Wisekangaroo is pleased to announce a new partnership with Nu School USA.

Starting today Wisekangaroo will be offering the Nu School Enterprises’ best selling program – The Speech Team Connection, which is designed to be musically interactive. This four-booklet grammar series, which teaches from beginner to college level, has been developed into a complete line of multimedia products.

Nu Schools Multimedia products, available through Wisekangaroo will transform the way kids and adults learn English. Students will have the flexibility to study on their own times using the state of the art multimedia lessons that include a mix of musical videos, interactive online quizzes and text.

Atul Pandey, Founder and CEO of Wisekangaroo.com said “This partnership significantly enhances Wisekangaroo.com’s offering as a unique and innovative English coaching school. The Speech Team Connection series will wow students, parents and teachers alike and will encourage students to learn English in a new and interesting way.”

The first of the four grammar series is being released today. The Beginner Level multimedia Grammar product is now available on Wisekangaroo.com. Ms. Graves, the creator of this series has devoted the past eight years of her life to developing this uniquely innovative teaching tool. This project is dedicated to her mother, Essonia Rhodes Graves (R.I.P).

A premier Australian Brand, Wisekangaroo is an online English language coaching school that offers a revolutionary new approach to English language learning by allowing students to study conveniently from anywhere, anytime, be it home or office and to avoid long commute times, high tuition costs, and outdated books and CD-ROMs. Wisekangaroo was created in Sydney with a mission to reshape the global English language learning industry by harnessing the skills, experience and knowledge of the best English language teachers in the world and making it accessible to everyone from anywhere and at all times. Wisekangaroo serves a large and rapidly growing global market of non-native English speakers in becoming more fluent and confident in speaking English. Through live one-on-one instruction with native English speaking teachers provided over the Internet, Wisekangaroo empowers students on their customized path to English fluency as per their specific learning needs. For more information on English language courses please visit our website www.wisekangaroo.com.

Twitter is a great resource for free English help and provides lots of great ways to improve your English effortlessly. As a non-native English speaker, learning English is difficult, but if you use every resource available to you, you will succeed.

Here are five of the best Twitter accounts for improving your English:

1. @LearnEnglish_BC is a great resource from the British Council. They create online games for you to practice your English and most of the articles on their website have questions attached so that you can check how good your reading is. Also, you can listen to someone reading the articles to practice your listening.
2. @BBCle is a fantastic resource from the BBC. They take big news articles from the BBC website and help you understand some of the harder words. Sometimes in English, people say things that might not make sense if you translated them like ‘belted out’. These are called idioms and this account is really good at explaining these to you.
3. @English247 tweet quite regularly! They have lots of word games you can play and they boost your vocabulary by posting themed lists of new words for you.
4. @CambridgeWords is a resource for English language learners from the Cambridge Dictionary. Cambridge Words posts a new word everyday and uses it in a sentence. If you don’t understand the word, you can click on the definition to find out. This is really useful for people who already have quite good English, but want to boost their vocabulary and learn some more unusual words!
5. @ieltsessentials is an excellent resource for IELTS test takers. IELTSEssentials is tailored to you as a test taker. You’ll find all the information you need to help you book a test, prepare and take the IELTS test.

And don’t forget to follow @Wisekangaroo on Twitter, too!

Use coupon code ENG10DOFF at checkout on www.wisekangaroo.com.

Many of our Wisekangaroo tutors provide great support to students who are looking to enrol into a selective school. In order to get into a selective school students are required to undertake a test to be assessed on educational merit before they can be accepted into the school. Selective schools are incredibly competitive and can be overwhelming for a student, but also quite rewarding. Many parents believe that getting into a top selective school is essential to ensure a good future for their child, while many others think of selective schools as an unnecessary source of stress. 

Love them or hate them, selective schools will remain an integral part of the Australian education system. Whether you put your child into a selective school or not will depend on your personal priorities however it is important to know the pros and cons of going to a selective school before making that decision:

Pros of Selective Schools:

• Healthy competition: Your child gets to be around other like-minded students who are at the same academic level. Since only the most academically gifted students get into selective schools, it can prepare your child for the highly competitive job market of the future. As a result some selective schools have also been known to produce extremely high Year 12 results from its students.
• Economical: Selective schools can also be a more economical option for highly gifted students. School fees are lower because the fee contributions selective schools receive are much lower than that of independent schools, as well as the fact that they are government schools. Selective schools also return a considerable amount of investment back every time a student merits a place.
• Focused and Goal Oriented: Selective schools aim to help students achieve the best and are also highly focused on being collaborative because of a student’s positive attitude in wanting to succeed and wanting to be part of such a vibrant learning environment, willing to work together with teachers towards the same goals as other students.
• Diversity: Since admission to selective schools is based on academic performance, they may allow for more student diversity and exposure to students from different cultural backgrounds.

Cons of Selective Schools:

• Stress and Pressure: The pressure to compete with others can have adverse effects on a student’s self-esteem and the strive to be the best can affect them mentally and physically. Not all students are able to cope with the challenges academic achievement can bring and the stress may lead them to breaking point.
• Loss of Friends : Students may have to leave their friends to move to a selective school. Since not all students are academically equal, some students may be left behind leading to loss of friendships that may have resulted in more balanced individuals.     
• Less playtime: Since selective schools focus heavily on academics, children who attend selective schools may not spend as much time playing sports and in other outdoor activities.

Before making any decisions about your child undertaking extensive study to be accepted into a selective school, it is important to research before you apply. At Wisekangaroo, we are happy to help aid your child in achieving the best when it comes to preparing for their selective test. Join Wisekangaroo now or contact us on hello@wisekangaroo.com to find out more!

Bianca Bozzi
Wisekangaroo Communications Team 

We’ve discussed in recent weeks that online tutoring is a great option as it allows for flexibility and affordability. While online tutoring offers many advantages over traditional in-person tutoring, choosing the right online tutor can be a challenge.

There is no simple formula, no single set of questions to ask or guidelines to follow when searching for a new online tutor. But if you are thinking about choosing an online tutor or if you are wondering whether your current tutor is the right one, you can use the following suggestions about how to find a competent online tutor.

Understand your needs first: Always start with assessing your own situation. Ask yourself why do you need a tutor in the first place. Try to categorize your learning needs to understand if you want to have a deeper understanding of a concept or if you want exam specific help. Analyse your learning style and figure out the time of day that you are the most attentive. You will be able to get the most out of your tutor only when you understand your own needs and learning style.

Browse and compare multiple tutor profiles: Next step is to find a good online tutor. Go to a website that caters specifically to online tutoring such as Weisekangaroo.com. Browse profiles of online tutors in your subject area. Pay special attention to the level at which they teach. Do they only help high school students or are they able to help any year level? Read their bio and if they have listed a LinkedIn or Facebook profile then look at their educational background and other interests to make sure that they are not just bluffing. 

Read student feedback for the tutor and the tutoring website: Read the feedback left by other students for the tutor. Has the tutor consistently received 5-star ratings from students? Reviews also reveal a lot about the tutor’s teaching style. Look for reviews where students have said that the tutor is flexible with the lesson durations and teaches until the student has understood the concept. This indicated that the tutor is genuinely interested in teaching rather than just charging $$ per hour.  

Ask for a free lesson to judge their teaching style: Communicate with the tutor and ask for a free lesson. The free lesson will help you get a first hand look at the tutors teaching style. It will also help you make up your mind if online tutoring fits your learning style or not. At Wisekangaroo, we encourage our online tutors to offer the first lesson free. In this free online lesson our tutors assess the learning needs of students and take them through the various features of our online virtual classroom such as the video chat and virtual whiteboard. Since the lessons are conducted online no one needs to waste any time in travelling. 

Ask about offline Support: Find out if you can contact the tutor via email before or after the online lesson. Do they utilise social media such as Twitter and Facebook? How quick is their turnaround when answering questions? With online tutoring the biggest advantage is that you can communicate anytime and most online tutors are open about receiving emails and messages beyond tutoring hours.

Ask if the tutor has work with children checks and criminal background checks: If your child is under the age of 13 then it is very important to verify if the tutor has a valid work with children check. If the tutor does not have one then suggest that they get one before they start tutoring your child. Although, online tutoring is considerably safer than in-person tutoring when it comes to child safety, you still need to be cautious of any inappropriate activity on the part of the tutor. 

Finally, make sure that the tutor is value for money: Most students and parents mistakenly think that the tutor with the cheapest rates is the best value for money. Unfortunately they do not realize that when you pay peanuts you get monkeys! That is the reason why you should look at a tutor’s rate only after reviewing his/her teaching experience, qualifications, student feedback, criminal background and the free lesson trial. Good tutors spend a lot of time preparing for their tutoring sessions and their experience lets them tailor their lesson plans according to each students personal needs. This is the reason that they may charge a higher hourly rate. Online tutoring saves tutors time in travelling and so they may be able to offer competitive rates.

Wisekangaroo, clearly outlines all appropriate methods of payment on our website and accepts payments via PayPal and all major credit cards. We even have a refund policy where if a customer is not satisfied with a tutoring session then we refund 100% of the fees.

Before you choose an online tutor, make sure you do your research. All students should receive the best in educational expertise when it comes to an online tutor and Wisekangaroo can help you hire only the best!

By Bianca Bozzi
Wisekangaroo Communications Team 

We all want the perfect work/life balance, to fit work around our lives without having to sacrifice family or study or leisure time in the process.

We should be able to find a job that we enjoy and that allows for a routine that fits around our schedule without overwhelming us.

In a recent national survey, 75 per cent of tutors said that they would work more hours between study and other life responsibilities if they had the opportunity to do so. Flexibility was the most important aspect of what made for an ideal job for respondents.

At Wisekangaroo we offer all our tutors the flexibility they need to balance work with other life commitments such as family or studies.

• Be your own boss: As an online tutor on Wisekangaroo You decide when to work, at whatever rate you choose and teach from wherever you happen to be. In other words, Wisekangaroo lets YOU be your own boss. 

• Better use of downtime: Life rarely runs like clockwork. There are always times when we are super busy and times when we are relatively free. Wisekangaroo’s online tutoring model provides the best working experience for tutors as they can take up more online tutoring requests and work more during their downtimes and pass on one when they are unable to make the time.

• Flexible ways to interact with students: Our state of the art virtual classroom helps tutors interact with their students in more flexible ways from anywhere, any time. Working as an online tutor also means you don’t have to travel to and from appointments, saving on both time and money! 

• Monetize your knowledge: By becoming an online tutor on Wisekangaroo you get to share your educational skills, knowledge and experience by reaching any student in the world through our virtual classroom via live video. Whether you are a retired teacher or a stay at home parent, you can still monetize your knowledge without sacrificing your lifestyle.

• Never loose a student even when you move away: Tutors spend a lot of time building their client base through word of mouth and referrals. Imagine having to start all over again when you move to a new city or suburb. With Wisekangaroo online tutoring, you never loose a student even if you move houses or jobs and infact you can even teach students from beyond your local areas increasing your client base.

Really, what better reason can there be to become an online tutor than for the convenience it brings, as well as getting to be your own boss? Infact, online tutors can make as much as $5000 more than traditional tutors over a year. 

Wisekangaroo has a wide variety of tutors who are retired teachers, stay-at-home parents, students and job seekers who can relate to wanting flexibility of their own. Tutoring online has also proven to have fantastic advantages for those who are already tutoring or have tutored in the past in a more traditional environment.

So if you’re looking for an opportunity that has both the flexibility to work where you want, when you want to while also allowing you to set your own rate for the work you do, Wisekangaroo is perfect for you!

Enquire now by visiting our contact page on how you can become an online tutor or drop us a line on our Twitter or Facebook pages!

By Bianca Bozzi
Wisekangaroo Communications Team

Last week (November 12-16, 2012) marked the commencement of the first National Telework Week in Australia by Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

We at Wisekangaroo are a proud provider to many who work from home and this announcement is like music to our ears. We understand that many of our tutors have other commitments in their own busy lives like family, university, TAFE or other kinds of work or just want something to fill a few extra hours, and are greatly encouraged by the fact that Wisekangaroo works around their schedule. Our online tutors are able to choose their own hours and have a great platform to promote their educational expertise all from the comfort of their own home saving on time and money without having to travel.

Tutors can save as much as $450 in cost and over 250 hours a year by tutoring online via Wisekangaroo. These extra 250 hours could be used for tutoring even more students online earning more than $5000 over a year.

Besides Money there are other advantages of teleworking as a tutor, namely 

• Increased job satisfaction and improved work life balance
• Financial savings and a reduction in the stress caused by daily commuting
• The ability to remain in a regional or rural community rather than relocating in order to find work
• The potential to keep your clients if you move house, further away from your office

Teleworking with Wisekangaroo allows you to be your own boss and is a great opportunity for stay-at-home parents looking to earn some extra money, those who already do traditional tutoring, teachers or career counsellors and university students who want to fit in some work around their studies.

To telework with Wisekangaroo, all you need to do is simply register as a tutor on our website by clicking the Join Now button and make sure you choose ‘Tutor’ from the drop down tab when you create your account. Then that’s it, you’re on the database ready to be linked up with students around the world for one-on-one video tutoring via our state of the art virtual classroom. As long as you’re passionate about what you do, Wisekangaroo wants you!

If you are looking for a more flexible work option that also lets you utilise your educational expertise with our large base of students, Wisekangaroo is definitely for you! Join today and become a Wisekangaroo.

By Bianca Bozzi
Wisekangaroo Communications Team