Making the Most of the Chemistry Google Slides Theme

Making the Most of the Chemistry Google Slides ThemeIn general, the Google Slides theme is an easy to use and functional blogging platform that allows you to view your content in an image format. It works on all versions of Google's blogging platform, including the latest release, Blogger. Also, you can upload a photo that you take, using your camera.By uploading a picture, you can take advantage of the Google Slides blog theme, which contains a series of informative slides. As you move through the slides, you will see an image of the slide that you just viewed, with the exact same image, with different text, below it. Once you have viewed each slide, you can go back and edit the text in the image that you copied from the slide. You can do this anytime, without ever having to quit your reading.The theme also provides some very interesting and engaging organic chemistry topics. If you are new to the area of organic chemistry, it is a great way to get a feel for what it is all about. I t can also help you understand more about the interactions between molecules and elements. And, of course, if you are a chemistry geek, it can help you learn more about the different ways that chemistry is explained and demonstrated.The theme that you choose for your Google blog should fit into your overall theme. You want to avoid things that are in the background of your content, such as in the header. You want to keep it in the foreground.Also, Google does not provide many templates for blog themes. So, if you are not sure which one to pick, you will need to learn how to create your own. There are many free themes available online that you can download and begin using.By creating your own template, you can customize Google to work just the way you want it to. You can change the colors, fonts, and all of the other things that you want to make it fit into your site. And, you can add in a custom header and footer for any theme.Just remember that every time you make a change to the t heme, you will need to download the new theme. When you create your own theme, you will be able to update it easily, and you can customize it for any theme. And, you will not be limited to what Google has to offer in terms of themes.

How Can AJ Help Me After College

How Can AJ Help Me After College AJ Tutoring may be best known for its work with high school students, but that’s certainly not the extent of our competency! We work with students of all ages, and some of our most exciting work is done with clients looking to further their education beyond the undergraduate level.We work with many students who are looking to obtain degrees in law, business, medicine, or an academic subject. Admission to these programs is driven by some of the most challenging (yet coachable!) exams out there, and AJ Tutoring is unique in its level of experience and expertise in these tests.Please find a link to our graduate school entrance exam tutoring page here, or read on to find a breakdown of our approach to the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT.If you’d like to discuss your specific needs and how AJ Tutoring can help, please contact us!GRE/GMATThe most common kind of work AJ Tutoring does beyond the undergraduate level is preparation for the GRE, the most common entrance exam for MA and PhD progra ms. There are three major portions of the test Math, Verbal, and Essays.  The math often causes students particular stress because of it’s infamous ‘quantitative comparisons’ section, which many students have no experience with; fortunately, that’s also the section we’ve found most dramatically impacted by having a solid strategy and a little practice! We have taken the strongest parts of our SAT program: breaking the test into question types, working on specific strategies for each question type, reviewing the most common content, and combining tutoring time with homework and practice tests?and applied them to the GRE. Our GRE program is fully customizable; we generally meet students for 10 sessions, but can do more or fewer and still get great results! Most students come to use needing to review a few math concepts, especially the quantitative comparisons, as well as to get some guidance on a good approach to the verbal sections. We also have found great success with t he essays, helping students work on brainstorming strong ideas quickly, organizing them in a logical fashion, and turning them into powerful thesis statements, all in limited time! The GMAT is a similar test specifically designed for entering MBA programs. However, more and more business schools are accepting the GRE as well as the GMAT, and our experience has been that the GRE is generally more coachable and easier to achieve score improvements on, so we generally suggest that students who are ready to do tutoring focus on the GRE unless their schools require the GMAT. LSAT The LSAT is the test taken by prospective law school candidates to gain admission to law school. Although it is considered by many to be a very challenging exam, it is highly coachable. Preparation typically consists of 10 tutoring sessions, with the first 6 sessions consisting of learning and honing strategies for attacking all sections of the test (logical reasoning, analytical reasoning, and reading comprehe nsion). The remaining 4 sessions are spent reviewing practice tests taken as homework. All practice tests and other materials are included in the cost of tutoring. As with all test preparation at AJ, our LSAT curriculum is customized for each students needs, and those who have already completed some preparation can choose how many sessions they would like to have and what sections to focus on in those sessions.MCATThe MCAT is taken by applicants to MD and DO programs, and a students score on the MCAT represents an important portion of their application.  The MCAT is an often-feared assessment due to its depth and breadth: it covers several years of college-level science curricula, and reading comprehension and analytical skills.  Since students start their MCAT preparation from a wide variety of backgrounds, we first help students create a customized approach for independent content review. Throughout the preparation, we hold students accountable for their content review and an swer necessary questions about key concepts.  The focus of most tutoring sessions, however, is on the best practice materials available?those from AAMC, the writers of the MCAT. By diving into detailed analyses of these question packs and full-length practice tests, our students make good strides in understanding difficult material and using solid test-taking techniques.  Unlike most MCAT tutoring services, AJ Tutoring supports each student with a single MCAT expert. This allows the tutor to gain a thorough understanding of a students thought processes, and help them efficiently and effectively on all portions of the exam. We recommend 12-16 tutoring sessions spread over 3-5 months to complete a full prep for the MCAT.  However, we understand that not all students schedules or needs fit a single package, and were happy to make adjustments to the number and focus of sessions on an individual basis.Career AdvancementAJ Tutoring also has experience in helping our clients prepare for difficult interviews, especially interviews that involve quantitative calculations or estimation, working through case studies, or other performance based interviews. We are also always adding to the list of professional exams we can assist with! If we have the qualified staff, we will work with clients to create prep plans that help them maximize their chances of getting the job or promotion they are looking for!

5 Benefits of Developing Great Teamwork

5 Benefits of Developing Great Teamwork 5 Benefits of Developing Great Teamwork Working as a team is something that every student will have to do throughout their K-12 experience and promotes valuable skills that will help them conquer college and career. For the most part, students are graded based on their abilities, and so they sometimes get frustrated when they work as a team. Alternately, some students love working with peers especially those with similar interests and abilities. Either way, developing great teamwork is one of the best ways students can be successful in a practical environment. 1.   Practice for the future Once students finish their education and go out into the working world, they will work as part of a team on a regular basis. Students who develop these skills early are likely to be more successful when they get out into the real world. Many teachers assign group projects so that students have the opportunity to work on this skill during the early and middle grades. Getting along with different personality types is one of the best ways to achieve a complex goal and meet important deadlines in either school or career. 2. Sharing responsibility Students who develop great teamwork can split up tasks and play to their set of strengths. This allows members of the group to help each other out and share responsibility so that they can finish a particular assignment or reach the desired goal. Teamwork isn’t just for group assignments, in fact, students might want to start a club, organize a community service project, or help plan a field trip. When students work together, they can achieve more with less individual effort (READ: Costa Mesa Tutoring Tips: Improve Your Studying Skills Over the Summer). 3. Communication Working as part of a team also helps kids learn how to communicate effectively and will help them out in every part of their lives. Communication skills are essential in the K-12 environment but will also encourage success in the working world as well as student’s personal lives. There are so many instances where clear communication can resolve a conflict with classmates or friends, but most kids need to work on these issues before finding the right words to say. Kids who can communicate well tend to do better in school, have more friends and be able to ask for help more easily. 4. Personal encouragement When students work as part of a team, they also encourage each other to be successful and focus on important study habits that will help them throughout their education. Kids who work as a team can help each other with academics, be great role models for each other, and provide a peer support system when students start to become overwhelmed with homework assignments or test prep. Once students get into the college prep years, personal encouragement will become more important than ever as students persevere through this stressful but important time in their education. 5. Group projects Students who develop great teamwork skills will also be successful when it comes to group assignments. Many teachers want to see how well their students can work together and will assign points based on good teamwork. Teachers want to see that students can get along and share responsibility rather than just be successful when working as an individual. Every student will have the opportunity to complete a group assignment all the way from first grade through the end of college. Whether students are working as part of a team to complete a 2nd-grade science project or getting together with classmates to organize a brand new college level club, teamwork is a helpful skill that propels students towards success. Build your social and team-working skills with the help of a private Los Angeles academic tutor from TutorNerds. Call us today to learn about our special Los Angeles summer tutoring deals. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

5 Tips for Creating a Rock Solid Foreign Language Reading Habit

5 Tips for Creating a Rock Solid Foreign Language Reading Habit Wanna get hooked on phonics?Its easier than you might think!Reading in a foreign language can be intimidating at first.Thats understandable.The good news is that once you start reading in your target language every day, you wont want to stop.Many  language learners get discouraged at the beginning, and avoid reading practice at all costs.Theres a reason why: they didnt have us to start them off on the right foot.Weve got some awesome tips, resources and habit-forming activities thatll get you in the foreign language reading zone, permanently! 5 Tips for Creating a Daily Foreign Language Reading HabitThese tips will help you steer clear of common pitfalls, and head towards all your language learning goals faster than ever. Theres nothing too complicated about them they might almost seem too easy. You might be left wondering, hey, why didnt I think of that?Well, thats the way it should be. Were going to get you reading in a way that feels simple, natural, fun and easy. Before you kn ow it, reading in foreign language wont be a chore or an obligation itll be your daily dose of entertainment!1. Choose Fun Things  Youd Read in Your  Native  LanguageDon’t force yourself through boring materials you think are “important.”One of the most common mistakes I see language learners make? When it comes to reading in a foreign language, theyre always forcing themselves to read  through uninteresting topics and materials that theyd never consider reading in their native language.For example, Ive had many English students who painfully work their way through difficult articles in The Wall Street Journal or The Harvard Business Review because they think these materials are important for their English abilities, even though the content bores them to tears.While such resources certainly offer exposure to lots of business-specific vocabulary, the value of this input is extremely low if one looks on the task as a chore instead of a treat. Our understanding and retention ten ds to be much higher when we read content we genuinely enjoy.Which leads to the next pointFind foreign language reading material about your  existing  interests.Perhaps you (unlike some of my former English students)  love The Harvard Business Review  and are already a regular subscriber.For you, it would make perfect sense to find a business-centric magazine in your target language. But if biz articles arent your jam, dont feel obligated to read them. Youre in control of your language learning journey, so find reading materials that fit  your  unique interests.Look at the blogs, magazines, books, cartoons and other materials that you read already and try to find foreign language equivalents. Read food and cooking blogs from Taiwan. Get yourself some Japanese car magazines. Buy a German book on carpentry. You name the interest, and theres bound to be a blog, magazine, book or other piece of reading material that serves it in most major languages.Learn a new skill or hobby in your ta rget language.In addition to finding materials about your  existing  interests, another great strategy is to pick up a  new  skill or hobby through your target language. The highly contextual nature of such learning will help you make lots of new linguistic connections without having to constantly rely on a dictionary, and will fill in gaps in vocabulary much more quickly than more passive forms of learning.2. Choose Digital Materials Whenever PossibleI freaking love the look, smell and feel of physical books. But when it comes to learning a foreign language, the advantages of digital materials far outweigh the sensory advantages of print.Digital materials are  faster.One of the  greatest advantages of digital materials in language learning is the ability to instantly look up unknown words or characters, saving you precious study time that would be wasted looking up words in a paper dictionary. Paper books also require you to  carry around a separate dictionary, a weight disadvantag e I discuss more below.If reading articles online, install a pop-up dictionary  browser extension like the Firefox extension  Pera Pera Kun for Japanese or the Chrome extension Zhongwen for Chinese.In the Kindle app (available for iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and more), you can download dictionaries for most major languages. As you read Kindle books in your target language, you can then just hold a word to reveal its definition and pronunciation.On  iOS, select a word and then tap Define from the contextual pop-up. If no definition is shown, tap Manage and then download whichever additional dictionaries you want.On OSX, select a word and tap with 3 fingers to bring up its definition. To add  additional dictionaries, open the built-in Dictionary app, go to preferences and check whichever you want to add.Similarly,  saving  new words and phrases for later review is much faster when reading digital materials:The pop-up dictionary Pera Pera Kun, fore example, allows you save words you loo k up so that later they can be downloaded.Some online dictionaries,  Tangorin.com for example, allow you to save words you look up and categorize them in  different lists, which can each be exported in a format that easily imports into the Anki flashcard app. Lots of exporting and importing involved there, but you catch my drift.More simply, you can always just copy and paste words or phrases into an app like Evernote  for later review.MosaLingua, which offers apps for Spanish, French, Italian, German and Portuguese, has a web version that gives you access to specially-selected online native materials, such as e-books. In addition, you can easily take words and phrases you come across that you dont know and make them into flashcards, which you can then review on the mobile app as well.Last but not least, digital materials are faster than print since they allow you to instantly find specific words or passages using the search function. Instead of wasting hours flipping through a prin t book to find that quote you loved or that word you wanted to look up, you can just type in the search field and tap  Find. Ah, modern convenience.Digital materials are cheaper.In addition to being faster than their print counterparts, digital materials are also  cheaper, if not free:Kindle books are  usually fairly inexpensive on Amazon, while paperbacks tend to be twice the price.Many international magazines and newspapers offer their articles for free online.Books in the public domain are available as free eBooks  from sites like  Project Gutenberg.You can then put all the money youve saved towards tutor fees  or a plane ticket abroad!Digital materials are lighter and take up less space.Bits are lighter  than atoms.  My back still doesnt forgive me for all the harm I did hauling around textbooks, manga  and massive dictionaries back in college. Had I begun learning a language today instead of in the relative Stone Age of the late 90s, I could have carried all the reading and ref erence materials I ever wanted right in my pocket on a smartphone or tablet.Today, you never need to choose which books to take and which to leave on the shelf as you can  take them all with you wherever you go in digital form.3. Listen to Materials Youve Previously ReadReading alone won’t improve your listening and speaking skills.While reading is extremely important, its imperative that you keep your reading time balanced with the other three core language skills: listening, speaking, and writing.While teaching English in East Asia, I observed that most students felt much more comfortable reading and writing, while they struggled greatly with listening and speaking. This makes perfect sense since language classes in that part of the world (if not the world over) tend to focus most of their time on reading tasks, translation and so on with very little time spent actively  listening and speaking.We get better at what we practice most, so naturally reading will make you better at r eading but will do very little for your listening and speaking abilities.Youll improve retention when you consume the same content in multiple formats.In addition to helping improve both your listening and reading skills, consuming the same material in more than one form of input will increase  your retention of new words and build stronger connections between previously learned materials. Its also more interesting to repeat the same content in multiple formats than it is to simply reread the same passage over and over again.Listen to the content youve been reading.So whats the best way to  listen to content youve previously read? Here are 4 suggestions:Watch videos with subtitles. FluentU  has huge collections of real world videos in multiple languages, and we even kick things up a notch weve made our subtitles interactive so you can view definitions of individual vocabulary words on-screen  while theyre being spoken. Youll be sure to never miss a thing!  You can also use  DVDs an d Netflix movies with subtitles in your target language, YouTube videos with CC captions and so on.Find podcasts with transcripts. Podcasts are some of my favorite language learning tools as they cover a wide range of interests, tend to be short and are almost always  free. Many podcasters include show notes or transcripts right alongside the MP3 file that can be revealed with just a tap on your smartphone or a click on your computer.Get both the ebook and audiobook version of your favorite books. While this may be an expensive proposition if buying copyrighted books, the benefits are well worth the cost. But keep in mind that you can also try finding ebook/audiobook pairs using Project Gutenberg and Librivox.Get custom audio recorded. You can ask a native speaker friend or tutor to record a given piece of text, or you can use the power of crowdsourcing with a site like Rhinospike. You simply submit some text you want read aloud in your target language, you record something for some one learning your native language, and then you can download the MP3 you requested when your submission is ready.4. Dont Linger Too Long Over DetailsStopping and starting is difficult for building smooth comprehension. Try reading an entire page or paragraph before stopping to look up any words.Avoid the dictionary black hole.”As I mentioned above, being able to quickly look up new words is a major advantage of digital materials. But this  pro can quickly become a con if you allow yourself to fall into the dictionary black hole. This is when you look up a word which leads you to a related term, and then another and another, until you forgot what you were doing in the first place.Dont break the  semantic flow.Stopping to look up every other word not only makes it more difficult to follow the flow of a story, but it also significantly slows you down. While skipping unknown terms may mean that you miss a little of whats going on, it offers many advantages:It increases your reading sp eed.It builds fluency.It encourages you to make educated guesses.5. Commit to a Painless Minimum Page Count Per DayYou are more likely to procrastinate on bigger goals.As I discuss in my post on self-teaching languages like a rock star, simply setting goals isnt enough. To have any chance of success, your goals need to be S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound).To this end, I recommend starting with an  absurdly small daily reading commitment.For example, I commit to reading  1 paragraph every day. Youll likely go on to read much more on most days, but starting with an easy task helps ensure completion. If you were to commit to reading an entire  article per  day, on the other hand, chances are good that youll put off the task, fearing the time and work involved.Read small chunks any chance you get.Just as you should commit to a tiny daily reading goal, you should use any tiny chunks of free time you find each day to fit in a little reading:If you take public transportation to work or school, use that time to read in a foreign language.If youre waiting in line at the store, whip out your smartphone and read a few sentences of a blog post.If youre stuck in a boring meeting, read a few news headlines from your favorite online foreign language newspaper while pretending to stare at the mind-numbing PowerPoint.Don’t let yourself miss a day.A key part of making reading a part of your daily routine is to not let yourself miss a day. The longer your unbroken chain becomes, the more youll want to keep going. But when you let yourself miss just one day, youre that much more likely to miss the next day, and the next, and the next, until your reading habit has completely fallen out of your life.So, keep the ball rolling with consistently good work!See my article  5 Killer Language Learning Strategies Guaranteed to Help You Make Time for more about habit formation.

What Every Student Should Know About Scholarships and Tuition Discounting

What Every Student Should Know About Scholarships and Tuition Discounting via Pexels What is tuition discounting? This is a term that some of you may be unfamiliar with, but tuition discounting generally refers to grants and scholarships that colleges and universities give students. In some situations, it is put into practice when colleges and universities charge high tuition and then offer large “discounts” (aka merit aid) to their qualified candidates. Why is tuition discounting put into practice? Tuition discounting is most prevalent in small, private colleges and universities, and was originally put into practice to allow students to attend college without the price tag, or their families’ financial situation, preventing them from doing so. Having started out as need-based financial aid, tuition discounting now encompasses merit-based aid as well (such as merit scholarships). As tuition discounting often makes a private college or university much more affordable, it helps these private schools attract and enroll more students over time. This potentially raises the question of why all schools don’t just make their tuition or sticker price more affordable in the first place an act that would, in many situations, eliminate the need for tuition discounting. However, a school that offers tuition discounting actually appears more attractive to college applicants, based on surveys that found both parents and students prefer schools with high costs that offer large discounts instead of schools with a lower original cost. Why, you may ask? It’s because of an idea that has become ingrained in the minds of the general public: that the higher the price, the higher quality it must be. As a result, schools that have high sticker prices appear to be “better” in the eyes of college applicants and their parents, which leads to more applications, more scholarships being given out, and ultimately, more enrollment. Offering tuition discounts is a win for private colleges and universities, and receiving such discounts is seemingly a win for the students as well. What are the disadvantages of tuition discounting? On the flip side, tuition discounting can lead to some pretty negative consequences, both for schools and students. Some colleges and universities offer such large discounts to their students that it’s eating into their revenue, which is certainly not sustainable in the long run. What’s more, the high cost/high aid model can sometimes discourage low-income students from attending costly private institutions, mainly because some of these students and their families are unaware that financial aid is available. How do you receive a tuition discount (e.g. a scholarship)? There are a number of ways to receive a tuition discount. One way is to qualify for a tuition waiver based on your family’s income level. If your family’s income falls below a certain threshold, you may be able to qualify for a tuition waiver. Another option is to see whether the college and/or university you’re applying to offers legacy scholarships. If you have a family member who once graduated from that school, it might be worth looking into a possible legacy scholarship. Another totally classic and viable way to receive aid is by actively applying for scholarships. With so many different kinds of scholarships out there, you have many options to choose from. For example, there are a number of academic scholarships that you can apply for, which are based on your academic performance, including your GPA as well as standardized test scores (such as the SAT and ACT). Other types of scholarship options out there may include athletic, community service, minority, creative, and other unique scholarships. Where can you find them? Lucky for you, finding scholarships isn’t the hard part there are so many places you can look. One option is to visit your career center and inquire about available scholarships. Another option is to look to organizations in your community and find out if they’re offering scholarships for college students. Even if they’re not large companies or organizations, some local businesses in your neighborhood or community might have an annual scholarship that they give out. If you want to search for scholarships from the comfort of your own computer, there are many websites at your disposal, such as Fastweb.com. When it comes to applying for and receiving tuition discounts of any sort, it’s important to be informed about what it can do for you.

Am I Fluent Answer These 6 Questions and Find Out!

Am I Fluent Answer These 6 Questions and Find Out! Am I Fluent? Answer These 6 Questions and Find Out! Its a question that has plagued mankind since the beginning of time.Okay, maybe the beginning of time is a bit of an exaggeration.But its a question thats probably plagued mankind for the last 50,000 to two million years in other words, as long as language has been around.Am I fluent?For language learners, the struggle is real. As you take more and more online language courses  and strive to  learn a language fluently  or  get fluent faster, chances are youll always be wondering where youre at.Am I already fluent? If not, when will I be fluent? How will I even know?  Sadly, theres no billboard to announce your fluency. There wont be a large scale balloon release to celebrate your accomplishment.That doesnt mean, however, that you cant determine whether or not youre fluent.All you need to do is ask yourself the six valuable questions below. The Challenge of Defining FluentThe first problem with defining fluent is that theres no set definition. While your average dictionary often tri es to define fluent as being marked with ease using a language, ease seems vague, at best. This makes the definition highly flexible.Plus, there are different degrees of fluency. Language classification systems  and  language proficiency tests  attempt to quantify levels of fluency on clear scales, so if you really want to approximate your level of fluency, a test can help.Finally, the word fluent can (and does) mean different things to different people. Since the main idea is that you need to speak a language with ease, everyone can hold a different idea about what this means. To some people, this might just mean being able to hold a basic conversation. To others, it means being able to communicate or understand nearly any idea on any topic.So your friend who claims to be fluent in French may only be able to order a croissant, while your friend who claims shes nowhere near fluent in Chinese may be able to hold conversations and conduct business, but struggle with some specific voca bulary sets.That all being said, there are some basic questions you can ask yourself to get an idea of how close you are to whats commonly accepted as fluency. So lets find out how fluent you are!Am I Fluent? Answer These 6 Questions and Find Out!Do I translate in my head?Considering whether or not you translate in your head is a helpful way to measure fluency. If you translate between your target and native language in your head continually, chances are youre not what most people would consider fluent. Thats because full fluency generally requires an ability to think in your target language. Thinking in your target language is important because it saves valuable time, improving your ability to interact fully.Looking to jump-start your ability to think in your target language?Consider immersing yourself in the language. One popular way to do this is to travel to a destination where your target language is widely spoken.If that isnt feasible for you, you might consider at-home media immersion with FluentU. FluentU offers authentic, real-world videos like movie trailers, music videos, news and more. All videos are captioned, and the captions are annotated, putting word definitions, associated images and example sentences at the tips of your fingers. You can even click words to see how theyre used in other videos on the site.Another easy way to transition towards thinking in your target language is through journaling.  Each day, set aside 15 minutes to write about your day so far, what you did and how youre feeling in your target language. Doing this will encourage you to think in your target language and save you the effort of translating in your head.Additionally, if you know youre going to write in your target language at the end of the day, you might find yourself thinking about your feelings and activities in your target language during the day to prepare for your journaling time.How quickly can I speak?Some people speak slowly even in their native tongue, b ut if you speak much more slowly in your target language than in your native language, chances are youre not fluent just yet.Having to speak slowly is usually a mark of inexperience speaking the language. If you want to improve your rate of speed, one key way to do it is to find a language learning buddy for conversation practice. The more you practice, the more your speed will naturally improve.To find a language learning buddy, you might check your local university or school system.Still no luck? Reddits language learning community might help you connect with someone whos studying the same language as you. Once youve found the right match, you can practice via Skype.How quickly can I understand?Perhaps even more important than the ability to speak quickly is the ability to understand quickly. When you hear your target language spoken, do you immediately understand what you hear, or does it take you a moment?One good way to measure this is to think about your last conversation in y our target language. After the other speaker finished, did you already know what theyd said, or did you have to go over it again in your head? Immediately understanding your target language with little effort points towards fluency.Does it still take you a while to understand the language? One way to improve your ability to understand spoken language quickly is to  watch TV and movies in your target language.Luckily for you, Netflix is a treasure trove of foreign language programming. If youre still a ways off from fluency, you might want to start watching with subtitles. As you get more comfortable listening to your target language, remove the subtitles.But how will you know when your listening skills are strong enough to be considered fluent? One surefire way is to watch unfamiliar material in your target language without subtitles and see how things go. If you can fully understand even rapid-fire dialogue without pausing, chances are you can consider yourself fluent.How hard do I need to think about what I want to say?If you need to think through anything you say or write out carefully, chances are, youre not yet fluent.For full fluency, you should be able to speak or write off-the-cuff, like you can in your native language. This is a clear marker of ease in using the language, which is a sign of fluency.One way to practice thinking your words out less is to post on social media in your target language. After all, social media is clearly the place for ill-thought-out communication!You might want to start a separate account on a social media outlet like Twitter, dedicated solely to your target language. You may want to avoid using your real name so that if you mess up too badly, you can distance yourself from the account!Then, whenever something happens that you want to react to, simply post quickly in your target language without thinking out the language youre using. Over time, this will get easier and easier.Can native speakers understand me?If you really are fluent in your target language, native speakers should definitely be able to understand you. Do your native speaker friends ask you to repeat what youve said? Do they look confused whenever you speak? If so, youre probably not fluent just yet.Since the goal of learning any language is to be able to communicate effectively in that language, its a big obstacle if native speakers cant understand you. It could be an issue with pronunciation, accent, vocabulary or grammar, but regardless of the root cause, this problem can definitely keep you from being fluent.One way to determine what exactly is stopping native speakers from understanding you is to hire  a native-speaking tutor.Italki can help you find a tutor to assess your areas of weakness and help you become more fluent. If youre not sure if a native speaker can understand you, a tutor will be able to tell you. If you know native speakers dont understand you but dont know why, a tutor can also help pinpoint whats causing this i ssue and work with you to correct it.How comfortable am I with my target language?Yes, comfort counts when it comes to fluency! If you can speak your target language as comfortably as your native language, thats a great sign that you might be fluent. If you still get twitchy when you have to actually use your target language, theres a strong chance youre not quite fluent.One way to improve your skill and comfort level is to find a language exchange partner whos a native speaker. Language exchange partners will help you practice their mother tongue in exchange for help practicing yours.Language exchange services like Tandem are a helpful way to connect with your ideal conversation partner.To get the most out of language exchange, keep a list of things you want to talk about. For instance, if youre struggling with a vocabulary word or grammar structure, you might jot it down so that you can talk to your conversation partner about it. Same thing for topics you struggle with. For exampl e, if youre going on a business trip, you might ask your conversation partner to simulate a business meeting with you to make yourself more comfortable using this specific vocabulary set.Regardless of how you do it, interacting more in your target language can massively increase your confidence, so this is a surefire way to get more comfortable and closer to fluency.Are you fluent? With these six questions, you might be able to finally answer that.And if the answer is no, hopefully you have a good idea now of how to work on moving towards that goal! And One More ThingFluentU can help you with all aspects of your fluencyâ€"all from the comfort of home!With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that natives  speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, including movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse Screen.FluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful exam ples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive Transcripts You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.

Choosing a Private Tutor For Private Calculus

Choosing a Private Tutor For Private CalculusPrivate calculus tutoring can be a wonderful option for anyone who desires to pursue higher education. The tremendous flexibility of private tutoring allows students to complete any degree program, any time they choose, in the comfort of their own home. Private tutors help students learn algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, and more.Private tutors usually offer classroom instruction on Saturdays but often can vary the schedule based on the student's convenience. They often work with students to meet individual needs. When making a decision about which private tutor to use, students should carefully consider the following factors:Learning style: Students may like to work independently or collaboratively. Each type of learning style requires different ways of completing a course, whether it is a rigorous lecture class or a fun online chat course. Students should discuss how the tutor will work with them individually. Each type of learn ing style requires different activities to keep students motivated.Important dates: Tutors have to meet or exceed some dates during the semester. A student can easily miss a date if it is not in sync with the tutor's schedule. If one is attending an online forum, a tutor may be a lot more flexible about this because the tutor does not have to worry about being away from home.Scheduling outside the school year: Many schools allow a student to study in the evening, but some only allow an hour in the morning. There are classes during the day and at night, and many students prefer to study later in the evening or early in the morning. Different schedules are better for different types of students. The instructor should determine a schedule that suits the student's schedule. Also, a scheduling conflict may prevent a student from taking a certain class.Class time: Students should schedule a class in a room that allows time for independent work. A student should ask the tutor what the best times are for independent work, because sometimes time constraints may prevent working from home. Most tutors have much more flexibility with their schedules than with academics. Students should contact the instructor for a list of preferred times.Students should carefully weigh their schedules to choose the right tutor. Depending on the student's level of achievement, there may be better options for learning. Once the student has chosen a tutor, the next step is to work on meeting the tutor's schedule.

Algebra Help Helps Students Be More Productive

Algebra Help Helps Students Be More ProductiveAlgebra help is required in math class to help students and teachers keep pace with the rapidly changing world. No matter what subject you teach, students will need some algebra help as their understanding of the subject will change as they progress. Students can become confused and frustrated when they are trying to use the material properly or getting the best out of it.However, algebra help can often be confusing if the student does not have the tools to find the best solution for a problem. In fact, many students are so used to getting the answer on the test that they forget about using the calculator. A calculator helps simplify algebra homework and give students a more efficient way to accomplish math problems.A student who understands what the calculator can do for him or her will need algebra help to help them better organize their study habits. It will give them a chance to learn the steps they can take to simplify their projects and take their time studying without having to figure out how to get an exact answer. Many students do not like math class because of the frustrations that it causes. With algebra help, these students can use the calculator to quickly find a solution to a problem or formulate a question.Many math tutors and parents also realize that algebra help has benefits beyond what any student can see when they do a homework assignment. A student who uses the calculator learns that he or she can keep a certain goal in mind. They will use the calculators even when the kids are just sitting at home and can look up an answer on the Internet.Calculation tips will be found in many calculators and help students learn that they can speed up their calculations if they find a specific step that they can do quickly. This makes them able to complete more of their assignments and saves them money on unnecessary material.Math problems can sometimes confuse a student and when they are looking for answers on the internet, many students forget to utilize their calculators. This makes them feel left out and frustrated. Using a calculator can help a student get a quick and accurate answer for a complicated calculation that can be found in a book or online.Algebra help can also make students understand math better. The more time they spend with it, the more they learn. Using calculators during math homework can make students more efficient and help them avoid having to figure out the answer by hand.

8 Dazzling Audition Songs for Altos [Videos]

8 Dazzling Audition Songs for Altos [Videos] Sign up successful Old Standards: “Stormy Weather” here’s a classic torch song with lots of emotion and a truly gorgeous vocal line, making it the  perfect audition song for an alto interested in jazz. It was written by Harold Arlen, who composed the music for “Wizard of Oz”. There are many fantastic renditions out there, but Lena Horne’s is one of the best: “River of No Return”   this is a song from the Marilyn Monroe movie of the same name. This is a lovely song that is rarely performed because it sits very, VERY low perfect for true alto voices! Pop/Rock: “Constant Craving” who doesn’t love this song? It’s an interesting hybrid of jazz and pop.  k.d. lang’s flawless performance definitely inspires. This song can go anywhere an audition for a band, a cabaret show… you name it! “I Feel the Earth Move” from Carole King’s album “Tapestry” was made for pop/rock altos. All of her songs on this album are excellent, but this is one of the uptempo songs for some contrast. Not only is this a great audition song for bands, talent shows, and open mics, but it also works for musical theatre, since there is now a Broadway show (“Beautiful”) that features all Carole King songs! Musical Theatre: “If He Really Knew Me” this is a very moving ballad from “They’re Playing Our Song” by Marvin Hamlisch. Its perfect for musical theatre altos who consider themselves more pop-ish, rather than brassy belters. The other plus to this song is that audition panels usually love hearing it, since it’s far from overdone! “I’ve Got The Sun in the Morning” this older show tune from Irving Berlin’s beloved “Annie Get Your Gun” is uptempo and just plain fun! A wide variety of lower-voiced ladies have performed this (including Doris Day and Reba McEntire!), but here is the original performer, the great belter Ethel Merman: Classical: “Stride la vampa” this is only for mature altos who have studied and performed for many years! Verdi is definitely meant for the professionals. This very dramatic operatic aria from “Il Trovatore” will show off your trill, your low chest notes, and your acting chops as well. Here is the great Marilyn Horne, who happens to have ALL of that and then some! Of course, the best resource for repertoire is your voice teacher! He or she really knows your voice and abilities, and can work with you in finding the perfect audition songs for altos to best show you off, musically, vocally, and dramatically. Part of the fun of being a singer is discovering the repertoire that speaks to you, and there are many qualified voice teachers out there who would love to help you with that especially you wonderful, rare altos! The dazzling doesnt stop here!  Click here for even more songs to sing. Molly R. teaches online and in-person singing lessons in Hayward, CA. Her specialties include teaching beginner vocalists, shy singers, children, teens, lapsed singers, and older beginners. She joined TakeLessons in November 2013.  Learn more about Molly  here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by Will Murphy