How to write good college essays
Resilience The Biology Of Stress The Science Of Hope
Friday, March 6, 2020
Where to Find IT Courses in Edinburgh.
Where to Find IT Courses in Edinburgh. The Best Places for IT Classes in Scotlandâs Capital. ChaptersWhy Choose Edinburgh for an IT Course?And Why Study IT At All?The Top Places to Learn IT in Edinburgh.So, youâre looking for IT courses in Edinburgh? Youâve come exactly to the right place.Here, weâre going to take a brief look through the best options for anyone interested in learning computing, coding, web development or software development, network administration or Java programming.From short courses to private tutors, undergraduate and postgraduate courses to IT training courses for professional development, no matter which one floats your boat, youâll find information on it here.Because in the world of information technology, thereâs an awful lot to know â" and an awful lot of different ways to know it. Luckily enough, Edinburgh offers them all, pretty much, so â" again â" be assured to know that you are slap bang in precisely the right spot.Find information on IT courses across the UK and IT classes in London. CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson fre e!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhy Choose Edinburgh for an IT Course?Edinburgh is one of those cities that is just a dream for people committed to learning. We say this because no matter where you look, youâll find a service offering education courses in any subject you might be interested to learn.Sure, Edinburgh has been voted the best place for students in the UK. But learning isnât only for those people just fresh out of school. Rather, the city offers something for literally everyone â" from adult learning to professional training for those who want a career in IT, from digital literacy classes for older people and, of course, those university courses.Thatâs what makes the capital of Scotland such a wonderful place to be â" a caring place as well as a vibrant one. So, if you are here already or are coming into town to learn, you neednât worry about being anywhere else. Learn everything about your computer!And Why Study IT At All?So, we know by now that you are staying in Edinburgh (itâs not only a great place for students). But why would you want to learn IT â" out of all things? Itâs an important question, and the answer needs to stress the importance of IT skills for our particular day and age. But weâll come to that.There are, primarily, two main reasons why people seek to learn these technical skills for the computer. They are either seeking an IT career, or some other work in the IT industry, or they are hoping to use some computer skills in general life.Try IT courses in Manchester or learn IT in Birmingham.Careers in IT.The first reason is an obvious one. Those seeking to work with IT systems, systems analysis and design, or with some sort of technology management need to be able to show some sort of IT certification. Whether these are from the CompTIA network around the world or a Cisco CCNA, employers are going to want to see your I T certifications before you take on any job.Digital Skills.The second reason is not necessarily so clear. The fact is that certain generations of us take our skills in computers â" software applications, the Microsoft Office suite, or the world of online video, for example â" completely for granted. We might have a solid foundation in computing, but only because we have had this for life.However, there are plenty of people of whom this canât be said. People to whom computer systems and online learning does not come so naturally. If this is you, weâre very pleased that you have started to consider information technology courses.Because these days, so much happens online â" a lot of political discourse, so much learning, and a lot of the official stuff that youâll have to administrate in life â" that it is really important that you have some familiarity with it all.Find IT courses in Leeds and IT classes in Glasgow. Find a tutor to help you with your ITThe Top Places to Learn IT in Edinburgh.But letâs get down to it shall we? We said that there are plenty of IT courses offered in Edinburgh â" and we werenât joking. Here are some of the best.Find IT courses in Cardiff or get IT training in Belfast.Learn IT for Work with IT Professional Training.Based down in West Granton, IT Professional Training, or ITPT, are one of the slickest and most reliable providers of IT learning courses in Edinburgh. Offering training in everything from CompTIAâs CCNA and CCNP through to Cisco certified training courses, their range of knowledge and services is really impressive. Take courses in web design and development, try Adobe and Microsoft training, or take programming courses in Oracle.The really good thing about ITPT is that they run a whole load of free training events too â" so check them out.Enrol on a Course in IT with the University of Edinburgh.One of the most prestigious universities in the worl d â" and the heart of Edinburghâs educational scene â" the University of Edinburgh provides some of the best computing courses in the city for people of all ages and abilities.So, whether it is undergraduate courses or a graduate certificate that you are looking for, or part time courses in IT, thereâll be something available here that will give you what you need.Take a Free IT Course with FutureLearn and EdinburghX.The University of Edinburgh offers free online courses in a whole load of subjects â" and, handily enough, they are often pretty good.Between FutureLearn, the UK-wide provider of online classes, and the University of Edinburghâs own EdinburghX, youâll find plenty of content to keep you going. Learn about supercomputers, data management, business analysis and web analytics, applications and modelling.The beauty of online study is that you can do it from your own home. However, ironically, the trouble with online education is that you need to know how to get onl ine first! There are lots of different ways to learn IT in Edinburgh (image source: pixabay)Do a Degree in Computer Science at the University of Edinburgh.If an online course is not really your sort of thing and youâre looking for something a bit more substantial, an IT degree might be the thing you are after.Learning about computer information systems, database design, and IT service management skills â" with a whole load of other course materials besides â" the degree level study that Edinburgh Uni offers are world-class.Here, youâll learn the full range of information communication technology skills, and youâll come away with a Bachelor of Engineering for your troubles.Join a Coding Class in Edinburgh with CodeClan.Based between Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Inverness, CodeClan offer varieties of short course and full-time courses for everyone from the total novice to the online wiz already â" the Microsoft Office specialist, say, or whoever.Theyâve won awards for the quality of their s ervices â" and their UX web design course, their programming, and their data analysis courses are in high demand.Receive Professional Computer Training with ITrainEdinburgh.All courses at iTrain are available either in their own computer labs or in your office. Like the majority of IT training organisations, they offer courses in the Microsoft SQL server, Prince2, cyber security, and much more.Designed for professionals hoping to upskill or improve their employability, or else for employers hoping to develop their teamâs range of business skills, iTrain Edinburgh are industry-standard experts in information technology management training.Hire a Private IT Tutor with Superprof.At Superprof, we connect students from around the world to the tutor that best suits them. Running courses online as much as face-to-face, our tutors can often be available anywhere at any time.In Edinburgh, we have three tutors of IT and computing, charging an average rate of £21 an hour. Bachelors of Engi neering, or post graduate students who are really subject matter experts, these guys take students through everything from GCSE or National 5 certificate courses to recreational learning.The beauty of private tutoring is that you can do it from anywhere and at any time. So get in touch with your private tutor today.Join an Open Learning Course in IT at Edinburgh College.Whilst these courses probably wonât help you to start a new career, as they do not come with any certification exams, the classes offered at Edinburgh College take specific softwares, programmes, and computer problems and show you how to get your head around them.So, if you want to get the most out of your programmes and your computer network, this may well be the place to come.Learn the Basics of Computers with Edinburgh Librariesâ Sessions.If you are not completely comfortable with using a laptop or tablet just yet, the Edinburgh Council Library service offers digital drop-in sessions for those who want to star t from the very beginning.For those looking for much more rigorous learning, this is not the place to come. Rather, it is a springboard with no prerequisites for people with no prior learning at all.So, bring your own device, sit down with a trainer and get to know all the things that it can do. Go into the central library on George IV Bridge to find out about timetables. Just ask for the computing course!
Ask a Law School Admissions Expert Andrea Kilpatrick
Ask a Law School Admissions Expert Andrea Kilpatrick Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. Andrea Kilpatrick is the Director of Law Admissions at Admit Advantage, a leading admissions consulting company that provides admissions assistance for college, MBA, and law school applicants. She received her Bachelors degree from Princeton University, a Masters of Education degree from the University of Oxford, and a JD from HarvardLaw School. Andrea worked as a consultant with McKinsey Company for eight years and held a leadership role in the firms Nonprofit Practice for three of those years. She now lends her expertise in law school admissions to the Admit Advantage team. VT: How much time should be set aside to adequately prepare for and complete a Law School application? Andrea: The time dedicated to completing an application varies by student. For most applicants, we suggest beginning the process a couple of months ahead of their personal deadline to allow recommenders time to complete letters. The time a student must spend on an application depends on the specific law school. Some applications are longer than others and require more time. 60-80 hours is not unreasonable. VT: What is the single most important thing applicants should focus on with this application? Andrea: Applicants must determine how the sum total of their experiences and achievements can be crafted into a coherent and persuasive story that will move an admissions committee to accept. VT: What are the biggest mistakes one can make on a Law School application? Andrea: Telling an admissions committee why they should accept you as opposed to showing it. Admissions committees dont need an applicant to do their jobs for them, but they do need an applicant to include all the experiences, stories, and data for them to do an appropriate analysis. Sometimes, applicants fail to include important information because they dont feel it is relevant from a legal perspective. No one has been a lawyer before going to law school, so admissions committees are looking for evidence of potential success in unusual places. VT: What do Law School admissions officers look for most in an applicants essays/personal statements? Andrea: All law school essays must demonstrate exemplary persuasive writing skills. The content of the personal statement can and should vary by applicant. VT: Is there anything on a students application that would automatically disqualify them from being considered for the program? Andrea: Aside from lying, there are no disqualifying factors. Differences in grades or LSAT scores might dictate the tier of law school to which an applicant can apply, but there are no required majors or prerequisites. Even a legal record can be explained on a law school application. VT: What about the Law School admissions process differs the most from undergraduate admissions? Andrea: Law schools generally have a rolling admissions process. Applications are reviewed in the order they are received. Applying early improves an applicants chances. Therefore it is up to the candidate to complete an outstanding application in the quickest time possible. VT: What kinds of things (experience, grades, etc.) might a student lack that would lead you to advise them not to apply? Andrea: The decision to apply is a very personal one. If an applicants goal is to be admitted to an accredited law school, there arent many reasons not to apply outside of personal or financial ones. However, if a student aspires to attend a top tier law school, we may suggest that the applicant retake the LSAT, or consider additional experiences before applying if necessary. VT: Is there anything you might see on a students application that would quickly put them ahead in the running? Andrea: Every application is different. Good grades, good test scores, and attending a prestigious undergraduate institution help, but they are no guarantee. Admissions committees are looking for a well-rounded applicant and only a strong overall application indicates that. VT: What advice do you have regarding LSAT test prep? Andrea: If you can afford it, sign up for professional test prep. If not, practice on your own using previous tests lots of previous tests. You can learn to perform better on the LSAT through practice. VT: What do law school admissions officers look for in recommendation letters? Andrea: Admissions officers want to see that the recommender knows the applicant well. Getting a letter from a very prestigious recommender who doesnt know you well will not help an application. A recommender has to be able to speak to the candidates skills and character. The specific content of a recommendation letter depends on the candidate. We want to be sure the letter emphasizes those areas of strength that may not have been touched on elsewhere in the application. Visit Admit Advantage for more information. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.
Thursday, March 5, 2020
LSAT Tip of the Week Improve Your Time
LSAT Tip of the Week Improve Your Time LSAT Law School Blog This week, we will focus on how to improve your time on the analytical reasoning (logic games) section of the LSAT. You have probably heard the importance of diagramming, and improving your time ties back to improving your diagramming. If you need a refresher on diagramming, head to The LSAT Trainer for some techniques and check out Magoosh for some common rules that will help you diagram. Now, once you are caught up on the basics of diagramming, letâs bring you up to speed on how to be speedy. The first thing you should do once you have made your basic diagrams is make some inferences. What does this entail? Well, every fact given to you in the question is important so make note of it in your diagram and make it a new potential scenario. So, if the question says that X sits in the first seat and Y must sit next to X, then we know that Y has to sit in the second seat if he has a seat. So, make a note of this. There are usually 2-3 of these so look out for these âhiddenâ rules a nd make sure you include them in your diagram as the odds are that there will be a question about this âhiddenâ rule and this will save you 3-4 minutes easily. Imagine all the extra problems you can solve in that time!
Commonly Confused Homophones in English - Advanced English Level
Commonly Confused Homophones in English - Advanced English Level Have you ever looked at some English words that are spelled differently pronounced the same but have different meanings? These can be somewhat confusing for even native speakers so I can imagine them being extremely confusing for those trying to tackle the issues of pronunciation, meaning and the correct spelling.In fact there are over 440 such word pairs where the spelling is different the meaning is certainly different but the pronunciation is exactly the same. These are known as Homophones.Examples of English homophones:MADE/MAIDMade (v) â" past tense and past participle of the verb âTO MAKEâI made up my mind to learn English with a native speaker.Maid (n) a ladyâs maid or helpShe really missed the old days when every lady had her personal maid to help her with the housework.BAND/BANNEDBand (n) â" a group of musicians, a music ensembleHe was a good singer and also played the guitar. What he really wanted to do was join up with a band and make some records. Banned (v) â" past tense and past participle of the verb âTO BANâ to stop or preventHe was charged by the police for driving without a proper licence and was banned from driving for three years.EWE/YOUEwe (n) female sheepThe farmer went to the market to buy some new livestock. He bought some cows and some sheep. The sheep were all ewes as he already had a ram (male sheep).You pronounIt is important that you understand the basic mathematical formula if you wish to study it seriously.FLEW/FLUFlew (v) past tense of the verb âTO FLYâI went on holidays last week. I visited Thailand and flew there in 8 hours.Flu (n) virus or bug that affects your healthThe school was closed for a week as many children had been taken ill with a flu virus and the management did not want others to become ill also.BOARD/BOREDBoard (n) a group of people who control a company or school or similar organisationThe board of management meet every month to discuss the progress of the business. There is a chairman o f the board who controls all the meetings.Bored (v) â" past tense and past participle of the verb âTO BOREâThe film was bad. The story was awful and after twenty minutes I was bored stiff.WAIST/WASTEWaist the area around the middle of your body.The Doctor measured her waist to check her health.Waste rubbish or left over food no longer needed.The food waste was collected and placed in rubbish bins to be collected by the cityâs waste collectors.WAVE/WAIVEWave the hand movement we use when saying good-bye to someone OR the part of the sea that surfers ride on when surfing.When she left for her business trip her husband waved goodbye at the train station. The waves on the sea were very high due to the very strong wind.Waive refers to a decision to give up or do without something.The business was not performing very well. The CEO waived his bonus payment to help the companiesâ cash flow.WEIGHT/WAITWeight the size of people or things measured usually in Kilos.He was very hea vy the Doctor suggested that he lose some weight very quickly.(to) Wait is a verb that refers to the action when we are expecting something to happen. It can also be used as a noun.When he called to the Dentist he was asked to wait in the waiting room until the dentist was available. The wait (noun) was difficult as he was very nervous.PLANE/PLAINPlane the shortened version of airplane or aeroplane used to travel from country to country.He went to the airport early so that he could book his seat in the middle of the plane.Plain means something blank or without colour or uninteresting.He wanted to write a note and asked for some plain white paper. The food he ordered was plain and did not taste very good but the doctor had ordered him to eat only plain food without sauces.BEAR/BAREBear refers to the large animal which hibernates during the winter. It can also mean to carry or bring something.The bear is a large animal that has several forms. The polar bear located in the artic z one and the brown bear in many states of the USA.Bare usually refers to something/somebody without any cover or clothes.The model was bare except for the yellow hat that she was modelling!!There are many many more homophonesâ¦What homophones do you know? Let us know in the comments below.We recommend to read: Make or Do? tips to help you make the right choiceWhere do you live? Making suggestions in English
7 Signs You Aced Your Job Interview
7 Signs You Aced Your Job Interview via pixabay.com 1. They discuss next steps You can pretty much assume you nailed your job interview if someone starts discussing next steps. Typically this includes paperwork, maybe a drug test, or possibly setting up a follow-up interview. If you sat through an interview in the hot seat and the interviewers are being a bit vague about what you should expect to come next, this doesnt mean youve failed the job interview, it simply means they have more candidates to explore. You can pretty much bank on it being a good sign if any kind of additional steps are discussed. 2. Your interview lasted longer than scheduled A one-hour interview over coffee turned into two and a half? Thats a good sign. It means they liked having a conversation with you and they enjoyed the things you had to say. You intrigued them with your experience and outlook on the job. You came across as interesting, qualified, and intellectually stimulating. If your job interview lasts longer than scheduled, you can take that as a pretty good sign. 3. They ask for your references If the interviewers ask for your references, you can bank on this being a good sign. Usually, the interview team doesnt ask for references unless theyre ready to move forward with your application in the hiring process. Sometimes references are called beforehand, but most likely theyre called after your initial interview. Sometimes its smart to set up a communication plan with your references. If theyre willing to shoot you a quick text when theyve been called, this can settle your nerves after a tough job interview. You know youve done well when the team is calling your references. via pixabay.com 4. If they introduce you to more people than just the interview team Sometimes during job interviews, the team will introduce you to other people around the office. This is usually initiated by an invitation to tour the facility. Assuming that the workplace isnt under strict security, you might have the chance to meet some of your potential coworkers. If youre given a tour and introduced to other people besides just the interview team, its likely that youre being seriously considered for the job. 5. They used the phrase when we see you again Whether its a follow-up interview (see #6) or a scheduled meeting to fill out new-hire paperwork, if the interview team uses the phrase when we see you again or looking forward to seeing you again, then you know youve nailed the interview (well, the first round at least!). Referring to a future meeting time means theyre interested in having more conversation with you. Whether or not theyre ready for you to sign on the dotted line yet doesnt matter. If youve made it through the initial interview and theyre dropping hints about seeing you again, you can rest assured that youve made a pretty killer impression. 6. They schedule a follow-up interview As you get closer to establishing your career (and not just interviewing for hourly jobs that will barely pay the rent), follow-up interviews will become more and more routine. One interview might not give your potential employer all the information they need about you before they make a final decision. If youve been contacted about scheduling a follow-up interview, or if they actually schedule this follow-up during your initial interview, your nerves should instantly be calmed. They wouldnt be willing to meet with you again if you werent in the pool of seriously considering candidates. 7. The introduction included praising your resume/skillset/application If the beginning of your job interview begins with how excited they are to meet you, how much they enjoyed reviewing your materials, and how excited they are to get started, youre off on the right foot. Rest assured that youre already killing the job interview if theyre blown away by your experience. Interviewing for a new job can be one of the most intimidating life experiences especially as you begin to establish your career. Sitting in the hot seat for an hour (or more!) can be nerve-wracking and cause you to sweat through multiple layers of clothing. Its intimidating to walk into a room full of people who want to judge your qualifications against a job description. Following a job interview, it can be nerve-wracking to wait for a callback. So instead of sitting on your hands to keep from checking your email every ten minutes, examine your job interview experience against these seven signs you completely aced the interview altogether.
How to Get Your Child Ahead of the Rest
How to Get Your Child Ahead of the Rest When the word education is mentioned usually there are positive intentions in mind. In America today the demand for education is growing exponentially, because of growing demand the competition for college placement is fierce. To stay a step ahead of the rest in the professional world, your child will need more than an average bachelors degree. Currently securing a job in the United States requires a superior education. The professional business services industry (knowledge based) is expanding in the US, it has grown from 14 million in 1997 to 18 million in 2007, this statistical change demonstrates a shift in industry dominance. The manufacturing industry (labor intensive) at one time employing most Americans is decreasing in size dramatically. Manufacturing jobs have decreased by more than 2 million in a single decade. This trend is not slowing, in the US the scale is tipping drastically towards a dominant knowledge based industry. Soon concerns for your childâs level of education may weigh you down like a ton of bricks. Thirty years ago a bachelors degree would equal a steady career and bright future for the young graduate, today, a bachelors degree might not even get your foot in the door. Parents today must contribute to their childâs education, now, more than ever. College, which was once the final step towards a good career is now only the beginning. Though competition is heated, a college degree is necessary step in the right direction. The graph below provided by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, depicts is a significant correlation between employment and earnings and your childâs education. The best option for parents is to start early and look to engage their child in extra educational activities outside of the classroom. As the United States moves towards a knowledge based society and an exclusively educated workforce many will be left in the trenches. The public school system is in a hole of their own, today our government, school districts, teachers, and parents are looking towards privatized education to better facilitate youth education. Many of these services have always been available; charter schools, private schools, tutoring services, and homeschooling all of these options may be a parents chance to keep their child competitive in todayâs âgraduation hat race.â Starting your child in a program outside of the classroom can help them perform better within the classroom as well. If children can succeed better at lower levels where education tends to be less expensive then they have a better chance of earning a valuable scholarship for higher education. Donâ wait until it is to late for your child to achieve at the highest level take the right road to educate your child beyond the boundaries of the public school system. Another great way to help your child learn is to integrate fun with education because learning should be an enjoyable activity. Take your child to an art gallery, museum, music center, performing arts theater, or zoo, here kids have an opportunity to learn without even being aware they are. This type of experience might motivate your childâs educational interests for science, history, math, physics, music, and or art.
5 Things to Know About the Many Languages Spoken in Europe
5 Things to Know About the Many Languages Spoken in Europe 5 Things to Know About the Many Languages Spoken in Europe Love French? Cant get enough of Spanish? Heart skips a beat when hearing Italian?Are you a language learner about to embark on a journey of studying one of Europes languages?Or are you about to fulfill a lifetime dream of actually traveling to Europe?Well, arent you a daring soul!Europe is a place like no other, and Im not just talking about food or the fact that they play football a little differently than Americans.Im talking about languages.In this post, were going to explore some essential information for language learners about the languages spoken in Europe, including some things you may be surprised to learn.Here are the 5 things you absolutely need to know about Europes languages and their speakers before you set sail for that linguistic coast. 5 Things to Know About the Many Languages Spoken in Europe1) The most common language spoken in Europe is wait for it English!There are 24 official languages in the European Union. In alphabetical order, they are(Take a deep breath here.)BulgarianCroatianCzechDanishDutchEnglishEstonianFinnishFrenchGermanGreekHungarianIrishItalianLatvianLithuanianMaltesePolishPortugueseRomanianSlovakSlovenianSpanishSwedishWhew, what a mouthful!And that doesnt even include the official languages of European countries that arent in the EU.Guess what the most widely spoken language is. Thats right, English.In a 2012 European Commission survey, the five most widely spoken languages in the EU were shown to be English (38%), French (12%), German (11%), Spanish (7%) and Russian (5%). That last one, Russian, is not an official language, but is spoken by a sizable number of people.English tops the other tongues because its the favorite second language of Europeans.That should take away a little bit of the anxiety for travelers planning a European getaway, knowing they can most probably get by with English. I say a little bit because this shouldnt stop anyone from learning the most useful phrases, polite greetings and expressions of thei r host country. In fact, it should encourage you.Why? For one thing, European citizens will definitely be more warm and welcoming once they hear you talking in their language. Even if youre mispronouncing a lot, theyâll appreciate your efforts and point you in the true direction of the nearest bathroom, going out of their way to put you out of your misery.For example, in France, you might do better than you would expect with your bad French. Your Sil vous plait (Please) and Merci beaucoup (Thank you very much) will endear you to the locals. It will set you apart from the stereotypical clueless tourist who expects to be catered to.Furthermore, having the safety net of English puts you in a lower-risk situation and invites you to try harder, to be even more ambitious in your target language. So get started today!2) More than half of Europeans are bilingualFor those language learners who think that being a true bilingual is rare, or that its quite difficult, well, thereâs a whol e continent to suggest otherwise.A majority of Europeans (54%) are bilinguals, which means they can talk to you in another language in addition to their mother tongue. A lower but significant percentage (25%) are trilinguals, which means they can run around and greet people in three different languages. And heres one that really takes the cake: 10% of Europeans speak four languages! How about that?Its a linguistic fiesta over there!Now, what does this mean for language learners on the other side of the globe?First, it proves that learning another language is very doable. Its not just for the gifted or those with fat wallets. If the Europeans can do it, so can everybody else.Second, it means that English-speaking language learners can easily find language exchange partners in Europe. No, you dont need to actually go to Europe to engage them. There are plenty of technology tools like Skype and a host of great language exchange websites that can help you do this.Many Europeans are le arning English and theyll gladly exchange their two (or three or four) languages for your English. You can easily find yourself Skyping with somebody whos learning English from you, but whos also teaching you French and German.Pretty good deal, dont you think?But you may ask, How did they do it in the first place? How did they become so good at so many languages?Well, why dont we just ask the Europeans how they did it?(And thats exactly our next point.)3) Europeans are learning languages through immersionIn the same survey mentioned: Europeans say they regularly use foreign languages when watching films/television or listening to the radio (37%), using the internet (36%) and communicating with friends (35%). 27% of respondents report using foreign languages regularly for conversations at work and 50% during holidays abroad.And these numbers are only climbing over the years. In fact, the proportion of Europeans who do not use a foreign language regularly in any situation fell from 1 3% in 2005 to 9% in 2012.Now what does this all mean to the observant language learner?It means Europeans have been socialized to be bilinguals and trilinguals. Sure, there are language schools all over the place, but the best way to learn a language, as the survey found with Europeans, is in the routines of everyday life.Would you not learn a language if over a third of the time when youâre talking with friends, you find the need to use a foreign language? If 27% of the time you speak to coworkers, youre actually using a foreign language, wouldnt you master it over time?Europe, as a result of geography and of the history of migrations, has evolved into a multi-cultural and multi-language society.Not everyone can grow up in that kind of immersive environment, though, where borrowing sugar from your next-door neighbor also functions as a language lesson. So learners from other parts of the world make do with the next best thing: online immersion.As mentioned above, there are all ki nds of ways to immerse yourself in your target language, and there are plenty of options when it comes to European languages, including TV, movies, radio and video. You dont have to travel far and wide to get the immersion going.And thats where FluentU comes in. FluentU takes real-world videosâ"like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talksâ"and turns them into personalized language learning lessons. Our videos place you in an environment where you can witness how native speakers speak the language. Its like youre actually in the target country, watching a native speaker deliver the evening news or rock a concert stage.Now you donât have to buy an online ticket to be there.4) Many European languages look and sound similar heres whyThey belong to the same language groups!Its possible to look at European languages as belonging to two major groupings:Indo-European, which includes Baltic, Celtic, Germanic, Indo-Iranian, Slavic and the Romance languages (e.g., Span ish, Portuguese, French, Italian and Romanian).Non-Indo-European, which includes the Uralic languages (e.g., Finnic and Finno-Ugric) and Basque.While some languages, like Basque, are language isolates (they dont share a family with other languages) many European languages belong to the same language groups and have similar origins, so their structures and vocabularies tend to be similar.For example, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian and Romanian belong to the same branch of the Indo-European family called the Romance languages. No, its not because theyre romantic, seductive or anything of the sort. Theyre Roman in origin and developed from the official language of the Roman Empire: Latin.Thats why theyre so similar. If you map out the areas where the Romance languages are spoken today, they correlate pretty well to the territories held by the Western Roman Empire in its prime.They diverged and started to follow independent linguistic evolutions with the fall of the Western Ro man Empire. These territories splintered into many different independent states. The Latin in these areas became slowly differentiated. For example, they borrowed from the peoples that came to settle in the different territories after the fall.Thatâs why we have the case with French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish where they have many underlying similarities, but also have clear distinctions.Now, what does this have to do with language learners today?For one thing, this would certainly explain why the word for planet is el planeta (in Spanish), o planeta (in Portuguese), il pianeta (in Italian) and la planète (in French). They all came from the Latin planeta.There are plenty of similarities for Romance languages (cognates) which means theres a real possibility that one can be learning multiple languages over time without too much difficulty. One can take advantage of their similarities in structure and vocabulary. So while learning French words, you may be inadve rtently making yourself recognize Italian.But watch out, because although there are useful similarities between Romance languages, you can get easily tripped up with their differences. In the planet example above, the translation in French is in the feminine gender, while the Italian is masculine. Now you might say, âWell thatâs not really confusing. French-feminine, Italian-masculine!â But you have to remember that its only just for one word. Try to memorize 30 vocabulary words and their gender in both French and Italian and youll readily see the potential for confusion.My advice is, when you study multiple languages at the same time, go for those that arent too similar. Try French and Finnish for example. Theres not much overlap between them, as one can imagine. After some time, when your French becomes solid, only then should you begin Italian. By then your knowledge of French can be used as juxtaposition to fully take advantage of the cognates and be a jumping off point f or Italianâ"instead of you being soft on both languages and learning them both at the same time.5) There are lots of languages spoken in Europe, not just the big onesThere are 24 official languages in Europe but there are actually more than 200 languages spoken on the continent.Furthermore, language is an extension of identity.Cases in point are the regional languages, like Basque, Catalan, Galician, Scottish, Gaelic and Welshâ"languages that, owing to geographic, historical or social factors, have not been assimilated or subsumed by larger linguistic entities and have instead maintained their own rich presence.Whats very interesting is that not only do people from these regions speak a different language, they also often have different traditions and beliefs, even if located just a few kilometers from a major linguistic population.Basque (believed to be the oldest language originating in Europe), for example, is a language spoken in the Pyreneesâ"between Spain and France. Its a language entirely unrelated to any existing or extinct language. And it was spoken even before Spain came under Roman rule.Now, heres an important point to be remembered by language learners: When youre studying a language, youre essentially studying not just vocabulary and grammar. Youre looking at a culture, a history of a people and the words they use to describe and structure their experience.Even when youre just visiting or playing tourist, recognize the fact that a difference in language signals a different way of looking at the world.Keep this in mind when choosing languages to study and places to visit.Because although this does not erase the fact that were all the same underneath the skin, the difference in languages across Europe highlight for language learners and travelers opportunities for growth, discovery and delight.I wish you all the best in your linguistic endeavors.You will get there.And if youre contemplating actually traveling across Europe do bring me back som ething, will ya?
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