How to Find a Good Chinese Tutor

How to Find a Good Chinese TutorThe education system in China is very interesting for both foreigners and Chinese alike. A few years ago, this aspect was unfamiliar to people. The education system is quite different from that of the West.If you come to China with the intention of teaching English to Chinese people, it is essential that you find a legitimate school for this purpose. You do not want to waste your time on fraudulent schools that charge high fees, only to have the students never learn anything. Finding a good school will take some time. This article will discuss some things that will help you find a reputable school.When studying Chinese, one of the most popular phrase you'll hear is 'xin ge fang Hua' which means 'Studying Chinese with your heart'. This phrase is commonly seen when somebody begins studying Chinese. It is an expression that encourages everyone to devote their heart into learning Chinese.Money does not play a part in this phrase. It's a saying made by thos e who want to take part in something worthwhile, not those who want to be extravagant. Not all schools are legitimate. There are some unscrupulous folks who try to take advantage of those who want to learn Chinese.Always think twice before making a decision on which school to attend. Make sure that the school you choose is one that can provide a good education. Make sure that the school provides for your every need. One thing you must know about the education system in China is that the rules are quite strict and the education standards are extremely high.You can contact an agent in Taiwan that specializes in the education in China and ask for recommendations. The agent may help you get through this tough market period. Be careful about any school that gives any promotional offers.If you are a professional foreign teacher or a student seeking for a Chinese tutor, you will have no problem finding a good school. Find out more about the school you are thinking of going to. After you se lect a school, go ahead and see for yourself the school.

Taking Violin Lessons FAQs

Taking Violin Lessons FAQs How Do You Start Learning to Play the Violin? ChaptersHow Long Does It Take to Learn the Violin?Which Materials Should I Choose to Learn the Violin?Can You Take Violin Lessons Online?Can You Learn How to Play the Violin at any Age?The violin (or fiddle) isn’t an easy instrument to learn. It requires a lot of hours of practise and even more motivation, especially if you're trying to join an orchestra and become a concert violinist.There are very few people in this world who don’t like music. Music is for everyone, after all. That being the case, it’s worthwhile dedicating an entire article to starting your musical learning journey. Especially since it can take such a long time to become a virtuoso like Paganini.Buying a violin, deciphering sheet music, learning to read music, using tablature, learning arpeggios, studying music theory, expanding your repertoire, there are so many steps you have to take on your journey.How long does it take to learn to play the violin?Which books should you use to help you learn?Can you use t he internet?Should you call a music teacher?We’re going to try and answer all of these questions over the course of this article. TomViolin Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors StacyViolin Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValtieViolin Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors BenedictViolin Teacher 5.00 (8) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors TaisiiaViolin Teacher 5.00 (1) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AmyViolin Teacher 5.00 (1) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LuísViolin Teacher 5.00 (6) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MomokoViolin Teacher £45/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsHow Long Does It Take to Learn the Violin?This is the first question you need to ask yourself before your first violin lesson is how much time you’re going to commit to your violin lessons.Learning the violin can take ages, especially if you want to become a professional performer, play concerts, or become a composer.A student can struggle to play a simple melody without hitting the wrong notes even after years of instruction. This might put you off the whole idea.You need to be willing to commit to learning for at least a year. This isn’t something you can learn to do in just a matter of months. Piano lessons tend to have more immediate benefits because making a note on a piano is effectively as easy as pressing a button your keyboard.  When it comes to the violin, you’ll need just a few months to make sure you’re adopting the right posture. Your progress will also depend heavily on your motivation.If you choose to teach yourself rather than working with a teacher, your motivation will decide whether or not you continue to learn the violin when things get tough. The more regularly you practise, the more quickly you’ll progress.The time taken to learn the instrument will also depend on your background as a musician.Use online violin lessons to practice more.It can take a few hours per week of practice in order to become an adept violinist. (Source: Monoar)Those who’ve already studied music theory with teachers or learnt another musical instrument (like the bass, cello, accordion, electric guitar, flute, etc.) will find learning the violin much easier than somebody who’s an absolute novice with no experience of performing.Those with an experienced ear will also find things much easier. Ear training will help you better understand pieces when you listen to them and your brain will find reproducing these pieces much simpler, too.This is a good habit to have when you’re learning any musical instrument.If you’ve never done music, you’ll need some time to learn these skills, too. Don’t worry, though, this will come with time.If you want to speed up the learning process, there’s some advice you could follow. For example, you could use tablature to learn songs without needing to be able to read sheet music or call a private tutor to give you violin lessons near me.Regularly working on your fingering and finger placement can also help you learn much more quickly. There are exercises you can do daily wherever you are, on the bus, at work, etc.Which Materials Should I Choose to Learn the Violin?To learn to play the violin, whether on your own or with a tutor, you might need to get some reading materials.They can help you learn more about certain concepts outside of your classes. In addition to books, there are also smartphone apps and online tutorials you can follow. These can be really useful for beginners but become less helpful the more you know about the violin.So where can you find useful materials on holding the violin bow correctly, tuning your violin, positioning your left hand?There are specialist music stores that have lots of books on violin techniques as well as sheet music and tablature.  You can choose the right materials for you and there’s usually a knowledgeable sales assistant there t o help you.Websites can also be a good option for picking up reading materials but you should always read the reviews from other customers before buying.  It’s recommended that you peruse the book offline before committing to buy a copy. You don't want to pick up a book for intermediate and advanced techniques when you've just started learning.This will help you see if the book’s easy to read, how clear the images are, and how difficult the exercises in it are.There are plenty of good books for learning to play violin. (Source: Moritz320)You also need to invest in books that you’ll want to read. Many musicians buy books that end up collecting dust on their shelves. However, that doesn’t mean that they weren’t useful books, they just weren't for them.While they’ll never replace a private lessons with a violin teacher or music lessons at a conservatoire (a special school of music), books can structure the learning process and often follow a programme designed by profession als. They can also be a valuable resource on a particular skill or technique.Using these books alongside books on music theory can sometimes be all you need to start improving.  As long as you’re motivated!Some books, such as Max Jaffa’s “How to Play the Violin”, come highly recommended.  Additionally, a brick and mortar music store has staff who'll be happy to suggest the best resources for music students.You should heed their advice. The sales assistants in music stores are often musicians, too, after all.Can You Take Violin Lessons Online?While violin manuals and books are often more comprehensive, there’s nothing stopping your from learning to play the violin online with the help of the internet.As a beginner, it can be really useful for helping you to progress. On the other hand, once you reach a certain level, you’ll find it more difficult to progress just using the resources available online.You could use the internet to access tablature for contemporary or classi cal songs and learn how to play them.There are plenty of YouTube channels with beginner violin lessons looking to learn the basics of the instrument.Whether free or otherwise, there are many detailed videos on how to do certain basic techniques like holding the bow.This is one of the most important things you’ll ever learn, after all.You can use YouTube channels to learn to play violin. (Source: Mohamed Hassan)Whether you choose to use free sites like YouTube or paying a subscription, the progress you make will be down to you. You need to keep the following in mind if you want to advance:Practise regularly. This means that you need to set aside some time for your violin lessons.Make a schedule and stick to it. While it’s not always easy to juggle your professional and personal lives while also learning a musical instrument, you need to ensure that you dedicate time to your learning.Put together a programme that suits you. When you get in touch with a private tutor or buy a book that you’re going to follow, you need to make sure that your learning process suits your level and your learning style. It’s pointless learning more advanced techniques like vibrato if you’ve never even picked up a bow.Good things come to those who wait.If you’re looking for more advice, checking out dedicated violin forums is a good idea.  There are lots of musicians and violinists who can answer your questions and help you. There's also plenty of music for violin players online that you can play along to.Why not find a video that teaches you how to play a particular solo or ensemble piece?If you're struggling to find instrumental violin music, you should check out some of the following violinists:NameBornDiedAntonio Vivaldi16781741Johann Sebastian Bach16851750Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart17561791Niccolò Paganini17821840Pablo de Sarasate18441908Jascha Heifetz19011987David Oïstrakh19081974Yehudi Menuhin19161999Isaac Stern19202001If you feel that things are getting too difficult, you should consider looking for a violin instructor on tutoring platforms and choosing the teacher who's right for you.Can You Learn How to Play the Violin at any Age?10? 25? 50? 80?You can start your music education and learn to play violin at any age.The violin is sometimes taught in retirement homes in order to keep the elderly active and work on their memory.  In fact, there are different ways that learning a piece can help you improve your memory.Being older doesn’t mean that your brain is incapable of learning new things. Of course, manipulating violin strings can be tricky at an older age.  The violin can therefore be learnt by students of all ages. It just depends on how you learn it.Adults generally struggle to learn the violin because of other commitments rather than being unable to learn new things due to age.Adults struggle more with setting aside time to practise each week or attending lessons at a music school or centre. Additionally, the tuition at music schools an d universities can be rather expensive. They also struggle to find a time between looking after the kids and working to pick up the violin.My advice is to be honest with yourself and choose a part of the week that you know you’ll always be free.No matter your age, you can start learning to play violin today! (Source: HCE70)It’s not the same for children learning to play the violin. Children struggle to focus when playing the violin. It’s therefore not recommended that children attempt to teach themselves the violin.  They should work with a private tutor or attend lessons at a music school. Their tutor should also have experience with children and adapt their teaching to the age of their students.Music classes for children can teach them about several instruments at once (ukulele, recorder, guitar, saxophone, violin, singing, etc.) before they choose the one they liked the most. If they preferred the piano, don't force them to perform in a string quartet!If your child enjoys p laying violin, keep in mind there are smaller violins available for smaller hands.What about teenagers?It can be tricky getting them interested in anything at all, let alone violin playing, especially if the music they listen to doesn't even include any violins.The violin is an instrument that can take years of study. They can’t give up in the middle of their studies.To make sure they remain interested in their violin lessons, there are certain techniques, like using games and challenges, to keep them interested. Smartphone apps (for either  iPhone and Android) can also be really useful since they probably spend most of their time on them. There are violin teachers who specialise in teaching adolescents, too.They’ll soon be familiar with more advanced violin techniques as a result.

50 Most Interesting Facts About Spain [Infographic]

50 Most Interesting Facts About Spain [Infographic] Suzy S. Curious to learn some interesting facts about Spain? If youre planning a trip to Spain soon and are interested in Spanish culture, theres a  lot to learn about this awesome country. If youre learning how to speak Spanish, studying the culture of Spain will motivate you and make your studies much more interesting! So without further ado, here are 50 interesting facts about Spain that you might be surprised to learn. 50 Interesting Facts About Spain Spanish Culture Not all Spaniards are native speakers of (Castilian) Spanish. There are four  official languages in Spain (Castilian, Catalan, Basque and Galician), three unofficial regional languages (Asturian, Aragonese, and Aranese), and several more dialects. The Spaniards have a completely different life rhythm from other Europeans. They typically have lunch between 1 and 3 pm, and dinner around 10 pm. Spanish culture greatly influenced modern art from the late 1800s, with artists like Antoni Gaudí (Art Nouveau), Pablo Picasso (expressionism, cubism, surrealism), Joan Miró (surrealism), and Salvador Dalí (surrealism). Flamenco is not actually a dance; it’s a musical style, which sometimes has dancing in it. 58 million tourists go to Spain every year, making it the fourth most visited country in the world. Spain is renowned for its lively festivals, including San Fermín  (running of the bulls) in Pamplona and Tomatina  (tomato battle) in Buñol. More than 150,000 tomatoes are usually thrown at La Tomatina. The official name of Spain is “Kingdom of Spain.” The national anthem of Spain has no words. There are no laws about public nudity in Spain. 43% of the world’s olive oil production is done in Spain. From 2008 to 2013, the Spanish national football team was named  FIFA Team of the Year. Spain won its first  World Cup football  title in 2010, which made the country the 8th country to have ever won. The tooth fairy is a mere rodent in Spain, referred to as Ratoncito Pérez. Our favorite of all the interesting facts about Spain Breaks, free time, and siestas are a huge part of everyday Spanish culture. Spain was the world’s third most popular tourist destination in 2013 (after France and the US). Don Quixote, the famous book written by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes in 1605, was voted the “most meaningful book of all time” in 2002 by a panel of top authors. Traditionally, you have two surnames in Spain â€" the first surname from your father, and the second from your mother. Spaniards celebrate the New Year by eating one grape with their family for each bell strike of the clock. The quill pen is thought to have originated in Spain about 1,400 years ago. The Spanish often use gestures with, or to substitute for, words. Flicking the teeth with the thumbnail, wiggling fingers from the nose, and grabbing the left arm with the right while making a left-handed fist are all thought to be offensive. There are fewer marriages in Spain than in any other EU country, except Sweden. The divorce rate in Spain is 17% (relatively low compared to over 50% in the USA). Madrid  is in the physical center of the country and the plaza  Puerta del Sol is the exact center of the country. Spain has the  second highest number of bars per inhabitants. Do not be alarmed by a  dirty floor in a bar. It is completely acceptable and normal to throw things on the ground in bars. Most of the time a dirty floor means a good bar! Tortillas  in Spain are not the same as  tortillas  elsewhere. Tortilla española  refers to a very popular egg and potato dish. Spaniards use the word  â€œtortitas”  to refer to flour/corn tortillas. Most households buy fresh bread every day. Traditionally, they are long baguettes called  barras  or  pistolas. Bread is present (and required) at almost every meal. Tomatoes, potatoes, avocados, tobacco, and cacao (for chocolate) were all imported into Europe by Spain. Though Spain is more famous for its  red wine  than white, the majority of its vineyards have white grapes. Spain is one of the worlds biggest producers of saffron, an important ingredient in paella. The Madrid subway is the  second largest underground system in Europe  and the sixth largest system in the world. The family is the basis of the social structure and includes both the nuclear and the extended family, which sometimes provides both a social and a financial support network. Owning ones home is very important to Spanish people, and some 80% of Spanish households do. The majority of Spaniards are formally Roman Catholic, although different religious beliefs are accepted. People are often referred to as Don or Dona and their first name  within formal occasions. If invited to a Spaniards home, you can bring chocolates, pastries, cakes, wine, liqueur, brandy, or flowers to the hostess. In business, face-to-face contact is preferred to written or telephone communication. Despite the beret being associated with France, the Basques in Northeast  Spain invented it. It is not customary to tip in Spain, especially for cheap meals. Each regional country of Spain â€"  Pais Vasco, Cataluña, Galicia  â€" has its own language, hymn, and flag. Barcelona has 15 million visitors per year, while Madrid has only 6 or 7. The  Madrid-Barcelona route  has the highest number of flights per week in the world. Spain has more than 8,000 beaches. The name Spain diverged from the word Ispania, which means the land of rabbits. Of all the interesting facts about Spain, this one is perhaps the most bizarre. On May 15th all the single women in Madrid visit the chapel called Ermita de San Isidro to prick their fingers with pins and put it in a vessel, in order to find a husband. Same sex marriage has been legal in Spain since 2005. On St. George’s Day (April 23rd) in Barcelona, it’s customary to exchange a book and/or a rose with the person you love. Spaniards own more cars than cell phones. Spanish people are very fond of food. A famous saying is Barriga llena, corazón contento, which translates to A full belly and a happy heart! For those who are visual learners, here is a fun infographic with dozens of interesting facts about Spain.   If these facts dont get you excited about taking a future trip to this beautiful country, we dont know what else will! Interesting Facts About Spain Infographic Do you know any additional interesting facts about Spain or Spanish culture? If so, feel free to leave a comment below and share!

5 Business English Sayings

5 Business English Sayings Proverbs are short, concise, sayings that express some generally held truth. They are very useful in helping people overcome not only the trials of life in general but also in the workplace.Here are 5 common business English sayings.1. Great Haste Makes Great WasteThis means that if someone tries to do something in a hurry he/she will make mistakes and then will waste time later trying to correct these mistakes.For example: If you write a report in one day rather than taking the necessary week to do it, it might be inaccurate and then you will have to spend time you had allocated for other activities in re-writing it.2. There’s No Use Crying Over Spilt MilkIt’s a waste of time feeling bad or regretful over something that has been lost or a mistake that has been made that you can’t rectify.For example: If one of your clients has decided to go with the competition and there is nothing you can do to bring them back to your company, there is no point feeling depressed or angry abou t it. This will not change the fact.3. Never Do Things By HalvesNever leave a task incomplete or half-done. If you are going to start something you should always finish it.For example: If you are going to start a company, give it your all. Don’t be half-hearted about it.4. Rome Was Not Built In A DayDon’t expect achievements or successes to be immediate. Even great empires like Rome took time to develop.For example: Don’t expect your company to be market leader as soon as it is launched on the market. This takes time and a lot of effort in the meantime.5. He Laughs Best Who Laughs LastThe person will the final victory is the one with the greatest satisfaction. In a competition, the overall victor is the one who has most to be happy about.For example: Your competitor might have been ahead in figures during the year but if you have the edge at the end of the year and win all the annual awards in your field, then you will have the greater sense of achievement.QuestionsWhich of th e proverbs do you find most helpful?What is the proverb you most use in your language? What does it mean?British band Morcheeba liked one of these proverbs so much the band wrote a song about it. Lets enjoy it now and remember the message next time we feel frustrated at work!Did you find this blog helpful? Please share it on Facebook and Twitter. asiq some proverb touch my sense

5 Ways to Overcome a Fear of Speaking in Public -TutorNerds

5 Ways to Overcome a Fear of Speaking in Public -TutorNerds 5 Ways to Overcome a Fear of Speaking in Public Public speaking is something nearly every student dreads. Every high school and college student will have to do some public speaking both in and outside of the classroom so its something that students should become comfortable with sooner rather than later. One of the reasons teachers put students through this torture is because they will need these skills later on in their career. In fact, a great orator is more likely to be able to persuade their audience and perhaps even advance further in their profession. Although every public speaker feels nervous, there are some excellent ways to overcome this fear of public speaking and win over the audience. 1.   Start with a small group setting School assignments are categorized into a small group setting and a larger setting. Speaking in front of an entire auditorium of people tends to be a lot more difficult than speaking in front of three or four people. Students are encouraged to start out in a small group setting where they can more easily connect with their audience and determine if the audience is getting bored and they need to move on from a topic or if people are confused, and they need to slow down. A small group setting will also allow audience members to give constructive feedback that will help the presenter engage more in the future. 2. Practice connecting with the audience One of the best ways to make a public speaking engagement successful is to engage with the audience truly. If they are interested in what the speaker is saying they will be more easily persuaded towards the argument or come up with interesting questions that can make the presentation better overall. When students start out they may not be able to make eye contact with the audience but, as they get more comfortable with the situation, they can connect with one or several members of the audience at a time perhaps even making them part of the presentation itself (READ: 5 Tips to Ace Your School Presentation). 3. Be 100% prepared A surefire way to make any public speaking engagement better is to be 100% prepared and knowledgeable when it comes to knowing the material. Students should be able to answer any number of questions and know a lot more about the subject matter than just what they are directly presenting on. Audiences, and teachers can easily tell when a presenter doesnt truly know their stuff so preparation is the key to an excellent public speaking assignment. 4. Dont worry if theres a bump in the road It is easier said than done to tell a student not to worry if something goes wrong during their presentation. However, the reality is that, at some point, something wont work. Either a Power Point slide will fail, or an audience member will be rude. Its important for the speaker to be able to take it in stride and either fix the situation or move on. Public speaking assignments truly fail when the presenter gets totally thrown off balance by a disruption and cant get back on track. If theres a little bump in the road, no sweat just keep going. 5. Practice makes perfect At the end of the day, practice makes perfect when it comes to being an excellent presenter. Speaking in front of a small or large audience can be difficult for many people, and their first few assignments might be a little bit tough. However, over time speaking in public will become second nature and, hopefully, students will develop this essential skill in time to apply it to their career. Still nervous for your school speech/public speaking event? Talk to your private Los Angeles academic tutor for tips. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

A new teachers perspective on teaching abroad

A new teacher’s perspective on teaching abroad Back in 2009, newly-qualified teachers were graduating in their droves, only to be greeted by a global financial crisis. In Dublin, Ireland, I was one of those teachers. Filled to the brim with enthusiasm, drive and passion to make an impact in my very own classroom, yet faced with the reality of unemployment and a serious lack of education funding in my home country. Like many a young teacher faced with a problem, I searched for a solution. That solution was discovering the worldwide demand for teachers as a result of the economic crash. There was (and still is) a drive for countries, organizations and individuals to upskill in response to an economic downturn. I decided to explore this opportunity and to leave home for warmer shores. Ten years later, I still haven’t returned. Here are some of the reasons why teaching abroad (whether for a short or long period of time) is the best thing you can ever do as an educator: Your bucket list will be never ending During my four years teaching in Abu Dhabi, I was in the perfect geographic location to access some of the coolest places on Earth. With the very generous holidays afforded to teachers, I was lucky enough to travel to Sri Lanka, Iceland, Oman, Zanzibar, Kazakhstan and even achieved a personal lifelong goal: visiting Nepal to see Mt. Everest in the flesh. As a teacher abroad, you will have ample holidays to explore and visit new places. The bucket list opportunities really are endless. Want to hear more first-hand stories from teachers in Abu Dhabi? Check out these posts fromAnchen and Lindsey. Impromptu lesson while on my holidays walking in the Himalayas. You’ll get out of that comfort zone Living in another country and culture will test you and push you outside your safe zones. Not only will you grow as aperson and learn an incredible amount about yourself - your strengths, weaknesses and limitations as an educator will also be revealed. The education system that we all grew up with and now work within is not the same as other education systems across the globe. Other countries have very different, and sometimes opposite approaches to education. In the Republic of Georgia for example, students are given more opportunities to explore practical skills, as well as the academic side of things, which reflects the particular needs of their economy and society. As a teacher, I learned a lot from this, and have brought elements with me from this experience. As part of this particular experience in Georgia, I also had to live with a host family, in a small town in the mountains. The challenges of living with a family who didn’t have much English, or electricity at times, served to build character and shifted my perspective on many previously-held ideas about the world. Lifelong dream realized - trekking to Everest Base camp! You’ll become more culturally aware I think we can all agree that the current global political climate seems to be emphasizing our differences rather than promoting what’s great about our diversity of thought and culture. The best antidote to this, in my opinion? Having the opportunity to experience living and working among other cultures. Over the course of my four years teaching in the public sector in the UAE, I was lucky to be able to challenge some of my own preconceived notions around life in the Middle East. Many things that I believed to be true, from the western perspective I was used to, were challenged. Sign up to Teach Away today for access to the latest teaching jobs around the world. I worked exclusively with local, Emirati children and their families. As a result, I gained some unique insights (that as a tourist I might not have experienced) into how their culture operates. I experienced communities and kids that were exactly like the small towns and communities I had grown up within Europe. These interactions really drove home for me how similar we all really are the world over. Through the nine countries I have been lucky to teach in so far (Australia, New Zealand, Georgia, Spain, Costa Rica, Indonesia, the UAE and Canada), I have also shared my own culture and background with the students and colleagues I’ve worked with. As a result, there are students in far-reaching corners of the globe that now know all about Ireland and Irish music (and probably speak English with a strong Irish accent!) On the Island of Bali, there are a group of teenagers who now know how to do the Riverdance. Forget about curriculum, being able to dance like Michael Flatley is a seriously important life skill. Bali, Indonesia: Connecting with local students through the magic of Riverdance! You’ll become a better teacher than you ever thought possible Needless to say, the valuable international experience you receive abroad will be in demand once you return home. Your experience with different curricula, different styles of leadership and approaches to education, will shine on your resume. During my time teaching in the UAE, I was lucky to be given the opportunity to be a head teacher for a year. In Bali, I had the opportunity to write courses and curricula for local teachers. In Georgia, I helped to train local teachers. All of these experiences have propelled me forward in so many ways with my career in international education. Simply put, now is an incredible time to teach internationally. Not only is there currently an acute shortage of teachers in many regions of the world, over the next four years estimates show that an additional 150,000 qualified teachers will be needed. It’s the only profession that I know of where the whole world is open for you to explore and where you can make a true impact. I mean, who doesn’t want their legacy to be teaching 50 Indonesian kids to dance the Riverdance? Psst: Before you go, have a read of our earlier post on where you can earn and save the most money teaching abroad this year!

The World is a Book

The World is a Book The World is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. St. Augustine St. Augustine or Augustine of Hippo was a philosopher and arguably the greatest christian theologian of all times. He believed the grace of Christ is  indispensable  to human freedom. He endowed mankind with the notion of just wars.  Many Protestants, especially the Calvinists, consider him to be one of the father of the Reformation. To the Catholic church and the Anglican Communion, he is a Saint. In the Eastern Orthodox Church Augustine is considered to be holy  and called Blessed Augustine.