Archive for the ‘Guest Posts’ Category

Top Online Learning Tools to Finally Master Your Second Language by Joan Selby introduces six apps you can use to learn another language. They all seem to have their strengths. Some are free while some come at a reasonable cost. You might be more likely to stick with the effort if you have some skin in the game. Thanks, Joan.

Introduction

• You thought learning a second language would be easy. That initial enthusiasm kept you going for some time, but then you started procrastinating. People who take traditional courses often find themselves visiting the classes with no interest. Those who try to learn at their own pace, on the other hand, easily forget about the plans they made.
• At one point or another, you get in a situation when you have to speak that second language. What do you do? There’s no other solution: you have to speed up the process and make effort to finally master your second language. Fortunately, it can be done.
• Robert Laurens, an English language tutor from SuperiorPapers explains: “I see students struggling with English as their second language all the time. This is the advice I give them: you have to do your part – the commitment. Whenever you encounter a problem, remember: there’s an online tool for that. You can use an app or online tool to get lessons and practice sessions, connect with other learners and track your progress. With the right tool at hand, mastering a language is easier than ever.”
• What are the best tools for improving your language skills? We’ll give you six great ones to explore.

Duolingo

• This tool gives you a complete program for mastering a language. You can start from the level appropriate to your skills, and make your progress from there on. Duolingo gives you daily lessons and practice sessions for learning Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, Irish, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Welsh, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Hebrew, Vietnamese, and other languages. The best part about Duolingo is that it’s completely free and there are no hidden charges to it. Each lesson involves some gamification. You’ll be having fun while learning and practicing your target language.

Busuu

• Do you know what the most common excuse of language learners is? There’s not enough time. Yes, you have to work, study, or take care of life in general. The creators of Busuu understand that. That’s why they suggest a simple goal: speak a language in 10 minutes a day. You have 10 minutes, don’t you?
• The available languages include English, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, and few others. The City University of New York estimated that 22 hours of Busuu Premium is equal to one college semester of language study. Impressive. The app is free, but you don’t get much with it. You’ll have to pay for a Premium plan, but the good news is that the program is quite affordable.

Memrise

• This is a serious language learning tool with a fun edge to it. It gives you access to high-quality courses in over 200 languages. It’s different because it adapts to your unique performance and learning style. You’ll get a program that inspires you to learn faster and remember what you’re learning. However, the pace will still be adjusted to your capacity.
• Memrise allows you to create your own flashcards, so you’ll easily remember the words and concepts. The competitive aspect inspires you to keep doing better.

FluentU

• The name of this tool says it all: it helps you get fluent in the language you choose. Most other learning tools include speaking sections, but they are mostly focused on grammar, vocabulary, and writing. This one is different; it’s entirely focused on speaking.
• You’ll see great videos with interactive captions, which are subtitled and translated. Click on the word you don’t understand, and you’ll see an in-context definition accompanied with example sentences. This system supports intuitive learning, and that’s the best way to master a second language. Instead of memorizing, you’re understanding.

Preply

• Learning at your own pace can be effective only if you’re committed to a routine. You have to spend some time with the tool of your choice every single day. All tools on this list inspire you to keep track with the schedule, but you may still fall behind if you’re not committed enough.
• If you lack consistency, then Preply is the right choice for you. It’s not an automated tool. It’s a service that connects you with a language tutor. The human element will keep you going. You’ll feel like you’re attending a traditional language course combined with all benefits that technology offers.
• Being able to connect with a native speaker and get actual tutoring via Skype brings you to a whole new level of engagement. As for the price, you’ll discuss it with the tutor you choose. Preply does not set the prices; the tutors do.

Rype App

• This is another tool that lets you connect with professional language teachers. You’ll get lessons based on a precise curriculum every single day. Through regular and planned immersion, you’ll master the second language in a very short time. You’ll book the lessons to fit in your own time since the teachers are available whenever you need them. The monthly fee differs between the languages offered. For Spanish, for example, the price is $95 per month if you sign up for an annual program. For this price, you get up to 30 minutes of lecturing every single day of the month. You can learn Spanish, English, French, and Italian with the Rype App.

In Conclusion

• Needless to say, you can’t start using all these apps. That would only get you confused, and you don’t really have time for them all on a daily basis. Browse the websites, see how the tools work and try few you like. Then, stick with the one that works best for your style. Remember: daily commitment is the key to success.
• Joan Selby is a former ESL teacher and a content marketer from California. She also runs her own blog about social media and writing tips. Joan is a Creative Writing graduate and fancy shoe lover. A writer by day and reader by night, giving a creative touch to everything. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

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How Writing Can Boost Your Creativity and Help You Inspire Others by Samantha Anderson offers some specific ideas to help budding writers be more creative and inspire others.

Introduction

• Everyone is a writer. The only difference between genuine writers and people who self-proclaim to be writers is that the former boost their creativity and inspire others through their writing. History has a lot of examples that show how writers can be a source of inspiration to others – friends, family, and neighbors. However, this thought is largely substituted by viral stories and news that are shared across social media by individuals.
• The significance of “writing” has either been forgotten or lost in the vast sea of information exchange. Today, everyone – from college students to working professionals, teachers to intelligent readers, thought leaders to managers – see writing as a monotonous activity and one that is a mere requisite to explain oneself in this world. Only when this thought changes and when one considers writing as an art can they achieve the unsung benefits of good old writing.

Benefits of Writing

• While there are tons of benefits of writing – some of which are obvious – the following are the ones that focus on creativity, inspiration, and enlightenment.
• Boosts Creativity: All writers have this marvelous trait of not being perfect. One can ask established writers and figure out that they have left the idea (or the myth) of perfectionism far behind. They instead focus on being prolific. According to Creative Blog, a writer is better off writing ten sentences than trying to perfect one sentence. What this does is create a projection in the writer’s mind about the possibilities. Instead of focusing on a single stream of thought, the writer is creating more streams while writing nine more sentences.
• This is exactly what creativity looks like. Being prolific is just one trait. There are many more factors that help one boost one’s creativity, such as:
  * Brainstorming and thinking of new ideas

  * Using new words, improving one’s vocabulary

  * Creating stories
• Writing does not necessarily have to be about paper or essay writing. By using Write My Paper Today, for example, a graduate student looking to complete her generic mid-term essay can outsource the work and instead focus on writing a short story. (Doug: these sites that write essays will also give feedback on student writing. This strikes me as a better way to use them.) When a person starts thinking and writing about a topic or theme that he/she is interested in, more thoughts pour in – thus boosting creativity.

Inspires Others to Act

• What do journalists do? They make their audience react through the power of words and some hard journalism. That is basically it when one talks about inspiration from writing. In schools and colleges, writing groups motivate their fellow members and friends to start writing so that they can jot down their thoughts. It not only helps in de-stressing but also acts as an instrument for introspecting. Individuals looking to shape their career as a writer can seek writing help from their more established peers. This way they can not only learn directly from the masters but also improve their own writing.

Get Enlightened

• As mentioned in the previous point, one can seek enlightenment from writing. Studies show that when a person writes down thoughts on a piece of paper (over typing on an electronic device), the writer makes those thoughts a bit stronger. One’s mind remembers these thoughts and tries to sample them whenever a similar topic comes to the fore.
• The biggest weapon of a good writer is the power to retain what one reads and thinks. And the first step to retaining more of what one reads is to write down everything that comes to the mind. It is true that majority of what is written down may not be helpful, but if one can take advantage of even a small part of this information, it can aid in carving their personality as a writer. These three are the primary benefits of writing. People should not look at writing as a mode of communication but instead as something that helps them live a better life by boosting creativity, inspiring others, and gaining enlightenment.

Samantha Anderson

• Samantha is Educator from the sunny California. She’s keen in blogging and enjoys an active way of life. She loves open-minded people and find pleasure in chatting with them.

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