Resources For Learning English

Resources For Learning EnglishIf you have a computer and a connection to the internet, there are plenty of places that offer English language resources on learning English. In addition to the usual language books and reading materials, there are an assortment of learning tools, software, and other resources that can help you learn the English language. Online resources are the best for the beginner who is going through their first year of high school. More advanced learners can use these resources to complete their college degree and beyond.Websites for learning English can be very basic, meaning they are only for reading and listening lessons. These are perfect for beginning learners because they are very simple. However, if you are looking for more advanced tips and tricks, there are plenty of websites for English that can help you out. You can purchase a few tools to help you in your language learning. They include flashcards, printable dictionaries, and flash-card software.There are websites that are dedicated to English learning tools, but the best site to use is one that offers plenty of English resources that can be used as a supplement to your studies. This is especially useful if you plan on taking college classes in English language. Reading is the most important thing in learning to speak English. By studying the vocabulary that you will encounter, you will soon be speaking and writing the language fluently. If you don't have the time to read, these resources can be used to supplement your reading skills and keep you from getting bored with the book.A student's textbook and other reading materials can be used for free by using them as a supplement to your English studies. The flash cards are an excellent way to test your knowledge and review it from time to time. These flash cards help to test your comprehension of a phrase, sentence, or paragraph. If you see a question that you want to remember, using the flash cards will help you remember it in the future.Flash card software can be very helpful when you are trying to find words that rhyme with words that you already know. This is especially important if you aren't familiar with the word or you simply want to keep a word in mind, but you don't want to use it frequently. Flash cards are very useful for this purpose.Other useful English resources can be found online. Many of the free resources are no longer updated, and others are not available for download. However, there are other online resources that offer videos, quizzes, vocabulary lists, and English as a second language resources. These are great for those who want to learn a second language, or those who want to stay on top of their study and grammar skills. There are plenty of ways to learn the English language.Learning English is much easier than you might think. When starting out, there are lots of tools that can help you to learn the language, but there are also many sites for English that offer audio courses, worksh eets, printable dictionaries, flash cards, and other materials to help you learn the language. Whether you want to further your studies in English language or if you want to be able to speak it fluently, these websites are the best resources. Find the right tool for you and your needs.

How to be a Rockstar... On a Budget

How to be a Rockstar... On a Budget Suzy S. If you havent already seen it, the Rolling Stone recently released their list of 100 Greatest Guitarists, and none other than Jimi Hendrix has topped the list.   We thought this was an excellent pick his distinct style continues to inspire and influence musicians to this day.   Hendrix is a true rock legend and if you want to get to that status someday, youd better keep working hard. Yesterday we discussed 7 must-read tips for planning your bands tour as you start organizing and contacting promoters.   If you dont have a lot of cash saved up, though, the idea of a tour may be much more difficult to conceptualize.   Luckily, its still possible to tour while on budget.   Just consider that a part of the adventure!   Heres how to make it work: 1.   Consider how you will be traveling. For most bands this will mean long hours in a van of some type. Before you set out, have the vehicle serviced at your local shop. Have your mechanic change the oil, check the spark plugs and wires, air filters, radiator fluid, washer fluid, tire pressure, A/C operation and anything else that you can afford. This will help to uncover any issues before you find yourself on the side of the road outside Podunk, Iowa. Repairs on the road can be costly and interrupt your schedule. 2. Prior to leaving, determine how many hotel rooms that youll need and any special requirements. Do some homework and know how far you will travel each day and where you plan to spend the night. Check the Internet for hotels in the area and for special deals. Some of the discount websites can offer great savings, but be sure to read the fine print. Sometimes calling the local hotels directly will actually get you a better deal. Ask to speak with the general manager or reservations manager and explain your situation. If they can rent several rooms together, they might offer a lower price.   It never hurts to ask! 3. Food can also be a major expense if not handled correctly. In the van, bring along a large cooler and purchase drinks at the grocery store prior to departure. These are cheaper than at a gas station and will prevent some unnecessary stops.   For breakfast, consider the complimentary breakfast if your hotel offers one.   Also: sometimes before your show, the venue youre at may provide food.   Always ask the venue owner about this possibility and you can even use it as a negotiation point. 4. Payments for gigs should be immediately deposited into a bank account. This can be done via an ATM or bank drive-through. Before you leave, check your bank for locations in the area of your gigs. This will prevent you from spending this money and limit you to the budget that you have prepared before departure. Like these posts?   Sign up to receive daily updates right to your inbox!   Click here to subscribe. You might also like 4 Things You May Be Doing Wrong at Gigs In a Band? Take a Lesson from Bob Dylan Avoiding 5 Common Rehearsal Mistakes

Promoting a Growth Mindset

Promoting a Growth Mindset My previous post discussed strategies for teaching Growth Mindset principles to your child. And while this is an important first step, the real power comes in reminding your child of these principles and promoting them on a day to day basis. Helping your child develop a Growth Mindset involves first making sure that he or she has the tools and strategies that he or she needs in order to be successful, and then remind your child that when he or she pairs these strategies with hard work and persistence he or she can grow their brains and become better at anything that he or she puts their mind to. When it comes to making sure your child has access to strategies and tools that work for him or her, I recommend setting up a meeting with your childs teacher. Find out which areas they think your child needs to improve in the most, and what suggestions they have for accelerating this improvement. If your childs teacher suggests that your child receive additional help outside the classroom, then seek out additional learning services at school or in an after-school learning or tutoring program. Also, ask for suggestions about what you can do at home each week to help your child improve. When your child is trying out new strategies and working on things that are hard for him or her, encourage a Growth Mindset by taking the following steps: Remind your child that when he or she works hard they are growing their brain. When we lift weights our muscles grow stronger. We know they are stronger because over time it becomes easier to lift heavier weights. Remind your child that when we challenge our brains by working on things that are hard for us, our brains get stronger too. We know theyre getting stronger because math problems, books, and writing assignments that were hard for us become easier over time. And we get more answers correct the first time around. Praise Growth Mindset goals. When your child is working hard, tie your praise to our Growth Mindset goals. Praise your child for stepping up to a challenge, trying out new strategies, working hard, and improving. Overall, youll be most successful at fostering a Growth Mindset when you focus your praise on your childs process rather than on your childs grades and achievement. Counter Fixed Mindset thoughts with Growth Mindset alternatives. When kids are frustrated they are likely to have a whole host of Fixed Mindset thoughts that get in the way. When they voice these thoughts, try to come up with Growth Mindset alternatives that can help your child think differently about his or her situation. Your child may not seem too receptive in the moment, especially if he or she is feeling very frustrated. But over time, your child will hear you and will start to come up with these Growth Mindset alternatives on his or her own. Here are some examples to help you get started: Fixed Mindset: I always make mistakes!Growth Mindset: When we correct our mistakes, we grow our brains. Fixed Mindset: I cantGrowth Mindset: You havent done it yet! Fixed Mindset: This stuff is easy for other kids.Growth Mindset: With new strategies and practice it will become easier for you too. Helping your child develop a Growth Mindset will take time. After all, your child has probably been living with a Fixed Mindset for years. Be persistent and look for small, gradual improvements. Mindsets are fluid, so dont be surprised if sometimes your child is able to maintain Growth Mindset and other times he or she is firmly stuck in a Fixed Mindset. The goal is to help your child spend more time in a Growth Mindset framework than he or she was able to in the past. Over time, his or her motivation and self-esteem will improve, and youll notice that he or she is more willing to take risks and step up to challenges at school and in life. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

Alexa for Kids with ADHD

Alexa for Kids with ADHD One of the most popular gifts of this past holiday season, according to CNN Money, was Amazons Echo Dot, featuring their digital assistant, Alexa. If you are one of the millions of people who recently brought Alexa into their home, then you are now learning that Alexa can do all kinds of things, from giving you the weather forecast to turning on the lights in your home or operating any number of Internet of Things connected devices. If you have a child with ADHD, then youll be happy to know that Alexa can also help with many of the challenges that you and your child face every day. Kids with ADHD are typically slow to gain independence in their daily activities, like getting ready in the morning, completing their homework, and getting ready for bed in the evening. Parents often find themselves micromanaging their childs day, making sure that things get done well and on time, even when their child is of an age when they should be managing these activities independently. The need for constant reminders and double-checking frustrates parents, and on the flip side, kids often complain that their parents spend too much time nagging them. This is where Alexa can be helpful. Alexa can essentially serve as an independent third party that provides reminders, alarms, and lists. Kids can easily learn to use these features in Alexa, building independence and confidence, and reducing conflict and negotiations with parents. After all, when a parent says, Youre going to need to leave for soccer practice in 10 minutes, it can feel like nagging to a child, but when Alexa says t he same thing, its not emotionally loaded or the source of immediate conflict. There are many ways to incorporate Alexa into your childs daily routine. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Alarm clock. Help your child set an alarm with Alexa, and customize the alarm with his or her favorite song. For example, Alexa, please wake me up at 7am every weekday with Let it Go from Frozen. If your child is generally slow to wake up, then let him or her know that he or she will need to be out of bed by the time the wake-up song ends. By having your child tell Alexa when to wake him or her up and which song to play, he or she is taking responsibility for his or her morning alarm and gaining independence. Getting out the door on time. Alexas scheduling functions can also help your child keep track of time in the morning. In the Alerts Alarms section of your Alexa app, create custom reminders that are scheduled to repeat at the same time every morning or afternoon. For example, you can create a reminder called Ten Minute Warning and then program Alexa to remind your child at 7:50am every day that its almost time to leave the house, Dylan, I just wanted you to know the bus is coming in 10 minutes. Again, by leveraging Alexa to provide the reminder, youre helping to break the cycle of conflict that may be dominating your mornings. Homework Time. You can also use Alexas scheduling and alarm systems to help manage homework time, either by using the Timer Feature, Alexa, please set a homework timer for one hour or the Alarm Feature, Alexa, please set an alarm for 4pm when homework time is over. Your child can also ask, Alexa, please tell me how much time is left on my homework timer, without involving his or her parents in the discussion. To-Do Lists. To-Do lists may seem like an organization strategy that is geared toward adults, but they can also be very helpful for kids with ADHD. For example, if your child mentions that he or she needs to return a permission slip to school by Thursday and attend a Science Fair on Friday he or she can easily add these items to his or her to-do list. Alexa, please add permission slip to our to-do list for Wednesday or Alexa, please remind me about my science project on Thursday afternoon at 3pm. As Alexa and similar technologies begin to play a more central role in our daily lives, kids with ADHD will gain access tools that can help them gain independence, manage their ADHD symptoms more effectively, and reduce conflict at home. And one of the best features: Alexa is screen-free! These digital tools are all available without a distracting tablet or phone that can derail any childs best intentions. So, help your child get started with Alexa, and see what this technology can do for your family. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

How to Level Up Your Skills with the Best Foreign Language Audiobooks

How to Level Up Your Skills with the Best Foreign Language Audiobooks How to Learn Faster with the Best Foreign Language Audiobooks Want to level-up your language skills?First tip: give your headphones and speakers the workout of their life.Now listen up while we convince you that audiobooks are an awesome  language-learning tool to get you on track with those ambitious goals youve set.Think about it! Audiobooks can help you:Take advantage of wasted time. You can listen to them while doing  almost anythingâ€"commuting  to work or school, walking the dog, cleaning the house, even shopping.Learn new vocabulary words and everyday phrases you can put to use right away.Practice your listening  and speaking skills at the same time.Improve your pronunciation.Learn more about the culture  of people who speak your target language.And the best way to learn with audiobooks is to choose a book that interests you and is at the level that suits you the best.Need  some hints?All right, you win.Here are some tried-and-true tips on how to get the most from learning with audiobooks, along with some guidelines  for finding the best foreign language audiobooks at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. 5 Study Tips  to Make Audiobooks Work for YouFirst, a  few general tips to  give you a great head start.1. Take notes. If you hear new words you want to remember, write them down. This will help you retain information and make it easier to reference in the future. Its much easier to find a word in a notebook or computer document than it is to search through an  entire  audiobook to find the place you heard it!2. Get a hardcopy. Choose  an audio language course with an accompanying hardcopy book, or try to find a hardcopy of the childrens or adult book you are listening to. Even though you shouldnt get into the habit of reading along every time you listen, having  the hardcopy material available is helpful when you come across  new words and  phrases that you just cant catch.3. Listen first. Written material can help you learn and retain information, but it can also be a crutch. One of the advantages of an audiobook is that it forces you to learn by listening, a skill you need in order to communicate  that a lot of people underestimate. Use your notes, a hardcopy book and a dictionary as you learn, but try to listen to an entire section or chapter before you start to rely on written material.4. Repeat again and again. The more you listen, the more  youll learn. Most audio language courses are designed to repeat material for this reason. If youre listening to  a childrens or adult audiobook entirely in the foreign language youre studying, you will  need to repeat sections for yourself. Listen several  times so that  you grow  comfortable with what youre hearing.5. Practice in real life. If youre taking a class or meeting with a conversation partner, bring along your list of new vocabulary words, and practice using them with a native speaker. Engage your friends in conversation about the audiobooks youre listening to, and learn more about what they think. When you practice words in different contexts, you help yourself remember them better.How to Learn Faster with the Best Foreign Language AudiobooksBeginner Level: Audio Language CoursesThe best type of audiobook for a beginner is an audio language course. Theyre  typically tailored for beginners and travelers  who need to learn phrases quickly so that they can  communicate on a  trip. Youll find that an audio course teaches you useful everyday words and phrases in a pleasant, enjoyable format, while giving you lots of practice listening to native speakers.Youre probably familiar with audio language courses, since these are the most common and accessible foreign language books available. Youve probably even impulse-bought  an audio phrasebook of some kind  before!To choose the best audio language course:Check out your favorite library, bookstore or website. Its easy to find audio language courses for most of the commonly studied foreign languages. Look for titles like Spanish for Dummies, Pimsleur, Collins or Earworms.Take advantage of  textbook CDs or audio files.  Many textbooks offer access to online audio files for practice listening. Investigate this option if youre already using a textbook to study.Ask your friends for recommendations.  If you know someone who has studied a foreign language (even if its not the one youre studying), ask which audio language course they liked best.Once youve got  your audio language course, turn it on and start  learning! But before that,  here are some more little tips to ease the process.Make it work for you:Supplement with grammar materials. The everyday words youll learn with an audio course will help  you ask simple questions and understand the answers. But most audio courses focus on stand-alone phrases and dont provide detailed grammar instruction. If you find yourself wanting to say not  just, Im going to the museum, but, Yesterday I went to the museum, you may have to look further than your audio course.  Build on the phrases in  your audio book by supplementing with a grammar book or website that explains grammar rules.Dont be afraid to skip ahead.  If you discover that the material most important to  you is in one of the later chapters of an audio course, skip right to it! Although most audio language courses build on the material taught in previous chapters,  theres no reason why you need to wait if what you want to learn most is 45 minutes into the audio course. Go ahead and listen to what youre drawn to!Make an  audio course part of your larger language-learning routineâ€"not the entire routine.  Most of us retain information best when we get it from a variety of different inputs. Look up new words in a dictionary, use a textbook for additional learning, watch videos online and talk with a conversation partner for a complete picture of how the language is used in different contexts. The more varied your language inputs, the better chance you have of retaining information and learning how words are used in differen t situations.Intermediate Level: Childrens BooksIntermediate-level language learners are ready to move beyond the basics and will probably enjoy the challenge of authentic audio materialsâ€"the type of audiobooks native speakers might use themselves.An adult audiobook in a foreign language can  be daunting even to the most confident language student, so its best to start with childrens books. Youll find that they are approachable, fun and remarkably useful for learning.To choose the best  childrens book  for you, follow these suggestions:Have fun! Childrens books are meant to be fun. Luckily, most are designed to be engaging, educational, and interesting, so it shouldnt be too difficult to find a good one.Ask native speakers which books they like best.  What do native speakers read to their children? What books do they remember from childhood? Choosing books that are beloved by native speakers is a good way to ensure you dont pick a dud and may mean that youll find an audience inter ested in discussing it with you.Avoid archaic language. Some of the best childrens stories are folktales, poems and stories passed down for centuries. While these provide wonderful opportunities for cultural learning, its best to avoid archaic language when you first start out. Archaic  language is likely to be confusing to language learners and will not be as useful if you plan to use phrases you learn to speak with people on an everyday basis (you probably dont want to tell your friend the equivalent of, I bequeath you this piece of cake). Start with more  modern stories, and work your way up to stories with more complex language.Of course, the easiest  way to start learning with  an audiobook is to simply turn it on and listen. But having a plan and some resources will help you keep on track.Make it work for you:Focus on the story.    Dont worry about looking up every single word. Instead, look up a few key  words and then listen again to see how much more you can understand. It might  be overwhelming if you try to look up every word you dont know.Learn like a child. Childrens stories form the basis of language and reading development. Children usually pick up phrases from books and try them out in new settings.  This is exactly what you should do.Emulate the narratorâ€"but not too much. Childrens book narrators are fantastic storytellers. Emulating the narrator is great practice, but just remember that  you dont want to sound like youre talking to children every time you speak!Advanced Level: Novels and Non-Fiction for Young Adults and AdultsWhen youve got the hang of childrens audiobooks, its time to start listening to novels and non-fiction.Give a little thought to what you plan to listen to. It will likely be much longer than a childrens book, so its important to select something that will hold your attention.Here are some things to consider:Choose  a book  native speakers are reading. Look for lists of top-selling books in your target language, and as k  native speakers what they like to read. A book that native speakers have appreciated is more likely to be interesting and will offer more opportunities for discussion with native speakers than an obscure book will.Consider starting with a book youve read in your native language.  Youll already be familiar with the characters and plot, so you may be able to follow along easier without looking up as many words. If youve read a book in translation that was originally written in your target language, this is an ideal book to start with. Reading the book in the language it was written in will provide you with a new and more complete perspective of the story.Take a gander at young adult novels.  Young adult novels often have mass appeal and are written in plainer language than adult novels. These can be fun to read and a little bit less daunting than starting with an adult audiobook.Avoid classicsâ€"at least for a while. Classics are enduring stories and have great cultural value, but they can be difficult to understand, even for native speakers.  Unless you know that a certain classic novel is written in language thats easy to understand, its best to start with books written in more colloquial language. After youre familiar with the audiobook format, then you might start trying to listen to classics.After youve selected the audiobook youre going to read, its time to get started!Make it work for you:Get a hardcopy in your native language, if possible. Although you shouldnt rely on the book in your native language, having one to consult may help you feel confident you are following the story correctly and getting all the nuanced information. Just  remember not to attempt to translate word-for-word or even sentence-for-sentence because the exact phrasing may be different.Move on!  Listening repeatedly improves your comprehension and helps you memorize new words, but a full-length book is too long for you to spend too much time on any one section. While you may be able to listen again and again to a childrens book, an adult book is much more about flow and overall comprehension than it is about the specifics of any single section.Focus on the big picture. Your goal should be to understand the story and learn a few new words in the processâ€"not to look up every single word you hear. You will hear some of the same words repeated again and again and will begin to form an idea of what these words mean and how theyre used in different contexts.  Recognize that its okay to get the gist of it without understanding all  the nuances.Audiobooksâ€"whether language courses, childrens books or adult booksâ€"are a great way to learn and practice your language skills. Theyre fun, inspirational and may  fill a void in your language-learning routine.As you begin to listen and become more comfortable with the best foreign language audiobooks, consider trying increasingly difficult  ones. You may surprise yourself with your level of comprehension and will lear n a lot in the process.Time to level up! And One More ThingIf youre digging these learning strategies, youll love 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 that natives  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 Screen.FluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.Interactive transcript for Carlos Baute song.You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs learn mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoA nd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.Start using FluentU on the website  with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the  iTunes  or  Google Play  store.

Sharpen your study skills

Sharpen your study skills It's one thing knowing that you need to study, but do you actually know how to do it? Study skills are a relatively new addition to the curriculum, and indeed they may still not be taught in all schools. If you went to school some time ago then you may not even know what they are. Study skills are the techniques that everybody needs to learn effectively and to manage their own learning. Study skills can be applied to any sort of learning and by learners of any age. Whether it's a five year old doing their first piece of homework, or a 30 year old revising for professional exams, everyone can benefit from study skills. It is particularly important to learn study skills in this day and age not just because of the huge amount of information that we are presented with: we are also given this information in many different formats, and we need to know how to process and organise this. For example, you may be learning a language and this would involve watching videos, doing written exercises and reading newspapers in that language on the internet. These are three different multimedia ways of learning and can all be approached in various effective ways with the help of a study skills tutor.

italki featured on International Channel Shanghais Money Talks

italki featured on International Channel Shanghais Money Talks Watch as italkis Co-Founder Kevin Chen is interviewed about italki on International Channel Shanghais business/financial news program Money Talks.  Also making a special guest appearance is our Professional Chinese Teacher (and student) Xiao Lei! italki came out of my own experiences learning a foreign language. I learned Chinese here in Shanghai. Being in China allows you to be immersed in the language and when you immersed it just means you are using it for real communication. Youre not studying grammar, your actually using grammar. When we (created) italki, we thought about how can we use technology to create that same virtual immersion. And thats where the idea for italki was born. This show originally aired on Nov. 23rd, 2013. italki featured on International Channel Shanghais Money Talks Watch as italkis Co-Founder Kevin Chen is interviewed about italki on International Channel Shanghais business/financial news program Money Talks.  Also making a special guest appearance is our Professional Chinese Teacher (and student) Xiao Lei! italki came out of my own experiences learning a foreign language. I learned Chinese here in Shanghai. Being in China allows you to be immersed in the language and when you immersed it just means you are using it for real communication. Youre not studying grammar, your actually using grammar. When we (created) italki, we thought about how can we use technology to create that same virtual immersion. And thats where the idea for italki was born. This show originally aired on Nov. 23rd, 2013.

The Importance of Good Writing and Reading Skills. - ALOHA Mind Math

The Importance of Good Writing and Reading Skills. Most children have their own style of creativity. But they don’t really lean toward writing as a means of expressing themselves. If you see that your child has the potential to develop good writing skills, it is better to help them develop these skills at an early age. Usually, apart from homework there is no stress on writing. Experts say improving writing and reading skills must not be neglected.Reading and writing development are intertwined in learning. The physical act of writing letters and words enhances a child’s ability to read. The complementary relationship between reading and writing continues long after these early efforts. Therefore, it is good to stress on improving writing skills at a young age itself. Good vocabulary is the foundation for good writing. The best way to improve children’s knowledge of words is to encourage them to read more, and look up the meanings of words they do not understand. Playing simple word games or even scrabble can greatly contribute towards building children’s vocabulary. Going through their homework to check for spelling and grammatical errors is also useful, as it will reinforce what is being taught in school. When children have a report to write at home, it is better to encourage them to make a rough draft first. This way spelling and other errors can b e avoided in the final copy. Using color pencils and pens with different colored inks are fun for kids.Also, providing them various kinds of paper for spontaneous writing projects will help. Cute note cards and stationery make writing letters and notes more interesting. Another activity that is sure to keep your child busy, is writing a picture story. Let her draw a picture and then describe it or even come up with a story. ALOHA is also introducing a unique approach to writing and reading. For more information please visit http://www.aloha-usa.com Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/aloha.usa and on Twitter: @AlohaKidsMath for constant updates and tips for your child’s education and development. Photo Courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sekihan/4488071458/sizes/z/in/photostream/

What Are Significant Figures in Chemistry?

What Are Significant Figures in Chemistry?When you consider what are significant figures in chemistry, the chances are you will come up with a simple answer. These figures are units that denote chemical ingredients and quantities of these ingredients. They are generally in mass, but their properties vary from chemical to chemical.Volumes can be either mass or volume. A formula, in mathematics, is a collection of numbers that are related to each other to arrive at a single result. The result can be interpreted as a result of using a chemical formula. It is a unit that is commonly used to measure the mass of chemicals and products.A volume is defined as the length of a distance of one cubic centimeter. It can also be used to measure the amount of water that is contained in a chemical solution. In chemistry, volumes are measured in mass and it can be defined as the mass of the chemical solution minus the mass of the surrounding solids.Volumes are used in modern chemistry as a means of m easurement. There are volume units that are used in areas such as therapeutics, medical products, cancer research, and more. These volumes are frequently expressed in weight. There are also systems of weight that can be used for specific applications and this is the most commonly used.A variety of common measurements are important when considering what are significant figures in chemistry. The most common units are mass and volumes. The units are also used to describe the weight and mass of substances. Some other common units are moles, grams, milligrams, mililiters, centimeters, etc.The quantities of chemicals involved in a product are also important to consider. They can also be defined in the mass terms. These are formulas that show the amounts of chemical components of a material, so that calculations can be made for quantities of the material, so that it is easier to make correct product design and dosage information.What are significant figures in chemistry is an area of study that will lead to new chemical and medicinal ideas. Although this field is quite wide-ranging, some topics are already being tested in the laboratory, while others are being developed in the lab. Scientists and researchers will continue to use the figure in chemistry to study the behavior of materials, especially when it comes to natural materials that are found naturally.