A Ninth Grader Who Went From Math Meltdown To Math Touchdown

A Ninth Grader Who Went From Math Meltdown To Math Touchdown Some years back (I won’t say how many), when I was a high school student also enrolled in a community and technical college as part of our state’s Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program that allowed high school juniors and seniors to attend a college and simultaneously earn high school and college credits, I had the opportunity to tutor a group of various math students in a troubled youth program. I was also earning some catchup credits for high school graduation for doing so. However, one student I worked with turned my motivations for simply getting the credit into something more. Anxiety about math I was introduced to this boy (for the sake of confidentiality, we will refer to him as “Andy”, not his real name) by a teacher whom I got along very well with and was very fond of at the time. I was a high school senior. Andy was in the ninth grade and had all the same struggles typical male teenagers face entering high school and the social experiment of adolescence. He also had issues with anger and frustration, along with some problems at home, so he lashed out sometimes. My teacher thought I could connect well with Andy. Also read Tips for reducing back to school anxiety in kids At first, I thought she was crazy. Andy’s anxiety about math probably stemmed from some of these other issues in addition to social shame. I think Andy didn’t want to be humiliated for not knowing the answers, so he preferred not to try at all. He would distract himself from the problem altogether, but I could tell he was isolated and really needed someone to trust. 100 #LessonPlans And Ideas For Teaching #Math http://t.co/gWy2T5eKsT â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) August 3, 2015 Support is key Andy really didn’t have a strong support system as I later found out. Most other students were too afraid, unconcerned or passive to deal with trying to tutor or assist Andy in some way. His classmates dismissed it easily as Andy’s normal behavior patterns. Rather than digging in and being very forceful, a move that would likely draw Andy further inward, I tried a more social approach. I got to know a little bit about Andy. I asked him about school, life, home, his hobbies and what some of his interests were. When I got Andy to focus a bit more on things that he felt comfortable about talking about and actually interested in, he was actually engaged. That is the right time to swiftly move into the math problems. Of course, I would face more resistance and other obstacles with Andy trying to revert to his comfort zone of poor behaviors, but he was a ninth grader learning how to eventually become a man of his own. I found out the Andy loved cars and racing, along with anything that had a motor including dirt bikes, boats, ATVs, motorcycles and of course, monster trucks. Since Andy was so acutely interested in powersports, I worked the personal questions into the math homework that we both knew that we weren’t getting out of, either one of us! It worked out very well. Do You Hate Math? 5 Ways To Instill A Love Of Math In Kids http://t.co/SDnaKpFKp5 #backtoschool #homeschooling pic.twitter.com/afIR8VqvZx â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) August 12, 2015 Sense of achievement I would watch Andy’s confidence grow more and more throughout that year. With every achievement and a clear connection to his actual life, Andy felt like he could actually be somebody and achieve things in life, and even at school and social life. Andy’s social life did improve too as he learned valuable life and social skills in the tutoring session in his ninth grade year. His demeanor had changed and he started making friends. There was more. Feeling empowered and more confident than ever before, Andy himself started helping others with their homework, engaging with them on problems without inverting his personality one bit! 8 #Videos That Prove #Math Is Awesome http://t.co/ctmhsmzZ7o pic.twitter.com/A3986sfavR â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) August 17, 2015 What really struck me though, was when I went back to visit my teacher while I was in college. She was very excited. She told me that Andy had become a tutor in the same program. Now I had a great sense of achievement, moving from adolescence into adulthood as a man headed out to a larger university. Andy’s case isn’t isolated though. There are millions of children out there that need someone to individually connect with. Innovative online tutoring services like Tutor Pace have become a miracle for thousands of kids out there that need help. Visit Tutor Pace now to Chat with a Live Math Tutor Online.

Variable Expressions Online Tutoring

Variable Expressions Online Tutoring Variables are the alphabets written in an expression and they are denoted by letters or alphabets because they can take in any number as their value according to the given question. Therefore unlike constants which are fixed as they are numbers, variables vary in every question and we have the choice to assign them numbers as per the given question. Variable expressions are the expressions which contain variables along with the constants and these variables help us estimate the value of the given expression. Example 1: What is the value of the given algebraic expression, 4x 3+ 2x+ 9 if the value of x is 2? Now we have to find the value of the above expression when x = 2 and in order to find the value, we should plug-in 2 in the place of x. This implies: 4x 3+ 2x+ 9= 4(2) 3+ 2(2)+ 9. This gives: 8 3+ 4+ 9 Now calculate the values starting from the left side of the expression. 8 3+4+9= 18. Hence the value of the expression is 18. Example 2: What is the value of the given algebraic expression, 5a + 6 + 10a if the value of a is -1? Now we have to find the value of the above expression when a = -1 and in order to find the value, we should plug-in -1 in the place of a. This implies: 5a+ 6+ 10a = 5(-1) + 6+ 10(-1). This gives: -5 + 6 - 10 Now calculate the values starting from the left side of the expression. 1 10= -9 Hence the value of the expression is -9.

How to Use Pastels

How to Use Pastels Learn How to Paint with Pastels ChaptersWhat Do You Need to Paint with Pastels?Techniques for Using PastelsStart Using PastelsGet Lessons on How to Use Pastels“Art is beauty, the perpetual invention of detail, the choice of words, the exquisite care of execution.” - Théophile GautierMore and more people are getting into art so why not learn how to paint?With oils, watercolours, acrylics, etc., there are plenty of ways to paint. In this article, we’re going to show you how you can paint with pastel paints.Before you go out and buy an expensive set of Schmincke pastels and a whole heap of art supplies, you should read this article on getting started with pastels and tips for pastel artists. FernandoPainting Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EmmaPainting Teacher 5.00 (5) £75/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DavidPainting Teacher 4.75 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaPainting Teacher 5.00 (7) £37/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors StefaniaP ainting Teacher 5.00 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SakinaPainting Teacher 5.00 (1) £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorrenPainting Teacher 5.00 (2) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Off2themoonholliePainting Teacher £8/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhat Do You Need to Paint with Pastels?Pastel painting isn’t the most commonly used technique. When we think of painting, we often think of oils, acrylics, or watercolours.However, pastels are considered to be their own type of paint. However, you'll also hear it called pastel drawing since you don't necessarily need to use brushes.Pastels are sticks of pigments that can be bound in different ways. They can be thought of as painting technique as you can use them to add colour to a piece. However, since there are so many different types of pastels, you should learn what they are.Draw better with these painting courses.Pastels are similar in shape to crayons but without a point. ( Source: stux)Dry PastelsThere are two main types of dry pastels.Firstly, there are soft pastels. These are like chalks and use very little binder. These have a powdered texture and very dense colours. Artists like them because of the bright colours you can get from them for adding accents.You can also find hard dry pastels in art supply shops. Unlike the soft pastels, hard pastels have more binders, making them quite tough. They’re generally used for details and are often square shaped. The edges are usually used to make fine strokes.Oil and Wax PastelsJust like the dry pastels, we have another two types of pastels.An oil pastel is often cylindrical like soft pastels. They’re a mix of pigment and oil and will probably remind you of the crayons you used as a child.These are often used directly applied to paint to highlight certain colours with a wet brush. A brush can also be soaked in white spirit or turpentine and used.Wax pastels are similar to oil pastels except the oil is re placed with wax, obviously. Unlike the previous type, they’re not made for being mixed with water. These pastels are often used with watercolours as they can be used to cover areas that you don’t want the watercolours to run into.Before you buy your pastels, make sure to try them out in the shop or in an art class. Different pastels have very different qualities and uses.Once you’ve worked out which ones you should be using, try to get a full set with a range of different colours.Pastels won’t mix like poster paints or acrylics. You need a good range of colours to add nuance.Don’t forget to buy special paper for using your pastels as well as an art pad to protect your work when it’s finished. Pastels will stain anything they touch. You should make sure you place some scrap paper between each piece so that they don’t stain one another.They can be used for creating artwork with the same kind of vibrant colours and tones that an acrylic painter could use without needing t o buy a canvas, easel, or a load of expensive drawing and painting materials.Techniques for Using PastelsThere’s no single technique for using pastels but rather several ones. It completely depends on what you want to do. While pastel art may make you think of soft colours, there are so many types of different pastel techniques and types of pastels.The most important thing to know is that you can’t mix pastels on a palette. The colours from pastels can be put directly onto the paper.  The best thing is to do is have a range of colours in your set.You should always have lots of colours. (Source: SKECCIO)There are different ways to use pastels on paper:Use the side of the pastel to apply a flat colour onto the paper. This will cover a large area of the page and can be used as a background.Use the edge or the point of the pastel (if you’ve sharpened it) to make precise strokes.Use the end of the pastel for adding solid colour.Once you’ve added the colour, there are several ways to use it.Blending TechniqueThe blending technique is when you gently spread the powder or dust from the pastel with your finger, hands, or a special pastel. This technique is used to create a solid colour simply by rubbing. However, don’t overdo this technique or you’ll end up with quite a mess.Working on PointA lot of artists prefer to build up colours without blending them. This can help you create more detailed and realistic pieces.Diluting PastelsAs we explained earlier, pastels can also be mixed with water. The powder from dry pastels can be added to water and used with a paintbrush.This can also work with oil pastels. Add the pastel directly to a wet brush.Learn also how you can paint with watercolours while using pastels for emphasis!Start Using PastelsAs with most painting techniques, the first step when using pastels is to start with the background.It’s very easy to go outside of the lines when using pastels. The powder spreads out and you’ll need to go back over it. By starting with the background, it’s easier to redo your lines.Once you’ve created the background, you need to add colour to the other parts, going from the darkest colours to the darkest. Doing it the other way round can be quite difficult.When blending, don't overdo it! (Source: stux)Don’t Overuse BlendingOnce your colours have been put down, you can blend the colours as we described earlier. However, don’t use this technique on every part of your piece. Overusing this technique will make you look like a beginner and result in a lot of smudging.You can use this technique on parts of the background, like a sky, for example. Make sure you add some details, though. If you want to draw with pastels, you should also think about layering by applying colours over the top of one another.If you're used to watercolours, you need to be careful since if you want to draw with pastels, you should work from dark to light with pastels, not the other way round!Copying Famous Works or PicturesBefore you start doing your own pieces, you should try studying the greats like Monet, Picasso, Rembrandt, Braque, Dali, Van Gogh, Manet, Courbet, etc., by copying their works.This is great for improving both your eye and hand. You’ll get used to recreating what you can see. It’s also a good opportunity for getting used to how pastels work.You can also use photos or images found on the web as source material.Practise RegularlyTo improve your technique, you should regularly practise using pastels. Practise makes perfect, even for artists. By practising you’ll learn how to effectively use the blending technique and how pastels react to the paper.Try out different surfaces, too. Beginners should experiment with different textures and add layers of colour to their pieces.  You can learn a lot by quickly sketching a composition onto pastel paper.You can also get private art tutorials or teach yourself thanks to online video tutorials.You may also want to learn oil painting techniques!Get Lessons on How to Use PastelsEveryone learns differently. With private classes, weekly workshops, art schools, a method that might be right for one may not be right for another.You need to learn which method works for you, your personality, and your schedule. It’s pointless forcing yourself to paint if you don’t want to.  Art is both a passion and a pastime, even though some people do make it their job.Pastels can be really useful when used with other mediums. (Source: stux)If you want to take art classes or learn how to use pastels, you could visit art schools, art associations, workshops, or private painting tutors.You could find a course focusing on using pastels, an intensive workshop or course on drawing and artistic painting techniques (pencil, pastel, Indian ink, gouache, charcoal, sanguine, acrylics, watercolours, mixed media, etc.).These classes are also useful for learning more about creating a still life, life drawings, landscape painting, or working on a rough sketch or a portrait, for example.You can also learn from the other students in your class, share tips and advice, and become a better artist as a result.You’ll soon be an expert on brushes, coloured pencils, watercolours, pastel pencils, acrylic and oil paint, and painting with all kinds of art materials. Just don't forget that applying fixative to your finished pieces will protect them!Now discover more painting techniques you might try...

Basics of Singing The Dos and Donts of Singing in a Group

Basics of Singing The Dos and Donts of Singing in a Group Suzy S. Mastering the basics of singing  is just one of the many steps youll need to take when training your voice. You may think that once youve tackled the various exercises needed to improve agility, tone, and technique, and learned the basics of  good posture  and support, that youre winning the battle and well on the way to being a good singer.  The truth is, you may have mastered the basics of singing on an individual level, but if you want to eventually sing with others, there are many other skills that you need to learn to make you a both a good colleague and a useful member of any ensemble and many of them have nothing to do with your voice! Here are some of the do’s and don’ts when it comes to singing as part of a choir: Be Businesslike If youre just singing for fun, this may seem like a strange thing to master. However, your choir leaders are most likely renting out their rehearsal venue and keeping a careful eye on costs. If members are late and waste rehearsal time, its also wasting money for the choir; when it comes to re-auditioning, the perpetual absentee or member who always shows up late may find that their vocal services are no longer required. Dont be that person! Learn Your Music On some songs, depending on your vocal range, you may be assigned to the harmony line. This is quite different from singing the melody, which comes naturally to most singers. Knowing how to read music is one of the basics of singing that will help immensely work with a vocal teacher to help you with this, and youll go much further than your fellow singers who need extra time because they need to hear the tune several times or play it on the piano before being able to sing it. Dont be a Wrecker Those of us that have attended the concerts of friends and family members that already sing in choirs are probably familiar with the concept of The Wrecker. The Wrecker is usually brimming with confidence for all the wrong reasons, incapable of watching the conductor, sings off key or out of time loudly, and doesnt come in and come off notes at the same time as their colleagues. One of the worst things about a Wrecker is that they are usually completely unaware of what theyre doing. Watch the conductor, count carefully, and be aware of whats going on around you dont be a Wrecker! Listen to Your Colleagues Knowing your music isnt enough; to be a really good choral singer you have to know the other parts fairly well too, and be able to listen to others at the same time. Its important to work on blending with the other voices; make sure that you arent singing louder or softer than your section colleagues, and listen carefully so that you start and end phrases as a section, or in unison passages, as a choir. Work With a Vocal Coach   Whether youre a hobby singer or have professional aspirations, youve probably considered studying with a teacher one-on-one to get beyond the basics of singing (if you arent already!). A singing teacher will train your voice as an individual and teach you how to control your instrument, including how to manage pitch problems, improve your breathing, and develop your natural skills as a musician. These are all invaluable traits for any vocalist, whether youre singing solo or as part of a group! Of course, group singing isnt limited to choirs; you can improve your musicianship and vocal skills  by seeking out ensembles of varying size to sing with, even if its just singing duets with a friend at a similar stage of study, or a casual a cappella group. You may be surprised how much your abilities as a solo singer improve by listening to and singing with others! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo  by Erik bij de Vaate

How to Jumpstart Your Spring Semester

How to Jumpstart Your Spring Semester Were you hoping to earn a higher GPA than what you ultimately received at the end of this last fall term? If so, this can understandably feel quite disappointing, but the promising news is that the school year is only half over! If you approach the spring semester armed with the correct study tactics and a positive attitude, you can easily redeem yourself. In order to succeed during your second semester, exercise strong study habits from the first class meeting. Here is a great study tip on how to create a good study environment. Every day counts, especially if your marks last term were lower than you intended them to be. The first week of a semester is often filled with syllabus overviews, but you shouldnt use this as an opportunity to be idle. Review your notes or begin on homework assignments if you find that you possess more free time than usual. However, do not enter the spring semester with such force that you burn out early on. Working at a steady pace is healthiest. You may also want to take a look at thisstudy tip on how to organize your notes. One of the simplest methods for remaining current with your assignments is by tracking due dates. To do so, maintain an agenda pad or calendar where you record approaching deadlines. Submitting a paper or project late can be just as detrimental to your grade as selecting the wrong answers on an important test. Thus, organizational skills can have a significant impact on how well you do during the spring semester. Do not underestimate the value of being orderly. If you did not do as well as you anticipated last term, invest in new binders, notebooks, and other supplies for the upcoming spring semester. This enables you to begin with a clean slate. It always feels refreshing to open a blank notebook and to see that you have another chance to prove yourself. However, do not dispose of your past assignments, exams, and notes unless you are absolutely certain you will not require them again! Keeping such materials as reference could aid you considerably with future class material. Its possible that some of your spring semester courses may be continuations of classes you completed during the fall. For example, you might have completed Anatomy Physiology I during the first term and now have to take Anatomy Physiology II in the springtime. If this is the case, it is particularly beneficial to review your notes from the previous course before delving into more complicated subject matter. Sequential courses typically build and expand upon previously learned information. For this reason, it will often be highly essential to save all papers youve accumulated from a preceding course. A new semester signifies a new beginning. Thus, you are also presented with the opportunity to join a student organization at your school. Consider participating in an extracurricular club that interests you and/or is related to your intended field of study. This is some great information on how to choose your extracurricular activities. You never know with whom you may network or what you may learn about your prospective career. Student organizations also enhance your resume significantly. Now, use this self-reflection, organization, and optimistic approach to enter this semester armed and ready to succeed. Good luck!

Word Counter

Word Counter How to Use the Word Counter on the Virtual Writing Tutor When you want to know how many words are in a particular text, paste the text into the text area and click the Count Words button. The system will count your words and sentences, and calculate your average sentence length. The text you enter can be any length. There is no limit. Contractions of two words with apostrophes are counted as one word. For example, words like isnt, its, and dont are counted as one word each. Numbers without spaces between them are counted as one word. For example, 1, 10, 100, 1000 are counted as four words. Just so you know, the word counter does not count numbers alone without words. If you try to count numbers only, the VWT will tell you, You need to enter some text to make this work. Average sentence length is calculated by counting the number of words and dividing it by the number of sentences. The minimum number of sentences it will count is 2. If you enter This is one sentence. This is another sentence. the system will report a sentence count of 2 and an average sentence length of 4. If you enter This is one sentence. This is one more sentence. the system will report a sentence count of 2 and round up the average sentence length from 4.5 to 5. Click the Count Words button below to return to the main page to count words now. Please follow and like us:

Critical Reasoning Jamboree - Private Tutoring

Critical Reasoning Jamboree Critical Reasoning Jamboree BobbiM Jan 17, 2014 Critical Reasoning Jamboree Okay, our goal at PrivateTutoringAtHome.com is to help parents, students, and tutors alike be super successful. We know many of you are shaking in your boots as you prepare for the ACT and SAT and GED and GMAT and LSAT, and any other acronym standardized test you can think of. So, in honor of the standardized test, well be posting 1 question and answer this whole month and the focus will be on critical reasoning. Deal? Good. So join us daily for some seriously yummy critical reasoning buffet. Critical Reasoning Question 1 In Los Angeles, a political candidate who buys saturation radio advertising will get maximum name recognition. The statement above logically conveys which of the following? A. Radio advertising is the most important factor in political campaigns in Los Angeles. B. Maximum name recognition in Los Angeles will help a candidate to win a higher percentage of votes cast in the city. C. Saturation radio advertising reaches every demographically distinct sector of the voting population in Los Angeles. D. For maximum name recognition a candidate need not spend on media channels other than radio advertising. E. A candidates record of achievement in the Los Angeles area will do little to affect his or her name recognition there. Think you know the answer? The correct answer is D. An L.A. political candidate who buys saturation radio advertising will get maximum name recognition. In other words, such advertising is sufficient for maximum name recognition. If so, then is must be true that, as (D) says, a candidate can get such recognition without spending on other forms of media. (A) suggests that radio advertising is the most important factor in L.A. political campaigns, but nothing like this was mentioned in the stimulus, so its not something that you can infer. Nor were we told the specific results of attaining a maximum name recognition, so (B) is out. Similarly, we dont know precisely what is meant by saturation radio advertising, so we cant infer anything as detailed as (C). Finally, although we know saturation radio advertising is sufficient for getting maximum name recognition, we cant infer that other things, such as candidates record mentioned in (E), have little effect on name recognition. When I answered this question, I thought the answer was either B or C. Knowing both these answers were incorrect, helps me to understand that I need to work on assuming details not given.

How the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) Can Teach You to Chat Like a Diplomat

How the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) Can Teach You to Chat Like a Diplomat How the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) Can Teach You to Chat Like a Diplomat Ever wonder how diplomats get their language groove on?Citizens sent abroad to represent the United States need to navigate important diplomatic affairs with cultural awareness, and often they need to survive among a population that  doesnt speak English.Thats why one vital part of the diplomatic program is the language program.The U.S. Department of State has a facility for diplomats known as the Foreign Service Institute  (FSI). There are four schools and one center. One of the schools is the School of Language Studies  located in Arlington, Virginia.The FSI has a long history of teaching diplomats how to speak and survive in foreign countries.  How else would they do that if not by specialized programs?Diplomats attend the training facility to learn through instruction, but theres also a lot of  self-study that takes place during their courses. To complete this additional self-study in their own time, they use language modules  designed for solo learning. Were going to focus most intensely on these self-study materials, but first lets look at the program at large. How the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) Can Teach You to Chat Like a DiplomatWhats it like to study in an actual FSI environment?The actual environment is a cool and diverseâ€"but quite intenseâ€"place where students undergo rigorous language training. The FSI offerings are incredibly expansive. For example, the Arlington, Virginia school offers over 80 languages to Foreign Service Officers.Every day, the  diplomat-students at this institute study  for a minimum of five classroom hours, are assigned homework and must work independently as well to supplement these lessons. Sounds grueling, but the process works!How can non-diplomats benefit from the FSI?The good news is, non-diplomats can utilize FSI courseworkâ€"without getting a job with the U.S. Foreign Service.The countrys primary training for diplomats works just as well for civilians.Of course, civilians cant  access the same classroom setti ngs or intensive training, but the solo learning materials can be accessed and used online on an individual basis.All this information is free for the  taking.Among hardcore language learners, the FSI material gets high marks. In fact, many consider these the best free language courses available anywhere.The courses in the public domain can be accessed by anyone with  a desire to master a language. Some material may be vintage but the majority is still on point and useful. A handful of idioms or cultural references have grown old but grammar and vocabulary remain the same.The Arlington school offers 80+ languages. There isnt such a wide range of choices online, but even this less extensive digital selection is still amazing.Dozens of languages, most with multiple, in-depth courses, are available.Its a veritable language learners paradise! The Simple Action Plan for Learning Languages with FSIFirst,  browse the courses and investigate whats available in your target language.1. Star t with the first course.Its almost an extra windfall that most languages have more than one course available! Some have as many as a dozen. But of course, the best place to begin is at the beginning, even if you already know a bit of the language.There are a couple of ways to access the courses.Yojik shows the courses and provides a link to learn more about FSI.Live Lingua  hosts the courses to keep the material from becoming lost. There are 49 languages available through the site. Many have more than one course in the target language.Your progress will be determined by your desire to learn rather than limited by the materials at hand. Whats not to love about a setup like that?  Then download the next level,  and then the next, doing the work in steps until all levels of proficiency are achieved.Materials vary from language to language so take into consideration how deeply you want to pursue the language. If youre only looking for a basic or intermediate functionality, almost every language provides materials to accomplish that mission.2. Download all the course materials.You can access the courses on a come-and-go basis, but you can also download the e-books and audio files to keep them on hand. That way, youll have all the coursework right at your fingertips whenever you want to use it.  Downloading makes for a no-excuse, travel-friendly language experience. Wherever you are, your lessons are too. Win-win!Each course has an outline included in the files that sync with the audio files. Its independent study, but very self-explanatory.There are courses that have little extras, so look for those. My favorite? Some courses include flashcards which I find particularly helpful. Use the resource!3.  Check your pronunciation with every lesson.It might be painful to hear yourself speak when youre first learning a language but thats a hurdle worth clearing. Record responses to the language drills and compare them with audio files.Diplomats record themselves when study ing at the Institute. Its been proven a valuable exercise so dont skip this part.4. Supplement your FSI course.If youre like most of us, your schedule is crazy busy. A job, family, school, travel or any number of responsibilities keep spare time to a minimum.Often, the lack of time leads to lackadaisical language learning habits. But there are so many ways to incorporate language learning into even the busiest schedule.Learn from experts such as Russian translator Olga Dmitrochenkova  who advises that you should use every opportunity to get exposed to the new language. She suggests inviting the language into everyday life by labeling objects in your home, reading books in the target language and even holding conversations with imaginary friends in the new language.To get started with some of these practice ideas, you can spend an hour writing vocabulary words on Post-Its and sticking them all over your house. And you can outsource your label-making for the most important words by us ing a Vocabulary Stickers set, which gives you well over 100 words to put on items you use and see every day around your home and office.The point isâ€"dont use just the FSI coursesâ€"do as the diplomats do and  add language exercises  whenever you can to enrich the coursework.With So Many Languages to Choose From, Which Will You Learn First?Included in the more than 40 languages the FSI has made available to the public are some uncommon ones.Fula  is spoken in the Senegal River Valley. Im not sure theres a huge demand for it, but I did listen to some of the tapes and its interesting to hear.Hausa is spoken in a handful of African nations, so if you plan to travel to one of those countries, theres a  good  way to learn to speak like a local!Spoken in the Philippines,  Tagalog is represented well in the FSI courses. If youve ever had a heart for the language, theres more than enough material available to get you beyond the basics.Some of the more common foreign languages have many co urses on the FSI language list. There are book lessons, audio material and flashcards to take some learners through basic, intermediate and advanced levels.FrenchThere are eight  French courses available! These courses will give you hundreds of pages of text and hundreds of audio files to work with over a long period of time.SpanishSpanish  language learners hit the jackpot with the FSI courses. There are eight courses for this language as well, including a few specialized for use in particular parts of the world, such as Puerto Rico.GermanIf youre interested in learning to speak German, youre in luck. There are five courses, including one FAST course designed to let learners hit the ground running!ChineseChinese  is a specialty at the FSI. There are so many courses to choose from, theres bound to be one to suit any learner. Youll have the opportunity to freely explore all 16 Chinese courses, including modules that deal with very specific linguistic and cultural topics, as theyre al l free for your learning pleasure.For example, the FSI Mandarin Chinese Car Module, along with an assortment of other interesting modules, teach learners how to manage in a Chinese-speaking environment even when dealing with unexpected emergencies. Not a bad resource to have at your fingertips!JapaneseFor Japanese learners, there are two FSI courses: a FAST course and a Headstart course, which clock in with a combined ten hours of audio learning and six e-books.How FSI Taught Me Conversational German in 28 DaysLearning, speaking or even just listening to a foreign language makes my heart beat faster. And Im curious by nature.So you know what happened next, dont you? Thats rightâ€"I had to give these FSI resources a test.German has been something Ive flirted with for about a year but theres been no actual commitment. Hey, we werent even going steady.  You could say I had no real prior German language skills.  None. As in, pretty clueless about the language.FSI  has five courses avail able. I didnt expect to become fluent within a short time span, so that seemed more than adequate for my experimental purposes.The course selection includes:HeadstartFAST CourseBasic Course: Volume 1 and 2Programmed Introduction CourseI perused the selections and chose to do all the courses, beginning with the Headstart course. I figured that Headstart and Programmed Introduction Course might be repetitive so I decided to skip the latter.Of course, learning is a personal adventure and someone else might have discounted Headstart instead. Or you might opt to try both! There isnt a right or wrong way to approach this.Anyhow, I added up the materials: Eight e-books, 129 audio files with a run-time of over 52 hours and over 1,000 pages of coursework. It was daunting to look at it this way, but I felt pretty safe knowing that I wasnt going to run out of lessons!Leading a busy life, and not being a diplomat able to devote every day to language learning, I decided that for this short-term experiment I could commit four hours daily to learning German. Two hours in the morning and two more in the evening.As I said, languages make my heart beat in double-time, so I dove right in and stuck with that study routine. The material is relevant, despite some of it being beyond the social expiration date. I skimmed past references to outmoded issues and concentrated on learning the core language.The basic course, which I took on after the Headstart program,  was assembled more than 50 years ago but the stated goals of the courseâ€"to speak accurately, fluently and easilyâ€"are still relevant and attainable.The e-books break  each lesson down so well that its nearly impossible to get lost. The material is  divided into sections, and learning builds upon what has been already absorbed.Verbs and tenses are covered so well that, by the end of the drills, I was able to conjugate with very little hardship. The material is a bit formal, but Ive got to hand it to those who wrote the co urseâ€"the repetition and the strong presentation of various tenses did make it all sink in.Getting the hang of making sounds that are incomparable to anything I use in the English language stumped me at first. Long and short vowels were honestly a bit confusing but the textbook explanation allowed me to eventually decipher the nuances. Im not totally on top of reading and properly pronouncing unfamiliar German words but Im managing to get most of them.Progress, even in small measure, works!I did have issues, but not with the courses. Squeezing the time Id committed to language learning was the main challenge, but I managed.The outcome of my 28-day test? Actually, its positive!Im not fluent in German by any means but Im certainly able to conduct basic conversation and read a bit. Im capable of discussing  everyday topics, asking for (and giving!) directions, ordering in a restaurant and dealing with grammar issues. Im reading basic level graded readers now. Comprehension is greater than Id hoped so Im feeling pretty successful.The courses do work and theyre not at all difficult to follow. Everything is presented in a logical way and its no big deal to move between the different courses.Would I recommend taking the FSI courses? Absolutely! I had a blast in my four weeks doing this.  Sure, it was work. Were there times I was discouraged? Definitely. But I pressed on and am so glad I did. I think anyone with a love for languages could benefit from  checking the FSI material out.Taking It to the Next LanguageIm already planning on my next language courtesy of the FSI courses. Why not take full advantage of a resource thats time-tested and has been shown to work with both diplomats and ordinary language learners like myself?And if I can do it, anyone can!If youre adventurous, try learning two languages  at once from these dynamite courses.Grab your passport, put your diplomatic language dancing shoes on and test out your new skills.Me? Im headed to Germany!Auf Wied ersehn!