Friday, April 3, 2020
A Pokemon Liquid Crystal Move Tutor Could Make Your Game a Little More Challenging
A Pokemon Liquid Crystal Move Tutor Could Make Your Game a Little More ChallengingIf you are a Pokemon Trainer looking to make your game a little more challenging and exciting, then look no further than a Pokemon Liquid Crystal Move Tutor. There are a number of different Pokemon that you can take up on in this game. Each one has a new move, or set of moves, that they can use. Pokemon keep on evolving, so this means that you will need to upgrade your Pokeglove each time you go out on the course.You will also find a variety of new and helpful items to help you out during your course. Some of these are items that are used while playing the game, while others are useful tools that you can use to help you along with the course. The items available include these: potions, healing potions, hearts, coins, and stones. These items can help you get through the course, help you with improving your performance on the course, and give you that extra boost that you need to get ahead.If you do not w ant to pay full price for a Pokemon Liquid Crystal Move Tutor, there are a number of websites that offer these in a variety of different ways. There are several places that offer you free lessons online. This can be a good way to get a feel for the system and the game, without having to spend anything.A third option is to purchase a Pokemon Liquid Crystal Move Tutor that is offered in the game. There are a number of different types of levels that you can complete, and each one of them gives you a big bonus that you can use to improve your performance. A great example is the Vs Team Challenge, which gives you a free item every time you beat the course. The good thing about these is that you don't have to spend money to get started with them.Be sure to pick the right time to buy an item, you may find that you don't get around to using it right away. It may be better to wait until you have completed all of the levels and have the item, before you try to use it. Some people have found t hat these Pokemon Liquid Crystal Moves Tutors work really well, and can help them out when they need to get ahead. It is nice to know that the system that the trainer uses can also help the player get a little bit closer to their goal.There are other ways that you can enhance your ability to play this Pokemon based game, and that can give you a much greater advantage over your opponents. Being able to play with a Pokemon Liquid Crystal Move Tutor can be a good way to enhance your game, and will give you a great advantage over your opponents.When you are in the midst of a course, it can be tough to find a level to complete. With a Pokemon Liquid Crystal Move Tutor, you can take your time, get the rewards that you need, and not have to worry about anything else. Being able to take your time and enjoy the course, without worry, can be very important. Be sure to find one that is going to help you, as well as help your game.
Sunday, March 22, 2020
What is it Like to Attend North Carolina State University at Raleigh
What is it Like to Attend North Carolina State University at Raleigh The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Laila received her bachelors degrees in Spanish and public relations from North Carolina State University at Raleigh. She is currently an online tutor specializing in Spanish, English, and ESL/ELL. See what she had to say about her experience at North Carolina State University at Raleigh: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Laila: North Carolina State University has a fairly large campus. Its student body population was just under 30,000 when I studied there. This was much larger than my small hometown of 500 people. Such a large student body may sound intimidating for some folks, but once you make friends and get into your core classes, it feels much smaller. Because it is the size of a small city, transportation was reliable and constant. You could certainly walk to your classes, or take the Wolfline bus system, which ran day and night. Some students also biked, and some drove cars, but the bus system was clean and consistent. I never felt unsafe on the campus, but as with any populous area, students should expect to exercise caution and be smart to help deter avoidable security incidents. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Laila:The availability of the professors, of course, depended on the particular professor, but most of them were pretty available for the students. All professors had office hours that they either honor themselves, or that their TAs would honor. The availability of the academic advisors also varied. I changed my major once and added on a second major during my time at North Carolina State University, so I had more academic advisors than the average student. I didnt find my academic advisor for psychology (my initial major) incredibly available; I got the impression that he was very focused on his research, and I felt I was marginal to him. In contrast, my advisor for communication (my second major) was extraordinarily available and very friendly, so it really depends. I would suggest to any student to take ultimate ownership of and responsibility for your academic success and to make your academic priorities that of your professors. Also, form relationships with professors and depart ment staff outside of your advisor. How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Laila:North Carolina State University has a lot of dorms, since there are so many students (I lived on the 10th floor of a tower dormitory my freshman year). Of course, those with seniority have first pick of where to live, and most freshmen are placed on Central Campus to help them become acclimated to campus life and help ensure their success, which I think is good. There are also off-campus apartments that you can live in, either with friends, or with other students (many apartments have roommate matching options). For food, there are two dining halls on different sides of the campus for convenience. There are also many restaurants on the two main streets surrounding the university, as well as convenience stores on campus with basic food items like milk, cereal and of course, Ramen Noodles! There are plenty of socialization opportunities, especially during the first few weeks of the semester. A lot of student groups plan events and the university sponsors events, too. There are also a ton of student organizations (around 300), and if you dont find one you like, you can also start your own! Theres a department in the student center whose whole purpose is to support student organizations, so youre in good hands. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Laila:North Carolina State University is probably best known for its engineering school, as well as its research in the hard sciences. However, it also offers almost any major you could think of. I had two majors: Spanish and communication, with a concentration in public relations. I chose Spanish because I had fallen in love with the language and found myself very passionate in my pursuit to master it, and I later added on public relations because I enjoyed both writing and working with people. I think there was a good deal of support for both of my degree programs. For example, with Spanish, the professors were always sending out opportunities to help further students linguistic and cultural fluency, both locally and internationally. For public relations, there were local societies that afforded many networking opportunities, and also a semester-long internship built into the plan of study. I took advantage of these opportunities in a number of ways. I studied for a semester in Puerto Rico at a school with a good reputation for communication studies. I also completed three internships: one with a Latino advocacy nonprofit, where I interviewed Spanish-speaking lay health advisors; one with a state government entity, where I created marketing materials and translated information to Spanish; and one with an advertising agency, where I provided research and client support for the public relations department. I do think North Carolina State University does a good job of providi ng support and information about opportunities; ultimately though, its up to the student to take advantage of them, so dont be afraid to dive in! How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Laila:I found it fairly easy to make friends as a freshman. North Carolina State University breaks the incoming freshman class into orientation groups, so many of the friends that I carried throughout my undergraduate career were those from my orientation group. Having an outgoing, or at the least, friendly, personality also helps. You can also make friends from any student organizations that you become a part of as well, so I would definitely encourage getting involved, especially based on your interests. Join the Spanish club, a Bible study group, or an engineering society like NSBE, or even start your own group. Many students later join a fraternity or sorority, which is also a way to make friends, network, and engage in diversions. I would say that Greek life plays as big of a role in your life as you allow. Many students go Greek, while others opt for different activities. Either way, theres always something to do on campus. How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services? Laila:I was one of the students who visited the Career Center several times, especially in my junior and senior years. I found them very helpful in critiquing my resume or cover letters, and even offering career advice. I would definitely recommend that all students start visiting the Career Center at the start of their junior year, if not sooner. They can give you a lot of tips on how to job search and tell you about recruitment events. Many companies do recruit on campus engineering firms, nonprofits and international companies, so there are lots of opportunities presented to students. How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Laila:The great thing about the library was that it stayed open 24/7 (though I think now they close at 11 p.m.). If you had to study late, there were campus-sponsored escorts that would take you to your dorm. The main campus library, D.H. Hill, has 4.5 million items (yes, million!). It also has cool things like microfiche of The New York Times editions from the 1800s, a digital media lab, plenty of computers, and private study rooms. Unless its around finals, finding a place to study is easy to do in the library. During finals, you may have to look a little longer, but youll still find somewhere to study. Theres also now an additional library that has been built since Ive graduated, which Im told is very nice. Some people also study in the campus lounges, but that can be hard because they are also used for cooking, watching television, and playing games, so I would definitely recommend the 10-story library over the lounge. Describe the surrounding town. Laila:Raleigh is a city that feels like a large small town, but theres plenty to do. There are museums, the state fair in October, concerts, plays, basketball, football and hockey games, restaurants, 5Ks, trails, etc. There are also other colleges nearby in Raleigh (Shaw, St. Augustines, Meredith, Peace), and Duke, NC Central, and UNC Chapel Hill just down the road. Personally, I didnt do much exploring of the actual city until after I graduated, but a lot of students go downtown for fun. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Laila:North Carolina State University has a large student body population, which was just under 30,000 (undergrad and graduate students) when I studied there. Such a large student body can be intimidating for some folks, but once you make friends and get into your core classes, it feels smaller. General education classes can have as many as 300 or more students. The classes for my majors, though, typically had around 20-30 students, sometimes even as few as 10, depending on the course. I wasnt really affected by the class sizes, even for the larger classes. I was never shy about asking questions, utilizing office hours, and introducing myself to the professor so that I wasnt just another face. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Laila:Professor Gray was probably the toughest instructor among those who taught Spanish, and I had her for my Spanish 201 class as a freshman. I did fairly well in that course, and I even tutored others. I enjoyed her because she challenged us, but a lot of other students avoided taking her classes. Since Spanish was my major, I took 300- and 400-level Spanish courses, and one semester, I decided to take another, more in-depth course that she taught: Business Spanish. I did horribly in it! It was not any easy class, by any means, and she was an instructor who gave students exactly what their work merited. Ever relentless, I didnt let it shake me. Once I had a better understanding of Spanish, its structure, phonetics, and more vocabulary, I took another business Spanish course, also taught by Professor Gray. The second time, I understood far more, and I also utilized her office hours whenever I needed to. It paid off when I earned an A+ for the semester! I have the deepest respect fo r Profesora Gray. She remains one of my favorite teachers from North Carolina State University, and I even go back and speak to her classes (in Spanish, of course!) as one of her star student examples. Check out Lailas tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.
Friday, March 6, 2020
What is it Like to Attend Tufts University
What is it Like to Attend Tufts University The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Evelyn is a St. Louis tutor specializing in SAT prep tutoring, GRE prep tutoring, Middle School Math tutoring, and more. She graduated from Tufts University in 2009 with a degree in Biopsychology. See what she had to say about her alma mater: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Evelyn: Tufts University is located in Somerville/Medford, right outside of Boston. I really liked that the school is located in a less busy, suburban area but is still close to the city. I felt safe on the Tufts campus, but I always used common sense strategies just in case (e.g., didnt walk around alone at night, paid attention to my surroundings). There is a lot of public transportation available for Tufts students, including bus and subway systems. In addition, Tufts runs a campus shuttle (known as The Joey) that can transport you to a few different locations on-campus. It also goes to Davis Square, the location of the nearest subway stop (about a 15-20 minute walk away from campus). I dont think its necessary to have a bike or car at Tufts, though it can make it easier to get to certain places a little further from campus (e.g., the grocery store, Target). VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Evelyn: I never had an issue with getting in touch with professors, academic advisers, teaching assistants, etc.everyone that I had was very accessible, both via e-mail and to meet in-person. Most of my professors and teaching assistants actually encouraged students to reach out to them, which I dont think is always the case at other schools. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Evelyn: All freshmen and sophomores are required to live in dorms on-campus. Students can choose from various dorm options (e.g., different locations on campus, healthy living, freshmen-only, suites or individual rooms, etc.). Some dorms are better than others, but theyre all passable. There isnt enough on-campus housing for everyone at the school, so it can be little difficult to get a dorm as a junior or senior. There are a lot of apartments available for rent right next to the campus, though, and I was actually ready to live in my own place by the time I was a junior! There are two main dining halls on-campusI got a little tired of the food by the time I was a senior, but it was still pretty good overall. Tufts Dining Services makes a conscious effort to offer a variety of foods, including healthy options, and the dining halls had some fun theme nights every week (I remember stir fry night being particularly popular at one of the dining halls). The school is actually in both Somerville and Medford, two towns right outside of Boston. I really liked the location because it was still pretty close to the city without being right in the middle of it. There were a lot of opportunities for socialization on-campusI met most of my friends through running cross-country and track, but there are a ton of other groups students can join (intramural sports, various music groups, fraternities and sororities). A lot of my friends were also really close with people they met in their freshmen dorms. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Evelyn: Tufts undergraduate program is divided into the School of Arts Sciences and the School of Engineering. When I was a student, I knew a lot of people who majored in English, Economics, Biology, Psychology, and International Relations, and several of my friends were Engineering majors. I was a Biopsychology major, so I took classes in both the Biology and Psychology departments. Ive always been interested in the biological basis of cognition and behaviour, so that major was a perfect fit for me. I felt very supported in my studiesI had a great adviser and some really amazing professors. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Evelyn: It was pretty easy for me to meet people as a freshman because I was a member of a sports team. It seemed like it was relatively easy for most people on-campus to make friends, though, either through their dorm or some type of student group. When I was in school, Greek life didnt play a huge role on-campus, but they did have a presence. I wasnt involved in the Greek system at all, but I remember hearing a lot about various philanthropic activities they were involved in (as well as parties they would host on the weekends!). VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Evelyn: I found Tufts Career Center very helpful, especially when I was applying to Teach for America my senior year. I know they offer help with resumes and cover letters, hold various career fairs, and assist people in applying for graduate school and jobs. The Academic Resource Center was also a really great serviceI worked there as a biology and psychology tutor, but I know they offer tutoring in virtually all subjects. Tufts is well-known as an academically rigorous school, so I think a lot of reputable companies recruit on-campus. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Evelyn: The on-campus study areas were easily available and spacious, for the most part. The only time it may have been hard to find a place to study at the library was during finals period, if you didnt get there pretty early in the morning. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Evelyn: There is a lot going on in the Boston arealots of museums, concert venues, shopping, great restaurants! Davis Square is about a 15-20 minute walk away from campus, and it has a few good bars and places to eat (and a delicious ice cream placeJP Licks). From there, its a pretty short subway ride to Cambridge and Boston. In my experience, most people at Tufts usually stayed relatively close to campus (e.g., Davis or Harvard Square). It could take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to get to downtown Boston, depending on where you wanted to go. People would venture into the city every now and then, though, especially when there were special events going on (Head of the Charles Regatta, St. Patricks Day Parade, Boston Marathon). VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Evelyn: The undergraduate student body is about 5,000 people. I was, for the most part, pleased with the class sizesexcept for a few introductory courses I had to take for my major, classes were usually pretty small (about 15 people per class). VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Evelyn: My most memorable experience was, in the summer before my senior year, participating in a program called Research for Undergraduates. I got to do an independent research project about sexual selection in fireflies (I could nerd out right now, but I wont. Ill just say that it was very interesting!). Everyone in the program got to do his or her own project and present the findings at a research symposium at the end of the summer. We also went on a couple biology-related field trips and had weekly meetings/seminars about various topics in biology. It was a memorable experience because I had an awesome mentor and got to investigate a topic I found fascinating. I worked hard on my project and got a lot out of it (including a paper published in a scientific journal, which Im still really proud of!). Check out Evelyns tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Make Learning English for Kids Fun
Make Learning English for Kids Fun How to Make English Lessons for Kids Enjoyable ChaptersFocus on the Fun of Learning EnglishEnglish Cartoons for KidsEnglish Songs for KidsEnglish Stories for KidsSpeaking English to KidsOnline English Activities for KidsGroup English Lessons for KidsPrivate English Lessons for KidsYou canât teach children the English language the same way you would adults. When it comes to a younger learner, language learning has to be fun otherwise they'll lose interest and just give up altogether.Hereâs some advice for how to teach children 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 a ll 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 tutorsFocus on the Fun of Learning EnglishChildren learn very quickly, especially when it comes to languages and vocabulary. However, children also lose interest in things very quickly. This is your first hurdle.As you know, children that start to learn a foreign language at a young age are far more likely to master the language in a few years and become fairly fluent. Therefore, if you're considering teaching English to a child, you should do so as early as possible.Teaching children a foreign language early on will help a lot further down the line when it comes to their personal life (interacting with other people, when they're on holiday, etc.) and their professional life as they'll have the necessary language skills and know how to speak English fluently with a native English speaker.You have to use the right methods for them to learn quickly. However, the right approach is more important than any particular teaching method because if you get the approach all wrong, they won't want to learn at all!Fun has to be at the centre of learning. (Source: CAST Professional Learning)An approach that can be summarised as making fun the focus. This is a general approach for all types of learning since children learn much better when theyâre having fun with it. There aren't many people who love studying English grammar, spelling, or vocabulary. However, if you learn English while having fun, you won't care whether you have to practise listening skills, are conjugating different verbs, or are just working on your English pronunciation.This can require a lot of effort but stick with it! If you start taking things far too seriously, you run the risk of your teaching becoming completely ineffective. Children can quickly lose motivation and dig in their heels.At this point itâs very difficult to change their minds. In order to teach children English, you have to know how to carefully mix work and play. In short: you have to adapt your teaching to the child.In this article, we've got a few examples of what we've found to be effective and fun activities for teaching children English.We were all children once. Even as we mature, we retain part of our childhood. Learning while having fun also works for adults.If youâre wondering about when your child should start learning English, have a look at our article on the best time to start learning English.English Cartoons for KidsChildren love cartoons. A great way to teach very young children English is with the help of cartoons in English as it can often be a great way to get very young children used to hearing English. Theyâll pick up words and phrases as a result. Thanks to digital television and the internet, there are now so many educational cartoons for children to learn English online while having fun.Learn English (and Spanish) with Dora. (Source: Imagui)While Dora the Explorer is one of the most popular, itâs not the only one. However, remember that Dora isnât a purely English cartoon as she also speaks Spanish. However, if your child speaks Spanish, there's no problem!There are also cartoons that are fully in English. Experience has shown that young children are very receptive to English cartoons and spoken English. This also can work with adults when it comes to watching films in English. You should also know that for children it doesnât matter if they donât understand everything.English Songs for KidsTeaching English as a second language with songs and nursery rhymes in English is also a great way to get very young children familiar with the language and on their way towards fluency. Children love music.Itâs very easy to find nursery rhymes and songs in English in shops and on English learning websites. You can also use YouTube. The advantage is that your children can also see the ly rics at the same time and can memorise them more easily. This obviously only works with children who can already read, though.You donât have to just listen to nursery rhymes. Children can also sing along to any song just like an English speaker would. Most songs and nursery rhymes are very repetitive and designed for people to sing along with them. They can also help children to improve their pronunciation. Children will eventually learn the songs off by heart because listening and singing songs engages their memory. By teaching them English and music at the same time, youâre killing two birds with one stone. 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 5.0 0 (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 tutorsEnglish Stories for KidsThere are plenty of enjoyable and beautifully-illustrated books which can help very young children learn English. Some also come with audio tracks to make them more interactive. This means there are three different types of media for your children to learn: words, pictures, and audio.Useful English vocabulary for children. (Source: Amazon)If theyâre old enough and familiar with English, you can read them these stories in English. If youâre learning English, you can also use it to teach yourself a bit, too. Again, two birds with one stone. (Those poor birds...)Remember that you can improve your own English too since books for children are still written u sing English.Speaking English to KidsNot being able to speak English can be a disadvantage. If you can speak the language well, you have to teach your children English.How do you do this when your English isnât great? Don't worry! It doesn't need to be your native language!As a non native speaker, as long as you know a few English words, tenses, and your pronunciation isn't terrible, very young children will be able to gain a good level of proficiency and comprehension thanks to the efforts you put in when they were young.Question and answer sessions could work. Don't forget that for a child to improve their speaking skills,they have to find the exercises fun. If they donât know theyâre studying, theyâll make much more progress.Remember that it isnât necessary to have a high level of English to interact with children in the language. This means everyone can do it.However, you do need to show your child that speaking English is a positive thing. Your child will want to spea k English if they know their parents do, too. It might be something they stick with their whole life.Online English Activities for KidsThere are tonnes of educational sites for learning English and young children love the colourful and interactive games.Don't forget about mobile apps, either, as they can be great at keeping a child's attention long enough to learn important vocabulary and grammar. Obviously, youâll need a tablet or a mobile for your child to benefit from this. Children can learn very quickly how to use mobiles and tablets.Apps tend to be as effective as websites when it comes to education. You can find these apps on Google Play or the App Store. Some are free while others youâll have to pay for.Group English Lessons for KidsWeâve generally been talking about teaching your own children.However, donât forget that there are also opportunities to learn English outside the family. Group language tutorials are a very good option for children learning English. You can find music awakening and music theory tutorials, too.The idea is the same: teaching children to speak English to one another is more fun than on their own.Copying the other members of the group can encourage them to learn. This can also help very young children to develop social skills. Group tutorials are a chance for young children to integrate into English-speaking society and it can also pique their interest in these cultures.Private English Lessons for KidsEnglish tutorials are also a good idea as private English tutorials donât usually take the same approach as typical English courses in school.Make sure you choose the right English teacher, though. An effective English tutor has to take the right approach, offer fun English tutorials, listen, and be patient.The less they resemble classes at school, the better, and the child has to be motivated and enjoy learning, too.The success of private tutorials hinges on this. If you think youâve made the wrong choice of tutor, donât hesitate to change them as soon as possible. English lessons or esol courses can be costly, you don't want to waste your money on ones that aren't working.Private tutorials are more effective for enthusiastic learners and group tutorials are an ideal solution for children under three. Itâs best to wait until they reach 4 or 5 years old before considering a one-on-one private tutorial. Don't forget that private tutorials can also take place at your home or at the tutorâs home, too, depending on what's most convenient for you.As you can see, there are plenty of ways for children to learn English and countless benefits to knowing English. Nowadays itâs easier to learn English than itâs ever been. Make the most of it! Learn where to find the best English resources online.If youâd like to learn about teaching dyslexic children English, read our article on the subject!
Online Profit Formula Tutors
Online Profit Formula Tutors Profit is the gain or the benefit received during a transaction. Cost price of an article or a substance is the amount at which it is purchased. Selling price is of an article or a substance is the price at which it is sold. If the selling price is more than the cost price profits can be made. The formula used to calculate the profit is Profit = Selling Price (S.P.) Cost Price (C.P.) Example 1: A person buys 10 articles for a price of $ 10 each and sells each article at a price of $ 12. Does the person make any profits? If he does how much? Solution: Cost price of each article = $10. Total cost price for 10 articles = $100. Selling price of each article = $ 12 Total selling price for 10 articles = $120. Profit = Selling Price (S.P.) Cost Price (C.P.) Profits made = $ (120 100) = $20. Hence the profits made is $20. Example 2: A person buys 6 chairs for a price of $8 each and sells each chair at a price of $11. Does the person make any profits? If he does how much? Solution: Cost price of each chair = $8. Total cost price for 6 chairs = $48. Selling price of each chair = $11 Total selling price for 6 chairs = $66. Profit = Selling Price (S.P.) Cost Price (C.P.) Profits made = $ (66 48) = $18. Hence the profits made is $16.
The Aztecs
The Aztecs The Short-Lived Aztec Empire ChaptersPre-Aztec MesoamericaFounding the Aztec SocietyEducation in Aztec SocietyThe Aztec Social StructureAztec GodsThe Fall of the Aztec EmpireNo one is really sure where the people who defined themselves as Aztec originated from. The most prominent theory is that they migrated from North America.Finding the fertile land they arrived at already claimed by an assortment of warring tribes, the leader of this wandering band asked to occupy a relatively barren patch of land, a request that was granted.What happened next is a story of violence and brutality, in equal parts driven by spiritual beliefs and a hegemonic hunger that could never be assuaged.Letâs take a look at what made the Aztec so mighty, how they lived and, in the end, how their might did them in, leaving behind a legacy that continues to be explored. MarkHistory Teacher 5.00 (3) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JohnHistory Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarjotteHistory Tea cher 5.00 (4) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ErinHistory Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ChantelleHistory Teacher 5.00 (2) £17/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AndriyHistory Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PeterHistory Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SerenaHistory Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsPre-Aztec Mesoamerica The Aztec were a fierce people but there was another side to them... Image by JoaquÃn EnrÃquez from PixabayEarly in the 13th Century, colonies descended from North America and settled in small tribes throughout what we know today as Mexico. They fought to establish dominance but no tribe was wholly successful in dominating the region or any other group.The Mexicas, a people who also spoke the Nahuatl language, arrived fairly late.Seeing the most fertile portions of land had already been settled, they convinced the Culhuacan king to allow them a seemingly worthless patch of land to cultivate. In return, they promised their service as mercenaries to the king.This arrangement worked fairly well. While a few men did the kingâs bidding, the rest of the population set about breaking and moving rocks to build their city.At the kingâs behest, the Mexica fought a particularly bloody battle with a neighbouring realm. Thus preoccupied, they failed to notice the kingâs monitoring of thei r progress â" both in building their city and in working the land.After the battle had been won, the king sent his daughter to rule over the Mexica, an act that those people saw as a betrayal. They flayed the young woman to death, presumably because their god Xipe Totec had commanded them to.Actually, there are conflicting versions of this account. Some say she was sent by the king and other specify that the Mexica people asked the king for his daughter with the specific purpose of spilling royal blood.Either way, this daughterâs sacrifice infuriated the king. He ordered his troops to drive the Mexica from the land.Their headlong flight was abruptly stopped by the sight of an eagle atop a cactus, devouring a snake. They interpreted this appearance as a sign from their gods that they should make that land their home.It didnât hurt that the land in question was an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco. From a military standpoint, it meant that the location would be difficult to a ttack and easy to defend.The Mexica set about building their greatest city, Tenochtitlan.Founding the Aztec SocietyHaving till then been nomadic, the people who came to be known as Aztec had a lot to learn about civilization and government but, because they had always been quick learners, the methods for establishing a society came easily.First, while still living within the shadow of an established kingdom, they learned through observation how a monarchy should be run.Also, while there, they married Culhuacan women who had experience in building and maintaining homesteads. These women were doubly advantageous as they could teach the next generation how to function in society.Once they felt reasonably established â" they had built homes and had a growing population, they selected their first king, again following traditions they learned from the Culhuacan.That all sounds a bit idyllic but make no mistake: there was no peaceful coexistence between neighbouring realms.Constant fighti ng among them â" for riches and political dominance whetted the Aztec appetite for blood and demonstrated their ability to draw it.After several such skirmishes, neighbouring states Texcoco and Tlacopan joined forces with Tenochtitlan to form a triple alliance; a military rule that dominated the Valley of Mexico.Now with allies firmly established, civilisation could thrive! The Aztec calendar was widely used throughout Mesoamerica Image by Dieter Martin from Pixabaydivisions were not set in stone. For instance, if the child of a commoner displayed a particularly high aptitude in a given subject, s/he would be sent to the ânobleâ school.Young children would be educated in the home; females by their mothers and males by their fathers.This training followed traditional gender roles: boys would hunt, fish and fight; girls would weave, grind maize and learn to cook and care for the home.Once firmly grounded in âgender workâ, they would attend school for academic acquisition, generally around age 15. There, they would learn maths, writing, history and national songs.Their early years in formal education saw all children, noble and common, in the same classroom. In later years, they would be split up along class and gender lines.Makes you wonder: if everyone receives the same education, how could there be social classes?The Aztec Social StructureAt the height of the Aztec civilization, in the early 16th Century, their capital city was home to more than 200,000 inhabitants: Tenochtitlan was the largest city of all the pre-Columbian civilizations.Aztec society was organised into three tiers: slavery, peasantry and nobility.In the early days of Aztec society, one did not inherit a social position; it had to be earned by demonstrating prowess in the battlefield or by making some extraordinary contribution to society.In a sense, this system was a cheat because nobles had the means to afford âearningâ their position but commoners generally did not.One way for a son of a modest family to gain nobility was to prove himself a cunning and ruthless fighter.Oddly enough, being accepted as a warrior was conditional; you could only be considered military if you captured five prisoners or more.Prisoners were used in religious sacrifice rituals so it was more valuable to capture them than to kill them in battle.Any conditional soldier who fa ils to capture a prisoner within his first three engagements would be relegated to the peasant class, forever shamed. For this reason, military initiates would often band together to capture an enemy, guaranteeing them a chance to eventually graduate to nobility.Being an Aztec slave was also rather remarkable.If you had been convicted of a misdeed, you may be deemed a slave. However, you could keep your property â" your owner would become its caretaker during the time of your âsentenceâ, and you could even own slaves yourself.Slavery was generally the penalty for unsociable behaviour such as gambling or being deemed âincorrigibleâ. Willful children often entered into slavery that way.Slaves could regain their freedom after their ownersâ death if they had discharged their duties exceptionally well, by marrying or having a child with their owner or by buying their freedom.If none of those conditions applied, slaves would be passed down to the next generation.Children of the poor could be sold into slavery, but only for a set time. Individuals could also sell themselves into slavery but maintain their freedom for a while before going into service.Any runaway slave who arrived at the royal palace without being caught would immediately be granted their freedom.Learn more about slavery in ancient Egypt...Women in Aztec SocietyUnlike other societies that flourished before the Spanish conquest, the Aztec elevated their women to a position on par with men.Noblewomen could work as secretaries or government officials â" bookkeepers and administrators.âCommonâ women would not have such lofty positions open to them but they could be merchants, seamstresses or food vendors. They also had the option of becoming prostitutes â" a profession not at all looked down on.Women functioned as midwives and medicine dispensers, diagnosing and treating the sick.If a mother wanted her newborn girl-child to become a priestess, they would take the infant to the temple to e stablish the terms of her tenure. After the child turned five years old, she would live in the temple, learning the rituals and keeping it clean.That must have been a tremendous job, considering the number of sacrifices each temple conducted! The feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl, is a prominent god in the Mesoamerican pantheon Image by Rodrigo de la torre from PixabayAztec GodsAt no time would the gods ever be ignored but, as with many Mesoamerican cultures, deities fell in and out of favour, depending on the current circumstances.For example, the gods of rain and agriculture would be invoked in times of drought and harvest but, were a conquest on the horizon, the gods of war would receive enjoy extra sacrifices.Unlike other civilisations in Pre-Columbian Central America, the Aztecs had three distinct groups of gods: some for celestial happenings, others for war and sacrifice and the third group concerned themselves with fertility â" of the land and the people.In all, the Aztecs worshipped more than 200 gods. Their most prominent ones were:Huitzilopochtli, the father of the Aztecs. It was he who showed them where to establish their city.Tlaloc, god of rain: borrowed from the Mayans, he is one of the most ancient deitiesTe zcatlipoca, god of night: generally associated with dark, evil and deathQuetzalcoatl: brother of the night god, he represents learning and light, creation and goodnessthis feathered serpent god is also very old and renown in the Mayan cultureAlso discover how aboriginal Australians honoured their gods.The Significance of Human SacrificeBy todayâs standards, any god who demands a steady supply of fresh blood would be seen as terrifying and barbaric but, to the Aztecs, human sacrifice was seen as a way to appease the gods and curry favour with them.While the Aztec were quite prolific in their sacrificial offerings, the rite did not initiate with them but with the Incan empire.Nevertheless, sacrificial rites took on a new significance for the Aztecs; it is estimated that more than 10,000 people âmet the godsâ each year.The Aztec had gods aplenty and they each must be regularly fed. That was only one reason for sacrificing.Others include offerings for beneficial outcomes in trade or military engagement, and, strangely enough, for political reasons.The Aztec were relatively small in number. If they demonstrated their ruthlessness in such a public manner, surrounding tribes would be too scared to attack them. Besides, at the height of the empire, the Aztecs were collecting tributes from all of the neighbouring cities.Rather than offer one of their own for sacrifice, it was not uncommon for one village to kidnap a few people from the neighbouring village and hand them over to the Aztecs for sacrifice.In all, this clever ploy kept surrounding cities from banding together and attacking the Aztecs all while providing them with a sufficient number of sacrifices to keep their gods appeased.Oddly, that makes sense. What is a bit harder to understand and condone is child sacrifices.Scholars believe that, for the most part, those being sacrificed were drugged beforehand so that they would be easier to control. It is possible that being drugged made the ensuing agony a little more bearable.On the other hand, children were made to cry before being sacrificed because it was thought that their tears would moisten the earth, compelling their rain god to pour down his bounty.If the child would not cry on his/her own, the priests might rip out a few fingernails. Once the tears started flowing, it was âon with the show!â.How were children treated in ancient Greece? The Aztecs discovered the abandoned ruins of Teotihuacan and claimed the territory Image by jjnanni from PixabayThe Fall of the Aztec EmpireThe Aztec empire lasted just under 100 years: from 1428 to 1521. In that time, they established a remarkable civilisation that may have endured for centuries more had it not been for Hernan Cortes.They built magnificent structures to worship their gods, palaces and fine homes for nobility to live in, and fertile fields to grow crops.One of their most remarkable agrarian accomplishments, chinampas, produced enough grain and plants to feed the entire population.These floating gardens measured about 300 feet in length and 30 in width. They were crafted by weaving sticks together to form a raft. On that raft was piled mud and silt until it sunk about three feet.Anchoring those rafts to trees, they were then able to plant enough to sustain the entire population.The Aztec calendar became the standard of Mesoamerican civilizations.This solar calendar wa s based on a 365-day cycle and a ritual cycle of 260 days. The Aztec religion depended on their calendars for rites and sacrifice events.Much of Aztec culture and poetry was recorded in a series of books or codices.Did the ancient Mesopotamians also maintain a codex library?Each one tells a story of some aspect of the life of the Aztec people â" religious, military, agricultural... some are historical accounts of events during and after the arrival of the Spaniards.The death knell sounded for the Aztec empire not on the shores of Lake Texcoco but on the Yucatan peninsula: it was there that Spanish forces arrived from Cuba, on a reconnaissance mission.After returning there, Spanish governor Velasquez ordered a much larger delegation to sail. Their orders were to claim the land for the crown and reap whatever riches could be had.Not only did Cortes bring a fighting force, he and his men brought diseases the Aztec had no immunity to.Much of the population succumbed to smallpox and inf luenza and a substantial number were massacred by the Spaniards. Still, the Aztecs did not give up.A nephew of Montezuma, the recently-murdered emperor, claimed the throne and drove the invaders out. Undaunted, Cortes joined forces with another of the Aztec rivals, stormed the city for the third time and defeated the Aztecs for once and for all.Upon his victory, he and his troops rased Tenochtitlan. Out of its ruins, he built Mexico City, which became the European centre of the New World.Still, Mexico has not forgotten her Aztec heritage; the scene of the eagle atop a cactus devouring a snake - the vision that compelled the Aztecs to settle in that region is emblazoned on their flag for all to see.Aztecs were poets, artists, intellectuals and amazing engineers. They were also brilliant military strategists, ruthless fighters and hostage to a band of bloodthirsty gods.It seems a shame that they are more remembered for their negative aspects than their marvelous ones.Now join the disc ussion: how do other ancient civilizations compare with the Aztec?
Volunteer With HEART Chris Brown - Heart Math Tutoring
Volunteer With HEART Chris Brown - Heart Math Tutoring Volunteer With HEART: Chris Brown Volunteer With HEART: Chris Brown April 15, 2015 Chris Brown tutors a first grader and a third grader at Highland Renaissance Academy in NoDa. Chris started in September after learning about the opportunity through the Volunteer Portal at Bank of America, where he works. Bank of America is one of our Community Partners. Why do you volunteer? âI have always enjoyed volunteering. From talking with friends who work with Teach for America in the Charlotte area, I knew how much help was needed in public schools, especially at the elementary school level. Being able to help students grow and build a foundation in vital early math skills really appealed to me.â What are some of your favorite moments from working with the students? âThere have really been so many, but a couple that stick out include âA teacher pulled me aside after standardized test scores came back and showed me the enormous improvement one of the students I work with had made. That was great in itself, but, as we were walking to the tutoring room, the student shared the news with me as well. I could tell how proud and happy he was. It was so awesome to not only see the student improve, but also to see his growing self confidence. âHeart holds a luncheon before winter break and again at the end of the school year. The luncheon allows the tutors to interact with parents and to celebrate the studentsâ hard work. Both students who I tutor expressed how much they enjoyed spending time outside the classroom with the volunteers and having their parents meet us. A couple months later, one student brought the luncheon up again and told me it was his favorite day of school ever. It really put into perspective how much it means to the kids for the volunteers to take a couple hours out of the work week to help them and to spend some time talking with them.â What would you tell someone who is thinking about becoming a volunteer? Do not hesitate and just go for it! At first, I wasnât sure what to expect since I probably hadnât worked with elementary school students since I was in elementary school. I have personally gotten more out of it than I ever expected. It not only provides a great break for a couple hours a week from whatever is going on in the office, but it is more impactful than you know. Every week I look forward to seeing the kids I work with, and I never leave the school without a smile on my face. Want to volunteer with HEART Tutoring? HEART will need more volunteers for the 2015/2016 school year! With a commitment of one hour per week, community members can help a struggling student gain the skills and confidence he/she needs for long-term success. Click here to express your interest!
Preparing for the ICAO English Exam Questions
Preparing for the ICAO English Exam Questions When you are preparing for your ICAO English Proficiency Test for Aviation donât get so caught up in the theory that would forget to prepare some topics about your own experiences in becoming a pilot. Your reasons for choosing this career, your familyâs reaction to the decision etc. are common questions in the introductory part of the test.Take a live, 1 on 1 English class via Skype to prepare for the ICAO examLetâs look at some questions from past papers on these topics now and prepare some possible answers. How did your family react when you informed them you wanted to be a pilot?My family was delighted about the decision because I would have the opportunity to travel and have a well-respected career.My brothers were supportive because they too are pilots.My familyâs reaction was ambivalent. They were pleased I had found something I was passionate about but expressed fears about the dangers of the profession.OrMy family reacted negatively to the decision. They had hoped I w ould choose an office-based profession.My mother particularly was a little concerned that I would have an accident.My wife/husband wasnât at all happy because of all the travelling involved in being a pilot.How did you feel when you earned your commercial pilot license?I felt overjoyed that I had fulfilled my dream.I was elated because I had finished my training.I was excited because it meant I could finally start looking for a full time job.OrI felt apprehensive about the responsibility of being a full time pilot.I was a little sad to be leaving behind the instructors and friends from the academy.I was worried that I might not get a job immediately.When you look at images like the one below, what emotions do they provoke in you?What do you think is the best thing about being a pilot?Did you find this blog helpful? Feel free to share it on Facebook and Twitter.
How to Become Bilingual When Your Memory Sucks 5 Flexible Strategies to Beat Defeat
How to Become Bilingual When Your Memory Sucks 5 Flexible Strategies to Beat Defeat How to Become Bilingual When Your Memory Sucks: 5 Flexible Strategies to Beat Defeat Hang on.What were you just thinking about?Cant remember, huh?Maybe it was all those late nights in college.Maybe you have too many important things to keep track of these days.Whatever the reason, your memory just isnt as stretchy and sticky as it used to be.Its hard to grab hold of any fact and cling to it.You cant remember what day of the week it is. You cant remember what you had for breakfast. Heck, you probably cant even remember why you clicked on this article.So let me remind you: You want to become bilingual.But maybe youre hesitant. A whole language? Thats a lot of words to learnâ"can you really memorize all of them? How long will that even take?And grammarâ"chances are just hearing the word subjunctive gives you unpleasant flashbacks to high school Latin.Well, Ive got good news for you. Even if your memory isnt what it used to be (or if it never was that great to begin with), there are a few basic strategies you can use to take the heavy memorization burden out of your la nguage learning.While were on the topic, theres also a strategy I know of that you can use to remember what you had for breakfast. This is the easy part: To remember what you had for breakfast, just eat the same thing for breakfast every day.OK, now on to the harder part. These strategies for becoming bilingual below are a little more involved, but with some time, commitment and a plan, plus a little bit of creativity, theyre almost as foolproof.Lets begin by talking about how to get going on becoming bilingual from the very start, before youve even really begun learning a language. How to Become Bilingual When Your Memory Sucks: 5 Flexible Strategies to Beat Defeat1. Start with a 70-day Language Learning WarmupOne of the more overwhelming aspects of trying to become bilingual for the first time is just how many different things you have to deal with when learning a language.Between syntax, vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling and listening comprehension, it can feel like youre ac tually trying to learn many languages at once rather than just one.And for those whose memories could better be described as fickle than photographic, having to memorize tons of new material and worry about all these other aspects of language learning means that things can get out of hand pretty quick, and before you know it youre re-gifting your copy of Acme Languages Self-Teach Turkish 101 to your bewildered nephew.Theres a better way to become bilingual.Instead of trying to memorize a boatload of vocab and learn a language at the same time, just get the memorization out of the way first, and then start learning the language.I realize that might sound strange. This isnt your grandmas language learning strategy. But it works.It works because to be in good shape to learn a language, really good shape, you only need to memorize 100 words.Maybe it doesnt seem like having 100 words under your belt would make a big difference on your path to becoming bilingual, but just stop and think a bout it for a minuteâ"in English, the 100 most common words account for about 50% of all written language.I mean, sure, loquacious is an English word, but would the quality of your everyday life as an English speaker be greatly impoverished if you didnt know what it meant?The idea behind the 70-day language learning warmup is to take a couple months to familiarize yourself with the 100 most important words in the language youre learning, so that on day 71â"when you start actually working on becoming bilingualâ"most of the words youre seeing arent showing up out of thin air and asking to be immediately memorized.Days 1-5: PronunciationYou cant memorize what you cant pronounce, so the first five days of the language learning warmup are all about learning the sounds of your new language.Try to spend a minimum of 15 minutes a day on this. Look up a pronunciation guide for the language youre learning (try Googling [language] alphabet pronunciation or [language] pronunciation guide, re placing [language] with the language youre becoming bilingual inâ"heres the kind of thing to look for) and spend 10 of those 15 minutes going through it.Unless the language youre learning is extremely obscure, you should be able to find a free pronunciation guide with audio.For the other five minutes of your pronunciation work, you want to listen to any excerpt of the language you can get your hands on. An easy way to do this is to get an audiobook in the language youre studying and listen to a different excerpt from it every day. Movies are also good for this, as is foreign language radio.Once youve picked your listening material, just listen for five minutes uninterrupted.You wont understand anything youre hearing, so heres how you should be listening: Pay attention to the inflections of the speakers voice and try to count how many sentences you hear total over the course of the five minutes. If you lose track, just keep counting and try to get as close as possible.This exercise might seem a little pointless, but theres a scientific reason behind it: Research (for example, this study and this one) has found that this kind of listening is an efficient way to learn the sounds of a language. It will help you start to make sense of how those sounds fit together and what syllables are most common in the languageâ"but only if youre paying attention to the material youre listening to.Counting sentences keeps your focus on the sounds youre hearing.All the better if you can put in more than 15 minutes a day going through your pronunciation guide and doing some attentive listening, but even if you cant, youll find youve gotten a basic feel for how the language sounds after five days.Days 6-35: One Word a Day from the 100 Most Common WordsOn day 6 of your language learning warmup, move from working on pronunciation to learning vocab.Find a list of the most common words in the language you want to become bilingual in by Googling something along the lines of 100 most common [language] words. Make sure it actually lists them in order of frequency and isnt just a list of random common words someone threw together without any researchâ"heres a good example of what you want.Then, from days 6-35, learn one word a day, so by the end of day 35, youll have the 30 most common words down.Every day, your process should look something like this:After you get up in the morning (or as early in the day as possible if your morning routine consists of rolling out of bed, looking around wildly, seeing what time it is and making a mad dash for the subway), find the word of the day on your list of common words, look up the pronunciation on Forvo or by Googling [word] pronunciation, write the word down on a piece of paper and put the paper in your pocket.For a nice added touch, you can also draw a picture associated with the word on the paper, because visual associations always make things easier to remember.Then, at least 10 times at intervals throughout the day, try to remember the word and say it to yourself. If you cant remember it, no worries, just take the paper out of your pocket and look it up. Keep doing this until you go to bed.When you wake up the next morning, try to remember yesterdays word, look it up one more time if you cant, then move on to your new word and start the daily process all over again.If you find you sometimes have a hard time remembering a certain word or if by the time you get to day 35 you no longer have any clue what the word you memorized on day 6 was, dont sweat it. The point isnt to be able to remember all these words perfectly by the time you finish the 70-day warmup, but rather to familiarize yourself with them and get them into your awareness so that once you do start learning your language and using them in context, they stick much more easily.Days 36-70: Two Words a DayWhen you get to day 36, its time to up the ante and start doing two words a day. Keep the same process from days 6-35, but cross off t wo words from your list every day.Besides letting you move through words 30-100 twice as fast as words 1-30, going from one to two words daily when you get to day 36 pushes you to flex your memorization muscles. So once you get to day 71 and start the real work on becoming fluent, youll be on intimate terms with the 100 most common words in your language and your memorization skills will be better than they were two months ago.Days 71+Once you hit day 71, get started on actually learning your language. You might be rusty on some of the words you did during the 70-day warmup, but when you go back to learn them in the normal course of your language studying, youll find they stick more easily.Youll still have to put in some good memorization time, and you might want to get yourself a flashcard app, but the amount of memorization wont be as overwhelming as if you hadnt gotten to know the 100 most common wordsâ"which will free up your mind to give more attention to things like grammar a nd thus make everything a little easier.But where exactly do you go from here? Read on.2. Set Weekly Language Learning GoalsWhen youre working on becoming bilingual for the first time, the sheer volume of stuff you have to learn can be overwhelming. On the bad days, you might feel lost in the middle of an ocean of words and grammatical structures with no land in sight.The best way to avoid this feeling is to set concrete weekly language learning goals so you can measure your progress and have something to work towards every week. These goals can include memorizing a list of vocab words, getting down a certain grammatical construction or even just working through a text.Slow and steady is always better than fast and erratic in learning a language, so set goals youre pretty sure you can reach in a week. Try to push yourself, for sure, but its okay to sometimes err on the side of setting less ambitious goals you know you can reach rather than lofty goals that end in frustration. Youll be surprised how quickly modest steps add up.If you hit points of frustration in your journey to becoming bilingual, the antidote is just to set specific goals and not worry about anything else. The secret to learning any language is to learn to value improvement.When you find yourself thinking, Wow, my reading comprehension sucks and its not getting any better, just say, Okay, Im going to read this article and take however much time I need to understand it.When you find yourself thinking, Ive been doing this for months and theres still so many words I dont understand! say, Whatever, Im going to just get down this list of 15 vocab words this week.Learning a language is a pretty massive task, so sometimes the best way not to let it get to you is to simply focus on meeting concrete, short-term goals on a regular schedule and let the rest fall into place by itself.3. Expand on Your Vocab Learning with the Four-line Dialogue TechniqueYou can take a lot of the stress out of vocab learni ng by thinking of it not as an exercise in memorization but as a process of integrating new words into your lexicon that youre actually going to use to communicate (after all, thats the whole point of becoming bilingual).An easy way to move from mere memorization to learning for the sake of communication is by ending every vocabulary study session with an ad-libbed, four-line dialogue that uses one or more of the words youre learning.The idea is simple: Create a four-line dialogue between two imaginary people in real time, two lines for each person. But write one persons lines and speak the other persons lines. Make sure to use the vocab word(s) youre working on at least once in the dialogue. So if youre trying to memorize the word âlife,â your dialogue might look like this:Person 1 (written): Hello.Person 2 (spoken): Hello. How are you?Person 1 (written): Im doing well. How are you?Person 2 (spoken): My life is a disaster.This exercise is a winner because it accomplishes so man y things at onceâ"it helps you learn vocabulary by using it in context, it makes you more fluent at producing the language in real time and it integrates your speaking and writing.Of course, you can do several of these dialogues at a time, and theres no reason you have to limit yourself to four lines if youre feeling creative. I just like four lines because it doesnt take very much time and Im impatient.4. Dont Just Become BilingualBecome Bi-sing-ual!No, thats not the title of a little-known Glee spinoff. Its the best advice I have on how to get out of the memorization doldrums.Music is like steroids for your memory, only without all the bad health effects. Think of any song you know the lyrics to and then ask yourself, would you have memorized all those words without the accompanying music?Just by picking a song you like, listening to it repeatedly and memorizing it, you can learn a wealth of new words. Even better, because music tends to be structured in a way that brings out the grammatical patterns behind the lyrics, learning songs is a great technique for internalizing grammatical constructions in the language youre becoming bilingual in.To get the most mileage out of this technique, you really should memorize the songs, or at least excerpts from them. Your process could look something like this:Pick a song you want to memorize in the language youre learning. An easy way to find songs is just to Google best [language] songs. Cant go wrong with the best.Find a copy of the lyrics online by Googling [song name] lyrics in your target language.Choose an excerpt from the song you want to focus on, then go through it with a dictionary to make sure you understand everything the song is saying.Listen to the song, following along with the lyrics. Repeat until you get to the point where you can understand in real time what the song is sayingâ"first with the written lyrics, then without.Listen to the song a few more times. You can do this passively while youre doin g some mundane task like you would with any other music. The idea is just to get it in your head.Try singing the first line of the song from memory. If you cant remember it, play the first line of the song, then sing it back.Once you get the first line, do the second line. Then put them together. Repeat with larger chunks of music until you can sing the entire excerpt.Youll find that by the time you get to the last step, the first step where you make an effort at memorization, you already have a lot of the song stuck in your head just from going over the lyrics in detail and listening so much.This exercise is a fun way to add new words to your vocabulary and plant new grammatical structures firmly in your mind. Itll also give you some cultural literacy to go with your new language skills.5. Do One-sentence SummariesWhen youre working on becoming bilingual, it can be easy to put in an intense language learning session, then go about the rest of your life totally forgetting about ever ything language-related once you finish studying.You could theoretically learn a language this way, but youll find your language studying goes much more smoothly if you occasionally remind yourself what youve been working on over the course of your day.In particular, your memorization will go better if you take a minute every now and then to put your brain back in language learning mode and keep everything fresh in your mind.One way to do this without taking much time is to do one-sentence summaries. Of what? Of anything and everything.Just had a good sandwich for lunch? Describe it in a single spoken or written sentence, using vocab youve learned in the language youre becoming bilingual in, or looking up new words as necessary.Just watched an interesting movie? Do the same thing.Just finished a meeting? Do a one-sentence summary.Read a news article? One-sentence summary.By using the language at regular intervals throughout your day, even if only for a single sentence, youll get eve rything youre studying to stick in your mind better.You dont need to have a killer memory to become bilingual.Doing a 70-day language learning warmup, using music as a memory aid, setting concrete goals you know you can meet and regularly using new words in context with four-line dialogues and one-sentence summaries will take a huge burden off your memory and let you pick up a new language even if everything that happened more than five minutes ago is mostly just a vague blur in your mind.But even if youre the kind of person who remembers not just what you had for breakfast but what you had for breakfast on this day three years ago and what day of the week it was, these techniques will still make your life easier if you give them a whirl.The truth is that no matter who you are, the amount of memorization involved in learning a language is daunting.The whole point of language is to make it possible for people to express anything they could ever want to express, so that gives you an i dea of just how much stuff there is to memorize.Make these tricks part of your language learning routine, though, and youll remember everything except why you ever doubted your ability to become bilingual!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)