#a great way to maintain fluency in a language

[curiosity-killed]

Vacation booked!! Fingers crossed Round 2 of Baby’s First Adult Vacation is more successful than last year’s attempt

[beckyh2112]

Stunticon Language Headcanons

All of the Stunticons have a touch of the others' mental issues.

Motormaster's paranoia manifests as "I hate not knowing what people around me are saying".

So he picks up languages as he encounters them. Soundwave encourages this, because Motormaster is violent enough on a good day.

(Megatron built the Stunticons, Vector Sigma made them into people, but Soundwave was the one who went, "is anyone going to teach these feral cars to operate in society?" and then realized it was his job.)

Once Moto figures out social dialects are a thing that exists (it's not something that comes up among the Decepticon crew on Earth), he starts picking up two specific ones when he learns a language: low-class worker (more ideally, "thug" but that doesn't come up in most languages) and highest-class nobility.

He speaks English. We're on Cybertron? Still English.

All the people he wants to talk to understand English just fine. The rest of you can get good.

The only times he actually speaks any of the other languages he knows is when he is making A Point. Usually at the expense of someone else.

Some days, it infuriates Starscream that fucking Motormaster is the third-most fluent speaker of High Vosian aboard the Nemesis.

Other days, it's just too fucking funny watching people who don't know that get badly surprised by it.

(Look, there's a reason most of the other Deceptijets don't speak High Vosian more fluently. Anyone who speaks High Vosian in this day and age is an elitist prick.)

Starscream accepts the label of "elitist prick". He also views his continuing fluency in High Vosian as a small way to maintain the culture of Cybertron outside of the War.

He mostly only uses it for joint bitching sessions and/or screaming matches with Soundwave (the second-most fluent speaker of High Vosian aboard the Nemesis.)

Give Breakdown half an hour to scout, and he'll sound exactly like a local.

He switches back to his normal method of speaking when the mission is over and they're back on the Nemesis, or when he's speaking over comm-bands.

Wildrider... Look, if the Stunticons needed to speak French for dealing with European French people for whatever reason, Wildrider very deliberately picks up Quebecois.

Since "bet you can't do this" is a great way to get Drag Strip to do anything and his teammates know it, Drag Strip knows just as many languages as Motormaster does.

Unlike Motormaster, he'll actually speak them.

Dead End was assigned An Accent by Vector Sigma, and he uses that accent with every language he speaks. Figuring out the local equivalent of his accent is not an entertaining way to waste the time between now and his inevitable death.

Unrelated to any of that, Swindle and Soundwave both know every language on Earth. For entirely different reasons.

[justforbooks]

The American photographer Elliott Erwitt, who has died aged 95, was renowned for his largely unposed images of famous people. Among the political figures he caught on film were Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, laughing and waving a cigar in Havana (1964); Jacqueline Kennedy swathed in a black veil at her husband’s funeral in 1963; and Richard Nixon, pointing and jabbing his finger at Nikita Khrushchev’s chest in 1959.

Cultural figures included Marilyn Monroe showing a leg while filming The Seven Year Itch in 1954; Jack Kerouac, unusually meditative, wearing a tie, in 1953; and Dustin Hoffman, with whom Erwitt made a short film, The Many Faces of Dustin Hoffman (1968). Animals were his obsession, and he devoted several books to pictures of dogs, with titles such as Woof (2005) and DogDogs (1998), as well as another short film, I Bark at Dogs (2011).

He spent nearly 80 years behind a camera (for preference a Leica 35mm or a Rolleiflex medium format), selecting subjects from around the world, and working primarily in black-and-white, though he could use colour to make a point.

According to Erwitt, who disliked over-theoretical analysis: “Colour is descriptive. Black-and-white is interpretative.” He defined photography as “an art of observation” or “a biography of a moment”. He suggested that artistry lies in “finding something interesting in an ordinary place … I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”

In his view everything has photographic potential. If you care to look, he wrote, “you can find pictures anywhere. It’s simply a matter of noticing things and organising them. You just have to care about what’s around you and have a concern with humanity and the human comedy.”

He cared a great deal, politically and personally. Erwitt was furious rather than flattered that the Republicans used his Nixon/Khrushchev image (without his permission) for their 1960 presidential campaign, and sent a $500 invoice, which was paid. It can be viewed as Nixon bullishly asserting the US against the USSR, and represented what Erwitt most abhorred in US politics.

He was born Elio Ervitz in Paris, the son of Orthodox Jewish parents, Eugenia and Boris, who had fled Russia following the 1917 Revolution. His forenames were his father’s choice since “he had once attended the University of Rome … and liked it”, and he later anglicised his name. The family moved to Milan, until the rise of fascism prompted their return to Paris in 1938.

Although Erwitt’s parents had separated, a year later all three left together for New York, then Los Angeles. Erwitt completed his schooling there in 1947, and a year later he returned to New York to embark on film studies at the New School. He then joined the US army Signal Corps and, while serving in Europe (1951-53), his fluency in four languages assisted him in compiling his portfolio.

He gained further experience working as a film cameraman in France; a staffer for the Standard Oil Company and Pittsburgh Photo Library; and then – increasingly – as a contributor to a variety of new picture magazines including Look, Life and Holiday, which provided his entry into the prestigious Magnum Photo Agency, established in Paris and New York in 1947.

Robert Capa, one of Magnum’s four founder members, recruited Erwitt, and a fellow founder, Henri Cartier-Bresson, championed him, describing him as “working on a chain-gang of commercial campaigns and still offering a bouquet of stolen photos with a flavour and smile from his inner self”. Praise indeed, which Erwitt later returned in a homage to Cartier-Bresson’s Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare (1932) with Umbrella Jump in Paris (1989), which captures the balletic leap of a man over a puddle beneath the Eiffel Tower during a rainstorm.

Alongside his sense of empathy, Erwitt maintained his sense of humour. Humans’ capacity for projecting their attitudes – and fashion fads – on to their pets was a reliable subject. One image, New York City, 1974 (Dog Legs), taken at knee level, shows a diminutive pooch in a fancy knitted beret, next to a pair of a women’s fashionable, shiny boots, with another pair of taller legs, clearly canine, completing the lineup. It was a perfect example of stylistic crossover: what appears to be a found image was in fact a shoe advert.

In another image from the same year, a disgruntled-looking bulldog squats on a brownstone doorstep, next to a much larger bulldog squatting on the lap of a human, obliterating any view of his master’s face. Erwitt not only loved dogs, but enjoyed seeing the world from a dog’s eye level.

He was not afraid of humour even in more ghoulish surroundings. In 1955, he shot the naturally preserved naked Mexican mummies lining the museum walls at Guanajuato. Their desiccated skins, slack jaws and awkwardly positioned limbs flank a prettily dressed young couple. The blond lad, in an American-style checked shirt, is pointing, in spirited discussion with his girlfriend. They appear as incongruous as their silent observers.

The incongruous and the absurd became hallmarks of Erwitt’s work, as did political events. In one sequence both came together, during Nelson Rockefeller’s campaigning for the Republicans in 1962. Once more taking a mutt’s eye view of humans, the first shot shows one apparently observing intently; in the next he has turned to sniff the ground; and in the third he raises a back leg. “Fair comment,” a viewer might say. Erwitt’s conclusion was, after all, that: “The whole point of taking pictures is so that you don’t have to explain things with words.”

His work appeared all over the world, including several shows at the International Center of Photography in New York, Elliott Erwitt: a one-man exhibition at the Barbican in London in 1989; and a retrospective at the Musée Maillol, Paris, earlier this year.

Erwitt married and was divorced from four wives: Lucienne Van Kan, from 1953 to 1960; Diana Dann, from 1967 to 1974; Susan Ringo, from 1977 to 1984; and Pia Frankenberg, from 1998 to 2012. He is survived by two daughters, Ellen and Jennifer, and two sons, Misha and David, from his first marriage; two daughters, Sasha and Amelia, from his third marriage; 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

🔔Elliott Erwitt, photographer, born 26 July 1928; died 29 November 2023

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[toiletpotato]

I think one of the things that bugs me about Duolingo's redesign is how similar it feels to school now.

Previously we were able to hop around subjects and do that as we please, but now it is a linear path organized into sections and units and lessons, just like the way a lot of languages are taught in schools- something it seemed Duolingo wanted to differentiate itself from.

Getting rid of the forums/locking them was also a strange move, as with the general move of the internet having things be behind walls (either of a discord or now private reddit page).

From a pedagogical perspective I suppose I can see the reasoning behind making the tree more linear as there are some things that ought to be taught before other topics- you wouldn't learn the subjunctive before you learned how verbs work, for example. However, especially regarding the asynchronous/self-study nature of Duolingo when combined with the gamificafion aspect, I think that it hinders it. With the old design, you could pick whichever topic you had unlocked that interested you, but now it forces learners into this predetermined path. So, if someone is not jiving with a topic, then it may ultimately be antithetical and cause them to not learn that day or lose their streak. This is especially prevalent with the hearts design because it can be rather disheartening to try and try again only to have to wait a set number of hours on a topic you just want to power through.

The streak of it all also is not helpful from a casual language learning perspective due to the incessant notifications- it becomes less about learning a language and more about pleasing the bird- much like perfect attendance in schools. A student should not feel pressured to put their health (mental/physical) at risk as then their learning will falter! You cannot learn effectively if your other essential needs are not met (shout out to Maslow's hierarchy).

It would be interesting to see Duolingo move to a week-based streak/attendance model, or reward the learner/user for what they have done, rather than what they haven't (ex. You did two lessons/practiced twice this week- that's awesome!). If they really must maintain the streak aspect, consider making it biweekly- so long as the user does something in a two week period, they are rewarded.

Now, would this potentially affect their learning statistics about how x number of hours = x semesters in university? Maybe! But learning isn't a race. You never finish learning. I started learning Spanish over seven years ago and I am not done. However, this race to fluency is a larger issue with how language learning is marketed (ex become fluent in Spanish in x number of days!) that is honestly unfair to the brand new learner. Fluency exists in levels, but this isn't an easy thing to "market" since most folks want an end all be all, they don't really like ambiguity.

This isn't to try to turn anyone away from language learning- it started as me making a fuss about Duolingo being strange and ended up... well this. Please learn a new language- for fun! You can learn it casually, picking up a few survival phrases (which are GREAT), try and read your favorite book, or watch a TV show!!

Language is all around us, it is ever changing and wonderful, and I think it is really neat.

[oddlysweet]

Defenestration of the Patriarchy

If you originate from immigrants like most in this country, you come to understand just how crucial community is for individuals & families striving to make a home in a new land. My family, leaving with nothing but the clothes on their backs to escape the death, destruction & despair of the Great Game’s consequences was no exception. There is not a single “Afghan” who was spared the grief of burying a loved one as the result of two far away empires poising and posturing to carve up what remained of their watan (homeland). Growing up, holiday season was always hard for me; already feeling like the odd one out in nearly every situation; seeing all these kids excited for what Santa was going to bring them, I was green with envy. My mother maintained that Christmas was for the others. We believed in something else & worshipped a different God. We were different. It is this inherent human obsession to draw lines in the sand that would go on to ignite my fury and engender my disdain for the way things certainly do not have to be. To quote one of my favorite minds, “Clearly some sort of mistake had been made.” I was put on this earth in its darkest hour to hopefully contribute to the solution, the revolution of thought itself.

It was the mid-90s, and after a holy month of fasting, discipline & reflection, my brother & I finally got to experience our answer to red & green festivities and wrapped gifts under trees, Eid-al-Fitr. We packed our bags and got on the road for a weekend of fun with our cousins at Grandma’s—but first, worship at a Masjid. It was nearly a three-hour trip to the new house of worship as the father drives. It didn’t need to be, but at the time Fremont, or “Little Kabul,” had the only Afghani Masjid west of the Mississippi. We arrived and did as always, split off from my mother and took our shoes off to enter the men's section for prayer. This wasn't our first rodeo, and though we could hardly attest to what was being proclaimed in the verses, there were opportunities to pick up every 5th word or so of Farsi during the sermons at this place, compared to the few Arabic Mosques attended for Eid prayers once or twice a year prior. We would go through a series of yoga-like configurations while reciting millennia old chants in a language we had no chance of understanding let alone believing. The end would be signaled by looking right and left, then shaking the hands of our neighbors who would more than likely reek of either Drakkar Noir or cumin, coriander & turmeric. Following that, we would sit on our heels with our palms up as if reading the miracle of God, doing our equivalent of a cross and our fun day would finally begin.

Today would be different. After the initial series of rakats, the Mullah began to introduce a guest speaker who would go on to lead the Eid prayer sermon. Already the energy in the room wavered a bit. In the next few moments. I would experience the most intense, emotionally charged & memorable exhibition of human indecency in my short 7 years on the planet. The heavily bearded man without a mustache, who looked very much like an ape, began his tirade with a righteousness that even I, with my entry level fluency could sense was inappropriate. A disturbance was bubbling in one corner of the hall near the exit. The Mullah from overseas continued his angry sounding monologue despite the rising commotion and more and more attention of the pious men before him diverted to the growing rabble now pushing its way to the stage where he droned on. A circle of men, of which not one I could recognize forced its way to the podium. One of the men grabbed the microphone from the bewildered man's hands to the gasps of an incredulous crowd of believers. The microphone was handed to someone obscured from the vision of a child on the floor of God's house.

It wasn’t until she spoke amidst premature cries of outrage with a voice I had never heard before that I realized the person surrounded by strange men was my own mother. She introduced herself to the thousands of people listening, first and last name. She told the worshippers where she came from, hours away, past a dozen different Mosques, for the sole purpose that her children could pray and experience their faith, their heritage, among their own culture, their own people. Her voice cracked with emotions that still blurs my vision to this day when I remember that moment. She went on to say that she did not however, bring her kids to be subjected to the lies and filth & evil that this now seething with rage turban-sporting zealot was espousing. With every sentence she got out, she was met with more outcry and denial. A disgusting scene of call and response, where each plea to the humanity of her fellow brothers & sisters was returned with male demands for her death.

The people who this man foaming at the mouth represented had just recently made news in our diaspora’s circle by massacring an entire Hazara/Shiite village. Their list of crimes & atrocities was already something to be condemned unilaterally but obviously they had support in America, or he would not have been afforded the opportunity to spread their hatred. As much as I’d like to believe that her words of truth would have reached even their staunchest allies, half the people who were now on their feet pushing their way towards the stage to murder my mother were enraged and motivated by the simple fact that she, a woman, dared to enter to men’s section, dared to speak among them like an equal. It goes without saying, most of what she was coaxing out of her obviously bleeding heart went over my head. I could only hear the loss in her words, her disappointment, her outrage, the profound sense of injustice and perversion of divinity she was trying to illuminate. Her voice was growing hoarse with the undeniable emotion she was barely holding back.

My eyes welled up for her, but those tears quickly disappeared when nearby, a white-haired man over ten times my age shouted “Bukoshesh! (Kill her!)” I shouted every curse word in every language I knew at this foul waste of life next to me & moved to kick him in his shins, positively murderous, a feeling no child should have to hold within them. My father grabbed my brother and I as we slowly made our way to the closest exit amidst the near fully formed mobs of men. Half were fighting to get their godless hands on her, and the rest were putting their safety on the line to protect her, a stranger, and the truth that everyone needed to hear. Perhaps its retrospective bias, but I’d like to remember that even then—before their organization’s unspeakable crimes against humanity became a worldwide historical precedent—that the chorus of “Raast megah! (She’s speaking the truth!)” had more souls in their camp.

The hall was in an uproar, calling it a riot is not an exaggeration. The men around my mother were arranged in a tightly knit circle with interlocking arms. Others surrounded them fending and kicking off the furious forms of mediocrity fighting their way onto the stage to do my mother harm. Their circle was getting pushed further back, with the cries and screams and declarations making it impossible to hear her words shaming the people who brought this antithesis of a Muslim before them on their holiest of days through the PA system. The guest speaking Mullah was ousted, along with the circle of righteous. By some miracle, my family was whole again as her protectors held off the descending mob in the parking lot and we tore out of there, never looking back. I would later learn the image of the Masjid never recovered and they never held another service again.

I was already a socially anxious child, unbeknownst to me at the time. This nightmare only furthered my distrust of people in large groups. I have since never felt safe or comfortable in crowds, physically, mentally, in the sense of flesh or of mind. Carlin’s nuanced distinction between individuals & people is the most accessible explanation I can highlight. This moment that I seem to have left a part of myself behind in, has stayed with me over the years as a reminder of the essence of human nature. I not only lost much of my innocence, I lost my faith in people, & in God. Despite being one of the greatest examples of social & geo-political experimentation of a tired, old yet effective methodology of divide & conquer, during the last quarter century fate had bound all the various ethnicities of the region under a single banner: devastation.

Perhaps it’s pointless to pose the question to a collective of traumatized people hounded by decades of unending loss, warfare & desperation, why they would choose to act in such a manner so far divorced from piety. Give me three Trumpers and I’ll show you the Commie among them. There will never be two humans on earth who will agree with each other on every single thing. The inextricable tendency to discern, compartmentalize & categorize, the most human trait we possess, is also the greatest threat to survival, peace & existence. Our scripture, like many others decries that we are all brothers and sisters. I saw far too little love in that hall. I will always be grateful to those men who protected my mother, to those who fought on the right side of a line that should have never been drawn. The performative piousness one encounters nowadays is enough to make my stomach turn. The ideals of all religions have been perverted and politicized to the extent that nothing seems sacred anymore.

This day that I look back on more often as the repercussions of unfettered fascism make themselves increasingly known, is not only the moment I couldn’t be prouder to be my mother’s son, but also the first to rouse me from the childish dream too soon. The veil would be removed completely on September 11th, 2001, when the world decided to single my people out and persecute us with a sense of hubris, hate & hypocrisy unrivaled in this modern, hardly civilized age. A couple days after the richest most powerful individuals in the Anglosphere pulled off the greatest false flag operation in the entirety of history, I was watching the coverage, when my mother piped up, “That’s the guy we threw out of the Masjid.” I looked at the ape-like man beaming like The Grinch behind sunglasses and his credentials, a Taliban minister going on about something inane or other.

Spirituality or religion often forms the foundation of an individual’s morals and ethics and overall belief system. It will always be a touchy and potentially polarizing subject. My problem is with that exact polarity. Unless we’re talking about fundamental laws of physics and by extension, chemistry & biology, polarity has no place in the human experience. The world isn’t binary, so why should thinking be? This story, like many others of my past and origins, help fuel my tireless journey to do the right thing, to be a voice of reason. To love is to save the world with kindness. Understanding this & breeding empathy to leave a chance for the next generations to get right what the accumulative human experience thus far struggled to completely understand is the best I can muster. We are one organism, and any deviation from such an undeniable fact only ends in annihilation. We can do better. It’s those moments of beauty in between the horrors that solidify this belief into our psyches and keep us trudging forward through the darkness.

[ashwinienglishclasses]

Top 10 Tips to Speak English Confidently for Beginners

Learning to speak English confidently can be a challenge, especially for beginners. However, with the right approach and mindset, anyone can improve their English-speaking skills and become a more confident speaker. Here are the top 10 tips to help beginners speak English confidently.

1. Practice Regularly

Regular practice is the most important part of learning any new language, including English. Set aside time each day to practice speaking, even if it's just for a few minutes. Speaking out loud helps train your mouth to form sounds and words, making it easier to speak English fluently over time.

2. Think in English

One major reason many people struggle with speaking English is that they translate sentences from their native language. This can be time-consuming and confusing. Start thinking in English instead of translating. At first, this may feel unnatural, but over time, it will help you speak more smoothly and confidently.

3. Listen and Imitate

Listening to native speakers can improve your understanding of pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm. Watch English movies, listen to English podcasts, or follow English YouTubers. Try to mimic their pronunciation, tone, and expression. Practicing this will make your English sound more natural and build your confidence.

4. Expand Your Vocabulary

A limited vocabulary can make you feel nervous and hesitant while speaking. Learn new words daily, focusing on commonly used phrases and expressions. Start by mastering basic vocabulary, then gradually move on to more complex words. Using a wider vocabulary will make it easier to express your thoughts clearly.

5. Don’t Fear Mistakes

Many beginners hesitate to speak English out of fear of making mistakes. However, making mistakes is part of the learning process. Every mistake teaches you something new and brings you closer to fluency. Remember, native speakers also make mistakes! So, don’t be afraid; speak freely and learn from each experience.

6. Use Simple Sentences

Don’t worry about constructing complicated sentences at the beginning. Start with simple, clear sentences. Expressing your thoughts with simpler language will help you build confidence and prevent the fear of getting stuck or making mistakes. Over time, as you become more comfortable, you can gradually start using more complex sentence structures.

7. Practice with a Partner

Practicing with a partner, especially someone who is fluent in English, is a great way to build your confidence. A partner can give you feedback, correct mistakes, and help you get used to conversational English. If you don’t know someone personally, consider joining online language exchange programs or finding English-speaking groups in your area.

8. Use Technology to Your Advantage

Many apps and tools can help improve your English-speaking skills. Apps like Duolingo, HelloTalk, and Tandem offer interactive lessons and language exchange opportunities. These resources provide a great way to practice and improve your pronunciation, vocabulary, and conversational skills in a structured, supportive environment.

9. Set Realistic Goals

Setting small, achievable goals will help you make steady progress. For example, aim to learn five new words every day, or practice speaking for ten minutes daily. Each time you achieve a goal, it boosts your confidence. Breaking down your learning journey into smaller steps makes it feel more manageable and keeps you motivated.

10. Stay Positive and Persistent

Confidence in speaking English doesn’t come overnight. Some days will be more challenging than others, but maintaining a positive attitude and staying persistent is key. Celebrate small successes and remember that every effort you make is moving you closer to fluency.

In summary, becoming confident in speaking English is about regular practice, not fearing mistakes, expanding your vocabulary, and using simple sentences. By setting realistic goals, staying positive, and engaging in daily practice, you’ll gradually build the confidence needed to speak English fluently.

[maiega]

Is It Possible to Learn Arabic in a Year?

Learning a new language always comes with its own set of challenges, and Arabic is no exception. When people ask, “Can you learn Arabic in a year?” the answer depends on several factors, including your goals, time commitment, and the resources you use. With the right approach, it's possible to make significant progress, and even reach conversational fluency within 12 months. But what does it take to achieve this?

What Makes Arabic Unique?

Arabic is a language rich in history, culture, and diversity. Unlike many other languages, Arabic has a unique script and grammar system. It’s known for its complex verb structures, root-based vocabulary, and different dialects across various regions. This means that when you start learning Arabic, you’re not just memorizing words and phrases; you’re delving into a whole new way of thinking and expressing yourself.

Setting Realistic Goals

To determine if you can learn Arabic in a year, it’s crucial to set realistic goals. Ask yourself: What level of proficiency are you aiming for? If your goal is to hold basic conversations, understand common phrases, or navigate everyday situations, a year might be sufficient. However, if you aspire to read classic literature, or write with ease, it could take more time and effort.

A year is often enough time to reach a B1 or B2 level (intermediate) on the CEFR scale, allowing you to understand and communicate in everyday scenarios. However, reaching this level requires consistent practice and dedication.

Key Tips for Learning Arabic in a Year

Consistent Practice: Consistency is key. Setting aside even 30 minutes a day can make a difference. Daily practice helps reinforce new vocabulary and grammar, making it easier to progress over time.

Focus on the Right Dialect: Arabic comes in many dialects, from Egyptian and Levantine to Gulf Arabic. Each has its own local flavor. Decide on the dialect that best suits your needs, especially if you’re learning Arabic for travel or work.

Learn the Script Early On: Mastering the Arabic script might seem daunting at first, but it’s a critical step. Once you learn to read, you’ll find it easier to access various learning resources like books, newspapers, and websites.

Enroll in Online Courses: Structured lessons can give you a more focused path to learning Arabic. For those wondering if they can learn Arabic in a year, a great option is to join an online learning platform like Kalimah Center. With their tailored courses and experienced teachers, you’ll find it easier to maintain a steady learning pace and receive valuable feedback on your progress.

Practice Speaking Regularly: Don’t shy away from speaking, even if you make mistakes. Speaking with native speakers or fellow learners helps you gain confidence and improve your accent. Language exchange platforms or conversation partners can be a great way to practice.

How Kalimah Center Can Help

If you’re serious about learning Arabic in a year, Kalimah Center offers a range of online courses that can help you stay on track. Whether you’re a complete beginner or have some prior experience, their flexible programs are designed to meet your specific needs. They offer courses focusing on Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), which can be a great foundation for both formal and informal communication.

The center's experienced instructors can guide you through complex grammar rules, help you practice pronunciation, and offer insights into cultural nuances that enrich your learning experience. With their help, you can progress at a pace that suits you, making it more feasible to reach your goals within a year.

What to Expect After a Year

By the end of a year, you should have a good grasp of Arabic basics. You’ll likely be able to introduce yourself, hold simple conversations, and understand common phrases used in everyday situations. Reading short articles and listening to Arabic news might still pose some challenges, but you’ll find yourself more comfortable with the language overall.

The journey doesn’t end after a year, though. Arabic, like any language, requires continued practice to maintain and build upon what you’ve learned. The progress you make in 12 months can lay a strong foundation, giving you the confidence to continue exploring the language.

Final Thoughts

So, can you learn Arabic in a year? It’s definitely possible to make substantial progress, especially if you approach your studies with dedication and curiosity. While fluency may take longer, a year is enough to get a solid grounding in the language and enjoy the rewards of speaking and understanding Arabic. And with resources like Kalimah Center, you’ll have the guidance and support you need to make the most of your learning experience

[vasco-portable-translators]

How to learn a new language fast + QUIZ

Language learning is surely an interesting direction in one's self development. However, it may also be quite challenging. Memorizing new words, studying grammar rules, and practicing correct pronunciation can be really tough. Not to mention acquiring conversational fluency in the language of your choice. Fortunately, there are lots of helpful tools that will make language learning easier and more enjoyable. In this article, we’ll explain how to learn a new language fast, along with presenting the methods of studying that can provide the best results. Nevertheless, you may also be the person who finds language learning too difficult. Not a problem at all! We will present an alternative to language learning which is extremely helpful. FAQ: How can I teach myself to learn a language? The most important things to learning a language by yourself would be discipline and regularity. There are also methods, such as immersion or using online resources that can be helpful. However, it is always worth checking your progress with a professional tutor. What is the easiest way to learn a language? Although learning a new language is not an easy task at all, some methods bring quicker results than others. One of them is immersion, that is reading foreign books, watching foreign movies or TV shows without a voice-over or dubbing, or listening to foreign podcasts. Talking to native speakers of a given language can also be of great help. Which language is easy to learn? It depends on many factors. One of them is the language you use as your native tongue. For someone who is a native speaker of Dutch, learning German would be way easier than for someone who is a native speaker of Mandarin. How long does it usually take to learn a new language? The results of foreign language learning are usually apparent after 2 or 3 weeks of studying. Be careful, as results can often be misleading. The key to learning any new language is discipline and regularity. If you make longer breaks in your learning process, your initial progress may be lost. What are the best ways of learning a new language? Immersion, language courses, online resources, and language-learning apps are thought to be the best methods of learning a new language. Why can’t I learn a new language? Learning a new language is a big challenge for your mind as your brain needs to construct new cognitive frameworks. It may also be due to the lack of regular exercises. Can you really learn a language in 30 days? Such a task would require some serious dedication and using smart strategies. It's definitely worth trying, but it would be advised to maintain healthy realism. How long should it take to learn a new language? The first results of language learning may manifest themselves after 2 or 3 weeks. However, becoming a fluent speaker of a foreign language would require a year of studying.   Read the full article

[ravenstorytelling]

Learn Spanish from Beginning – Best 5 Tips for Beginners

Want to learn Spanish on your own as a beginner? Or looking for basic Spanish lessons that can boost your study? We got you covered. Keep reading our handpick guideline about the best Spanish self-learning lessons, websites, apps and courses online.

Table of Contents

Learn Spanish from beginning right now

5 Key Tips to Master Spanish for beginners

Essential Spanish Learning Resources You Should Know

Spanish Learning Apps and Courses which Boosts Your Learning

Best way to master Spanish in 30 days

FAQ for learning Spanish from Beginning

Conclusion

https://www.youtube.com/embed/DAp_v7EH9AA?feature=oembedLearn Spanish Now! – Language of Earth

Learn Spanish from beginning right now

►Introduce Yourself in Spanish: Essential Phrases and Tips

►Friend in Spanish: Phrases, Idioms, and Cultural Significance

►30+ Popular Spanish Sayings and Proverbs

►160 Most Common Spanish Verbs | Conjugation & More (+PDF)

►16 Ways to Say Thank You in Spanish: Formal and Informal Use

“If you make mistakes, you don’t have to worry about them.”

According to famous languAccording to famous language expert Michel Thomas, a stress-free environment is the key to learning Spanish for beginners. There are many methods and resources for self-studying Spanish; check out our five top tips now.

5 Key Tips to Master Spanish for beginners

Tip1. Set Realistic Goals for Spanish Learning

Setting achievable goals is crucial for maintaining motivation and tracking progress. Start by breaking your learning into manageable steps, like mastering basic vocabulary within the first month. Develop a detailed study plan with daily, weekly, and monthly objectives to stay organized. Utilize reliable resources, such as Preply’s Guide on Goal Setting, for structured advice.

Tip2. Utilize Free and Paid Spanish Learning Resources

The market offers a plethora of Spanish learning resources, both free and paid, suitable for learners at different stages. Don’t worry, we have sorted the best Spanish learning resources in this article too. For beginners or those on a budget, free resources like Lawless Spanish  and  YouTube Spanish Lessons  provide comprehensive guides on grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, making them an excellent starting point. These resources are great for initial exposure and basic practice.

For learners seeking more structured and personalized guidance, paid resources are often more beneficial. Platforms like AmazingTalker connects learners with tutors for personalized sessions tailored to individual needs, offering a more customized learning experience.

Tip3. Practice Spanish Regularly

Consistency is key to language acquisition. Dedicate a specific time each day to practice, even if it’s just 10-15 minutes. Use apps like Zeemish for quick daily practice.

Tip4. Engage with Native Spanish Speakers

Real-world practice helps improve fluency and understanding of cultural nuances. Participate in language exchange programs or use platforms like Preply to find tutors.

Tip5. Immerse Yourself in the Language

Immersion accelerates learning by exposing you to the language in various contexts. Watch Spanish movies, listen to Spanish music, and try to use Spanish in daily activities. OpenLearn Spanish offers practical language skills for everyday use.

Essential Spanish Learning Resources You Should Know

Lawless Spanish

Platform Introduction: A comprehensive online resource for learning Spanish.

Course Features: Includes guides on grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural notes. Offers interactive quizzes and tests to track progress.

Student Reviews: Users praise its thorough explanations and the helpfulness of the grammar lessons.

Link: Lawless Spanish

Spanish Lessons for Beginner Learners – YouTube Channel

Platform Introduction: A collection of free video tutorials designed for beginners.

Course Features: Covers basic vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and daily conversations through engaging video lessons.

Student Reviews: Highly rated for its accessible teaching style and the convenience of learning through videos

Link: YouTube Spanish Lessons

StudySpanish.com : Paid Spanish Courses for Spanish learner

Platform Introduction: An educational website dedicated to teaching Spanish.

Course Features: Comprehensive lessons on grammar, pronunciation, and cultural aspects. Provides quizzes and exercises for practice.

Student Reviews: Known for its in-depth explanations and effective practice exercises.

Link: StudySpanish.com

Spanish Learning Apps and Courses which Boosts Your Learning

Language Apps

Babbel

Platform Introduction: A subscription-based language learning app.

Course Features: Offers interactive lessons focusing on real-life conversational skills, with speech recognition technology to improve pronunciation.

Student Reviews: Users appreciate the structured courses and practical approach to language learning.

Link: Babbel Spanish

Zeemish Apps

Platform Introduction: A free app designed for beginners.

Course Features: Focuses on basic vocabulary and phrases with audio support for correct pronunciation.

Student Reviews: Users find it simple and effective for quick daily practice.

Link: Zeemish Apps

Drops

Platform Introduction: A vocabulary-focused learning app.

Course Features: Uses visual associations and game-like sessions to teach words and phrases.

Student Reviews: Praised for its engaging and fun approach to learning vocabulary.

Link: Drops

Online Courses

OpenLearn

Platform Introduction: Free courses provided by The Open University.

Course Features: Practical language skills for travel, with text and audio materials.

Student Reviews: Users appreciate the practical focus and the quality of the course content.

Link: OpenLearn Spanish

Best way to master Spanish in 30 days

AmazingTalker: Affordable and Personalized Online Spanish Learning

Embarking on the journey to learn Spanish can be challenging, especially for beginners facing obstacles like mastering pronunciation, understanding grammar, and staying motivated. AmazingTalker offers an ideal solution for these common pain points, providing affordable and personalized online Spanish courses. With AmazingTalker, you can benefit from:

Affordable Pricing: Low-cost lessons that make quality Spanish education accessible to everyone.

Flexible Scheduling: Classes available 24/7, allowing you to fit learning into your busy schedule.

Customized Lessons: Personalized lesson plans tailored to your specific learning needs and goals.

Platforms like Preply and AmazingTalker offer personalized tutor sessions that allow you to learn at your own pace and according to your schedule. This individualized approach can significantly enhance your learning experience and outcomes.

FAQ for learning Spanish from Beginning

Q1: Are free resources effective for beginners?

A: Yes, free resources like Lawless Spanish and YouTube playlists can be very effective, especially when they offer comprehensive guides and interactive content. However, combining free resources with paid options can provide a more rounded learning experience.

Q2: How do I choose the right learning tools?

A: Consider your learning style and goals. Apps like Zeemish are great for daily practice, while Babbel offers more structured lessons. Evaluate each tool’s features and user reviews to determine the best fit for you.

Q3: Is self-study effective, or should I enroll in a structured course?

A: Self-study can be highly effective if you set realistic goals and maintain a consistent study schedule. Structured courses, such as those offered by Babbel or through Preply tutors, provide additional support and motivation, which can be beneficial for staying on track.

Q4: Should I choose free resources or invest in paid courses?

A: Free resources are excellent for starting out and understanding the basics. As you progress, investing in paid courses or tutors can offer more advanced learning and personalized feedback, enhancing your overall proficiency.

Q5: Self-Study vs. Structured Courses which one suits for beginner?

Self-Study:

Strategies: Set clear, achievable goals, create a study plan, and practice regularly. Use a variety of resources and engage with native speakers for practical experience.

Benefits: Flexibility and the ability to learn at your own pace.

Structured Courses:

Advantages: Provide a guided learning experience with a clear curriculum and regular assessments. Tutors offer personalized feedback and support.

Recommendations: Combine self-study with structured courses for the best results.

Conclusion

Embarking on your Spanish learning journey can be both exciting and rewarding. By utilizing the tips and resources provided in this guide, you can start effectively and stay motivated. Share your learning experiences and tips in the comments below!

Read More

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Master the Art of Email in Spanish

Mastering IR Verbs in Spanish: Unlock the Potential of Your Language Skills

Jokes in Spanish: A Fun Way to Boost Your Language Skills

Mastering Spanish Tongue Twisters: A Fun Way to Improve Your Language Skills

[translationwala]

Language Harmony: Crafting Brilliance in English to Kannada Translation

Indian has many languages, which shows that the country has a lot of different cultures. Kannada is a Dravidian language spoken by more than 45 million people. It has its own past and literary culture. Translation is an important way for people from different countries to communicate with each other. Getting “Language Harmony” is very important when English to Kannada Translation. This blog post goes into great detail about this process and looks at ways to translate things in a way that Kannada readers can understand.

Understanding the Nuances: Cultural Contexts and Idioms

To get tongue unity, people must first understand the differences in culture between English and Kannada. English is spoken all over the world, so it has a lot of words and hidden meanings that might not be translated straight into Kannada. To handle these details, a good interpreter needs to know a lot about both societies.

For example, “kick the bucket” in English exactly means “బాటిని తన్నే (baati tannē)” in Telugu, which is another Dravidian language. It would be more normal to say “ಥರೋೋ ಪಥಸ್ದೆ ಸೇರುಁುದು (paraloka pathakke seruvudu)” in Kannada, which means “reach the heavenly abode.” This shows how important it is to put the cultural background of the target tongue ahead of a precise translation.

In the same way, culture references can make humor lost in translation. A translation has to look for jokes, metaphors, and other figures of speech in the English text and replace them with Kannada words that are just as funny or powerful.

Capturing the Essence: Maintaining Tone and Style

Aside from regional differences, keeping the tone and style of the original text is also important for language unity. A formal English document should be translated into a formal Kannada document. On the other hand, a chatty Kannada tone is needed for a casual writing document.

For example, to translate a business letter from English to Kannada, you would need to use professional sentence patterns and polite language. There are different levels of politeness in Kannada. A good translator would pick the right level based on the tone of the English text.

It’s also important to stick to the style of the original writing. If the English text is funny or serious, the Kannada translation should keep that style while still following the natural flow of the target language.

The Power of Vocabulary: Choosing the Right Words

To achieve tongue unity, it is important to choose the right Kannada words. English has a very large vocabulary, and some words may have more than one Kannada version. A good translator knows how to pick the word that best fits the situation and explains the intended meaning and tone.

For instance, the English word “happy” can mean different things in different Kannada words. “ಸಸತೋಷ” (santhosha) means happiness in general, “ಆರಒದ” (aananda) means bliss, and “ಚುಷಿ” (khushi) is a more casual word for happiness. The translation would pick the best word based on what the English text says about the case.

Also, translators who do professional translations usually need to have a lot of specific knowledge in the field. To make sure the translated Kannada text is correct and easy to understand, legal papers, medical reports, and engineering guides need translators who know the specific terms used in both languages.

Striking a Balance: Fluency and Faithfulness

The best English to Kannada Translation is one that flows well and stays true to the original. A exact version might be more concerned with truth, but it would sound strange and off in Kannada. On the other hand, focusing on ease can cause you to lose sight of the original message.

A good translation tries to find a balance between making sure the text reads well in Kannada and staying true to the original English text’s main idea and meaning. To strike this careful balance, you need to know a lot about both languages and be able to write lines in Kannada that run easily while still staying true to the meaning of the original text.

The Art of Translation: A Skill Worth Appreciating

English to Kannada Translation is an art that requires more than just language skills. You need to understand both languages’ subtleties and be sensitive to their cultures. Translators can make versions that work well with other languages by keeping the same tone and style, choosing the right words, and finding the right mix between being fluent and being true to the original.

In today’s international world, it’s important to be able to communicate clearly across languages. We make sure that ideas, information, and inspiration can run easily between English and Kannada by realizing the importance of skilled translators. This helps people understand each other better and makes both countries stronger.

Source: https://translationwala.wordpress.com/2024/03/28/language-harmony-crafting-brilliance-in-english-to-kannada-translation/

[skillmetrics9]

8 competencies you must know

You’re known at your workplace for being the best at your job

You probably have scored the highest marks in your college.

But it means so little if you don’t have the skills that you need.

What I mean here is, do you have the skill of teamwork.

Some of the most important professional skills can’t really be taught in the classroom, and these skills are competencies, that Required to you for your Career Growth

So look at, the Definition of competency,

Let’s look up 8 core competencies that are required for your Career growth and development.

Career Development 

Communication

Critical Thinking

Equity And Inclusion 

Leadership

Professionalism

Teamwork

Technology

Self-development and Career development Competencies

It’s important to grow by understanding yourself and the world.

We are all different, which means it’s impossible to be perfect in everything.

The goal is not to be ideal, but to find balance.

Career competencies should start with self-awareness,

awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses.

Then, with this knowledge, you can make better decisions about your career path.

By doing continual personal and professional Competencies learning,

You will gain access to new opportunities that help you build your career towards what you want it to be in the future.

Know your own strengths and development areas

Always look for opportunities in the development area while pursuing

develop a plan for greater opportunity

advise yourself and others for growth

always eager for opportunities

Build relationships with people who help you for professional development

Communication Competency

Communication competence is the ability to communicate one’s wants, needs, and thoughts to others in ways that help them maintain or improve the current state of their relationships.

Competent communicators have the want, knowledge, and skill to communicate with others in ways that can keep the emotional tone of interactions positive, supportive, and nonthreatening.

They also keep the content of their communication appropriate for the context in which the communication takes place,

and can employ strategies to manage conflict during community communication when it occurs.

Competent communicators want to maintain positive relationships, know which behaviors are appropriate for various situations and can perform the behaviors effectively.

To develop intercultural communication competence a person needs first, extensive knowledge of the culture, a detailed understanding of the culture’s, values, beliefs, and behavioral patterns.

Second, fluency of primary language or languages having knowledge of in the skill to appropriately follow semantic-pragmatic and syntactic rules of the language or languages used by the cultural group.

And third, a great deal of interaction with members within the culture.

When interacting with individuals from a foreign culture, an additional set of attributes is necessary.

For example, a person must have a relatively high tolerance for ambiguity.

When interactions include people from two or more different cultures,

one needs to be fairly comfortable communicating with people who may have different ways of interacting and behaving than one is usual.

For instance, a person needs to be able to cope with situations where she or he doesn’t quite know the rules,

May not be fluent in the language being spoken,

and may or may not agree with the views of others.

A person should be able to change her or his behavior to accommodate the cultural expectations of others in the communication situation

A person practices empathy when trying to understand and mentally experience other’s situations and perspectives.

Mindfulness occurs when a person actively pays attention to a communication situation and takes into consideration the ideas and behaviors of others.

It is important to note that one does not necessarily need to agree with what she or he observes during an intercultural interaction.

Empathy and mindfulness help a person to understand why others think, communicate and behave the way they do and to respect why they value their perspectives.

People are not born with how to communicate with others.

Communication is something that has been learned, just about anyone with enough practice can learn to communicate competently across a wide variety of situations.

Critical thinking Competency

Critical thinking is challenging to specify and understand.

It’s not just a simple and straightforward process we can accomplish on autopilot.

It does not come naturally to us, instead, it needs practice and discipline to master. 

There are many components of critical thinking competence which need to be mastered in order to become an effective critical thinker.

An effective thinker, as opposed to an ineffective thinker, must have the skills necessary for the job such as judgment, attitude, and competency as well as certain skills such as reading comprehension or analysis.

Critical thinking is an intellectually trained process of progressive and skillful design, application, analysis, and reasoning of data from various sources in order to make informed opinions.

Building up your critical thinking competencies has

Many advantages. At work, you can use the following steps to develop critical thinking and present your

Recommendations to superiors and colleagues.

Using this, you can solve many solutions in many situations.

Analyze a case.

Craft an argument with six sentences and submit it to peer review.

Assess your peers’ submissions and give constructive feedback.

Learn from the comments you received.

Reflect on solutions from the whole team.

Equity & Inclusion Competencies

Show consciousness, attitude, knowledge, skills

You have to be quite involved and interact with different people regional and global cultures.

Engaging in anti-racist practices

Actively challenge racist systems, structures, and policy

Use feedback from multiple cultural perspectives to make comprehensive, impartial decisions.

Actively contribute to comprehensive and impartial practices affects personal and systematic changes.

Comprehension, clean practices, justice, and authorization for a community that has historically been marginalized.

Open your mind to various ideas and new ways of thinking.

Identify resources and remove personal barriers Systematic racism, inequality, prejudice

Shows flexibility in adapting to various environments.

Leadership Competency

Leadership Core Competencies shape how we lead and what we do as leaders.

They determine the impact we have on our team and organization.

Key Leadership competencies can be categorized into two categories:

Personal competencies,

which are those that relate to individual leader behavior, and

Organizational core competencies,

which are those that relate to the environment in which the leader operates.

Personal core competencies include awareness, self-governance, empathy, social competencies, judgment making, and emotional ability.

Organizational competencies include management style, courage, and expertise.

One of the main leadership competencies examples is Trust 

there are a lot of skills you need as a leader, but the most critical by far is the ability to create a stable trust in trust,

when there is no trusting relationship, projects fall apart, clients go to competitors,

but Contrary to what most people believe, Trust is not some elusive quality that you either have or you don’t have,

in fact, creating trust is something you can get good at

and far faster than you might have thought possible,

in my experience, many teams are over-managed and underled if

you want to learn the defining skill

that can transform you from a manager to a leader, then learn trust

it’s trust that turns a group of people into a team

it’s trust that turns a vendor into a true partner

it’s trust that creates a strong brand

Grow to trust the stronger your culture the better your performance and the more enduring your results

Professionalism (Professional Competency)

Professionalism means treating other people with the respect that we believe we deserve ourselves

respecting everyone around you and yourself as well is paramount,

I think that respect ultimately is what defines professionalism

not being flaky being conscientious and considerate having the ability to listen professionalism is being yourself but

it’s also ensuring that others understand you care about their agenda and that means from the way you look

from the way that you talk, from the way that you carry yourself

professionalism is not wasting other people’s time, and you feel it when you’re interacting with somebody

the idea of self-awareness I think of, someone who knows when it’s appropriate

to be silly at work and

When it’s appropriate to be serious and someone who is also very respectful of other people’s positions.

In the workspace not burning any bridges, the world goes round and round, and you want to make sure that

that you’re not burning any bridges so that when the world goes around

you get to work with that person again, you have a good working relationship

you can either help them or actually, they can help you tact promptness quality

someone who is empathetic to the needs of people that they are working for,

working with context of ethics in terms of doing a good job in

terms of being very mindful of your or your co-workers delivering what you say you’re going to deliver,

it really comes down to being a nice person to treat others the way you want to be treated in your professional work environment and

that builds credibility can know everything you can in a field, but if you’re a jerk it’s not going to do you a lot of good

Teamwork Competency

One of the bases of a good team is the quality of the people chosen to work as a team,

let’s take a look at the teamwork and collaboration competencies

providing teams with people who have interpersonal skills and competencies to facilitate the completion of tasks,

but who can also do well in a team environment is critical

you should pay attention to the following qualities of Teamwork Competency:

The ability to resolve conflicts, the ability to recognize and reward the desired and discourage the unwanted team conflict.

The ability to acknowledge the type and source of state the team is to face up and to utilize

Ability to jointly solve problems, the ability to identify conditions requiring joint problem-solving in a group, and to use an appropriate level of participation

Communication skills, the ability to communicate openly and maintain the ability to listen objectively and use appropriately

Active listening techniques, the ability to maximize alignment of non-verbal and verbal messages, and to recognize and interpret other people’s non-verbal messages

The ability to self-manage, that is, the ability to help set specific, complex, and generally accepted team goals, and the ability to provide constructive feedback when planning and completing tasks.

The ability to coordinate the ability to organize and adjust information about acts and tasks between team members the ability to determine tasks and delegate roles to individual team members and ensure that the co-operation work is properly balanced

competencies also include a realizing of ethical behavior in teams,

the more frequently and the more intensively we interact with our co-workers,

the stronger their influence on ourselves;

this is especially true for managers who express the importance of

consistently set good examples as ethics managers are particularly important in teams

Technological Competencies

Technological competency is our ability to use and understand previous and emerging technologies,

Whether it is done physically or digitally

In line with this, we are able to find and discover solutions to a certain problem that leads to successful work it aggregates knowledge skills and emotional engagement

Real-time communication is one of the advantages of living in this era, aside from this we are able to save energy

You will be open to navigating change and learning new technologies.

Use technology to increase their work efficiency and productivity.

Determine the right technology for specific tasks

Manipulate information, build ideas and use technology to achieve strategic goals.

Adapt quickly to new or unfamiliar technologies.

[englishbhashi]

Boost Your Confidence: Effective Strategies for English Public Speaking

Public speaking can be a daunting task, especially when English is not your native language. However, with the right strategies, you can overcome your fears and boost your confidence in English public speaking. Here are some effective techniques to help you succeed:

Expand Your Knowledge with English Bhashi!

Practice, practice, practice: The more you practice, the more comfortable you will feel speaking in public. Practice your speech in front of a mirror, record yourself, or even join a public speaking club to gain valuable feedback and improve your skills.

Know your audience: Tailor your speech to the audience you will be addressing. Research their interests and needs to create a connection and engage them effectively.

Use visual aids: Incorporate visual aids such as slides, props, or videos to enhance your presentation. Visuals can reinforce your message and help you deliver it more effectively.

Focus on body language: Pay attention to your posture, gestures, and facial expressions. Maintain eye contact with your audience and use confident body language to convey your message effectively.

Embrace mistakes: Accept that mistakes are a natural part of public speaking. Instead of dwelling on them, learn from them and move on. Remember, the audience is usually supportive and wants you to succeed.

Seek feedback: Ask for feedback from trusted friends, colleagues, or mentors. Constructive criticism can help you identify areas for improvement and refine your speaking skills.

Practice active listening: Engage with your audience by actively listening to their questions or comments. Respond thoughtfully and show genuine interest in their perspectives.

Build vocabulary and fluency: Enhance your English language skills by reading extensively, practicing speaking with native speakers, and expanding your vocabulary. The more confident you are with the language, the better you will feel when speaking publicly.

Remember, building confidence in English public speaking takes time and practice. Be patient with yourself and celebrate your progress along the way. With consistent effort and these effective strategies, you can become a proficient and confident English public speaker.

Share this post with your friends and family who are eager to enhance their English skills. Let’s inspire and empower each other on this incredible language-learning path. Together, we can achieve greatness! So, what are you waiting for? Visit English Bhashi today and embark on an exciting adventure of language learning.

[theblogs2024]

Benefits Of Discovering French

In case you have generally planned to study French, you’re nowhere in the vicinity of by itself; millions of people analyze the language everyday around the world. And it’s No surprise! French can be a language that captures a prosperous culture and record. The French language normally takes you throughout the world, from Europe to Africa to North The usa and in some cases for the islands of the Caribbean.

But You could have plenty of questions about why you should study French or what it will take to get started — or why it’s even worthwhile at all. The excellent news is you are able to be confident that Understanding the French language is an effort and hard work well worth enterprise. With the correct technology to information you in your journey, you’ll see your initiatives pay off in so some ways.

Great things about Studying French Selecting up a new skill may help you express your creativity, promote your head, and discover new sides of by yourself along the best way. Mastering a brand new language like French isn't any exception! Listed here are merely some of the numerous ways you can make a optimistic effect on your lifetime for those who discover French.

Avenue scene quebec Study French For Journey — Once the spirit of adventure strikes, don’t Enable language limitations maintain you back. If you have French in the back again pocket, you do have a passport to a whole new environment. Mastering French not merely implies you’ll have the ability to navigate new towns by looking at road signs, menus, and educate tickets; What's more, it enables you to join Along with the new folks you fulfill there. It’s generally mentioned that The simplest way to examine a fresh put is throughout the eyes of an area, and Understanding French helps you to branch away from vacationer hotspots and into the real earth because the native speakers see it. Whether it’s the rocky shorelines of Brittany or the romantic streets of Paris, you’ll be far more Geared up to venture off the crushed route and take a look at all the excellent foodstuff, environment-class wine and inexhaustible nation allure France provides If you have French inside your linguistic repertoire.

Stay The French Language Overseas — Whether you’re trying to enroll at a international university and also have a more choice college or university encounter, find a task at a hostel that allows you to hit the Seaside by day and perform in the evening, or retire in an area which has a slower rate of everyday living, dwelling overseas is arms down the best arms-on method of receiving the most immersive language practical experience doable. By inserting on your own within an setting where you’re obligated to speak French, you’ll fast-keep track of your journey to fluency. Your daily life will take on new twists and turns if you transfer to an unfamiliar location, and there’s so much of your French-Talking entire world to investigate. Whenever you learn French, you open up up a gateway to a robust, vibrant, and novel lifetime adventure!

Construct Your small business French Skills — Nowadays the entire world is more related economically than in the past prior to. The sweeping tides of globalization necessarily mean that firms and organizations currently are working throughout Worldwide borders and boundaries. For those who’re an experienced searching for strategies to stay competitive and latest in the global current market, Studying French is often a no-brainer for success. Western Europe as well as the African continent are both of those emerging markets jam packed with chance for corporations. Studying the French language is an amazing way to attach with colleagues in other countries, score new clientele, Establish powerful relationships with French-speaking companions and traders, and also to exhibit the multicultural, Intercontinental, and inclusive nature of one's brand name.

Use Language To Practice Your Mind — Making any new talent is a surefire approach to grow your intellectual horizons. Finding out French can be an especially seem way to keep your Mind adaptable and nimble, Primarily when you get older. Selecting up a different language consists of building connections involving words and phrases and the things they symbolize, using apart and Placing jointly grammatical constructions, spontaneously speaking and considering on your toes, sticking that has a problem when it’s irritating and perplexing, and a complete number of Energetic listening. There are couple superior approaches to physical exercise your psychological muscles than by Finding out French.

Immerse Oneself In French Society, Unfiltered — Finding out French opens you up not just to a better comprehension of the language itself and also in the arts and society of the globe that speaks it. To study the literature of decorated French-Talking authors like Victor Hugo, Guillaume Apollinaire, and Charles Baudelaire is to engage Together with the language in some of its most attractive and poetic expressions. With the lens of French you obtain a more Energetic immersion in additional contemporary French-language media like podcasts, radio displays, audiobooks, and television exhibits. The tales and recipes of environment-renowned culinary creations, the dialogue of renowned French movies, and probably the most sweeping currents in French-language journalism all develop into obtainable to you if you master the French language. And if you’re from a household with French-Talking elders and ancestors however , you don’t know the language your self, Finding out French is a wonderful way to attach with your heritage.

Check out more details here: French Classes

[yeshasvigupta]

5 Tips How to Be Fluent in English Speaking

The English language is always considered the hardest language to learn but being driven to acquire a speaking fluency should be your motivating factor. Understand the fact with the right training, learning any language can be a fun and enjoyable experience. Here is in this article will help you out with five tips on how to be fluent in English Speaking.

What you should not do:

Many people all over the globe frequently make this terrible mistake of learning grammar rather than conversational English. So always remember that when you become a good English speaker you just need to focus on conversing rather than memorizing the grammar part.

5 tips for developing English Speaking fluency:

1. Don’t just read the paper

As a course of your learning English language, you are not bound to read. That is why you need to be cautious. You should read with depth and mark all the words that you have not sure. Write these words and find their meanings so that you can maintain your English language learning a bit.

2. Use these words which you have learned

Learning new words is a great step that you take toward improving your English speaking fluency; however, if you wish to speed up in that process, you can try and make use of those newly acquired words while conversing with others.

3. Do not feel embarrassment

As someone points out you on your mistake while conversing then try not to get offended. Instead, see him or her as your well-wisher and try to adopt the right way of using those words in sentences. Those things also make a great improvement.

4. Increase your confidence

It is an obvious fact that confidence will come only when you gain a certain amount of flow in the language and for that, you have to practice and not hesitate in English speaking at all times. You can also involve your friends and family members and ask them to converse with you only in the English language.

Conclusion

A professional course is something for non-native English learners should consider as it helps to improve their speaking skills in English efficiently step-by-step and also should evaluate by them too. You can also do some research online that will help to strengthen your fluency. Hence, once you think you are ready then get out into the world and put all your learned skills to use.

[skaruresonic]

This is really important and I think I needed to hear it because just today I was starting to become discouraged about how much we've been studying and how much this current unit has been kicking my ass. They’re throwing words upon words upon words at us without letting us cogitate on them, and I'm like, "How the hell am I supposed to remember all this?" Not to mention I completely ate shit today while speaking. Wakačhurihá·ʔnyeʔ utkwéhreh haʔ kyè·wę. It's disheartening when you make what you think are rookie mistakes and forget words you believe you should definitely remember by now. I'm getting better at speaking but I still need to revise things in my head at least a few times before it comes out right, and yet my mouth and my brain still don’t agree. Given how many moving parts go into sentence construction, anyone would be forgiven for in-the-moment mistakes.

Because I tend to be really hard on myself and always push to strive for more, the thought that maybe I'll never be able to truly understand this language weighs on me. The sheer volume of what I don't know and may continue to forget in spite of my efforts intimidates and overwhelms. Add the pressure of the fact that we don’t have any native speakers left and you have a recipe for language-learning anxiety. But then, it might behoove me to remember to maintain some perspective. A.) This is not my first language. It should have been, but it was taken from me through intergenerational trauma and internalized racism. What I should have grown up learning, I have to relearn as an adult, which is a lot different than naturally picking up on it as a child. I started off knowing nothing but a meager scattering of words, not even how to construct sentences, and now I can write sentences and hold basic conversations! That's a lot in the grand scheme of things, B.) I'm not that great at expressing my thoughts in English, spoken or written, so is it any wonder this lack of verbal proficiency shows up in another language lol, C.) Since so few people speak Skarureʔkyéha·ʔ, much less fluently, it's going to be much harder to learn this language than learning via immersion in French or Spanish or Japanese; however, that just means anything I do learn will help others later on down the line so they won't have to struggle as much. D.) This is legitimately one of the hardest languages in the world in which to gain fluency, in part because it's so different from Western languages and almost requires a fundamental restructuring of your thinking. The process is always going to be an uphill battle. E.) There are only two modes in Skarù·ręʔ: difficult and fucking difficult. No way out but through and all that.

I do think it's a fault of the human condition a bit that once we become proficient at something, we start to forget that that something was at one point very difficult for us. Once we get good, we start just mentally sorting the things we're good at as being "easy" to do.

Like I've been tying my shoes my entire life. I can do it blindfolded. It's easy FOR ME to tie my shoes. But I remember how hard it was to learn how to do it at first. The mental effort to remember the steps and the physical dexterity to perform them was difficult. For a long time. But eventually I became proficient at it. Tying my shoes didn't become easier, I just got better at doing it. The task itself was completely the same in its level of difficulty.

If I saw someone, regardless of age, who was having a hard time tying their shoes. I wouldn't assume they're a fucking moron just because I don't have trouble with that anymore. I'd just assume either they're still learning how to do it, or there's some other factor at play that inhibits their ability to achieve proficiency. It isn't a personal failing on their part that they have a hard time with something that I no longer have difficulty with. Tying your shoes is fucking hard. Everything is hard. Life doesn't get better, YOU just get better at living it. Or, you don't and then you need some extra help, and there's nothing wrong with that because the struggle is real.

I feel like sometimes people forget what it was like to suck at something. You should try to remember. I remember tying my laces into knots and then needing to use my teeth to undo them because my shoes weren't tight enough and kept slipping off my feet. I remember falling off my bike and skinning my knees. I remember rage quitting Dark Souls cuz I couldn't get past the fucking bell tower gargoyles. I remember getting so flustered trying to learn the new program tools at my job that I snapped at our teacher in the middle of training.

I don't have trouble with any of those things now. But I'd never look down on anyone who still does, cuz that shit was fucking hard yo. Frankly it's a miracle that anybody manages to tie their shoes.

[lilmizartgrove]

Full Body version of Casimir for my character ref book I’m in the process of making. Here is some info about him! And by some info I mean:

EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM 😳

Enjoy!

"She is a product of humanity’s arrogance and now we all have to pay for it. You have no choice but to get rid of her for good. She is far past redemption. Her death is the only way."

      - Casimir talking to Nefertari

        General Information

Name: Casimir Grimaldi

Pronunciation: Cas-ih-mihr Grih-mahl-dee

Nicknames: Cassibear (Seraphina), no one else has the courage to give him a nickname

Gender: Male

Birth Name: Casimir Grimaldi

Birth Date: May 20

Birth Place: Unknown

First Word(s): Unknown

Dominant Hand: Left

Astrological Sign: Taurus

    Appearance

Height: 7’11” (216.71 cm)

Weight: 309 lbs (140.16 kg)

Race: Ethereal

Skin Color: Pale Ivory

Birthmarks: N/A

Extra Anatomy: N/A

Hair Color: Ginger

Hair Length: 32 inches

Hair Type: Wavy (2A)

Hair Style: Usually kept half up, half down or in a ponytail. He has bangs

Widow's Peak: N/A

Ear Shape: Long and tapered to a point

Eye Color: Base is a pink colour, yellow and purple cloud like moving nebulas move to show where he is looking. A star type structure is in place of his pupils, it glows and dims depending on his mood and health.

Eye Type: Downturned

Eyebrows: Thin and rounded

Nose Shape: Straight ig

Teeth: White, canines are long and sharp bottom teeth are moved to accommodate

Face Shape: Square

Complexion: Fair skin

Facial Hair: None

Musical Instruments: Casimir is pretty adept at playing the guqin. It helps him relax and decompress.

Amulets: Casimir wheres an amulet of a phoenix on the belt he wears over his sash. It represents the bond he has with one of the Creatures of Creation, Bennu, Prince of Water, Lord of Life, Rebirth, and Time.

Piercings: Casimir has two ear piercings. One is just a stud and the other is a tassel earring (on his right ear) that is froma pair to show he is married. His wife, Seraphina, has the other (worn on her left ear)

Hygiene: Maintains a thorough personal hygiene routine

Makeup: He wears blue eyeliner around his eyes

Perfume / Cologne: Doesn’t wear any

Scars: His left hand is blackened mid way up his forearm due to an injury he obtained in the First Great Cataclysm. He wears a glove to cover it.

Tattoos: He wears traditional Ethereal face markings. His colour is light pink

    Voice

Accent / Dialect: Due to his age, Casimir has fluency in all known languages with no accent

Pitch: Baritone

Volume: He is fairly quiet most of the time but when he is loud, it’s LOUD

Laughter: Chuckles most of the time but if he does laugh it’s loud and hearty

Impediments: N/A

        Philosophy

Religion: Doesn’t really have a name

Devotion: Worships Il Phyrea, the One, Creator of All

Superstitions: N/A

Deathwish: Ethereals are immortal. They don’t die from sickness or injury but can be killed.

Allegiance: Pliotea, His family

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Attitude: Calm, Cold, Calculated

Outlook on Life: N/A

Perception: He judges based on his experiences and encounters.

Vices: Indifference, Impatience, Ruthless

Virtues: Acuity, Candor, Tactfulness

    Character

Primary Objective: Protecting his family

Secondary Objectives: Protecting the realms, Teaching

Priorities: His family, taking care of students when they are sick, being the commander of the Alpha Squadron, Maintaining his duties as one of the rulers of Pliotea, his home realm

Motivation: 10/10

Self Confidence: 10/10

Self Control: 10/10

Self Esteem: 10/10

Quirks: Taps his pointer finger on the nearest object when irritated, rubbing his forehead when exasperated, eats smaller meals throughout the day, bouncing one of his legs when working, 

Hobbies: Playing the Guqin

Closet Hobbies: Writing poems for his wife and leaving them for her

Guilty Pleasures: N/A

Habits: An early riser, scoffing, crosses his arms (most of the time) when standing, rubbing his left hand when in deep thought

Desires: N/A

Lures: His wife can lure him into doing any and everything she wants though she usually does this to seduce him in the confines of his office these days.

Manias: N/A

Afflictions: He was injured by one of the Darkness’s many creatures of darkness which left his hand up to mid forearm blackened and numb. He can’t feel with that hand anymore though he can still use it. He also feels no pain in that area either.

Traumas: He still has PTSD from the First Great Cataclysm. It isn’t as bad as it used to be but he is affected sometimes.

Worries: Losing his family and being unable to protect them

Nervous Tics: He clenches his jaw when nervous

Instigators: Insulting his family and abusive actions (of any kind) being performed in front of him or he has knowledge of. These are the two things that will have him reacting immediately. His justice depends on the situation and setting.

Soothers: Cuddling Seraphina

Soft Spots: He has a soft spot for those who are pure of mind and personality. The ones who have not experienced misfortune. He wants to protect them. He also has a soft spot for kids.

Accomplishments: One of the few who survived the First Great Cataclysm

Greatest Achievement: He, along with Seraphina and his Squadron, were the ones who led the attack against the Darkness and were the ones that sealed her away

Failures: He’s had many failures throughout his long life. It happens to even the greatest of races.

Biggest Failure: He considers his greatest failure not killing the Darkness and making sure that she could never harm the realms again

Favorite Dream: He lives his favourite dream everyday. With the woman he always wanted and with kids

Worst Nightmare: For a few hundred years, he had a nightmare that the Darkness returned and he had to watch as she killed his entire family before killing him and taking over the realms

Earliest Memory: Living with his parents and brother in a little meadow

Fondest Memory: When he first held his eldest son after Seraphina gave birth with him

Worst Memory: The First Great Cataclysm

Funniest Moment: N/A

Happiest Moment: His happiest moment was when Seraphina walked down the aisle

Saddest Moment: Although they managed to seal away the Darkness, all but one of his Squadron died due to their mana being depleted to do it. He watched them drop when they couldn’t go on anymore.

Most Prized Possession: During their courtship, Seraphina made him a little solar system as a gift. He takes it with him everywhere and it is currently located on his desk in his office at Cliffside Academy. It’s about the size of a soccer ball

Most Valuable Possession: See above

Collections: He has a collection of items from every realm he has been on. Their little trinkets

Embarrassments: During one of the few moments of peace that came during the First Great Cataclysm, Casimir was reinacting one of the plays him and his Squadmates remembered. He reenacted the part of the woman and right when he and his Squadmate, Mikha’el, were about to fake making out passionately, Seraphina walked in. She had laughed at them hysterically and left the tent. She reminds him of this day often as it was the first time she saw him. For him it’s an embarrassing memory.

Mannerisms: He is fearless in his displays of affection with Seraphina. He doesn’t care who’s watching.

Humor: He has grim, dark humour. Some find him funny, some find it unnerving

Regrets: Not being strong enough to end the darkness once and for all.

Secrets: None

Darkest Secret: None

Pet Peeves: Chewing with your mouth open, fidgeting when talking to him, people who mumble when they talk

Phobias: None

Greatest Fear: The return of the Darkness even though he knows it’s coming, he still fears it.

Confidence: 10/10

Creativity: 8/10

Generosity: 4/10

Honesty: 10/10

Loyalty: 10/10

Insecurities: 0/10

Patience: 3/10

Predictability: 1/10

Reliability: 10/10

Respect: 7/10

Responsibility: 10/10

Trustworthiness: 10/10

    Preferences

Likes: Meadows, cooking and baking, tea, architecture

Dislikes: Liars, huge crowds and events, no manners, rudeness, unnecessary violence, arrogance

Favorites: Lilui nuts, meat, his wife (they’ve been married for thousands of years) and kids

Least Favorites: Nagging and yelling

    Magick

Magick Identification: Death’s Judgement (Vitakinesis/Health Manipulation)

Class: Sorcerer

Level: X (Highest level)

Magick Description: Vitakinesis allows Casimir to manipulate physical, mental, and social well-being of an individual. He can manipulate regenerative qualities, sense the health state a person is in currently and the health history of an individual. With one look, Casimir can sense the wounds, diseases, injuries, and ailments of an individual and what has caused them. Then, once diagnosed, Casimir can get rid of it.

In a battle situation, Casimir is not someone you want to come into contact with. He's a healer but he's also a double-edged sword who will end you with no hesitation. With his abilities he can reopen old wounds and re-inflict illnesses, conditions, and ailments of his opponent or inflict new ones entirely without even touching you or being in close proximity. He is also able to control the mental state of himself and those around him, with permission unless in the midst of battle. He can cause his opponent to go mad or insane even if they had been helped before, or he can heal those afflicted with a mental illness and make them mentally healthy again.

    Social

Mother: Unknown

Father: Unknown

Guardians: Unknown

Siblings: He has a brother, Aurelius Grimaldi

Children: He has seven children (listed oldest to youngest)

Asmodeus

Azriel

Noxis

Thaiphon

Icarus (twin)

Illiyah (twin)

Lysithea

Close Relatives: Unknown

Distant Relatives: Unknown

Ancestors: Unknown

Best Friend: Mikha'el Jeoveal (The only other one of his squadron that survived the First Great Cataclysm)

Close Friends: He is great friends with Lasanyl (Cliffside Academy Headmaster) and Nudalza (Cliffside Academy Potions & Alchemy Professor)

Confidantes: His wife

Friends: He has many who he considers friends, the Alpha Squadron is amongst these even tho he also considers them mentees

Rivals: N/A

Enemies: The Darkness

    Romance

First Love: Seraphina Divini (He saw her, once, on the battlefield during the First Great Cataclysm and immediately fell in love. When it was over he approached her to court her. They have been together ever since.)

Love Interests: Seraphina Divini

Marital Status: Married

Orientation: Heterosexual

Significant Other: Seraphina Divini

    Personality

Casimir is a calm, cold, and calculated individual. He is considered one of the greatest warriors in all the realms and has earned many honors due to his involvement and valiant fighting during the First Great Cataclysm. He is dedicated, intelligent, and ruthless in most, if not all, pursuits. He is a tough and strict commander of the Alpha Squadron though his wife curbs him from pushing them too hard. As one of the oldest of the Ethereal people, many try to gain audiences with him for knowledge and  advice. However, he isn’t a huge people person and prefers to be around people he knows, even if he only knows them a little. He is very much an introvert. He likes peace and quiet, though knows how to live in chaos and mayhem due to how his kids ran amok during their younger years.

Upon first glance, most consider him beautiful yet unapproachable. This is due to the indifferent air he carries around himself. He is rather emotionless and doesn’t portray much care to those around him, though he does care deeply. He is a pretty serious guy and intimidating if even slightly annoyed. Those who are in his inner circle, however, know a different man. To those he trusts and cares for, he shows slightly more emotion and tries to voice his care and gentleness to the best of his ability. He is truly an emotional and sensitive being and would lay down his life for those he cares for in a heartbeat. He is a caring, understanding, and loyal friend and the best person to go to for advice.

Getting on his badside is a mistake that you will learn almost before you even make it. His justice is swift and merciless. He will show no restraint, no mercy, no empathy. He does not forgive easily nor does he forget. He may not retaliate immediately, but sooner or later you’ll find yourself having a bad time. He is incredibly old, and although sometimes very impatient, thousands of years of life have made him patient. His revenge is cold and you won’t even know it was him.