Share Your Stories, Photos, and Videos!

Share Your Stories, Photos, and Videos! Suzy S. Whether you’ve been playing music for one month or several years, recognizing and celebrating milestones along the way is important! Our students inspire us every day so we want to hear your stories, and share them with the TakeLessons community! Did you perform at a recital, talent show, or open mic night? Did you ace an audition, or get accepted into a prestigious music program or school? Maybe you mastered a difficult song quicker than you expected. Whatever your story is, let us know and you might be featured on our Facebook page! Every Friday, beginning April 12th, well select one student to shine the spotlight on. Send your stories, photos, and videos to social@takelessons.com for your chance to get a shout-out. To be considered for the spotlight, keep the following in mind: Photo Submissions*: Photo ideas: You and your teacher, performances, recitals, band practice Attach the photo to your email Video Submissions*: Video clip ideas: Share a story in front of the camera, record yourself practicing or performing, or share a technique your teacher has taught you Upload your video to YouTube and email us the link Video clips should be under 3 minutes, ideally, although exceptions may be made Along with your photo or video link, please include in your email: Name Age City Name of your TakeLessons instructor How long youve been taking lessons Story, milestone, or goal that your video/photo represents *Must be a current TakeLessons student to participate. Video and photo submissions may be promoted on our website, blog, social media, and other promotional outlets. We cant wait to hear all of your stories! Questions? Email us at social@takelessons.com! Photo by EaglebrookSchool

How Long Do You Need to Visit China

How Long Do You Need to Visit China How Long Should You Spend Visiting China? ChaptersDecide What Type of Trip You’re Going on in ChinaWhen Should You Visit China?How Long Does it Take to Visit the Cities in China?How Long Do the Administrative Steps Take?“Tourists don't know where they've been, travelers don't know where they're going.” - Paul TherouChina is a magnificent country with many huge cities full of history. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, China was ranked as the 4th most popular tourist destination in 2018 with 60.7 million tourists. You should know, that some cities are more popular than others. For example, Macao, China’s special administrative region, is responsible for 45% of China’s tourism income.So how long should you spend in China? How long will it take to do everything? How long should you visit the Silk Road?We’ve got all the answers in this article, part of our China travel guide series.This can be made much easier if you use a local travel agency that offers packages.Keep in mind that you should also spend some time learning Mandarin Chinese before you go to China. For the majority of European tourists, the language barrier is a problem when they visit China. Learning the basics of the Chinese language and the commonly used characters.It can take you between one and six months to plan a trip to China!So are you ready to spend some time in China?If you'd like to learn some Chinese before you go to Shanghai, you could consider enlisting the help of one of the many talented tutors on Superprof! The tutors on the site offer three types of private tutorials to help you learn the lingo: face-to-face tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials.Face-to-face tutorials are taught with one student and one tutor and tend to be the most costly per hour because you're paying for both bespoke lessons and a bespoke course. Additionally, the tutor will also be spending time outside of the lessons finding resources and planning the time they'll spend with you.Online tutorials are simila r to the face-to-face tutorials but take place either on a call or over webcam. Of course, online tutorials can lack intimacy and while not ideal for hands-on subjects, they're great for language lessons. Your tutor might even be from China!Finally, group tutorials are more like the classes you'll have had in school with one teacher and multiple students. While these tend to be the cheapest per student per hour since the cost of the tutor's time is shared, you'll also get far less one-on-one time with your tutor than you would in the other types of tutorials.Each different type of tutorial has its pros and cons and it's really up to you and your budget to decide how much you'll need to learn, how you want to learn, and what your budget is going to be for Chinese language lessons before you go.

The Differences Between Teaching Adults and Children

The Differences Between Teaching Adults and Children Teaching Young Students and Older Students ChaptersWhy Should Adults and Children Get Private Tutorials?How Do You Teach Private Tutorials to Children?What Happens in Adult Private Tutorials?Teaching Adults and Children: Different Teaching Styles with the Same Fundamentals“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.” - Bruce LeeGenerally speaking, struggling academically, a drop in self-esteem, a fear of school, and the high potential of students with special educational needs are all things that apply to both children and adults. As a result of this, traditional private home tutoring has expanded to include tuition for all ages.More and more adults are learning more, improving their memory, and seeking educational fulfilment. There’s an increasing amount of professional training taking place in businesses through tutoring services such as private one on one tutoring, workshops, and even online tutoring.These are an opportunity for adults to learn something they may have m issed in school, gain new skills, or get training for their current job from a qualified and passionate private tutor.But what are the differences between teaching adults and teaching children?  How can a tutor set up their classes for both?In our third article on teaching adults with private tutorials, we're looking at the reasons why you should, the difference between teaching adults and children, and the different teaching styles you'll need to employ. CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/ h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhy Should Adults and Children Get Private Tutorials?Regardless of a student’s age, there are plenty of trials and tribulations throughout their academic career. Whether they have behavioural problems and are struggling at school or have a high IQ, anyone can benefit from private tutorials.Whatever the age of the student, the tutorial needs to be informative and engaging. (Source: sasint)This type of tuition is mainly geared towards helping students improve, gain knowledge in a particular field be it sports, maths, or even mindfulness meditation. They need to be open to learning, making mistakes, and following the guidance of their tutor.When you consider the traditional lessons anchored in the national education system, tutorials for adults and children have more of a personal touch and can go at a pace more suited to each student. Intellectual development is more widespread than ever.Of course, there are a number of differences between tutorials for adults and tutorials for children which the tutor needs to keep in mind. In fact, an adult won’t necessarily have the same intellectual abilities as a child and they may even suffer from special educational needs that require a different teaching approach altogether.A child is probably more curious than an adult and will probably ask more questions. They’ll also probably struggle with certain concepts more than an adult would. The way an adult and a child will work won’t be the same so their tutor will need to ensure that they’ve adapted their lessons to them.In short, whether the lessons are for an adult or a curious child, the goal is to help them progress in a given subject, fill in any gaps in their knowledge, and give them the necessary skills to succeed. You need to instil the student with a sense of confidence and fulfilment, which are some of the main goals of teaching private tutorials.Make sure you know how to adapt to your goals.How Do You Teach Private Tutorials to Children?Tutorials for children are about discovery. There’s no place for timidness when their school results are on the line. A lack of self-confidence can really harm a child’s progress.This is more important than it will be in adult classes and the tutor will need to know how to react and adapt to it. The right teaching approaches will help the student become a confident learner.There's nothing stopping you from teaching a variety of different ages. (Source: sasint)Even if a child is unpredictable, you need to be a master of the subject you’re teaching, plan as much as you can, and get the most out of the time you spend with your students in order to develop their skills and keep them engaged in the learning process. You can only engage students in what you’re teaching if you’re passionate about your subject and your work.Presentation skills are an art form and are key when it comes to keeping children and teenagers enthusiastic about your lessons. Parents are also happier if their child returns from your lessons with a smile on their face as it means that the tutor has kept them engaged and productive during the lesson.Teaching is a rich and complex pursuit which requires adaptability of heroic proportions at times. In fact, whether you’re teaching an adult or a child, you need to manage their expectations and their ambitions at all times. Whether it’s a gifted child, an introverted adult, or struggling teens, everyone needs to be active and involved in their learning.To do this, you need the right training and experience in order to put together lessons that are adapted to the students. Curious children will want a lot more information than adults. You don’t want them leaving the lessons feeling that they haven’t fully understood something.Find your first job, start to  teach English online.What Happens in Adult Private Tutorials?Of course, an adult can also get private tutoring. There are a number of reasons adults may require tuition, including:New trainingStarting a new jobDeveloping new knowledge on a given subjectLearning something newOccupying their free timeStimulating themselves intellectuallyMaking friendsEtc.As you can see here, there are plenty of good reasons for adults to get private tutoring. A tutor can provide them with the support they need and provide them with the tools they need to succeed. A tutor needs to remain professional and distance themselves from their students at times. After all, they’re their teacher, not their friend.Students of any age can get private tutorials. (Source: StockSnap)So what is the relationship like between a tutor and adult students?This is probably one of the most important questions to ask.How can you retain your authority in front of a student with a similar age to you?In this case, you need to be the guide and a master of the subject you’re teaching, regardless of age!Let’s not forget that one of the main goals of tuition is to transfer knowledge of a subject or technique to a student who isn’t a master of it. A beginner will always pay more attention to something they don’t know, regardless of their age or job. After all, it’s our curiosity and perfectionism that drives us to learn.If you're providing academic tutoring or test prep, you'll need to focus on the student's curriculum and ensure that the instruction you provide prepares those being tutored for the exam they're going to sit. These kinds of tutorials could include helping students with homework, study skills, or a particular assignment.That said, no two tutoring jobs are alike and you may find yourself teaching a small group in a classroom something very specific, especially in the fields maths and science where you could end up teaching subjects like algebra, chemistry, biology, physics, calculus, geometry, etc.Teaching Adults and Children: Different Teaching Styles with the Same FundamentalsEven if teaching adults and children require different approaches, the fundamentals of teaching that the lessons are based on will remain the same. For example, if you talk about Shakespeare to an adult and a child, they’ll both think of the same person but they’ll have vastly different ideas and opinions on the matter.The main goal of all tutorials, regardless of a student's age, is to transfer knowledge and skills. (Source: freestocks-photos)Everything comes down to how you transfer information to the student so that they can clearly understand and learn it. You’re there to provide the appropriate teaching approaches for what they’re learning, after all.You need to take all of this into account when teaching since your job isn’t to just lecture your student and then go home. Quite the contrary, you need to engage your student in their learning, have them form their own opinions, ask questions, develop your skills, etc.Thus, whether you’re teaching an adult or a child, there are different ways to present similar teaching approaches as you’re not teaching the same students. Teaching is a rewarding and varied vocation which is why we're seeing more and more people becoming private tutors.If you're interested in b ecoming a private tutor and working for yourself, you can quickly and easily make yourself a profile on Superprof. You just need to say what you teach and where you teach it.You can then start offering either one-on-one private tutorials, tutorials via webcam using software such as Skype, or group to tutorials to students of any age. Of course, if you want to offer group tutorials via webcam, everyone's going to need a really good internet connection!

English Idioms related to Habits - Idioms in English with meanings

English Idioms related to Habits - Idioms in English with meanings We all have habits. Habits are what we do everyday. We get up at the same time. We eat the same  cereal. We read the same newspaper, every day. That is a habit. Lets look at some English idioms related to  habits. Good habits are acceptable although sometimes a little strange (like standing on your head  before having breakfast) but bad habits are usually socially unacceptable: smoking in public places or  picking your nose!! 8 English Idioms Related to Habits Enjoyed this infographic? Here’s what you can do next: CREATURES OF HABITThis is often used to define all of us. Everyone has habits. Some good and some  bad but we all have them and therefore we can all be described as being creatures of habit, meaning we do the same things in the same way.ex. I am such a creature of habit when it comes to my morning routine.BREAK THE HABITGood habits are accepted but bad habits are not and people are encouraged to  stop them.ex. Try and get him to stop whistling in the house, it is bad luck. Try to get him to break the  habit.Just do it! Try to break the habit of excessive thinking.BY FORCE OF HABIT  When we do something frequently and often (like all habits) and when we do  something without really thinking then we can say it was done by force of habit.ex.  Michael retired from work 2 weeks ago. He used to get up everyday at 6 am to get ready for work.  Now he does not have to but he finds that he still does get up at 6 am by force of habit. It will take a  while to stop.WHY BREAK THE HABIT OF A LIFET IMEThis is a rhetorical question. (Something we ask ourselves not  expecting an answer of course).ex. John enjoyed a glass of wine every evening when he came home  from the office. His doctor told him he should only drink 2/3 times each week. However, he still  poured his glass of wine each evening because he enjoyed it. Why break the habit of a life time he  thought! 8 English Idioms related to Habits KICK THE HABITGive up something (usually bad) that you have done for a long time. We are always encouraged to stop bad habits particularly smoking and habits that  impact on our health. Advertising against smoking is usually very forceful and strong.ex. Kick the habit (stop smoking) today!OLD HABITS DIE HARDIt is hard to stop doing something that someone has been doing for ages.ex. Mary had stopped eating sweets or biscuits with her morning coffee. She was  trying to lose weight and snacking was discouraged. Occasionally she had the urge (desire) to eat  one or two as it was hard to give them up completely as she had had sweets with her coffee for over  20 years. Its not easy to stop immediately because Old habits die hard.NIP IN THE BUDWhen you want to stop a habit from forming before it gets too serious we use this  expression nip it in the bud. It means to stop it as soon as you notice it becoming a habit  otherwise it will be difficult to stop.ex. His mother noticed that he was b eginning to get up later and  later for school everyday. She decided to nip it in the bud as soon as possible and bought him an  extra alarm clock so his lateness would not become a habit.We decided to nip it in the bud before it became unmanageable. HEAD HIM OFF AT THE PASS When you want to stop somebody doing something you do not agree  with you decide to intervene (stop him) and plan something that will make him stop before he  makes a mistake.ex. David was going to fire (get rid of) our secretary because he thought we did not need her. In fact she was essential as she was well liked by all our clients and often they did business with us because of the way she treated them. We decided to head him off at the pass and get our clients to write to David telling him how important she was. He could not fire her after this.GET INTO THE HABITto begin to do something regularlyex. Lets get into the habit of posting original content.Lets get into the habit of saying positive things.Lets mak e a habit of learning English!   When you are finished learning idioms related to habits, here are some more English idioms for you to remember.

Inside the ADHD Brain Differences found in kids with ADHD

Inside the ADHD Brain Differences found in kids with ADHD A large multinational imaging study published last month in The Lancet provides additional evidence confirming what smaller studies have already shown: the brains of children with ADHD look different from those without ADHD. In this recent study, MRI brain scans were analyzed from 1,713 people with ADHD and 1,529 people without ADHD from 9 countries in North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. Participants ranged in age from 4-63 years old. For children with ADHD, five brain regions showed smaller volume: the amygdala (emotion regulation), the hippocampus (memory), the putamen and caudate nucleus (both involved in motor skills and learning), and the nucleus accumbens (sensitivity to rewards). For adults with ADHD however, there were no differences in brain volume in these regions. From a scientific standpoint, studies like these help advance our understanding of ADHD and will hopefully one day lead to more targeted treatments and more specific diagnoses. For example, previous studies hadnt identified the amygdala, which helps us regulate our emotions, as a region of the brain that is smaller in kids with ADHD. Now, with this new information, ADHD researchers will likely invest more time and money into developing behavioral treatments and medications that target emotion regulation. From an everyday, real-world standpoint, these results also serve another purpose - one that may be equally as important. For parents and teachers who too often hear that ADHD is caused by poor parenting or poor teaching, and for children with ADHD who are too often told that they should just try harder and apply themselves, these results provide reassurance that ADHD is a real brain-based problem and that no one should be blamed for the fact that the symptoms exist. While parents very often find this research helpful when it comes to understanding ADHD overall, it also brings up important questions about what this research means for their children specifically: Can I ask our pediatrician to order a brain scan so I can confirm that my child has ADHD? Currently there is no brain scan methodology available to doctors that will help them diagnose ADHD. In research studies the reported differences in brain volume are actually very small. So small in fact that these differences are only observable and meaningful when you are able to combine brain scan data from multiple people into a single study. With the limited technology and information that we have available today, we cant reliably identify these differences in a single child with ADHD. Hopefully one day in the future this will be possible! If the differences were not found in adults, then does this mean that my childs brain will eventually catch up and they wont have ADHD anymore? Remember that this study compared brain regions in people with ADHD and people without ADHD. To qualify for the ADHD group, adults were required to have a current ADHD diagnosis. So, even without smaller brain volume, adults in this study were experiencing ADHD symptoms. This means that its not just differences in brain volume that causes ADHD symptoms, its other aspects of brain functioning as well. However, these study results do show us how the brain changes over time, and they may help explain why many ADHD symptoms look different in adults than they do in kids. If my childs brain is different, is there anything we can really do to help him get over his ADHD? Knowing that ADHD is a brain-based disorder doesnt change the fact that there are many effective behavioral, educational, and medication-based treatments that work for kids with ADHD. These treatments all help compensate for the brain differences that we see in these research studies. On top of this, many factors that have been shown to improve brain health and promote brain growth and development may help kids with ADHD if they are used long-term. This includes things like regular physical activity, healthy food and nutrition, getting enough sleep, close family relationships and friendships, and participating in a wide-range of academically and mentally challenging activities. Scientists are just starting to learn about differences in the ADHD brain, and their findings will eventually lead to new treatment options. In the meantime, we can use this information to help ourselves improve our understanding of ADHD and expand our thinking about ADHD treatments to include healthy lifestyle choices that promote long term brain growth and development. Read the full study here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215036617300494 ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

Fujian Children Development International Kindergarten

Fujian Children Development International Kindergarten Fujian Children Development International Kindergarten The Fujian Children Development Kindergarten was founded in March 2009 and inaugurated on May 2011. It is pioneered by the Fujian Children Normal Colleges International Chinese Volunteer Teachers who have returned after teaching abroad. It is a joint venture between the state and private enterprise aimed at promoting demonstrative teaching method for pre-school children, and will serve as a base for continuous experiments with new methodology bases for the National Hanban and National Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, Volunteer teachers pioneering and employment center, Chinese and foreign cultural education and developmental international bilingual kindergarten. The kindergarten is located in the eastern side of Jinshan Park, Fuzhou City on Merrill Lynch bay Property, adjacent to the 630 acres of the original ecological Jinshan Park. with an area of 7000 square meters. The school itself covers an area of over 4000 square meters. The environment is natural, beautiful, comfortable and pleasant. The indoor and outdoor facilities and equipment are complete including the modernization of education and teaching methods. This includes 18 children activity rooms, 4 sports/ recreational grounds, 1 Early-Education classroom and 1 Early Child-Development Studio, Art Room ,Science Room, Music Room, Reading Room, Game Room, Home Livelihood Room, Sense of Integration Chamber, Botanical Garden, Animal Domestication Corner and so on. These facilities have provided favorable material conditions for childrens development. The kindergarten has a work force of teachers returning from abroad with good morals, new educational ideas, strong operational capacity, and high comprehensive quality. They are full of vitality, love, and cooperation. The teachers have the courage to sacrifice; they strive to create a suitable atmosphere for the education of children development. The Kindergarten is an example of school running with diversified curriculum, which has personalized instruction that meets international standards. Adhering to the basis of early childhood development, with reformation and innovation as the driving force, the school enhances the education quality at the core. The school cultivates a childs physical and mental health, and cultivates the harmonious personality development of children in kindergarten as the starting point and destination, so that every child will grow and learn with love and joy. The prominent characteristics of the Kindergarten are; full of vigor and vitality, high starting point and good quality, full support of the provincial and municipal governments and National Hanban, National Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, the Provincial League Committee and other departments and numerous overseas Chinese people. At the same time, based on the continuation of overseas education research achievements, the school continually carries forward the volunteers spirit, enhancement of the service ability of education, realization of pioneering brand strategy; we continue to strive to be the radiant, lead and demonstrative effect of international education. ????????????2009?3????2011?5????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????,???????,?????????????????????????,???????????????,?????????????????????? ??????????,?????????,??630???????????,?7000???,????????4000?????,????,??,????,?????????????,???????????,?18???????,4???/????,1??????, 1Early???????,???,???,???,???,???,?????,?????,???,??????,?????????????????????????????????,??????,?????,?????,????,????,???????????????,??????????,????????? ?????????????,??????,??????????????????????,???????,??????????,?????????????,???????????????????,????????,??????? ??????????,???????,???,???; ?????,??????????,???????????,????,????????,?????????overseas??????,??????????????,??????????,????????,?????????,??????,????????????

Top Electronics To Put On Your Holiday Wish List

Top Electronics To Put On Your Holiday Wish List Photo Via: http://www.androidguys.com If you don’t have one of these bad boys already, this is definitely something you will want to put on your list. It comes with a six, seven or eight inch display in high definition, as well as Wi-Fi and from eight to 32 GB of storage. The bigger the display and the more GB of storage you ask for, the more expensive the gift becomes, but the average price is about $229. So if you frequently use e-books for class, or just love to read in general, this is absolutely an item you’ll want on your wish list. 2. Nest Learning Thermostat: Photo Via: http://i.ytimg.com While this idea isn’t as fun as some of the others, there really isn’t anything as cool, or as practical. If you live with roommates and no one can ever seem to agree on a temperature for the apartment, this is the perfect gift for you. The Nest Learning Thermostat is the ultimate money saver: it will remember the temperature you like and program itself, and while you’re away, it will turn itself off to save energy. At about $250, this product practically pays for itself. Plus, you can’t really put a price on never fighting over the thermostat again, am I right? 3. GoPro Hero3+: Photo Via: http://www9.pcmag.com For those of you that love to take pictures, and are also always up for adventure, this is one of those items you have to have. The GoPro Hero3+ is a GoPro camera that you can put on your dashboard, helmet and really anything else you could think of and get a beautiful picture every time. While this is on the more expensive end at about $400, this is the perfect item to put on your wish list if you have always wanted a GoPro camera but have never had one. 4. Portable Power Bank and Car Jump Starter: Photo Via: http://ecx.images-amazon.com For any of you with a car, this is an item you didn’t even know you wanted until right now. This is basically a portable, external battery that has charging adapters for any electronics you may need to charge, i.e. laptops or cellphones. However, that’s not all this item does: it also has jumper cables in case you ever need to jump start your car. Plus, it’s portable, so it fits right into your glove box, backpack or purse. This item is about $100 on Amazon, and it’s yet another practical item that any car owner should have. 5. Fire TV Stick: Photo Via: http://fm.cnbc.com For those of you like me that have an obsession with cinema and television, this is something you will want to ask for this holiday season. The Fire TV Stick is a streaming media HDMI stick that plugs into your TV. It has Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video, music, games, etc. It prides itself on having voice searching that “actually works” and being extremely easy to use. All you do is plug it in to your TV, connect to the internet and enjoy hundreds of options of movies, TV shows, games, etc. The Fire TV Stick is about $40 on Amazon. 6. NETGEAR N300 Wi-Fi Router with External Antennas: Photo Via: http://i.ebayimg.com Living at school comes with its hardships, including terrible internet connection. While you’re at school, you want to be able to connect to your Wi-Fi without trouble, especially for classes with online assignments. Well, no longer will you want to throw your router out the window. The NETGEAR N300 Wi-Fi Router provides Wi-Fi for medium-sized homes, which makes it perfect for apartment living. Plus, setup is supposed to be extremely easy, even for those that aren’t tech-savvy. The product runs about $25 on Amazon. 7. The Fitbit Flex: Photo Via: http://static0.fitbit.com By now you have undoubtedly heard of the Fitbit. You wear it on your wrist and it tracks the amount you walk, the calories you burn and how long you are active during the day. As a college student walking to classes everyday, it would be interesting to know just how far you walk and how many calories you burn. Plus, it tracks your sleep schedule to let you know how often you wake up in the night. And it even has an alarm built in that will wake you up, but no one else. This is perfect for roommates that have early classes and don’t want to wake their roommates up with their phone alarm. The Fitbit runs about $100 on Amazon. So no need to keep racking your brain for anything big you might be missing; this electronics list should have you covered for the holiday season. Happy Holidays!

How to Learn a Language Fast 5 Ways to Set Yourself Up for Success

How to Learn a Language Fast 5 Ways to Set Yourself Up for Success How to Learn a Language Fast: 5 Ways to Set Yourself Up for Success What if I told you the ordinary ways of learning a language arent actually that helpful?What if I also told you those same methods are not only ineffective, but a huge waste of time?Yes, its true. But your time doesnt have to be thrown away whenever you decide to pick up a new language.Thankfully, there are much more efficient ways to speed up the process of learning a new language. These strategies will help you chop off some precious learning time while still increasing your language acquisition.Without further ado, here are the five biggest time-wasters when learning a new language and how we can correct them: How to Learn a Language Fast: 5 Ways to Set Yourself Up for Success1. Immerse yourself in the country  and  the learning.The ordinary way: Immersing yourself solely in the countryWhen you live abroad, its easy to think that by putting yourself in the culture, youll naturally begin to start picking up the language. News flash: Immersion is a waste if you dont know whats bei ng said most of the time. While immersion may have worked when we were babies, our brains make it a lot harder to formulate language through immersion as adults.When I was living in China, I met several expats who had been living in the country for three, five and even nine years but still had not picked up the language. To put that into perspective, nine years means over 3,000 days without learning Mandarin. Yikes!At first, I couldnt believe how someone could live in a country so long without learning the language. But over time, I began to see the loopholes that come from language immersion. For instance, most natives will at least try to speak English when you approach them, even if you are living in their country. While in China, I was shocked to find that natives were eager to practice their English skills with me. While I was glad to do this, it prevented me from practicing my Mandarin at times.What to do instead:Immerse yourself in the learning, not just the environment. If y ou do move to the country that speaks the language you are studying, great! That simply means there are more chances for you to seize learning opportunities. Resist the urge to use English.  Even when you are surrounded by others speaking the language, the responsibility still lies on you to study, learn and practice.If youre not living in the country that speaks the language you would like to learn, design your home environment into a place where growth is unavoidable. Create visual cues that encourage you to study at times you normally wouldnt. This can mean changing your cell phones language or even that of your Facebook account. Give it a shot!2. Focus on the most commonly used words and expressions.The ordinary way: Focusing on vocabularyThis is what we call textbook learning. In other words, you are mostly focused on rote memorization. While this may build your arsenal of new words, if wont get you very far when actually implementing the language. Speaking a new language is no t a formulaic process. It requires quick and flexible thinking. Unless you plan on sounding like a robot, you may want to devote your attention to areas outside vocabulary.What to do instead:Strategize and prioritize your learning by focusing on what matters. Mandarin is a language of over 3,000 characters. But did you know that by learning the 500 most commonly used words you acquire approximately 75% of language understanding? This is not just isolated to Mandarin. In just about all languages, about 20% of the vocabulary accounts for 80% of understanding. So why waste time trying to learn more words?While vocabulary is important, it must be considered holistically when learning a new language. Identify what words, phrases and expressions will get you the most bang for your buck, and work from there.You can also let someone else do that work for you by taking the I Will Teach You A Language  Conversations  course,  which is designed to get you talking by systematically introducing you to your target languages most common words and phrases.3. Be mindful during the learning process.The ordinary way: Rushing the learning process and crammingIt may be tempting to cram loads of information into your head and expect it to stay there.  The truth is, acquiring any new skill takes time. Canadian author Malcolm Gladwells 10,000 Hour Rule theorizes that it takes 10,000 hours of practice before one can truly master a skill. He came to this conclusion by studying the lives of some of the worlds most successful people and observing how long it took them to become masters at their skills. No matter what language learning hack you consider, be aware of how you are spending your time.For those of you wanting to learn a new language fast, the idea of slowing down may seem counterintuitive or abstract. It may be tempting to quickly fill our brains with as much information as we can in the shortest amount of time. Unfortunately, cramming usually doesnt end up help us achieve lon g-term learning.What to do instead:Be mindful while learning a new language. Its easy to start a new language with our heads caught up in the fact that we arent yet perfect. We become so focused on the end goal of becoming fluent that we lose track of our progress along the journey.Not only will presentness help you absorb new information in the moment, it will also aid your long-term memory.  Try more effective and efficient methods, such as a Spaced Repetition Software (SRS), and you will be pleasantly surprised with the amount of information your brain holds on to.You can also try taking short breaks from your studying to reflect and practice what youve learned. These breaks can be as short as three minutes and consist of you simply summarizing what youve learned. Play around with new words and phrases. This simple exercise can help prevent you from going on autopilot while studying by honing in on every step of the learning process.4. Be an active learner.The ordinary way: Learn passively.All learning is not created equal. In fact, most of the time we learn in a passive style that lacks any kind of critical thought. Think of that professor you had in the past who conducted lessons by parroting words from the textbook. There is no classroom engagement, dialogue or discussion. Unfortunately, weve been conditioned to learn in this one-way fashion where information is passively given to us without any response or analysis.What to do instead:Become an active learner. The brain works on a use-it-or-lose-it style, meaning you must apply whatever you learn. After memorizing a new phrase, say it aloud 30 times. After learning how to write a new Mandarin character, rewrite it 20 times. And then use the new phrase or character in a real situation: with a language partner or writing online to a native speaker, for example. The key is to implement what you learn until it sticks.To make words and phrases stick quickly, a great tool for some in context active learning is FluentU.  FluentU takes real-world videosâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized and engaging language learning lessons. Learning the words and phrases through authentic videos makes them stick easily, making you learn faster.5. Become passionate about learning your new language.The ordinary way: Treating your new language like a hobbyHobbies are activities we enjoy doing at our own leisure. They are simply for the purpose of fun, but theres no pressure to keep at them every day. This mentality may seem trivial, but it can mean the difference between you spending five months and five years when learning a new language. If you are nonchalant about learning, youll achieve nonchalant results.What to do instead:Make language learning a passion. Merge the fun of language learning with the commitment to follow through.  Knowing that you want to learn a new language is not enough to get us to actually take action.  Give yourself cl arity on what exactly compels you to learn a new language. Figure out the  why  behind your desire to learn. Whats the goal behind the goal? Whats the bigger picture here? How will learning a new language open opportunities in your future? Simply answering these questions for yourself will motivate you on much higher level to take action when necessary.While learning any language takes time, implementing these strategies will skyrocket your efficiency while minimizing your learning time. As always, have patience with the process and enjoy every achievement (and failure) along the way.Frank Macri works with those looking to create off the beaten path lifestyles. For tips on saving (and making) money abroad, unique options to travel for a living,  and wisdom picked up around the world, visit  www.TheFrankLife.com.