Becoming a Great Guitarist

Becoming a Great Guitarist How Can You Become a Master of the Guitar? ChaptersFirstly, What Do You Need To Play Guitar?How To Choose Your GuitarTune Your GuitarThe Basics of a Guitar NeckWhat Are the Inlays on the Neck of a Guitar For?How Can You Find the Notes on a Guitar's Neck?Other Techniques for Familiarising Yourself with the Neck of a GuitarLearn The Basics Of GuitarWhat Will I Learn In Guitar Lessons?“Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends.” - Alphonse de LamartineMore and more Brits are taking to the stage.  But before they do, they have the long and arduous task of learning how to play guitar.  They need to learn the notes, the chords, rhythm, and even harmony.Your first guitar may as well be from an alien planet if you've never owned a stringed instrument before. Each guitar player will have to get used to playing guitar, learn how to strum a chord, finger frets in a certain way, and tune a guitar with or without a tuner.To help those who just started learning how to play the guitar and are still finding the ir way around the neck, we've got some tips and advice for you. It's a good idea for any musician to familiarise themselves with their instrument over a few guitar lessons before they start strumming some power chords on their new Stratocaster or Les Paul copy.Plenty of Superprof guitar tutors offer lessons one-on-one or in small groups and have no trouble coming to your home for lessons. And, perhaps best of all, most Superprof tutors offer their first hour of lessons at no charge, just to see if you get along well enough to learn from them! That's right, they all offer free lessons!Superprof is an excellent way to cut out all of the running around you would otherwise have to do to find the ideal guitar teacher for you! And, many of our tutors offer video guitar lessons and guitar lessons online.What Will I Learn In Guitar Lessons?As a guideline of what you could expect to learn when you start out playing the guitar, here's a rough timeline:to start out, you will learn about the ch ords, strumming patterns, and tabs. Your teacher will start to teach you different techniques like licks, barre, and fingerpicking. Then, you will most likely learn simple songs to practise again and again.once you are well-rehearsed in the practical aspects of the guitar, your teacher will guide you towards learning about musical theory and more technical aspects.further down the line, you will learn more complicated sequences, possibly even be encouraged to play in a band alongside other instruments or asked to sing whilst you play the guitar.Classes will help give you both a good theoretical base and practical experience of playing the guitar.During the more practical lessons, in-depth focus will be given to the basic parts of the guitar, including the guitar neck and how to place your fingers, the fretboard, and learning to tune your instrument. Therefore, after several lessons, you will be well on your way to playing (almost) like a pro!Good luck!

How Parents Can Help with Elementary Homework Challenges

How Parents Can Help with Elementary Homework Challenges Elementary homework can quickly become a challenging task for your student to complete. No matter the age, balancing several classes at a time can become taxing for many elementary students. It can become easy for them to question the importance of these assignments, but it is vital for parents to remember the purpose of elementary homework: to assist their students in fine-tuning skills learned in the classroom. While dealing with common elementary homework challenges, a lot of different complaints can arise in a studentall of which are totally normal. Parents can help with elementary homework challenges by utilizing certain techniques, such as establishing a homework schedule or reviewing sections of the textbook with their students. Here is how you, as a parent, can help resolve homework challenges your student might be facing: When elementary students feel they have too much homework On the surface, this can appear to be a simple excuse of not wanting to complete the assignments. It can, however, be a sign of something else: that the homework is feeling too hard for your student. Every student learns differently, and sometimes, an assignment may take different amounts of time for different students to complete. Also, it could be due to the student not having enough time to fully understand the concepts prior to the homework being assigned. This could simply mean your student needs to take some extra time before beginning the assignment to reread over the concept to get a better grasp of it. It could be helpful to have a designated, distraction-free, homework area in the house for your student to concentrate better. Remember, when your student says there is too much homework, there could be underlying issues that you can work together to solve. If your student feels a concept or class is consistently too hard, there are a few things you can do: Read through the textbook or handouts with your student Clarify things that might not be clicking Talk to the teacher to see if there are any extra materials he or she can provide [RELATED: How to Help Your Elementary School Student Cope with Test Anxiety] Make an elementary homework schedule with your student If your student feeling too tired to complete homework is a common occurrence, it may be time to reevaluate his or her scheduling. While extracurriculars are important to your child's growth and development, homework does come first. Examine your students agenda to see if there are better ways in which homework can be scheduled to help with this challenge. Perhaps completing assignments earlier in the evening can help prevent exhaustion from extracurriculars before homework. If your student has a lot of activities going on, working homework into that weekly schedule ahead of time can help your student learn to prioritize and balance tasks. Encourage your student to ask teachers about homework challenges Your elementary student not knowing what the teacher wants is oftentimes a large complaint. It can become frustrating to have your student come home with a lot of assignments and have no idea what to do for them. If this is a common occurrence, have your student begin to have conversations with teachers in an effort to better understand assignments and concepts. This is also a good habit to instill in your student at a young age; the earlier he or she knows how to approach teachers to ask for clarification, the better luck your student will have with assignments throughout his or her education. [RELATED: 5 Questions to Ask Your Student's New Teacher] Also, if a child doesnt seem to like a specific teacher, it can definitely become another factor that contributes to a lack of desire to complete the homework. Ask your student to explain further where the dislike is stemming from. It could be a case of not liking the amount of work assigned or certain classroom rules, for instance. Encourage your student to have an open, honest conversation with you about these concerns; they may end up being minor issues that you can help him or her work past. If, however, you find there is a deeper issue of disrespect or negative behaviors in the classroom, it is important to speak with the teacher personally. Request a meeting with him or her to find out if it is simply a misunderstanding or if higher action needs to be taken. [RELATED: Elementary School Parent-Teacher Conferences: What to Ask] At the end of the day, homework is a necessity in your student's life. It exists for many reasons, but primarily to help strengthen skills learned in the classroom. There may be challenges or long nights, but the important thing is to stay focused on encouraging your childs ability to complete the tasks at hand. Staying motivated and focused will help both you and your child progress toward a positive educational future. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

5 Tips for a Successful Finals Week

5 Tips for a Successful Finals Week Dont let finals week get the best of you! The following five strategies are smart tactics that can greatly aid you during the course of your final exams. Ultimately, the key to success goes beyond simply studying hard. 1. Dedicate each day to a single subject Instead of reviewing for several different exams within one timeframe, devote each day to preparing for a single test. The material you discuss in the latter half of a semester or term is often a continuation of information presented early in the course. Do not yet switch to studying for a second exam when you have established a solid rhythm reviewing for the first test. Remain on one subject per day in order to build on the course material and focus your efforts. Doing so will feel much less chaotic than jumping from one courses notes to the others. 2. Review course notes in advance Do not delay until the evening before the test to review your class notes. What if you discover that you cant read what you wrote, or you just dont understand the material? Study your course notes several days before the scheduled final. This will allow you time to ask your teacher or classmates for clarification if you have any doubts. Consistently skim your notes along the way and you will familiarize yourself with the content effectively. These are some great tips to help you organize your notesthat you may find useful as well. 3.Study in small groups When reviewing in small groups, it is recommended that the group have between two and four members. Even if you are an individual who doesnt mind preparing by yourself, you can gain a tremendous amount of knowledge from studying with others. Perhaps another student has notes on a topic you forgot to jot down or can explain a concept you find difficult. Verbalizing information strengthens memory. Here are a fewof the benefits of group study. However, study groups with more than four members can become disruptive and easily sidetracked. A smaller group allows each of you to more easily bounce ideas off of each other and come to quicker conclusions on class material. 4. Record important dates It is an excellent idea to maintain an agenda pad where you write down your obligations. Write the exact dates and times of all upcoming final exams, deadlines for essays, and review sessions you plan to attend. It would be a shame to spend hours studying and then miss the test because you forgot when it began. Keeping a thorough record of test dates and times as well as study dates and times is the simplest method to ensure that youre on track and aware of your responsibilities. 5. Treat your body well A healthy mind and a healthy body are crucial to success during a stressful week like this one. Your diet during finals week can have a significant impact on your performance during exams; feeling hunger pains while taking an important test is never a positive experience. During this crucial portion of the semester, its best to select food that will provide you long-lasting energy, such as complex carbohydrates (found in bread, cereal, etc.) and proteins. Caffeine and simple sugars may result in an initial rush, but this type of energy is short-term and will lead to a crash before you know it. When your brain must absorb a significant amount of information, it requires a greater caloric intake and additional hydration. Ensure you drink ample amounts of water in order to prevent headaches, cramping, and other negative side effects of dehydration. Taking good care of your body will bring you advantages during the test days you may not have even imagined. Feeling well and strong is half the battle to acing your final exams. You may also want to take a look at this information on the importance of sleep!

Question Formation Errors

Question Formation Errors Question forms in English can be tricky.Most questions require the inversion of the subject and the auxiliary. There are a number of auxiliaries to choose from, and auxiliaries must agree with their subject. This handy guide will help you eliminate common errors and ask correctly formed questions. The Virtual Writing Tutor grammar checker can catch many question formation errors. Study each one below carefully so that you can eliminate these question formation errors from your writing and speaking. For extra practice, try the grammar practice activities here. 11 Common question errors RULE: Don’t use do for all questions. A progressive verb form requires a form of the verb TO BE as its auxiliary. Useam, is, are,in the present tense orwas, werein the past tense. INCORRECT: Do I am saying it correctly?CORRECT: Am I saying it correctly? RULE: Don’t forget to use an auxiliary with progressive tenses. INCORRECT:Whyyou spending money on things you dont need?CORRECT:Why are you spending money on things you dont need? RULE: Conjugate your DO auxiliary for the third person singular in the Simple Present. INCORRECT:Do he need help?CORRECT:Doeshe need help? RULE: Make sure that your verb TO BE agrees with your plural subject. INCORRECT:How wasyour classes yesterday?CORRECT:How were your classes yesterday? RULE: When no auxiliary is needed because the question word is the subject of the verb, conjugate the verb for the third person singular. INCORRECT:What make you smile?CORRECT:What makes you smile? RULE: Invert the subject and auxiliary verb. INCORRECT:Why you do not likeEnglish classes? CORRECT:Why do you not like English classes?CORRECT:Whydont you likeEnglish classes? RULE: Use only one auxiliary. INCORRECT:Why do you dont like salad?CORRECT:Why dont you like salad? RULE: Dont double your subject. One is enough. INCORRECT:What its your favourite sport? CORRECT:Whats your favourite sport? RULE: Use the Present Perfect when asking about the past leading up to the present with how long or how many years. INCORRECT:How many years do you play soccer?CORRECT:How many years have you played soccer? RULE: Use an article or plural noun in questions with countable nouns. INCORRECT:Do you have uncle or aunt?CORRECT:Do you have uncles or aunts?CORRECT:Do you have anuncle or an aunt? RULE: Do not invert your subject and verb when you embed a question in a sentence. INCORRECT:  The About page explains what is the Virtual Writing Tutor. CORRECT:     The About page explains what the Virtual Writing Tutor is. 50 more common errors and how to eliminate them from your writing Question Forms Tense ?Aspect ?PastPresentFutureSimpleDid I make mistakes?Did you make mistakes?Did he make mistakes?Did we make mistakes?Did they make mistakes?Do I make mistakes?Do you make mistakes?Does he make mistakes?Do we make mistakes?Do they make mistakes?Will I make mistakes?Willyou make mistakes?Willhe make mistakes?Do we make mistakes?Willthey make mistakes?ProgressiveWas I making mistakes?Were you making mistakes?Was she making mistakes?Were we making mistakes?Were they making mistakes?Am I making mistakes?Are you making mistakes?Is she making mistakes?Are we making mistakes?Are they making mistakes?Will I be making mistakes?Will you be making mistakes?Will she be making mistakes?Will we be making mistakes?Will they be making mistakes?PerfectHad I made mistakes?Had you made mistakes?Had he made mistakes?Had we made mistakes?Had they made mistakes?Have I made mistakes?Have you made mistakes?Have he made mistakes?Have we made mistakes?Have they made mistakes?Will I have made mistakes?Will you have made mistakes?Will he have made mistakes?Will we have made mistakes?Will they have made mistakes? Adding Question Words Tense ?Aspect ?PastPresentFutureSimpleWhat did I do?What did you do?What did she do?What did we do?What did they do?What do I do?What do you do?What do she do?What do we do?What do they do?What will I do?What will you do?What will she do?What will we do?What will they do?ProgressiveWhat was I doing?What were you doing?What was he doing?What were we doing?What were they doing?What am I doing?What are you doing?What is he doing?What are we doing?What are they doing?What will I be doing?What will you be doing?What will he be doing?What will we be doing?What will they be doing?PerfectWhat had I done?What had you done?What had she done?What had we done?What had they done?What have I done?What have you done?What have she done?What have we done?What have they done?What will I have done?What will you have done?What will she have done?What will we have done?What will we have done? Please follow and like us:

How to use So and Such in English (video and exercise)

How to use So and Such in English (video and exercise) Do you know when to use So and Such in English? We hear our English students confuse the two words often, because their meanings seem to be similar. The words are useful when used correctly. Look at this example:She speaks (so/such) quickly.She has (so/such) nice clothes.Watch the video below to get the correct answers to the questions above. Now try the exercises below. If you write your answers in comments, we will correct them.1. I get (so/such) many emails everyday that it takes me all day to answer them.2. Answering emails all day is (so/such) a boring thing to do.3. I talk to my brother on the phone (so/such) often that my bill is very high.4. But we have (so/such) good conversations.5. I drank (so/such) much beer that I danced on the bar top.6. It made me look like (so/such) an idiot.7. This has been (so/such) a long week!8. Why did this week seem (so/such) long?9. Because I was (so/such) sick, I couldnt do anything.10. Thats (so/such) a shame! karma 1 so2 such3 so4 such5 so6 such7such8 so9 so10 such LOIEnglish Very good!

October Language Challenge Public Video Pledges

October Language Challenge Public Video Pledges Check out whos taking up our Language Challenge! If youre taking the Language Challenge and really want to succeed, were giving away 50ITC if you make a Public Video Pledge!   Why would you ever want to do this? (Click here for more details)   Please take some time to motivate and encourage our Public Video Pledge Challengers  by commenting on their Notebook entries! Alfonso from Italy is learning Hebrew Were just two days away from the October Language Challenge starting! (Thats when your scheduled sessions start counting towards the challenge, but remember that you can always register before Oct. 7th). Alfonsos objective is to become more fluent in Hebrew and to learn new words. Advice and support welcome in his Notebook entry! Dave from UK is learning Spanish Another Spanish learner! Dave is on his way to mastering Spanish and he is very modest about it, he says he only speaks un poco de español but as you can see from the video below he owns it. Let him know what you think on his Notebook entry. Bien hecho Dave! Confidence is key! Israel from Hong Kong is learning Japanese Going to a country after having spent a lot of time and effort learning the language, only to realise that you cant understand what people are saying to you is a very frustrating experience. I know. Ive been there. And thats exactly what happened to Israel when he went to Japan a few months ago which is why hes going to take our October Language Challenge to quickly improve his Japanese. Write some words of encouragement on his Notebook entry! Akin from USA is learning Spanish Akin has a clear set of goals and a real motivation to learn Spanish. Thats exactly what you need to succeed at the italki Language Challenge: learn the lyrics to Vivir lo nuestro and Danza Kuduro, watch a tv show and summarize it completely in spanish have a 20 minute conversation with his South American friend! Check them out and find inspiration in his Notebook entry! Muy buena suerte Akin, seguro que tu amigo estará muy sorprendido! Siskia from Mexico is learning Italian Siskias hobby is studying languages. She has decided to take 3 classes a week to perfect her Italian. Sound doable doesnt it? Thats all it takes to complete italkis October Language Challenge and receive your reward! Do you speak italian? Give her some tips on her Notebook entry! You already sound pretty fluent in Italian Siskia, keep up the good work! Fabiana from Italy is learning Korean Fabiana is an italian community tutor on italki intent on learning Korean. Her goal is to be confident speaking the language by the end of the month. Check out her video below and comment on her Notebook entry! It sounds great Fabiana! Let us know how it goes in one month. Tanise from Brazil is learning French Tanise also decided to publicly display her intention to participate in our Language Challenge. She has only been studying french for two months and her progress has been impressive! Drop a word of encouragement on her Notebook entry! Bon courage Tanise! On est sûrs que tu tamélioreras beaucoup! William from the United States is learning Chinese William makes a good point. As he says in his video Its almost like getting paid to do something I wanted to do anyways. And thats exactly what the Language Challenge is! If theres anyone out there who is still on the fence about learning or improving a language, youre still in time to sign up!. The italki community has been quick to respond: check out his notebook entry! I see youve chosen to learn the traditional characters William, jia you! Robert from the United States is learning Portuguese Im just going to share this excerpt which is taken straight from Robs notebook entry. So in English, my name is Rob. I am a native English speaker and I am looking to improve my European Portuguese. I have, will take twelve hours of language instruction in 2014 in the month of October as part of the italki challenge. I have 4 sub goals for this: 1) is to improve my pronunciation of the letter r in Portuguese. The second is the use of the conjunctions in Portuguese. The third is the use of the prepositions in Portuguese, and lastly I want to improve my understanding of the subjunctive in Portuguese. Four goals, four weeks, 12 hours, lets go. We love that Robert set specific goals. Please wish him well by commenting on his post! andresdigital3000 from Colombia is learning English And the Public Video Pledges keep coming in! This time its from andresdigital3000, who wants to use this opportunity to improve his fluency in English which as you can see from the video he posted is already very good. If you have any tips on how he can achieve his goal faster dont hesitate to contact him! Beth from England  is learning Spanish We have our first Public Video Pledge! Beth is an English teacher on italki whose son is just starting high school Spanish and shes going to support him by learning the language with him. We here at italki love the initiative and wish her all the best.  Send her some words of encouragement on her  Notebook entry! Oh, Beth: was that tengo hambre (Im hungry) or tengo hombre (I have a man)? ?? Even though the Challenge has already started, you still have time to make a Public Video Pledge. Dont forget we’re giving away 50ITC if you make a Public Video Pledge!!! October Language Challenge Public Video Pledges Check out whos taking up our Language Challenge! If youre taking the Language Challenge and really want to succeed, were giving away 50ITC if you make a Public Video Pledge!   Why would you ever want to do this? (Click here for more details)   Please take some time to motivate and encourage our Public Video Pledge Challengers  by commenting on their Notebook entries! Alfonso from Italy is learning Hebrew Were just two days away from the October Language Challenge starting! (Thats when your scheduled sessions start counting towards the challenge, but remember that you can always register before Oct. 7th). Alfonsos objective is to become more fluent in Hebrew and to learn new words. Advice and support welcome in his Notebook entry! Dave from UK is learning Spanish Another Spanish learner! Dave is on his way to mastering Spanish and he is very modest about it, he says he only speaks un poco de español but as you can see from the video below he owns it. Let him know what you think on his Notebook entry. Bien hecho Dave! Confidence is key! Israel from Hong Kong is learning Japanese Going to a country after having spent a lot of time and effort learning the language, only to realise that you cant understand what people are saying to you is a very frustrating experience. I know. Ive been there. And thats exactly what happened to Israel when he went to Japan a few months ago which is why hes going to take our October Language Challenge to quickly improve his Japanese. Write some words of encouragement on his Notebook entry! Akin from USA is learning Spanish Akin has a clear set of goals and a real motivation to learn Spanish. Thats exactly what you need to succeed at the italki Language Challenge: learn the lyrics to Vivir lo nuestro and Danza Kuduro, watch a tv show and summarize it completely in spanish have a 20 minute conversation with his South American friend! Check them out and find inspiration in his Notebook entry! Muy buena suerte Akin, seguro que tu amigo estará muy sorprendido! Siskia from Mexico is learning Italian Siskias hobby is studying languages. She has decided to take 3 classes a week to perfect her Italian. Sound doable doesnt it? Thats all it takes to complete italkis October Language Challenge and receive your reward! Do you speak italian? Give her some tips on her Notebook entry! You already sound pretty fluent in Italian Siskia, keep up the good work! Fabiana from Italy is learning Korean Fabiana is an italian community tutor on italki intent on learning Korean. Her goal is to be confident speaking the language by the end of the month. Check out her video below and comment on her Notebook entry! It sounds great Fabiana! Let us know how it goes in one month. Tanise from Brazil is learning French Tanise also decided to publicly display her intention to participate in our Language Challenge. She has only been studying french for two months and her progress has been impressive! Drop a word of encouragement on her Notebook entry! Bon courage Tanise! On est sûrs que tu tamélioreras beaucoup! William from the United States is learning Chinese William makes a good point. As he says in his video Its almost like getting paid to do something I wanted to do anyways. And thats exactly what the Language Challenge is! If theres anyone out there who is still on the fence about learning or improving a language, youre still in time to sign up!. The italki community has been quick to respond: check out his notebook entry! I see youve chosen to learn the traditional characters William, jia you! Robert from the United States is learning Portuguese Im just going to share this excerpt which is taken straight from Robs notebook entry. So in English, my name is Rob. I am a native English speaker and I am looking to improve my European Portuguese. I have, will take twelve hours of language instruction in 2014 in the month of October as part of the italki challenge. I have 4 sub goals for this: 1) is to improve my pronunciation of the letter r in Portuguese. The second is the use of the conjunctions in Portuguese. The third is the use of the prepositions in Portuguese, and lastly I want to improve my understanding of the subjunctive in Portuguese. Four goals, four weeks, 12 hours, lets go. We love that Robert set specific goals. Please wish him well by commenting on his post! andresdigital3000 from Colombia is learning English And the Public Video Pledges keep coming in! This time its from andresdigital3000, who wants to use this opportunity to improve his fluency in English which as you can see from the video he posted is already very good. If you have any tips on how he can achieve his goal faster dont hesitate to contact him! Beth from England  is learning Spanish We have our first Public Video Pledge! Beth is an English teacher on italki whose son is just starting high school Spanish and shes going to support him by learning the language with him. We here at italki love the initiative and wish her all the best.  Send her some words of encouragement on her  Notebook entry! Oh, Beth: was that tengo hambre (Im hungry) or tengo hombre (I have a man)? ?? Even though the Challenge has already started, you still have time to make a Public Video Pledge. Dont forget we’re giving away 50ITC if you make a Public Video Pledge!!! October Language Challenge Public Video Pledges Check out whos taking up our Language Challenge! If youre taking the Language Challenge and really want to succeed, were giving away 50ITC if you make a Public Video Pledge!   Why would you ever want to do this? (Click here for more details)   Please take some time to motivate and encourage our Public Video Pledge Challengers  by commenting on their Notebook entries! Alfonso from Italy is learning Hebrew Were just two days away from the October Language Challenge starting! (Thats when your scheduled sessions start counting towards the challenge, but remember that you can always register before Oct. 7th). Alfonsos objective is to become more fluent in Hebrew and to learn new words. Advice and support welcome in his Notebook entry! Dave from UK is learning Spanish Another Spanish learner! Dave is on his way to mastering Spanish and he is very modest about it, he says he only speaks un poco de español but as you can see from the video below he owns it. Let him know what you think on his Notebook entry. Bien hecho Dave! Confidence is key! Israel from Hong Kong is learning Japanese Going to a country after having spent a lot of time and effort learning the language, only to realise that you cant understand what people are saying to you is a very frustrating experience. I know. Ive been there. And thats exactly what happened to Israel when he went to Japan a few months ago which is why hes going to take our October Language Challenge to quickly improve his Japanese. Write some words of encouragement on his Notebook entry! Akin from USA is learning Spanish Akin has a clear set of goals and a real motivation to learn Spanish. Thats exactly what you need to succeed at the italki Language Challenge: learn the lyrics to Vivir lo nuestro and Danza Kuduro, watch a tv show and summarize it completely in spanish have a 20 minute conversation with his South American friend! Check them out and find inspiration in his Notebook entry! Muy buena suerte Akin, seguro que tu amigo estará muy sorprendido! Siskia from Mexico is learning Italian Siskias hobby is studying languages. She has decided to take 3 classes a week to perfect her Italian. Sound doable doesnt it? Thats all it takes to complete italkis October Language Challenge and receive your reward! Do you speak italian? Give her some tips on her Notebook entry! You already sound pretty fluent in Italian Siskia, keep up the good work! Fabiana from Italy is learning Korean Fabiana is an italian community tutor on italki intent on learning Korean. Her goal is to be confident speaking the language by the end of the month. Check out her video below and comment on her Notebook entry! It sounds great Fabiana! Let us know how it goes in one month. Tanise from Brazil is learning French Tanise also decided to publicly display her intention to participate in our Language Challenge. She has only been studying french for two months and her progress has been impressive! Drop a word of encouragement on her Notebook entry! Bon courage Tanise! On est sûrs que tu tamélioreras beaucoup! William from the United States is learning Chinese William makes a good point. As he says in his video Its almost like getting paid to do something I wanted to do anyways. And thats exactly what the Language Challenge is! If theres anyone out there who is still on the fence about learning or improving a language, youre still in time to sign up!. The italki community has been quick to respond: check out his notebook entry! I see youve chosen to learn the traditional characters William, jia you! Robert from the United States is learning Portuguese Im just going to share this excerpt which is taken straight from Robs notebook entry. So in English, my name is Rob. I am a native English speaker and I am looking to improve my European Portuguese. I have, will take twelve hours of language instruction in 2014 in the month of October as part of the italki challenge. I have 4 sub goals for this: 1) is to improve my pronunciation of the letter r in Portuguese. The second is the use of the conjunctions in Portuguese. The third is the use of the prepositions in Portuguese, and lastly I want to improve my understanding of the subjunctive in Portuguese. Four goals, four weeks, 12 hours, lets go. We love that Robert set specific goals. Please wish him well by commenting on his post! andresdigital3000 from Colombia is learning English And the Public Video Pledges keep coming in! This time its from andresdigital3000, who wants to use this opportunity to improve his fluency in English which as you can see from the video he posted is already very good. If you have any tips on how he can achieve his goal faster dont hesitate to contact him! Beth from England  is learning Spanish We have our first Public Video Pledge! Beth is an English teacher on italki whose son is just starting high school Spanish and shes going to support him by learning the language with him. We here at italki love the initiative and wish her all the best.  Send her some words of encouragement on her  Notebook entry! Oh, Beth: was that tengo hambre (Im hungry) or tengo hombre (I have a man)? ?? Even though the Challenge has already started, you still have time to make a Public Video Pledge. Dont forget we’re giving away 50ITC if you make a Public Video Pledge!!!

Instructor Spotlight Jennifer Ju

Instructor Spotlight Jennifer Ju Instructor Spotlight: Jennifer Ju Jennifer Ju, Instructor of Kumon Math and Reading Center of Edison â€" North, and Helen Kim, Instructor of Kumon Math and Reading Center of East Brunswick As a second-generation Kumon franchise owner, Jennifer Ju, Instructor of Kumon Math and Reading Center of Edison â€" North, is carrying on the success of her mother, Helen Kim. “I knew immediately that Jennifer was going to make a great Instructor, and that she was going to bring a new energy to the Kumon Center” said Helen. Jennifer isn’t just a second-generation Kumon Instructor, she brings another unique perspective to her centerâ€"former Kumon Student. She enrolled in Kumon at four years old, and successfully completed the both the math and reading programs by the time she was 15. The love that she developed for math and the sense of confidence that the Kumon Method instilled, inspired her to become an engineer. She was a valuable member of the civil engineering firm responsible for developing E-ZPass, the electronic toll collection system used in most northeastern states. Even though she spent most of her youth in her mom’s Kumon Center, first as a student and then as an assistant, she never saw herself becoming the owner and instructor of her own center. She was on the path of becoming a professional engineer, when life opened a new door. She had the opportunity to takeover one of her mom’s Kumon Centers and become her own boss. Jennifer will continue to live out her mother’s legacy through her instruction and innovation. She was raised as a Kumon child and is now a successful Kumon Instructor with a lot of spunk and personality to share with her students! Learn more about the Kumon franchise opportunity and discover additional franchisee success stories. You might also be interested in: Instructor Spotlight: Rudi Hwang Instructor Spotlight: Alex Tang Instructor Spotlight: Sherman Liu Instructor Spotlight: Ann Quigley Instructor Spotlight Jennifer Ju Instructor Spotlight: Jennifer Ju Jennifer Ju, Instructor of Kumon Math and Reading Center of Edison â€" North, and Helen Kim, Instructor of Kumon Math and Reading Center of East Brunswick As a second-generation Kumon franchise owner, Jennifer Ju, Instructor of Kumon Math and Reading Center of Edison â€" North, is carrying on the success of her mother, Helen Kim. “I knew immediately that Jennifer was going to make a great Instructor, and that she was going to bring a new energy to the Kumon Center” said Helen. Jennifer isn’t just a second-generation Kumon Instructor, she brings another unique perspective to her centerâ€"former Kumon Student. She enrolled in Kumon at four years old, and successfully completed the both the math and reading programs by the time she was 15. The love that she developed for math and the sense of confidence that the Kumon Method instilled, inspired her to become an engineer. She was a valuable member of the civil engineering firm responsible for developing E-ZPass, the electronic toll collection system used in most northeastern states. Even though she spent most of her youth in her mom’s Kumon Center, first as a student and then as an assistant, she never saw herself becoming the owner and instructor of her own center. She was on the path of becoming a professional engineer, when life opened a new door. She had the opportunity to takeover one of her mom’s Kumon Centers and become her own boss. Jennifer will continue to live out her mother’s legacy through her instruction and innovation. She was raised as a Kumon child and is now a successful Kumon Instructor with a lot of spunk and personality to share with her students! Learn more about the Kumon franchise opportunity and discover additional franchisee success stories. You might also be interested in: Instructor Spotlight: Rudi Hwang Instructor Spotlight: Alex Tang Instructor Spotlight: Sherman Liu Instructor Spotlight: Ann Quigley

5 Key Questions to Consider Before You Learn a New Language

5 Key Questions to Consider Before You Learn a New Language 5 Key Questions to Consider Before You Learn a New Language Asking questions is essential in daily life.You ask questions in school to learn more about a subject.You ask questions at restaurants to decide what you want to order.You ask questions at parties to distract people as you dump all the snacks into your bag.So if youre asking questions everywhere else, why would you ask questions before you learn a new language?When learning a language, there are just so many options. For instance, when selecting a second language you might choose between easy second languages for English speakers  or you might consider what language will help you score a language-related job. When you select your learning method, you might try to find ways to  speed up the learning process.But how do you decide what to learn and how to learn it? Ask yourself these five simple questions to point your education in the right direction! Why Plan Ahead Before You Learn a New Language?One of the main reasons to plan ahead before you learn a new language is to ensure you select the right language. Choosing a language that wont help you achieve your goals could take valuable time away from studying a language that would better suit you. While learning any language is valuable, learning the right one is invaluable. Common languages  are particularly popular, but not every language is right for every person.Plus, planning ahead will help ensure you select the right approach. The right approach can make a difference between you enjoying your language study and suffering through it, so its essential to choose the right approach for you.Finally, planning ahead will help you save time during the learning process. Otherwise, you might need to pause to consider what you need to do next in your language study, or you might lose motivation altogether and quit.5 Key Questions to Consider Before You Learn a New Language1. Why do I want to learn a language?It may seem like a simple question, but its important to consider your own motivation.Motivation is an impor tant factor in language learning because it can be the difference between learning and loving a language for the rest of your life, or quitting after you learn just a couple phrases.There are several factors that might motivate you. For instance, you might be interested in learning a language for international travel, career development or just expanding your knowledge of the world. Another motivator might be your schools language education requirements. However, if your main motivation for learning a language is that its required, finding a motivation deeper within yourself will better propel you towards success.Considering your motivation is also important for language selection. After all, if you want to learn a language to vacation along the Mediterranean coast, Chinese definitely wont fit the bill. Similarly, if you want to learn a language in order to increase your employability, widely spoken languages like Chinese will serve your purposes much better than less common languag es like Basque.2. What language do I want to learn?Once youve considered why you want to learn a language, youre ready to consider what language you want to learn.When considering this life-changing question, its important to take your motivating factors into account. What do you want to do with the language youre learning?If youre looking to learn a language to increase your employability, one of the best ways to answer this question is to look at job ads related to the sorts of positions youre interested in. What language skills are necessary?If youre looking to learn a language for travel, selecting a language is a little easier. Simply think about what cultures intrigue you and what places youd most like to visit. Then, research what languages are most commonly spoken in that area.3. How quickly do I want to learn the language?Setting your timeline is important since it can influence your methods and daily time commitment.People learn languages at a wide variety of speeds. Some people want to learn a language quickly, whether it be for an upcoming trip or just instant gratification. Learning a language quickly usually requires a greater daily time commitment and immersive study. Immersive study involves immersing yourself in the language by using it often. If you have a longer time frame, though, you can also learn a language by studying it for just a few minutes a day.Its also important to note that some languages are harder for English speakers to learn and usually require a longer time commitment to master. For instance, you can probably learn Spanish much faster than Arabic, so this is important to take into account when setting your timeline.Setting ambitious goals for your speed will help keep you pushing forward, but setting your goals too high can make you feel like a constant failure. So always try to set moderately ambitious objectives, like learning common phrases in the first month and becoming conversational in the first three to six months.4. How much time am I prepared to commit?The question of how much time you are prepared to commit is inextricably linked to how quickly you want to learn a language.Obviously, if you can only study for a couple minutes a day, youll not learn a language as quickly as if you were fully immersed in a language.Because of the link between speed and time commitment, you might also find that your answers to these two questions are incongruous and you must find a compromise. If you answer that you want to learn a language quickly but are only prepared to spend two minutes a day, its time to prioritize your speed goals or time commitment. Which is the most important to you?Considering how much time youre prepared to commit is also valuable in selecting your learning method, since some are designed for very brief or more extensive study periods.5. What learning method is best for me?Building on all your answers up to this point, its time to consider what learning method is best for you.There ar e a wide variety of methods available to learn a language.Immersion is a common option that involves immersing yourself in the language by hearing, reading and speaking it as much as possible. This usually involves a greater daily commitment, but it can also help you learn a language more quickly. Immersion works particularly well if you can spend some time living in an area that speaks your target language.Another option is language courses. These often involve a set time commitment each week, homework assignments, quizzes and all the other fun stuff youd expect from courses. Theyll teach you the foundations upon which a language is built, but they can also be less flexible.Other options include apps and software. These programs usually focus on teaching you a language with interactive, multimedia elements. They also offer a flexible time commitmentâ€"some are designed to be used for just a few minutes a day.Audio programs are a strong option for commuters since you can cram some l earning into time that would otherwise be wasted.Textbooks are also a popular learning method since they offer clear explanations of a languages rules. For anyone who likes to have a firm grasp on how each conjugation works or what possible meanings a given word could have, textbooks are a strong companion.When selecting your learning method, its also important to find something you enjoy doing. After all, if you hate cracking a textbook, chances are you wont study as often using this last method as you otherwise would. The only way to determine what methods you like is to try a few out. Then, feel free to mix and match your favorites to maximize your learning!Before you dive into learning a new language, consider these questions. They just might give you the answers youre looking for.