Friday, March 6, 2020
Improper Fractions To Mixed Numbers Online Tutoring
Improper Fractions To Mixed Numbers Online Tutoring Improper fraction: - A fraction, whose numerator is greater than or equal to its denominator, is called an improper fraction. Example: -i) 7 / 5, 25 / 12, 181 / 62 etc. (Since the numerator is greater than the denominator) ii) 3 / 3, 4 / 4, 5 / 5, etc. (Since the numerator is equal to the denominator) Note: - If in a fraction, its numerator and its denominator are equal to each other, the value of the fraction is equal to unity (i.e. 1). Mixed fraction: - A mixed fraction consists of two parts: i) Integer ii) A proper fraction. e.g. 4 2 / 3 is a mixed fraction, consisting of an integer (4) and a proper fraction (2 / 3). Converting improper fraction into mixed fraction: -Divide the numerator by the denominator. The quotient of this division is the integral part and the remainder obtained is the numerator of the required mixed fraction. Example 1: - 23 / 4 = Quotient Remainder/ denominator = 5 3 / 4 Note: - on dividing 23 by 4, quotient = 5 and remainder = 3. Similarly 37 / 8 = = Quotient Remainder / denominator= 4 5 / 8 and so on. Example 2: - Change the following improper fractions to mixed fractions: i) 100 / 7 ii) 81 / 11 Solution: -i) 100 / 7 = Quotient Remainder/ denominator = 14 2 / 7 ii) 81 / 11 = Quotient Remainder/ denominator = 7 4 / 11.
How To Improve ISEE Scores
How To Improve ISEE Scores The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) is the first of many huge, high-pressure tests your child will take, and giving him/her the right mindset is just as important as ISEE prep. Sure, knowing the ISEE problems and patterns can dramatically improve your score. But, how you motivate your child can make the biggest difference. Dont pressure your child: There is a lot riding on this test. It can determine your childs education all the way through high school and possibly even college. If you bring this up, your childs head is going to start spinning. Dont tell them that they need to perform well on this test or if you dont do well (insert terrible event) will happen. Youre just going to add tons of a pressure, and they could collapse like a house of cards. Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation: You need to find a reason why YOUR CHILD wants to succeed, not why you want him/her to succeed. Tell them that performing well can give them options for schools. Find a reason why they want to attend a certain school maybe its the campus, computer equipment or sports teams. Your child needs to walk into that test, thinking: Okay, if I do well I can go to the school with the really high-tech computers. That would be awesome, instead of: I need to do well to make my mom happy. Thats the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and ultimately thats the difference between a great and mediocre ISEE score. Read up: Before you do anything else, get a study book specific to the level test youre taking. Try to get a basic understanding and familiarize your child with the test questions. Your study book will show you everything you need to know for the test. But, figuring out how to learn it all is the real challenge, and youll need more than a book to do that. Find your starting point: Every student has a different starting point. Some are great at math but struggle with verbal. Take a few practice tests to find your strengths and weaknesses. Then, focus on improving your weaknesses. ISEE tutor: A private tutor is your best chance for success. Its easy to find out where you struggle by taking practice tests, but only a tutor can help you improve in those areas. A tutor can help your child break complex problems down to simple structures. And the right tutor will help students discover the material on their own, which is essential to that ever-so-important intrinsic motivation. Practice: Mimic the test scenario by taking practice tests in the allotted time given. Try to sit down and take a full 2-hour-and-40-minute practice test every Saturday morning. In between these tests, continue working with your tutor on your problematic areas, answering practice questions on your own and reading your study book. After 2-3 months of this, you will see a dramatic improvement in your scores. Time management: You need to understand how much time you have to answer each question. See a test structure overview here to figure out the time per question. If you find yourself taking too much time per question, guess and move on. There is no penalty for guessing. If you take the time to read a question, make sure you at least make a guess because you might not have time to revisit it. Background: The ISEE and the Secondary School Aptitude Test (SSAT) are the two most common standardized admissions tests for private schools. The ISEE has three levels: lower (students currently in grades 4-5), middle (grades 6-7) and upper (grades 8-11). Each test will determine potential acceptance into the following grade. So, 6th graders ISEE score will determine acceptance into 7th grade. The test can only be taken once in a 6-month period, and it lasts 2 hours 20 minutes for the lower level and 2 hours 40 minutes for middle/upper levels. The test has the same five sections at each level: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension, mathematics achievement and an essay. The questions will vary in difficulty depending on level. The essay prompt will not be scored and only sent to schools you request. Scoring: Youll receive a scaled or raw score (between 760-940), percentile score (comparing you to other students) and a stanine score (abbreviated version of percentile, ranked 1-9 instead of 1-99). But, private schools really focus on your percentile score. If you want to land a seat at a top school, youll need a score in at least the top 85th percentile, at an above average school, youll need a score in the 50-75th percentile.
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Expressions with GO with meanings - Learn English with Harry ??
Expressions with GO with meanings - Learn English with Harry ?? Here you will learn common expressions with GO and useful collocations with GOING. Collocations with Going : The English verb TO GO (past tense WENT, past perfect GONE) has many uses and meanings. Letâs look at some of the common expressions with GO with examples and dialogue. TO GO means to travel, to move along, to depart.Examples: I was asked to go to the new office next week to help them get organised.Will you go by train or by car?He went home after the meal was finished as he wanted to call his friend by skype.The English verb TO GO can be used to describe a changing state (GO + -ING). This has many uses as follows:GOING MAD or GO MAD1. to become mentally illExample: Mr Rochesters wife went mad and decided to set fire on the house.2. to become very angry or annoyedExample: She went mad when she saw him talking to a female colleague.3. to do something extremely silly or stupidExample: I went a bit mad and bought so many useless things, trying to cheer myself up.4. to get overly excitedExample: He sang a classic song last night and the crowd went mad.5. to become bored, impatient, or upsetExample: I think I would go mad if I was to stay here for more than a week. The village is too small. GO CRAZYthis has a similar meaning to GO MAD, the difference is that GO MAD is not used in American English the same way and as often as it is in British EnglishExample: Sarah will go crazy if she finds out that she has to share her room with someone else.He thought he was going crazy when he first met her.GOING GREYwhen your hair colour changes from brown or black to grey, associated with ageingExample: His hair was going grey. He blamed all the stress he was under (could also use âhis hair was turning greyâ).GOING BALD [b??ld]when you hairs beginning to thin out, bald patch appears on top of your head and gradually gets biggerExample: When he went to the barbers shop the barber told him he was going bald and recommended a new shampoo that might help.GOING BLINDwhen your eyesight deteriorates (gets worse) gradually until eventually you are unable to see at allExample: He noticed a change in his eyesight over several months. The doctor told him he was going blind.GOING DEAFto de velop hearing loss, to become unable to hearExample: The doctor checked me out and confirmed that I was going deaf. GOING WILDto become very excited or angryExample: The crowd was going wild over the vote.Scroll down for more expressions with Go and dialogue. Common Expressions with Go GO DOWNHILLto deteriorate in quality or standardsExample: It started with financial crisis and it all went downhill from there.GO SMOOTHLYto go as planned, to work without difficulties or interruptionsExample: It will go smoothly if you follow these instructions.GO OUT OF FASHIONto become unfashionableExample: Ruffles on the hem quickly went out of fashion.GO MISSINGto disappearExample: 60-80 people go missing each weekend.GO DOWN WELLto be widely accepted, to be well received Example: His suggestion didnt go down well with the board.We can use the opposite GO DOWN BADLYGO BALLISTICto become very very angryExample: My boss went ballistic yesterday. He told me Id have to do the work myself. Don't keep this to yourself, tell the world: Common Expressions with GO GO PUBLIC1. to tell the media about something that has been secretExample: They confirmed the identity, and the news went public on the evening news.2. to issue shares on the Stock Exchange for the public to buyExample: Network security company went public 3 years ago and their shares are now valued at $11. GO TO PIECESto deteriorate, to lose control of your feelingsExample: An HR manager had noticed that some people went to pieces during job interviews.GO BEGGINGsomething is available because no one else wants itExample: Why would you want to do that when these are going begging?GO SPAREto become extremely angry or worriedExample: Hell go spare if he realises we havent told him stuff.GO ARSEWAYS (Irish slang)to do something the wrong way, for something to go wrong on youExample: We tried to roast the turkey but it went arseways on us.LET GO1. to release grasp, to stop holding something;2. stop thinking and feeling sad (or angry) over things that happened in the pastI am sure most o f you heard the song Let it go from Disneys cartoon Frozen:Let it go, let it goCant hold it back anymoreLet it go, let it goTurn away and slam the doorGOING is also used informally as a type of greeting in some countries.Howâs it going? = How are you or how are you doing.Figure of Speech with the verb TO GO:When the going gets tough the tough get going. = When things are difficult the strong (tough) people come out on top. Expressions with GO - Dialogue In order to gain a better understanding of how to use common English expressions with GO lets take a look at this short dialogue:MUM: Hi John, this is Mum here.JOHN: Hi Mum, howâs it going?MUM: Fine thanks. I just wanted to know when are you going to call around and collect that package that arrived in the post?JOHN: Oh. Yeah, I forgot about it. Well, I am going out tonight with that girl I met last week so it will be at the weekend before I can collect it.MUM: Ok. I am going to visit your Granny on Saturday so just let yourself in with your key. She is not too well.JOHN: Oh dear. What did the doctor say to Gran when she went to the hospital last week?MUM: He told her to take some rest and the bug will go eventually.JOHN: Ok, tell her I was asking after her. Howâs Dad keeping?MUM: Your father is very worried he thinks he is going bald. He noticed a bald patch yesterday.JOHN: Oh, heâs probably going mad about that. Look I have to go I am due back to work soon. I will call yo u soon. ByeMUM: ByeI hope you understand a bit better now how you can use the English verb TO GO. If you really liked common expressions with GO drop me a line, tell me what you want to hear, see and read.
Trave
Trave The English spoken in the Scottish highlands is often quite different to the English spoken in the rest of the country. It is very influenced by Scotts Gaelic yet has its own particular vocabularly.Here is a guide to the English spoken in the Scottish Highlands if you are planning a trip there.SocialIf you hear the word alba it is the gaelic name for Scotland.If youâre told to shut yer gub you might want to be quiet because it means to keep your mouth closed.If someone says gettae it means go away.To keep stum is to keep quiet.Food and drinkTottie scones are scones made with flour and mashed potatoes.A soda is called a ginger.An illegal drinking den is often referred to as a bothan.A bottle of beer is called a screw tap.One more drink for the road is referred to as deoch-an-doras.If youâre thirsty the word you need is druther.You might want to watch how many you have though because if people think you like one too many you will be called a wino meaning alcoholic.RandomYou might hear an old man called bodach.Cailleach is the word used for an old woman.A child is called a bairn.A glen is a river valley.A mull is a headland.A strath is a valley.A firth is an estuary.To tell a whopper is to lie.A teuchter is anyone living outside Scotlandâs central belt.A ceilidh is an event of traditional scottish dancing.A westie is a West Highland terrier.An English person is called a sassanach.A white settler is someone from outside Scotland who settles in the country.A stupid person is referred to as a dunderheid.A fight is called fistie cuffs.The bagpipes of the Scottish Highlands are famous worldwide. Lets enjoy a taster of them now.Did you find this blog helpful? Please share it on Facebook and Twitter.
Four bad reasons to transfer Universities
Four bad reasons to transfer Universities A third of university students will transfer courses, or universities at least one time during their undergraduate years, according However, while there are plenty of viable reasons to transfer, doing so is not always the right move. Let's count down the top four reasons to stay the course... 1. You're Homesick Approximately 16 percent of transfer students switch universities before returning for a second term, according to further figures from the NSCRC. A common reason? Because they miss home. Unfortunately, homesickness is a very real part of the university experience, but the only way past it is through it. When you start to feel homesick, revisit the reasons why you left home and went to uni. Will switching universities offer a permanent solution, or just a temporary fix? Also, don't forget that there are plenty of ways to feel connected with loved ones back home thanks to modern technology. Phone calls, video chats, and text messages help bridge the distance without necessitating a move. 2. You're Not Making Friends Developing meaningful friendships takes time. Rather than throwing up your hands and starting somewhere new where the same set of challenges are sure to await, commit to establishing a social network on campus. Student clubs, study groups, and intramural sports teams offer the chance to connect with like-minded classmates. And remember: many of your fellow students are facing the same set of challenges. Your efforts in reaching out may deliver a valuable lifeline to another struggling student. 3. Your Classes Are Too Hard (or Too Easy) Establishing a study schedule and getting a grasp on college-level expectations takes time. If your classes are beyond your capabilities -- or if your capabilities are beyond your classes -- transferring isn't your only recourse. Instead, re-evaluate your course load. Could you be taking different or fewer classes? Are there independent study opportunities which might be more appropriate? Your academic advisor can offer valuable insights into finding coursework at your ideal academic level, please speak to student support. And remember, while you may initially have to endure dreaded prerequisites, a world of new possibilities opens up once they are completed. 4. You Had One Negative Experience It's easy to let a single negative event or interaction early on in your academic tenure set the tone for your entire experience. However, bad room-mates, difficult professors, and academic stress are part of campus life. Rather than characterising what could be an otherwise phenomenal four years according to one less-than-ideal experience, commit to rise above and persevere. Running away from a problem is not a solution, and will not help you grow as a person. Instead, learn what you can from the experience and move on with your head held high. In some cases, transferring is absolutely a smart decision: for example, if your current university doesn't have your major or if financial constraints become a factor. However, because of the significance of the decision, it's essential to make sure you have the right reasons before calling it quits.
italki The Online Homeschool Foreign Language Program Im Telling Everyone About!
italki â" The Online Homeschool Foreign Language Program Iâm Telling Everyone About! This post originally appeared on Raising Arrows a personal blog site run by Amy Roberts. Reposted with her permission. My oldest daughter, Meg, loves languages. She is taking formal Spanish via a computer program plus teaching herself bits and pieces of several other languages. Sheâs a quick study; however, she has told me on multiple occasions that she really needs someone to speak the languages with her because the computer lacks the interaction and feedback of a live person. So, when I learned about italki.com, an online foreign language instruction site that provides teacher/student interaction via Skype sessions, I was hopeful this might be the answer to her dilemma. Answer would be an understatement. Within a couple of lessons, it was obvious to us that italki was EXACTLY what Meg needed. Iâm sure by now, you are a little curious about what this program entails. And if you are anything like me, you might even be a little skeptical of anything involving strangers online. Let me give you a run down of how we use italki. How to get started with italki.com First, we set up an account. I used my email address and Megâs name. That way, every email that came from italki.com came to me. I chose to leave Megâs profile blank for safety purposes. You will need to have a Skype account and input the account name so the teacher can connect with your student. {Skype is free. Just download and go!} Next, Ty and I sat down and looked through French teachers. Lamar from italki had suggested a few professional teachers to us, so we started there. {By the way, Lamar is super helpful! A company with prompt and courteous customer service always gets my attention.} Youâll see on the italki Homeschool page suggestions for teachers in several different languages. Our teacher, Melissa, is on there! We chose her because of her credentials. We absolutely made the right choice! Once you have a profile set up and you have chosen a teacher in the language you are wanting your child to learn, you need to purchase either by the lesson or a packageof lessons. We did a package because it is cheaper. How much does italki cost? Each teacher has a different rate, so what you are looking for is the ITC/hour. Because the teachers on italki are from all over the world, there has to be a standard unit to go by. These are called language credits or italki credits (ITC). For Melissa, we pay 197 ITC or $19.75 per hour lesson, but with the package (see the red rectangles on the left that say PACKAGE), we are getting 10 lessons for the price of 9. Once you have purchased ITC, you schedule a lesson. Each teacher has a list of times and days that work for them. They are listed in your time zone, so no need to worry about trying to figure out the time difference. You will receive a notification from italki shortly before your session is to start. Meg gets herself up the morning of French and gets the computer ready. She keeps a pen and paper handy as well. She also has a headset with microphone if needed. Now, I get to brag! After 6 lessons, we were so impressed by what we were seeing and hearing, we decided to record a short video of Meg speaking French. Take a moment to watch the video! {Canât see the video? CLICK HERE to watch on YouTube.} That girl makes me smile! Now, after 15 lessons, she speaks amazingly well! She told me recently she has even begun to dream in French! Who would benefit from italki? Let me give you my personal opinion on who would benefit most from italki. A student who shows an aptitude for languages. A student who wants to go on to study a foreign language in college. A student who wants the experience of speaking a foreign language with another person. Foreign language instruction is an area of our daughterâs homeschooling we are willing to spend extra money on. I have no doubt her aptitude for languages is God-given. We want to give her every opportunity we can to hone that skill. Italki is exactly what we needed to do this. So, now you can see why I am telling everyone about italki! This really has been an answer to prayer. Head on over to italki and check it out for yourself. Iâd love to hear what you think! italki â" The Online Homeschool Foreign Language Program Iâm Telling Everyone About! This post originally appeared on Raising Arrows a personal blog site run by Amy Roberts. Reposted with her permission. My oldest daughter, Meg, loves languages. She is taking formal Spanish via a computer program plus teaching herself bits and pieces of several other languages. Sheâs a quick study; however, she has told me on multiple occasions that she really needs someone to speak the languages with her because the computer lacks the interaction and feedback of a live person. So, when I learned about italki.com, an online foreign language instruction site that provides teacher/student interaction via Skype sessions, I was hopeful this might be the answer to her dilemma. Answer would be an understatement. Within a couple of lessons, it was obvious to us that italki was EXACTLY what Meg needed. Iâm sure by now, you are a little curious about what this program entails. And if you are anything like me, you might even be a little skeptical of anything involving strangers online. Let me give you a run down of how we use italki. How to get started with italki.com First, we set up an account. I used my email address and Megâs name. That way, every email that came from italki.com came to me. I chose to leave Megâs profile blank for safety purposes. You will need to have a Skype account and input the account name so the teacher can connect with your student. {Skype is free. Just download and go!} Next, Ty and I sat down and looked through French teachers. Lamar from italki had suggested a few professional teachers to us, so we started there. {By the way, Lamar is super helpful! A company with prompt and courteous customer service always gets my attention.} Youâll see on the italki Homeschool page suggestions for teachers in several different languages. Our teacher, Melissa, is on there! We chose her because of her credentials. We absolutely made the right choice! Once you have a profile set up and you have chosen a teacher in the language you are wanting your child to learn, you need to purchase either by the lesson or a packageof lessons. We did a package because it is cheaper. How much does italki cost? Each teacher has a different rate, so what you are looking for is the ITC/hour. Because the teachers on italki are from all over the world, there has to be a standard unit to go by. These are called language credits or italki credits (ITC). For Melissa, we pay 197 ITC or $19.75 per hour lesson, but with the package (see the red rectangles on the left that say PACKAGE), we are getting 10 lessons for the price of 9. Once you have purchased ITC, you schedule a lesson. Each teacher has a list of times and days that work for them. They are listed in your time zone, so no need to worry about trying to figure out the time difference. You will receive a notification from italki shortly before your session is to start. Meg gets herself up the morning of French and gets the computer ready. She keeps a pen and paper handy as well. She also has a headset with microphone if needed. Now, I get to brag! After 6 lessons, we were so impressed by what we were seeing and hearing, we decided to record a short video of Meg speaking French. Take a moment to watch the video! {Canât see the video? CLICK HERE to watch on YouTube.} That girl makes me smile! Now, after 15 lessons, she speaks amazingly well! She told me recently she has even begun to dream in French! Who would benefit from italki? Let me give you my personal opinion on who would benefit most from italki. A student who shows an aptitude for languages. A student who wants to go on to study a foreign language in college. A student who wants the experience of speaking a foreign language with another person. Foreign language instruction is an area of our daughterâs homeschooling we are willing to spend extra money on. I have no doubt her aptitude for languages is God-given. We want to give her every opportunity we can to hone that skill. Italki is exactly what we needed to do this. So, now you can see why I am telling everyone about italki! This really has been an answer to prayer. Head on over to italki and check it out for yourself. Iâd love to hear what you think!
Love Thyself 3 Personal Pathways to One-on-one Language Learning
Love Thyself 3 Personal Pathways to One-on-one Language Learning 3 Personal Pathways to One-on-one Language Learning The world doesnt revolve around you.Youre not the center of the universe.Actually, I take that backâ"if you sign up for one-on-one language learning, those statements above arent entirely true.Youll become the complete central focus for your teacher and for lesson planning.Language lessons will completely home in on your desires, needs and goals.But dont let it go to your head.You probably still have a lot to learn about one-on-one language learning.Here well show you what its all about, how it works, how to find a teacher and how to maximize your learning.Weve got everything you ever needed to know about one-on-one language learning in a single post. Sounds good?Letâs begin. The Virtues of One-on-one Language LearningResearch has shown that the smaller the class size, the better it is for language learners. Students in smaller groups have been found to outperform their peers in language abilities like pronunciation, reading and communicative skills like listening and speakin g.Hey, you canât go smaller than one-on-one, and it has loads of awesome benefits up for grabs.One-on-one language learning has the flexibility that classes of a dozenâ"or even classes of two and threeâ"just donât have. Your teacher, tutor or language exchange partner can make you the absolute center of their world and tailor the sessions to your specific needs.One basic need is a schedule that works for you. One-on-one lessons can be scheduled at your most convenient times. You donât need to drive through red lights just to catch the second half of the class. Youre the only student, so classes donât start without you! Of course, you do still need to get to class sessions on time, out of respect for the other person. In this case, perhaps you can call up ahead of time and rescheduleâ"another thing thats not possible with a larger class.In addition, sessions can go at your pace. You can breeze through the stuff you already know, then really dig deep with those pesky verbs that are giving you a hard time. You can go backwards and forwards, jump between topics and go into certain corners not contemplated by textbooks.This flexibility is really the most crucial thing here, because no two language learners are ever the same. One-on-one language learning can easily be responsive to your idiosyncrasies, styles and goals as a learner. Language materials are often linearly set in stoneâ"recorded, writtenâ"and generally appealing to the lowest common denominator needs of all language students. When working one-on-one with someone, you can give special attention to the skills and concepts that you most need to hone.You can always ask your teacher to slant the sessions according to your specific goals. Studying Chinese for business? Korean for travel? Russian for romance? Let your tutor or teacher know about it so you can get the kind of sessions you have in mind.Imagine the quality of interaction youll have when youre the sole focus of the lesson. You donâ t need to wait for the teacherâs attention so you can ask a nagging question, request a quick clarification or give a simple suggestion. You have a direct route to the teacher, and unlimited access to the source of information. You ask your questions without fear that other students will think negatively about you. And you wonât be slowed down by somebody who just went to the restroom.Not only is one-on-one language learning flexible and focused, itâs also really fast. It lets you cut directly to the core of the lesson. No time is wasted on classroom management, like checking attendance or waiting for everybody to quiet down.From a teacherâs perspective, a one-on-one situation not only makes their job much easier, it also makes their work a lot more effective. They have a better grasp of the target: you. They can better gauge what works and what areas need more work. They can easily know if youâve mastered the topic or not. You wonât be able to fly under the radar or r ide the coattails of your classmates. Youll be compelled to listen because the teachers attention is fixed on just one student.All that redounds to you learning the language with efficiency like no other.That said, letâs proceed to the next section where we talk about some of the ways you can crank up one-on-one language learning into overdrive.How to Supercharge One-on-one Language Learning1. Pick your teacher carefully. Hereâs howIf thereâs one message that hit you hard in the previous section, it shouldve been how awesome one-on-one language learning is. The next big message is about the importance of choosing the right teacher/tutor or partner. Itâs not rocket science, but you do have to do some work.And itâs not about picking out a rock star. Nope, itâs more about fit. Is he or she the best one-on-one partner for you?First, you might have noticed that were not talking exclusively about teachers here. For one-on-one learning, youll have the choice of getting a teac her, a tutor or a language exchange partner. (There can be overlap between the three.)A language teacher often has a degree and certification, plus experience with teaching your target language professionally. Their one-on-one sessions (online or in person) might be just be side gigs, in addition to their classes in a local school or university.A language tutor is often a native speaker of your target language or somebody whos fluent in it. They may be tutoring full-time or doing it part-time while having another non-language-related job.A language exchange partner, unlike the other two, often comes free. Its a win-win situation where two people teach each other their native tongues. For example, youâre an English speaker looking for one-on-one sessions in Russian. There are certain websites and apps today (more on those later) that pair you with Russian native speakers who are looking for English native speakers. You have something that they want, and they have something you wan t. So you teach what you have and in return, theyâll teach you what you need to know. No money is involved, just the friendship springing from mutual benefit.So letâs say youâre on some website and browsing through the many language teachers, tutors or language exchange partners available at a click. Here are some tips on how to pick the right one for you:a. Study their profile â" Donât just read it, read between the lines. Deduce possibilities from the data youâre given. For example, you might see from a profile that a prospective language partner is 24 years old, male. But thats just the basic info.Next, read what he writes about himself. Think through the way he describes himself and presents himself to the world. You can glean personality from even a short paragraph. For a professional teacher, you might look for their experience and background. For a language exchange, you might look to see if you two have anything in common that will be fun to chat about.b. That picture though â" A picture does say a thousand words. But what words? Look at that one picture they use to present themselves to the world. Almost everyone flashes a wide smile on those things, but look for other clues. Looking at the picture, what three adjectives immediately jump to mind? When it comes to a language exchange partner, you might just look for a friendly face. When it comes to tutors or teachers, youll want to look for more professionalism.c. Study the reviews â" If youâre on the hunt for a teacher or tutor, youâll probably see reviews and ratings from past students. Mine them for insights. Understand exactly why they get those scores. Yes, they always get ten stars out of ten, but why? Is it because theyre funny? Is it because they can pace the lesson very slowly? (That may not be so hot for those who need to learn a language fast.) Again, read between the lines and see if theyre the right kind of teacher for your goals. Donât just base your decision on , âSheâs really funny!â Itâs about fit, remember?Read several different reviews and take note of the words former students keep on mentioning, like âkind,â âintelligent,â âdeep and so on. They give you a clue about what one-on-one sessions with them are like.d. Send them the first message â" Drop them a hearty âHi!â Your investigation might have created some friendly questions. Ask away. Ask a teacher what they love most about their job. Ask a tutor what they do in their free time. Ask your language exchange partner why they want to learn your native tongue.See what he or she has to say. Youll learn a lot once you receive the reply from the other person.e. Interact with them â" After all of the above has been said and doneâ"studying their profile, mining their picture, reading the reviews, messaging back and forthâ"youll still only have a rough picture of what your partner is like.Thereâs really nothing like being in a one-on-one video chat with the te acher, tutor or language partner. Thatâs how you really get to know them. So take things out for a spin! Book some trial classes so you can see if it will be something beneficial for you. The first session might be a bust because the two of you are still adjusting, but by the second or third session, youll be able to decide if itâs working or not.If youâve caught somebody whoâs vibe matches yours then hold tight!2. One-on-one doesnât mean only one.When youâve met a teacher, tutor or language partner whoâs a keeper, consider yourself lucky. But donât fall into the trap of thinking you should only choose one. You can actually have as many as you want. This isnt marriage, so play the numbers game.In this wide, wide world, thereâs not just one person who can help you on your noble quest. Thereâs plenty of them. âOne-on-oneâ doesnât mean only one. It simply means that, during each language lesson or conversation session, youâre learning from one single source. But you can actually have as many language sources as you want.If you can afford plenty of teachers, then have at it! Have one teacher to give you more formal lessons, and a tutor to carefully comb over your problem areas after class. Have a teacher give you lessons, then have a language exchange partner whos down for more casual conversation. Have multiple language exchange partners in case one flakes out on you, and youll never miss a week of conversation practice.Each person will give you a look into the target language and culture unlike any other.But donât fret if your budget is limited. Language learning partners do come free and you can have as many buddies as you can fit into your social life. Donât have that scarcity mindset.3. Make the most of the time when youre alone.Here we talk about one of the most explosive ways to increase the productivity of your one-on-one sessions. The secret is this: Never come empty-handed.It means that during those down times when youâr e not engaged on Skype or in-person learning, you should actually be very busy preparing, visualizing what you want to do.Donât wing it. Study ahead so you can hit the ground running. For example, if youâre going to be learning tenses in the target language, hit the books days before and learn the basic rules beforehand. Get the basics out of the way and save the sticking points for the teacher.Even when you know that the tutor or language exchange partner will be going over it, have the fundamentals in your pocket anyway. That way, your one-on-one session will become sort of a review of the basics, and a drill down on the thornier parts of the topic.You can prepare target phrases or topics that you would want to try out or ask about during the one-on-one. Have some phrases ready and ask for nuances. For high-quality interaction, prepare your questions.You actually need to write these things down. A paper full of thoughts will come in handy, and if a meeting is to last for 45 mi nutes, have an hourâs worth of material ready. That way, youâll never run out of things to say.4. Have a say in the direction of your learning.One of the biggest advantages of one-on-one language learning is that you have more say in what takes place. This doesnât happen very often in most learning situations. A regular class is at the mercy of a syllabus designed by somebody else. A book has neatly lined up chapters, and its the job of the students to march to its beat.In one-on-one language learning, youre the drummer of your own beat. Dont think that your teacher is omniscient and holds all the answers to everything. The worst thing to happen would be finding yourself in a one-on-one situation and only passively going through the motions of learning, as if youâre being forced to take the lessons.No, take advantage of your privileged position and have a say in your learning. For example, tell your language exchange partner the topics that put a smile on your face. Let your teacher know which of the linguistic skills youâre not so confident about.Which areas confuse the bejesus out of you? Is some pronunciation always tripping you up? If youâre not sure of something, ask the question and let your tutor clear the air. Dont be a passive bystander on your own journey.Donât worry, you wonât be stepping on somebody elseâs toes when you spontaneously bring up something during the session. (Hey, youâre the only student there!)5. Look for one-on-one opportunities where there seem to be none.So far, weâve talked about teachers, tutors and language exchange partners as the main resource for one-on-one language learning. But in reality, one-on-one opportunities are everywhereâ"both online and in-person. You just need to open your eyes to spot them. What looks like a mundane situation can turn out to be a quick one-on-one language learning opportunity.For example, did you notice that when you greet somebody in their native tongue, throwing in some common phrases, they immediately assume you speak their language and engage? They give you a rapid and winded reply that almost makes you want to turn back time. (Come clean and tell them that youâre still learning and theyâll be more than happy to oblige for a super quick lesson.)Or, in online forums, you could locate those people who take the time and effort to write long and nuanced explanations about language questions and reach out to them. They obviously care enough. Reply to these kinds of posts and ask for a clarification. This will engage the writer and you may have just found another one-on-one resource.One of the best ways to make yourself the lightning rod for people who want to help is to post questions in forums. Each reply is a potential learning buddy. (You can try to transfer the whole interaction to Skype, later.)These are just some of the ways you can tap into one-on-one language learning. They do add up. Each interaction will add precious texture and clarity to your language skills.In the next section, we go into the resources territory and look at some of the places, online and offline, where, believe it or not, one-on-one language learning partners are actually waiting for you.3 Personal Pathways to One-on-one Language Learning1. Language exchange partnersA language exchange partner is a kindred soul. As a fellow language learner, they understand what youâre going through. And if your gut is in knots when chatting with them for the first time, it will be the same for them. So get through that awkward phase and do yourselves a favor.Here are some websites and apps where you can find awesome language exchange partners:Conversation Exchange The site is one of the best places that helps folks trade languages. The whole process is really simple. Do a targeted search by inputting your ideal language partner, the language that they speak and the one theyre trying to learn. Hit âsearchâ and out from the woodwork come wonderful individu als fitting the bill.You can choose the type of interaction that youd like. There are options for video chat, voice chat, face-to-face meeting and text chat. The last one, for example, would prove useful for those who want to hone their writing and reading skills. For chats, you have the option of picking the native Conversation Exchange software on the site itself, or your can transfer the whole interaction to Skype, FaceTime, Hangouts, etc.Easy Language Exchange This site was started by real language learners who know a thing or two about the struggles of acquiring a new tongue. Today, it has blossomed into a community of over 100,000 folks who genuinely want to help one another.It has built-in chat, voice and video calling so you donât really need to go somewhere else. To initiate interaction with others on the site, create an account first. (Everybody will be able to see your information, so try to create an interesting profile. Remember, theyâll also check out your account before they respond.)Besides the search and engage feature, which is really its heart, ELE also has a forum and a blog that can help you further hone those language skills.BilinguaThe previous two bullet points are language exchange sites. The next two are language exchange apps, meaning that you can download them to your smartphone and render the whole experience mobile.Bilingua is an app that takes pairing language learners very seriously. Just because your languages complement doesnât mean youll be the optimum partners for one another. You should have the same interests and personalities as well. So Bilingua, as part of the onboarding process when you create an account, gives you a series of questions designed to highlight your personality and interests. Bilingua will use this information later on to find you the most suitable language exchange partners. (So needless to say, answer truthfully.)With Bilingua, youll have plenty of learning tools necessary to make language exchan ge productive, educational and fun. For example, you have the âsmart chatâ feature that assists you with knowing what to talk about, even feeding you phrases that you can use.You also have games, quizzes and a managed list of vocabulary words which you can review at any moment. And last but not least, youre given statistical insights into your progression so you can self-correct when necessary.HelloTalk This app has transliteration, translation, grammar correction, text-to-voice and voice-to-text functions. Not just a bunch of unnecessary bells and whistles but high-powered features leading to a successful language exchange.The interactions on HelloTalk are a mix of text, audio and video. And youre given every assist to bridge every language gap.For example, the translation function comes in handy during those times when you donât know how to say (or type) something in the target language. What you do is simply use your first language and let the app translate it for you. It will convert your communication to something understandable to the other person. Your conversations wonât stall.You can even automatically convert the things you say into text. Simply long press the audio file and choose âSpeech to textâ and youll have a visual (text) record of what you just said. Your partner can see the text for better understanding. The makers of the app have really left very little room for misunderstanding.2. Language tutor/teacherWhen you climb Mt. Everest, youâre going to be needing the services of a Sherpa, a professional guide who helps you reach the mountain top.Need professional help in conquering your own linguistic summit? The following sites will help you find the perfect tutor or teacher:Verbalplanet.com This site is a veritable marketplace of native-speaking language tutors who can help you get unstuck. Read tutor reviews and ratings and find somebody who fits your lifestyle, goals and learning style. Your free Verbalplanet.com account comes with a personal progress tracking analytics that displays your tutorâs assessment of your performance in one-on-one sessions.Verbling This site houses the profiles of countless of qualified native speakers who can help. Remember when we talked earlier about fit?When you search, youâll get to search based on prices, availability and even the other languages they speakâ"so if your native language is Chinese or German, you can find a language teacher to teach you in that language. You get to see a video introduction made by the teacher, in addition to the usual written introductions. And on each teacher profile, thereâs a table showing their free schedule so you can see how it fits with yours.Plus, the technology here makes accessing tutoring sessions extra smooth. You donât need Skype or another third-party program. Itâs all here! Why donât you book a trial lesson today?coLanguageThis is an resource for online language learning that has the advantage of being aligned wi th a universal standard, the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). They cover a variety of common European languages, and all the teachers are professionals who have been pre-screened.Because the site is a little more structured than some, you get the benefit of quality assurance, but you still have the freedom to choose your own teacher. You can search tutors based on their prices, set up a time and meet with them over Skype. Many teachers here even offer a trial class, so you can try them out to see if their teaching style and methods work for you.Wyzant Knowing that your tutor is sitting on the other side of the world is all well and good. Its a testament to the power of technology to bring together people who are thousands of miles apart. But how about tutors who are living in your area? Local talent thats just as smart, knowledgeable and passionate?Wyzant is set up to unearth those teaching treasures who live so close that you can actually arrange to meet them in person. The site asks for your ZIP code and searches its database for teachers and tutors in your area. Follow this link to see who's available close to home.When meeting people youâre unfamiliar with in person, always take precautions. Bring someone with you. Arrange to meet in a public place. And most important of all, stay there! You can always find a quiet corner in a busy coffee shop.3. Friendly native speakersIf you live in a big city like New York, youll find plenty of language learning associations, non-profit entities that have resident native speakers who are just overjoyed to know that youre interested in their language and culture. In fact, one reason for these groupsâ existence is to conduct cultural campaigns to promote awareness and appreciation. You can attend their gatherings and see if you can network with some native speakers.The French District for French and Germany in NYC for German are just examples. Consulates, embassies and cultural centers al so have similar programs.If no specialized organizations exist in your area, try general expat associations or Meetup groups and check if there are speakers of your language. If no associations exist, do the leg work of asking around. Ask your local grocer, local council and your network of friends. It will all be worth your effort.Experiences with native speakers via this route are highly enriching. Youâll not only be learning about your target language, youâll also get the huge bonus of learning customs and traditions. Youâll learn about food, festivals, family, beliefs and generally a different way of looking at the world. As such, it will make you a more insightful language learner and person as a whole. Grab any opportunity to network and engage with native speakers in your area.So there you have it!Youâre now not only aware of the awesome benefits of one-on-one language learning and how to exploit these advantages to the hilt, you also know where to find these kinds opportunities. Itâs high time to experience the journey for yourself.Go right ahead! It will be one of the most fulfilling decisions you make as a language learner.Happy hunting! And One More ThingIf you like learning languages one-on-one, youll love it even more when you and your tutor, teacher or exchange partner are using FluentU. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ"the same way real people speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse ScreenFluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactiv e TranscriptsYou can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word youâre learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that youâre learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.
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