Career Management 5 Tips To Help You Avoid Co-Worker Bullying - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Career Management 5 Tips To Help You Avoid Co-Worker Bullying - Introvert Whisperer Career Management: 5 Tips To Help You Avoid Co-Worker Bullying It’s tough when you’re the new person on the job.  There are a lot of things you don’t know.  You’re learning how things are done, who to go to or the office politics.  You are also dependent on others to help you learn your job.  Although we always hope to be greeted with open arms in the new job, there are times when you become the target for behavior ranging from teasing to downright bullying.  You would think we left that kind of behavior in middle school but when conditions are right, a group of people can do some pretty nasty things to the person that doesn’t “fit in”. When you are the brunt of bad group behavior it’s demoralizing and can be bad enough to make you want to leave your job.  That alternative isn’t a bad one to consider but since it is a big step to take, consider it only after you have tried a few of these things: Single out a few people to connect with personally.  Select a couple of people in the group that you feel you have a better connection with or, at least, the potential.  Look for opportunities to spend a few minutes with these people in a one on one setting and get to know them.  Ask them questions about their work and personal life.  In the process, they will get to know you absent any pressure from their work friends. Sometimes all it takes is building a connection with a couple of people for the rest of the group to decide to accept you. Figure out who the alpha is.  All groups have an informal alpha leader.  They are the “go to” person for their opinions and direction.  Figure out who that person is, what makes them tick and focus on successful interactions with them.  Sometimes, if you win over the alpha the rest of the group is won over as well. Stay focused and upbeat.  Humans do have a tendency to pick on their own if they perceive weakness.  A new employee fits that description because they don’t know much and are dependent on others until they get up to speed. If you stay focused on learning your job and show no signs of backing off, you will be respected simply because of your tenacity.  You have to be more persistent than they are.  It’s hard to keep up that kind of bad behavior when you lose any reason to be a pest. Find a mentor.  You may need to find a person at work that will act as your personal mentor and advisor to help you through this situation.  A mentor who knows the group dynamics and business should be able to advise you on specific things you can do to be successful with the people you work with.  Often times, that person can also be your champion in the group which can go a long way to help. Talk to the boss.  The boss may or may not know the extent of problems the others are causing for you.  If their behavior is affecting your ability to do your job well, you need to be communicating with the boss to work on solutions.  This needs to be done long before your performance puts you in danger of being fired.  When you do go to the boss make sure you aren’t presenting your point in an overly emotional way.  Document the behavior problems and how you see if impacting your work.  The boss can’t fix a problem if they don’t have specifics. This situation isn’t fun and even if you turn it around it may still be so damaging that you want to leave.  It’s understandable that you may still want to get as far away from the situation as possible.  You don’t want to act too hasty.  Most conflict can be improved.  The key to this situation is to keep your head high, act professionally and be persistent. Go to top Do you know what your next career step is?   Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable.   Get your copy now and start your action plan today: CLICK HERE Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleash your professional potential.

The 2 Soft Skills You Need for Business School

The 2 Soft Skills You Need for Business School Two soft skills? Only two? Yes, there are countless skills, both hard and soft, that you need for business school. Areas like mathematics, data analysis, spreadsheet construction, and statistics interpretation fall on the hard side. The soft side includes stress management, self-awareness, communication, and collaboration. But which soft skillsare most important? In addition to actually listening to the people around you, the two soft skill areas you must develop for any MBA program fall under two main categories: being a strong colleague and being a strong leader. Learning to master this pair of skills will help you immensely as you navigate the competitive world of business schooland business! [RELATED: 5 Tips to Ease the Transition from Business School to the Business World] Being a strong colleague First, you need to develop friendships with your fellow classmates, particularly those in your study groups, assigned or otherwise. In the long term, you are building connections for the future; but for the short term, making new friends can make school more fun, especially when your group is spending hours together performing research, studying for an exam, or completing a project. Working with people who share an accord and solidarity can help create a more enjoyable MBA experience for all those involved. Second, it is also wise to cultivate positive relationships with members of your business schools faculty and administration. These individuals often have years of real world management experience, so you can learn from their perspectives as people who have truly been there. Furthermore, not everyone makes the effort to talk with their professors outside class, so you may stand out in your instructors mind if they have to make a tough administrative decision. For instance, its harder for someone to keep you out of a full class or give you a failing grade if they have had multiple endearing conversations with you. Finally, convert recruiters and alumni at your target companies from acquaintances to buddies. Dont merely learn a recruiters name, rank, and serial numberfind out about their company culture, what they like about their job, what they dont like about their job, and what they are looking for in a future team member. Ask what they like to do outside of work; discover what you have in common. Knowing you have advocates at the places you would like to work helps you feel more confident as you submit your applications to those companies. Being a strong leader When trying to persuade other individuals to share your point of view, it helps if these people already view you as a strong colleague. Lets start with your fellow classmates, particularly those in your study groups. MBA programs abound with students who have strong personalities. Therefore, it is crucial to master the art of leading others and managing conflict. As in your future career, influencing team dynamics involves working across culturesdifferent departments, ages, companies, viewpoints, and countries. You will need to exert great patience to effectively regulate these situations, and business school provides a valuable setting in which to practice these skills. Onto your business schools faculty and administration. As mentioned above, issues like getting into the classes you want and petitioning for a higher grade are easier to steer in your favor when you have a positive rapport with the people in charge. Additionally, when you want to connect with certain mentors in your field, asking professors who have personal links to these people may be the way to go. Those who can influence others with aplomb will likely have more success in these endeavors. Finally, in your career, you must be able to convince recruiters and alumni at target companies to hire you for positions, sometimes over your equally qualified peers. You are selling yourself both as a potential asset to the company and as a harmonious team member. If an alum or a recruiter selects you, then they may be interacting with you every day. To swing these professionals your way, present yourself as the only solution to their problems, stated or implied. After all, this is one of the main reasons you are attending business school, so make your influence count. [RELATED:Top Questions to Ask Alumni When Exploring Business Schools] As you can see, being both a good colleague and a good leader are inextricably linked. These are not just two of the most important soft skills you need for business school, but they are also two imperative talents to develop as you move from the classroom into your future career. In addition to learning how to gather, analyze, and present facts and figures as an MBA graduate and colleague, you will also need to know how to persuade your peers on how to act on that information, as you later hopefully move into management. Let your time in business school serve as an environment for you to expand both your emotional intelligence and management expertise.

How to Get Real-World Experience in Your College Major

How to Get Real-World Experience in Your College Major While pursuing your college degree, you will take many classes that will help you explore your intended field. The knowledge gained from these major-focused courses can be very beneficial; however, gaining real-world experience in your college major can be the extra boost you need when entering the job search. Unfortunately, many students neglect to get real-world experience during their schooling, only to realize its importance once its too late. You can get real-world experience in your college major by taking on internships, career-related jobs, and relevant extracurriculars while in school. Having examples from classes can be helpful, but showing potential employers you have more direct experience can increase your chances of standing out. But what steps can you take to get this real-world experience? Read on: Gain real-world experience from internships There are many reasons you could choose to pursue an internship in college. Some colleges or majors require that you complete a minimum number of hours in an internship role before graduation, while others leave it up to the student to decide. Regardless, holding an intern position at some point throughout your college career is a great way to apply what youve learned about your major in the real-world. [RELATED:4 Career Skills for Students to Develop] Internships in your field give you the opportunity to have multiple professional experiences throughout your education. Typically, internships range from three to five months and may occur during one of the semesters of school. For example, a potential employer may have an opening for a fall or summer internship, which would typically last the duration of that session. Depending on the internship and company, these can sometimes be paid positions and potentially turn into a real job opportunity! Neither is guaranteed, but regardless, gaining the experience and networking opportunities may come in handy down the road. Utilize your college major in a campus job or organization Another great way to gain experience in your major is to take on a part-time job in your field (or in a related field). This could be the university newspaper if you are interested in graphic design, advertising, or journalism, for instance. Or, you could consider the admissions department if you are interested in hospitality, public speaking, or anything else that involves heavily interacting with people. Often, there are many roles right on campus for students to take on as well, including: Writing, math, or science center tutor Teaching assistant Lab assistant/technician Assistant in the IT department You can also join various college extracurriculars that may support your intended field. Holding leadership positions (and even simply being involved) in campus groups and organizations can broaden your knowledge of your area of study. Jobs or volunteer opportunities off campus in your community are another great way to showcase your major-related skills. Consult with your academic advisor who may be able to help you locate these opportunities. Gain real-world experience through networking Both internships and jobs in your intended field give you the opportunity to begin networking with individuals in the career you hope to go into. Oftentimes underrated, taking advantage of any networking opportunities available to you can be a great way to get your name out there. Many universities host job fairs and other networking events that allow students to meet professionals in their desired field. This is where everything ties together: by having gained real-world experience in your major, you will have something to showcase when talking to these individuals that will give you the confidence to network. At the end of the day, gaining real-world experience in your college major can do nothing but benefit you. It doesnt hurt to help yourself feel as confident and prepared as possible for what the real world will bring! Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

What is it Like to Attend Duke University

What is it Like to Attend Duke University The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Margaret is a Washington D.C. tutor specializing in Writing tutoring, AP Psychology tutoring, all levels of Spanish tutoring, and more. She is a graduate of Duke University holding a Bachelors degree in Psychology. Check out her review of her alma mater: 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? Margaret: For my undergraduate, we had an interesting situation. There wasnt that much public transportation at the time in Durham, North Carolina. I think that might have changed in the last decade. However, we always had a free bus service not only for the campus, but between our school and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill called the Robertson bus. It was a way to go to not only different library resources if we needed them, but to a different, more typical college town. Durhams not exactly the safest place as its very urban and not a place to walk alone at night, to be honest. Chapel Hill, by contrast, was the typical college hamlet and it was a fun place to be able to get to as a change of pace. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Margaret: I really had a great relationship with my professors as I got to my upper level classes. They were great mentors as I worked on applying for graduate school and on my senior theses. That said, as a freshman, I had pretty terrible teaching assistants for General Chemistry who were barely able to speak English. It made the class almost impossible to pass and I resented it. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Margaret: I always laugh about the dorm life. There was this show from the late 90s called Dawsons Creek that filmed its final two seasons sometimes on Dukes campus to show where Katie Holmes character went to college. Her dorm room was massive. I knew kids my freshman year whose living space was literally converted from an old janitors closetfor two people. Despite the price tag, you dont go to Duke for spacious on-campus accommodations! 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? Margaret: I know back in 2002, that the big thing to start majoring in was in Investment Banking. I know that since the bank crashes in 2008, thats probably not the hot ticket major it was before. Of course, Dukes extremely proud of its pre-med program and takes about 10% of its actual medical school classes from its undergraduate program, which is fairly unheard of. Also, theyre very supportive of their pre-law students and make sure they have the best resumes possible before applying to programs. I was a Psychology major and we had a great wealth of access to lab research and paper writing opportunities. I always felt supported there. Similarly, as one of the few people involved heavily in their primate/lemur studies program, I had very enthusiastic mentors who were happy I was continuing their work. 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? Margaret: Its possible to make friends without Greek life. In fact, Duke wont let anyone rush a fraternity or sorority until the second semester so bonds can be established before then. That said, I made great sorority friends when I did rush and join but I also had great friends whose weddings Ive attended since then that I met the first week in my freshmen-only dorm! VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Margaret: I honestly dont know. I never used it because I was in a science track and relied on my mentors to help me apply to graduate schools. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Margaret: Again, this is sort of a sign of having been out of college for so long. When I was there, the main library was Perkins and hadnt been renovated since the 1970s. However, by the time I was a senior, most of the library stock had moved to a beautiful, new spacious library called Bostock. I lived in Durham again for two years from 2011-2013 for other reasons and sometimes went into Bostock for books and research. Its not overcrowded, has comfortable sitting areas, and tons of available computers. So, Dukes come a long way from when I was using their stacks. 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? Margaret: Its Durham, North Carolina. Theres just not that much to do. I like the South Point Mall off campus. I also liked going to Chapel Hill. Again, take the free bus over there on weekends. Its your best bet! VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Margaret: It was about 6,000 undergraduates back then with about 1,600 per class. The typical intro class sizes for things like General Chemistry are huge, but mostly, the classes are around 20 people. Its very intimate past the general requirements. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Margaret: I dont have one memory specifically as much as a whole year. I really enjoyed every minute of working on my senior thesis for lemur studies with my mentor, Dr. Digby. She had been my favorite teacher in the primate department and she was invaluable in helping me get grants and learn the art of being a good scientist and building up my own study from the ground up. Check out Margarets tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

How to Talk about Transport in English - Intermediate Level English

How to Talk about Transport in English - Intermediate Level English Transport and the ways we use it in our daily lives captures the attention of all of us. I thought that today I would talk about transport in English and set out some of the means of transport we use in English vocabulary across Europe and the UK. This will help you to improve your English. Talk about Transport in English Transport to work is often a choice of Private or Public  transport. Private transport is what we provide ourselves (e.g a car) or by a private operator who wishes to make a profit. Public transport is the means of transport which is provided by governments and is not necessarily provided for profit.Vehicle  is a general noun used to describe any motorised method of travel and transport. This can include a car, bus, lorry and truck. The choice of vehicle depends normally on where we live. Governments usually provide many different choices in capital cities  and bigger towns  but there is normally less choice in rural  or country areas.Some examples of private transport are:cars saloon cars, sports cars and 4 x 4buses double decker, single decker, mini buses and trolley buses.For those who wish to skip the traffic then there are  motor bikes (motor cycles) and mopeds (scooters) are becoming increasingly popular.Taxis remain popular for those in the larger cities such as London and N ew York. You can find taxis waiting for passengers at a taxi rank. We now also have the new taxi option referred to as Uber Taxi’s.  Public transport comes in the following forms:buses double decker buses such as the traditional red buses seen on the streets of London and regular single decker busestrolley bus   buses with overhead power lineselectric bus this is a bus powered by electricity and they are getting very common in many cities in Europetram is a vehicle powered by electricity, it travels on 2 rails that are laid in a public roadcoach this is a bus that runs between towns and citiesTrains also come in many guises (forms) diesel, electric, underground and over ground). Trains travel on two tracks made of metal.Underground trains have different names depending on the city/country that we live in. In America they are referred to as subways, in London as simply the underground or the tube and other cities as metro. You wait for a train on a platform.If you prefer a fast way of travel, then you can use an aeroplane. Nowadays there are many budget airlines (companies that fly passengers by plane) and you can fly to many destinations relatively cheap.  If you are travelling to an island, you might prefer to take a ferry (a boat or ship that transports passengers and/or goods, especially over a relatively short distance and as a regular service). If you happen to travel overnight, then you sleep in a cabin.If you have travelled in Asia you will be familiar with the very small Tuk Tuk  a mix of a motor bike and small car. A great way to travel and sometimes the only means of transport in rural areas.And I am sure most of you are familiar with a bicycle, you pedal your bicycle and get from A to B easily. It is also a great exercise! Public Transport in English - Infographic Enjoyed this infographic? Here’s what you can do next:

Simple Reading Practice Tips to Boost Your Childs Reading Skills

Simple Reading Practice Tips to Boost Your Child's Reading Skills Have you ever wondered about methods of reading practice for kids that can boost your childs reading skills and academic success? Sometimes the challenges of a struggling reader can feel overwhelming and it is difficult to know where to start to help your child succeed. The good news is that boosting reading skills isnt impossible and you are fully equipped as a parent to help improve your childs learning with targeted reading opportunities that extend to all subject areas. Consider these helpful methods of reading practice for kids that support your struggling reader: Read every day You can never underestimate the power of simply reading to or with your child. The time spent in books is beneficial and magical and will help to unlockuntapped reading potential. Not only are you exposing your child to a world of reading you are modeling that reading is both useful and enjoyable. Think outside the book Reading practice shouldnt be limited to books. Thinkabout what your child enjoys most and find a variety of materials tosupport these interests. Consider magazines, manuals, brochures, or onlinereading. Using magnet letters or letter cards with emerging readers isalso a great way to practice reading without using books. Understand expectations As a parent it is important to stay up to date on current grade level expectations for your child. Knowing what the mastery standards are can help you gauge your childs progress. Comparing your childs skills to the grade level and developmental expectations will provide information on your childs strengths and areas of necessary growth. Utilize all possible resources If your child is struggling it is important to utilize every resource available to you. Investing in targeted reading tutoring can help your child gain the necessary skills for success and an online reading program can build skills while providing an interactive learning environment. Talk with your childs teacher about what is available and what would best match your childs ; needs. Boost vocabulary As children become better readers they are confronted with more complex topics, plots, and vocabulary. Understanding increasingly difficult vocabulary is vital for reading success. Teach your child to identify unfamiliar words and find ways to search for meaning. Encourage the use of context clues around the word or work as a team to look it up in a dictionary to find the meaning. Picture it Good readers, regardless of age, picture the story in their minds. These mind movies should play along as each word is read. Many struggling students fail to visualize the story and errantly miss important information. You can easily practice this strategy with your child by reading a passage aloud and then discussing the scenes you formed in your mind. If your child is unable to visualize the passage you can reread and prompt him with questions to elicit more information. Emphasize a books structure Every genre has a different layout and different text features to support the organization. For example, reference books utilize headings, subheadings, table of contents, glossaries and appendices while novels have chapters, dedications, and occasional illustrations. A child should understand the text features and how they work together for an intended purpose. This is especially beneficial to success in other subject areas that utilize content specific reading. Talk about books Reading with your child is important but talking with your child about books is just as powerful. Your child will benefit from viewing you as a reader and someone who learns from books. Take time each day to ask your children about what they are reading, discuss a library book you checked out as a family, or share something you learned from your own reading. These are just a few tips to help improve a childs reading ability. What are some other ways to engage in reading practice for kids?

How to Become Bilingual When Your Memory Sucks 5 Flexible Strategies to Beat Defeat

How to Become Bilingual When Your Memory Sucks 5 Flexible Strategies to Beat Defeat How to Become Bilingual When Your Memory Sucks: 5 Flexible Strategies to Beat Defeat Hang on.What were you just thinking about?Cant remember, huh?Maybe it was all those late nights in college.Maybe you have too many important things to keep track of these days.Whatever the reason, your memory just isnt as stretchy and sticky as it used to be.Its hard to grab hold of any fact and cling to it.You cant remember what day of the week it is. You cant remember what you had for breakfast. Heck, you probably cant even remember why you clicked on this article.So let me remind you: You want to become bilingual.But maybe youre hesitant. A whole language? Thats a lot of words to learnâ€"can you really memorize all of them? How long will that even take?And grammarâ€"chances are just hearing the word subjunctive gives you unpleasant flashbacks to high school Latin.Well, Ive got good news for you. Even if your memory isnt what it used to be (or if it never was that great to begin with), there are a few basic strategies you can use to take the heavy memorization burden out of your la nguage learning.While were on the topic, theres also a strategy I know of that you can use to remember what you had for breakfast. This is the easy part: To remember what you had for breakfast, just eat the same thing for breakfast every day.OK, now on to the harder part. These strategies for becoming bilingual below are a little more involved, but with some time, commitment and a plan, plus  a little bit of creativity, theyre almost as foolproof.Lets begin by talking about how to get going on becoming bilingual from the very start, before youve even really begun learning a language. How to Become Bilingual When Your Memory Sucks: 5 Flexible Strategies to Beat Defeat1. Start with a 70-day Language Learning WarmupOne of the more overwhelming aspects of trying to become bilingual for the first time is just how many different things you have to deal with when learning a language.Between syntax, vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling and listening comprehension, it can feel like youre ac tually trying to learn many languages at once rather than just one.And for those whose memories could better be described as fickle than photographic, having to memorize tons of new material and worry about all these other aspects of language learning means that things can get out of hand pretty quick, and before you know it youre re-gifting your copy of Acme Languages Self-Teach Turkish 101 to your bewildered nephew.Theres a better way to become bilingual.Instead of trying to memorize a boatload of vocab and learn a language at the same time, just get the memorization out of the way first, and then start learning the language.I realize that might sound strange. This isnt your grandmas language learning strategy. But it works.It works because to be in good shape to learn a language, really good shape, you only need to memorize 100 words.Maybe it doesnt seem like having 100 words under your belt would make a big difference on your path to becoming bilingual, but just stop and think a bout it for a minuteâ€"in English, the 100 most common words account for about 50% of all written language.I mean, sure, loquacious is an English word, but would the quality of your everyday life as an English speaker be greatly impoverished if you didnt know what it meant?The idea behind the 70-day language learning warmup is to take a couple months to familiarize yourself with the 100 most important words in the language youre learning, so that on day 71â€"when you start actually working on becoming bilingualâ€"most of the words youre seeing arent showing up out of thin air and asking to be immediately memorized.Days 1-5: PronunciationYou cant memorize what you cant pronounce, so the first five days of the language learning warmup are all about learning the sounds of your new language.Try to spend a minimum of 15 minutes a day on this. Look up a pronunciation guide for the language youre learning (try Googling [language] alphabet pronunciation or [language] pronunciation guide, re placing [language] with the language youre becoming bilingual inâ€"heres the kind of thing to look for) and spend 10 of those 15 minutes going through it.Unless the language youre learning is extremely obscure, you should be able to find a free pronunciation guide with audio.For the other five minutes of your pronunciation work, you want to listen to any excerpt of the language you can get your hands on. An easy way to do this is to get an audiobook in the language youre studying  and listen to a different excerpt from it every day. Movies are also good for this, as is foreign language radio.Once youve picked your listening material, just listen for five minutes uninterrupted.You wont understand anything youre hearing, so heres how you should be listening: Pay attention to the inflections of the speakers voice and try to count how many sentences you hear total over the course of the five minutes. If you lose track, just keep counting and try to get as close as possible.This exercise might seem a little pointless, but theres a scientific reason behind it: Research (for example, this study and this one) has found that this kind of listening is an efficient way to learn the sounds of a language. It will help you start to make sense of how those sounds fit together and what syllables are most common in the languageâ€"but only if youre paying attention to the material youre listening to.Counting sentences keeps your focus on the sounds youre hearing.All the better if you can put in more than 15 minutes a day going through your pronunciation guide and doing some attentive listening, but even if you cant, youll find youve gotten a basic feel for how the language sounds after five days.Days 6-35: One Word a Day from the 100 Most Common WordsOn day 6 of your language learning warmup, move from working on pronunciation to learning vocab.Find a list of the most common words in the language you want to become bilingual in by Googling something along the lines of 100 most common [language] words. Make sure it actually lists them in order of frequency and isnt just a list of random common words someone threw together without any researchâ€"heres a good example of what you want.Then, from days 6-35, learn one word a day, so by the end of day 35, youll have the 30 most common words down.Every day, your process should look something like this:After you get up in the morning (or as early in the day as possible if your morning routine consists of rolling out of bed, looking around wildly, seeing what time it is and making a mad dash for the subway), find the word of the day on your list of common words, look up the pronunciation on Forvo or by Googling [word] pronunciation, write the word down on a piece of paper and put the paper in your pocket.For a nice added touch, you can also draw a picture associated with the word on the paper, because visual associations always make things easier to remember.Then,  at least 10 times at intervals throughout the day, try to remember the word and say it to yourself. If you cant remember it, no worries, just take the paper out of your pocket and look it up. Keep doing this until you go to bed.When you wake up the next morning, try to remember yesterdays word, look it up one more time if you cant, then move on to your new word and start the daily process all over again.If you find you sometimes have a hard time remembering a certain word or if by the time you get to day 35 you no longer have any clue what the word you memorized on day 6 was, dont sweat it. The point isnt to be able to remember all these words perfectly by the time you finish the 70-day warmup, but rather to familiarize yourself with them and get them into your awareness so that once you do start learning your language and using them in context, they stick much more easily.Days 36-70: Two Words a DayWhen you get to day 36, its time to up the ante and start doing two words a day. Keep the same process from days 6-35, but cross off t wo words from your list every day.Besides letting you move through words 30-100 twice as fast as words 1-30, going from one to two words daily when you get to day 36 pushes you to flex your memorization muscles. So once you get to day 71 and start the real work on becoming fluent, youll be on intimate terms with the 100 most common words in your language and your memorization skills will be better than they were two months ago.Days 71+Once you hit day 71, get started on actually learning your language. You might be rusty on some of the words you did during the 70-day warmup, but when you go back to learn them in the normal course of your language studying, youll find they stick more easily.Youll still have to put in some good memorization time, and you might want to get yourself a flashcard app, but the amount of memorization wont be as overwhelming as if you hadnt gotten to know the 100 most common wordsâ€"which will free up your mind to give more attention to things like grammar a nd thus make everything a little easier.But where exactly do you go from here? Read on.2. Set Weekly Language Learning GoalsWhen youre working on becoming bilingual for the first time, the sheer volume of stuff you have to learn can be overwhelming. On the bad days, you might feel lost in the middle of an ocean of words and grammatical structures with no land in sight.The best way to avoid this feeling is to set concrete weekly language learning goals so you can measure your progress and have something to work towards every week. These goals can include memorizing a list of vocab words, getting down a certain grammatical construction or even just working through a text.Slow and steady is always better than fast and erratic in learning a language, so set goals youre pretty sure you can reach in a week. Try to push yourself, for sure, but its okay  to sometimes err on the side of setting less ambitious goals you know you can reach rather than lofty goals that end in frustration. Youll be surprised how quickly modest steps add up.If you hit points of frustration in your journey to becoming bilingual, the antidote is just to set specific goals and not worry about anything else. The secret to learning any language is to learn to value improvement.When you find yourself thinking, Wow, my reading comprehension sucks and its not getting any better, just say, Okay, Im going to read this article and take however much time I need to understand it.When you find yourself thinking, Ive been doing this for months and theres still so many words I dont understand! say, Whatever, Im going to just get down this list of 15 vocab words this week.Learning a language is a pretty massive task, so sometimes the best way not to let it get to you is to simply focus on meeting concrete, short-term goals on a regular schedule and let the rest fall into place by itself.3. Expand on Your Vocab Learning with the Four-line Dialogue TechniqueYou can take a lot of the stress out of vocab learni ng by thinking of it not as an exercise in memorization but as a process of integrating new words into your lexicon that youre actually going to use to communicate (after all, thats the whole point of becoming bilingual).An easy way to move from mere memorization to learning for the sake of communication is by ending every vocabulary study session with an ad-libbed, four-line dialogue that uses one or more of the words youre learning.The idea is simple: Create a four-line dialogue between two imaginary people in real time, two lines for each person. But write one persons lines and speak the other persons lines. Make sure to use the vocab word(s) youre working on at least once in the dialogue. So if youre trying to memorize the word “life,” your dialogue might look like this:Person 1 (written): Hello.Person 2 (spoken): Hello. How are you?Person 1 (written): Im doing well. How are you?Person 2 (spoken): My life is a disaster.This exercise is a winner because it accomplishes so man y things at onceâ€"it helps you learn vocabulary by using it in context, it makes you more fluent at producing the language in real time and it integrates your speaking and writing.Of course, you can do several of these dialogues at a time, and theres no reason you have to limit yourself to four lines if youre feeling creative. I just like four lines because it doesnt take very much time and Im impatient.4. Dont Just Become BilingualBecome Bi-sing-ual!No, thats not the title of a little-known Glee spinoff. Its the best advice I have on how to get out of the memorization doldrums.Music is like steroids for your memory, only without all the bad health effects. Think of any song you know the lyrics to and then ask yourself, would you have memorized all those words without the accompanying music?Just by picking a song you like, listening to it repeatedly and memorizing it, you can learn a wealth of new words. Even better, because music tends to be structured in a way that brings out the grammatical patterns behind the lyrics, learning songs is a great technique for internalizing grammatical constructions in the language youre becoming bilingual in.To get the most mileage out of this technique, you really should memorize the songs, or at least excerpts from them. Your process could look something like this:Pick a song you want to memorize in the language youre learning. An easy way to find songs is just to Google best [language] songs. Cant go wrong with the best.Find a copy of the lyrics online by Googling [song name] lyrics in your target language.Choose an excerpt from the song you want to focus on, then go through it with a dictionary to make sure you understand everything the song is saying.Listen to the song, following along with the lyrics. Repeat until you get to the point where you can understand in real time what the song is sayingâ€"first with the written lyrics, then without.Listen to the song a few more times. You can do this passively while youre doin g some mundane task like you would with any other music. The idea is just to get it in your head.Try singing the first line of the song from memory. If you cant remember it, play the first line of the song, then sing it back.Once you get the first line, do the second line. Then put them together. Repeat with larger chunks of music until you can sing the entire excerpt.Youll find that by the time you get to the last step, the first step where you make an effort at memorization, you already have a lot of the song stuck in your head just from going over the lyrics in detail and listening so much.This exercise is a fun way to add new words to your vocabulary and plant new grammatical structures firmly in your mind. Itll also give you some cultural literacy to go with your new language skills.5. Do One-sentence SummariesWhen youre working on becoming bilingual, it can be easy to put in an intense language learning session, then go about the rest of your life totally forgetting about ever ything language-related once you finish studying.You could theoretically learn a language this way, but youll find your language studying goes much more smoothly if you occasionally remind yourself what youve been working on over the course of your day.In particular, your memorization will go better if you take a minute every now and then to put your brain back in language learning mode and keep everything fresh in your mind.One way to do this without taking much time is to do one-sentence summaries. Of what? Of anything and everything.Just had a good sandwich for lunch? Describe it in a single spoken or written sentence, using vocab youve learned in the language youre becoming bilingual in, or looking up new words as necessary.Just watched an interesting movie? Do the same thing.Just finished a meeting? Do a one-sentence summary.Read a news article? One-sentence summary.By using the language at regular intervals throughout your day, even if only for a single sentence, youll get eve rything youre studying to stick in your mind better.You dont need to have a killer memory to become bilingual.Doing a 70-day language learning warmup, using music as a memory aid, setting concrete goals you know you can meet and regularly using new words in context with four-line dialogues and one-sentence summaries will take a huge burden off your memory and let you pick up a new language even if everything that happened more than five minutes ago is mostly just a vague blur in your mind.But even if youre the kind of person who remembers not just what you had for breakfast but what you had for breakfast on this day three years ago and what day of the week it was, these techniques will still make your life easier if you give them a whirl.The truth is that no matter who you are, the amount of memorization involved in learning a language is daunting.The whole point of language is to make it possible for people to express anything they could ever want to express, so that gives you an i dea of just how much stuff there is to memorize.Make these tricks part of your language learning routine, though, and youll remember everything except why you ever doubted your ability to become bilingual!

The Importance of Homework - ALOHA Mind Math

The Importance of Homework Much as we, ourselves may feel like moaning and groaning about it, as parents it is our responsibility to make our child understand why homework is important. Manychildren find it difficult to comprehend why they need to spend additional time at home doing schoolwork, after spending so many hoursdoing the same in school. Here are some of the benefits of homework to help us convey it better to our children. Update parents: Home work assignments serve as the easiest way for parents to get to know what children are doing at school. If not for homework, the only way for parents to remain updated would be through periodic meetings with the teachers, which is not really an easy practice to achieve. Practice makes perfect: When children practice the same math problem multiple times, it helps them understand the concepts better. Sometimes performing the same calculation in a relatively quieter environment helps to approach it more easily. Also in cases where parents may help with homework, they might give additional tips and tricks for tackling something that the child might find difficult otherwise. Improves organizational skills: Scheduling when to do homework and even remembering to bring back the required books, are all small skills that the child picks up and that will help him or her in improving their organizational skills, as they grow older. Parents can also help by looking for ways in which we can make homework less of a chore, and work it into our daily schedule better. It should definitely not be used as a threat, or for holding back a treat, as this would make the child associate negativity with homework. Teaches responsibility: As children grow up, they will start taking responsibility for their own homework, and you may just need to have a check to know what their schoolwork is all about. They will be answerable for non-completion or erroneous work, and this will also help them in being more responsible for their schoolwork and other activities. Our Math and English classes at Aloha USA also use homework as an integral part of teaching your child. Please see our website for more details:http://www.aloha-usa.com. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/aloha.usa and on Twitter: @AlohaKidsMath for constant updates on your child’s education development.