Types of Ions in Chemistry

Types of Ions in ChemistryWhen we speak of the phases and the ions, it can be quite difficult to put them into categories. Although it is true that every element has its own unique properties and characteristics, there are a lot of them who are commonly confused to the two kinds of ions (positive and negative) and they are well advised to research the subject before coming to any conclusions.The table in chemistry classes shows the different types of molecules and the properties they have. The theory in chemistry uses them as basic entities for the periodic table, which is a set of symbols of common elements. The arrangement of these elements is based on their common properties that make them similar or unlike each other.At first glance, it may appear that they are different from each other since they are both negative and positive in nature, but in reality, they are very much alike to each other in regards to their properties. As a matter of fact, all molecules in the world are comp osed of one or more positive and negative ions.The positive ions are usually referred to as the strong electrostatically charged particles. This is the reason why there are high forces when an electric current passes through them.The negative ions are usually referred to as the weakly charged particles since they possess less negative ions which makes them capable of making certain kinds of electronic devices more stable to perform their tasks better. However, there are many things that can affect the composition of these two types of ions.An atom of an element has the ability to be positive or negative as well depending on its exact chemical composition. Each element has its own unique property, which is just like any other substance, such as the water molecule. With the proper knowledge, one can be able to draw proper conclusions about the characteristics of the two types of ions in chemistry.A study of the constituents of different types of elements is very important for building the proper components in the computer and also building the components that are needed for construction. One of the major components in the construction of the body is the electric current, and this electric current is produced by the electrical currents in the body of the human.

How to Learn the Cyrillic Letters by Heart

How to Learn the Cyrillic Letters by Heart The best way to learn the Russian alphabet ChaptersThe rules of the Russian alphabetTechniques for remembering the Russian alphabetWhat are the ideal conditions for learning the Russian alphabet?Tips and tricks for learning the Russian alphabet“When you fall out of the water, you no longer fear the rain.” ~ Russian proverbAs a general rule, the most dreaded languages that cause students to break out in hives, are languages like Chinese or Russian with their seemingly incomprehensible alphabets. After all, the alphabet is the basis for most language learning, and without understanding it will be difficult to perfect your Slavic writing.Faced with this challenge, many language students opt to study Spanish or French instead, both of which are much easier to understand than a Slavic language.However, despite the end of the cold war (or perhaps because of it), the Russian language still seems to hold a large fascination for Americans. According to a 2015 survey, the top reason for learning Russian is often to meet Russians or travel or to live in Russia!In order to effectively communicate with Russians, especially if you’re doing so via correspondence, it’s essential for any English speaker to begin by learning the Cyrillic alphabet. In contrast to the Chinese alphabet, the Russian alphabet isn’t too far off from our Latin alphabet, and can easily be learned in a few weeks or months.Here are our top tips for learning the Cyrillic alphabet! LavaRussian Teacher 5.00 (8) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LarisaRussian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors InaRussian Teacher 4.88 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors IrynaRussian Teacher 5.00 (8) £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EvgeniaRussian Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AnastassiaRussian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NikolaRussian Teacher 5.00 (4) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MargaritaRussian Teacher 5.00 (3 ) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe rules of the Russian alphabetThe Latin lettersFirst introduced in Russia in 988 AD, the Cyrillic alphabet is made up of 33 letters, 7 more than our Latin alphabet. Although this foreign alphabet can seem completely confusing to an English speaker, the two alphabets do share some commonalities - for example, the Russian language is also made up of vowels and consonants.Fiodor Dostoïevski, Léon Tolstoï, Alexandre Pouchkine, Nicolas Gogol … Russia has been home to many famous authors! By learning the language, you can also read their works in the original form!In the Cyrillic alphabet, there are 7 letters which come from the Latin Alphabet:A - pronounced ‘A’,E - pronounced ‘Yé’,3 - pronounced ‘Zé’,K - pronounced ‘K’,M - pronounced ‘M’,O - pronounced ‘O’,T - pronounced ’T’.However, there are also several letters which look a bit like letters from the Latin alphabet, but which aren’t (there’s one th at resembles an H) - be careful!These letters are Russian letters and aren’t pronounced at all the same as their Latin cousins. When you’re studying, you need to be cautious of false cognates and forget about your native language.It’s a good idea, when learning the Cyrillic alphabet, to start with these 7 letters, which as well as being common, will be easy for you to learn than the other Russian letters!By learning to read in Russian, you’ll be able to discover a host of Russian authors in their native language.The Greek lettersEvery year, many classics students choose to learn ancient Greek in college. Although the language is considered ‘dead’, its letters live on in certain alphabets that are still in use today, including the Cyrillic alphabet.If you’ve ever studied ancient Greek, it might be a bit easier for you to learn the Russian alphabet and vice versa!The Russian alphabet includes 9 Greek letters:? - pronounced ‘B’,? - pronounced ‘Gué’,? - pronounced ‘D’,? - pronounced ‘Ou’,? - pronounced ‘F’,? - pronounced ‘P’,? - pronounced ’S',? - pronounced ‘R’,? - pronounced ‘L’.Once again, make sure you don’t get confused between the English and Russian pronunciations of some letters (like with the ‘P’ for example). Russian students must resist the temptation to make comparisons between their native language and this Slavic language, which although they share some similarities, have drastically different pronunciations.One small anecdote - the USSR, the former name of the Russian Federation, was written ‘CCCP’ - not quite the same as what we used in English. What’s more, CCCP was pronounced ‘SSSR’ - a great example of why we shouldn’t let ourselves get led astray by things that seem the same…but aren’t!The Russian lettersWhen you’re learning the Russian alphabet, the hardest thing to do will be to learn the new Cyrillic letters, which for most English speakers will be completely unknown. H owever, this new-ness can actually be helpful and easier for students as these new letters and their pronunciations don’t include any of the temptations of false cognates.A native Russian speaker makes a great tutor - with expertise in teaching, they can guide you through their culture and all the challenges you’ll face in learning their native language. A great way to learn faster!This section of the Cyrillic alphabet is made up of just 15 letters - the letters and their sounds can easily be learned after just a few hours of daily study! It’s also a good idea to practice writing out the Russian letters to help learn them faster.Here are the Russian letters in the Cyrillic alphabet:? - pronounced ‘l’,? - pronounced ‘Yeu’,? - pronounced ‘Tseu’,? - pronounced ‘Tsheu’,? - pronounced ’N',? - pronounced ‘Sheu’,? - pronounced ‘Shsheu’,? - pronounced ‘Kha’,? - pronounced ‘?’,? - pronounced ‘J’,? - pronounced ‘V’,? - pronounced ‘Hè’,? - p ronounced ‘You’,? - pronounced ‘Ya’,? - pronounced ‘Yo’.With a good pronunciation of the Russian alphabet, the student can learn how to speak Russian fluently and prepare themselves for some time studying abroad in the largest country in the world!The Russian alphabet: soft and hard signsOnce you’ve learned all the letters and their pronunciations listed above, you just need to learn the last two letters in the Cyrillic alphabet: the soft and hard signs.Some students of Russian struggle to learn these signs because they are letters which aren’t vocalized, and so their study is sometimes reserved for students who are experts in Russian!However, it is difficult to understand and learn how to pronounce the Russian language without taking these two symbols into consideration.The two symbols are:The hard ?, which indicates that the previous consonant isn’t palletized.The soft ? which tells you that the previous consonant is palletized.Therefore, it isn’t really a ques tion of reading and understanding, but of pronunciation. In order to get a good grade on the ????- TORFL, for example, students must be able to show that they understand all the intricacies of Tolstoy’s language.In order to truly become bilingual English - Russian, you’ll need to have a firm grasp of all the symbols that modify pronunciation!Techniques for remembering the Russian alphabetCreating a Russian crib sheetIn order to work on your tonic accent, start learning a Slavic language and become bilingual in Russian, we’d recommend coming up with a few crib sheets to study between Russian classes with your professor!With a good general level of Russian, American students can choose to enroll at a well known Russian university, like the University of Moscow.In fact, learning the Russian alphabet ahead of your classes will ensure that you’re well prepared for your tutoring sessions and can help you space out your lessons, which will both help you learn and save you some mone y. The best thing to do is to break the letters down into several categories (like we’ve done below, or by consonants and vowels), in order to really master each letter.Before moving onto another study sheet, the student should make sure they’ve truly learned each letter and its pronunciation, as well as constantly reviewing the previous lessons.In order to master the Russian alphabet and its pronunciation, students can also use:Russian study booksRussian - English dictionaries (with a phonetic transcription)Online study guidesRussian podcastsRussian videos on YouTube, etc…In order to make studying as fun as possible, students can use different memorization techniques. For many students, mind-mapping techniques can be highly efficient in order to combine mental and physical elements for a holistic association for each letter and its pronunciation - by visualizing the Russian pronunciation, the student will find it easy to retain Russian vocabulary.In order to further deepen th eir Russian knowledge, students might also choose to sign up for private Russian lessons!Here, a bilingual or native Russian speaker will be totally at the disposition of the student to provide a structured framework in which they can learn the language. You can find Russian courses London wide, (and elsewhere in the UK), where the student will cover:the Cyrillic alphabetRussian cultureRussian grammarRussian vocabularyand even Russian literature!Taking Russian classes is a great way to work on your accent and prepare to travel to Russia!Study the Russian alphabet onlineLearning Russian online is completely possible thanks to online Russian for beginners courses!With a good linguistic foundation, it is totally possible to find a job and start working in a large Russian city, like St Petersburg. A great experience to add to your resume!Whether on your computer, tablet or directly on your smartphone, students can spend just a few minutes daily studying the Russian alphabet. Online Russ ian classes are a great way to work on your oral expressions and easily learn the Russian language.Electronic classes are often adaptable to any level - beginner, intermediate, or advanced. There are even apps for young children who can learn the Russian alphabet without even seeming to learn, thanks to games and fun interactive lessons.Through their online Russian classes, students can also add a Cyrillic keyboard to their computer, or voice recognition software that will check their Russian accent!To learn Russian online is a good way to learn how to write in Russian, work on the Cyrillic alphabet, and review syntax, personal pronouns, and prepositions before signing up for private lessons.Here are a few resources that can help you learn the Russian alphabet:Free educational apps for learning RussianWebsites for learning RussianMOOC courses onlineFilms and TV series with subtitles in RussianFree Russian exercises and worksheetsOnline videos for learning RussianOnline Russian class es are a good way to begin exploring the language and develop a basic crib sheet for the language. We’d recommend you learn how to write the alphabet on paper in order to work on your motor memory and practice your Cyrillic handwriting and cursive.So why not learn the Cyrillic alphabet without leaving your home?What are the ideal conditions for learning the Russian alphabet?Learning the Russian alphabet isn’t as difficult as you may think. In just a few weeks, it is totally possible to learn all of these letters and symbols which seem a bit terrifying.The Russian alphabet is defined in this way:A bicameral alphabet made up of 30 letters, created towards the end of the 9th century in Bulgaria by Cyrillic monks, based on Greek writing and the Glagolitic alphabet.The Cyrillic alphabet is also used to read and write in other languages besides Russian, including:BulgariaBelorussiaUkraineSerbiaMacedoniaIn order to learn the language and its alphabet as easily as possible, some prerequ isites can be a great help.Have a perfect mastery of EnglishIf you aren’t very skilled at correcting your syntax, spelling, conjugation, and grammar in English, you need to improve your skills in English!In fact, learning English and all the intricacies of your own language will make it easier for you to learn Russian.Not only will a firm grasp of English grammar help you work through your Russian lessons, but it will also help you learn the Russian alphabet faster.Knowing English will make it easier to learn the Russian alphabet.Like we’ve explained before, the Russian alphabet shares many similarities with the Latin alphabet used in Romance and Germanic languages.So you need to have a firm understanding of the rules around vowels and their use.Russian pronunciation is also quite similar to French pronunciation, which can be quite helpful for any students who previously studied French in high school.Each letter in the Russian alphabet has its own unique sound, in contrast to Ea st Asian languages like Chinese or Japanese.What’s more, Russian pronunciation is sometimes much easier than in English, because, in Russian, all of the letters are pronounced.In English, because the language was heavily influenced by waves of Norse, Germanic, and French invasions, the same letter can often be pronounced and used in a multitude of ways, depending on the origins of the word.In Russian, in contrast, there are no silent letters, just like in Spanish or Italian. They also don’t have multiple pronunciations, so it’s impossible to make a mistake as you sound out a word.All facts which should be reassuring to students of Russian!Knowing other languagesKnowing how to speak other languages before learning Russian and its alphabet can also be almost as helpful as having a firm grasp of English.If you already know the basics of another Slavic language like Polish, Czech, or Slovak, learning Russian and assembling Cyrillic letters into words will seem much easier for you. The letters used in Slavic languages are very similar.What’s more, if you’ve mastered one of the Slavic languages, that means that your brain has already proved itself capable of learning a language with letters that look very different from the ones we use in English and can still recognize those letters as a word.Learning the alphabet for a Slavic language is still easier for an English speaker than learning an Asian language.Learning a Slavic language can, therefore, help you progress much faster when you’re learning Russian.Tips and tricks for learning the Russian alphabetRussian is studied by many language learners around the world. Just like Chinese or German, Russian language skills are in high demand in the employment market today.There are 14 million people learning Russian worldwide.Therefore, there are several different tricks that have been developed to help students of Russian learn the Cyrillic alphabet as easily as possible.The akamoto techniqueKesako ?The Akamo to technique consists of learning 30% of the most useful letters of the alphabet in 10 seconds.Earlier, you will have understood that the letters of the Cyrillic alphabet can be broken down into categories so that they’re easier to learn.Now, we’ll go over how to learn the most useful letters in just a few seconds, in order to improve and begin speaking in Russian as quickly as possible.These five letters (A,K,M,O,T) make up 30% of all Russian texts. That means that by learning and recognizing these five letters, you can begin to read and understand texts in Russian. Isn’t that good news?And in order to remember these letters, you can put them together in a few different combinations: Akamoto, kamoto, aktom, tomak,…Once you’ve learned them, there are already a few different words that you can use:???: cat,???: so,????: atom,???: there,??: ok.Practice your writing regularlyLearning the Russian alphabet also means learning to write the letters and combine them to create word s. Just learning to recognize the letters on a computer screen isn’t going to help you anywhere near as much as writing and re-writing them.Basically, your brain has a strong muscle memory function. It’s also known as procedural memory.Here’s how it’s defined by Wikipedia:Procedural memory is a type of implicit memory (unconscious memory) and long-term memory which aids the performance of particular types of tasks without conscious awareness of these previous experiences.This is the type of memory where our brain stores information about riding a bike, making pasta, or starting a car. It’s also in this part of your brain where you learn how to write letters with your hand without thinking about how to do so.Put your procedural memory to work!However, it does take a good amount of time and plenty of repetition before Russian letters will be fixed in your brain.It’s for this reason that it’s important to practice regularly so that your brain can begin to internalize your movements. Write each letter several times each day.It’s also important to work on both uppercase and lowercase letters. Russian is a bicameral language (meaning the writing has two variations - capitals and lowercase).Take advantage of applicationsIn order to learn the Russian alphabet, is there a better solution than to have fun while you learn?Some applications offer Russian classes with lessons that include:learning the alphabetpronouncing the lettersgrammarRussian expressionstransliterationetcWhether you’re at an intermediate, advanced or beginner level, these apps will let you study wherever and whenever you want, so you don’t need to lose a minute!The apps will also help you learn Russian easily thanks to interactive lessons and efficient English/Russian dictionaries.It’s a great way for you to practice and brush up on your language skills before you speak to native Moscovites.Take your time and study regularlyThe best advice for learning anything is to take your tim e. This doesn’t necessarily mean to advance at a snail’s pace, but more to just study regularly.It’s pointless to study hard for three days and then to do nothing in the days following. Your brain will quickly forget the alphabet and everything else you’ve learned if you don’t continue your Russian classes.What’s more, you’ll lose motivation when faced with the amount of work catching up in your studies will take.Vowels, accents, lowercase, uppercase…learning the Russian alphabet means mastering several different ideas.Learn everything in what seems like just a few hours.In contrast, by working for just a few minutes every day, you won’t really feel like you’re making too much effort.Learning Russian only takes a few minutes every day.Russian vocabulary, the Latin alphabet, Soviet culture, the Cyrillic alphabet, pronunciation, writing…mastering all of these require working on the language just as if you were with your Russian professor.Be the teacher and the st udentThe Cyrillic alphabet, spelling, Russian grammar, Russian culture, transcription, Russian literature - Russian classes often cover many important topics.So in order to improve, why not find a friend and study together?Studying with a friend in order to learn Russian will let you be the student and the teacher at the same time. When your friend doesn’t understand something, you can help explain it to them.And by explaining these concepts aloud, it’ll help you understand whether you have truly mastered a concept or not. If you can’t manage to explain something clearly, that’s a good indication that you haven’t totally understood or mastered that lesson either.Working together also makes it easier to stay motivated!Have fun!Whether you’re learning Russian online, or in person in classes in New York, San Francisco, or Seattle, it is important that you’re doing so by choice and that you have fun learning the language!Tackling your Russian dictionary, Russian translatio ns, prepositions, and wading through lessons can often be less difficult than they seem at first.Motivation and desire are two things which are key to get you through.It’s important to take pleasure in mastering the basics - like the Russian alphabet - in order to retain information better.It’s also a great idea to take an interest in Russian culture by watching some of their national cinema or taking an interest in Russian cuisine.Head to RussiaSt Petersburg, Moscow, Vladivostok, Sotchi,… what’s a better way to learn the Russian alphabet and master the language than to take a trip to Russia?Going to Russia can help you learn the language and alphabet quickly.Of course, it isn’t an option for everyone, but taking a trip to Russia is a great way to get motivated about learning the language.It’s an opportunity to meet native Russian speakers and to speak to people who’ve learned Russian as their first language,It’s also a great opportunity to motivate yourself and expl ore different aspects of Russian culture like songs, films, cooking, history, etc.A trip to Russia is also an opportunity to learn to decode all the letters on the street signs into Russian words. Up to you to set yourself a new challenge!

How to keep tutoring fun for your students!

How to keep tutoring fun for your students! We've had an amazing 2015 here at Tutorfair thanks to our fantastic community of tutors and students!  We asked a few of our favourites to share their adventures with us.  Here,  Isabelle tells us what it's like to work with a rather unusual client. Isabelle T Football really isn’t my thing. Or wasn’t at least.  If I don’t hate it I have certainly spent my life mostly ignoring it. No longer! My first booking with TutorFair turned out to be with a football analytics company (and owner of Brentford Football Club), providing French tuition to two employees â€" one a beginner, the other very proficient - with an emphasis on improving spoken fluency. Particularly for the more advanced client, I found myself in a dilemma familiar to many language tutors: how to stimulate and sustain 90 minutes of conversation on a weekly basis without either one of us   collapsing from exhaustion, or worse, boredom. The answer? Football, of course - at least in part. From corruption at Fifa to the decline of Manchester United and the ins and outs of the transfer market, I have covered it all through newspaper articles, reports and perhaps most importantly, by drawing on the expert analysis of my football-mad client. I’ve certainly learned a lot. I may even have learned to like football! I can only hope my client feels the same way about his French. Tutoring is not all about long discussions, of course. Every client has a different level and every client has different motivations. Part of the pleasure of tutoring is precisely this diversity. Where one might need French for their work, another might have an exam coming up or feel themselves slipping behind at school. The challenges are always different and always changing yet, as every tutor knows, there is one constant: the key to learning anything is to enjoy it. Tutoring is much more than simply imparting information. It is also about eliciting ideas and thoughts and encouraging clients to express themselves freely. I have only been with TutorFair for a few short months but I have been lucky enough to work with some fascinating, diverse and very motivated people. What more could I ask for? Apart from a Brentford win next week, of course. Want to  book Isabelle  and learn French?  Or perhaps you want to  sign up as a tutor? There's something for everyone at Tutorfair!

The New 13th Zodiac Constellation Did your Horoscope just Change

The New 13th Zodiac Constellation Did your Horoscope just Change Tell me about the new 13th zodiac constellation, shouted my 8 year old student Miles when I was teaching astronomy to him. For the record, Ive studied astrophysics (for only 6 month though) and hosted planetarium shows in Santa Barbara. Since that time I have been tutoring astronomy to docents of students all over California. Now you can imagine how stunned I was when Miles asked me about the new 13th zodiac constellation and I couldnt answer the question. To avoid you the troubles of a similar  mute response I am addressing all my fellow astronomy tutors in California in this article about the 13th constellation. The new 13th constellation is called Ophiuchus. It is situated between Sagittarius the archer and Scorpius the scorpion. Time wise, the Ophiuchus starts at the end of November (November 29th to be precise) and ends on December 17. The astrological  notion of the zodiac constellations (Cancer, Leo, Virgo, etc) dates back to the ancient Babylonians. They introduced the system of 12 zodiac constellations in accordance with their 12-month calendar. But the ancient Babylonian astronomers ignored the fact that the sun moves through 13 constellations, and not just 12. In our time, the astronomers at NASA decided to correct the Babylonians mistake and to include the missing 13th constellation the Ophiuchus. Whether the astrologers will adopt the new zodiac system remains to be seen. But to we scientist and teachers should know about Ophiuchus. For those who enjoy reading their horoscopes they might have to look it up under a different symbol now. Here are is the list of the corrected 13 zodiacs signs and their dates. Capricorn the sea goat January 20 February 16 Aquarius the water-bearer February 16 March 11 Pisces the fish March 11 April 18 Aries the ram April 18 May 13 Taurus the bull May 13 June 21 Gemini the twins June 21 July 20 Cancer the crab July 20 August 10 Leo the lion August 10 September 16 Virgo the virgin September 16 October 14 Libra the scales October 14 November 23 Scorpio the scorpion November 23 November 29 Ophiuchus the serpent-bearer November 29 December 17 Sagittarius the archer December 17 January 20 If you have more questions feel free to ask one of our excellent astronomy tutors.

6 Tips for Painless Progress in Foreign Language Learning

6 Tips for Painless Progress in Foreign Language Learning 6 Tips for Painless Progress in Foreign Language Learning Ever stood at the chasm between language learning and fluency?Even for experienced language learners, it can seem like there are miles and miles to leap over before reaching actual, real-deal conversation with native speakers.We are here to make that chasm seem like a crack in the road.All it takes is tweaking your study regimen to get you prepared and motivated to make consistent progress.With these six language learning tips, plus a little patience and dedication, you will be cruising down a clear path to fluency. 6 Tips for Painless Progress in Foreign Language Learning1. Find Your Driving PassionPassion is the flame that burns in your heart and gives your life meaning. Passion is the source of motivation. It is hard to learn anything if you lack this. Before you do anything else, it is important to ask yourself why you want to learn the language in the first place. This why is your purpose.There are no right or wrong answers. Maybe you want to learn a language to progress in yo ur current field of work, maybe you love the culture, maybe it just sounds pretty to you, maybe it is the language of your ancestry or maybe you have another reason.Even if you are learning a language for an external reason, like a college course requirement, you can and should home in on an internally-driven passion to keep your motivation up. Think about exciting trips you could take to practice the language, native speakers you know who you could converse with or the professional opportunities that might open up to you as a bilingual or multilingual person.Once you realize what your purpose is for learning a language, write it down. This will serve as a reminder when motivation is low or when you get stuck. Language learning is not a steady uphill path, but a path full of ups and downs. Having something to remind yourself of why you started language learning in the first place is a great tool to help you get over the lows you will encounter.Remember your reason for learning a lan guage does not have to be set in stone. It can change over time. As you progress in your language go back and reevaluate your purpose. This will keep the motivation fresh and new.2. Make Language Learning a Daily HabitThe most important attribute in any pursuit is consistency. Have you ever been so excited to learn something that for the first few days or even weeks you binge studied, only to burn out and take a break from it?  After that begins a cycle of sporadic binge learning followed by rest, only to return later at basically the same starting point.In order to keep this from happening, it is best to set aside a certain amount of study time every day that you can realistically hold yourself accountable to. Blocking out 20 minutes a day is the ideal starting point for most people. It is not long enough to get bored or frustrated and it is just enough time to review and learn something new.This may not seem like so much time, but by the end of the month, you will have spent about 10 hours learning a foreign language. That is more time than if you paid for one-hour private tutoring sessions twice a week!For best results, it is advisable that you practice language learning at the same time every day. For example, you may choose to study in the morning after breakfast or before going to sleep at night. That way, after a while, you will form a habit and language learning will be a part of your daily routine.When learning your target language use your strengths to your advantage. If you learn better through language apps, make that the bulk of your learning experience. If you learn better through traditional grammar books then focus on that. Playing to your strengths will help you progress faster, making language learning more fun and enjoyable!3. Plan Your Studying Around Your InterestsFinding your passion is not the only thing that helps drive your language learning progressâ€"it has to be enjoyable! If you are doing something you find boring you will start dr eading it and may eventually give up.If you enjoy film, it is beneficial to watch movies in your target language. Likewise, if you frequently listen to music, find bands in a genre you prefer that sing in your target language. Since you already like the genre, the songs will stick in your ear. Eventually, you can find the lyrics online and translate them into your native language.Once you are no longer a beginner, activities such as listening to a podcast in your target language while traveling to work or while having some downtime help to keep the language in your ear while putting you in contact with various subjects and new vocabulary words.Playing video games in your target language is another way to practice in an environment that is adrenaline filled and exciting. Here you will have to get comfortable thinking fast in your target language.To target your interests while ensuring that you are actively learning, FluentU is a unique tool to check out. It provides authentic videos, like movie trailers, news clips, commercials and more, and transforms them into interactive learning experiences. For example, each video comes with captions you can click whenever you spot an unfamiliar word. You will get in-context definitions and visual learning aids.Then, FluentUs Learn Mode takes the video content and creates engaging exercises and flashcards so you can test how much you learned. It is an awesome way to get solid language practice that will hold your interest! Plus, the more you explore real-world videos in your target language, from silly YouTubers to absorbing dramas, the more inherently interesting your language studies will become.4. Set Attainable GoalsBeing fluent in your target language is the ultimate goal of anyone pursuing foreign language learning. However, in the beginning, this can seem like a daunting task.It is best to set a series of small goals that will eventually culminate in your main goal of gaining fluency. These goals should be reasonabl e to attain in a relatively short period of time. They can be anything. For example, you can set a goal of learning 20 verbs in one week or learning 100 new vocabulary words in a month.Remember, language learning is similar to the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare. Slow and steady wins the race! Small, steady, incremental progress over time leads to the most success. Setting weekly, monthly or even daily goals will bring you to the finish line of fluency the fastest while preventing burnout.You will also want to make sure that your goals are relevant.  You can learn 3,000 vocabulary words by heart, which is roughly the number of words needed to be able to converse in a language, but if you never learn how to put them together to form sentences you are nowhere near having the ability to hold a conversation.Sometimes less can be more. Think about what goals are most important to you. If you want to be able to converse with native speakers, you should master essential grammar and voca bulary and maybe some slang. If you want to learn a language for academic purposes, you would need to master grammar and formal usage. If you have a very specific purpose, like practicing medicine abroad, you would need to study niche vocabulary. Take this into consideration when setting learning goals for yourself and you will quickly make the kind of progress that matters to you.5. Notice (and Embrace) Your MistakesWhen learning a language, you will inevitably make mistakes. It is part of the process. If you do not make any mistakes that means you have nothing else to learn. Embrace your mistakes. Use your mistakes as tools to improve.It is helpful to research common mistakes foreigners make in your target language. Joining online language learning forums (WordReference has a popular one) is a good way to discover these types of mistakes, and how your fellow learners have overcome them.Embracing mistakes does not alway have to be about the negativeâ€"it can be positive in that you can see how you are improving. Recording yourself speaking a couple times a month is a great way to see your progress. You can also use  Dialang, a great resource that offers progress tests to track where you are in reference to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.Taking this test every few months is a great way to clearly see how far you have come and how far you need to go.6. Find Opportunities to Speak in Your Target LanguageLanguage learning is not just an intellectual exercise. It is a skill that has to be applied. In order to speak a language you have to actually speak! Conversation is key.The most beneficial way to do this is through a language exchange. This means finding a native speaker of your target language who is willing to practice speaking with you. Not everyone has the luxury of having a native speaker living in their area but the internet offers many great resources to find language exchange partners.If you are too shy or too embarrassed to ju mp right into a language exchange with a peer, a good way to ease into it is to hire a language tutor. And with digital platforms like Verbling, you can get a qualified, native-speaker tutor with a click or a tap. You can browse thousands of teacher profiles to find one who meets your learning goals and budget. Plus, Verbling uses a unique communication platform where you can video chat, review documents or images, take notes and more. It is like a personal classroom all on your screen.You cannot speak with a language exchange partner or a tutor 24/7. It is helpful to think and talk to yourself in your target language, too. Here are some ideas to do that:Do you have to go grocery shopping? Make the list in your target language.Do you have a busy day? Plan out the day in your target language.Are you taking a walk? Name all the things you pass in your target language.Any time you can think or talk to yourself in your target language will only help you practice!Remember learning a fore ign language is an attainable goal for anyone who sets their mind to it. Using these tips will surely help you on your journey to learning a foreign language easily and painlessly!

Oxford International School

Oxford International School Oxford International School Oxford International School is a newly established school which opened its doors in September 2015in Bishkek, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan situated between China and Kazakhstan.The student body is made up largely of local children with some students from a range of other nationalities.Classes are currently taught in reception to year 9 and are housed in a brand new state of the art facility with a range of specialist and non specialist learning environments, including indoor swimming pool, outdoor AstroTurf sports pitch, indoor sports hall, dance studio and theater. Kyrgyzstan is a beautiful country and is known as the home of the Mountains. Nearly 90% of the country's land mass is mountainous, however those areas that are not are full of rolling hills and stunning lakes and rivers. A historic nation with an ancient culture there is plenty to occupy an inquisitive mind. Kyrgyzstan is an independent democratic country with a population of 5 million people. A Multinational and multi- cultural country there is much diversity within the population with religious freedoms. The people are warm and friendly, open and honest with a comparatively easy going mentality. The capital city Bishkek is located in the North of the country not far from the border with Kazakhstan. It is a city of wide boulevards and marble-faced public buildings combined with numerous Soviet style apartment blocks surrounding interior courtyards and outside the city centre thousands of smaller privately built homes. Laid out on a grid pattern it is easy to get around with most streets flanked by innumerable trees that offer shade in the hot summers.This is a very ambitious school seeking recognition both locally and nationally for its high academic excellence and achievement and with school places in high demand it is expected to grow rapidly in the coming year as we add more classes including the senior year groups up to post 16. The school offers Cambridge approved education programmes for bot h the primary and secondary sections and is the first school in Kyrgyzstan to be awarded COBIS recognition.The school offers an outstanding environment within which to teach. together with an outstanding benefits package including competitive tax free salaries, comfortable modern accommodation,, annual flights home, airort pickup, visa 's arranged and costs covered by school, and even language lessons!

Why Straight Allies are Critical to the Gay Rights Movement

Why Straight Allies are Critical to the Gay Rights Movement Image from http://mariopiperni.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/gay-marriage.jpgby Mario Piperni About a year ago, a friend of mine confided in me that he was having feelings for another man. I was very touched that he felt comfortable enough to share such personal information with me. Upon further reflection, though, I realized such a reaction shouldn’t have happened in the first place. We shouldnt be legitimately surprised that someone wants to talk about love. However, members of the Lebsian-Gay-Bisexual-Transexual (LGBT) community often have to live sheltered lives, at least emotionally, due to a fear of facing judgment, and even condemnation, from the backward-thinking folks who believe love is something they should prosecute. At this point, it’s helpful for me to mention I’m not a direct member of the LGBT community. Again, this is something that shouldn’t even be necessary to bring up. Labels are still very much a concern in the minds of some. Those same labels, though, can be utilized by us straight people to help our gay friends in their fight for equality. A straight person who supports the LGBT community is known as an “Ally.” It’s my belief that the future of the equal rights movement rests in our hands. Would segregation have ended if the sit-ins were made up solely of blacks? Would women have gained the right to vote without the backing of male voices? In a perfect world, society would view us all as equal, but unfortunately that’s not always the case. A cause can gain immense strength if its supporters are made up of more than just the people its agenda primarily concerns. Whites and blacks unified in protest to show that skin color didn’t define a person. Men and women joined forces to bring about the female vote, showing that gender shouldn’t limit one’s opportunities. The LGBT equal rights movement is at a critical stage. The recent presidential election also saw gay marriage becoming legal by popular vote in Maine, Maryland, and Washington. There are still a shocking number of people worried that gays will corrupt our good-old American values with their legally recognized love. As allies, we can stand by our gay friends and hopefully strengthen their position. Many who would speak out against gays may also believe that gays are simply pushing their own agenda for selfish reasons. Again, that those darned gays are just out to ruin our freedom. We can show them how foolish they are by standing steady with the members of the LGBT community. Sign petitions, buy a bumper sticker, spread the “Straight but not narrow mindset”even the smallest acts can make positive waves within a community. We can show them that this is a case of human rights, plain and simple, with no extra descriptors needed. People die everyday due to pointless violence and starvation, yet there are those who would rather concern themselves with limiting the freedoms of love. We’re at a point where we need as much love as we can get in this world which can at times be so bleak and depressing. An extra pair of smiles at a wedding altar could do wonders.