Demanding, Demandable, and In Demand

Demanding, Demandable, and In Demand Demanding, Demandable, and In Demand Demanding, Demandable, and In Demand By Maeve Maddox This may be chiefly an ESL phenomenon, but confusion exists concerning the use of the adjective demandable. My attention was drawn to the topic by this email: I am an English teacher [from Turkmenistan]. I know English pretty well; however, I confuse the words â€Å"demanding† and â€Å"demandable.† Can you help me to distinguish those words? â€Å"He has a demandable character.† Or, â€Å"he has demanding character, or characteristics?† The OED defines demandable as â€Å"That may be demanded or claimed.† Merriam-Webster defines it as â€Å"subject to being demanded.† Here are examples of the correct usage of demandable: A bank at the time of levy was entitled under state law to set off against the balance in the delinquent taxpayers checking account only those debts owed to the bank by the taxpayer which were liquidated and demandable at the time of the levy. But the BIR argued the tax debts have become demandable and collectible, as [the debtor] has been ignoring a final assessment notice sent to him. Judicial power includes the duty of courts of justice to settle actual controversies involving rights which are legally demandable and enforceable. Errors with demandable occur when the word is used to mean demanding, desirable, or in demand. Here are examples of misuse: INCORRECT: My demandable father was never satisfied. CORRECT : My demanding father was never satisfied. A person who makes severe or difficult demands on others is said to be demanding. For example, one might have â€Å"a demanding employer,† â€Å"a demanding coach,† or â€Å"a demanding spouse.† One may also speak of such things as â€Å"a demanding profession† or â€Å"a demanding competition.† INCORRECT: [A gift of] jewelry is the best way to impress your loved one because it is one of the most demandable and loved product of the girls. CORRECT: [A gift of] jewelry is the best way to impress your loved one because it is one of the most wanted and loved product of girls. The syntax is still awkward, but desirable or wanted fits the context better than demandable. INCORRECT: Climate control system, effective air conditioner, powerful engine and many other features have made it one of the most demandable cars. CORRECT : Climate control system, effective air conditioner, powerful engine and many other features have made it one of the cars most in demand. Something or someone needed, wanted, or sought after is said to be â€Å"in demand.† If your intended meaning is â€Å"difficult to please† or â€Å"difficult to accomplish,† use demanding. If your intended meaning is â€Å"wanted† or â€Å"sought after,† use desirable or in demand (or wanted or sought after). Save demandable for a context in which one party has the legal right to demand something from another. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Whimsical Words5 Brainstorming Strategies for Writers25 Favorite Portmanteau Words

Introduction to Online Teaching for English Teachers

Introduction to Online Teaching for English Teachers There has been huge growth in opportunities for online teaching for ESL/EFL teachers over the past few years. Heres a quick overview of the current situation, exciting opportunities in the pipeline and tips on sites that are currently offering online teaching possibilities. Online Teaching as an Independent Contractor Most online teaching opportunities provide work as an independent contractor. What this means is that there are no set hours and you can work as much or as little as you wish. Of course, thats also the catch- often there is little work to be had. The upside is that online teaching generally allows you to set your own prices on these services. Establish a top reputation in online teaching, and you can ask for a higher rate. Competition In the world of online teaching, there is a lot of competition, which sometimes leads to fewer hours. However, things are changing rapidly and more and more students are finding their way to the variety of online teaching venues. Here are some of the main sites that currently offer an online teaching opportunity: VIPKID: VIPKID focuses solely on teaching English online and handles all the lesson plans and client communications. Available to teachers from the U.S. and Canada, VIPKID has an application process that involves a mock lesson. Teachers that perform well will have a higher base salary. VIPKID offers additional bonuses and incentives. iTalki: This site started off as a place to find speaking partners in various languages via Skype. Now, its grown to include online teaching services in English. Online Teaching as an Employee There are a few companies that offer opportunities for paid online teaching positions. Of course, the competition is more intense for these positions, but the pay is steady. If you are an experienced teacher, comfortable with technology, would like to take advantage of online teaching, but desire a fixed schedule this is probably for you. The best place to look for one of these positions is TEFL.com. Creating an Online Teaching Business There are a number of teachers that have set up their own online teaching businesses over the past few years. A number of these businesses seem to be doing well. Youll need the ability to think like an entrepreneur (this includes marketing yourself, networking, developing contacts, etc.) If this appeals to you, it could also be the most lucrative online teaching arrangement - but it is hard work and can take quite a while to build up to the point where you have a steady stream of English learners. Basic Requirements To successfully participate in online teaching youll need to be able to do a few things well: Use technology with ease. Make sure that you dont waste students time while you learn the technology. This sounds quite obvious, but it is often a problem.Create a few lesson plans that focus on online teaching. Youll need a game plan for online teaching. Its not the same as teaching in a classroom.Spend some money on good technology for your online teaching. These days gadgets are cheap. Make sure to invest in a good camera, headphones and microphone. Youll also need a computer that can handle video/audio streaming so make sure you have enough RAM!Willingness to promote yourself. If you would like to compete with other teachers as an independent contractor, youll need to promote yourself through your profile, blog, YouTube, etc. Currently, students dont just show up and they have lots of choices. There are many preparations to make before you begin online teaching. This guide to teaching online will help you deal with the most important technological considerations. Finally, if you have had any experience with online teaching, please share your experiences so we can all learn.