Career Advice Anxiety - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Career Advice Anxiety - Introvert Whisperer Career Advice: Anxiety How do you handle anxiety when it comes to your career and/or your life? Share in the comments! Image: Flickr Let me emphasize that Self-Promotion doesn’t have to be obnoxious to be effective. But, if you don’t Self-Promote you, who will? If you ever want to get ahead, you have to learn how to Self-Promote. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that shows you simple, yet effective ways to Self-Promote. Start watching now: CLICK HERE Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleash your professional potential.

Improve your Grades with a Private Tutor During the Holidays

Improve your Grades with a Private Tutor During the Holidays Should I Start Online or Home Tutoring During the School Holidays? ChaptersAvoiding the ‘Summer Slide’: Should my Child Study During the Summer Hols?Work on the Weak PointsDon’t Waste the Holidays: Create a Work Schedule!Use Fun Activities (Holiday Workbook, Outdoor Tutorials)Don’t Forget What You’ve Learnt at School by Having Private Tutorials During the HolidaysHaving Tutorials During the Holidays is a Great Way to Work on your WeaknessesAre there signs your child might be falling behind at school? Tutoring during the school holidays is a great way to rectify this problem. More and more parents are using tutoring services during the holidays and more and more one on one personal tutors are making themselves available for private tutorials in subjects such as maths, Spanish, physics, and chemistry.Private tutoring during the holidays is a great way to make the most of academic support and let students catch up with studies. With a bit of organisation and enthusiasm, students can improve their grades when they’re not even at school!When should you take private tutorials? Should you consider home personal tutors or online tutoring? Find a tutor today! CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson fre e!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsAvoiding the ‘Summer Slide’: Should my Child Study During the Summer Hols?Parents, teachers, educationalists and even children themselves will  have wildly varying opinions â€" so, should children be studying during their summer holidays?A  recent article  interviewed  Adam Tindill, assistant director at an Explore Learning tuition centre in Wolverhampton. Adam recognizes  the phenomenon of the ‘summer slide’ or ‘regression’, where  children’s educational attainment seems to go backwards over the holidays, leaving them struggling at the start of  the new school year in September. Adam remarks that summer learning is about ‘keeping the brain in an education mindset’ but in a flexible and limited way: ‘It’s not the same as doing five days a week at school’, he remarks.The educationalist  Noel Janis-Norton agrees,  believing that ‘Half an hour of micro skills practice â€" spelling, multiplication, handwriting and so on â€" is not onerous. If you start the day with half an hour of structure, the rest of the day feels like a treat.’However, there is certainly no consensus on this.  Chris Husbands  from University College London, remarked that ‘There’s no clear evidence that summer catch-up work is useful, and it can be counter-productive as they need to be engaged to learn.  If your neighbour’s children are building dams in streams, and yours are doing maths camps, they are going to be resentful.’    And Lee Elliott Major of the Sutt on Trust reiterates  that the jury is still out on whether children studying through the summer is beneficial.As in most things in life, the key is surely balance. A  recent opinion piece from Singapore(where there is currently much concern about ‘over-tutoring’) highlights children’s  deep need for  purposeless, unstructured play. As well as being  fundamental to survival, The National Institute for Play in Monterey, California, describes play  as ‘the gateway to vitality’.It is safe to say, therefore, that both children and adults need to make space for play in their lives.Work on the Weak PointsThere are some subjects where weaknesses are inevitable. Subjects like maths and foreign languages often require private tutorials to help struggling students. If they're struggling to wrap their head around grammar, an English tutor might be the solution.By dealing with gaps in a student’s knowledge, they’ll become more confident in their abilities when they realise they can learn at their own pace with a tutor!Maths is often hugely unpopular with students. Who hasn’t resorted to tearing their hair out when it comes to calculus, trigonometry, algebra, and geometry? With a good maths tutor and some supplemental instruction, your child can learn to think logically and overcome some of the subject's most difficult problems.Private maths tutorials are a particularly good idea for parents whose children are in secondary school. In fact, parents aren’t usually experts in every single school subject and may be unable to help their child with their studies, homework, or an assignment. Tutors London can help with some of the trickier subjects, especially when it comes to A Levels where subjects like maths can be a nightmare for some students!Taking private tuition during the holidays can be great for kids! (Source: Being Mumma)For primary school children struggling with a foreign language, academic support during the holidays might be just what the doctor o rdered.In fact, foreign languages (French, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, etc.) are becoming more and more common in our everyday lives and an in-home private tutor or an online tutor could help your child to become bilingual!If you want to give your child an advantage in a globalised world, it’s recommended that they learn at least one foreign language to a good level. In-home private tutorials over the summer are a great idea to ensure that children keep practising their foreign languages when there are no classes at school!It’s also a good idea for when they’re preparing for an exam. Why not consider one to one academic tutoring for exam preparation? You can easily find a tutor online! CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (Engli sh) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £2 5/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsDon’t Waste the Holidays: Create a Work Schedule!Have fun while you study over the holidays!Don’t forget that students, no matter how old they are, want to make the most of their holidays and certainly don’t want to spend all their time buried in the books. Is there a specific age for having private tutorials? Are they too young for private tuition?How do you make sure that they aren’t overworked?Planning a work schedule is a great idea. This means you can set aside parts of the day for study and others for relaxation. Students need a well-defined work schedule in order to work effectively.You’ll be surprised at how much harder they’ll work when they're being tutored if they know there’s a fun and engaging activity planned for afterwards!For example: “Tomorrow morning you’ll have class and then in the afternoon we’ll go to the beach!”Revisio n during the holidays is fine. Just don't forget to relax! (Source: pexels)Motivation is key to academic success. It’s important not to overwork your child or teenager with private tutorials or you risk putting them off the whole idea. If you break up an afternoon of one on one tutoring with a trip to the cinema, they’ll work even harder after the film!Outline your schedule to make it more appealing.Here’s an example schedule:Monday 10th August:9:30-12:00: Maths tutorials12:00-14:00: Lunch break in town.14:00-16:00: Walk in the park16:00-18:00: Visit the Fine Arts Museum18:00-19:30: Computer games/TV time19:30-21:00: DinnerTuesday 11th August:Lie in!11:00-12:00: French academic support12:00-14:00: Picnic with friends14:00-16:00: Homework help (Physics, Chemistry)16:00-19:30: Birthday party19:30-21:00: DinnerIf you follow a schedule like this, you’ll see your child improve in no time.What about outside of the holidays? We recommend having private tutorials on Wednesdays and a t the weekend.Use Fun Activities (Holiday Workbook, Outdoor Tutorials)To break the monotony of revising, you can always consider fun and engaging activities like having class outside.Summer is the perfect time to digest maths theories al fresco rather than in a stuffy, poorly-lit classroom. How do you find an outdoor private tutorial?You can get in touch with a private tutor (via tutoring companies like Superprof) who does outdoor or in home tutoring. Whether it’s for one or several students, now’s the time!Holiday workbooks are in! They’re fun and for everyone. Your kids will love them. Whether at primary school or secondary school, holiday workbooks are an easy way to work while having fun.Have fun while learning with summer workbooks. (Source: girlslovin.com)Apps are also a great way to have fun while learning. Nowadays, everybody seems to have a tablet or a smartphone. Why not use them for learning?Parents who are sick of seeing their kids glued to their phone will change their minds when they see some of the apps available for academic support. There are even apps for kids as young as 3 years old! The apps for very young children, while more for learning about learning than revising, can be very useful.Check out the AppStore or Google Play for the wide range of educational apps available for young children.If they have exercises to do, why not consider hiring a home tutor in the evenings?Don’t Forget What You’ve Learnt at School by Having Private Tutorials During the HolidaysEveryone knows that holidays are, above all, for having fun. But do we really need to completely forget about schooling during this time?Taking private tutorials during the summer can be hugely beneficial for students who’ve been struggling in school. Their problems compound over the course the year. By completely ignoring their studies over the summer, students risk making these problems even worse!Have a few lessons to make sure you don't forget all the important things you've learnt. (Source: PokemonGo STL)To avoid forgetting everything by the time they go back to school, it’s a good idea to revise the basics during the holidays. For example:work on a foreign language with a native tutor,look back over the important mathematical formulae so that you still remember it when you go back to school.Even during half term, it’s a good idea to schedule a few extra private tutorials where an academic tutor can prepare the student for any exams they may have when they get back.For students getting ready for their A Levels, they should:look at past papers,study the theories,work on their essay technique, etc.Having Tutorials During the Holidays is a Great Way to Work on your WeaknessesDon’t get me wrong, free state education is great. However, it’s not perfect.There are too many students in classes meaning that it’s harder to give every student the attention they deserve. Of course, the teachers do a great job of adapting their lessons to their stu dents. However, it’s very difficult to do this perfectly when there are tonnes of them!No two students are alike. They behave differently and learn differently. Some students just have to hear something and copy it and they get it. Others learn differently. However, teachers have the difficult job of deciding when they can stop the class to explain something and when they have to just carry on. This is why some students require tailored academic support.Whether it’s via homework help or intensive private tutorials, some students need to catch up with certain subjects. According to the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment), the UK has been slipping down the rankings over the last ten years.Students often struggle with maths.This problem often arises from a difficulty when it comes to logical reasoning. With the help of a private tutor students can learn how to approach difficult maths problems.Holidays are for having fun AND revising! (Source: Haiku Deck)Sometimes t eachers are absent for long periods of time while students are taught by a variety of substitutes.This can result in hours of class time being lost!While every teacher is great in their own way, some students don’t respond well to their style. An academic coach can use a different approach, which may make all the difference!

Heart Math Tutoring Featured on WCNC - Heart Math Tutoring

Heart Math Tutoring Featured on WCNC - Heart Math Tutoring Heart Math Tutoring Featured on WCNC Heart Math Tutoring Featured on WCNC June 6, 2017 Heart Math Tutorings Executive Director Emily Elliott met with WCNCs Eugene Robinson and Colleen Odegaardto discuss Hearts impact on students andthe recent Mission Possible Award granted by Apparo. Studies show that school entry math skills impact later achievement of course in math but also in literacy. You need Algebra or Math 1 to get a high school diploma and you need that for the work force and of course to access any STEM careers, says Hearts Executive Director Emily Elliott. We were awarded this Mission Possible Award by Apparo for the purpose of economic mobility. 50-80 tutors are in each school and the tutors really act as mentors, giving kids exposure to careers or options and building a relationship over 20-25 weeks of the school year. Listen to the full interview for more!

What is the GED Test and How to Get Your GED - Private Tutoring

What is the GED Test and How to Get Your GED BobbiM Dec 27, 2015 You have made the decision to take the GED and get the certificate equivalent to a high school diploma. What is the next step? The next step and the most important one, of course, is preparation. Since the new GED tests came out, people are struggling more than before to pass it and earn the certificate because there is no chance of combining the scores from multiple attempts. This makes the test harder and more challenging, but it is certainly not impossible to ace it. All you need is good organization, time, dedication and strong will to pass it. Preparing for the GED Exam There are several steps you need to take to start preparing yourself properly for the GED test. Here are the most important of them: Get to Know the Requirements for Your State There are different GED exam requirements depending on the state you live in. Find out what are the requirements you need to meet for your country and double check the information you’ve found. Get all the information you can at the official GED website and online in general or ask someone who has already been through the GED locally and can help you. They can tell you where to find all the information needed and what to start with. It is important you do this step first, so you don’t study something that is not needed, and vice versa. Being exact with the subjects that you have to study will be of great help: you will focus on what is important and make sure you nail it on the exam when you take it. Get Informed The second step is to know what you have to study. Search the internet and visit the official GED website and get informed about the test. What sections are there? How many different areas are there in every section?   What are the types of questions, etc. Gather all the information you can and get to know what the GED test looks like. Find an example of the test online and check it out. There are many useful websites and comments on the internet so don’t be lazy and read them through. We guarantee you it will be much easier getting prepared and again, later on when taking the exam to know exactly how it will look and the question types that you will see. The Book Hunt After you understand what you need to know and how the test is laid out, it’s time to find the right study material. GED exams are quite common in the US, and you can find prep books in any library or bookshop, all you need to do is start the hunt and find the best ones. Check the official site and see what they recommend. Ask the librarian if he or she has any other manuals to help you out and take them too. It’s important you find the right sources for studying with up to date information and correct answers. Make a GED Study Schedule If you are busy (like most of GED exam attendants are), it is crucial you find enough time for your GED preparations. You know how important this test is to you, so you should re-schedule your days and make enough time for studying. Divide the sections and study one section per day so you don’t get confused or overwhelmed and mess up the information you’re trying to memorize. Use all the time you can efficiently. There are amazing apps for your Smartphone you can download and take with you wherever you go. Check them out and use the time while traveling to work to revisit what you learned last night. Study Space Make sure you have your study space at home, where you can sit in silence and study the various sections of the GED. Concentration is the No.1 thing when it comes to memorizing the material you’re studying. Psychological studies show if you have poor concentration, you can study for hours, and you still won’t remember much, so don’t waste your precious time. Have enough time to prepare for studying, make sure you are alone or, at least, no one is disturbing you. Learn about studying tips, such as the dynamic of the studying (study 20-30 minutes and make a 10 minute break to rest your brain). Turn off your cell phone and other electronics that may disturb you during your studying. Let me repeat that â€" Turn*Off*Your*Phone! “GED Classes Near Me”? Find all the help you can. Search the internet for GED classes near your location and start with the classes as soon as possible. GED prep classes will help you relieve the stress and make you feel more confident about the exam. You won’t be studying at home all alone and stressing out how you won’t make it. In the class, you will meet other people who are trying just like you, and you will meet a teacher or a professional instructor who will help you with your studying. The teacher will always be there to explain you anything you are not sure about and to give you extra information if you need any. Classes can be fun, and you will feel better after taking them, rather than studying on your own. GED Online Classes Use the internet as much as you can to help you with the GED exam. The online community of GED attendants is vast, and there are many online classes you can take in the comfort of your home. It is a great idea because you don’t have to lose time on going to or from a class in your area and you can feel more comfortable at home than with unknown people around you. Private Tutoring for GED If you learn better or feel more comfortable with someone one on on, you   might want to consider this option. When hiring a private tutor, you are organizing your study schedule the way it suits you best plus you get a professional who will guide you through the material and be there to answer any question you have. You can’t re-schedule a class just because you have to stay late working, nor you can ask them to re-schedule an online class. Find private tutors and invest in your studying and success, you won’t regret it. Your tutor will motivate you and keep you going when you lose interest and concentration; he will be there just for you and you get the support  and assistance needed in insure that you Ace the exam! Take GED Practice Tests Online There are GED practice tests online that you can and should take. Whether you have a private GED tutor or are studying on your own, these practice tests will help.   You will get familiar with the type of the questions, and you will see what your weak spots are. Doing tests online will also show you the final score once you finish, so you will see where you stand. Since math is one of the most problematic areas, doing math GED practice tests is the best thing you can do if you want to be sure you won’t panic when the real GED comes. Preparing for the GED math test is much easier when you see the real questions rather than just studying and solving problems. A math GED practice test will show you how it will look on the real exam, and you will feel more comfortable once you start doing the real math GED exam. Be Positive! When enrolling in any GED prep classes or with GED tutors, don’t have a negative attitude from the very beginning. It is important you stay positive because you will have more will power and concentration while studying. Don’t look at the GED exam as something scary and impossible to pass. Look at it as a way to widen your knowledge and secure a better future for yourself. Approach it with a positive attitude and be excited about all the new information you will get to know! GED prep classes are there to help you study better and learn everything that has to be learned, but they are also there to decrease the pressure you feel and the fear you have. Enjoy the process of learning and don’t think you can’t make it, because anyone who does GED prep classes with dedication can ace the exam, just like you will! Let us know which of these suggestions you used in your GED test prep in the comments section! Find the Best Private Tutors At Reasonable Rates - Get Real Results Fast! Choose Your Subject - Add Your Zip Code - Find Top Rated Tutors Today InPerson or Online Online InPerson

Lake Forest Academy

Lake Forest Academy Lake Forest Academy Lake Forest Academy is a college preparatory school located 30 miles north of Chicago. The school is committed to excellence of character, scholarship, citizenship, and responsibility. It offers a transformative educational experience based on a culture of participation and characterized by rigorous academics, a global outlook, and Midwestern values. Half of our 435 students are boarding students. One-quarter of our students are international and another quarter are domestic students of color. About 30 percent of our students receive some level of financial aid. LFA is committed to hiring and retaining a faculty and staff whose diversity matches that of our student body. The school embraces a policy of equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination. LFA seeks staff and faculty members who are passionate and knowledgeable in their area of expertise and who welcome opportunities to work with students in venues beyond the classroom including the arts, athletics, service learning, and residential life. For more information, visitwww.lfanet.org/employment. Benefits: Hard working, talented, and appreciative students in grades 9-12 representing 17 states and 31 countries Colleagues who love what they do and are devoted to their students - An institution with a commitment to global pluralism Ample support for professional development opportunities including degree programs Competitive salaries Fully paid medical and dental insurance for the employee and over 60 percent dependent medical coverage paid by LFA A 403(B) retirement plan that matches an employee contribution of 4 percent of salary with a 10 percent contribution by LFA School dining and athletic facilities open to employees and dependents at no charge On campus housing and serve as a residential faculty member

How to Learn a Language Fluently from Scratch

How to Learn a Language Fluently from Scratch How to Learn a Language Fluently From Scratch Learning a language is more about the journey than the destination.Its about stopping to smell the roses along the way, right?No, just kidding.If you wanted to smell the roses, you would go take a walk in the park. You wouldnt be spending hours hunched over foreign language books.The hell with the journey. You want results, and you want them nowâ€"or if thats overly optimistic, you at least want them in the foreseeable future. You want to get fluent fast.Of course, some people will tell you that if youre just starting out with a new language, its too early to even think about fluency.They might even tell you that fluency is a pipe dream for adult language learners.Those people can take that attitude and put it, well, the same place as those roses we were just talking about.If youre just starting to learn a language, now is the time to come up with a plan for getting yourself from zero to fluency. If you were driving across town, would you just start taking random turns in hopes of ev entually arriving at your destination, or would you want your route mapped out from start to finish before even stepping foot outside the house? Call me unadventurous, but Id rather know where Im going and get there as soon as possible.Its easy to fall into the trap of thinking that if you just study the language youre trying to learn really hard, youll eventually become fluent. But the reality just aint so. If you study the language youre trying to learn really hard, youll just become a really good student of that languageâ€"which is different from  being fluent in that language.The earlier you start deliberately working towards fluency, the less time youll have to spend on the transition from being a good student to a capable, confident speaker in the end. And the more likely you are to avoid the dreaded mid-language learning crisis, that point when youve spent countless hours memorizing vocab and internalizing grammatical structures only to realize that despite all your hard work , youd probably run screaming for the nearest translator if you were unexpectedly airdropped into a country where you had to rely on the language youve been diligently learning.So to help you keep any such unpleasantness out of your language learning experience and to give you some ideas on how to start building towards fluency from day one, here are some tips on how to learn a language fluently from scratch. How to Learn a Language Fluently From Scratch1. Make as Many Connections Between Listening, Speaking and Writing as PossibleOne major difference between language learners versus people who speak a language fluently is that listening, speaking and writing tend to be very separate activities for learners, but are much more interchangeable for fluent speakers.As a learner, making connections between listening, speaking and writing reinforces the work youre doing on all three and moves your mentality closer to that of a fluent speaker by breaking down the boundaries between these different ways of using the language.A simple but powerful technique for making connections between the three is to listen to some material, then respond to it both in speech and in writing. If you have a Skype partner to do the speaking part of this exercise with, try the following three steps:Listen to a podcast or radio show or watch a film that your language partner is familiar withWrite a reaction to the podcast, radio show or filmDiscuss the podcast, radio show or film with your language partner and compare your reaction to theirsIf youre doing this exercise solo, heres another way it can go:Listen to a podcast or radio show or watch a filmGive an immediate, spontaneous spoken reaction to the podcast, radio show or filmWrite up a more structured review of the podcast, radio show or filmOne of the points of this exercise is that you end up working with some of the same ideas and vocab across all three steps, tying together your listening, speaking and writing practice.Even whe n you arent doing this exercise, though, you should still try to do some listening, speaking and writing every day. Keeping all three skills hot in your mind will go a long way towards making sure youre really learning a language rather than learning to listen to a language, learning to speak a language and learning to write a language separately.2. Use the Language for Things You Care AboutIf you want a disturbing insight into the foreign language learning process, try reading through a textbook on a language youre already fluent in, like an English textbook if youre a native English speaker. Youll find that the content is excruciatingly boring. In fact, Ill wager that most fluent English speakers simply could not read an ESL textbook cover-to-cover.Of course, when youre learning a new language, the dullness of the content you work with as a beginning language learner is a little less grating because you have your hands full actually trying to learn the language, but that doesnt me an you arent missing a huge opportunity to learn faster and more fluently. No matter what level your language skills are at, youll internalize the language youre working on much more deeply if you use it for things you care about.Its true that when youre getting started, a certain amount of “Hello, my name is Niels. I am a person. I am eating a green apple.” is necessary to get the basics down, but you should aim to break away from focusing on this kind of dry good-for-language-learning-and-nothing-else content as much as possible, as soon as possible. Here are some ideas for ways to do that:Cook a mealCook a meal (bonus points if its a meal traditional to a country that speaks the language youre learning!) using only the language youre studying from start to finish. Translate the recipe or find a recipe online in that language, write a shopping list and describe the process of cooking the meal out loud as you go along. All the better if you can get another language learner or a fluent friend to do this with you.Keep a journalTheres one interest we all have in common: ourselves. Keeping a journal about your life will let you use the language youre learning to talk about a wide variety of topics you care about. Complaining about your coworkers and lamenting the state of your love life will never have been so educational!Visualize your vocabularyFor many language learners, translating is inherently boringâ€"after all, the point of translating is simply to repeat something thats already been said, just in a different language. Worse yet, translating does nothing to help you towards fluency because it encourages you to use your native language as a reference point, rather than start thinking in terms of your new language.So next time youre learning vocab or translating a text, try translating into images rather than another language. Its one thing to tell yourself that el parque means “the park” in Spanish. Its an entirely different thing to visualize your self lying in the lush, green grass with your eyes closed while the sun warms your face from the pristine blue sky and a deep, soothing voice says in your ear “el parque.”Instead of just shuffling words between languages when youre translating and learning vocab, challenge yourself to associate the words with images that have some sort of emotional significance to you. Visualize sentences as scenes unfolding in your minds eye rather than strings of words waiting to be changed into English on the language translation assembly line. Visualizing instead of translating is a technique that can save you countless hours if you start using it from day one.Read about topics youre interested inIf theres a topic youre interested in, read about it in the language youre working on! Just head over to the Google homepage for a country that speaks the language youre learning and look up whatever youre curious about.It can seem easier just to follow along textbooks and language courses as long a s possible, but the sooner you go from learning the language to actually using it for things you care about, the more direct your path to speaking fluently will be. Techniques like cooking a meal, keeping a journal and thinking in pictures are all ways of doing this from the very early stages of language learning.Reading about topics youre interested in might require having a little more vocab and grammar under your beltâ€"but with the help of a dictionary, not as much as you might think. In language learning, “no pain, no gain” is sometimes true, but in this case you stand to both gain a lot and save yourself some pain at the same time by making the process as interesting as possible.3. Put Yourself out ThereThe biggest difference between learning a language and using it in real life is that textbooks are structured, linear and predictable while real life is anything but. The best way to make your mindset more like that of a fluent speaker than a language student is to start pu tting yourself in situations that stretch your language skills.Dont feel ready to do a Skype language exchange? Great, nows the perfect time to start one!Think youre not ready to order a meal? Great, head on over to the nearest restaurant where they speak your new language! (Just make sure you go somewhere authenticâ€"dont try ordering in Italian at Olive Garden.)By putting yourself out there and even sometimes ending up out of your depth youll be building a more flexible and, yes, fluent relationship with the language youre learning.4. Force Yourself to Think in the Language Youre LearningThe easiest way to stop yourself from learning a language fluently is by continuing to think in your native language even when you speak in the new language.A good technique Ive already talked about to avoid falling into this trap is to start “visualizing instead of translating” from day one. But you should also go out of your way to use the language youre learning internally even in situation s where youre not translating.Some effective ways to do this are:Do an end-of-day recapAs you get ready to go to sleep at night, do an internal recap of the main events from your day and the things you want to do tomorrowâ€"in the language youre learning.Besides acting as a sort of journal-in-your-mind where you can use the language to describe a range of different events you care about, doing an end-of-day recap lets you harness the benefits of language study right before bed.Narrate mundane tasksEvery mindless task you do is really an opportunity to use your idle brain for language learning! Try narrating your actions next time youre washing the dishes, for example. It makes life more interesting and helps you get used to thinking in your new language.Being able to draw on the vocab and grammar youve learned automatically, intuitively and effortlessly is an important part of learning a language fluently. Getting used to not just communicating in a language but using it in your min d will fast-track your path to fluency.Studying Smart to Learn a Language FluentlyIn the end, if you want to start working towards learning a language fluently from the first step of your language learning journey, youll have to study hardâ€"but more importantly, youll have to study smart. Fluency is about really internalizing a language, not just memorizing it.Using the language for things that have personal meaning to you, making as many connections between writing/speaking/listening as possible, making yourself think in terms of your new language and putting yourself in situations that push your language skills to their limit will all help you really own the language you want to know fluently, rather than just speak it superficially.But even if you didnt really care about learning a language fluently, I would still say you should try these techniques. Why? Because the most effective fluency-building techniques are actually techniques for getting yourself to care about what youre learning. The more you care about something, the more deeply you learn it. And regardless of whether your goal is to work all the way towards speaking fluently, caring will make your language learning experience more fun!So I guess what Im saying is that even though your aim is to get fluent fast, not necessarily to stop and smell the roses along the way, using these fluency-promoting techniques from the outset of your language learning journey will make the roses smell sweeter anyway.Thats why ultimately the single most important, totally serious, kind-of-corny-but-still-pretty-darn-useful rule for learning a language fluently from scratch is: fun and fluency go hand in hand!

Cellphones Are Potentially Cancer Causing

Cellphones Are Potentially Cancer Causing pexels.com In the past, such studies have been largely ignored, especially since we are so attached to our cellphones as a society. However, these results are by far the most alarming, and researchers are taking them very seriously. So how important is this information exactly? NBC News asked some important questions and below are the answers that you’re going to need when it comes to your safety. 1. “Do I need to throw away my cellphone?” In short: no. The associate director of the National Toxicology program, John Bucher, hasn’t changed his cellphone habits, although he’s also not a heavy user either. In fact, he is only on his phone for about one hour a day or less. According to him, “I don’t use a cellphone very often. People don’t seem to call me much. I use a cellphone next to my head or with earbuds, depending on what I am doing.” So the important thing to think about here is that cellphones don’t need to be thrown out completely, but the amount of time you spend on your phone might also need to change. For some, it might need to change drastically. In the study, the test rats were given high levels of cellphone signal, largely an amount that was above the legal limit set by the Federal Communications Commission for cellphones. These rats were also exposed for about nine hours every day, from before their birth until their death at about two years of age. According to Bucher, “All these animals were exposed at levels that were heavy.” Apparently, this is a standard in rat trials so that some sort of effect is displayed. So this would also mean that it’s extremely hard to tell what the effect on human beings is going to be. And to look at the records of brain cancer and other such cancers, it’s important to understand that these rates have not shot up, as would be expected if cancer really is linked to cellphone usage. According to Bucher, “We are aware of the fact that there certainly has not been an increase in brain cancer rates in the United States.” However, it’s also important to note that people live decades longer than rats do, and that such cancers can take more than that to develop as well. A majority of studies done haven’t shown evidence linking cellphone signals to cancer. However, this one did, and that’s why it’s going to be fairly prevalent in the news. But while one study doesn’t necessarily give conclusive evidence, it will result in several studies that take this evidence and test it further. So while this is a good start, we’re not going to have a definite answer until well into numerous future studies. According to NBC news, “It’s the body of evidence collected over years by different groups taking different approaches that yields a good answer.” 2. “Can I keep my cellphone in my pocket?”   According to Bucher, “Many people hold cellphones at various places around the body. Women [have] been known to place the cellphones in their bras.” But in this study, the rats were purposely exposed to cellphone radiation over their entire bodies. That way, the effects were seen over their entire bodies rather than specific locations. And the results still showed tumors in only two places: in the brain and around the heart. As far as why this is the case, it’s still unclear. According to Bucher, “We have no real sense whether other organs are more sensitive or less sensitive to radiofrequency radiation.” But to give the same answer as was given to the last question, the best way to avoid potential problems, at least for the time being, is to reduce your exposure to your cellphone. This means limiting the time you spend on the phone, using earphones or Bluetooth devices so that you aren’t directly in contact with your phone and ignoring the kits that are sold to protect your body from radiation, as they “generally do not work as advertised,” according to the FDA. 3. “Are we going to see higher rates of cancer in the future?” Basically: we don’t know. Because there isn’t an actual, visible change in the cancer rates as compared to cellphone use, it’s hard to say. However, it also takes years for cancer to develop. So these results could be there, just not visible until several years from now. Also, with results from past rat studies to lean on, it’s apparent that cancer links that were there in rats aren’t ever there in people. Plus, there isn’t actually a known mechanism for cellphone radiation to result in cancer this would have to be done by something that no one knows about yet. 4. “When will we know more?” As stated before, these results have been rushed out to the public, so the study actually isn’t done yet. In fact, it won’t be done until 2017. According to Bucher, “They have over 7,000 studies in these animals. These were enormously time consuming and expensive studies.” So it’s largely unlikely that this study will be repeated again, at least not at this scale. Currently, there is a study going on in Europe that looks at 290,000 cellphone users that began in 2010 and will be followed for about 30 years to see if the users develop cancer at different rates. So again, long story short: it will be a while before we have any more information. So in the meantime, know the potential dangers and plan accordingly. Put down the cellphone when you can, but don’t take it too seriously yet, either.