extroverts. 5.           Introverts Enjoy Some Alone Time Jobs that require a lot of writing are ideal for introverts as you have a lot of time to sit alone and work quietly. While a lot of people are wary of office politics, introverts are also happy to stay away from the gossip by the water cooler too, and instead, will happily read a guide like Grammar Presentation and thoroughly check their work. 6.           Introverts Are Good Listeners There’s no doubt that introverts provide awesome customer service because they will really listen to the customer and do what they can to respond properly. Plus, a lot of introverts are actually fairly creative, and so not only can they provide good answers, they can also often come up with creative solutions to problems when given a chance. Having the freedom to write responses or plans or new ideas can really exhibit just how much an introvert has absorbed since they started working somewhere. Through paying attention, and taking in everything that’s gone on around you, you actually probably have a much better idea of how things work, and how to produce certain tasks and assignments. 7.           Introverts Often Enjoy Writing While some people may enjoy art or public presenting, a lot of introverts actually enjoy sitting at a keyboard and writing. This is great, as it means they can enjoy their job, and happy staff consistently perform better. You may still want to use sources such as Essay service as a grammar resource to make sure writing is perfect. Any introverts at work should be aware of exactly how their writing skills can help advance their career, and should also know that writing is a great way to appear more professional and competent at work. Author’s bio: Gloria Kopp is a digital marketer and an e-learning consultant from Manville city. Now she works as a content manager at Assignment writing  service. Besides, she is a regular contributor to such websites as  Engadget, Academized, Huffingtonpost etc. Read her latest post  here. Go to top CAREER ACCELERATION Do you know what your next career step is?  Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Take SAT With Confidence Through SAT Teacher Tutorpace

Take SAT With Confidence Through SAT Teacher Tutorpace 0SHARESShare SAT is an entrance test which stands as a strong gateway for great entry into premier colleges. Good prep for SAT is essential to face the test with confidence and cool head. How to prep for SAT? Know well the structure of SAT before deciding to take the test Check whether your aptitude allows you  to sit for SAT- you have strong memory, deep analytical skills etc Pick out the right dates for taking SAT Choose those dates which provide you ample time for prep Approach a good center with experienced SAT Teachers who are experienced in setting SAT papers and get used  to the practice test papers set by them to know the repetitive questions asked in SAT test Allot time   every day for SAT Preparations to prep well in advance When you get the SAT Test Results, review them to see which part you lack in and seek methods to rectify it Repeat the tests to get fine scores and enter colleges of your choice with subjects you desire SAT prep needs concentration, attention to the strategies and clues for doing Math and English.  Regular practices with good reading habits boost your score and prepare you mentally well to take the test without anxiety. Tutor Pace offers good prep course for SAT takers to excel in the test without tension. Due to the high standard of the exam and constant demand for good practice, there has always been a requirement for SAT teachers. Teachers specialized for SAT also can help students in achieving their dream score.   Understanding the basic concepts involved in each subject and also answering questions in the given limited time frame. To take the test, the fastest method is to register online on the official website of the College Board by following simple instructions. Students can choose their appropriate test date and test location according to their convenience.

What is Bikram Yoga

What is Bikram Yoga What Is Bikram Yoga All About? ChaptersThe Origins of Bikram YogaThe Specificities of Bikram YogaThe Effects of Bikram Yoga“Yoga is the only exercise in the world you can do at any age. There is always some posture that will improve your health, mind and soul.” - Bikram ChoudhuryThe popularity of yoga has exploded in recent years in the UK. In fact, doing yoga is also becoming increasingly popular in gyms and sports centres as a way to tone and build muscle. Of all the different types of yoga about, we’re going to focus on Bikram yoga.In recent years, a number of dedicated Bikram yoga centres have opened in the UK. The popularity of Bikram yoga is proof that people want to take care of their bodies, to get fit, to improve their mind and spirit, and generally become healthier beings.So what is Bikram yoga? Why should you do it? What’s it for?If you're considering attending yoga classes to improve your flexibility and aren't sure whether you should do Ashtanga yoga, Bikram yoga, or Vinyasa flow yoga, you can find the answers to these challenging questions in this article on Bikram yoga. CarleyYoga Teacher 5.00 (5) £100/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LynnYoga Teacher 4.89 (9) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GenYoga Teacher £45/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JulieYoga Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AliceYoga Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LauraYoga Teacher 5.00 (6) £70/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors UndramYoga Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LottieYoga Teacher £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe Origins of Bikram YogaWhen you first start doing yoga, it’s important to decide which type of yoga and which yoga techniques you want to practice. With kids yoga, yoga pilates, yoga Nidra, and dynamic yoga, for example, there are plenty of different terms you need to decipher before you can choose what to do. You need to choose one particular yoga style, understand how it works, what the rules are, and learn about the history and origins of it, too.Bikram yoga is a blend of exercise for both your body and your mind. (Source: Helena)If you’re thinking about Bikram yoga, you should find out where it comes from and how it evolved into the style we know it as today. It’s worthwhile learning more about the type of yoga you’re thinking about doing as it can really help you to choose the right style for you. This is especially important with yoga because it requires discipline and a lot of techniques you’ll have to master.Where Does Bikram Yoga Come From?Bikram yoga was founded in Calcutta, India, in 1946, to be exact. It’s named after its founder, Bikram Choudhury. He’d practised yoga from the age of 4 with his spiritual master, Bishnu Ghosh. Bit by bit, Bikram Choudhury developed his own techniques which would later become known as Bikram yoga.Bikram yoga needs to be done at a specific temperature and humidity. (Source: TheDigitalArtist )So how exactly was this style of yoga born?Not in the nicest circumstances, to be fair. Bikram Choudhury was involved in a car accident which paralysed his legs. Following the accident, the courageous Bikram decided to carry on practising yoga and managed to drastically improve his physical and spiritual condition. This was all against the advice of his doctors (something we don't recommend!).By the end of the 1960s, he’d decided to create his own style inspired by the postures he’d been mastering from the age of 4 which were mainly from Hatha yoga. This technique, which is known as Bikram yoga, became a global success and people (including us) are still talking about it today.In 1973, Bikram Choudhury opened his first yoga centre in the United States. The success didn’t stop there and there are now nearly 600 Bikram yoga centres around the world. While his accident was inevitably sad, it gave rise to a special type of yoga which renewed an ancient discipline and allowed it t o evolve.While Bikram yoga is seemingly everywhere, it’s important to know what this discipline entails and what a typical session is like in terms of breathing exercises, stretches, and effort. We’re going to have a look at the key details of Bikram yoga, what makes it special, and how it’s more demanding than just simply chaining together a few poses or yoga postures.The Specificities of Bikram YogaTo understand the specificities of Bikram yoga, you need to understand the inner workings of the discipline. Rather than solely focusing on the practice itself, we’re going to try to also understand why and how we practise it. In short, what a typical yoga session is like and how a Bikram yoga session differs!The idea is pretty simple: you’re going to spend 90 minutes doing 26 different poses (asana) and two different breathing exercises (pranayama). That’s not all, though! To top that all off, the room is heated to 40 °C with 40% humidity.Sounds horrible, doesn’t it?Not r eally since the results of practising in a hot yoga studio speak for themselves.The high temperature and humidity are to replicate the conditions in which Bikram himself practised yoga in these conditions which helped him make the physical progress that he did. It’s very easy to get physically and mentally caught up in this type of yoga.Of course, this doesn’t mean that there are no consequences to doing this type of yoga. For example, it’s not recommended that people susceptible to hypothermia take part. If you have any concerns or pre-existing conditions, it’s recommended that you ask your doctor whether or not you can do Bikram yoga as even though it’s great for improving your physical and mental wellbeing, it’s also very demanding. It might be worthwhile doing a taster session before you start doing Bikram yoga regularly.Hot yoga can help you eliminate toxins as well as work on your mindfulness through breathing exercises and challenges. These exercises can help you to bring your body, mind, and spirit together while detoxing and toning at the same time. It’s a way to get into shape while letting go. So what are you waiting for?The Effects of Bikram YogaThe Physical Effects of Bikram YogaThe benefits of yoga speak for themselves: improving your physical health, inner peace, a better mental state, etc. Bikram yoga has all of that while focusing on making sure that you break a sweat. Thanks to the heat and humidity, you’re going to be able to also get rid of toxins through sweating.You need to think about which yoga style you want to do before you get started. (Source: avi_acl)Sweating also makes life difficult for you which, with all the poses you’re adopting, will help you become a veritable Bikram yogi. You’ll be in a better physical condition and you’ll also be able to stay in shape through regularly doing it.There are plenty of benefits to Bikram yoga, even if you haven’t done any physical activity in a few days, as you can balan ce your chakras. However, regular practice is essential if you want to get better at it. Of course, don’t forget to bring a bottle of water!Bikram Yoga: A Complete DisciplineThe first Bikram yoga session might surprise you with just how hot and humid it is. However, by your second session, you’ll start seeing all the physical, spiritual, and mental benefits. It’ll rejuvenate you, making your body feel better as well as eliminating toxins from your body through sweating for an hour and a half.Whether in London or elsewhere in the UK, you should be able to find a Bikram yoga centre near you where you can practise either in one-on-one sessions or in a group Bikram yoga class. It’ll help you lose weight and gain and tone muscles through gentle exercise. It’s one of the most complete disciplines.So if you feel like giving Bikram yoga a go, you’ll need to head along to a gym or sports centre to try it for yourself and enjoy the benefits of this technical style of yoga that has many followers around the world. Between exercise and mindfulness meditation, Bikram yoga is the way to go!Don't forget that if you're completely new to hot yoga classes, you can always look for a yoga teacher on sites like Superprof, where you can find nearby yogis who are looking for a new student yearning to gain a deeper understanding of their body and mind through yoga workshops or tutorials.The yoga community is obviously very welcoming and many yoga studios even offer drop-ins and introductory sessions for beginners who'd like to do yoga. If you can't do Bikram hot yoga, don't forget that there are plenty of other styles of yoga that may also take your fancy.Don't be shy! Everyone was a beginner once and both yoga instructors and other students will tell you that it's never too late to change your life with yoga.If you have previous injuries or any medical concerns, don't forget to speak to your doctor before taking up physical activities such as yoga. You don't want to inju re yourself in the first session!You can run a search online for 'hot yoga near me' to see what classes are available.

For vs Since

For vs Since Whats the difference between for and since? Whats the difference between for and since? Choosing between prepositions can be tricky. For French speakers, choosing which preposition to use can be especially difficult because the French equivalents are used differently. Dont worry. This article should clarify when to use for and since.     Rules and Examples RULE: Use FOR with a length or time. Use SINCE with a starting point. INCORRECT: I have been studying here  since  2 years. CORRECT: I have been studying here  for  2 years. INCORRECT: I have been working there  since  forever. CORRECT: I have been working there  forever. INCORRECT: We have lived here  since always. CORRECT: We have lived here  since I was born. INCORRECT: I have lived in Longueuil  since all my life. CORRECT: I have lived in Longueuil  all of my life.     Practice exercise for FOR and SINCE For vs Since     Free Grammar Checkers Virtual Writing Tutor grammar checker website Grammarly plugin for Chrome         Please follow and like us:

Interview with Canadian Poet Peter Van Toorn

Interview with Canadian Poet Peter Van Toorn Peter Van Toorn is the author of three books of poetry, Leeway Grass, (1970); In Guildenstern County, 1973; and Mountain Tea, 1985. As editor, he has published various collections over the years: Cross/cut: Contemporary English Quebec Poetry (with Ken Norris), 1982; The Insecurity of Art: Essays on Poetics (with Ken Norris), 1982; Lakeshore Poets, 1982; Sounds New, 1990; and most recently, Canadian Animal Poetry, (1993). Sketch by Kendra Boychuk Born July 13th, 1944 in a bunker near The Hague, Netherlands, Van Toorn has lived in and around Montreal since 1953. A former student of Louis Dudek, F.R Scott, and Hugh Maclennan, he worked for a while as a teacher’s assistant to Hugh MacLennan at McGill University grading papers. During the late 60s and early 70s, he taught at Concordia University. Now, after 29 years of teaching Creative writing and Canadian poetry at John Abbott College in Ste. Anne de Bellevue, he is retired. He lives in a small semi-detached rented house with three dogs, seven cats and his girlfriend of 11 years, Annie. I’ve always admired his translations in Mountain Tea, so when I reached Peter by phone Monday evening, October the 24th, 2000, I asked him to talk a little about translation. Phone interview NW: What is translation? PVT: The word itself is interesting: it comes to us from translatus,the past participle of the Latin transferre, ‘to carry across’ without death. Right there you have the mandate of the poetic translator like me. There’s no point translating something, unless it lives in the language into which it goes. If doesn’t live in the new language, it’s like a transplantâ€"it gets rejected. It’s not successful. NW: Peter, where did translation start? PVT: It was Babel, a plain in the land of Shinar, tradition tells us, where they first discovered a need for it. A long time ago, the men who lived there said, “Let us build a city and a tower that it may reach unto heaven. And let us make us a name lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language. Nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do. Let us go down and confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” And the people of Shinar said, “Let us use slime for mortar and brick for stone.” In other words, they were going to have to extemporize, and adlib, and use materials that were handyâ€"they were being ingenious and creative, right? And they thought this was clever. But they had given up trying to reach God through prayer and meditation. What they wanted was technological power. They wanted a real, physical power to reach God, as if he’s really up there. That, in itself, is problematic. They had become literalists of the imagination. So God smashed the tower and scattered the bricks, and suddenly people couldn’t understand each other. They’d lost their ability to collaborate and got scattered across the earth. That’s where the need for translation started. NW: So translation has been valued ever since, right? PVT: In fact, no. The opposite is true. There’s been a taboo on translation that has beleaguered translators since Babel. To this day, Jewish scholars are not allowed to translate. They are not even allowed to touch a text until they’ve washed their hands and performed certain rituals and said certain prayers. They’re very, very afraid of what they call an irreption, which is a kind of corruption where a little deviation crawls into the text through a smudge or a tired moment of the copyist. Translators to this day have been beleaguered by this taboo. And you see that every time you pick up a book that has been translated. The translator always has a heavy apology in the front saying, “In my translation, I have sought to preserve the alliteration of the Norse text without imposing too high of a diction…” and they go into a whole elaborate explanation of how they’ve translated the damn thing, which nobody really wants to hear. We just want to see a poem that works! If it doesn’t work in the new language, if it isn’t a poem in its own right, then it’s not a good translation, so there’s no point in doing it. I’ll give you a little illustration of the whole problem of translation. During the 1940s there were musicians living in Czechoslovakia during the Communist era who really prized and loved to play jazz. They just loved it. To them, jazz was the symbol of the freedom of America, of everything that was tantalizing. So they would send away for sheet music to New York City and get standard jazz pieces, which they would then play. One piece they got in the mail, one day, was called, “Stomping at the Barbecue.” And this is how they translated it: “Dancing Slowly at an Outdoor Cooking Device.” You can see how clumsy that is. It doesn’t live in the new language. It’s a literal translation, but it isn’t interesting, it isn’t funky. It doesn’t live in Czech. The whole thing then is for the Czech translator to find what Elliot calls the objective correlative, something in Czech culture that is familiar to them like the barbecue, their word, their thing for it. And if there’s no barbecue, then to find another object, to make “Stomping at the Barbecue” live in Czech. Otherwise, they’re not extending the national, linguistic, temperamental, and chronological boundaries of the source text. NW: What do you mean by temperamental boundaries? PVT: A translation has to carry a poem across boundaries of geography, language, and time, as well as temperament. The temperament of the translator may be very different from that of the poet of the source text. Only at certain moments will the translator be congenial enough to the source poet to accommodate that certain point of view that he, himself, would maybe never write about. Then translation becomes the one permissible way for the translator to write about something that’s very personal. NW: Forgive me for asking this: Isn’t translation just another form of cultural imperialism, you know, going around the globe swiping masterpieces and pocketing the proceeds? PVT: It can be. It’s not supposed to be. I know what you mean, though. Translation requires reciprocity. You have to give something back to the original. A translation should always carry the poem further, into the next time, into the next Zeitgeist, into the next cultural mood. If Beaudelaire were writing that poem now, if he were writing in English and he wanted to translate the poem himself, this is what he would have done. You have to ask yourself: what if he were translating his poem into English and not me. That’s what you aim at, so the poem extends its readership. A good translation can give the source text an immensely wider circulation than it originally had when it was just confined to the French readers of that century. Another country or another time may be more receptive to a Beaudelaire poem than even the Parisians were at the time it was first written. NW: How did you get started doing translations? What was your first translation? PVT: First translation? Good question. Gee, that’s a toughie. Okay, yeahâ€"Latin. In high school, I don’t know about you, but I took Latin. That was my first real experience as a translator. In high school, all kids had to translate Caesar and Tacitus and all the groovy guys like Ovid into English. So you learned another language mechanically. I think the first thing I translated successfully is my poem in Leeway Grass, the one about the sword maker, “Elegy on War: Invention of the Sword,” from Tibullus. From there I went on to French, because you learn French at school if you grow up here. I translated Beaudelaire, Villon, Ronsard, Charles d’Orleans, Rimbaud, Manger, Hugo, Saint-Amant… NW: Any Quebeckers? PVT: Sure. Gilles Vigneault and Sylvain Garneau. NW: What about your translations from languages you don’t speak? PVT: Here we get into another thing. [Coughs] I see that problem as being a problem of research. When you do anything in research, you don’t just read one book. You come at it from a hundred directions. You look a hundred different texts by scholars who are very knowledgeable in the original tongue. Let’s say Chinese in this case. So you read the famous scholars who have translated it, and you read other people who have tried it. Because they’re not fully translated in the sense we talked about earlier and since they are still kind of klutzy and eminently forgettable, that stuff gets to be dust in the next century. But if you look at all these different texts, they all seem to be pointing at something. You can find that point by triangulation. When you know points around something you can find where the center is. So I would go to different Chinese translators and found their translations not sparkling enough, but I could sort of smell the original. Goethe said, “Translations are like pictures on matchboxes; they make you hungry for the original.” Often, translators demote poetry to prose in their translations. Robert Frost said something very witty about translation once. His definition of poetry went like this: “Poetry is what gets lost in the translation.” [Laughs] So a poetic translation is as Elliot says, a raid on the inarticulate. Il faut etre poet, d’abord! Translation means taking that poem one step further, back into poetry where it belongs. ‘Cuz if it ain’t got that swing, it don’t mean a thing…[Chuckles]… NW: Thanks, Pete. PVT: Anytime. Related posts Grammar checker poemTranslation card gameTranslate your grammar checker feedback to one of 70 languages How I met Peter Van Toorn Peter Van Toorn and I first became friends in 1987. Our friendship started with an argument over a word. Halfway through the semester at John Abbott College, Professor Van Toorn gave our Creative Writing class an assignment that started an argument that has never been settled. The assignment was “to find ten uses of the word ‘spit’ and put them into ten sentences, each illustrating one of the meanings of the word.” The rest of the class groaned when he announced the assignment because it meant a trip to the library and laborious use of dictionaries. I was intrigued. I took it as a challenge and went directly after class to the library determined to find a use of “spit” that he was unlikely to encounter in the papers from the groaning population of the class. There in the college library, I found several giant dictionaries and went through them looking for the one with the most entries under the heading “spit.” I can’t remember the name of the dictionary I found, but it was so large that a librarian came over to help me lift it. It had 18 entriesâ€"more than enough to complete the assignment. Of course, there were the common uses that most people know: spit meaning to eject phlegm, spit meaning sputum, spit meaning a rotisserie rod, and the idiomatic usage, “spit and image” mistakenly pronounced “spitting image.” Also listed were the ones people usually don’t know: spit meaning to run through, spit meaning a short sword, spit meaning a sandy promontory, and spit meaning the quantity of earth taken up by a spade at a time. But it was the final entry that really intrigued me: spit-kit meaning a tin box used by military personnel to hold tobacco and rolling papers with a compartment to extinguish lit cigarettes and store the butts. Upon reading this, I was reminded of my grandfather back in England who kept his tobacco, papers, and “fag-ends” in a tin he kept in his breast pocket. “Professor Van Toorn is going to love this one,” I thought. “I bet even he hasn’t discovered this usage!” I completed my assignment putting “spit-kit” first in my list with the sentence, “The soldier extinguished his cigarette in his spit-kit,” and gave it in the following week.When I got my assignment back a week later, I was horrified that Peter had given me 9/10 with an “X” next to my first sentence and the word “argot” in the margin. I had no idea what “argot” meant, but I was quite sure of my research and that he had just never encountered “spit-kit” before. I was right. He hadn’t seen that usage before but explained that “spit-kit” was a usage of “spit” not belonging to the general current of English and was therefore unacceptable, as would be slang, jargon, or other highly specialized uses of the word. Well, that got me miffed. I felt he had unjustly penalized my work for going further in my research than anyone else in the class including himself, the professor. Sensing my indignation, he suggested we settle our quarrel over a beer at the brasserie in the village.Peter is a good talker. I learned more in the four hours we spent drinking together than I had learned all semester in any of my other courses. I could not, however, get him to agree to change my grade. He said, “If I haven’t heard of it, it doesn’t exist. You must have made it up.” Something changed inside me. I couldn’t believe how arrogant that was. Peter, by his intractability, had awoken in me the strength to dare to disagree with my professors, to trust my own research, to go further in my reading than them, and, above all, to distrust orthodoxy of any kind in the realm of ideas. Years later, he related to me how his professor at McGill University, Louis Dudek, had taught him never to trust any scholar as having the final word on a subject. “Scholarship,” Peter said, “means maintenance. Trust no one, not even yourself. Everybody gets things wrong sometimes. Read and reread and never stop. Keep going back to your research time and again until it becomes impossible to forget.” “Spit-kit,” I said. “Grade change,” he replied. Please follow and like us: