How to Find a Shsat Tutoring Centre in Brooklyn

How to Find a Shsat Tutoring Centre in BrooklynSituated in the outskirts of Manhattan, Shsat tutoring is one of the best-known drop-in tutoring centres in the city. The centre is owned by a renowned New York tutoring company, which has been offering tutoring services since 1994. The name of the company, however, evokes a certain irony; the main strength of the company is that it is an excellent provider of tutoring. A good company will offer both tutoring services and mentoring programmes for children.While children are generally taught at the centre for a relatively short time, their parents may consider these sessions as enriching, allowing them to learn even more about the world around them, helping them grow up to be better citizens, and making bright kids even brighter. In fact, some parents even come back from the tutoring sessions with 'books' in hand.Private tutors are available on a 24 hour basis, while children can book in during the day if they so wish. Parents also have t he option of renting out the space at a reduced rate if there are not enough children at the tutoring centre. A large number of parents prefer this option, in spite of the fact that they would not have access to any other source of tutoring. They simply like to be able to have a private tutor for their children, and Shsat tutoring is known for offering quality services.Childen who have chosen this option can spend time talking with a teacher, or learning through a CD, while the parent plays the role of the tutor. The child will receive a lesson from the tutor on the concepts that pertain to his/her topic. This is done at the convenience of the tutor. When the child is finished learning the lessons, he/she will leave with a fresh set of concepts to help them in their future life, beyond the confines of the tutoring centre.Tutors who come to Brooklyn are prepared to focus more on life skills than just learning the basics. They help their clients to build on their core skills and enhan ce their success in life, rather than just being a supplementary tool in the child's learning process.Those who wish to access the entire centre for a longer period of time are able to do so for a minimal fee. The fees for such sessions vary from one tutor to another, but all are more than worth the cost.Shsat tutoring is offered through the service Schsmat. The first time a child registers at the centre, the customer must be eligible for a scholarship for students. Students usually have to have just a couple of years of study. The centre offers various programs to suit different needs.

5 steps to becoming a culturally responsive teacher

5 steps to becoming a culturally responsive teacher Culturally responsive teaching is much more than simply recognizing the culturalbackground of your students (although that’s a good start). As a teacher in today’s multicultural world, fostering culturally responsive teaching practices is becoming more and more necessary to successfully create a learning environment that is engaging and accessible to a broader range of students. By 2020, the Census Bureau has projected that more than half of all students in US public schools will be minority students. Figuring out how to meet the diverse needs of students with differing economic and cultural backgrounds, not to mention varying learning styles, has increasingly become a top priority for educators. In light of these rapidly-changing student demographics, teachers must be able to understand and resolve potential conflicts that may arise due to cultural differences between students in the classroom. Feel like it’s time to bring more culturally responsive teaching practices into your classroom? We’ve put together five steps for teachers to work on to make that happen. 1. Assess your own behavior It’s important to bear in mind that your attitudes are influenced by your own culture. If your students’ cultures differ from yours, you need to be sensitive to the differences in attitudes that may arise in the classroom. The first step to creating a culturally responsive classroom is being aware of your own actions and working to shift your mindset into ones that are culturally inclusive and open minded. This also applies to your interactions with students’ families and their communities. Being sensitive to how certain cultures may stress different ways of learning is a key first step towards building a positive, respectful relationship with families from diverse cultural backgrounds. 2. Get to know your students Be proactive when it comes to learning about the different cultural backgrounds of the students in your classroom. Do your research, either online or by talking to your teaching colleagues. As a teacher, you cannot create a culturally responsive classroom if you don’t take the time to get to know your students as individuals. Establishing set times to sit down with a student can give them a chance to speak about themselves in a more personal setting. Some students may not feel comfortable talking about their life outside of school with the whole class listening. Be sure to show a genuine interest in each student's understanding of content and their general well-being. Creating a culturally responsive classroom is all about creating an environment in which students of all cultures feel comfortable and ready to learn. If there is a student in your class who has recently immigrated from another country, for example, sit down with them to ask if there were any activities or traditions they enjoyed at school in their home country. This will not only help put your new student at ease, it can also breathe life into your lesson activities. 3. Make your classroom a judgment-free zone Students must be able to look at situations regarding culture with an unbiased opinion and be comfortable asking questions to further their understanding. If a conversation arises about a current event or behavior a discussion should be welcomed, but be sure the discussion is directed towards learning, not criticizing. Encourage students to ask questions and challenge the status quo. Make critical thinking the norm and teach your students to value each other’s differences. It’s common for many students to not want to speak up, but encouraging them to voice their opinions and questions what is happening in the world around them is one of the best ways to help them understand and overcome some of their preconceived notions. We want to make it easier for you to start becoming a more culturally responsive teacher today. Enroll in our industry-leading Culturally Responsive Teaching course for only $49 (that's 50% off the course price!) when you use code BLOG50. 4. Adapt your teaching Culturally responsive teaching is an approach that is student-focused. It identifies not only the differences between students but the unique strengths of each child to encourage their academic achievement and sense of belonging in the classroom. As a teacher, there are some important questions you should ask yourself, including the following: Are there any activities in your classroom that don’t benefit all students? What activities seem to engage all students and get them participating? What actions have you noticed seem to get the best reactions out of your students? It’s important to honestly assess your current teaching practices and modify your instruction and curriculum to consider all students’ backgrounds and readiness levels. Research on culturally responsive teaching has shown that students are more engaged in learning and learn more effectively when the knowledge and skills taught are presented within the context of their own experiences and cultural frames of reference. As a result, it’s critical to learn how to adapt your teaching strategies and techniques to the needs of students of all cultural backgrounds in your classroom. Incorporating learning strategies that have a sense of familiarity for foreign students, for example, can not only help them better connect to the classroom environment, but feel more comfortable sharing their own experiences with classmates. Make learning as interactive as possible. Educational games are not only fun for students, they also require active listening and provide a greater chance for memory retention. Puzzle-solving, making connections, story telling and visuals and repetition are all tools that can be used in the classroom and are commonly seen across a lot of cultures. 5. Include all cultures in your teaching In your lessons, choose content that reflects the different cultures of your students. Lessons should incorporate multicultural information and approaches whenever possible. If a teacher continually references people from a specific cultural background or uses people of a particular nationality or ethnic background exclusively in class examples, students may feel as if their cultural background is being sidelined and can consequently feel disengaged from their learning. Now more than ever, teachers should be looking to making their classrooms a space in which students of all cultures feel supported to learn and succeed. By embracing implementing culturally responsive teaching principles effectively, your classroom can, over time, become a more positive learning environment for all of your students - it all starts with you!

The Benefits of STEM for Young Students - ALOHA Mind Math

The Benefits of STEM for Young Students The Benefits of STEM for Young Students The Benefits of STEM for Young Students The pace of technological advancements is increasing rapidly. An interdisciplinary approach to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) can be critical to applying those concepts to the real world. Grouping these academic disciplines has increased the difficulty in learning for many students. STEM programs for students have helped in the development of these foundations for even our youngest students. Those lessons that are prepared through integrated concepts provide students with improved critical thinking skills, the importance of teamwork and collaboration, inventiveness, problem solving, and more. Still need a reason to introduce STEM to young children? Here are some of the benefits. Helps in forward-thinking Technology is imperative to our daily lives. Just look at people in the street and count how many have a smartphone in their hands. Most jobs require employees to use some sort of software, machinery, office equipment, etc., and all of these require STEM to develop and employ. STEM helps children to think ahead when it comes to technology which is ever-changing. STEM helps students better understand the advanced concepts driving technology and can help them be more creative thinkers. Teaches innovation and creativity Through STEM, new ideas can be transformed into innovations. Creativity is a critical benefit that arises from understanding STEM. With interdisciplinary learning, STEM boosts creativity and innovation in many students as they combine different subjects together. It provides students with the opportunity to experiment with their ideas and push their boundaries. Develops problem-solving skills Developing problem-solving skills in young students helps make their minds sharp and develops new ideas. Introducing students to real world problems and helping them solve these problems develops critical thinking and confidence. STEM programs for students should start at a young age so that students can develop long-term foundations to build upon and appreciate the academic benefits that come with interdisciplinary learning. Improves confidence in students STEM develops confidence in students by giving them better critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It provides students with opportunities to work through issues systematically and arrive at solutions through measurable steps. This confidence applies to all areas of academics so the benefits are not just confined to STEM subjects. Whether it is elementary, middle, or high school, STEM offers a variety of curriculums that can suit your children and their current performance level. Ready to excite your students with creative and analytical learning? Adopt STEM programs and help students engage with their futures.

Language Learning 101 What Is Language Acquisition

Language Learning 101 What Is Language Acquisition Language Learning 101: What Is Language Acquisition? Can a dog tell another dog a joke?Or can a cat (other than Garfield) describe an experience so vividly that it makes the other cats feel like they just ate the same lasagna?Language. It’s an exclusively human condition. Other species definitely do communicate through movements and sounds, but theyre definitely not in the same class as humans.A poet can write lines that can make any woman swoon. A 140-character tweet can spark a revolution. Even  children can tease an acquaintance to tears.But how did we acquire all these skills and abilities?We’ll look into that in this post. Well examine the differences between first language and second language acquisition, as well as some of the leading theories presented on the topic.And have you always wondered what terms like syntax, semantics and phonology are really about? They wont be so mysterious after this post. Well peak behind the curtain and talk about the five characteristics of languages.Finally, to finish things up, well touch o n the four language skills you need to speak a language.So, ready to go? Lets begin. Language Learning 101: What Is Language Acquisition?Have you had the wonderful experience of gazing at a newborn baby through a hospital nursery window? You know full well that those babies can’t appreciate your soulful admiration, right? They cant understand a word you say, much less talk to you.But what kind of awesomeness happens in so short a time, that turns this ball of pure cuteness into a determined fellow pointing at everything in the grocery store, having a fit when you don’t get him what he wants?Language acquisition is that process of building the ability to understand a language, using it to communicate with others. It’s the process of going from a wordless wonder into somebody who can’t stop talking during class.That’s language acquisition or, more specifically, first language or native language acquisition. If you were born in Korea to parents who speak Korean with you, yo u’ll naturally end up talking Korean. The same goes for whatever native language youre taught.Another type of language acquisition is the one that happens after you’ve acquired your native tongueâ€"aptly named “second language acquisition.”Maybe you’re an English speaker who wants to learn Mandarin or Spanish. Maybe you’re taking a German class. Most readers of this blog are probably in this same boat, tremendously enriching their lives by learning a second (or third) language.There’s a lot of difference between native language and second language acquisition. When you learned your native tongue, you weren’t given a long list of vocabulary words to memorize or a thick grammar textbook to sink your teeth into. You were just with mom and dad, who always told you what to eat and when to sleep.Your experience was highly immersive, and it was largely unconscious. You probably can’t even remember how you picked up your native tongue. Yet, while waiting for your first for mal English lessons to begin, before Mrs. Johnson even set foot in that class, you were already chatting away with your seatmate Steve, asking him if he saw the new Mentos commercial.Second language acquisition, on the other hand, happens at a very different time and place. Usually, it happens when you’re older, maybe inside a school or university classroom, or nowadays even a virtual one.Maybe youre learning a new language because your new job requires you to do it to speak with customers. Or maybe you just want to learn how to flirt in a new language. Whatever the reason, the methods used are quite different from what happens in childhood. You consciously study grammar. You have your word lists with their corresponding pictures and translations. You have apps, podcasts and YouTube videos.Many people successfully learn a second language, but not everybody gets there. On the other hand, we know first language acquisition is amazingly effective. The proof? The 7.5 billion native sp eakers today who speak their respective languages with finesse and flair that take our breaths away, making us wish we were born in a different country. Its led many to believe that learning a language is the sole province of the youngâ€"people in the “critical period,” whose highly elastic brains absorb language like a sponge.But while its true that our brains rapidly develop in our early years, it doesnt lose plasticity over our lifetimes. We can create novel neural connections and learn something new at any age. That means you can embark on a language learning journey at any stage in life, your stabilized brain notwithstanding.Studies have pointed out that there are indeed other factors that exert a stronger influence than age on an individual’s language performance. For example, one study found that a person’s motivation is a better predictor of linguistic success than age. Just because you’re young, doesn’t mean you’ll pick up the language no problem.What is it th at drives you to learn the second language? What gets you over the speedbumps? Why do you do it when you could’ve done something else? These are more important than what you write on the blank after “Age.”Another factor that does better than age to predict language acquisition is the quality of inputs. That is, even if you start learning a language later in life, you can still be better off than those who started early, as long as you spend considerable time interacting with native speakers or use authentic materials in your study. The quality of inputs determine your linguistic success.So really, it’s not that second language acquisition is unnatural or that it’s only for the gifted. It’s just that we need better tools and methods to do it.The good news is that in addition to people looking into the mechanisms of first language acquisition, taking a page or two and applying it to second language acquisition, were developing better tools and methods on a daily basisâ€"an d well talk about some of them out in this post.But whether it’s first or second language acquisition, how do these processes actually take place in the mind of a language learner? Psychologists and linguists have put forth several theories over the decades to explain the phenomenon, and we’re going to look into three of the most influential ones in the next section.3 Competing Schools of Thought About Language AcquisitionPhilosophers have always been fascinated by the human linguistic ability, particularly its initial acquisition.Ever since Socrates intoned “Know thyself,” we have tried to peek behind the curtain and find out how we are actually able to learn language and use it for a myriad of communicative purposes.Here are some theories on the matter:1) Behaviorism (B.F. Skinner)Whether you learned about it in your Psych 101 class or from the lyrics to any number of songs, you’ve probably heard of Pavlov’s work with canines. He’s the guy who was studying salivation in dogs as a response to being fed.Pavlov noticed that the dogs started salivating as soon as he (or his associate) entered the room, even when no visible food was presented. Somehow the dogs learned to associate food with his presence. They were conditioned to salivate upon seeing him!Thats all part of behaviorism, which had its heyday from the 1900s to the 1950s and held its sway in how we think about language acquisition.  B.F. Skinner, an eminent behaviorist, proposed that language acquisition is really one big and complex case of conditioning. At its core, it’s all pattern recognitionâ€"associating words with meaning.For example, if a baby hears the word “milk” often enough right before being fed from the bottle, hell soon learn what that word means. If he always hears the word “ball” right before being handed a spherical object, he’ll begin to associate “ball” with its referent.Through a process of trial and error, a child (or a second language learner) will b e able to learn correct grammar. Language acquisition, in this view, is a stimulus-response mechanism. A child will get to the correct form of the language when he observes reinforcing behavior from those around himâ€"a smile, a nod or being handed a spherical object when he says “ball.” These all tell him that hes thinking in the right direction.And one of the fastest ways of getting to the right form or use of the language, instead of going at it through personal trial and error, is imitation. A child can simply imitate what an adult says or how she says it. That’s why accents can be contagious. If you live in a southern state like Texas or Arkansas, your English will likely have that sexy southern drawl.In the behaviorist view, language is simply reinforced input.2) Universal Grammar (Noam Chomsky)In the 1960s, the field of behaviorism came under serious attack from the likes of Noam Chomsky, a man recognized as the father of modern linguistics, and about as decorated a sch olar as any.He pointed out that if you really look closer, parents give only very little linguistic input for tots to run with. Chomsky argued that parent-child interactions are limited to repeated utterances of things like “Put that back” and “Open your mouth”â€"not very likely to make significant dents towards the cause of language learning. And besides, when a child says, “I swimmed today,” he didn’t really get that from any adult figure in his life. That’s not imitation.So how does one account for the fact that children learn to speak their native tongues in spite of the “poverty of the stimulus”? One is left with the conclusion, Chomsky argues, that if not from the outside, external input, then the ability must have been there all along.Chomsky asserts that human beings are biologically wired for languageâ€"that we have a “language acquisition device” that allows us to learn any language in the world. Linguistic ability is innate to us.Proof of this are the emergent abilities that have no external source. For example, we know that writing comes later in the language learning process, perhaps in the classroom. But how then do children make out the individual words in the string of sounds that they hear, when they haven’t seen a single written form of those words?Chomsky would argue that children use this “language acquisition device” to figure out the rules specific to their native language. He even goes on to assert that there is such a thing as a “Universal Grammar.” For how else did the different languages end up with the same categorization of words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.) when there’s an infinite number of ways words can be categorized? We always have nouns, verbs and adjectives.Chomsky’s work represented the “nature” side of the nature-nurture debate, while the Behaviorists account for language as part of “nurturing.”Of course, because of its sweeping and seemingly simplistic assertions, Chomskys theory has its own set of strong dissenters. Let’s talk about them next.3) Cognitive Theory (Jean Piaget)Your churning brain might already be asking any number of questions:“So what proof do we have for this ‘language acquisition device’? Where in the brain is it located? Can we see it in action?”“Have we studied all the languages of the world to conclude that there is indeed ‘Universal Grammar’?”These and other queries prompted a different approach to the whole question of language acquisition. And as is often the case, subsequent theories, like new kids on the block, often point out the weaknesses of those that came before them.Chomsky’s theory did that to Behaviorism, and in turn, those that follow will try to fill in the gaps. And instead of taking a side on the nature-nurture debate, the cognitive theory of language acquisition recognizes that both processes have their roles to play.The psychologist Jean Piaget is a major proponent of this cognitive model, which sees language acquisition in light of the developing mental capacities. The idea here is that were able to learn language because of our ability to learn. It’s because of our cognitive development. Our brains become more complex, and we learn so many things so fast.Babies initially don’t talk because their brains and mental capacities still lack the experience and scaffolding necessary for language. But as babies grow, as they interact with adults, as they gain more experience, as they observe more things and as they learn more concepts, language becomes the inevitable result.Piaget believed that the understanding of concepts must first come before language. When a child says, “Ball is red,” he must first understand what a ball and the color red are before he can comment.So if you notice how language develops, it follows the complexity of our thinking. The more nuanced and layered our thinking, the more textured the language that comes out. That’s why children talk o ne way, and adults talk a different way.In this model, language is seen as part of our advancing mental capacitiesâ€"alongside our ability to reason or to think in the abstract. We are rational beings, information processors that interact and learn from experience.Those are three of the most influential theories on language acquisition. Each has its merits and each gives a certain view of how we learn language. Needless to say, more research and study is needed on the topic. There’s still so much to discover, and so much to learn in this area of linguistics.When we say “language acquisition,” what is it exactly that we acquire? Well, we now go to the next section to find out.The 5 Characteristics of a LanguageHere we get into the nitty-gritty of languages, and look under the hood to see their basic components.We need to meet the things that animate languages, behind the scenes, in order to have a proper appreciation of them. I’m talking here about the five characteristics of a language: syntax, semantics, phonology, morphology and pragmatics. Whatever language you’re considering, it has them. And they work awesomely with each other, as youll see.1. SyntaxSyntax is really just another word for grammar. Languages are governed by rules. Without them, language would be a jumbled mess of words, phrases and concepts that would be very difficult to understand and therefore barely useful.Each language has a specified arrangement of words and phrases. Because of the specific ways the elements are arranged, we can decipher meaning and understand each other. Syntax doesn’t exist so that Grammar Nazis can oppress those who don’t know the codified rules. Grammar is there to facilitate meaning and help us communicate the correct information or message to each other.Without syntax, we’d have sentences like: Robert Susan killed dog the pet of.Whoa, what happened in this sentence? Who killed whom?Without a consistent arrangement of words, we can never figure it out.2. SemanticsSemantics is all about meaning in a languageâ€"what words, phrases and sentences actually mean. Semantics works hand in hand with syntax because different arrangement of words can create different meanings. For example, we have a sentence:“She tapped him on the shoulder.”Let’s say we’ll insert the word “only” somewhere in the statement. Notice how this changes the whole meaning and complexion of the statement, depending on where exactly we place a single word.Only  she tapped him on the shoulder. (Nobody else did.)She only tapped him on the shoulder. (She didn’t punch him.)She tapped only  him on the shoulder. (Nobody else got a similar treatment.)She tapped him only  on the shoulder. (Not on his head or anywhere else.)She tapped him on the only  shoulder. (What sort of a man is this?!)Meaning can change depending on how you arrange specific words. And not only that, meaning can also change depending on the form of individual words. Let’s talk about that next.3. MorphologyMorphology is about the form of words. Its best observed in the written form of a language. Change in form often brings with it a change in meaning.Root wordsâ€"the most basic word formsâ€"can be decorated with a bunch of prefixes and suffixes to form new words, each with a different meaning. A single root word can give birth to many new words, and that’s where the linguistic fun begins.Take the root word “drive.”Add “r” at the end and you have “driver.” From a verb, your word has become a noun, a person.Next, add s to your newly formed word and you have “drivers.” Youve just performed magic and cloned a lone person by using the plural form of the word.Change “i” to “o” and you have “drove.” From a verb in the present tense, you introduced a time change and turned it into a past tense.You can do many things with the root word “drive” and come up with new words like:drivendrivingdriveabledriveabilityoverdrivemicrodriveAnd so on .That’s what morphology is all about. Different meanings come from different word forms. Speaking of forms, when spoken, each of these new words will inevitably sound different. That’s what the next language characteristic is all about.4. PhonologyPhonology is the study of linguistic sounds. And if ever you want to be considered fluent in your target language, you have to be very familiar with the intonations, stresses, pauses, dips and tones of the language.To sound like a native speaker, you have to pronounce words, phrases and sentences like they do. There are specific sounds and sound patterns that exist in a language. For example, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese have rolling “R’s” that give some English speakers a heck of a time.In languages like Italian, you oftentimes only need to look at how a word is spelled (morphology) in order to know how it should be pronounced. In other words, in those languages there’s a close correspondence between the language’s writte n form and its spoken form. In the case of French, though, you’d practically have to be dead drunk with French wine to figure out how to correctly pronounce “houx.”  You can stare at it all day long, but those silent letters won’t speak to you.5. PragmaticsSpeaking of silence, the next linguistic characteristic deals with that part of the language that isnt spoken. This is sort of the wink-wink, nudge-nudge aspect of a language.Because language happens in a specific context, we can actually be ambiguous and still deliver perfectly clear communication. We can go beyond the literal and structural forms of the language. We can say one thing and actually mean another.Pragmatics is concerned with how meaning is negotiated between speaker and listener. When your boss, after reading your submitted proposal, tells you, “This won’t work. Go back to square one,” you begrudgingly know what he means. You don’t take his words literally and look for “square one.” You start aga in.Or when you’re hours late for a date with your wife and she asks you, “Do you know what time it is?” you know better than to give her the exact time. You know a rhetorical question when you hear one.Pragmatics lends languages levity, so we don’t get stuck with being so literal all the time. You know you’re fluent in a language when you understand idiomatic expressions, sarcasm and the like.Now that we know about the five characteristics of languages, we get to the four modalities in which language acquisition can be judged: listening, speaking, reading and writing.The Four Language SkillsHow do you know if or when you’ve acquired a language?That’s a very difficult question to answer. It’s not an either-or kind of thing. When you get down to it, language acquisition isnt a dichotomy but rather a continuum, and language learners stand at various stages of acquisition.And to make things a little bit more complicated, there are four basic language modalities or skills involved: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Theyre closely related, but still clearly different. You may have thought of “language acquisition” in terms of speaking ability, but it’s just one of four competencies considered.Lets look at them.ListeningWe know that listening is the first language skill to be developed. Before babies can even talk, read or write, theyve already logged in serious hours listening. They listen to how their parents talk, to the intonations and pauses, and take their cues as to the speaker’s emotions.Babies have this “silent phase” when they simply give you those cute bright eyes. No words are spoken. But you know something is happening inside those brains because one day, they just start babblingâ€"something unintelligible at first, then gradually moving into their first words, like wooden sculptures slowly arising from individual blocks of wood.Listening has often been mistaken for a passive activity, where you just sit there and orie nt your ears to the audio. You can even sleep if you want to. But nothing is farther from the truth.To listen effectively, you actually have to lend your focus and be actively into it because you should be listening for specific things. What things? You’re going to be listening for intonations, motivations, emotions, accents and the natural flow of sound.A language has a specific musicality unique to it. It’s not just about vocabulary. To be fluent, you need to be aware not only of the words but also of the sounds of those words. And the only way you can hone this skill is by investing the time by listening to both authentic sources and study materials.You can for example use an audio-based study program like Pimsleur. Listen to it on your commute. For authentic material, you can get podcasts produced by your target language’s native speakers. Even YouTube offers a lot of native speaker content. (Just because you’re listening doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to audi o.)At first, you don’t really need to go for complete comprehension of what you’re listening to. Heck, you don’t even need to work out the individual words. Close your eyes and consciously notice the dips and rises of the tone. Notice for example how the tone evolves from the beginning of a sentence to how it ends.You have to invest time in this. That is, you do if you want to sound like a native speaker.SpeakingSpeaking is probably what you think of when we mention “language acquisition.” It is, after all, the most vivid proof of your linguistic chops. There’s nothing like speaking fluent Mandarin to impress a dateâ€"never mind that what you actually said was the equivalent of “Wheres the bathroom?”Ironically, although speaking may be the end goal for many language learners, many devote very little study time to it. Many learners instead dive deep into vocabulary and grammar. Hey, I’m not saying you shouldn’t do it. This is what I’m saying: Vocabulary helps on all frontsâ€"listening, speaking, reading and writingâ€"but it doesn’t score a frontal hit on the main goal of speaking.You know what directly hits this target? Actually speaking the language, all tongue-twisting be damned!To learn how to speak a language, you practice speaking it. Perhaps unintelligibly at first, like a novice swimmer awkwardly flailing appendages in the water, but gradually getting there.Speaking is a physical phenomenon, so you need to actually practice getting your vocal ensembleâ€"your tongue, mouth, teeth and palateâ€"to move the way native speakers move theirs. You need to feel what it’s like saying those words. You need to hear yourself speak. You need to open your mouth. And often. All the time. There’s just no way around it.The thing that stops language learners is that there’s always something else to learn before the talking. You don’t want to mess it up, so you think you need to perfectly know the requisite grammar and techniques before you e ver open your mouth. But that’s really an excuse not to be embarrassed. Even when we’re totally alone, we’re embarrassed that somebody from far away might hear us butcher the pronunciation of a single word.Babies don’t have those hangups. They babble away, butchering their mother tongues all day long, while their egos remain intact. Is it even a wonder why they acquire the language?ReadingBeing able to read in a second language  opens up a whole world of literature to you.Imagine being able to read and understand the classics in their original languages. Imagine being able to read “The Three Musketeers” in the original French or Dante’s Divine Comedy in the original Italian. There’s just nothing like a helping of those works in the language in which they were written because there are some things that just can’t be adequately translated.Thankfully, all your time studying vocabulary and grammar rules all works in favor of reading comprehension.In addition, you can g radually build your comprehension prowess by starting off with dual-language books. These are books that give you a line-by-line translation of the story. You can compare and contrast the languages as you go along.Next in this build-up would be the children’s books in the target language only. Children’s books would be easy enough for you to read. Choose stories you’re familiar with so you can do away with the plot guessing and focus on learning.And remember, just to practice moving your mouth in the target language, try reading aloud the text in front of you. That way, you’re hitting two birds with one stone.WritingMany consider the ability to write in another language the apex of language acquisition. Maybe they’re thinking about writing in terms of epic volumes, academic in nature, read and revered by one generation and the next.Here we’re talking about writing in more prosaic terms.Writing, in many respects, can actually be easier than speaking the target language. W ith the written form, language learners actually have a visible record in front of them. Written texts are more malleable than spoken words. You can scratch written texts, reorder them and correct their tenses and conjugations.Again, vocabulary and grammar training help a lot to build this skill.In addition, you can practice write by doing short paragraphs on things like:My Perfect DayMy Secret HobbyWhy I love “Terminator 3”Your work may not become a fixture in the language classes of the future, but the cool thing about writing is that the more you write, the better you become at expressing yourself in the target language. This inevitably helps in honing the other communication skills, like speaking on the fly, understanding content written by others and listening to native material.Now you know a lot about language acquisitionâ€"from the theories about it, to the differences between native language and second language acquisition, to the five characteristics of languages and t he four linguistic skills to hone. I’m hoping that, if anything, this piece has sparked more interest and desire in you to learn the languages of the world.We at FluentU are ever ready to extend a helping hand in that journey of discovery.Happy learning!

What is the Chern Medal - ALOHA Mind Math

What is the Chern Medal The Chern Medal The Chern Medal is one of four mathematics related awards presented to mathematic scholars.It is named in honor of the late Chinese mathematicianShiing-Shen Chern. The award is a joint effort of theInternational Mathematical Union(IMU) and theChern Medal Foundation(CMF) to be bestowed in the same fashion as the IMUs other three awards (theFields Medal, theNevanlinna Prize, and theGauss Prize), i.e. at the opening ceremony of theInternational Congress of Mathematicians(ICM), which is held every four years. The first such occasion was at the 2010 ICM inHyderabad, India.[1] Each recipient receives a medal decorated with Cherns likeness, a cash prize of $250,000 (USD), and the opportunity to direct $250,000 of charitable donations to one or more organizations for the purpose of supporting research, education, or outreach in mathematics.[1] Example of differential geometry credit: Wikipedia Cherns work extends over all the classic fields of differential geometry. Differential geometryis amathematicaldiscipline that uses the techniques ofdifferential calculusandintegral calculus, as well aslinear algebraandmultilinear algebra, to study problems ingeometry. The theory of plane and spacecurvesand ofsurfacesin the three-dimensionalEuclidean spaceformed the basis for development of differential geometry during the 18th century and the19th century. [3]It includes areas currently fashionable (theChernâ€"Simons theoryarising from a 1974 paper written jointly withJim Simons), perennial (theChernâ€"Weil theorylinkingcurvatureinvariants tocharacteristic classesfrom 1944, after theAllendoerferâ€"Weilpaper of 1943 on theGaussâ€"Bonnet theorem), the foundational (Chern classes), and some areas such asprojective differential geometryandwebsthat have a lower profile. He published results inintegral geometry,value distribution theory of holomorphic functions, andminimal submanifolds. Dansk: Den kinesisk-amerikanske matematiker Chern. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) He was a follower ofÉlie Cartan, working on the theory of equivalence in his time in China from 1937 to 1943, in relative isolation. In 1954 he published his own treatment of thepseudogroupproblem that is in effect the touchstone of Cartans geometric theory. He used themoving framemethod with success only matched by its inventor; he preferred incomplex manifoldtheory to stay with the geometry, rather than follow thepotential theory. Indeed, one of his books is entitled, Complex Manifolds without Potential Theory. In the last years of his life, he advocated the study ofFinsler geometry, writing several books and articles on the subject. [2] While all of this may seem very lofty, it is impressive to know that continued studies in the mathematics world could reap large rewards and recognition. Using a program like ALOHA may help your child see the benefits and uses of mathematics, causing an intrigue to lead to a prestigious award or a career in the mathematics field. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chern_Medal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiing-Shen_Chern https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differential_geometry_and_topology

Mana Iizumi Gal Tutor

Mana Iizumi Gal TutorIf you are looking for a really good mana izumi gal tutor, it is important to know about the characteristics that you should look for. Mana izumi gal has the reputation of being one of the most popular gals in the world. It is one of the hottest gals in Japan right now and there is no doubt that this gal will become even more popular in the future. This gal is also one of the reasons why Mana iizumi is so popular in China.The mana gal is often seen with some or all of the following characteristics: a cute little face, long legs, and cute little hands. Some people believe that it has to be short haired, but many believe that long haired is more appropriate because it accentuates the gal's beautiful eyes. Usually, this gal has the yin-yang balance. Many people who have done research about the gal were surprised by the number of sides. They found that this gal has seven different kinds of sides, including four 'hearts' and three 'rudders'.This gal is often known for its sweet image. It has a tendency to make people dance and move around. However, the gal should be careful not to appear too energetic since it is hard to do.The Mana iizumi gal can teach you a lot about a gal in general. Most girls like this gal because it has the characteristics of being really cute, and the gal has the 'sweet side'. Although it may be a little hard to do, a gal should also have the ability to carry out magic so it is important that the gal not be too reliant on the data.With a lot of practice, Mana iizumi gal will help you learn to do the magic. A gal should also be very confident. Although Mana izumiis not very confident, it does seem to be an especially gifted gal.Mana iizumi gal has learned how to do magic and can teach you how to do it as well. The gal will show you various methods of magic and then give you tips and suggestions.Now, you should consider all the things that a gal can teach you. Look for a girl who teaches you how to do magic. You may find a girl who can teach you how to do magic and lead you to love and happiness. You should look for someone who can teach you how to do magic in order to get you to enjoy it.

Private Tutor For Chemistry

Private Tutor For ChemistryIf you want to succeed in chemistry, then get a private tutor for chemistry. Tutors are highly qualified experts who can help students better understand the concepts and research material needed to graduate from high school. Tutors are familiar with the theoretical concepts as well as basic experimental procedures. You can even get tutors who specialize in chemical biology and organic chemistry.There are many online tutor websites. It is best to visit several such websites to select the best one. Of course, make sure that you are dealing with an established and reliable online tutor. You must also ensure that he is reliable. To know whether he is trustworthy, check whether he has a good reputation.It is a good idea to choose a tutor who specializes in chemical biology or organic chemistry. These are more challenging and demanding subjects than the others and have an important role to play in the final results of the exam. You can't afford to choose a teache r who is not capable of helping you.The tutor should have thorough knowledge about the subject of chemistry. You need to discuss with him about the types of chemicals and how they are formed, stored and used. And you should also choose a tutor who is familiar with the proper procedures involved in conducting experiments.When you are searching for a private tutor, it is very important to check whether he is fully certified by a recognized body. A certified tutor cannot help you in your quest for chemistry glory if he is not fully certified. You should also be sure that he is willing to help you in your journey towards a degree.A tutor cannot teach your subject. He can only give you guidance. But he cannot replace you when you are stuck in the difficulties of the subject. Even the most brilliant and talented student cannot manage to graduate if his teacher has failed to do his job properly.In order to achieve your dream of a degree, you must find a tutor who is well-trained and is ful ly equipped with all the necessary school's facilities. A private tutor for chemistry will guide you step by step through the rigorous process of passing the exams and eventually get you on the path to a degree.

Tutoring Raleigh NC Is A Great Service

Tutoring Raleigh NC Is A Great ServiceThere are many tutoring Raleigh NC companies that can help you. The amount of information that is available can be overwhelming, but there are a few basic things that you need to know about the type of service you will be getting from each company. What you need to do is find a company that can provide an education that is tailored to your individual needs. Once you have done this, you will have a professional that can provide a quality service that you can use every day.Tutoring can be very stressful and it can be draining for the student as well. This is why you should ask questions and find out exactly what the tutoring service is all about. It is important that you find out the kind of services that you will be getting when you are working with a tutor. You should know if the tutoring Raleigh NC is going to be a one time fee or if you will be required to pay for every session.If you are doing tutoring in Raleigh NC, then you should know if th e tutor is going to be independent or if they will be supervised by someone else. You may also need to know if the tutor is going to be a part of your college classes or not. There are so many different types of colleges that are coming up that you need to know who is going to be teaching you and how that will work. Asking the right questions is always the best way to find out all the information that you will need.Tutoring can be a great service for individuals who want to learn or improve their grades. They can also help people in college with their school work or just with their studies. Many people are now learning that if they have an advantage over someone else, they can go to school easier or work on a project that is faster. It is important that you are using this type of tutoring in Raleigh NC because there are many professionals who can help you with this.Tutoring Raleigh NC services are available 24 hours a day so that they can meet the needs of your children. They are ab le to attend to the needs of your children whether they are needing help with school work or homework. There are a lot of parents that are so busy that they do not have the time to help their children and this is where tutoring services can help them. They are there to work with the child while the parent can go on with their life.Tutoring in Raleigh NC can be so beneficial to anyone that is looking for tutoring. For students, there are many students who want to improve their grades. This can be difficult for many students and for those who have poor academic records. Having tutoring in Raleigh NC can allow them to do better academically.Business owners will also find that having tutoring can benefit them in a number of ways. It is an extremely useful tool to have that can help them build their business. With the help of tutoring Raleigh NC, it can help you find new customers and keep the ones that you already have. You will have an easier time finding new customers with tutoring se rvices because it will not seem like work at all.

Should I Go To Indiana University

Should I Go To Indiana University The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Michelle is a Pittsburgh tutor specializing in Algebra tutoring, Reading tutoring, Phonics tutoring, and much more. She earned her Bachelors degree in Elementary Education from Indiana University in 2011. Check out her review of her experience at Indiana University: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Michelle:Indiana University is often considered one of the most beautiful college campuses in the nation. It is a great place to walk around, and it makes the stroll to class enjoyable. The town itself is eclectic and creative, featuring cuisine from all over the world, many inviting performance spaces, and tons of small businesses. It is considered an urban campus, but the town and the university are divided by Indiana Avenue. Both are easily accessible by foot. The university and city both offer busing options that are free to students, and they run quite often. Having a car on campus is not necessary, but it can be helpful for grocery shopping or trips to Walmart. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Michelle:During my time at Indiana University, I often met with professors. They were always willing to meet in person or to have a conversation over email. Before class, after class, or office hours were always available. I also had a very good relationship with my academic adviser, who would schedule appointments with me at any time during the semester. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Michelle:At Indiana University, dorms are designated by neighborhood: Northwest, Central, Southeast, etc. When you request dorms, you request by neighborhood, not specific building. There are many options to choose from, including themed floors ranging from outdoor sports, to the global village, to honors. During the year, there are plenty of social events planned by floor and also by dorm. They are widely advertised on bulletin boards and on walking paths in chalk. Dining-wise, Indiana University is the place to be! The two biggest dining halls are in Northwest and Central. However, there are also smaller food options in many of the dorms. Some are vegetarian, others are cafeteria-style. There are also dorm convenience stores called C Stores that take meal points. I encourage students to visit as many dining halls as they can. After freshman year, there are some newer suite-style dorms available. However, it is not unusual for upperclassmen to live in off-campus apartments and houses. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Michelle:Indiana University is a proud research institution. Professors are often highly regarded in their fields. The two most prestigious programs are the Kelley School of Business and the Jacobs School of Music. Both of those programs are very challenging to get into, and they hold high reputations in their industries. However, many other areas of study are high ranking but do not receive as much advertising. I studied elementary education with the School of Education. I knew that I wanted to be a teacher right away, which was helpful because the program is very rigorous with many prerequisites. There were many professional opportunities and programs provided through the School of Education. Additionally, I felt the faculty and advisors were knowledgeable and helpful throughout my tenure. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Michelle:Making friends is easy if you take advantage of the opportunities afforded you. Social groups and activities are advertised on dorm bulletin boards, on chalkings throughout campus, and in the student paperThe Indiana Daily Student (or IDS). There are lots of different groups, some social and some community service oriented. During the first week of the fall semester there is a student activity fair, and it is a great place to look for clubs to join. Greek life at Indiana University is very large, but it is not everything. I myself was a member of a sorority. I made wonderful friends and was able to take a large leadership role. I also felt more involved in campus events, such as Little 500. However, I also had friends outside of Greek life who were very social and involved. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Michelle:The Career Center was helpful, but the advisers within each school tend to be more knowledgeable about specific fields. There were many support services on campus, but you need to know where to look. Also, I have many friends from the university that now work for Kohls, Target, Dicks Sporting Goods, Google, and Deloitte. Internships are important, as well as taking advantage of networking available through Indiana University events. Most of these friends earned degrees through the business school and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Michelle:There are lots of study areas around campus. What makes this great is that there are different types of spaces for students who want various environments to do work in. Indiana University has one of the largest student unions in the nation, and it includes many different spaces to work. One of the coziest is the South Lounge, which many refer to as Hogwarts. There is also a Starbucks with sprawling tables. There are computer labs and other communal seating areas all throughout campus. Additionally, most academic buildings have their own libraries. The main library, Herman Wells, is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Each floor serves its own purpose: group work, computer stations, presentation rooms, and the graduate tower stacks. Also, the library has many dining options including Chick-Fil-A and Pizza Hut. Some study spaces are more popular than others, and they often get more crowded during midterms and finals. Students tend to find the spaces on campus that work best for their schedule and style of work. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Michelle:Indiana University is in Bloomington, Indiana, which is easily one of the best college towns in the nation. Known for its beauty and culture, there is always something fun to do. The town is integrated into the university, but it really begins just past the Sample Gates. Kirkwood is the main street, filled with shops both local and chain. Bloomington offers endless dining options for any budget. 4thStreet is known for its blocks of foreign restaurants. Besides the dozens of restaurants, Bloomington has many local stores and businesses. Walking into town is always an adventure, with lots of choices for shopping at interesting stores. Bloomington is also big on local and organic food. They have their own version of Whole Foods called Blooming Foods, and there is a huge weekly farmers market from August to November. For students over 21, there are many, many bars in and around the squaresomething for any crowd or mood you may be in. There is also locally brewed beer at Upland and a winery, Oliver, just 30 minutes away. Students at Indiana University barely notice being on- or off-campus. Campus is part of the city, and the city feels like an extension of the university. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Michelle:Indiana University serves about 40,000 students, most of whom are undergraduates. It is a large student body, but by getting involved with clubs and campus groups, it starts to feel very small. I was pleased with my class sizes. I found it to be a myth that large colleges only provide lectures. While my introduction courses and some program requirements included large lectures, the majority of my classes had about 30 students in them. Also, most of the large lectures also had smaller discussion sections that met at separate times during the week. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Michelle:Even though I majored in elementary education, I was eager to explore many subjects in college, including political science. I took Introduction to Political Science as an elective during the fall semester of my freshman year. My professor was expressive and interested in what we were studying. He also loved to facilitate class discussions that often turned one students views on another. Our readings included The Republic by Plato, one of the most difficult texts I have ever encountered. The professor recognized this and offered extra review classes with the two teaching assistants to help. I also went to see him during office hours for help with our final paper, one that I agonized over and spent hours on. He was very helpful and constructive. This professor also offered me guidance when I lamented that I could not add a political science minor onto my elementary education major. He gave me advice about how to fit in other political science courses and which ones would be m ost beneficial. Although I only took one class with him, for the rest of my time at Indiana University, he would always stop to chat or say hello when I saw him on campus. Big schools can have small school connections and relationshipsyou just need to foster them. Check out Michellestutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.