Why is the Virtual Chemistry Lab the Best Choice for Chemical Principles?

Why is the Virtual Chemistry Lab the Best Choice for Chemical Principles?Anyone can create a virtual chemistry lab for their child or for themselves to enjoy, but many parents and educators are opting for a customized virtual chemistry lab that is specifically designed for the younger students. This is especially beneficial for any children who have trouble sitting still in school as well as for young minds that are quite overwhelmed by their learning experiences. Here are some of the reasons why this is an ideal way to learn chemistry.While most of the time the normal classroom chemistry lab will be set up in an environment that is composed of a large room, this type of virtual chemistry lab is set up in a smaller room. This gives the children the chance to interact with the other children and it provides them with a lot more time to study. Many times students will get too much focused on what they are studying and not notice that their classmates are working with the material and t aking notes.This virtual lab will allow the student to learn the material in a real world environment and this is very beneficial for the younger children. Most times in the real world the chemistry lab teacher is the one who keeps the students' attention through providing the information. This only makes it a little bit easier for the student to focus on the material when the student has more choice and the teacher is the one to monitor the students.If you are thinking about using this method for your child then you can always start with the lab after they have already been in the real classroom setting. The virtual lab may be a little bit more advanced than the real classroom chemistry because it is more advanced and not as basic as the real classroom chemistry. You may want to test them in the lab a little bit before you have them take it to the real classroom.Kids can then try it for themselves, which will give them a sense of accomplishment that they could not do in the real cl assroom setting. Once they are able to take it for themselves, they will most likely ask for another one because they are so impressed with it. This provides the opportunity for them to learn a new science as well as stimulate their interests.For most teachers, this method of teaching is perfect because they will never have to worry about any of the research materials or the equipment that is used in a lab setting. They will not have to worry about the materials or the lab environment, the students will be able to control all of these aspects in their own hands. There is really no substitute for this when it comes to teaching a student about science.In conclusion, the best way to begin the learning process in a lab setting is with a virtual lab that is used to help the student learn the concepts of chemistry. This method provides the students with a taste of the classroom setting and allows them to understand the chemical concepts and how to use the laboratory materials.

Ten Best Dutch Podcasts Targeted To Dutch Learners

Ten Best Dutch Podcasts Targeted To Dutch Learners Want To Learn Dutch With The Help Of Podcasts? ChaptersLearn Dutch Online With These PodcastsFind The Best Way To Learn Dutch For YouThere are lots of different reasons why you might already be learning Dutch, or why you’re thinking about taking up the language.Whether you’re new to learning a foreign language or have near fluency in Dutch, one of the most reassuring things to know is that learning Dutch will allow you to communicate with a community of around 20 million native speakers worldwide. That's a huge pool of potential people to speak with!In addition, you'll also find Dutch helpful to learn as a language if you're planning on heading over to the Netherlands, whether that's for study, business, or leisure purposes.Happily, if you know that Dutch is a language you'd like to learn, there are a lot of different learning resources available to people looking to learn Dutch. For instance:There are a wide variety of websites that offer lessons to help people improve their Dutch;Lots of language learning apps now have Dutc h courses as part of their offering; andThere are also ways to learn Dutch offline, whether that’s through a personal tutor or through a group workshop.Another way that some people find useful to learn Dutch is to regularly listen to podcasts either related to learning Dutch or life in the Netherlands. Podcasts are a great learning tool, not least because they don't take much time to listen to, and you can listen to podcasts on the go. So whether you want to listen to a podcast at home, or fancy passing the time while you're on public transport, you can easily tune in and listen to a podcast or two.Find Dutch language courses you can take online.If you learn Dutch online you might learn more about life in the Netherlands. (Image Source: CC0 1.0, PublicDomainPictures, Pixabay)Learning how to introduce yourself and count from one to ten.Although this podcast is not likely to be of much help to anyone who has any prior experience learning Dutch, if you are completely new to the langu age this could be a good way to ease yourself into learning some common words and phrases, and hopefully will encourage you to learn more about the language once you’ve finished the last podcast.Laura speaks DutchThe last Laura Speaks Dutch podcast was released over nine years ago, but that doesn’t mean that the lessons within the podcasts aren’t still helpful to those learning the Dutch language.There are over 50 podcasts in total, which all cover a range of different topics. What’s more, the podcasts generally seem to sit between the 10 to 20-minute mark, meaning that it’s not a huge time commitment to listen to a podcast or two daily.Zeg Het In Het Nederlands (Say It In Dutch)This podcast relatively new compared to some of the others on this list, as it only launched back in March 2018. However, Zeg het in het Nederlands is a podcast aimed at Dutch learners, where Dutch is spoken a bit slower than you’d ordinarily hear to help Dutch learners understand the podcast mor e fully.The podcasts aren’t too long, usually under 20 minutes, which makes it a great resource to practice your Dutch listening skills either:While you’re on the go; orIf you’re short on time.You can also learn Dutch and have fun with these Dutch learning online games.SBS DutchSBS has a wonderful range of radio programmes in different languages, and as part of that offering is the SBS Radio Dutch programme. It offers a variety of different short stories that are spoken in Dutch, with most episodes coming in at 5 to 15 minutes long â€" perfect for a quick catch up on the latest Dutch news, and a good way to practice your listening skills.Dutch podcasts can be a time-efficient way to improve your level of Dutch. (Image Source: CC0 1.0, maurosegura, Pixabay)To Speak DutchThis podcast series by Frank van Rooijen ended back in 2012, but the lessons within each podcast can still be of help to anyone learning Dutch. While the podcasts cover topics such as learning useful phrases tha t you might use during your travels to the Netherlands or when speaking to a Dutch native speaker, other topics are covered as well, such as:Counting;Verb conjugation; andAsking for and giving directions, among other things.The podcasts can be found on iTunes.Echt GebeurdPerhaps a podcast for the more advanced Dutch learner, Echt Gebeurd has a series of podcasts in which people tell particularly funny or unique stories that actually happened. While a lot of the podcasts are short and sweet, coming in around ten minutes in length, others are slightly longer, coming closer to 20 minutes.If you’re looking for a way to practice your Dutch listening skills, then this podcast can be a great help, particularly if you’re time constrained.Dutch NewsThis is an English-speaking podcast that provides a round-up of the latest news in the Netherlands. The podcasts are a little longer than others in this list, with many coming in at over thirty minutes, but if you’re looking for a resource t o keep up to date with Dutch news then you could give this podcast a go.Here In HollandHere in Holland is a podcast by Andy Clark about life in the Netherlands. It’s an English-speaking podcast, so while it may not be a great podcast to use when it comes to learning the Dutch language, it is a useful resource for anyone wanting to know about what life in the Netherlands is like, particularly if you’re not from the Netherlands yourself.Actual FluencyThe final podcast on this list is a bit different, as it isn’t specifically designed for Dutch speakers or Dutch learners.Instead, this podcast is aimed at anyone learning a language, who wants to keep abreast of topics within the wider world of learning languages, and who may also be looking for some inspiration when it comes to learning a language of their choice.There are over 100 podcasts on offer, which can be accessed through iTunes, Sticher, or Actual Fluency’s website. So if you’re finding it difficult to stay motivated when learning Dutch, it might be worth tuning into a podcast or two to see whether you’re inspired to continue your learning journey.Check out some Dutch lessons London that you can take online.You can learn Dutch online, for example through Dutch podcasts or perhaps with the help of a tutor. (Image Source: CC0 1.0, qimono, Pixabay)Find The Best Way To Learn Dutch For YouPodcasts can be a great way to learn Dutch. For example, if you’re a beginner, then regularly listening to a Dutch podcast aimed at beginners can help teach you basic words and phrases, as well as how to count in Dutch and how to conjugate basic verbs.Even if you’re an intermediate or advanced Dutch speaker, there is still a lot that Dutch podcasts can offer. Namely, listening to the news in Dutch, or listening to a podcast in Dutch, can be a great way to practise your listening skills, and may even teach you a new noun or verb along the way.Of course, if you do ever find yourself getting stuck when learning D utch, or would like some extra help when it comes to a particular Dutch grammatical topic or how to pronounce certain words, you could also look at getting your own Dutch tutor, through a site such as Superprof.A Dutch tutor can give you the motivation you need to continue to improve your proficiency in Dutch, and can also be a great way to practise your Dutch speaking skills, especially if your tutor is a native Dutch speaker. So whether you're concerned about how best to learn Dutch grammar, or want some additional suggestions as to how to improve your range of Dutch vocabulary, a tutor could help you improve your understanding of Dutch.By entering your postcode, you’ll be able to see which Dutch tutors are available for either in-person or remote tuition near to you.

Are MCAT Prep Courses Worth It

Are MCAT Prep Courses Worth It Amy W Dec 14, 2018 Find a Top Rated MCAT Tutor Near You! It's Simple and Secure - Get Real Results Fast. Find Expert Private Tutors at Reasonable Rates Today! InPerson or Online Online InPerson Are MCAT prep courses worth it? Well, like so many things in life, that depends.   It depends on you and your motivation as well as the type and quality of the course that you choose to take. The MCAT, or Medical College Admission Test, is one of the most grueling standardized tests a student will come across. The Best MCAT Prep Course Review What is the MCAT? The exam is required to gain access into virtually every medical school in the United States and most medical schools in Canada, therefore it may come as no surprise that prepping for the MCAT should be your top priority. Enrolling in an MCAT course is one way to ensure you adequately prepared and ready for whatever may be on the exam this year. The problem is, there are many types of courses available, how do you know which one is the best. And at quite a price, are MCAT prep courses worth it? This article will help you understand the MCAT and why enrolling in a prep course may be a good idea for you. While most standardized tests are know for their uniqueness and difficulty, the MCAT is on anther level above the rest! The test itself is administered over 7.5 hours, making it physically exhausting and extremely mentally draining. It is a multiple choice test (this doesn’t make it any easier) that tests applicants on the skills and knowledge required in medical school and when practicing medicine. The content of the tests covers four sections; Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills A score is given for each section, and the scores are added together to provide a total score that is reported around six or seven weeks after completion of the test. Test Preparation Resources There are many test preparation tools available to students to help get ready for the MCAT, some are free and some come at a cost. Naturally, you want to prepare the best way possible, so how do you know if the free resources are reliable or if the paid MCAT prep courses are worth it? Some high quality, legitimate resources include; Official MCAT practice exams, section bank, flashcards, and sample tests. These are available from the AAMC website, produced by the Association of American Medical Colleges. The Khan Academy MCAT Collection is free and easily accessible to use. Speaking with students who have sat the MCAT is also worthwhile. It will give you an indication of how much time you need to prepare and you can learn from other people’s mistakes!   In addition, some of those that have taken it already might be willing to spend a little time with you preparing for your exam. It certainly doesnt hurt to ask! Using a qualified MCAT tutor. Private Tutoring at Home is an easy way to find a certified tutor in your area, one that can tailor-make study sessions to suit your needs and help you achieve your goals. While a tutor isn’t free, they usually cost a lot less than courses and can offer personalized sessions geared towards what and where you need the help and to spend the time. MCAT prep courses are often detailed and high quality. Some of the popular ones are Kaplan MCAT course and the Princeton Review MCAT prep course. They vary in delivery and cost, but there are plenty of options out there. Keep reading to find out more about these courses. MCAT Prep Courses: The Details There are many, many, many MCAT Prep courses available to prospective test takers. Naturally, the people that create these courses would like students to participate and will happily give a ton of reasons and reviews as to why theirs is the best. This guide takes an objective view on the types of courses available, allowing you to make an informed decision and get the best results possible. Let’s look at the type and style of MCAT Prep courses that are available; Self-Paced Prep Courses â€" these are ideal if you need flexibility! Students are given an array of materials and a rough agenda to follow. The course is completed at a pace that suits the individual. The down side to self-paced prep courses is that they require a high level of independent motivation and the ability to manage time effectively. While the structure and content of the course is provided, each student will have to identify their own weaknesses â€" something that can be difficult to do for even the most dedicated students. Some self-paced courses offer customized content to help cater for individual needs, so if you choose this kind of course, look out for adaptable ones. Live Online Prep Courses â€" if you like the idea of guided classes, but are unable to attend a physical class, then live online courses are a great option. You still have to commit to the set study schedule, but can do so from the comfort of your own home. This saves time traveling to and from class, as well as needing to carry books and resources with you. The key to a good live online MCAT prep course lies with the quality of teaching. They must be engaging and offer help and guidance both in and out of set class times, as well as providing resources and extra materials to help you make the most of your ‘out-of-class’ study time. In-Person Prep Courses â€" for a more traditional approach to MCAT prep, opt for in-person courses. These allow for plenty of interaction and discussion with not only instructors, but with fellow test-takers as well. The teacher should offer direct guidance and provide assistance when and where it is needed. The fact that you have allocated and structured study time is a bonus, especially if you lack the internal motivation to get studying, but you also need to spend time outside of class studying too. Make sure your course instructor is able to provide extra study materials as well as being on hand to answer questions and queries in between classes. Intensive Prep Courses â€" intensive courses are great for those with limited study time and the ability to work well under pressure and time constraints. These courses are also great for those who want a strong boost of knowledge and skills. They are often of incredibly high quality, but are so time consuming that you won’t be able to fit much more into your schedule. Intensive prep courses can also be expensive, but if you have the time and the money, they may just be worth it. The best MCAT prep course for you will depend on several factors: Your individual learning style Available time Budget And strengths and weaknesses all play a part in deciding what approach will suit you best. So… Are MCAT Prep Courses Worth It? MCAT prep courses are costly, there’s no way around that fact. For some, the cost may be just too much to bear, with time and money better spent using free tools (there are plenty of them), spending a small sum on prep books and official practice tests, or enlisting the help of a tutor at a fraction of the cost. If you are basically motivated and organized, you may not need to invest your cash in these courses. However, if you need structure in your study schedule and allocated class time to ensure you prepare, then MCAT prep courses will be incredibly useful. Equally, if you can spare the funds, you have nothing to lose. The large sum is a small drop in the ocean in order to give yourself the best preparation possible, ensuring academic success and the results on the test that you need this year. The best MCAT prep course is only going to make sense if youre willing to put the time and energy into it.   Nothing beats good ole fashioned effort and thats what getting good scores on tests like this require.   If you are willing to put the time in, then its likely that youll get a score that makes you happy and be one step closer to getting into medical school. Good luck!We can help you find the best private tutor near you! It’s simple and secure â€" Get real results fast. Your first hour with any tutor is protected by our Good Fit Guarantee: You don't pay for tutoring unless you find a good fit. Choose Your Subject â€" Add Your Zip Code â€" Find Top Rated Tutors Starting Today! InPerson or Online Online InPerson

How Can AJ Help Me After College

How Can AJ Help Me After College AJ Tutoring may be best known for its work with high school students, but that’s certainly not the extent of our competency! We work with students of all ages, and some of our most exciting work is done with clients looking to further their education beyond the undergraduate level.We work with many students who are looking to obtain degrees in law, business, medicine, or an academic subject. Admission to these programs is driven by some of the most challenging (yet coachable!) exams out there, and AJ Tutoring is unique in its level of experience and expertise in these tests.Please find a link to our graduate school entrance exam tutoring page here, or read on to find a breakdown of our approach to the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT.If you’d like to discuss your specific needs and how AJ Tutoring can help, please contact us!GRE/GMATThe most common kind of work AJ Tutoring does beyond the undergraduate level is preparation for the GRE, the most common entrance exam for MA and PhD progra ms. There are three major portions of the test Math, Verbal, and Essays.  The math often causes students particular stress because of it’s infamous ‘quantitative comparisons’ section, which many students have no experience with; fortunately, that’s also the section we’ve found most dramatically impacted by having a solid strategy and a little practice! We have taken the strongest parts of our SAT program: breaking the test into question types, working on specific strategies for each question type, reviewing the most common content, and combining tutoring time with homework and practice tests?and applied them to the GRE. Our GRE program is fully customizable; we generally meet students for 10 sessions, but can do more or fewer and still get great results! Most students come to use needing to review a few math concepts, especially the quantitative comparisons, as well as to get some guidance on a good approach to the verbal sections. We also have found great success with t he essays, helping students work on brainstorming strong ideas quickly, organizing them in a logical fashion, and turning them into powerful thesis statements, all in limited time! The GMAT is a similar test specifically designed for entering MBA programs. However, more and more business schools are accepting the GRE as well as the GMAT, and our experience has been that the GRE is generally more coachable and easier to achieve score improvements on, so we generally suggest that students who are ready to do tutoring focus on the GRE unless their schools require the GMAT. LSAT The LSAT is the test taken by prospective law school candidates to gain admission to law school. Although it is considered by many to be a very challenging exam, it is highly coachable. Preparation typically consists of 10 tutoring sessions, with the first 6 sessions consisting of learning and honing strategies for attacking all sections of the test (logical reasoning, analytical reasoning, and reading comprehe nsion). The remaining 4 sessions are spent reviewing practice tests taken as homework. All practice tests and other materials are included in the cost of tutoring. As with all test preparation at AJ, our LSAT curriculum is customized for each students needs, and those who have already completed some preparation can choose how many sessions they would like to have and what sections to focus on in those sessions.MCATThe MCAT is taken by applicants to MD and DO programs, and a students score on the MCAT represents an important portion of their application.  The MCAT is an often-feared assessment due to its depth and breadth: it covers several years of college-level science curricula, and reading comprehension and analytical skills.  Since students start their MCAT preparation from a wide variety of backgrounds, we first help students create a customized approach for independent content review. Throughout the preparation, we hold students accountable for their content review and an swer necessary questions about key concepts.  The focus of most tutoring sessions, however, is on the best practice materials available?those from AAMC, the writers of the MCAT. By diving into detailed analyses of these question packs and full-length practice tests, our students make good strides in understanding difficult material and using solid test-taking techniques.  Unlike most MCAT tutoring services, AJ Tutoring supports each student with a single MCAT expert. This allows the tutor to gain a thorough understanding of a students thought processes, and help them efficiently and effectively on all portions of the exam. We recommend 12-16 tutoring sessions spread over 3-5 months to complete a full prep for the MCAT.  However, we understand that not all students schedules or needs fit a single package, and were happy to make adjustments to the number and focus of sessions on an individual basis.Career AdvancementAJ Tutoring also has experience in helping our clients prepare for difficult interviews, especially interviews that involve quantitative calculations or estimation, working through case studies, or other performance based interviews. We are also always adding to the list of professional exams we can assist with! If we have the qualified staff, we will work with clients to create prep plans that help them maximize their chances of getting the job or promotion they are looking for!

5 Benefits of Developing Great Teamwork

5 Benefits of Developing Great Teamwork 5 Benefits of Developing Great Teamwork Working as a team is something that every student will have to do throughout their K-12 experience and promotes valuable skills that will help them conquer college and career. For the most part, students are graded based on their abilities, and so they sometimes get frustrated when they work as a team. Alternately, some students love working with peers especially those with similar interests and abilities. Either way, developing great teamwork is one of the best ways students can be successful in a practical environment. 1.   Practice for the future Once students finish their education and go out into the working world, they will work as part of a team on a regular basis. Students who develop these skills early are likely to be more successful when they get out into the real world. Many teachers assign group projects so that students have the opportunity to work on this skill during the early and middle grades. Getting along with different personality types is one of the best ways to achieve a complex goal and meet important deadlines in either school or career. 2. Sharing responsibility Students who develop great teamwork can split up tasks and play to their set of strengths. This allows members of the group to help each other out and share responsibility so that they can finish a particular assignment or reach the desired goal. Teamwork isn’t just for group assignments, in fact, students might want to start a club, organize a community service project, or help plan a field trip. When students work together, they can achieve more with less individual effort (READ: Costa Mesa Tutoring Tips: Improve Your Studying Skills Over the Summer). 3. Communication Working as part of a team also helps kids learn how to communicate effectively and will help them out in every part of their lives. Communication skills are essential in the K-12 environment but will also encourage success in the working world as well as student’s personal lives. There are so many instances where clear communication can resolve a conflict with classmates or friends, but most kids need to work on these issues before finding the right words to say. Kids who can communicate well tend to do better in school, have more friends and be able to ask for help more easily. 4. Personal encouragement When students work as part of a team, they also encourage each other to be successful and focus on important study habits that will help them throughout their education. Kids who work as a team can help each other with academics, be great role models for each other, and provide a peer support system when students start to become overwhelmed with homework assignments or test prep. Once students get into the college prep years, personal encouragement will become more important than ever as students persevere through this stressful but important time in their education. 5. Group projects Students who develop great teamwork skills will also be successful when it comes to group assignments. Many teachers want to see how well their students can work together and will assign points based on good teamwork. Teachers want to see that students can get along and share responsibility rather than just be successful when working as an individual. Every student will have the opportunity to complete a group assignment all the way from first grade through the end of college. Whether students are working as part of a team to complete a 2nd-grade science project or getting together with classmates to organize a brand new college level club, teamwork is a helpful skill that propels students towards success. Build your social and team-working skills with the help of a private Los Angeles academic tutor from TutorNerds. Call us today to learn about our special Los Angeles summer tutoring deals. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

5 Tips for Creating a Rock Solid Foreign Language Reading Habit

5 Tips for Creating a Rock Solid Foreign Language Reading Habit Wanna get hooked on phonics?Its easier than you might think!Reading in a foreign language can be intimidating at first.Thats understandable.The good news is that once you start reading in your target language every day, you wont want to stop.Many  language learners get discouraged at the beginning, and avoid reading practice at all costs.Theres a reason why: they didnt have us to start them off on the right foot.Weve got some awesome tips, resources and habit-forming activities thatll get you in the foreign language reading zone, permanently! 5 Tips for Creating a Daily Foreign Language Reading HabitThese tips will help you steer clear of common pitfalls, and head towards all your language learning goals faster than ever. Theres nothing too complicated about them they might almost seem too easy. You might be left wondering, hey, why didnt I think of that?Well, thats the way it should be. Were going to get you reading in a way that feels simple, natural, fun and easy. Before you kn ow it, reading in foreign language wont be a chore or an obligation itll be your daily dose of entertainment!1. Choose Fun Things  Youd Read in Your  Native  LanguageDon’t force yourself through boring materials you think are “important.”One of the most common mistakes I see language learners make? When it comes to reading in a foreign language, theyre always forcing themselves to read  through uninteresting topics and materials that theyd never consider reading in their native language.For example, Ive had many English students who painfully work their way through difficult articles in The Wall Street Journal or The Harvard Business Review because they think these materials are important for their English abilities, even though the content bores them to tears.While such resources certainly offer exposure to lots of business-specific vocabulary, the value of this input is extremely low if one looks on the task as a chore instead of a treat. Our understanding and retention ten ds to be much higher when we read content we genuinely enjoy.Which leads to the next pointFind foreign language reading material about your  existing  interests.Perhaps you (unlike some of my former English students)  love The Harvard Business Review  and are already a regular subscriber.For you, it would make perfect sense to find a business-centric magazine in your target language. But if biz articles arent your jam, dont feel obligated to read them. Youre in control of your language learning journey, so find reading materials that fit  your  unique interests.Look at the blogs, magazines, books, cartoons and other materials that you read already and try to find foreign language equivalents. Read food and cooking blogs from Taiwan. Get yourself some Japanese car magazines. Buy a German book on carpentry. You name the interest, and theres bound to be a blog, magazine, book or other piece of reading material that serves it in most major languages.Learn a new skill or hobby in your ta rget language.In addition to finding materials about your  existing  interests, another great strategy is to pick up a  new  skill or hobby through your target language. The highly contextual nature of such learning will help you make lots of new linguistic connections without having to constantly rely on a dictionary, and will fill in gaps in vocabulary much more quickly than more passive forms of learning.2. Choose Digital Materials Whenever PossibleI freaking love the look, smell and feel of physical books. But when it comes to learning a foreign language, the advantages of digital materials far outweigh the sensory advantages of print.Digital materials are  faster.One of the  greatest advantages of digital materials in language learning is the ability to instantly look up unknown words or characters, saving you precious study time that would be wasted looking up words in a paper dictionary. Paper books also require you to  carry around a separate dictionary, a weight disadvantag e I discuss more below.If reading articles online, install a pop-up dictionary  browser extension like the Firefox extension  Pera Pera Kun for Japanese or the Chrome extension Zhongwen for Chinese.In the Kindle app (available for iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and more), you can download dictionaries for most major languages. As you read Kindle books in your target language, you can then just hold a word to reveal its definition and pronunciation.On  iOS, select a word and then tap Define from the contextual pop-up. If no definition is shown, tap Manage and then download whichever additional dictionaries you want.On OSX, select a word and tap with 3 fingers to bring up its definition. To add  additional dictionaries, open the built-in Dictionary app, go to preferences and check whichever you want to add.Similarly,  saving  new words and phrases for later review is much faster when reading digital materials:The pop-up dictionary Pera Pera Kun, fore example, allows you save words you loo k up so that later they can be downloaded.Some online dictionaries,  Tangorin.com for example, allow you to save words you look up and categorize them in  different lists, which can each be exported in a format that easily imports into the Anki flashcard app. Lots of exporting and importing involved there, but you catch my drift.More simply, you can always just copy and paste words or phrases into an app like Evernote  for later review.MosaLingua, which offers apps for Spanish, French, Italian, German and Portuguese, has a web version that gives you access to specially-selected online native materials, such as e-books. In addition, you can easily take words and phrases you come across that you dont know and make them into flashcards, which you can then review on the mobile app as well.Last but not least, digital materials are faster than print since they allow you to instantly find specific words or passages using the search function. Instead of wasting hours flipping through a prin t book to find that quote you loved or that word you wanted to look up, you can just type in the search field and tap  Find. Ah, modern convenience.Digital materials are cheaper.In addition to being faster than their print counterparts, digital materials are also  cheaper, if not free:Kindle books are  usually fairly inexpensive on Amazon, while paperbacks tend to be twice the price.Many international magazines and newspapers offer their articles for free online.Books in the public domain are available as free eBooks  from sites like  Project Gutenberg.You can then put all the money youve saved towards tutor fees  or a plane ticket abroad!Digital materials are lighter and take up less space.Bits are lighter  than atoms.  My back still doesnt forgive me for all the harm I did hauling around textbooks, manga  and massive dictionaries back in college. Had I begun learning a language today instead of in the relative Stone Age of the late 90s, I could have carried all the reading and ref erence materials I ever wanted right in my pocket on a smartphone or tablet.Today, you never need to choose which books to take and which to leave on the shelf as you can  take them all with you wherever you go in digital form.3. Listen to Materials Youve Previously ReadReading alone won’t improve your listening and speaking skills.While reading is extremely important, its imperative that you keep your reading time balanced with the other three core language skills: listening, speaking, and writing.While teaching English in East Asia, I observed that most students felt much more comfortable reading and writing, while they struggled greatly with listening and speaking. This makes perfect sense since language classes in that part of the world (if not the world over) tend to focus most of their time on reading tasks, translation and so on with very little time spent actively  listening and speaking.We get better at what we practice most, so naturally reading will make you better at r eading but will do very little for your listening and speaking abilities.Youll improve retention when you consume the same content in multiple formats.In addition to helping improve both your listening and reading skills, consuming the same material in more than one form of input will increase  your retention of new words and build stronger connections between previously learned materials. Its also more interesting to repeat the same content in multiple formats than it is to simply reread the same passage over and over again.Listen to the content youve been reading.So whats the best way to  listen to content youve previously read? Here are 4 suggestions:Watch videos with subtitles. FluentU  has huge collections of real world videos in multiple languages, and we even kick things up a notch weve made our subtitles interactive so you can view definitions of individual vocabulary words on-screen  while theyre being spoken. Youll be sure to never miss a thing!  You can also use  DVDs an d Netflix movies with subtitles in your target language, YouTube videos with CC captions and so on.Find podcasts with transcripts. Podcasts are some of my favorite language learning tools as they cover a wide range of interests, tend to be short and are almost always  free. Many podcasters include show notes or transcripts right alongside the MP3 file that can be revealed with just a tap on your smartphone or a click on your computer.Get both the ebook and audiobook version of your favorite books. While this may be an expensive proposition if buying copyrighted books, the benefits are well worth the cost. But keep in mind that you can also try finding ebook/audiobook pairs using Project Gutenberg and Librivox.Get custom audio recorded. You can ask a native speaker friend or tutor to record a given piece of text, or you can use the power of crowdsourcing with a site like Rhinospike. You simply submit some text you want read aloud in your target language, you record something for some one learning your native language, and then you can download the MP3 you requested when your submission is ready.4. Dont Linger Too Long Over DetailsStopping and starting is difficult for building smooth comprehension. Try reading an entire page or paragraph before stopping to look up any words.Avoid the dictionary black hole.”As I mentioned above, being able to quickly look up new words is a major advantage of digital materials. But this  pro can quickly become a con if you allow yourself to fall into the dictionary black hole. This is when you look up a word which leads you to a related term, and then another and another, until you forgot what you were doing in the first place.Dont break the  semantic flow.Stopping to look up every other word not only makes it more difficult to follow the flow of a story, but it also significantly slows you down. While skipping unknown terms may mean that you miss a little of whats going on, it offers many advantages:It increases your reading sp eed.It builds fluency.It encourages you to make educated guesses.5. Commit to a Painless Minimum Page Count Per DayYou are more likely to procrastinate on bigger goals.As I discuss in my post on self-teaching languages like a rock star, simply setting goals isnt enough. To have any chance of success, your goals need to be S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound).To this end, I recommend starting with an  absurdly small daily reading commitment.For example, I commit to reading  1 paragraph every day. Youll likely go on to read much more on most days, but starting with an easy task helps ensure completion. If you were to commit to reading an entire  article per  day, on the other hand, chances are good that youll put off the task, fearing the time and work involved.Read small chunks any chance you get.Just as you should commit to a tiny daily reading goal, you should use any tiny chunks of free time you find each day to fit in a little reading:If you take public transportation to work or school, use that time to read in a foreign language.If youre waiting in line at the store, whip out your smartphone and read a few sentences of a blog post.If youre stuck in a boring meeting, read a few news headlines from your favorite online foreign language newspaper while pretending to stare at the mind-numbing PowerPoint.Don’t let yourself miss a day.A key part of making reading a part of your daily routine is to not let yourself miss a day. The longer your unbroken chain becomes, the more youll want to keep going. But when you let yourself miss just one day, youre that much more likely to miss the next day, and the next, and the next, until your reading habit has completely fallen out of your life.So, keep the ball rolling with consistently good work!See my article  5 Killer Language Learning Strategies Guaranteed to Help You Make Time for more about habit formation.

You Learn More if You are Laughing at the Same Time

You Learn More if You are Laughing at the Same Time I think you learn more if you are laughing at the same time. Mary Ann Shaffer During her life, Mary Ann Shaffer achieved to become an editor, starting as librarian and then seller in bookstores. She truly loved books and used to dream about her own novel to be published one day. Mary Ann Shaffer had cancer. So in order to finish her book, Mary Ann asked her niece Annie for help. Annie, by then, was already known as the author of the childrens series Ivy and Bean and The Magic Half The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society became Shaffers first novel. Unfortunately, Mary Ann Shaffer died in February 2008, just months before her first novel was published.