Top 10 Reasons That Make Online Math Tutor Ideal

Top 10 Reasons That Make Online Math Tutor Ideal 0SHARESShare Online Math Tutor a powerful, effective and ideal resource As a parent, you want to leave no stone unturned to provide your children with mathematics help that they really require. In the fast changing contemporary times, online tutoring has become a powerful and unfailing resource. We will discuss how it will be an ideal decision for you. You need to opt for an online math tutor for your children. Online classes are conducted by the real mathematics tutors who imperatively hold Masters Degree in the subject. They have to undergo a very merciless scrutiny before they are hired by the online tutor bureaus. As an online math tutor tackles global student community. So he or she knows better how to read and watch the minds of students. Online tutors are trained and capable enough to rediscover the way your child can learn and perform better. They use fully tried and tested methodologies that enable your children to learn. With this children can understand and perform better. The personalized lessons that online tutors prepare are strictly based on the text books which are used in students’ regular classrooms. The unlimited opportunities of revision that students enjoy with an online math tutor are what make online tutoring really peculiar. If students are in doubt and confusion, they can keep raising their queries unless and until they grasp the gist of a particular topic or issue in entirety. On the monetary front, online tutors never burn a hole in parents’ pockets as the pricing structure is tailored in a well-balanced way. The friendly behavior of an online tutor always keeps students on ease, and as a result, they concentrate and learn better. Learning Mathematics online is not only a fun but also an activity. The activity that puts students on complete ease to score and understand better. Your first experience with your online math tutor will change your notion about online tutoring forever. [starbox id=admin]

Online Printable Venn Diagram With Lines Tutors

Online Printable Venn Diagram With Lines Tutors Venn diagram is a diagram representation or pictorial representation of a given logical data or set of information to solve different kinds of problems. Venn diagram is a very useful method to solve logical problems in math. Venn diagram gives a detailed understanding and pictorial explanation to solve a given question. Venn diagrams make solving some difficult problems trivial and more efficient. Example 1: 10 students in a class are taking English and 15 students in the class are taking Physics. Find the number of students in the class taking Physics classes only. Solution: Number of students taking English classes = 10. Number of students taking Physics classes = 15. Number of students taking both the classes = 5. Using the Venn diagram below: Number of students taking physics only = 15-5 = 10. Hence 10 students in the class are taking physics only. Example 2: There are 25 students in a class. 10 students like playing football and 12 students in the class like to play baseball. If 2 students like to play both the games. Find the number of students in the class who do not play any sport. Solution: Number of students in the class = 25. Number of students who play football = 10. Number of students who play baseball = 12. Number of student who play both the games = 2 Using the Venn diagram below: Number of students who do not play any of the games = 25-(8 + 2 + 10) = 25 - 20 Therefore, 5 students do not play both the games.

The Incan Civilization

The Incan Civilization What Defined the Inca Empire? ChaptersOutlining the Inca CivilisationLife in the Incan EmpireIncan TechnologyWhat Remains of the Incan Empire TodayToday, the Incan Empire is known as the largest in pre-Columbian America, and the most efficient.For all of its glaring holes in civic structure â€" no currency or legal code to name just two, their political and administrative structure was nevertheless the most developed of all the south- and Mesoamerican societies.Theirs was a relatively short tenure but impactful nonetheless.It was a remarkable civilisation, flourishing in spite of challenges posed in no small part by the terrain they occupied, as well as other factors that we will now explore in-depth. MarkHistory Teacher 5.00 (3) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JohnHistory Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarjotteHistory Teacher 5.00 (4) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ErinHistory Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ChantelleHistory Te acher 5.00 (2) £17/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AndriyHistory Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PeterHistory Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SerenaHistory Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsOutlining the Inca Civilisation Peruvians today try to recapture the glory of the Incan empire Image by Mauricio Ortega from PixabayBefore their organisation into an empire, the people who occupied the land the empire was founded on were pastoral â€" animal farmers.While there is nothing written down about the founding of the Inca empire, oral history details a story in which eight siblings, 4 male and 4 female, stepped out of a cave.One brother, Ayar Manco, carried a fine staff made of gold. It was said that, wherever his staff should touch the earth, people would settle.Cusco is where his staff finally touched the ground.The people already on that land put up a fight but, after one of Manco’s sisters killed one of the land’s defenders, the rest ran away, frightened, leaving the Cusco dwellers to surrender and submit.The brother with the golden staff, Manco, became the founder of the Inca.A more pragmatic (and possibly provable) beginning of the Incan civilization is that the empire builders were actually refu gees of the urban-dwelling Wari and the pastoral Tiwanaku.This theory certainly makes sense when we consider the remnants of Inca civilisation, especially the magnificent structures they built.GeographyCentred in the Andes mountains, the Inca Empire covered a large portion of western South America.At its height, it encompassed Peru and parts of Equador, as well as parts of Bolivia, Argentina and most of Chile.The seat of the empire, Cusco (also spelt Cuzco), is located in southeastern Peru, high in the Andes Mountains â€" 34,000 meters above sea level, to be exact.While not close to a body of water â€" Lake Titicaca is several miles away, the Incans nevertheless managed to engineer ways of harnessing water for bathing, for drinking and for their crops.They were also keen strategists, using their territory and their knowledge of the Peruvian highlands to maximise their military strength when fighting against the Spanish conquistadors.Discover also how the geography of the Fertile Cre scent allowed the Mesopotamian civilization to thrive...GovernmentMuch like the United States today, the Incan Empire followed a federal model of government: several independent states that ultimately fell under the rule of a central body of legislators.However, unlike the US and its 50 states, the Inca only had four quarters whose corners ‘met’ in Cusco.Each quarter, or suyu was governed by an Apu, a man of high distinction and status. The same term was used to identify especially venerated mountains!Each Apu held rule over several districts within his quarter; it is estimated that, at the height of Incan rule, there may have been more than 80 such districts.We must bear in mind that there are no actual records of the Inca model of government. What we know comes from Spanish documents of the time and they are often misleading and/or open to interpretation.At the federal level, the Incan governing body was strikingly similar to what we see in modern-day politics.At the top of th e hierarchy would be the overall leader, often with a religious leader in tandem. Below would fall a person akin to a prime minister, who oversaw a sort of Council of the Realm.This council was comprised of 16 noblemen, with a fair representation of ‘higher’ and ‘lower’ divisions of the empire.Said ‘higher’ and ‘lower’ reflect social stratification â€" the separation of nobles versus commoners; it is not an indication of the altitude at which those people lived. Both males and females were tasked with caring for livestock Image by Yolanda Coervers from PixabayLawsAs mentioned before, the Inca left not codified laws; possibly because they lived by a strict moral code that had only three premises:Do not steal (ama sua)Do not lie (ama llulla)Do not be lazy (ama quella)To ensure enforcement, it became everyone’s civic duty to report on wrongdoers. In addition, they had inspectors to oversee compliance.This moral code tied in with their religious belief that good people would inherit heaven â€" snow-capped mountains topping a beautiful pasture.They especially feared not being ‘good’ because it was told that they would spend their eternity in the cold earth.Learn about the death rites of the Aztec culture.EconomyCuriously, the Incan Empire used no money and established no markets. The people used a bartering system among themselves and among groups.To pay their duty to the state â€" what would be considered taxation if currency were involved , individuals or groups performed labour for the good of the empire.This work could be building roads or monuments, serving in a military capacity or being a runner.The Incas perfected a form of long-distance communication by having runners stationed at intervals along their more than 8,000 km of roads.When a government official in Cusco needed to send a message to an official in a distant province, he would task a runner to carry the message.From there, message delivery became a relay race. The first runner would arrive at the first outpost, pass on the message and the second runner would take off... and so on until the message reached the intended ears.Because of instances such as this, in economic terms sociologists have described the Incan Empire as either a feudal state, a slave state or a socialist state.Whether it was a socialist paradise or social tyranny is still being debated.Life in the Incan EmpireDiligence was highly valued in Incan society; much of what people did revo lved around civil service.Curiously, even though everyone was considered a servant â€" even the kings served the Incan ideal, and there was no wealth to amass, there were sharp distinctions between people.Social StratificationNaturally, kings or supreme leaders were at the very top of the pile. They were called Capacs and they often came to their position as a matter of heredity. They were permitted several wives.Inca nobility, called Inka, also inherited their social position. They were easy to recognise because their heads would be oddly conical from having been wrapped when they were infants.Such head wrapping was considered a mark of distinction in many cultures, not just the Inca!Curacas were bureaucrats and government functionaries and caciques were agricultural community leaders.Chasqui is the last social rank above the general population. They were the runners along Incan highways that we mentioned earlier. Such a stretch would be rather easy for Incan runners to course Image by Alper Sevinc from PixabayReligionSpanish records allude to the Inca belief in reincarnation.There was a prohibition of burning a body after death because doing so would threaten their passage to the afterworld. Hence, Incans would be mummified and stored, so that they could be retrieved at times of celebration.Besides believing in reincarnation and following the Incan moral code â€" do not lie, steal or be lazy, the Incans worshipped a pantheon of gods:Viracocha (or Pachacamac): creator of all living thingsPachamama: wife of Viracocha; mother of the EarthInti: sun god who smiles with special favour on the city of Cuscohe was their patron deity, meaning that he was thought to reside in the city, causing Cusco to be thought of as the City of the Sun.Mama Killa: wife of Inti, called the Moon MotherIllapa: goddess of lightning and thunderAyar Cachi: a hot-tempered god whose tantrums cause earthquakesMama Occlo: taug ht people how to be civilised; taught women how to weave cloth and build housesManco Capac was considered a god as well as the father of the Inca people. He taught them how to share resources and work together; he also taught them how to craft weaponry and plant crops.It is hard to determine whether Manco Capac was real or merely a part of their oral history whose legend grew with each retelling.Certainly, somebody had to found the empire, lead it and hand it off to a successor, as it is told Manco did. But trying to distinguish myth from fact with no records to examine...By contrast, Egyptologists have no trouble deciphering Ancient Egypt’s civilisation.SacrificesMuch like the Mayans, the Inca routinely offered their gods a buffet of human sacrifice â€" especially child sacrifice.Should water be lacking or if there wasn’t enough food; if the supreme leader died, one or several children would be offered to the gods in return for their renewed benevolence.Leisure ActivitiesThere is not much indication of what Incan people did for fun; accounts reverberate with a sense of pleasure in duty, of belonging to the greater whole and to be given tasks equal to one’s neighbour.A fine example of that mentality is evident in the Incan principles of marriage.Males were permitted to marry after age 20; females about four years younger and these unions were generally very businesslike. Nobody married outside of their social class.Once a couple sets up on their own, the bride was expected to manage all aspects of the home and care for the children when they come, work in the garden and tend to livestock.Males also tended to the animals and may work in the garden but their duties included building houses, carrying in firewood and joining in combat, if necessary.Early fleets of Spaniards saw the division of labour between males and females as more of a slave/master relationship, with the man being the master.The women could not seem to convince them that they were happy t o have an equal burden of responsibility.  And no matter how one looked at the matter, the life of the Inca, male and female, was one of servitude.Not much is known about how Incan nobles spent their leisure time but we know plenty about how the ancient Greeks played... Inca agricultural terraces also provided a way to store water Image by mckinleypitts from PixabayIncan TechnologyIn many ways, the Incas have it all over other ancient societies who performed magnificent feats of engineering.For one, their use of agricultural terraces to capture and retain water while experimenting with crops is nothing short of brilliant.Besides irrigating the agricultural terraces, those aqueducts brought fresh water into the living centres; they even built communal baths.What is truly remarkable about the Incan waterways is that they were so precisely hewn out of solid rock rather than assembled, as the Roman aqueducts were.When you think about their not having any metal tools, it makes that feat even more astounding.To this day, thanks to their engineering savvy and hard work, those agricultural terraces, called the Sacred Valley of the Incas, is one of the most fecund areas of Peru.Their other feats of engineering are no less amazing... take their rope bridges, for example.Because the empire graced the top of the Andean Range, it was necessary to create passages from one outpost to the next without the messengers or workers having to descend through treacherous territory, only to have to climb more of the same.Building a rope bridge entailed having a team of workers on either side of the gorge they sought to span.One team would secure the bridge materials on their side of the gorge, and then fire an arrow to the other side with the other end of the rope attached.The worker on the other side should catch the arrow and/or rope, fasten it on his end and then begin the death-defying journey across it to make sure it was sound.What Remains of the Incan Empire TodayAs with the original Australians, the Inca succumbed to the diseases brought by their European invaders: smallpox, influenza, measles and typhus.By the time the third wave of Spanish conquerors landed, they found the population badly decimated.Furthermore, the restive population was d isenchanted with the sons of Sapa Inca, the overall leader, fighting for the throne.When Atahualpa, who defeated his brothers to win the crown, met with a delegation of Spaniards, he soundly rejected the Spanish king’s order to surrender and hand over all Incan wealth. They promptly imprisoned him.He bargained: with enough gold to fill his cell and twice that amount of silver, would they set him free?The Spanish agreed to those terms but, once the wealth was delivered, they reneged, slitting Atahualpa’s throat.Oddly enough, the Inca were relieved that their supreme leader was dead. Without much fuss, they let go of their gods, their rules and their way of life.The last Inca holdout, a village high in the mountains named Vilcabamba, was conquered in 1572. The last ruler was executed and whatever was left of the Incan way of life was destroyed.Unlike the Sumerians who invented one of the world’s first writing systems and recorded their deeds, the Incan legacy can only be reconst ructed from Spanish documents; a fairly biased narrative.However, they left us fantastic architecture to marvel over â€" Machu Picchu and other stone buildings, and many mysteries yet to understand.Now learn about more ancient civilisations...

3 Lessons to Take Away From the GMAT

3 Lessons to Take Away From the GMAT When am I going to use this in real life? How many times did we speak these words during high school when faced with a challenging math problem? Well, if you sit for the GMAT, you will be prompted to recall some of this information. Much of it hasn't been necessary to us for a number of years, and the majority is tested in such a way that it doesn't seem to apply to business school or the business world. However, the time you spend studying for and taking the GMAT will teach you several lessons that will be useful even beyond your exam date: 1. You will learn how to best use data By the time you finish this test, you will be able to decipher complex charts, graphs, and tables. You will learn to cull the tiniest pieces of information from emails, memos, and the attachments that accompany them. The new Integrated Reasoning Section requires you to perform all of these tasks. Many Critical Reasoning questions will require you to explain if facts and figures supporting an argument are actually representative of and relevant to the situation. And, of course, preparing for Data Sufficiency problems will improve your ability to determine if you have all the information necessary to arrive at a definitive answer and if you've considered all the possibilities. These skills are heavily relied upon in business, where people create projections and predictive models frequently. The ability to base these models on relevant data, the skills to identify the appropriate data out of an overwhelming volume of information, and the foresight to predict unusual circumstances and r eactions are crucial to the success of these business world predictions. This is some great information on how the GMAT is scoredthat you may find useful as well. 2. You will learn how to properly construct arguments It's one thing to realize you possess the data, or the primary concepts, or the projected result of a particular action. It's quite another to be able to articulate it in a manner that allows other people who need to understand it to do so. Once you know that you have sufficient data to make a decision or prediction or proposal, you must then recognize the unstated evidence that is not readily apparent, but that is necessary for your case to work. These are the assumptions, and when they exist, it often means there is data that is missing that needs to be addressed. Here are 3 GMAT strategies you learned while in collegethat you may find helpful. In Critical Reasoning, most of the question types relate to assumptions and inferences, and they test your ability to identify and/or manipulate them. The GMAT essay also requires you to analyze someone else's argument and determine what unsupported assumptions cause it to be flawed. When it's time to present your completed ideas to the worl d, the skills learned studying for the Sentence Correction portion of the exam are invaluable. Sentence corrections test you on seemingly arcane rules, but in doing so, they likewise require you to develop a keen editing eye and greater ease with the mechanics of language. 3. You will learn how to approach situations in a variety of ways While committing formulas and rules to memory is central to GMAT success, you also need to familiarize yourself with test-taking strategies. With 37 quantitative and 41 verbal problems to complete and just 75 minutes per section to do so, your most useful skill is recognizing when to deploy each tool: content, strategies, or strategic guessing. This will only be learned by completing a multitude of problems on numerous tests so that you understand your strengths and weaknesses, your favorite and least favorite approaches, patterns in the test questions, and so on. At times, you may employ two different approaches within the same problem, or you may solve a problem differently than the majority of people do, in a way that works faster and more accurately for you. This ability to quickly assess a problem, arrive at your best approach to solving it, and use every tool at your disposal will serve you well long after the GMAT is over. Here are some great GMAT resourcesthat you may find he lpful in your GMAT prep. You may also want to take a look at these 5 steps to help revitalize a struggling GMAT prep routine. Once you conquer the GMAT, many of the skills you summoned from the past will return to the dark recesses of your memory again, to be replaced with new knowledge from business school and life. But above all things, if you devote the proper amount of time to preparing for this test, not only will you achieve a high mark, but you'll learn the most important lesson of all: You can achieve anything you put your mind to.

Monthly Volunteer Notables - NOVEMBER - Heart Math Tutoring

Monthly Volunteer Notables - NOVEMBER - Heart Math Tutoring Monthly Volunteer Notables NOVEMBER Monthly Volunteer Notables NOVEMBER December 15, 2014 Dear HEART Tutors, This monthly email includes (1) Important Logistics, (2) Tutoring Tips, (3) More Resources (OPTIONAL), and (4) Just for Fun (OPTIONAL).   Thank you for taking a minute to read this. (1) Important Logistics Winter Break Package In December, we will be giving students a Winter Break package that includes Math Games and a Holiday Card!   Students will receive a prize if they play the math games at home during Winter Break. Please spend two minutes writing a quick note on a holiday card when you arrive for tutoring the week of 12/1.   (All materials provided.) You will see directions for Holiday Math Games at tutoring the week of 12/8 and 12/15.   Please spend 5-10 minutes during your tutoring session making sure your students know the card games well enough to play them at home with siblings and friends. Upcoming School Holidays no school, no tutoring (download here  ) Wednesday, Nov 26 to Friday, Nov 28 â€" Thanksgiving Break Monday, Dec 22 to Friday, Jan 2 â€" Winter Break Monday, Jan 19 â€" Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Friday, Jan 23 â€" Teacher Workday Please bring back the take-home notebooks you no longer need. (2) Tutoring Tips This video shows a quick tip from Billingsville Math Facilitator Nikia Graham.  She says to make sure the students (not tutors) are the ones doing the work with the math manipulatives. They need the hands-on experience with the numbers, even if it takes extra time and patience. Goals Does your student know what he/she is practicing?   Ask and find out.   If your student believes he/she is practicing “connecting cubes” or “hiding game,” he/she needs a review of the concept goals.   The notebook title is a good place to start. Continue to encourage hard work and perseverance.   Learning requires willingness to work hard as concepts get difficult, so praise students when they stay focused and continue trying in the face of a challenge, not just when they get the right answers. Please feel free to flag me down for help at any time during tutoring.  There is no need to wait until the end of a session to discuss issues or ask questions.  I want to provide real-time support so that you and your students can get the most out of your time together! Keep having fun!   Your students are so happy to see you each week. (3) More Resources (OPTIONAL) This One Page Curriculum Overview includes one-sentence goals that explain the big idea of each of the six notebooks. What is the point of “Strategies to 20” notebook?   This video shows how students should be able to add above ten by breaking apart numbers using the combinations they internalized in the prior notebook level, Combinations to 10. For those in the “Combinations to 10” notebook To clarify, a student needs to spend multiple lessons working with the same assigned focus number to sufficiently internalize the combinations. Most students need to complete Lessons 1 â€" 5 with one focus number to know the number’s parts.   Afterwards, the student will begin again with Lesson 1 using the next focus number.   Though it may seem counterintuitive, you will save time in the long run by working on only one new number a time. (4)   Just for Fun (OPTIONAL) HEART Holiday Parent Breakfast â€" Save the date and plan to join at your schools event to meet your students’ parents and teach them card games they can play at home to reinforce the number sense students are building in HEART!   We will play Holiday Math Games, eat food, and celebrate students’ work in the program. Winterfield Friday 12/12, 7:45 8:15 Highland Renaissance Wednesday 12/17, 12:15 12:45 Montclaire Thursday 12/18, 7:45 8:15 Billingsville Friday 12/19, 8:00 8:45 Also, please email your coordinator if you would be willing to help in any of these roles: set up, clean up, making the Winter Break packages, taking photos. Please email your coordinator if you would like to be on your schools substitute tutor list, which means you would occasionally recieve an email asking you to fill in for an absent tutor, when volunteers are out of town or sick. Check out pictures and articles on HEART Tutoring’s Facebook page!   You can also follow HEART on Instagram and twitter (@HEARTTutoring). It is exciting to see the way many of you are gaining traction with both the relationships and the math.   Thank you for your consistency and enthusiasm.   Please let me know of any questions, feedback, or concerns. Many thanks, The HEART Team

3 Test Prep Material Updates Designed to Get You Results!

3 Test Prep Material Updates Designed to Get You Results! Here at AJ Tutoring, we are always striving to keep our test prep materials as up-to-date as possible in order to better serve and prepare our students. In order to do this, we continually audit and update our materials to make them as effective as possible. Here’s what we’re working on right now!One: Practice testsOne of the challenges with the new test has been the scarcity of available practice tests. So far, the College Board has released only seven SATs and a handful of PSATs. While larger test prep companies have also released tests, the relative speed of their publishing process means that their tests may not accurately reflect what was released in the latest College Board tests. Our solution has been to purchase real tests for our students and to wait until there was a statistically significant number of released problems before we developed our own tests to supplement instruction. Our rigorous creation process uses and analyzes all data available about the SAT in order t o make the tests as true-to-form as possible. We analyze trends in word length, subject distribution, and even subject matter before we even begin a test. Once the test is written, it goes through rigorous testing by our expert tutors who have seen everything there is to see of the SAT. Expect to see our new tests debut to students in June! If you’d like to learn more about our SAT program, click here!Two: Our SAT/ACT HybridNot sure which test is right for your student? One of the challenges with the new test is simply figuring out which test is going to be the best fit. While most of our students do take both the SAT and ACT, we have also developed a diagnostic test that looks at the most crucial parts of the SAT and ACT (timing, content, and style) in order to determine which test is right for your child. Interested in having your child take our hybrid test? Reach out to one of our directors of client services today or click here to find out more about our hybrid SAT/ACT program and test prep materials. Three: Continually improving SAT test prep materialsAs part of continuing to make sure that our materials align as closely as possible with the SAT, we also continually work to update our teaching materials as new information becomes available. Right now, we are working on expanding our Writing and Language packets to even better prepare our students to conquer grammar and style! We are also creating larger banks of questions for all parts of the test so students can have even more practice in vital concepts as they prepare for these difficult tests. Curious about our SAT tutoring process? Click here to learn more.

How to Score Foreign Language Practice on a Native Speakers Home Turf

How to Score Foreign Language Practice on a Native Speakers Home Turf Hey, can a native English speaker get a little help around here?No no, not that kind of help!The last thing you need is another eager local to tell you how to get wherever youre goingin English.Youd rather they just talk to you like they would their fellow countryfolk, so you can get some  authentic language practice!But the truth is, theyre probably used to tourists speaking English.English is a major global language that lots of people wanna pick up.As a result, many English learners consider helping out tourists good practice.And far from finding being addressed in their native language annoying, your everyday English-speaking visitor is apt to be grateful!You, on the other handwell, lets tell it like it is: Youre awesome.English simply isnt enough for you.Youve been  studying your target language daily,  working hard toward your goals.But having spent so long  learning alone in your room,  youre ready to finally rock up a whole different country and  soak up all the new words  ar ound you.Unfortunately, the world is not fully prepared for your kind.So your attempts to communicate with native speakers in their own language might end in frustration, or even misunderstanding.But dont worry! Im gonna show you real ways to get around this so you can  practice your new language.Plus, Ive got handy tips for you on how to make friends and avoid staging destructive battles with aspiring English speakers along the way.Well get you that real language practice yet. How to Prepare Yourself to Speak a Foreign Language  in a New CountryWhile  Ill be drawing on my experiences from living in the Czech Republic and trying to practice Czech, these tips are  applicable to any other location  or language.Many people will automatically try to speak English to a tongue-tied tourist. However, they wont switch to English when they meet a confident foreigner with a good grasp of their native tongue. This has less to do with your level of language than you might think. What is total ly vital is your preparation and the  impression you give.So here are a few things you can do to project the right impression.Visualize yourself as a confident speakerVisualize yourself feeling confident in your target  language. How do you stand? How do you gesticulate? How do you smile? Try to imagine yourself with a group of English-speaking friends with whom you feel comfortable, and then act out that feeling.Specifically, imagine how youll respond when a native speaker switches to English. What would a confident, competent native speaker do? Theyd probably be a little surprised, but keep on talking confidently.So thats what youll need to practice: remaining confident.Youll be surprised how often it tilts the conversation back to your target language.Find people who dont speak EnglishBelieve it or not, lots of people are very willing to speak only your target language. You just need to know how to find them. Here are a few ideas:Arrange to live with a non-English speaker. This w ill ensure you get in authentic language practice every day, and wont have to worry about escaping English when youre at home.Check out Couchsurfing  to find a pal to get  coffee with you or show you around. The cool thing about this site is that  it lists the level of languages that users speak. So if you find someone who doesnt list English  at all, or who has a very low level, youve found a winner!Get thinking about other ways to interact with locals before arriving, so you can get started right away. I used to volunteer, which once gave me the opportunity to talk to a group of active senior citizens in a nursing home. I enjoyed chatting with them and they enjoyed my company, comic accent and tales of faraway places.  Another great option is to work with kids, because  they dont expect any sophistication on your part and theyll help you communicate. Even if they laugh themselves silly at your weird wording, youll know its honest and not malicious.So why not volunteer to work with a youth group, seniors or disabled people? The opportunities are limitless and so are the improvements youll see in your speaking.  Dig your heels in as a confident speaker from  the start. This will help you establish yourself in those first few vital weeks.Talk to yourselfFind little ways to practice each day, before  leaving home. You can even practice  at home alone.You can also practice your target language using FluentU,  an online immersion platform that takes  real-world videosâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.A friend of mine makes a habit of conducting his inner dialogue in Czech every day, like this:“Where are my keys?Now, let’s see, what am I doing?It is so cold.”Slipping these little sentences into your subconscious will put you on the route to thinking foreign. So dont let yourself think in English, either!Try to increase your amount of self talk as your departure date gets closer. This will boost your confidence and motivation as well as your ability to think in a foreign language.  After arriving in your new homeland, be sure to keep on speaking and thinking your daily narrations in your target language.How to Convince Native Speakers to Speak Their Language with YouBe tough at the startIts important to establish the nature of the relationship from the start.Once you chat with your new friend for the first few hours in English, theyll probably accept this as the model for your friendship. Down the line, when you want to try practicing your foreign language skills, it may seem awkward or out of the blue.Your new friend may laugh aside your attempts or talk a few minutes with you before switching back to normal.”Speak your target language as much as possible in first meetings, whatever your level. Even if you only know a few words and greetings, get them in.Make sure to nail introductionsYou want to portray yourself as something like “John the for eigner who really wants to speak Czech.” Its  a much stronger starting position than “John from England,” to whom everyone will flock to practice their English skills and talk about the Queen.Later on, youll be introduced as “John who speaks pretty good Czech.” So just make your position clear from the start!Try language exchangesGo to language exchanges, where youll meet and talk with people who want to learn your native language. The usual for a regular language exchange partner is to spend half the time speaking your target language, and the other half speaking English.Language exchanges are great because the terms are agreed upon by both parties, so  you can concentrate on speaking instead of establishing  your right to speak your target language.There are other advantages, too. You get to speak in an immersion setting, which is the quickest way to improve. You also keep some of the confidence that comes with communicating in a familiar language, since switching back t o English will make you feel reassured and in control. This stops panic and the creeping feeling of stupidity that  sometimes comes with being a foreigner. With language exchanges, one minute youre a novice, and the next, a master!And so it continues as you both learn.Ive found that some people can be a little wary of this idea, as it seems fake or contrived to them and they would rather speak naturally or as it comes. My advice for implementing language exchanges is to find people who are as excited about  the idea as you are. Or, if its with someone already in your circle of friends, like a new roommate, then stick to the rules strictly (perhaps explaining that you are now on your Czech hour and are only speaking in Czech). If you keep it lighthearted and they are aware that there is a time limit, chances are most people will be happy to go along with you.Make others the teacherEnglish speakers abroad often automatically become seen as “my English teacher,” always on hand to e xplain grammar or new words. You need to turn this around as quickly as possible.One way to do this is by asking questions about your target language as various subjects come up:“How would I say that in Czech?”“Is that the same as…?”Get yourself out of the teacher role and put them in it. This is natural, as youre in their  country.And make sure to jump on every opportunity! If they ask questions about English, turn those questions around and ask how the same scenario would work in their language.Once youre friends, the relationship can become a more laid-back two-way street. But again, beginnings are important.Pay sneaky complimentsPeople love to be flattered. So flatter people  about their countryâ€"just dont lie. Chances are high that if you want to learn their language badly enough to read this post (and travel abroad!), your flattery is genuine. Make your interest in their country clear. Tell your new friends why you want to learn their languageâ€"how beautiful, expre ssive or clever it is.Also flatter them. Tell them how good their English is and that you would love to speak Czech at that level. Or how beautiful their Czech is and how you would love to speak like that one day, too.Flatter, flatter, flatter. But try to tell the truth. People love a flatterer but can usually spot a liar.Be flexible and charmingYou need to work to make people want to indulge you.I was once in a tourist agency in Brazil waiting for some advice. In front of me, a young American backpacker marched up to the desk and started off by saying, “I refuse to speak English. I want to speak Portuguese.”This, unsurprisingly, did not create a positive atmosphere.The staff felt shouted at and were not motivated to help or understand him. It also put him in the position of having to speak well. This is an example of a linguistic power struggle. These should always be avoided.What you want is to aim for the opposite attitude: Be charming, admit your weaknesses and let your enth usiasm show through. Be a likable and flexible character, but stay firm.Being likable doesnt mean letting others walk all over you.Clearly ask for practiceIts perfectly okay to just ask something like “Could we speak Czech for a bit? I would really like to practice.”Your new companions have known from the start that this is your position and have no reason to feel surprised or offended now. This makes it harder for them to ignore your requests.But if they do, use my next tip.Use your target language as a test of peopleAs a recently arrived English speaker, you may find yourself with a lot of new friends. Everyone wants to take you out for drinks, chat about your home country (if its England, mainly about the Queen). This is nice but a little draining, especially when such new friends melt away suddenly as soon as you stop speaking English.But even this can be used to your benefit. I genuinely believe that most people have no idea that theyre using you for English. Indeed, they w ould be horrified if they realized it. These people really do want to be friends.Still, some people actually  are using you, and you dont have time for them.So, if youve  been active from the start in expressing interest in your target language and very clearly asked for practice and they still  insist on speaking in English, then walk away. You have better people waiting to meet you.Play language tennisFinally, make this whole process fun for yourself! Dont look at the world’s desire to practice their English on you as a stumbling block or a huge injustice. Its part of your unique journey, and a challenge to be overcome. Like tricky grammar or that word you just can never quite pronounce.So take the same light-hearted approach.I see this as language tennis. They keep aiming English at me, I keep swatting it back.The above tips will help you swat back and have fun getting to your language goal.Deeper Bonds: How to Keep Practicing  in Your  FriendshipsIn my experience, living abroa d really is very different once youve been in the country a while and are dealing with real relationships with people you work with, live with and care about.The best preparation for this next step is to stick to the policy above of being strict from  the start. This puts you in a stronger position by doing the following:1. Ensuring you have a good grasp of the language so people will want to speak to you (and are able to do so).2. Filtering  out those people who will inevitably use you for English practice.Both these considerations put you in a great position to make real, lasting relationships while improving all the time.So now youre ready to take your language learning into a new phase. The advice in this next section will help you navigate these slightly murkier but ultimately very deep and rewarding waters.Balance language learning with friendship needsA friend of mine, who has always gracefully allowed me to speak only in Czech to her, recently fell in love with a Finnish man with whom she communicates only in English. So to me its clear that as a good friend, I should help her improve her English instead of strictly sticking to  our previous agreement.This is a classic example of how your original tough stance can flow and evolve once youre more settled.You dont want it to be all them. Or you. Absolute rules dont work between friends. You may end up being that person you hated and your friend may end up feeling used.Picture this: Its Wednesday at 2 p.m. on a sunny afternoon. Youre out for a walk. You want to speak one language and your friend replies in the other. What to do?Were not talking for the rest of your friendship. Just right now, in this moment.Weigh up how important this is for you today. Maybe its time to let them have this round. Or maybe today youre pumped up and really want some practice. Just tell them. At worst, you can still plan a language exchange. With friends, every situation is floatable. So keep it open and keep it varied.Find a system that  works best for each friendYouve bravely refused to speak English for your first few months, and have a good group of friends who respect your desire to learn their language. Now you can think in more detail about how to really use each relationship for maximum learning and enjoyment.You both want to enjoy communicating, so you just need to find the mode that best allows that to happen. For example, you may have the following:A friend  fluent in English:  You talk in both languages and have occasional intensive learning spots where they correct you a lot or you correct them. Make use of their ability to explain things. Raise your level and experience the joy of speaking English at a high level.A friend of similar level to you:  You vary the language and sometimes have  language exchanges. You feel secure that they, too, are far from perfect and can talk naturally with them.A total beginner in English:  You normally talk in their language but also occasionally speak Engl ish slowly to help them along, too.All these variations will  prevent you  from feeling frustrated or stuck. And the great thing is that these arrangements are open to change as everybody’s level improves.Think about what learning English means to your friendWhen I feel myself  getting angry when people wont let me talk in my target language, I try to keep calm and remember times I have done the exact same thing when desperate to practice a language. Ill also  stop and realize  what English means for young people everywhere.For them, this could be a path to a future job (in many countries even to work in McDonalds requires at least one second language). Or this could be vital practice to make them more confident in that Erasmus stay or au pair position theyre so nervous about. They may also adore English or American (or Australian, Canadian, etc.) culture and want to be close to it through you.All these thoughts chip away at  your frustration and allow the other person to be human again, not an ogre keeping you from your dreams.Deal with  your frustration, as itll bring bitterness into your relationships if you let it fester.Release your frustration and move onSometimes youll get really frustrated. Its important to work with these feelings, or they can embitter your stay abroad and spoil the fun of learning. You may start seeing English-speaking foreigners as the enemy. You may fear that familiar kick in the stomach when you work up all your courage to speak only to be answered yet again in English.Find whatever works for you. Rant to people in the same position, or people at home who find it amusing. Be supported.  Run or play sports. If the situation ever gets really infuriating, you can hit pillows in your bedroom. Make sure the negative feelings flow onward and youll be left with the joy of learning and the excitement of discovery.Dont lose heart. Have fun.And be tough!Remember, youre doing a great and brave thing. You deserve a little help along the way .

My Week 7 Progress Learning Korean

My Week 7 Progress Learning Korean Amelia  from the UK is currently taking the italki World Cup Language Challenge to learn Korean.  She uploaded a Public Video Pledge  and even started a personal blog site to help motivate her Hallyu to ???.   We were so impressed with her efforts that we asked if we could repost what she had written on her personal blog as she gives weekly updates on her progress.  Check out her latest post reposted with permission. Hi All, I am finally back with a video this week. I should probably have left this for the “big reveal” next week but my teacher told me I needed to talk to myself and at least I feel less silly if I’m doing it for this! So, this is me rambling in my room for a while on things I have done recently. I’m aware there are quite a few mistakes in it but my aim was to try and talk for as long as possible without being too slow. I have now been studying for about 10/11 weeks and have done 24 hours on italki so I’m very nearly done with the challenge ?? I do feel my korean speaking is a little faster than it was a couple of weeks ago. You can tell there are specific words I use a bit too much, and I can use more difficult grammar, but I need to make the most of what comes naturally. If I’m actually conversing with someone, I’m not going to focus on how difficult I can make my sentences… Anyway, I hope everyone else is still going â€" nearly there! And I hope everyone has a good week ?? This time next week the challenge will be over…not that I’m going to stop korean lessons at that point! Amelia x