Learn Languages For Free

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The internet has given us some great opportunities to learn a language and the possibilities for the future are truly staggering. In the past, learning a language required us to buy books and learn on our own (with no audio and no feedback or interaction) or take a class (which can be expensive and inconvenient). But, today the improvements of technology and the accessibility of the internet have given us many more opportunities to improve our language learning experiences, and in many cases, for free.

Of course, learning on your own (or at least supplementing your classroom or tutor study on your own time) requires some self-discipline and motivation. There is no one to tell you what to do but yourself. Try to stick to whatever lesson plan you make for yourself. Keep at it every day and don’t give up. In time, you can give yourself a good foundation in your target language for free.

There are lots of individual websites devoted to a specific language. The more popular languages like French, Spanish and Japanese have a lot of choices for beginning and intermediate students. Even some of the less commonly studied languages have sites with tutorials, free lessons and resources. For the vast majority of languages that you may be interested in studying there is something out there for you, so take a look around.

FSI is one of the great all-time language learning methods. Many of their older courses are now available online for free at FSI Language Courses [http://www.fsi-language-courses.org/]. These courses are free because they were created by the US government and are public domain. Much of the audio is out of date compared to newer (and more expensive) courses, but the method is excellent. It’s a great way to get a free start with learning a language.

The internet abounds with great resource sites like language forums, blogs, penpal sites and podcasts. All of these kinds of resources are excellent complements to your book, tutorial, class or other language method. They provide audio, video, real life vocabulary and interaction with other learners and native speakers.

Don’t forget the library for the most common language books and tape or CD collections. Most libraries have at least introductory language courses on tape or CD. All libraries have extensive books on learning languages. The library is an often-overlooked resource for access to free language learning materials.

Keep at it and use some of the suggestions in this article in small doses to complement a tutorial or other language method. Try adding lots of audio and video to actually hear the language and use forums, blogs and penpals to begin to interact with other learners and speakers.

Combining different approaches can create synergies that enhance the effectiveness of an all-purpose tutorial or language method. Take advantage of these free resources to get the most effective and fun language learning experience possible!

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Japanese Genkouyoushi and Essay Tips

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It’s a type of paper used in all manuscripts of writing in Japanese. Vertical writing usually starts from right to left and top to bottom. Horizontal writing starts from left to right and top to bottom. Here are some tips for you.

Vertical Writing

  1. Title: write the title in the 1st line. The 1st word starts from the 4th square. If the title starts with numbers, write them in Kanji.
  2. Name: writer’s name is on the 2nd line. Last name comes before the first name. Leave 1 square between the last and first name. Leave 1 square below the first name as well.
  3. The First Sentence of the Essay or Paragraph: starts from the 3rd line in the 2nd square. Each new paragraph starts from the 2nd square.
  4. Punctuation Marks: usually occupy their own squares. Exception: when they will occur at the top of next line, we write them at the bottom right quarter next to the last word of the current line.
  5. Small Characters: each occupies 1 square and we place it on the top right quarter of the square.
  6. The Subheading (if applicable): has 1 empty line before and after. It starts from the 3rd square of a new line. If there are no subheadings, just start the next paragraph in a new line after the previous one.
  7. Elongation Mark: when writing from top to bottom, the elongation mark should also be written from top to bottom in the middle of the square.
  8. Writing Numbers: use kanji instead of Arabic number. One number occupies 1 square.

Horizontal Writing

  1. All the rules (1-8) in vertical writing would normally apply to horizontal writing.
  2. Small characters occupy in the bottom left quarter of 1 square.
  3. When writing conversation script, we use the Japanese quotation mark.

Essay Tips

  • Always aim to write about 90% of the words required. Between 90-100% is great. Below 80% will not give you good marks.
  • Always write Kanji if you can. Too many Hiragana will not help you get good marks.
  • Be consistent. Stick to whichever the form you choose to use for sentences throughout the essay. To include all what you wanted to write about without exceeding the word limits, we recommend to use the plain form. The plain form also gives the friendly feeling to readers.
  • Avoid using slang or colloquial words/ expression in the formal essay writing.
  • Avoid repeating the same words or the same content too often.
  • Avoid writing a sentence that is longer than 2 lines of the Genkouyoushi.
  • Ensure the logic of the sentence flows.
  • Ensure there are no typos or writing errors. e.g., You are thinking of 1 word but you wrote it differently.
  • If you need to write in pencil, please make sure you choose the proper one for clarity of reading and ease of writing.

‘H’ indicates the hardness. e.g., 3H is harder than H.

‘B’ indicates the blackness. e.g., 3B is softer than B.

‘F’ indicates that you sharpen the pencil to a fine point.

3 Powerfully Effective Tips for Passing the IELTS Test

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Top Tips for Passing the IELTS

Here are 3 powerful tips for passing the IELTS test

1. Read the instructions carefully

This may sound simple, but it is more powerful than you think. Omitting topics of a writing assignment or writing less words than instructed, will cause you to lower your IELTS score. This common IETLS mistake can be very costly. Nevertheless, there are steps you can take to avoid making this mistake. Carefully read instructions and re-read them if necessary. Also, during the writing section, quickly glance over the instructions to make sure you are addressing the topic(s) appropriately.

2. Practice in a test-like environment

Practicing IELTS exercises in a test-like situation can be extremely beneficial. For example, one of the challenges of the IELTS test is the timing. Many test takers feel there is a lot of pressure and not enough time during the test. This can be the result of practicing at a relaxed pace. There are a few steps you can take while preparing for the test that can be helpful:

• Use a stopwatch/timer when practicing and studying.

• Study for the test in a quiet environment

• Take your preparation time seriously. Try to stick to a schedule and approach it with the mindset that you are committed to being focused during your preparation time.

3. Be confident

When the day of the test arrives, be confident. You will probably feel nervous. That is normal and expected. However, feeling overly anxious can be destructive and very distracting. During the test, you need to be able to focus on the subject matter at hand. This will be difficult to do if you are having many negative or worrying thoughts. If you have prepared yourself adequately prior to test day, you should feel confident that you will succeed. Here are few quick tips for boosting your confidence on test day:

• Breathe! Stay calm and take deep breaths if you start feeling too anxious.

• Think positive thoughts and try not to speak negative words (saying: “I am so worried about this test” will not help you. In fact, saying that statement repeatedly may impact your focus).

• Plan the day accordingly. If you have to wake up very early or drive very far, plan for that. Rushing around or getting lost are sure-fire ways to make you feel unnerved and anxious. If you have planned your time well and you know where the testing center is located, this can help you to feel more at ease.

When to Pronounce Final Consonants in French

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A difficulty that often arises for learners of French is that many French words end in a written consonant that is not actually pronounced. For example, the French words beau and chaud rhyme, even though the second of these ends in a written consonant d while the first doesn’t. But at the same time, the situation is not unfortunately as simple as saying that final consonants are never pronounced. In this article, I give some tips for deciding when a final consonant is pronounced on a French word.

Very General Rule of Thumb

Before going into a little more detail, it’s worth mentioning a general rule of thumb. Very roughly, French makes a distinction between what I will call tongue tip consonants and other consonants. The rough pattern is that:

  • Except for l, final tongue tip consonants are not generally pronounced, except in liaison (see below);
  • Final l and other consonants are more likely to be pronounced.

By tongue tip consonants, I mean consonants ordinarily pronounced with the front part of the tongue: d, t, s, z, n. (Technically, linguists refer to this type of consonant as a coronal and the part of the tongue making contact isn’t always what is strictly termed the “tip”. But we can use “tongue tip consonant” as an informal, non-technical description.) Try pronouncing one of these consonants and you’ll feel the front of your tongue contact the front part of your mouth.

So as a rough rule of thumb, these tongue tip consonants are usually not pronounced on the end of a word: for example, in chaud, chat, bas, nez, bon, the final consonant is not pronounced. In the case of a final n, this actually signals the nasalization of the preceding vowel, an issue we will mention in passing but won’t go into in detail in this article.

The consonant l is a slight exception: although a tongue tip consonant, it is usually pronounced on the end of a word, with occasional exceptions ending in -il (e.g. gentil, outil).

Liaison

The tongue tip consonants, which we have said are not generally pronounced, do sometimes become pronounced in a process called liaison. This is a complex topic, but the basic idea is that the consonant becomes pronounced before another word beginning with a vowel if that following word is “closely linked” with it grammatically. A typical case of two closely linked words would be an adjective and corresponding noun. So while the n of bon is not pronounced when the word is said in isolation (though it does mark that the o vowel is nasalized), it is pronounced in bon enfant or bon ami. Similarly, the final d of grand is not normally pronounced, but may be pronounced in grand auteur. (Much more rarely, p and r can also participate in liaison, but it is primarily a feature of the tongue tip consonants.)

A slight complication is that the pronunciation of a liaison consonant may actually differ from how you would expect from the written letter. When s is pronounced in liaison (as commonly occurs between a plural adjective and noun), it actually represents a “z” sound, as does a written x. So bons amis is pronounced closer to “bo’ z ami“, with the s on the end of bons pronounced, as a “z” (i.e. liaison with the following vowel), but the s of amis not pronounced (there’s no following vowel, so no reason for liaison). In liaison, d is actually pronounced as a “t”. So grand auteur, if the d is pronounced, would be pronounced “gran-t-auteur”.

A Few More Details and Exceptions

What we have described so far is a rough rule of thumb and it will come as no surprise that there are plenty of exceptions and details to be aware of. It is impossible to go into all of these here, but below are some more detailed rules and patterns that it is worth gradually getting to grips with with certain letters. Firstly some more details regarding the tongue tip consonants:

d: pronounced on the end of sud and one or two names. The letter d occurs silently on the end of many verb forms (e.g. il prend) However, the d is pronounced on the end of a verb form when followed by a pronoun beginning with a vowel (i.e. in inverted forms such as prend-il, vend-on etc). On the end of an adjective such as grand, -d can be pronounced before a noun beginning with a vowel as shown above, although in reality this is rare in everyday speech.

n (sometimes written m): these special consonants usually mark the nasalization of the previous vowel, and are not pronounced as such; but on the end of “learned” words or loanwords, they are liable to be pronounced, e.g. maximum, spécimen;

s: a few common words where the final -s is pronounced include fils (“son”) and mars (“March”/”Mars”). Note that the final -s is pronounced on maïs (“corn”) but not on mais (“but”).

t: this letter occurs on the ends of many adjectives and verb forms, and is not generally pronounced in such cases. But like d, it must be pronounced on the end of a verb when followed by a pronoun beginning with a vowel (i.e. in inverted forms such as fait-il, dit-on etc).

Finally, here are some details regarding various other written consonants when they occur on the end of a French word:

c: practically never pronounced after n on the end of a word (exception: donc), but pronounced on the end of some common short words, notably avec, sac, sec, choc, lac, parc;

f: though usually pronounced, it is not pronounced on the end of clef (commonly written clé nowadays), cerf, nerf, and in the plurals oeufs and boeufs (whereas in the singular oeuf and boeuf, the final -f is pronounced as expected);

p: for the purposes of everyday speech, you can generally assume that -p is never pronounced on the end of a word. A notable exception that intermediate students may come across is handicap. Very occasionally, essentially in very formal speech, it may be pronounced in liaison on the end of trop and beaucoup.

r: usually pronounced when the preceding vowel is not e (car, fleur, tour etc); not pronounced in many cases when it follows an e, notably on the end of an -er verb or on the end of the -er or -ier suffix on a large number of “longer” adjectives and nouns (including job titles such as pompier etc); there are a few common short words ending in -er where it is pronounced, including amer, cher, fer (“iron”), fier (“proud”), hiver, mer.

x: this letter is pronounced, as “ks”, on the end of a handful of “learned” words such as index. Otherwise, it usually occurs as a silent letter-effectively a variant of s-on the end of various common adjectives and nouns. On the end of a plural adjective followed by a noun or adjective beginning with a vowel, along with a few other cases, it is pronounced in the process of liaison described above. As mentioned above, it is then pronounced as a “z” sound. So vieux amis would be pronounced closer to “vieu-z-ami”.

Conclusion

As we have seen, whether or not a final consonant is pronounced on a French word can be tricky but is not completely arbitrary. By learning some rules of thumb, we can gain a good degree of certainty in many common cases.

Simple Reading Strategies For Language Learners

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Reading in another language is a wonderfully rewarding experience. Developing your second language literacy skills involves time and persistence, however, as you work through piecing together vocabulary, grammar, and meaning.

Here are some tips to help you navigate foreign language texts.

1. Pick material that’s at or just above your level. Reading texts that are too advanced will soon frustrate you. A good rule of thumb is to quickly scan the first few paragraphs for new and unknown vocabulary. If you count 5 or more unknown words, then it’s above your level. Skip it and move on.

2. Get out a pen or pencil and take notes in the margins while you read. When you finish reading a complex sentence or when you arrive at the end of a paragraph, take a moment to summarize what you have just read. Often times learners will go through a passage reading word-for-word. By the time they reach the end of the page, they’ve no idea what the text was actually about. Use this easy summary strategy to force yourself to make sense of the text as you read.

3. Connect to the text on a personal level to make it more memorable. When you’re learning a language, you’re learning to read, not necessarily reading to learn. As such, when you’re done with a passage or chapter, try to connect the ideas and concepts back to your life, personalizing the story as much as possible. Here are some great questions to connect to reading:

  • Have I read this story or something like it in my first language?
  • What would I have done in this situation?
  • How is this story similar to what happens in my own country/culture?

Again, when you take a moment at the end of a reading session to connect the story to your own life, it makes it easier to remember the vocabulary later on. This is as much a memory strategy as it is a reading strategy.

4. Read when you’re feeling alert. When you are struggling through a text in your second language, you’re giving your brain a massive workout. I always find that even after a single page of a difficult text in Spanish that I’m ready for a siesta. Choose a time when you have extra brain cells alert and ready to focus all of your attention on the task of reading. If you find yourself yawning and rubbing your eyes, then it’s time to get up and take a break.

In summary, these are easy strategies all language learners can incorporate to read strategically. Try them the next time you read. When you go back to review the article or vocabulary, you’ll be amazed at how much you’re able to remember!

Things to Look for When Hiring a Translation Service Provider

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Do you need the services of a professional translation service? If so, you are on the right page. In this article, we are going to share with you a few tips that will help you go with the best translation service provider to meet your business or personal needs. Just make sure you consider these tips before choosing a professional. Read on to find out more.

First of all, make sure you look for a native speaker. Basically, a native speaker is a person who has grown up speaking your target language. In other words, it is their first language. If the writer can’t speak your native language fluently, you don’t need to worry about it. The reason is that you don’t want them to translate the content into your native language. As long as they can communicate with you, everything is fine.

Ideally, you should go with a speaker that can identify errors in the translated piece of content without any problem. However, you can hire a non-native speaker and enjoy a lot of cost benefits. if you want to hire a non-native speaker, make sure that the non-native speaker has a strong grip on the target language. The good thing is that a non-native speaker can be a great translator despite being a non-native speaker of that language.

Another thing you need to consider when hiring a translator is their experience. You can choose from a lot of translators. However, we suggest that you go with someone who has at least three years of experience in the field. It is better to work with a translation company rather than an independent professional. Actually, companies use a quality control system to ensure all of the work is of high quality.

You may want to ask them questions about their quality control system, experience, and other questions that you may have on your mind. After all, you don’t want to hire someone that can’t do the job based on your needs. The idea is to work with someone who can provide error-free work timely fashion. After all, you don’t end up paying for an expensive editor.

The third most important thing look for is to consider the privacy policy of the company. Professional translators have a strong privacy policy. On the other hand, independent translators don’t usually have a strict privacy policy. Companies know that they may face lawsuits if they violate their privacy policy.

On the other hand, an independent professional can save you a lot of money. If you want to go with an independent translator, make sure that the professional is trustworthy and has a lot of experience. In case of a problem, translation firms can figure out a solution in a short period of time.

Long story short, these are some of the primary things that you may want to consider before hiring a translation service for your personal or business needs. Hopefully, these tips will help you go with the best service provider without making grave mistakes.

The Inner Game of Language Learning

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Traveling around the world for profit or pleasure has become commonplace in our modern world and it is most likely that you will tackle learning at least one foreign language in your lifetime. Your needs for communicating may range from ordering a meal while on holiday to managing all aspects of life after emigrating to another country. As well as the obvious advantages of understanding and being understood, there are also the possible hidden benefits of improving your own first language and gaining a unique insight into a different culture. Learning a foreign language has also been identified as one of the best ways to keep Alzheimer’s at bay and exercises the brain and keeps it healthy, no matter what your age. Here are some tips that have helped me speak English better than my mother tongue, cope with holiday lingo in France and start all over with Portuguese in preparation of my retirement in the sun.

How do you learn best?
Knowing and applying all your learning preferences can make all the difference between having fun and succeeding or finding it a chore and giving up. If you’re not sure how you learn best, I’d encourage you to experiment around until you find what feels best and fits in with your lifestyle.

Do you prefer learning by reading, hearing or writing? Do you like studying with others or by yourself? What about structured lessons versus post-it notes on the wall? Maybe you don’t want to bother with theory at all and just get going with talking with people. Do you or don’t you like using technology? Is ‘grammar’ a loaded word or can you, as do I, devour a good grammar book like other people a spy novel?

Finding the time

Fitting yet another thing into our crowded lives can certainly be a challenge, so maybe setting a small amount of time aside every day works best for you. Ten minutes a day is better than waiting for that three hour slot that never arrives. Signing up and paying for evening classes is also a good motivator to keep going. Being a very busy person, I always look for ‘idle’ time. I usually listen to an audio lesson while driving or doing housework and yes, I keep a phrase book next to my ‘throne’. Things really come to life though when I combine socializing with my foreign friends and bravely practice my new sentences.

How good is good enough?

Most people, including myself, only learn what they really need or what they’re passionate about. Since there really is no end to mastering a language, only you can decide how far you want to take it. The answer will most likely depend on a few factors. Do you need this new skill only occasionally or on a daily basis? Are you preparing for a future that is immediate or still a long way off? Do you actually need to talk to others a lot or not?

You will also find that your personality and values determine your decision. Do you enjoy striving for excellence? Is being ‘correct’ important to you? Are you ambitious and enjoy a good challenge? Last but not least, do you actually enjoy having conversations or are you more of an introvert?

If you have never attempted to speak another language, here’s one last tip: try not to take yourself too seriously. By talking like a toddler, you will be instantly stripped of your eloquence and any obvious signs of intelligence.You will make mistakes and you will be laughed at and it’s so much more fun, when you can join in the laughter and don’t mind making a fool of yourself. As always I wish you ‘einen guten Tag’,’ bon jour’,’ bom dia’ and a good day!

Educator Advocacy Letter for English Language Learners

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[Date]

[Your State’s Name] State Department of Education

[Your Superintendent’s Name] State Superintendent of Schools

[DOE Address]

[DOE City and State]

To Whom It May Concern:

As an educator in the field of early childhood education I have a concern regarding English Language Learners (ELL) reaching linguistic proficiency. My authentic learning experience as an educator within the classroom revealed the harm that takes place academically when an ELL is pulled from the classroom two to three times a week for 30-45 minutes a day. This action creates a disconnect between the ELL and his/her classroom social interaction and normal daily classroom routines. In society today, schools have experienced a dramatic increase in enrollment of ELL’s; this is due to the immigration and migration of families to the United States from different parts of the world. There is a need to bring into existence a strategy that will increase the English language proficiency ability among ELL’s. The state of [Your State’s Name] public elementary schools have experienced linguistic and dialect differences within the classroom, which proves many ELL’s are challenged to perform at literacy proficiency levels, meet state standards and state assessments. Enrollment within the schools in society will continue to increase each year with ELL’s and it is imperative to ensure the school systems accommodate all ELL’s and help them reach their linguistic potential.

Although there are methods already in place within the [your state’s name] school systems to prevent isolation and low linguistic proficiency, such as the pull out method, an improved strategy is needed. There is an alternate system that is designed to improve the linguistic deficiency among ELL’s. The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol is a program that trains teachers to integrate academic language development into their lessons, through this method students are not pulled out of class, but they remain and are afforded the opportunity to learn and practice English as it is used in the textbooks and lectures in each academic discipline.

This program allows teachers to modify their instruction so they can meet the ELL where they are linguistically and build upon what they already know.

As an advocate and future educator, I strongly recommend this program for all teachers and schools. Our goal is to ensure that every ELL reaches their linguistic potential. The critical urgency to develop a strategy that will accommodate incoming ELL’s requires the support of students as learners, parents as support, teachers as instructors and the state as a resource.

Thank you for your consideration of the SIOP program in advance.

Sincerely,

[Educator’s Name]

Tips to Choose the Best Hospitals for Cancer Treatment

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If you or your loved one has got cancer, make sure you get the best medical treatment. What you need to do is choose a good cancer treatment hospital. Given below are some tips to help you make the choice without any problem. Read on.

About Quality Cancer Care

First of all, you should seek advice from the doctor who first diagnosed you with cancer. The doctor may refer you to a good specialist. Ideally, it’s a good idea to ask for a few reputable doctors or hospitals. However, you may want to keep in mind that you should choose a hospital where specialist offer their services for cancer patients. The quality of service is the first thing that you should consider when choosing a hospital.

Choosing the Doctor

  • Before start your search for a good doctor, make sure you know the quality a good doctor must have. Given below is what you should keep in mind:
  • You should go for a doctor with experience in treating patients with the type of cancer you have. According to studies, the treatment success rate will be higher if you choose a specialist.
  • You may want to choose a doctor who provides his services in the hospital you chose.
  • Lastly, you may want to opt for a doctor who you feel comfortable with. Apart from this, the language, education, gender and ethnicity of the doctor is also important.
  • It’s a great idea to hire a doctor who you already know or who your family member or friend is recommended.

Choosing a Good Hospital for Cancer Treatment

You should talk to your doctors and ask for their recommendations when choosing a good hospital. Make sure you look for a cancer treatment center that can treat the type of cancer you have. For instance, big hospitals have more experience treating almost all types of cancers. So, the chances of the treatment success will be higher at these hospitals.

Bigger Hospitals

When is it absolutely necessary for you to choose a large hospital? If you have a rare type of cancer, we suggest that you choose a large hospital. As a matter of fact, bigger hospitals have more experienced doctors and the best equipment to treat even the rare types of cancers. Therefore, it’s a good idea to choose a large hospital for your cancer treatment.

The great thing about these hospitals is that they offer a host of services in addition to the basic services offered at any cancer treatment hospital. Moreover, they may charge you a bit less relatively as far as the cost of treatment is concerned.

So, if you have been looking for the best cancer treatment hospital, we suggest that follow the tips given in this article. You need to keep in mind that cancer is on the list of the most dangerous diseases. Therefore, you may not want to be negligent and should choose a treatment center after a lot of careful thinking. Hope this helps.

Tips on How to Develop an American Accent

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Are you looking for some tips on how to develop an American accent? If so, keep reading, because you are in the right place. In this article I’m going to help you. Here are three tips that will tremendously help you speak with a better accent.

1. Learn the rules of an American accent

There are many free lessons or courses online. You should learn how to correctly pronounce every single consonant, vowel and diphthong. You should also learn about the correct intonation. It’s extremely important to learn all of these things if you want to understand how an American accent “works” and how to improve your pronunciation and intonation.

2. Watch American movies

Watch American movies with subtitles to improve your listening skills. Pay close attention to the way native speakers speak and try to remember as much as you can. You can also work on your accent by repeating after the speakers – just read the subtitles aloud (and concentrate on the way you speak!).

3. Speak with native speakers

The best way to improve your listening and speaking skills is to speak with native American speakers as much as you can. You can ask them to correct your accent. Thanks to this, you’ll improve way more quickly because you’ll be able to learn from your mistakes. You can look for native American speakers in your city or online (for example on Italki.com).

That’s it – three tips on how to develop an American accent. Keep in mind that if you want to speak with a better accent, you need to practice a lot. It’s all about practicing on a daily basis and immersing yourself in American English. Good luck and have fun working on your accent!