How important are psychologists in 2018? It seems that as the world has undergone massive social change, more people need the occasional visit to the couch and clipboard to vent out more, and clear their minds. I really have noticed an upward trend in the need for emotional support, and the good doctors are there to make it all better. Do you think we, as a species, need more support to deal with the world as it is today compared to ten years ago?

Is Mathematics something that humans invent, or is it something that we discover? I like having philosophical conversations with my students here. Questions like these provoke my mind into thinking deeply and usually end up in great conversation. I believe mathematics is the language of the universe and as more constants are discovered, the more the understanding of the universe we have. Einstein actually accidentally discovered a constant for his mathematical equations, and it turned out to be a defining feature of the bending of space-time. 

Black Beatles!! Music changes all the time. Having said that, how awesome is Black Beatles by Rae Sremmurd? The lyrics make absolutely no sense (ever realised the word nonsense comes from no sense? non-sense, see?), but the beat, and that awesome Mannequin Challenge! But Kendrick Lamar's new album is the best for me at the moment. Just amazing.

Johnny Cash - Hurt Country music is great. One of the greatest songs of all time, Nine Inch Nails' Hurt, was covered by Johnny Cash in 2003 shortly before his, his wife and his stepdaughter's deaths. A truly emotional song, it dabbles in the finality of death, a very inevitable event for everyone, as well as the legacy left when one departs this world. Watch the video, find the lyrics, and enjoy. Thank to the Logan movie trailer for bringing this song back.

The Universe How amazing is the universe? It's a vast, sprawling mass (E = mc^2) of wonder and discovery, and we here on earth have barely scratched the surface. I pray for the day human beings discover conscious transfers between us and machines, so that I can live to see the day we discover other worldly life, or discover what lies between the reaches of the cosmos.

The Best Way To Learn New Words I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan, having read and re-read the books for about 17 years now. During this time, I would sit with a dictionary near me, looking up any words that I did not know the meaning of, and acquired a vast amount of new vocabulary. However, I did not expand my reading and now, a few years into my adult life, find myself needing a new set of vocabulary to keep up with the world. So what do we do? Pick up a book in ANY genre you prefer, and get reading! If you are a new English learner, try reading out loud as well. I have been asking some students of mine to read out loud here and there, and you will be surprised at how hard it is. It helps though. Book currently being read: The Origin of Classism in Africa by Kwame Nkrumah.

HIP HOP MUSIC!!! If you overlook the obscene, misogynistic songs that sometimes come out of hip hop culture, and listen to A Tribe Called Quest, Outkast, Common and, wait for it, Rick Ross, your level of understanding of poetic rhythm will surely increase!

Is Your English Getting Better?

I am a tutor here on italki, and there's been two questions brewing in the back of my mind since Christmas dinner. 

For students: At what point do you feel like you actually have learnt something that you won't forget? Do you feel like you are actually getting better? Do you ever feel like giving up?

For tutors: How do you create a real sense of progression? If you are a conversational tutor, how can you give a student the satisfaction of actually learning something?

Back To School!! Well, it is the start of another year and with it comes great new opportunities to achieve your goals. I am trying a new thing: I typed out a checklist of goals for this year and will do absolutely everything I can to make sure I achieve my goals. What goals have you set for yourself and what are you doing to make sure you achieve them?