Your Professional Field Guide to Be a Rockstar Introvert (Part 1) - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Your Professional Field Guide to Be a Rockstar Introvert (Part 1) - Introvert Whisperer Your Professional Field Guide to Be a Rockstar Introvert (Part 1) Finally, Introverts are getting into the mainstream of the collective consciousness. Books and articles are now springing up on the topic and just now, I saw a retreat for Introverts. It’s a good time to be an Introvert. The biggest issue I have with most things I read on the subject of being an Introvert is the translating all of that into practical, useable advice. If I’m an Introvert, I want to know not only “What does this mean to me?” but also “What do I do with this  information that will help me with [fill in the blank]?” Most of the time, when we take an assessment, theres this big “so what?” factor that comes along with it. With the advent of the Internet,  personality assessments abound. Who doesn’t like to hear more about themselves? But once you know what youre classified as, it then begs the question of  what good that information is to you. Even if you haven’t taken an assessment and have only surmised your personality type, what does that mean in the day-to-day arc of your life or career? The short answer is: not much. It’s like learning about the formation of granite: interesting, but does it do anything at all to change your behavior, make a difference in your career or advance a cause? Again, no. Knowing youre a specific personality type does you no good if you can’t do something useful with the information. (Like this thought? Tweet it!) So in this post, Id like to give you both insight into your personality as an  Introvert and how it works on the job. The Introvert Personality The central concept to understanding our personality is the use of our energy. When I first heard that, it really didn’t mean much to me. I’m sure someone else reading this has the same reaction. (We just didn’t connect the dots.) Energy in the context of your personality means the personal energy it takes to do something, even if all youre doing is setting in a meeting. Think about going to a daylong seminar or even a project you work on all day. It’s the kind of thing that really has no physical expenditure but nevertheless, at the end of the day, youre pooped. Not because you used your energy to move around, but because your brain was working overtime to soak up all of the value you were there to obtain. Rarely does anyone talk about the fact that your brain uses up energy almost faster than a good workout at the gym. It turns out the primary difference between an Extravert and an Introvert is how their energy is created and spent. For an Extravert, their battery is recharged through their environment or “outside” of their head. The things you commonly equate with an Extravert, like speaking more than we do, are  an energizing activities for them, as is being interactive with others. For an Introvert, those very things can suck the life out of us. Our energy is restored inside our head through more internally focused things like working on a solitary project, listening to music or reading. When we are around others or interact with others, it spends our energy. If you begin with this basic understanding of energy creation and expenditure, it starts to make abundant sense when you then start equating energy to some of the behavior that goes with it. Below is a quiz I developed to help you  self-identify your personality type. Its also designed to show the contrast between Extraverts (E) and Introverts (I). I should point out that you have other facets to your personality than just Introvert and Extravert, but we are only focusing on those two right now. Personality Orientation Assessment Instructions:   This is a “forced choice” assessment, meaning at each line, you should select the statement that is truer for you or reflects you more than the other statement. You will notice the other statement may apply to you as well, but you must pick the one that applies to you the most  between the two. Scoring: Once youve made a selection for each line, tally your  X’s in the left column and in  the right column. This should give you a good idea of which type you are. X if yes Extravert X if yes Introvert Attuned to external environment or things surrounding you Drawn to inner world or thoughts, memories, information, ideas and impressions Prefer to communicate by talking Prefer to communicate in writing Work out ideas by talking them through Work out ideas by reflecting on them Learn best through doing or discussing Learn best by reflection, mental “practice” Have broad interests Focus in-depth on your interests Sociable and expressive Private and contained Readily take initiative in work and relationships Take initiative when the situation or issue is very important to you Energized by interacting with people and speaking Energized by yourself Oriented to people and action Oriented to thoughts and feelings Active Reflective Use trial and error with confidence Consider deeply before acting Scan the environment for stimulation Find stimulation inwardly Lively, energetic, seek spotlight Calm, enjoy solitude, seek the background Interactive, want contact, listen and speak Onlooker, prefer space, read and write Want to belong, broad circle, join groups Seek intimacy, one-on-one, find individuals Demonstrative, easier to know, self-revealing Controlled, harder to know, private Sociable, congenial, introduce people Reserved, low-key, are introduced Gregarious, expressive Quiet, contained Initiating, enthusiastic Receiving, intimate Now that youve taken this brief assessment, you should be in “so what?” mode. Never fear, read on The first thing to notice is that more than likely, you had some X’s in both columns. While the Meyers-Briggs folks believe youre either one or the other personality type, I’m in the camp that says you are “mostly” one or the other. That means you aren’t always consistently behaving as an Introvert. You may have moments when youre a bit more “E,” and vice  versa. There is also a vital but little-known aspect to our personalities, and that is versatility. It turns out that as we travel through life situations, we learn we must adapt to the situation in order for it to produce the best results. We aren’t always aware we are adapting; when you adapt enough to various situations, it becomes fairly automatic. As an Introvert, we learn in which situations  we can be more chatty or demonstrative without sucking up all of our battery life, like when were  with our family. As Darwin said, “Change is central to our existence.” Which means that both the “E” and “I” do adapt, and the ones who  adapt the best the most frequently and the soonest will be the most successful in life and work. You can probably think of people whose personality is rigid, and you know these are the people having the greatest difficultly and who are usually seriously unhappy. Take heart if you are one of those rigid people! (Or even slow to learn to adapt.) Adapting is a learned skill. Some people who are particularly self-aware pick up adaptation skills very naturally. For the rest of us, we can learn to adapt. What you may have thought was the domain of some very lucky people is now yours, should you choose to do so. I’m going to really dive deep into adaptations, but first, it’s important to dispel some Introvert myths. Myths and Misconceptions 1. Social Anxiety Is Part of the Introvert  Personality When it comes to our personality type, there are a lot of notions attached to it that aren’t entirely correct. What I’m speaking of is when you hear any of the following traits: Shy Anti-social Dislikes people Reclusive If you take Webster’s definition of an Introvert, those things are certainly characteristics you could include. Webster’s definition and synonyms: Reserved and shy Turned in upon itself: marked by being wholly or predominantly concerned with and interested in ones own mental life Bashful, coy, demure, modest, diffident, retiring, sheepish When people speak broadly about Introverts as  shy and antisocial, they aren’t entirely correct. There are other things going on with a person besides  their personality. Usually a shy person suffers from social anxiety and may be systemic to being Anti-Social. So, yes, you could attach those elements to the word Introvert, but not to the personality of Introvert. This may be a bit of a fine distinction, but I think it is a distinction worth noting. I point  this out is because your personality is a given, just like your eye color. Social anxiety is developed for a variety of reasons and is something that can be reduced with focus and professional help. You can’t change your personality, but like social anxiety, if you have problems with your behavior that are  driven by your personality, you can make some adaptations or changes to improve your situation. In other words, both the issues that stem from  Social Anxiety and the issues that stem from the Introvert personality have solutions, but they are different. There are many other mental health diagnoses that have these characteristics. I think that like many things, when you start seeing the more extreme examples of behavior, you aren’t talking about a personality as much as you’re talking about a disorder. My point is that some people mistakenly think if youre an Introvert, it’s a problem or something that needs to be fixed. If it’s your personality you need to appreciate that there is nothing wrong with you. If youre suffering from  social anxiety and it’s impacting your life, you may want a professional to help you. It’s interesting, if not slightly unfortunate that no other MBTI personality seems to have the baggage associated with them that  Introverts do. Oh well. 2. Introverts Cant Perform in Some Professional Occupations This  myth really bothers me, especially as a career coach. Granted, there are some occupations Introverts  may be more drawn to, but I’ve seen highly successful Introverts in all occupations. I’ve seen them  as managers, leaders, sales people, actors, teachers, doctors and police.  An array of Introverts are captains of industry, including Warren Buffet and Bill Gates. President Obama, who is at the highest post politically in the US, is also an Introvert. There is simply no merit to the myth that we can’t be successful in all jobs. It’s just not true. To summarize, there is no right or wrong when it comes to personality type, and theres certainly nothing wrong with being an Introvert. Unfortunately, the word Introvert itself does seem to have “problems” associated with it, but I guess that is our burden to bear. Now that you know a little about how being an Introvert affects you in the workplace, stay tuned for next weeks post in which well discuss how you can change or adapt your Introvert tendencies for better career success. Go to top What does being an Introvert mean to  you? Share your thoughts in the comments! Image:  Flickr Do you know what your next career step is?   Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable.   Get your copy now and start your action plan today: CLICK HERE Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleash your professional potential.

French Grammar Rules Conjugating Verbs in Le Futur Tense

French Grammar Rules Conjugating Verbs in Le Futur Tense Suzy S. French verbs come in many tenses. Lucky for you, French tutor  Carol Beth L.  is back with a lesson on conjugating verbs in the future tense So you know how to conjugate regular verbs and some irregular verbs in le présent. You are also familiar with the passé composé, and maybe even the imparfait. But when youre speaking French, you dont just need to talk about what you did yesterday and today. You also need to talk about what you will do tomorrow! Among French verb tenses, le futur best fits the description. The formation of le futur is relatively straightforward for all three major categories of regular verbs. The same set of endings can be applied consistently across the board: Je  ____-ai Tu  ____-as Il, elle, on  ____-a Nous  ____-ez Vous  ____-ons Ils, elles  ____-ont For regular -er and -ir verbs, take the entire infinitive form of the verb (the same form youll typically find in a dictionary), and add the appropriate ending. Le futur of manger (to eat) Je mangerai Tu mangeras Il/elle/on mangera Nous mangerons Vous mangerez Ils/elles mangeront Le futur of finir (to finish) Je finirai Tu finiras Il/elle/on finira Nous finirons Vous finirez Ils/elles finiront Once the appropriate ending is added, place the correct form of the verb in context. Je finirai mes devoirs ce soir. I will finish my homework tonight. À partir de demain, je mangerai plus de fruits et de legumes frais. Starting tomorrow, I will eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. For regular -re verbs, remove the final -e and add the same endings above listed above. Le futur of rendre (to return) Je rendrai Tu rendras Il/elle/on rendra Nous rendrons Vous rendrez Ils/elles rendront One advantage of using the future tense with -re verbs is that many of the irregular -re verbs act regular in the future tense. This includes mettre (to put or place), croire (to believe), boire (to drink), and connaître (to know or be familiar with). Once you have determined the verbal form to use in the future, like the previous forms, insert it into your sentence: Tu rendras ton livre a la bibliothèque demain? You will return your book to the library tomorrow? Many irregular verbs have irregular roots in le futur. A few of the most common include: aller ? ir- être ? ser- avoir ? aur- faire ? fer- savoir ? saur- venir ? viendr- revenir ? reviendr- tenir ? tiendr- voir ? verr- revoir ? reverr- devoir ? devr- In context, you might say (or hear someone else say): Cet été, nous serons des étudiants parfaits! This summer, we will be perfect students! Vous aurez froid sans manteau. You will be cold without a jacket. Ils reviendront bientôt. They will come back soon. As a side note, in English, we can also express future events by using the verb “to go.” For example, you might hear someone say, “Im going to do my homework later tonight.” This format works as an alternate future form in French, as well. Simply conjugate the verb aller in the present tense, and then add linfinitif of the verb you need to put into the future. Je vais voir un film ce weekend. Im going to see a movie this weekend. On va étudier ensemble demain. We are going to study together this weekend. This is a relatively simple format to incorporate when speaking, because it is so similar to English â€" for many people, even easier than adding the futur endings. However,  le futur is relatively simple, too; and with the complexities of some French verbs, it is a very useful addition to your linguistic toolbox! Carol Beth L. teaches  French lessons in San Francisco, CA. She has her Masters in French language education from the Sorbonne University in Paris and has been teaching since 2009.  Learn more about Carol Beth here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by  Elliot Gilfix

Learn to Speak Italian with Ease

Learn to Speak Italian with Ease Italian Lessons: How Can You Learn Italian Easily? ChaptersHow Can You Learn Italian Easily and quickly? A Choice for the Future!Easy Italian: Where Can You Learn Italian in the UK?Speaking Italian When You Already Speak EnglishLearning Italian as a Second Language at SchoolIs Italian an Easy Language to Learn? Films Can Help!Easy Italian: Learning the Language with TVLearn Italian with CartoonsReading in Italian. It Can Be Easier than You Think!Learn Italian with Italian Music!How Can You Learn Italian On-line?The UK and Italy have more in common than you might think. For one, you can find plenty of Roman ruins in both countries. There are also few friendly sporting rivalries between the two countries when it comes to football and rugby.There are around an estimated 200,000 people who speak Italian as their mother tongue in the UK and around 30,000 British nationals live in Italy. Somewhere between 4 and 5 million Brits visit Italy every year and around 1 million Italians come to the UK.There are also plenty of words in both Italian and English that share a common history which can help make learning Italian that bit simpler.When you learn a language, it’s rarely easy in the beginning. However, there are a few tips and tricks that can help you quickly improve your level in Italian.If you’re interested, we have a few of them in this article.Most students tend to ask the same set of questions:How can you learn an Italian accent?How can you learn Italian quickly and easily?How can you learn Italian quickly and easily?How can you learn basic Italian?How can you learn Italian quickly and remember it in years to come?How can you translate Italian?How can you buy from Italian websites?How can you learn to speak Italian for free?Which are the best Italian courses? DanielaItalian Teacher 5.00 (9) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LuciaItalian Teacher 5.00 (4) £17/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarilùItalian Teacher 5.00 (8) £22/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarcoItalian Teache r £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AntonellaItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £14/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GiusyItalian Teacher 5.00 (3) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EnricoItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FedericaItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsHow Can You Learn Italian Easily and quickly? A Choice for the Future!Guidance counsellors, head teachers, and teachers will all tell you how valuable learning a language like Chinese, Russian, or Spanish will be in the future and they’re not wrong. Language learning is really important! However, there are also so many people starting to take up these languages that when they master them, there’ll be tonnes of people who speak them.Make a list of your goals for learning Italian. (Source: pixabay.com)Why not look a little closer to home than Russia and China and focus on Italian?  While it’s not the foreign language every one’s talking about, it could be a lucrative choice for the future!  Sceptical?We understand. Italy was hit hard by the recession, after all.  Its unemployment rate still remains one of the highest in Europe. However, it’s also the Eurozone’s 3rd-largest national economy.While everyone talks about Germany and France, you can’t overlook Italy. There are a lot of fields in which Italy excels including:BankingFashionLuxury goodsTourismAgricultureCateringDesignAs we said earlier, millions of Brits visit Italy every year. With nearly 5 million British nationals going a year, Italy remains a popular destination. Most Italians visit London in the UK.With this massive cultural exchange taking place on a daily basis, you can start to see why learning the Italian language could be a huge advantage.Businesses are looking for employees who can speak foreign languages beyond a few words and phrases and Italian is one of the lesser-known languages in demand.Easy Italian: Where Can You Lea rn Italian in the UK?Where can you easily learn Italian in the UK?  This is an important question to consider if you want to start talking Italian today.You probably won’t be surprised that most “Britalians” can be found in the capital. However, other cities with large Italian populations include Manchester, Bedford, and Glasgow. These are probably the best places to find a native tutor. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any Italians anywhere else in the country.There are also decent numbers of Italians in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Southampton, and Newcastle.Of course, Italy is the best place to learn Italian. (Source: pixabay.com)That doesn’t mean if you live in a village with no Italians that you can’t learn Italian. In fact, there are plenty of Italian tutors and Italian night classes available up and down the country. Don't forget that in this day and age, you can also learn Italian online. There are plenty of online resources for anyone interested in lea rning a new language.If you’re living in a small village, you could always consider taking to the Internet and finding a webcam tutor who can teach you Italian over Skype.While Italian tutorials and courses aren’t as commonplace as languages like Spanish and Chinese, that doesn’t mean they’re impossible to find. You just need to know where to look for them.If you live in a university town, you can contact language departments at the university who will either offer their own courses or maybe put you in contact with a qualified tutor.This type of teaching is usually more academic than a coffee and a chat and will also probably cost you more, too.Private tutorials through platforms like Superprof are the first places you should check if you’re happy to pay for your tutorials. You can find both qualified and native tutors near you or on-line.As you can see, there’s a solution for everyone, no matter where you are in the UK.Speaking Italian When You Already Speak EnglishIt†™s human nature to want to learn something as quickly as possible with the least amount of effort. However, don’t run before you can walk.Italian can be tricky, despite how much of its vocabulary shares common ancestors with English vocabulary. Conjugations can be a pain, for example. Get ready for verb tables!With that said, it is possible to make learning Italian for beginners easier.  As we said before, the vocabulary shares similar roots.If you listen to certain Italian words, you can probably guess what they mean.  This means that nobody really starts learning Italian from scratch.You’ve already a rudimentary understanding of the roots of a large number of Italian words.Italian food has given English a lot of words. (Source: pixabay.com)The pronunciation can be a bit tricky at first. The letter “c” sometimes being pronounced like “ch” and the letter “g” being pronounced like “j”, for example. However, most of the other letters won’t hold too many surprises .There are also tonnes of Italian words in English that are commonly used.paparazzia cappellaciaograffitighettoal dentebravofiascoYou see? There are a number of Italian words you already knew! Then you just need to learn a few basic phrases: “Buongiorno” (Hello), “Buona sera” (Good evening), “Grazie Mille” (Thank you very much), “Prego” (You’re welcome), “Per favore” (Please), “Tutto va bene” (Everything’s fine), “Basta!” (Enough!), “Arrivederci” (Goodbye), etc.Once you’ve got these down, you’re ready to start really learning Italian!Learning Italian as a Second Language at SchoolWith foreign languages no longer compulsory at GCSE, there has been a drop in students taking them. However, this could be to your benefit as you’ll be more highly sought after if you take Italian lessons at school.There are even fewer students taking languages at A Level and as a degree. Nowadays, a large number of students taking a language A Level are those who a lready speak the language as their mother tongue.Spanish is the only language in the UK that has seen more students taking it as a subject. Fewer students are studying French and German as well.  For one, if you choose to take Italian, you’ll definitely be in a small class.  This means your teacher can focus more on you and you can get the most out of every class.Furthermore, the British Council rates Italian more important for Britain’s future than Russian. DanielaItalian Teacher 5.00 (9) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LuciaItalian Teacher 5.00 (4) £17/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarilùItalian Teacher 5.00 (8) £22/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarcoItalian Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AntonellaItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £14/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GiusyItalian Teacher 5.00 (3) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EnricoItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FedericaItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsIs Italian an Easy Language to Learn? Films Can Help!La Dolce VitaFederico Fellini’s masterpiece is considered one of Italian cinema’s most important works. It follows Marcello Rubini’s quest for happiness in Rome and is great for students learning Italian.There are plenty of recognisable Italian landmarks in film. (Source: pixabay.com)In fact, the film covers his long journey through the Italian capital, showing off the city’s beautiful architecture in the process.This film was so successful for Italian cinema that Rome earned the nickname “Hollywood on the Tiber”.Why not learn Italian and discover Italian cinematic culture, too?GomorrahThe 2008 film directed by Matteo Garrone covers the story of 6 people involved in organised crime. It won the Canne Film Festival’s Grand Prix du Jury and was made into a TV series in 2014.Gomorrah is one of the most important Italian films and recei ved favourable reviews as well as doing well at the box office. Italian students can also learn more about the aesthetics of Italian cinema as well as some of the expressions used in modern Italian.It’s worth a watch before you go to Italy!Easy Italian: Learning the Language with TVCorleoneCorleone is a biographical series that covers the life of Salvatore Riina, better known as Toto Riina, who was a member of the Sicilian Mafia.Viewers can relive the adventures of Toto Riina including his arrest by the Italian police while also taking in the beautiful sights of Sicily.Italy is a beautiful backdrop for visual media. (Source: pixabay.com)Corleone is especially important for anyone going to Sicily since the show takes place in Sicilian, the language spoken in and around Sicily.Having a knowledge of the minority languages in Italy would look great on your CV, wouldn’t it?I CesaroniI Cesaroni is an Italian series that came out in 2006 starring Claudio Amendola and Elena Sofia Ricci. The series was inspired by the Spanish show Los Serrano. You can follow the woes of Giulio and Lucia, two lovers who end up living together and bringing their children with them.The series was hugely successful in Italy. It takes place in the Garbatella area of Rome. Learners of Italian can learn more about everyday Italian life as well as Italian used at home.Learn Italian with CartoonsPinocchioEveryone knows the story of Pinocchio, the puppet who wanted to be a real boy, thanks to the famous Disney adaptation.However, Enzo Alo, the director of the Italian version, didn't like the Hollywood version so he later retold Carlo Collodi's classic story.Pinocchio is one of the most famous pieces of Italian literature. (Source: pixabay.com)This version of Pinocchio takes place in Tuscany. The colours used in the film are incredibly vivid and reminiscent of the Italian Comedia dell’Arte style.It’s the perfect film for children learning Italian.Geronimo StiltonThe 2009 series was based o n the children’s stories written by Elisabetta Dami. The hero, Geronimo Stilton, is a talking mouse and the editor of The Rodent’s Gazette. While Geronimo is a journalist first and foremost, his real passion is writing stories and Italian cuisine.While the series was never aired on British TV, the DVDs are available. Of course, it’s better to watch this show in Italian rather than watch the English dubs.The cartoon is highly recommended for young children learning Italian.Reading in Italian. It Can Be Easier than You Think!The Name of the RoseYou have to read Umberto Eco’s 1980 novel.The book, which was later made into a film by Jean-Jacques Annaud, is a historical murder mystery set in an Italian monastery. The story takes place in the 14th century making the book rather unique in terms of European literature.Reading this novel is particularly useful as you can learn about Italian history and theology in addition to learning more about the language. However, you’ll need a decent level of Italian to read the book in its entirety.  The Name of the Rose is great for those wanting to perfect their Italian while learning more about the culture.Neapolitan NovelsSince coming out in 2012, the Neapolitan Novels series has been hugely successful. The stories take place at the end of the 1940s and follows the growing friendship of Elena and Lila as they try to create lives for themselves following the Second World War.The series is even more interesting considering the author has kept their identity a secret. This series is useful for those learning Italian since it also shows us the city of Naples during the post-war boom in the second half of the 21st century.Learn Italian with Italian Music!Who doesn’t love music?Thanks to the country’s Gregorian heritage and the folklore of the Mediterranean coast, Italian music has always reached beyond its borders.Listening to traditional Italian music can help you learn more about Italian culture. You can also disco ver instruments you never knew existed like the chitarra battente, organetto, and pandero.Classical Italian music is also very popular with the piano being the instrument of choice for many composers.The piano was invented in Italy. (Source: pixabay.com)However, you won’t learn much Italian from Vivaldi or Corelli!If you want to learn Italian quickly, you should focus on songs whose lyrics will help you improve your comprehension and pronunciation. You should actively listen to songs rather than just putting them on in the background. The goal isn’t to learn about the music itself but rather listen closely to the Italian nouns, adjectives, verbs, and structures used in the lyrics.Here are a few songs that you should listen to if you’d like to improve your Italian:Vivo per leiVia con meTi amoLa gattaLa donna ricciaParlami d’amore MariùBesame muchoTintarella di lunaNon partirPer teNo jazzThe French artist Hélène Ségara also brought out the album Amaretti in 2016 of covers of Italian songs.You should also read the lyrics and their translations if you’d like to learn more Italian. You can start to learn new vocabulary on your own. By regularly listening to Italian music, it’ll be easier to speak Italian, work in Italy, or study in Italy.So why not learn Italian by listening to some of the country’s biggest artists?How Can You Learn Italian On-line?There’s more to learning a language than the traditional methods you often think of: private tutorials or lessons in school. There are other methods that are also very effective.How Can You Learn Italian On-line? That’s a very good question to be asking in the digital age. There are a lot of specialised websites and apps dedicated to learning Italian. Speaking Italian thanks to the Internet has never been so simple...You can even benefit from these on-line resources if you’re studying Italian at school or with a private tutor.You can learn Italian with just a few clicks!You can't explore Italy on the internet, though. (Source: pixabay.com)There are plenty of great sites to discover and, most importantly, a number of them are completely free!There’s no need to put aside some extra cash for some of these on-line Italian lessons.Here are a few specialised sites for learning Italian that we think are useful, effective, and fun:BBC ItalianLoecsenOne World ItalianoThese websites offer courses for a range of different levels! If you’re just starting out, you can still use these sites.With all these fun exercises, sound clips for practising pronunciation, and basic grammar activities, you’ll have the basics down.Italian lessons online are a very affordable solution for those wanting to learn Italian on a budget.Apps for Learning Italian on Your SmartphoneIf you’re set on learning Italian, it would be foolish not to make use of your smartphone.Whether you’re using iOS or Android, there are plenty of free apps for both platforms! There are also plenty of apps that have been made to help make learning Italian more fun.Whether speaking, writing, listening, or reading, there are games, quizzes, and Italian lesson apps available like:BabbelNemoLearn Italian Vocabulary - 6,000 WordsImmerse Yourself in ItalianThe best way to learn Italian is immersion. After you’ve taken Italian tutorials, discovered the language and mastered the basics, why not immerse yourself in the language? You could even head off to Rome!There are so many amazing things in Italy! It’s home to so many wonders. Did you know that according to UNESCO, Italy is home to 60% of Europe’s cultural heritage sites and 40% of the world’s.That’s a lot! And it’s only a few hours on the plane!You still have time to head to Italy without getting a visa. There’s currently no limit to how long you can stay. Soon you’ll see that immersion is the quickest way to learn a language.By immersing yourself every day in the language, you’ll notice how quickly your Italian’s improving. Whether at work, out with friends, or chatting to your flatmates, you’ll see there are plenty of opportunities to practise the language any day of the week.In short, you can learn Italian quickly and easily. Why not hire a private tutor to help you cover the basics:Italian teacher LondonItalian teacher GlasgowItalian teacher Leeds

Reflections of an Anatomy Instructor

Reflections of an Anatomy Instructor The following piece was written by Ben Gubar. Ben is a New Jersey tutor for Varsity Tutors as well as a professor for Richard Stockton College. Mark Twain once said: The more you explain it, the more I dont understand it. In my opinion, this is the bane of every instructors existence. When I first started teaching at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, I would hear variations of this quote from my students. My biggest job was not to impart the knowledge to the students, which is what every professor must do, but rather to impart it in such a way that students wouldnt become confused. One could say that is a big order for someone who teaches Anatomy and Physiology. As I pored over various anatomy books, I remembered what the course was like for me: thousands of unrelated facts, illustrations, and strange names. The best analogy I can use is to liken it to climbing Mount Everest barefoot and blindfolded. I thought of how I could bring facts, illustrations and names together into something that any student, of any level could understand. You see, I had freshmen that had never taken a college course, to seniors who were ready to graduate but needed an Anatomy course to enter graduate programs in allied health fields. After reviewing the material for several weeks, I decided upon a paradigm shift. In speaking with students and educators, the two most important traits of successful educators are the ability to relate material to students experiences, and to keep things light. To some, these tasks may seem easy, but at the time, they were Herculean to me. How many students today are exposed to some form of forensic exercise in the media? All of those television shows with alphabet names: C.S.I. and S.V.U. Not to mention all of the forensic shows on TruTV, ID, Discovery, Biography and so many other channels. As a forensic examiner, I began to use these tools to teach Anatomy. Many of our class discussions revolve around both clinical situations as well as the use of forensic medicine to illustrate both the anatomy and physiology of the human body. These are things that my students can relate to personally, or have seen in the media. Finally, the last piece of the learning puzzle was to prevent the formation of an adversarial relationship between the instructor and the students. Too many instructors see their interactions as us versus them. There is an easy way to break down this barrier. I term this partners in learning. My students understand that, as well as an instructor, Im their partner in making their learning easier and more valuable. This can be done by the use of various methods. Firstly, by making myself available to my students. When one perceives their instructor as approachable and available, then they are more willing to ask for help. I set aside specific hours during the week for tutoring face-to-face, via college chat sessions, or Skype. I also make time on a daily basis to check my college email account to field questions that need immediate attention. Students learn by employing various methods. They can be visual learners, auditory learners, kinesthetic learners, or any combination of the three. A cursory search of the web reveals the materials necessary to adjust teaching techniques to any type of learner. By the use of available video presentations (instructional and entertainment related), or other materials such as mind mapping, mnemonics, and charts, an understanding of seemingly unrelated facts can be combined into a coherent group. Suddenly, Anatomy and Physiology is not such a mystery, and former concepts can be used to learn new ideas. Since employing this paradigm shift, my former students have reported higher levels of retention and even stated that they now enjoy learning. For my students past and present, who are pursuing an allied health career path, learning must be a life-long pursuit. New information necessary for successfully treating patients increases exponentially, almost on a daily basis. To me, it starts with a good basis in Anatomy and Physiology. Check out Bens tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Five Tips for Teaching Your Child Perseverance

Five Tips for Teaching Your Child Perseverance Parents work hard to raise children who are responsible and conscientious students, but what other qualities are important? Co-Founder and CEO, Eileen Huntington of Huntington Learning Center says that perseverance is one of the most essential traits of high-achieving students. All parents want their children to put sincere effort into school and other endeavors, but what they sometimes forget to keep in mind is that there is so much to be learned from encountering difficult times and working through them, she says. The strongest students out there have this in common: they know that success takes hard work. How can you teach your child to persevere, even when things are challenging? Huntington offers five tips: Teach your child that learning never stops. Learning is an active, lifelong journey. Remind your child that he or she always has something new to learn and that consistent practiceof homework or any skillleads to improvement. Embrace the failures. Its absolutely critical that you allow your child to attempt homework and projects independently and let him or her work through struggles and manage frustrations without helicoptering. Stepping in to fix your childs problems robs your child the opportunity to learn from mistakes. Instead, talk with your child about trying new strategies when one failed approach doesnt work. Celebrate the effort. Yes, high grades are great, but your job as a parent is to teach your child that persistence leads to accomplishments. Make it clear to your child that what you value most is diligence in school and a good attitude, regardless of any outcome. Encourage your child to try something new. There are so many great lessons your child can learn from regularly taking on new challenges, despite the unknown outcomes. Whether your child decides to try a new activity or tackle a project on a challenging subject, let him or her know that some of the best things in life come from learning new skills and pushing oneself outside the comfort zone. Talk about the importance of sticking with it. Your child should set goals and define the steps to reach those goalswhile keeping in mind that he or she will encounter road blocks sometimes. When it comes to school, that means giving homework and studying his or her very best and recognizing that part of learning requires grit when things arent easy. Last and certainly not least, Huntington reminds parents that their attitude about school perseverance has a tremendous influence on their children. Share stories of times that you tried, faced rejection or failure, and learned in the process, she says. Parents should let their children know that their success in life will be directly tied to their belief that good things come to those who apply themselves and fight through adversity. Huntington at 1 800 CAN LEARN to learn about how we help develop children into determined lifelong learners. About Huntington Huntington is the tutoring and test prep leader.Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntingtons mission is to give every student the best education possible. Learn how Huntington can help at www.huntingtonhelps.com. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. 2018 Huntington Mark, LLC. Huntington Learning Center, the three-leaf logo, and 1 800 CAN LEARN are registered trademarks of Huntington Mark, LLC. Each franchised Huntington Learning Center is operated under a franchise agreement with Huntington Learning Centers, Inc.

Listening How Books Make A Difference

Listening How Books Make A Difference Here is a listening exercise about immigration, reading, and hope. It seems appropriate with the current immigration situation in Europe. At LOI English we have lessons that discuss your interests and things that are important in our society, our world at the present moment. LOI English loves to have lessons that are meaningful for the student and meaningful for our current times. This is a story about immigration and hope in the United States. It is also a story about reading and the power of books. Do you have a book that changed your life? If yes, please tell us about it in comments. We may share your story and if we like it the best well give you a few free classes with LOI English.What did she learn how to do before she road a bicycle?Why wasnt she allowed to have books?Whats ___ ____?What does the above statement mean?What was she nervous about?The ____ you know about something, the ____ you will fear it.She ate the books? T/FHow old was she when she knew about the world outsid e of the camps?Tell us about your favorite book. How did it change your life? We will share it if we like your story best and you will get a free English class from LOI English.Heres our lesson about the current crisis in Europe.

How to Finish Your Internship Strong Before the Holidays

How to Finish Your Internship Strong Before the Holidays Image via Pexels As for me, I interned at a daycare center while in college. While my main goal was to observe and analyze behavior and then write reports for class assignments, the day to day experience with the infants and children younger than five was eye-opening and exciting. I didn’t care for the environment all that much, but the lessons I learned while working alongside adults and kids were unforgettable. Whether you thought your experience was so great that you want to work for the firm or you’re just glad it’s almost over, you’ve got one final green light before you can actually stop. Here are a few ways that you can finish your internship strong. 1. Be appreciative. Write a personal note of thanks to your supervisor and/or to the team or individuals you worked with letting them know what the experience meant to you. State one or two specifics that will show your sincere appreciation and make them feel like they have helped to make a difference and/or assisted you in your journey. You can always type something up, but handwritten notes are truly gracious and show you gave a good amount of thought to it. Before I left the daycare center where I interned, I wrote a handwritten message to my supervisor and my fellow teachers doing just that. 2. Ask for feedback and accept whatever it is. Many people don’t like to give feedback simply because most people don’t like to receive it or they fear it will be taken the wrong way. But you will only be able to measure your progress if you know how you did before. Ask your supervisor and/or co-workers for feedback. My supervisor did this for me at the end of my time. Let them speak their minds. What they say will help you become a better person and employee in the future. When your boss mentions your strengths, pay attention as this can help you present your accomplishments to future employees. If a boss mentions any weakness, pay attention to this too as this is important constructive criticism that will help you to refine some of your not so good points so you can grow into the best you can be. 3. Make a list of your accomplishments. Completing an internship is a huge accomplishment. Go ahead and give yourself a high-five or the Carlton Banks wink and gun move. While it is all still fresh in your mind, take a few minutes to update your resume and your LinkedIn profile if you have one. Don’t simply list things though. Make sure to write it on your resume in a way where you show (not tell) how your work impacted the company. Doing this can go a long way especially when you’re looking to get a full-time job in the future. If need be, consult your supervisor or a co-worker to ensure you’re writing what you did in a professional manner where another employer can understand it. 4. Network. Network. Network. Your internship experience is a time to meet new people and really get to know them. You will find out a lot about people by how they work and how they communicate at work. These may not be your close friends, but you can call on them for career advice if need be. So add all of your co-workers to your address book. If you got along well, add them to your smartphone’s contact list. Take time to find them on LinkedIn and connect there. Make an effort to check in or just touch base with them every once in a while, approximately 3-6 months. Ask what they’ve been doing and let them know what you are up to these days. When you communicate after several months of being away, consider talking about a recent news piece about the company or a new project that involves the company. This will inform them that you’ve stayed interested even after you left. 5. Make a plan. It’s tough enough to think about next week’s class assignments or tomorrow’s grocery shopping trip, but try to think about your future plans. Your internship may or may not be ideal, but one way or another, you learned some valuable lessons and skills that you didn’t have before. (Cleaning baby changing stations wasn’t in my ultimate career goals, but it did give me experience I never had.) Choose to steer your internship experience to the career path that you ultimately have in mind for yourself. If you plan to stay with a company after your internship, make that known to your employee. Just let them know you’d like to move into a part-time or full-time paid employee position and ask if there are any openings for that. Bad or good, it is completely up to you to stick around or move on. Just make sure there is a plan in place either way. So there you have it, five ways to finish your internship strong before the holidays. Good luck!

The Natural Approach to Language Learning 5 Powerful Tips from 7.3 Billion Fluent Speakers

The Natural Approach to Language Learning 5 Powerful Tips from 7.3 Billion Fluent Speakers How did everyone become so fluent in their first languages?  You have to wonder.Germans spout German with perfect ease. The French do French with devastating charm.  How did and when did they become so good? At what point did they stop stammering awkwardly and making rookie mistakes?Maybe you’re sweating to learn Russian or Spanish or Chinese. And then along comes this 5-year-old native speaker, who’s lived not even a quarter of your years  yet, and he chatters (albeit simply) with a perfect accent.What gives?In this post, we’ll look deeper into the processes and techniques of first language acquisition. Using the lens of the Natural Approach Theory, we can discover how native speakers rock their languages and how you can do the same.Because somewhere on this planet, there’s also a guy asking himself, “How do people get so good at  the English language? How?” What Is the Natural Approach to Language Learning?The Natural Approach is a language learning theory developed b y Drs. Stephen Krashen of USC and Tracy Terrell  of the University of California, San Diego.The theory is based on the radical notion that we all learn language in the same way. And that way  can be seen in how we acquire our first languages as children. If we want to know the secrets of picking up a new language, we should observe how a child gets his first. And hey, we know it works because we have 7.3 billion humans on the planet who, on a daily basis, wield their first language with astonishing fluency.The term “natural” almost presupposes that there are unnatural methods of learning a language. To doctors Krashen and Terrell, these are the structural approaches to learningâ€"the grammar method that deconstructs a language into its component pieces, and the listen-and-repeat drills that happen in classrooms.In the Natural Approach, theres almost a zen-like attitude towards acquiring a language. You’re not forced to utter words or phrases, much less pronounce them correctly . There are no endless drills on correct usage and no mentions of grammar rules or long lists of vocabulary to wrap your head around. There’s no hurry and no worry that months have passed and you can’t yet distinguish nuances in usage.By continuously exposing you to the language, to how its properly wielded in different situations, and by giving you inputs that are meaningful and memorable, much like a child’s daily experiences with mom and dad, a spontaneous emergence of speech happens.In the Natural Approach, the initial focus really is on comprehension. The crux of the issue is, “Do you understand what is being said?” (You don’t need to notice subject-verb agreement for this.)The first stage in the Natural Approach is essentially a silent phase, where nothing seems to be happening. Children have this stage when they’re not really talking. At all. It seems nothing is going on. You’re essentially getting nada. No utterance, just a blank stare. Silence.Actually, so m any things are happening. Theyre listening. Picking up on meanings. Reading context clues. Interpreting and making guesses on what is being said. Making mistakes and honing their guesses.And when babies start uttering their first words, their first phrases, their first simple sentences, the focus is still on  comprehension. But this time, the crux of the issue is “Are you being understood by the other person?” (Again, you don’t need perfect grammar for this.)Bothering with correct grammar comes late in the acquisition stage. In the Natural Approach, the early stages are replete with grammatically incorrect communication that are not even really implicitly corrected. When a child says, “I drinks,” mommy doesn’t give him a firm scolding. She finds it cute and then hands him a drink. But that child is slowly getting fluent with his first language. Hes now communicating and using language to express what he wants, and all thats happening without any direct grammar lessons.Th is progress to fluency continues as more exposure to the language happens. The (meaningful) linguistic experience stacks up so fast so that when that child sits waiting for his first grammar class, he’s already chatting non-stop with his seatmates, with perfectly decent grammar, even before the language teacher arrives.And when the lessons do come, the child is really just getting  to peek behind the scenes to see the specific rules (grammar) guiding his own language usage. All thats  explained to him is  the rationale, the nuances of communication, behind the groupings of words he’s been using naturally all along. It’s all a review of what he already (more or less) knows. The child has learned the language way before the rules of subject-verb agreement are explained to him.And that’s what Natural Approach is all about. It’s looking back to first language acquisition and using the whole bag of tricks there in order to get the same kind of success for second (and third, and fourth, and fifth) language acquisition. Just because you’re learning another language doesn’t mean you have to reinvent the wheel. The expectations and the learning curve might be different for adults, but the underlying human, mental and psychological mechanisms are the same.So in the next section, well look at five powerful first language acquisition strategies that you can perfectly apply to acquiring that second language.5 Language Learning Tips from 7.3 Billion Satisfied Customers1. Don’t Learn the Language, Acquire It.The first thing to notice in The Natural Approach is that theres an important difference between “learning the language” and “acquiring the language.” And it all has to do with the activities involved in each.“Learning” involves conscious instruction. When you memorize usage rules and vocabulary, when you memorize the different conjugations of the verb, when youre concerned whether or not the tense used is correctâ€"those are all “learning† related activities. “Learning a language” means youre studying a language, its linguistic forms (grammar, semantics, phonology) and how the different elements interact with each other. Most learning activities happen inside a classroom, but you could certainly manage to do these independently.“Learning the language” will get you good grades, but it will not necessarily lead to fluency.“Acquiring,” on the other hand, involves different activities which are, for the most part, communicative and immersive in nature. Meaning, these activities give you plenty of opportunities to listen, observe and experience how language is used. And, even better, these activities give you plenty of opportunities to use the language in order to communicate.For example, you’re living with an Armenian family. Every day you get to listen how they talk. You get to hear what the mom screams when she wakes the kids up in the morning, or what she says when she calls them to the table for dinner . You hear grandma talk to you in Armenian because she often forgets that youre not one of her granddaughters. Every day you find yourself exposed to the language. Something very subtle then happens. You’ll slowly pick up the language. You’ll be able to work out the context of things being said and work out their meanings. Maybe the dirty words first. Then you’ll pick up their expressions, then maybe the adjectives and verbs, and so on and so forth.This is inevitable. The receptive nature of your brain will ensure that.Exposure to language is big when you want to acquire it rather than learn it. So as a language learner (or rather, “acquirer”), you have to put yourself in the way of language that’s rife with action and understandable context. Watch movies, listen to songs and podcasts, read (children’s) books  and  talk with native speakers. You’re not required to understand everything. See, hear and get a feel for how your target language is used by native speakers. You can also change the language option of your gadgets and different social media accounts so that they display in the target language of your choice. You can also make your home a hub of language learning by using Post-Its to label the different objects that you use every day in the language of choice.Outsource your label-making for the most important vocabulary words by using a Vocabulary Stickers set, which gives you well over 100 words to put on items you use and see every day around your home and office.There’s so much you can do, short of going to a country where your target language is spoken, in order to make picking up a language as immersive and as natural as possible. Subscribe to this blog because it’s brimming with awesome tips and techniques that make acquiring a language so instinctive.2. Break the Rules Early. Make Mistakes Often.Now, don’t take all that’s been said before this to mean that grammar doesn’t matter at all or that you should never correct the initial mistakes you make. For sure, you’re going to do a lot of correcting. But the point is, grammar doesn’t come early in the game. In fact, it comes quite late in the gameâ€"when you’ve had plenty of experience with the language.In the early stages of picking up a language, you have to be open to making plenty of mistakes and looking foolish. That means opening your mouth even when you’re not sure if you got the pronunciation or accent right, or even when you’re not confident of the words you wanted to say.Youll make mistakes. Thats for sure. And youll have to be indifferent to those mistakes. “I’m making mistakesso what?” The world doesn’t end when you commit a booboo, even when you come out looking foolish.You’re going to have to be okay about committing themâ€"the wrong pronunciation, wrong conjugations, wrong noun genders, wrong usage, wrong meaning, wrong translation, etc. Don’t be ashamed of your mistakes, but hey, don’t celebrate them either. They re just there. They come with the territory. No big deal.A practical thing you can do is to get some conversation practice online with a native speaker. For example, on one of the most popular language exchange sites, you can Skype somebody who’ll be very open to teaching you and listening to you barbarize his native tongue. He’ll find your mistakes cute and be glad that you expressed an interest in his native language.Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. Tell him if you’re an absolute beginner. Honesty is a powerful anxiety killer and you must absolutely be honest with your partner.You don’t have to speak in just the target language. Switch to English mid-sentence if you have to.Now the native speaker will be gracious and try to correct the mistakes. Take them with equal grace. But remember that correcting grammar isnt really the top priority. It’s actually getting a feel for committing those mistakes and coming out with the realization that, “Hey, I’m actually fine! I made 600 mistakes today and survived.”I want you to be very good at this. I want you to know that it’s no big deal. So claim your absolute divine right to make mistakes. Just like a child.3. Get Exposure to Different Situations with Different SensesGoing to a country to acquire its national language only works when youre actually exposing yourself to the myriad of available experiences in the country of choice. A change in geography won’t do you any good if you only keep to yourself or associate exclusively with fellow English speakers and commune in English-speaking enclaves.But the thing is, you don’t even have to up and leave just to get exposure and immersion. You can get yourself exposed to language as if youre living abroad. Getting a language learning partner is one method for doing this and was already pointed out earlier.Another method is actively seeking out the native speakers who are already living in your area. If you’re in a big city, chances are the y already have an association you could check out. And they often have activities to promote their culture such as food raves and language meetups like  these  in New York. Attend these and socialize with the folks there. Youll find tons of fellow language learners (or rather, acquirers) this way. Knowing that there are others who are on the same journey will be a big boost.The important thing to remember is that, when you’re going for exposure and immersion, you should always make it a point to get it in different situations and have the experiences fully stimulate your senses. Bathe yourself in the same experiences that native speakers have. Eat their food, listen to their music. Read the headlines of their newspapers. Find out what’s up with their local celebrities. Again, you dont need a passport to have the needed immersion.If you want to learn Chinese, go to Chinatown and make a day of it. Dive into the rich underbelly of Chinese culture and youll come out with priceless i nsights, not to mention some really interesting home décor. Get into some stores there and try to ask about the different stuff they sell. The folks there will give you the time of day to explain what their wares are all about. Haggle. And haggle some more. Watch out for hand gestures and youll have learned something not found in grammar books.Get some food packs and try to make out whats written on the backs of packages. Youll learn plenty of contextually rich Chinese just by befriending the characters on those food labels.Going back to the online experience, I highly encourage you to try out FluentU’s videos. They are highly immersive, interesting and, most of all, instructive. There’s nothing like visuals, audio and text working together to help you experience your target language.4. Work with Materials  That Suit  Your LevelNobody would hand a physics book to a toddler, right? One of the tragedies that befall many who try to acquire a language is that they use the wrong mat erials for their level. When someone gives up on a language, you usually hear one of these excuses:“The audio  was too fast.”“I couldn’t understand a word in the book.”“The sentences are too long.”“I didn’t have enough time to digest what my partner was saying.”It doesn’t mean that the language is too hard or the person is too slow. They  didn’t stand a chance because the materials they  got exposed to were too advanced to be remotely meaningful to them at that stage of learning. It became gibberish and had no place in the memory to be anchored in.The tragedy is that this person would have been perfectly able to acquire the language had they been using materials that were more approachable for them. For example, that’s why we start beginners with children’s booksâ€"where the target language is in bold, capital, colorful letters, where the sentences are simple and where pictures help the folks figure out meaning.For exposure to be meaningful, it should be in the general area of the learner’s competency. For example, it should be easy enough so that a reader already understands at least 50% of the words in the sentences. (The remaining 50% is the room where the learner grows.)Imagine a mountain climber ascending a steep rock. He doesn’t reach for those grips that are several meters above him. Nope, he reaches for one an arm’s length above, while the other hand is keeping him safe and steady.So instead of banging your head against materials that prove how much you don’t know, go for materials that say, “Yeah, you already know this. But look, theres more!”Instead of challenging yourself with materials that ultimately overwhelm you, strategically choose materials that you know you can master given enough time and effort.5. Make the Road to Fluency Stress-freeThere are people who thrive on pressure. These are your Tiger Woods, your Michael Jordans and your Steven Spielbergs. They require pressure to really shine.  If there’s no pressure to be found, they push themselves in order to extract that special performance, that special shot that only they can deliver.These people arent the norm. (That’s why they get paid indecent amounts of money.)For sure, some amount of stress or anxiety is constructiveâ€"especially in fields like medicine, law and business. But in the phenomenon of language acquisition, our friend Dr. Stephen Krashen asserts that anxiety should be zero, or as low as possible.For a language to be successfully acquired, motivation must not only be high, but anxiety must also be low. Otherwise, all the language inputs we’ve talked about earlier will find no home in the brain. When a person is so anxious that they cant  even tell you where they are, much less focus on the immersive experience, no amount of stimulation will be comprehensible input. Everything will be for naught.According to the Natural Approach, pressure wont lead to acquisition. The pressure of a language test might push yo u to learn a language by memorizing plenty of vocabulary, drilling grammar rules and getting good grades, but it cant always lead you to acquire language. (We’ve already distinguished “learning” and “acquisition” earlier, right?)Language acquisition is about being so relaxed and so dialed into the conversation that you forget you’re talking in a foreign language. You become engrossed with the message or content, instead of the medium.So shed off the pressure you put on yourself. Thoughts like, “I need to learn this now” or “I’ve got two months to learn this list” wont be helpful to your cause.Expose yourself to the language instead. Watch your Spanish telenovela, eat your Chinese noodles after looking at the labels, enjoy that children’s book in French. Don’t even think about grades or timelines or milestones. Just put yourself in an environment where you can listen and read and observe how the target language is used.If you do that, my guess is that your a cquisition will move into high gear in the coming months.And that’s really all these is to it!Ive just given you five powerful ways to achieve language acquisition, all backed by the scientifically-proven Natural Approach. Theyve also been proven by 7.3 billion people.So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and be a carefree  child  again.After all, learning a language should be fun!Good luck! And One More ThingYou can get started learning a language through the natural approach right now.Just give FluentU a try.FluentU takes real-world videos like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks, and turns them into language learning experiences. Just a quick look will give you an idea of the range of content available:FluentU App Browse Screen.FluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.Interactive transcript for Carlos Baute song.You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs learn mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the iTunes store  or Google Play store.