A Guide to American English

A Guide to American English How to Speak American English ChaptersThe Origins of American EnglishThe Specificities of American EnglishThe Differences Between American English and British EnglishResources for Learning American English“Americans who travel abroad for the first time are often shocked to discover that despite all the progress that has been made in the past 30 years, many foreign people still speak in foreign languages.”Ah, America! One of the biggest countries in the world and where the English language reigns supreme. All 50 states have different ways of speaking English. However, there is a lot of common ground in the way people speak across the country.We need to stop thinking that the only way to speak English in the United States is how they speak in TV shows, Hollywood Blockbusters, and in fashion magazines.85% of films shown around the world are American. These figures definitely thrust America into the limelight.Who hasn’t heard of Star Wars, Sex and the City, or the New York Times?All of these use the American En glish that we’re going to have a look at. In this article, we're going to have a look at where American English came from, what makes American English different to other varieties of English, and how you can learn to speak American English. JulianESOL (English) Teacher 4.00 (1) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EugeneESOL (English) Teacher 4.90 (58) £22/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HelenESOL (English) Teacher 5.00 (20) £32/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SuzanneESOL (English) Teacher 5.00 (2) £45/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaESOL (English) Teacher 5.00 (8) £55/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SamuelESOL (English) Teacher 4.83 (41) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoanneESOL (English) Teacher 5.00 (43) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe Origins of American English“There is not a liberal America and a conservative America â€" there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America â€" there's the United States of America.” - Barack ObamaIn the grand scheme of things, the United States of America is a relatively young country. Its language is also rather young.American English, much like America, has changed a lot over the years. (Source: Free-Photos)English was first spoken in America during the 17th century. However, at this time in history, there were plenty of speakers of other languages on the continent who spoke French, Spanish, Dutch, Welsh, Irish, and the indigenous languages, of course!Over time, English evolved and started playing an important role on the continent. The phonology, vocabulary, and grammar of American English diverged from its British roots over time.It wasn’t until after the colonisation of the Americas that American English really diverged from that of British English.  There were d ifferences in pronunciation and vocabulary, just as you’d find in Australian, Scottish, and Irish English. In fact, no matter where you go in the world, there’ll be a different version of English.So are you ready to find out exactly what American English is and how to learn it?Check out more about the Australian accent.You’ll have the answers to your questions soon enough!The Specificities of American EnglishDo the terms “’sup” or “y’all” mean anything to you?These are typically American terms! The first is the contraction of “What’s up?” and the other means “You all”. There’s your first example of how American English differs from the other variants of English.English dialects are different everywhere and the American English is no exception. (Source: jarmoluk)The English spoken in the United States of America is often considered a simpler version of English.Why?This is usually because most people are already quite familiar with it having heard it on T V and in films.  Without even noticing, most people already have a pretty good understanding of American English. Similarly, you can probably get by in New York with the basics. After having heard it so much throughout your life, American English is pretty much already your second language!Check out the best  English lessons online.You also need to know the grammar, which is also simpler than other forms of English. Obviously, you still need to follow the grammatical rules, but they’re usually simpler in American English.The same is true for the accent. Since you’ll have heard it so often, it’s much easier to understand the American English accent over a regional British dialect or Scottish English. That should clear a few things up!So while American English started as various British dialects, it has since diverged from roots. A common example is the letter “r”, which is almost always pronounced in American English, unlike in English dialects which tend to drop the “r† when it follows a vowel.There are also new terms that America gave the English language both inside the United States and around the world. All of these terms, from various domains, originated in the US:TeenagerCaucusCompact carBelittleWaterfrontGet the hang ofAnd many more!As you’ll have understood, it’s quite difficult to talk about what makes American English special without comparing it to other English dialects, especially British English. So that’s exactly what we’re going to do!Would you like to learn English online? Check the best  ESOL courses.The Differences Between American English and British EnglishAs we said before, American English originated as British English and a mix of various English dialects from around the United Kingdom. However, over the course of the centuries, American English became its own dialect and grew up with American culture.While American English and British English are the same language, there are a lot of differences. (Source: Free-Pho tos)Since most people all over the world learn to speak English in school, English classes are becoming increasingly specialised, to the point where students are watching in English (without subtitles in some cases) by the time they’re leaving school.The main difference you’ll notice between the UK and the US is how words are spelt. In fact, American English changed the spelling of quite a few words in the English language.This is the quickest and easiest way to tell whether you’re reading British English or American English. However, the vocabulary is also another way to work out which country the language is from. Since language is inherently related to culture, and there are a number of differences between British and American culture, it’s hardly surprising that there’s also a linguistic difference between the two countries.In the United States of America, they often use the past simple for describing events that happened not too long ago. In England, on the other hand , they tend to use the present perfect.  For example, an American would say “I went to store” whereas someone from England would say “I’ve been to the shop”. The difference may be slight, but you can see that there are even alterations to the simplest sentences.Even the verb “get” is different. In America, “get-got-gotten” is the preferred conjugations for the present and past while in the UK, they use “get-got-got”. After a few exercises, you’ll get the hang of it.Once again, practice makes perfect and you can get plenty of practice by immersing yourself in American culture. There are plenty of useful resources for learning American English, helping you to think in American English, and working on your pronunciation.Would you like to know more about Irish English?Which sites can you use to learn English online?Resources for Learning American English“England and America are two countries separated by the same language.”The United States of America is a co nstantly-changing country whose culture is constantly making its way to other countries. From Beyoncé to the Statue of Liberty via Ernest Hemingway, everyone knows something about American culture.The American linguistic landscape is as fascinating as the physical one. (Source: skeeze)Whether you use audio resources, audiovisual resources, or literary resources, they can be hugely useful in helping you to understand American English, American culture, and immerse yourself in both.Watching American films with the subtitles on is a great way to learn American English. Everyone watches them, after all.What about American TV shows?There’s surely one you like! Whether it’s Forrest Gump, Breaking Bad, or the Walking Dead, films and TV shows are much better in their mother tongue and a great way to learn about language and culture.Books are another source of inspiration. If you want to improve your American English vocabulary, there’s not much better than a book. Immersing yourself in a new world, a certain point of view, and a new country is more than possible with the help of a book.This is your chance to learn from the greats like William Faulkner, Jack Kerouac, and Toni Morrison. In addition to helping you gain new perspectives, these resources will also help you in your new language.Of course, you can improve your English vocabulary from any type of media. Radio stations, TV channels, and the press are all freely accessible and useful tools for learning not just general American English, but specific vocabulary like business English.Watching CNN, listening to online radio stations, or flicking through The Wall Street Journal are all useful ways to improve your knowledge of the language, country, and culture.This is a language that continues to evolve and change. If you need to find a tutor to help you, look no further than Superprof!

The Guide to Visiting Venice

The Guide to Visiting Venice How To Prepare for a Trip to Venice ChaptersWhen and For How Long Should You Visit Venice?The Different Neighbourhoods of VeniceWhere to Stay in Venice?Top Things to do in Venice“In the glare of the day there is little poetry about Venice, but under the charitable moon her stained palaces are white again…” - Mark TwainWhen you go to Venice, you have to plan your trip according to how long you’ll be there for, the sites and monuments you want to visit, and the time of the year you’ll be there. Whether you’re there for 3 days or a week, which neighbourhood you’re staying in, and the weather can all affect your trip.Over 20 million tourists visit Venice each year and the numbers visiting the city have increased 5% each year in recent decades.Thus, the number of tourists visiting Venice doubles every 14 years. While the city centre attracts 30,000 tourists a day, an estimated 80,000 people visit daily during the summer.Despite all this, do you still have your heart set on Venice?Here’s our mini guide to vis iting the city. DanielaItalian Teacher 5.00 (9) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LuciaItalian Teacher 5.00 (4) £17/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarilùItalian Teacher 5.00 (8) £22/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarcoItalian Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AntonellaItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £14/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GiusyItalian Teacher 5.00 (3) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EnricoItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FedericaItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhen and For How Long Should You Visit Venice?Most travellers don’t stay anywhere near a week in Venice. Visiting Venice in the summer is nothing like visiting it in the winter. Plan accordingly! (Source: Free-Photos)Of the 25 million visitors to the city each year, 12 million of them only spend a single day there.More and more tourists are opting for free tours of the city, which does nothing for the local government’s coffers.Despite all this tourism, the city only received around £3 in taxes per tourist.Venice is the most powerful and influential city in the former Republic of Venice of which it was the capital for over 1,000 years between 697 and 1797.Most of the city and the Venetian Lagoon are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the amount of cultural and historical heritage is incredible.There are plenty of reasons to visit Venice throughout the year:Carnival of VeniceThe canals and streets in the centre of VeniceGondola ridesThe restaurantsVisiting the islands Giudecca, Murano, Burano, Torcello, and the Lido.The San Marco neighbourhood (Saint Mark’s Square, Saint Mark’s Basil ica, the Palace of the Doge).The magnificent Venetian architecture and art.In addition to all these things, there are also incredible monuments and attractions to see: the Bridge of Sighs, the museums (Museum of Glass, Natural History Museum), the Rialto Bridge, Teatro la Fenice, Gallerie dell’Accademia, and the Cannaregio, San Marco, Castello, Dorsoduro, and Santa Croce neighbourhoods.So when are you going to Venice?Venice is home to a warm and humid continental climate. Temperatures can often exceed 35 °C, it gets muggy, and there are often violent storms. Similarly, during the high season, prices go up.If you want to visit in autumn, the weather’s much more agreeable: it’s regularly sunny and it remains warm until the beginning of October.Then it starts to get grey and rainy. In winter, it can get really cold and even snow. However, this is a great time to visit because there are much fewer tourists. Of course, not during carnival.The best time is to visit during spring (be tween May and June) and autumn. You need at least between 3 days and a week to see everything Venice has to offer.This will give you enough time to visit the different monuments, neighbourhoods, the Venetian Lagoon, and the Grand Canal.Find out more about how long you should spend in Venice.The Different Neighbourhoods of VeniceSo in the city of the canals and bridges, where can you stay? If you're sick of tourists, head to Venice's other islands. (Source: Alois_Wonaschuetz)There are six neighbourhoods in Venice:San MarcoDorsoduroSan PoloCannaregioCastelloGiudeccaSan Marco is the most popular neighbourhood as it’s home to the most historic monuments. It’s also the political, economic, and religious centre of the Republic of Venice.If you’re not a fan of historic relics, you’ve seen it all, or you want to avoid the crowds, you might want to head to the Dorsoduro neighbourhood.  This is the artistic and bohemian side of town, with plenty of bars, restaurants, trattorias, osterias, and places to drink Aperol Spritz.  It’s far more relaxed than San Marco.If you cross the Rialto Bridge, you’ll end up in San Polo, the city’s oldest neighbourhood.On the other side, there’s the Cannaregio region.  This is the area where the Jewish population were forced to live from 1516 until 1797 when the city came under Napoleonic occupation.  This is the least regularly vi sited neighbourhood in Venice, making it rather relaxing.In the southeast of Venice, there’s Castello, home to the Santi Giovanni e Paolo Basilica, the city’s biggest church.The Napoleonic Gardens provide a welcome green space and home for the Biennale di Venezia, a music, dance, architecture, and cinema festival.That’s not all: Venice is an archipelago consisting of 121 islands.The taxi boat (the Vaporetto) is a great way to get to the other islands like Burano, home to San Martino Church, the Venice Lace Museum, and the fish market, Murano, home to the Glass Museum, and Torcello.  The Lido is home to beaches on the Adriatic Sea where you can bathe in warm water.Are the neighbourhoods in Venice too busy?You can always go to Mestre on the mainland. This is also a good place to get accommodation.Find out more about the different parts of Venice.Where to Stay in Venice?Got your boarding card and ready for a trip to Venice?  Where are you going to stay in Venice? If you want accommodation in the best parts of Venice, you're going to have to pay for it. (Source: martaposemuckel)Venice can be quite expensive. Especially considering that the city is home to 261,905 inhabitants but welcomes nearly 30 million tourists looking for accommodation.Your budget will determine which neighbourhood you’ll stay in and whether you’ll get a hotel room or private accommodation.  You can look for hotels and holiday flats near Saint Mark’s Square if you have the budget. You can also look for somewhere a few minutes from a gondola ride or a Vaporetto stop. In any case, we recommend booking ahead of time to get the best offers.For short stays, you have a few options:AirbnbHomeAwayBooking.comOn HomeAway, you can get accommodation for anywhere between £100 and £3,000 per night in the centre of Venice.  By booking on Airbnb you can find accommodation for between £60 and £100 per night in the historic centre and between £40 and £60 per night in Mestre. The latter is cheaper but you’ll need to use public transport.Keep in mind that the cost of renting will depend on the type of accommodation you get, the neighbourhood, and the season.Find out more about accommodation in Venice.Top Things to do in VeniceLet’s have a closer look at exactly what you can do in Venice. There’s something to do for all types of travellers. The Rialto Bridge is one of Venice's most famous sights. (Source: huebistar)What can you do when visiting Venice?Here are a few things worth seeing and doing:Saint Mark’s SquareSaint Mark’s BasilicaThe Doge's PalaceThe Grand Canal, VeniceCarnival of VeniceCannaregio, Europe’s first Jewish ghettoBasilica of Santa Maria Della SaluteThe Venetian BridgesThe islands in the Venetian LagoonA gondola rideThe city’s museumsMost of these monuments are a testament to Venice’s power in Europe and date back to as early as the 13th and 14th centuries. The San Marco neighbourhood should be top of everyone’s list. Of course, it’ll depend on what you want to see.Saint Mark’s Square is without a doubt the most visited part of the city. However, you might want to avoid it if you don’t like crowds.For tourist attractions, you might want to get queue-jumps!On the square, you can find Saint Mark’s Basilica, Saint Mark’s Campanile, and the Doge’s Palace, the official residence of th e Doges of the Republic of Venice.  The museum is now home to works from famous Venetian painters like Titien, Bellini, Veronese, and Tintoretto.While a gondola ride may seem a little cliché, romantics will appreciate it and you can admire the city’s 435 bridges.  The most famous bridges include the Rialto Bridge and the Bridge of Sighs, which connects the interrogation rooms of the Doge’s Palace.  Sadly, the Bridge of Sighs is famous for being the place where prisoners caught their last glimpses of freedom before being imprisoned for life.What can you do during your holidays in Venice?If you want to avoid the crowds, you can always stay on one of the lagoon’s islands. Venice is a great place for out-of-the-ordinary holidays despite all the tourists.Torcello, for example, is one of the quieter of Venice’s 121 islands.In terms of museums, you can find the Naval History Museum, the Gallerie dell’Accademia, home to renaissance art, and the Peggy Guggenheim, home to modern ar t.You’ll come home with plenty of great holiday snaps!

How does your phone know where you are

How does your phone know where you are This English listening exercise looks at something that has always fascinated me that  scientists are able to solve incredibly complex problems with crazy solutions.So, how do you make a phone that knows where you are on earth? With clocks, of course!To find out how clocks help you know your location, and to improve you English listening skills, watch the TED-ED video below, and try the exercise.The answer lies 12,000 miles over your head, in an orbiting satellite that ____ ____ to the ___ ___ an atomic clock.What does the above sentence mean?Woo! Lets ____ that ____.What does the above phrasal verb mean?What is the problem with using the speed of light to measure distance?How precise are some atomic clocks?Lets ____ ___ ___ that youre almost definitely on earth.

Creating Successful Free Play Time for Kids with ADHD

Creating Successful Free Play Time for Kids with ADHD All kids need time each week to engage in creative play outside of their structured extracurricular activities. Its during this time that kids develop important social skills, problem solving strategies, and independence while fueling their imagination and creativity. Even just 20 minutes a day during the week coupled with a few longer stretches of time on weekends can make a big difference. For many parents of kids with ADHD, who often rely on highly structured activities to help manage ADHD symptoms, however, the idea of allowing time for play without rules, structure, or adult supervision can seem intimidating. Ideas of free play quickly spiral into visions of a free for all filled with impulsive behavior and complaints about boredom! Fortunately, with a little planning and a modest amount of structure and support it is possible to create successful free play opportunities for even the most active kids with ADHD. Choose a strategic location. Have your child play where you can see them. Simply having an adult present in your childs line of sight helps kids with ADHD stay safe and engaged. So, avoid sending your child off to his or her bedroom or playroom alone. Instead, have your child bring a few toys and activities to a common room in the house. Just make sure you leave time for clean-up when free play is over! Have creative play toys and activities available that your child finds interesting. Kids with ADHD often need a high level of stimulation in order to stay engaged. Every kid is different when it comes to the toys and activities that they find interesting, so work with your child to find creative options that will hold his or her attention for at least 10 minutes, if not longer. Make sure these activities are largely mess free (steer clear of paint and glue!), and can be done independently without close adult supervision. Limit the options. This may seem counterintuitive, but giving kids with ADHD fewer options during free play will actually help them be more engaged. Many kids with ADHD will become overwhelmed if they are presented with too many choices, and some will even meltdown. So, present a few free play options, about 3 at a time, and change them out regularly to keep things interesting. Use a Timer. Some of the biggest free play conflicts happen when its time to transition to the next activity. Its natural for kids to want to continue to play when theyre having a good time, so use a timer to make the transition easier on everyone. Have the child set the timer at the start of free play. Give a warning when there are 5 minutes left, and let your child know that free play ends when the time goes off. By having your child set the timer, youre helping him or her take ownership of the process, so that the narrative can change from My parents are making me stop playing! to My timer went off so free play time is over. Post a list of Free Play Rules. Having basic ground rules for free play provides necessary structure for your child without interfering with his or her creativity and imaginative play. Create a list of just 3 or 4 basic rules and post them someplace where they are visible to your child. At the start of free play, read through this list with your child and let him or her know that free play will need to end early if he or she needs to be reminded to follow the rules more than three times (the number of reminders can be tailored to your childs level). The best rules are those that cover a wide variety of behaviors and tell kids what to do rather than what not to do. For example, rules like, start cleaning up when the free play timer rings, stay in your play area, show good sportsmanship when playing with others, and use your inside voice, encourage a wide range of positive behaviors. Catch Your Child Being Good! When your child shows positive behaviors during free play, make sure to let him or her know that you have noticed! Praise the good behaviors as they happen, or at the end of free play if you want to avoid interrupting his or her play. Your child will feel proud of the fact that he or she was able to play well independently, and will be more likely to demonstrate these positive behaviors again. Free play is important for all kids, so help your child carve out time each day to play creatively outside the structure of typical extracurricular activities. Shorter free play times may work better for many kids with ADHD, so start small. With a little structure and planning your child can be engaged, content, and creative during free play time. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

I Want to Learn Another Language! A Guide for the Absolute Beginner

I Want to Learn Another Language! A Guide for the Absolute Beginner I Want to Learn Another Language! A Guide for the Absolute Beginner You can do it.And yes, Im talking to you.Whether you flunked out of high school German, were too embarrassed to even attempt a bonjour on your visit to Paris, or were only able  to stick with  your New Years resolution for three days,  youâ€"my dear, dear readerâ€"can learn another language!Im not going to pretend that its easy for everyone. Some geniuses  seem to soak up languages like sponges, whereas people with certain learning disabilities can face significant challenges.For the rest of us, language learning is somewhere in the middleâ€"it can be both immensely frustrating yet also  immensely rewarding, often both at the same time. It might take you months to handle a concept that someone else grasps instinctively in minutesâ€"and vice-versa.But whatever the outcome, the joy and benefits of communicating in another language are real and attainable. Even more importantly, the process of getting there is thrilling.This post will take apart both of these aspects for those who are t otally new to language learning, or for whom it has seemed like an insurmountable challenge in the past. I Want to Learn Another Language! A Guide for the Absolute BeginnerI come at this from my  perspective as a  former language teacher and  an experienced learner of languages, by the way,  with  my  own set of successes and major challenges when confronting a language. (For a book-long academic take on the same subject, and one that has informed my learning style and advice, check out  How Languages Are Learned.)Define Your Principal Motivation(s) for Learning the LanguageHaving a quality  reason for learning a language is central to everything that comes in the weeks, months, and, yes, years that you will later spend studying, speaking, enjoying and maintaining it.Lets look at some examples. What do you think about the following reasons for learning a language? Are they likely to lead to success?I want to have a second language on my CV.I want to seem like a more intellectual/e ducated/international sort of person.I want cute guys/girls to notice me in a bar when I answer my phone in another language.Sure,  there is no problem with folks wanting these  things out of life, and the last goal even has the benefit of being  specific. But language learning is a long, challenging journey, and what none of these motivations provides is a personal, compelling reason to focus on improving your communication.Compare the motivations above with these:I want to be able to flirt with the Russian girl in my yoga class.I want to place my order in good African  restaurants in French.I want to understand the lyrics of marabenta music.I want to be able to make sales to clients in Brazil.I want to hang out  and make meaningful friends at salsa events.Can you see how the latter motivations offer specific objectives for study that will keep you coming back to your grammar book with a sense of excitement rather than duty?Language learning is toughâ€"when youre on your thousandth Chinese character or trying to crack the mysteries of Russian cases, it can help enormously if your overall motivation is connected in some way to the detail that youre trying to learn that day.And if its not connected, guess what: Often you can skip it! Theres no reason, for example, to spend much time with the Arabic writing system if your ultimate driving motivation is a desire  to be able to chat with Lebanese relatives (whose oral language doesnt much resemble standard Arabic).I may always be looking to improve my vocabulary even in my mother tongue English, but I will probably never be fluent in baseball or physics jargon. I pick my battles in any language, based on what I like doing with it.Your motivation might even mean that fluency (whatever that is) is not necessary or desirable; theres immense joy and usefulness to be had with low-level, rudimentary and even silly communication in another language.Use Your Overarching Motivation  to Set Achievable Short-term Communicati ve GoalsThis overarching motivation above can then be broken down and used to set your week-to-week and lesson-to-lesson short term goals. Such goals should of course be specific, small, compelling and fun. The connection to your overall motivation then makes them personal to youâ€"something that you cant wait to dive into before and will really remember after.If my  motivation, for example, concerned sales to  Brazilian clients, goals that I might set for individual weeks would include, at various points in the long  process:I want to be able to answer the phone in Portuguese.I want to be able to exchange pleasantries.I want to properly use a formal, business registerâ€"and understand when its likely that I will switch to informal Portuguese with clients.I want to understand the culture of dealmaking in Brazil.I want to be able to describe our key products specs in Portuguese.All of these are great small goals that connect back to the overall motivation. For more on setting good an d  specific lesson goals, see the link at the top of this section.Tools for Language Learning That Are Linked to Your MotivationWeve covered a lot of the best tools for language learning, but a key point to make here is that your choice of tools will vary enormously according to the motivation that is driving your learning process.To give one example, I own a Serbian textbook that gives lots of history on old, literary Serbian that most modern speakers dont even know or use. As interesting as it all is, my principal motivation for learning is to be able to enjoy a  rakija when Im with friends in the Balkans and to complain together about life, so I focus rather on lessons about  sevdahlinka  songs (tragedy-tinged Bosnian laments), which give me the vocabulary that I enjoy and am more likely to actually use. Watching videos on the Internet and pausing to analyze, look up and make sentences from the new structures is thus a very  useful learning method for me.If your overarching motiv ation  involves listening, speaking or cultural elements, watching videos can be an important part of your learning process  too. FluentU provides the perfect integrated video-based tool for language learnersâ€"taking  real-world videos and transforming  them into personalized language lessons.For nearly all learners, some sort of textbook and language classes or online language exchange sessions will also be appropriate. But as much as possible, try to ensure that these are geared towards the reason that you are learning the language. Grammar, for most, is a means, not an end. You dont want to learn the literary past tense in French if you have no intention of ever writing a great French novel, for example, but you will definitely want to learn the spoken past tenses if you want to be able to hold a basic conversation in which you talk about things that youve done.For those interested in oral communication, the Teach Yourself  language books  tend to be very good for many languages ; but they  should often not be your choice if your goal is to read and write the academic version of a language.Staying Motivated as You LearnIf you have a good overarching motivation and your day-to-day goals are connected to it, your desire to learn at each lesson should be nearly automatic. That said, youll want to include a certain amount of variation as well as try  methods like these for integrating language learning into your life.Here are a few tips for creating a routine that you can stick with:Track your goals: Keep a notebook with the goals youve set for yourself; theres a lot of satisfaction  in being able to cross them off your list.Make it social: Interact with other learners, whether online or in conversation groups. And, of course, try to interact with native speakers as much as possible. Humans are social animals, so  doing this project with others will make it more compelling.Make it daily:  Ive found that even a small amount of time every day (like a half-hour) c an be far superior to setting aside a few hours once a week for a class or a study session. When a language is part of your daily life, you dont forget your lessons as easily, and you find yourself thinking about what youre learning and how you can use it at many points throughout the day.Integrate learning with your media consumption: Consuming the news, podcasts and entertainment  media in your target language rather than your own language provides incentives to learn and a richer experience with the language.Without giving any false hope for what is certainly an enormous undertaking, my wish is that you are leaving this post now with a more concrete and personally motivating desire to jump headlong into language learning.Your fling with a Russian girl/first sale in Portuguese/conversation with the Lebanese grandparents will be a great reward, sure, but with  whatever motivation you have in mind, the process itself will also hopefully be quite fun.Mose Hayward blogs about language s, including  the lack of smiling in  Russian flirting,  and why you thus might want to buy a  gas station.

An Introverts Guide to Job Interviews

An Introvert's Guide to Job Interviews pexels.com 1. Dress like youre meeting them in person If you answer the phone while youre in your sweats and t-shirt, hair messed up, just rolled out of bed, youre going to feel even more insecure when talking to the employers of the job of your dreams. To battle the desire to crawl into a hole and avoid the whole process, dress like youre a successful prospective employee (because you are!). 2. Build your confidence beforehand Research famous introverts and know that youre not alone in this process. Dont tell yourself that every other candidate theyre interviewing is an extroverted beauty queen with the social skills of a politician. Chances are, theyre interviewing lots of people who are just as introverted as you are youre NOT alone! 3. Make a list of your achievements Its tough for introverted people to sell their best qualities especially if they arent looking directly at their achievements. If you have a portfolio created, put it in front of you and be ready to reference your achievements. Practice talking about things youve done with people who care about you. Having to explain things from square one as well as having the practice of talking about it will make it much easier to talk to future employers over the phone. 4. Think of questions you can ask By coming prepared to an interview with questions to ask, youll come across as interested and invested. Theyll know you did your homework if you ask thoughtful questions. 5. Do your research Regarding asking questions, dont ask anything thats already been explained in an email or on the website unless youre specifically asking for clarification. For in-person interviews pexels.com 1. Know where youre going Physically drive to the location so you can settle your nerves. Know which door you prefer to walk through. Re-read the email of who youre supposed to be meeting with. If you show up prepared and familiar with where youre supposed to be, youll be a LOT less nervous. 2. Bring your portfolio Not only is it tough to sell your achievements, but its tough to remember them when youre nervous. If you bring a physical copy of your portfolio, youll be more than ready to point out all the wonderful things youve accomplished. 3. Get ready for small talk Before the interview, think of a few talking points (even if its the weather) so you wont stumble over yourself when youre shaking hands and learning names. If you prepare yourself for some chit-chat, you wont be taken off-guard so intensely. Itll be worth it. 4. Mention that youre introverted Its nothing to be ashamed of! Its part of who you are. When the interviewers ask an appropriate question, its okay to mention that youre introverted! If you were an extrovert, you probably wouldnt have to mention it . 5. Focus on the beginning and end of the interview First impressions and lasting impressions are of utmost importance. If you make a good first impression, and you leave on good terms, youre fine! These are the most important parts of the interview. Introverts are about half of the worlds population. You arent the only one whos going to walk into this interview with sweaty palms. Many of the people theyll be interviewing share the same anxieties as you. Just because youre introverted does not mean you arent worthy of the job. Dont think that extroverted people dont have problems they just have different problems. Dont sell yourself short and know that you have qualities that other interviewees do not. Its important to walk into the interview with enough confidence to know you  deserve  this job. Youve landed an interview, so youve made it past the hardest part. If theyve chosen your resume out of a pile of papers and theyre excited about meeting you, you have every right to be there. Stay calm and remember that youre worth it. Good luck!

The Dos and Donts of Learning Romance Languages

The Dos and Donts of Learning Romance Languages The Dos and Donts of Learning Romance Languages Romance languagesâ€"just the name can make you swoon.But while its true that Romance languages like Italian and French have reputations for being a bit seductive, they actually dont earn their name from  romantic connotations.Instead, they all derive from the language of the Roman Empire: Latin. The Empires influence still holds today as almost a billion people  speak a Romance language as their native language. 300 million more speak a Romance language as their second language.So why not join them?Before you get started, though, decide which language youll learn first. Well show you what to consider. Then, take note of the essential dos and donts of learning Romance languages. Even though they have their differences, there are some standard rules you can use to quicken your learning. Which Romance Language Should I Learn First?Are you taking a trip to a country that speaks a certain language? Do you want to communicate better with someone in particular, or need to learn a language for work? Does one language just sound particularly beautiful to you? Knowing what you want to do with a language can be as important as choosing the language to learn.If you have a definite answer to any of the above questions, then that makes things easy. The first Romance language you should learn is the one you want to learn!If you know you want to learn a Romance language or several Romance languages, but one isnt necessarily more useful or captivating to you than another, then  we recommend you start with Spanish first. Its one of the most widely spoken Romance languages, which means youll have a greater chance of putting it to good use right away. Plus, its popularity means it might be more familiar to your ears.We also recommend you learn Romanian last, as it has the fewest similarities to the other Romance languages. Between Spanish and Romanian, order the others (French, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan and Occitan) based on your strengths, weaknesses and interests. Note that many people choose to learn Spanish, Italian and French first with Portuguese close behind.Some people plan on learning Romance languages simultaneously. For those people, be sure to pair your languages well. You could pair a harder language with an easier one, to challenge yourself while preventing burnout. You could also pair two similar languages to build your vocabulary through cognates.The Dos and Donts of Learning Romance LanguagesThe Dos of Learning Romance LanguagesDo: Pay Attention to Gender as You Learn New WordsUnlike English, nouns in Romance languages have a grammatical gender. A words gender determines what articles you use with it and how it agrees with other words (for instance, an adjective that describes a feminine noun getting a feminine ending). Think of the gender as part of the actual word when learning nouns.For example, if youre planning to label objects around your house to build your everyday vocabulary, use color coding for different genders. Or to make i t even easier on yourself, check out VocabularyStickers, which are pre-made, durable labels that already come with color coding for gender (as well as for plurals). VocabularyStickers come with more than 130 labels for everything from utensils to office supplies to your clothes and much more.Sometimes the ending of a word will help signal its gender or plurality status. Spanish nouns, by way of example, often end with an  o or  or for masculine nouns, and  a or  ora for feminine ones.Not all nouns follow this rule in each Romance language, though! Some words either give no indication of gender, or may even have an ending that doesnt properly correlate with the general gender rule of that language.Do: Learn the Regular Verb EndingsThere are three verb types in most Romance languages (Romanian has four) depending on how the infinitive of the verb is spelled. For example, French regular verbs end in either  -er, -ir  or -re;  Spanish regular verbs end in either ar, er or ir.Identifying the type of regular verb is crucial to understanding how to conjugate it. Youll need to take off the verb ending to get the verb stem, and add the appropriate ending depending on conjugation rules for that type of verb.Verb conjugation is one of the first concepts youll encounter in your Romance language studies and it can be one of the most frustrating to master. Making a habit of finding the infinitive ending will make the complicated concept of verb conjugation that much easier as you move forward.Pro-tip:  one easy way to find the infinitive ending for any regular verb in French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese is to search for the last  -r  in the word.  Then its just a matter of dropping that letter along with the vowel that comes immediately before it (and the one afterward if it applies).Do: Study Some Latin and IPAIf you plan on learning all the Romance languages, adding yet another language may seem daunting. However, learning a bit of Latin will prove worthwhile. Since L atin forms the base for all the Romance languages, its a great way to find the patterns throughout each.Furthermore, learning a bit of the International Phonetic Alphabet, or IPA, will improve your ability to comprehend and correctly pronounce any Romance language. IPA is a standardized set of symbols that represent syllable and word sounds.Many dictionaries write the IPA next to its definitionâ€"even English dictionaries. Theyre often more accurate than the phonetic guides in phrasebooks as well. Plus, the sounds for IPA cover all Romance languages with the same symbols.So, as with Latin, if you learn IPA, youll have tips that apply to all the Romance languages.The Donts of Learning Romance LanguagesDont: Forget Article AgreementOnce you know the gender of a noun in a Romance language, then you have to add the article. Romance languages will specify a chair or the chair by using an article that agrees in gender with the noun at hand.Articles will also signal whether a noun is plura l or singular. Take this simple example from French:Le chien (The dog)Les chiens (The dogs)Notice how the article changes in French, but not in English?Articles can be very tricky for English speakers since English doesnt have gendered words or changes in articles from singular to plural words. So dont forget to pay attention to article agreement as youre writing or speaking in your target Romance language, right from the get-go!The more you practice, the more natural itll become.Dont: Instinctively Pronounce Words with Unclear VowelsOne of the reasons Romance languages are considered so beautiful is due to their pure vowels, also known as monophthongs, which are vowel sounds that remain the same throughout their pronunciation. In other words, you dont need to glide your voice to speak a pure vowel. This differs from diphthongs, which are two vowel sounds pressed together to make one sound.English speakers, and American ones in particular, tend to not enjoy a pure vowel.  Nearly eve ry Romance language does though. To identify this, take a listen to some native speakers, then compare it to non-native speakers reading a similar text. Maybe even read a text out loud yourself. What differences can you hear in the pronunciation?You can also watch native speakers to see how they form their vowels. Often theyll have much rounder lips than the average English speaker, for example.A great resource for this type of practice is FluentU, where you can watch authentic videos in your target language to learn it the way native speakers use it. The videos (including everything from movie trailers to funny YouTube clips to news broadcasts) come with interactive captions that you can click for instant, in-context translations of any words you dont recognize.That means not only will you be creating good pronunciation habits as you watch these videos, youll also actively build your vocabulary.Best of all, you can take your learning anywhere with the FluentU mobile app for iOS  or Android!Dont: Rely on English GrammarWhen learning any language, its tempting to build a sentence word-by-word based on the sentence structure we already know in English. But remember that Romance languages are structured differently. Adjectives, for example, often come after the noun in question rather than before it.Some verbs also dont translate well from English. In English, we say to be for many sentences where Romance languages say to have. We are hungry in English, but we have hunger in some Romance languages.Knowing these changes can make or break how quickly you learn a language and how fluent you become.Dont: Substitute One Romance Language for AnotherThe temptation to use cognates from one Romance language to replace the correct word in another can seem so great sometimes. After all, many native speakers of one Romance language can often understand you even if you accidentally speak another language. Still, its embarrassing at best and culturally insensitive at worst to do so.With any Romance language you learn, take careful note of the differences between them as well as the similarities to keep them sorted in your head. Learn about the culture to help you identify these differences better. Itll help you branch out into other kinds of languages in the future as well.Do these rules apply to all Romance languages?The short answer is yes. The beauty of Romance languages lies in their similar forms. However, each language requires emphasis on certain elements. French pronunciation focuses heavily on nasal sounds and dropped consonants, while the Italian language only has five vowel sounds and doubled consonants. Spanish and Portuguese use varied accent symbols when writing, which differ from the accents in Romanian.Every language comes with its own set of dos and donts. Remembering them can greatly enhance your learning process. And One More ThingLet FluentU inspire your Romance language learning. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from m usic videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks, and you can currently use it to learn French, Spanish, Italian or any combination of those. (Theres also a Portuguese program in the works.)With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that real people speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse ScreenFluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive TranscriptsYou can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that youâ €™re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.