The Best Websites to Learn Chinese

The Best Websites to Learn Chinese The Best Online Resources for Learning Mandarin Chinese Chapters Forvo Chinese Forums Jukuu Memrise FluentU Coursera Global ExamSuperprofLearning to read and write in Chinese used to be just for those taking the subject at university. However, thanks to the boom in the Chinese economy and the Confucius Institute, if you want to take Mandarin lessons, there are Chinese classes all over the world.In fact, there are plenty of universities that offer degrees in Chinese, Chinese evening classes at community centres and language schools, and private tutors up and down the country who are ready to teach you all about the Chinese language.In addition to all the classes and tutorials popping up, the Chinese language has seen a digital boom, too! The Chinese language is now everywhere and, as a result, there are plenty of ways to learn the language with just the click of a mouse.In the early days of the world wide web, there were only a few sites that held a monopoly on learning Chinese online and if you wanted to speak Chinese, you had a very limi ted choice.  Nowadays, on the other hand, there are now so many sites that it can be difficult to work out which methods work the best and which sites you should be using to help you learn Mandarin Chinese!That’s where the Superprof team comes in to save the day with the best websites for learning Chinese! Whether you're struggling with Chinese characters, looking for Chinese lessons, wanting to move to Beijing, or just interested in learning more about Chinese culture, these are the websites you need to visit. NingChinese Teacher 5.00 (10) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorraineChinese Teacher £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoyceChinese Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicoleChinese Teacher £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KatyChinese Teacher £16/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YangChinese Teacher £18/h1st lesson free!Discover al l our tutors ChengChinese Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ForvoLearning foreign languages on the Internet has never been simpler! You'll have probably noticed that learning Standard Mandarin Chinese on the Internet is becoming increasingly popular, too, and, as a result, it's never been easier to learn Chinese online.Which learning method should you use when you first start learning Chinese? (Source: rawpixel.com)If you're learning a language on your own or online, pronunciation might be something you'll struggle with since there's nobody around to correct you. This is where a site like Forvo comes in really handy!While this site isn't geared towards teaching you grammar, vocabulary, phrases, or even tones in the traditional sense, every Chinese learner should add “Forvo” to their browser favourites. Forvo is a fantastic resource for mastering Chinese pronunciation.  Just type whatever Chinese word you’d like to pronounce into the search bar and the websi te will tell you exactly how it’s pronounced.However, this isn’t just a website for those learning Chinese. Forvo claims to have pronunciations for every word in the world!  While this probably isn’t true, there are still tonnes of different languages available with multiple examples of pronunciations for each word from Chinese people. In addition to words, there are also examples of full sentences, expressions, and idioms for you to listen to as well.If you prefer to learn Chinese on the go, you should check out our apps for learning Chinese, too! Chinese ForumsIf you want to improve you Chinese from the comfort of your own home, you need to get involved with communities of other language learners, too.Are digital resources the way forward when it comes to learning Chinese? (Source: pixabay.com)Chinese Forums is one of the best places to go if you have any questions about learning Chinese or are having a problem.  There are plenty of very active users who are happy to help ab solute beginners as well as more experienced students.  You can find the answers to almost all of your questions on Chinese here as well as meet other forum users who are just as interested in Chinese as you.The best thing, though? It’s completely free! JukuuWhile dictionaries are great for looking up words, you’ll understand a word much better if you can see it being used in context or in a sentence.Are classrooms like this a thing of the past? (Source: pixabay.com)This is where Jukuu comes into play. Jukuu is more than a dictionary, it’s a search engine for Chinese-English sentences and translations so that you can see both what the word means and how you’d use it in a sentence.Personally, I find that these kinds of websites are far more useful than dictionaries since an out-of-context translation of a word can result in you completely misunderstanding a word or a whole sentence.Discover more books that you can learn Chinese from... NingChinese Teacher 5.00 (10) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorraineChinese Teacher £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoyceChinese Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicoleChinese Teacher £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KatyChinese Teacher £16/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YangChinese Teacher £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ChengChinese Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MemriseMemrise is a website that includes plenty of different courses. There are plenty of different e-learning tools on their website  for a variety of different languages including Chinese!While Memrise is free, it also includes a “Pro” version that includes things like: Learn and review, grammarbot, pro chats, difficult words mode, speed Review, listening skills mode, video mode, and learning stats. The free mode, on the other hand, only includes the learn and review function. FluentUFluentU is a platform that offers Chinese language classes through videos and includes a plethora of video resources for a variety of different languages.  While it’s not free, there are “basic” and “plus” subscription packages which you can cancel at any time. The “plus” subscription for $20 a month includes:iPhone, iPad AppUnlimited Word LookupUnlimited Videos, AudiosUnlimited FlashcardsUnlimited QuizSpaced RepetitionCreate Your Own FlashcardsFluentU works by taking entertaining videos in the target language, transcribing them, subtitling them, and then translating them. All you have to do is watch them and pay attention!Is learning online enough to start speaking Chinese when you land? (Source: kaboompics.com)This means you can enjoy real Chinese videos from Chinese-speaking countries rather than materials that have been specifically for language learning.  This method works by enabling you to create your own immersion environment where you can expe rience Chinese-language culture for less than the cost of a plane ticket.  There are also quizzes so that you can test yourself and see how you’re progressing.Finally, there’s also an app available so that you can benefit from your FluentU subscription whilst you’re on the go or waiting for a bus, etc.Also discover how may videos you could learn Chinese from! CourseraThe Coursera platform is a Massive Open Online Course (commonly known as a MOOC) which was founded by professors from the Stanford University.  The platform includes over 2,000 courses and currently has over 28 million registered users. Of course, Chinese language courses make up some of the courses available on the platform.There are literally tonnes of different courses for those wanting to learn Chinese from beginners, intermediate, and advanced classes to HSK preparation courses and a  large number of these courses are run by universities in China, too! Global ExamGlobal Exam is a platform that offers training for language proficiency tests including the DELE (Spanish), DELF (French), WiDaF (German), and, most importantly, the HSK for Chinese. The platform includes 120 HSK training sessions of which 24 are HSK training exams. This gives you 180 hours of practice and nearly 9,000 questions.You can also use the scheduling feature to plan your training and revision sessions in order to make effective use of your time.  As you get closer to the day, you can also make use of the exam mode and take practice HSK exams under exam conditions.You’ll also get detailed corrections so that you know where you’re going wrong and links to where you can study the things you got wrong.  Don't forget to keep track of your progress with the detailed statistics and see how effectively you’ve been using your time, too.You’ll hardly be surprised to find out that this service isn’t free. However, if you get an annual subscription, you’ll end up paying just over £150.SuperprofWe could hardly have wr itten an article on online Chinese resources and not mention ourselves, could we? Aside from immersion (which is by and far the best way to learn Chinese how to speak a new language), the best way to learn Chinese is with a Chinese teacher or tutor.While there are plenty of exceptional online Chinese courses (as we've mentioned above) and free Chinese resources, they all lack one thing: a personalised approach.When you study Chinese (just like any other language), you will inevitably hit a few speed bumps on your road to fluency. This is where a private tutor can help.Since a private tutor teaches you and only you, their lessons are geared towards your strengths and weaknesses and your own personal goals. For example, if you're just starting out, they can use the Chinese Pinyin transcription system to help you learn new vocabulary. If you're looking to move to Mainland China, they can focus on conversational classes and get you speaking Chinese as soon as possible. Whether you're lo oking for Mandarin lessons London, tutors for Chinese in London, or Cardiff or anywhere else for that matter, you can find them with us.Of course, while private tutorials aren't as cheap as some of the other methods you can use to learn to speak Chinese, they are significantly cheaper than a flight to China and are definitely the option you should be taking if you've already bought your flights and need to get to grips with the language before you go.If you're looking for a textbook to complement your Chinese course, you should check out our list of best tools for learning Chinese!

Understanding Some Common Errors In English To Avoid Them

Understanding Some Common Errors In English To Avoid Them English is a subtle language with many tricky grammatical patterns. Even a well versed person in English tends to err in English grammar and more so in the case of a common practitioner of the language. English grammar is tricky with rules and exceptions to rules. Writing English with flawless grammar is a matter of practice and it needs extended knowledge in the grammatical patterns of the language. Following are some common grammatical errors caused by misunderstandings and insufficient knowledge in English grammar Confusion in placing apostrophes Confusion in placing apostrophes is a very common error. For example, The word ‘It‘ is a pronoun and its without apostrophe means its possession. Examples are A) The bird is beautiful. Its feathers are multi colored. B) It’s perching on the branch of a tree. In the first sentence, the phrase ‘its feathers’ denotes the feathers of the bird and thus the word ‘its’ (without apostrophe) denotes possession. In the second sentence, the word ‘it’s’ (with apostrophe) is the contraction of the words ‘it is’. It denotes the action of the bird (perching). Access Online #English Tutor For Mastery Of 4 #Language #Skills http://t.co/jJ1rfCHwCI pic.twitter.com/ZWHZSDJFu3 â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) July 27, 2015 It is important to know where to use apostrophes. Same confusion can be felt in the next example as well. C) There are 20 students in the class. D) Many students’ books were lost. E) A student’s money was also lost. In the first sentence, the word ‘students ‘denotes the number (how many) of the students. So, it is just a plural noun where there is no need for any apostrophe. In the second sentence, ‘students’ points out the meaning- books belong to students (possession). So, there is a need for using apostrophe in ‘students’. Third sentence contains a singular noun ‘student’ where apostrophe falls in between the letters ‘t’ and s’ to specify the singularity of the noun. If we misuse the apostrophe, the sentence loses its sense. Confusing pronouns Pronouns are the words used in the place of nouns. Confusing first person pronouns is a very common error found in English language usage. For example, ‘He and I went for a party yesterday’ is the correct sentence and if one uses He and me went for a party yesterday’, it is wrong. Same way, you should not use ‘He talked to I’. Instead you should say ‘He talked to me’. It is because the letter I is the subject pronoun and ‘me is the object pronoun and they cannot be misplaced. Same way, ‘myself’ is the reflexive pronoun which should be used only for repetition as in ‘I patted myself for the good job done’. Mixing homophones Homophones are words that have similar sound patterns but are different in meaning and in most cases carry different spellings. If one changes the homophones, the entire meaning changes or there is no sense at all. When you write ‘bow’ in the place of ‘bough’, the entire meaning is lost as in the sentence ‘The hunter took the arrow and bough to hunt the deer’- bough and bow sound the same but they differ in spelling and meaning. Bough is the branch of a tree and the other bow goes with the arrow. Similarly then denotes time and than is a comparative word. The pairs like there and their also are homophones often confused. Confusing words of quantity Countable and uncountable words are often confused by people. Examples are ‘A number of people attended the meeting yesterday’- The word ‘number’ is used, as the noun ‘people’ is countable. ‘He withdrew a large amount of money from the bank’-the word ‘amount’ is used with ‘money’, since it is uncountable. Agreement of the verb with the subject Using plural verbs in the place of singular ones is a common error. Take the word ‘mathematics’ or ‘news’. Though they end in the letter ’s’, they are not plural in meaning. So, one should write ‘The news is false’ and ‘Mathematics is an interesting subject’. Same way, collective nouns do not take plural verbs as in 1000 million dollars is a big sum. Why You Need To Focus On Your #English #Skills For Success In Your #career And Life http://t.co/4z4qVBMUNR pic.twitter.com/B6gSw2goLe â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) July 28, 2015 Many more errors in English usage are there. If students find them hard to fix, they can take recourse to an online English tutor who sets them right for him through customized solutions. Online English tutoring is the best bet for students who struggle in English grammar.

2018 Official Guide to the GMAT Review Series Problem #23 (Algebra Distance-Rate Problems)

2018 Official Guide to the GMAT Review Series Problem #23 (Algebra Distance-Rate Problems) GMAT MBA Admissions Blog This post is the fourth in our series on using strategies to answer specific questions from the 2018 Official Guide. Here, one of our most experienced GMAT tutors, John Easter, analyzes a question about distance-rate. During a certain time period, Car X traveled north along a straight road at a constant rate of 1 mile per minute and used fuel at a constant rate of 5 gallons every 2 hours. During the time period, if Car X used exactly 3.75 gallons of fuel, how many miles did Car X travel? (A) 36 (B) 37.5 (C) 40 (D) 80 (E) 90 This is a basic distance-rate problem, but the standard D = RT table isn't very convenient here. Before I jump in, I'm going to do some estimation/approximation and see if I can eliminate some of the answer choices. First, 1 mile per minute = 60 miles per hour. Second if 5 gallons is equivalent to 2 hours of travel, 3.75 gallons will be more than one hour (it's more than half of 5 gallons). So, Car X has obviously gone more than 60 miles. A, B, and C are out. Now if I round 3.75 gallons to 4 gallons, then the corresponding travel time will be 4/5 of 2 hours = 4/5(2) = 8/5 hours. At 60 miles per hour, that's 60(8/5) = 96 miles Because I rounded up, this should be slightly larger than the exact distance. The correct answer is E. If that's a little bit too seat-of-the-pants for you, we can use a proportion and solve for the exact amount of travel time: 3.75/5 = x/2 (2)(3.75) = 5x And x equals 7.5/5 = 15/10 = 3/2. So 1.5 hours at 60 miles per hour is exactly 90 miles. About the Author John Easter is one of MyGuru’s longest tenured and most experiencedGMAT tutors. He is also the founder ofOwl Test Prep, another great source for GMAT advice.

Too much homework How parents can help.

Too much homework How parents can help. Does your child or teen spend too much time on homework? Do you find yourself worrying that he or she is going to bed too late or is overly stressed because the amount of homework he or she has is overwhelming? Well, youre not alone. Complaints about homework seem to be at an all-time high, and relate to the quantity of homework (He doesnt have enough hours in the day to do all of this!), the level of effort or skill required to complete homework (This seems like a college-level assignment!), and the age at which kids are starting to have homework (How can he be expected to do that by himself?). While national data show that the amount of homework assigned to kids of all ages has generally stayed flat over the past decade, and even decreased in some cases, the academic skills engaged during homework time have changed (e.g., increased emphasis on critical thinking, requirements to show your work on math assignments, etc.). As a result, homework may actually be more taxing today for ki ds with ADHD. Many of the parents I have worked with tell me that homework is the most stressful part of their day because of the frequent arguments and conflicts that come up during this time. Most tell me that they feel like arguments around homework are having a serious negative impact on their relationship with their child. While you cant eliminate homework from your childs life, there are things you and your child or teen can do to help make homework more manageable. Schedule dedicated homework time. The National PTA and the National Education Association suggest that kids should be doing about 10 minutes of homework per grade level, and many public schools aim for these targets. So, your 6th grader should have at least an hour of homework to do. Your sophomore in high school should have about an hour and 40 minutes (100 total minutes). You and your child may believe this is longer than he or she should be spending on homework each night, but if this is the reality of what is being assigned, then its best to be prepared for it. Help your child or teen figure out how to set aside the specified amount of time in his or her daily schedule. Any less dedicated time than this, and your child will probably find himself or herself with too much to do and too little time, even if he or she is efficient. In fact, if your child has ADHD, he or she may need about 50% more time than kids without ADHD to complete work. If your child or teen is regularly taking much longer than expected to complete assignments (e.g., a 6th grader regularly takes 1 hour and 30 minutes or longer), then talk to your childs teacher. Often teachers dont realize how long homework is taking, and are open to making adjustments to your childs assignments to accommodate his or her ADHD. Create an action plan. Kids with ADHD often have a hard time starting on their homework, but do pretty well once theyre going. Parents can help by sitting down with their child at the beginning of homework time to create an action plan. Have your child make a list of each assignment, the due date, the tasks necessary to complete the work, and the materials he or she needs to get the job done. Then, decide which assignment should be completed first, and sit with him or her for a minute or two while he or she gets started. Try a homework club. Many schools and public libraries have started Homework Clubs after school to help kids get homework done. Homework clubs provide great spaces for kids to stay focused (no bedroom toys or everyday family life to distract them) and may provide more supportive adults (teachers, aides, librarians) and homework tools (supervised computer access, protractors for geometry assignments, etc.), and less distracting environments than typical afterschool programs. The best part about these programs is that they occur right after school, before your child becomes fatigued at the end of the day. They also minimize parent-child conflicts, since other adults are providing the supervision. Work with a tutoring center. If your child is struggling with homework completion, and a homework club and he or she needs more individualized help than a typical homework club or afterschool program can provide, then private tutoring or learning centers can help. They offer more flexible hours and small group or one-on-one support that can benefit kids with ADHD. They are also staffed with educational professionals who are focused on helping kids not only complete their assignments, but also truly understand and master the concepts. If youre searching your area for a center, search for one that has extensive experience working with kids who have ADHD. Fuel your childs performance. Kids need the right amount of sleep, nutrition, and physical activity to complete their work effectively this is true for all kids, but it is especially true for kids with ADHD. When any of these factors is out of balance, your childs homework will suffer. So, take a holistic approach to your childs homework time, and help him or her get the sleep, nutrition, and physical activity that he or she needs. Homework is challenging for all kids, and it is especially challenging for kids and teens with ADHD. By taking a solution-focus approach to helping your child get his or her assignments completed, you can alleviate stress for your child and your family. In my next post, Ill talk more about creating effective Action Plans by applying a Getting Things Done approach to homework! ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

American School of Yaounde

American School of Yaounde American School of Yaounde The American School of Yaoundé (ASOY) is an independent English medium, non-profit, educational institution offering the PYP, MYP and DP International Baccalaureate programs from PK-3 through grade 12. Admission to ASOY is open on a non-discriminatory basis to all students, regardless of race, creed, color, gender, religion, national origin, ethnic background, or philosophy. The Guiding Statements have been updated and are in line with the values of ASOY. Our Vision states that: We empower students to excel, to embrace their individual passions, and become engaged, fulfilled global citizens who will positively impact society. Our Mission of Engage-Empower-Excel is a powerful statement of our commitment to students. Organization: The school is accredited by both the Council of International Schools (CIS) in Europe and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA). ASOY is an active member of the Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA) and the Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE). The school is governed by a 7-member school board elected by the Parent Association. ASOY is an IB World Continuum School authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) to offer the Primary Years Program (PYP), Middle Years Program (MYP), Diploma Program (DP). Starting in 2019-20 school year, ASOY has started a Prek-3 French/English Bi-lingual program. Curriculum: The educational program at ASOY consists of an enriched curriculum, correlated with the U.S. Common Core, AERO, Next Generation Science Standards and the IB program philosophy. It is reflective of both the international character of the community and the environment of Cameroon. Instruction is in English and French is taught at all grade levels. Additional languages may be offered based on student interest and the availability of a qualified teacher. English Language Learners Program (ELL) support is available for students in grades 1 through 12 and a learning support program is offered for students with mild learning and/or other difficulties. Faculty: There are 40 full-time teachersand 3 interns including 15 U.S. citizens, 13 host-country nationals, and 15 third-country nationals. All full time staff members are fully certified and registered with their respective countrys educational department, with the majority trained and certified in the U.S. The school employs a full-time librarian and nurse. Facilities: The campus is located on a 3.5-acre site near the center of Yaoundé and consists of 25 classrooms, 1 computer lab, 2 science labs, a 16,000-volume multimedia library, a learning support center, an ELL support center, a college counselor, the Parrots Canteen, a multi-purpose room, and a courtyard for events and RR. Sports facilities include 2 tennis courts, one multi use outdoor court, a covered basketball court, a swimming pool, a kiddie pool, a newly installed artificial turf soccer field, and 2 playgrounds for younger students. The school consists of 4 sections: the early childhood (PK3-kindergarten), elementary school (grades 1-5), middle school (grades 6-8), and high school (grades 9-12).

Europe and the American Presidential Election

Europe and the American Presidential Election Photo by Sean MacEntee on flickr.com Europeans, and people all over the world, care much more about our elections than you may be aware of. Despite claims that the United States is losing its status as a global superpower, our government still has a large amount of political weight to throw around. The United States military is the largest in the world, our economy is one to be reckoned with, and numerous countries depend on us for support. Europeans recognize this, and also genuinely care about our domestic well-being, too. Newspaper covers here in Germany regularly show photos of Obama and Romney after debates and nearly everyone is talking about who will win. I was discussing the election with a Frenchman one time and he told me that I was very lucky to get to vote for the American president. I told him I hadnt thought of it that way before but I agreed. He went on to point out that millions of people depend on the decision about who will lead the United States, as an individual voter I had more power than most people across the world. I would like to remind everyone back in the states how lucky we are. Whether you consider yourself a Republican or a Democrat, want a third party candidate to win, or dont really like any of them, the global community cares what you think. So get out and vote, because the world depends on it.

8 Practical Ways to Learn All the Foreign Language Vocabulary Needed for Conversational Fluency

8 Practical Ways to Learn All the Foreign Language Vocabulary Needed for Conversational Fluency 8 Practical Ways to Learn All the Foreign Language Vocabulary Needed for Conversational Fluency Did you know that 1,000 words can get you a long, long way in a foreign language?It might not seem that easy when youre looking at the raw numbers. The Oxford English Dictionary  includes  more than 170,000 English word entries.The  Hanyu Da Cidian dictionary  includes  370,000 Mandarin Chinese words, and the Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language  includes  200,000 Russian words. Most languages have similar numbers of words circling around.As a language learner, these numbers can seem downright crazy! How are you ever going to memorize that many vocabulary words?Luckily, you dont need to learn anywhere near  that many words to communicate proficiently. In fact, most native speakers know only a small portion of these totals. The  website TestYourVocab.com  put together statistics  that show that the average English-speaking adult knows only 20,000-35,000 words. Whats more, its estimated  that the top 1,000 lexemes (words or word groupings) account for 80% of all English texts!So simply learning 1,000 words can  get you far in your ability to understand texts and communicate with people.  The same is true for nearly all languages.With a little strategy and the right tools, you can learn much faster and easier than you might have imagined. Follow these steps to get started and boost your foreign language vocabulary learning. 8 Practical Ways to Learn All the Foreign Language Vocabulary Needed for Conversational Fluency1. Narrow it downThe first step to learning effectively is to identify what you want to focus on and set goals.If you have a strong interest in a particular subject, start with that. Perhaps you want to to read about soccer, or you want to learn how to cook like a native chef. The most effective learners are motivated to study because they choose vocabulary based on their interests and needs. If you  select words you dont find useful, youre much less likely to succeed in memorizing them and being able to use them in context. Y ou should be as excited as possible about learning new words!If you have a more general goal, like wanting to be able to communicate with people on an upcoming trip or read the news, its a good idea to focus on the words that are most commonly used in your target language.2. Figure out what the most common words areThis is a good tip for anyone, no matter what your particular interests may be. The most common words will be the most common words in any kind of speech or writing. They pop up everywhere!Typically, there are four general  categories of vocabulary words we can talk about in any language: High-frequency words, academic words, technical words and low-frequency words.You can generally ignore academic, technical and low-frequency words, unless you have specific need to learn them. Focus on  high-frequency words  to  quickly improve your ability  to communicate. These are the words people use most in everyday writing and speech, so learning them will take you in the right dir ection so you can start  understanding what you hear and being able to respond appropriately.An online search for the phrase  most common words in X language can help you identify a list of high-frequency words to focus on, like  this one in Spanish or this one in French. After identifying these words, try doing an online search to find articles and videos that use these words in context.3. Seek out opportunities to use new wordsDo you  know what it means to learn a word?Learning any vocabulary involves two separate processes:Being able to recognize a word when you hear or read itBeing able to say or write a wordIts more difficult  to produce a word than it is to recognize it, so  we typically learn to recognize words in writing or speech before were able to produce them ourselves. It takes additional, concentrated practice to learn a word well enough to  think of it and say or write it when we want to.On an average day, you get much more practice hearing and reading words than you do speaking or writing, whether in your native language or a language youre trying to learn, and even if youre super extroverted and talkative.Thats why its important to always seek out more opportunities for productive language practice, such as  writing emails to friends, writing in a personal journal, talking with others in  a conversation club or chatting with people who dont speak your native language.You can also check out guided conversations like polyglot Olly Richards  Conversations course, which is designed to help you set up workable, step-by-step systems for learning the most common phrases and words in your target language.Opportunities for real-life use of words are also important because you need to learn to use words in context and understand their connotations. Simply memorizing a definition wont necessarily  provide you with enough information to use a word  effectively.4. Break out those flashcardsShuffling those  good ol flashcards is  one of the best ways  to le arn foreign language words.Flashcards are efficient, allow for flexibility and make it possible to stagger your learning with a few minutes of studying here and a few minutes there, adding up to big language gains over time.There are two general types of flashcards, and a third if you count the most innovative variety:DIY paper flashcards. Buy a pack of index cards from the store and start writing vocabulary words on them. Its cheap, easy and low-tech, and its sure to be effective.Digital flashcards. If you prefer to go high-tech, there are many  online and computer software programs  for flashcards, such as  Anki, StudyStack  and Quizlet. Most programs allow you to create your own flashcards and access flashcards other people have created, making it possible to find lists of useful words to study without creating the cards yourself.Multimedia flashcards.  Check out the flashcards offered by FluentU, and you might never go back to other formats. Not only do they operate with SRS to ensure maximum learning productivity, but theyre personalized to match up with the vocabulary youve learned from watching FluentU videos. Plus, the flashcards themselves show you video snippets to better engage your memory!No matter which method you use, there are a few keys to making useful flashcards:Write the foreign language vocabulary word on one side of the card and the meaning of the word in your native language on the other.Keep your cards simple. It can be tempting to include on details like how to conjugate an irregular verbs, but  youll  learn best if your cards have very little clutter on them.Include pictures with your definitions, if possible. Some people learn best with words, while others do better with images. Combining both can help you make the most of your study time.After creating your flashcards, its time to start studying! Here are some tips to get the most from your flashcards:Always take a moment to guess the meaning before turning the card over, even if you re unsure of yourself.Change the order of cards. If youre using a computer program, it will likely do this for you.Start by learning the words receptively. Look at the foreign language word and try to identify its meaning in your native language. After youre comfortable doing this, then work on learning the words by starting with the translation side and identifying the foreign language word.Speak aloud as you practice. You learn words better when you speak rather than simply read them.Use spaced repetition. Gradually increase the amount of time between repetitions of a flashcard. Research  shows that learning through spaced repetition is better than learning through massed repetition. Rather than spending 15 solid minutes reviewing your flashcards and not looking at them again for a week, its better to review them in shorter intervals each day or several times a day and to review them again every few days, increasing the amount of time between each repetition. Some  computer flashc ard programs do this for you.Flashcard learning is  an extremely effective method of learning, but it doesnt provide opportunities to learn words in context. Make sure to combine your flashcard learning with opportunities to read, listen, watch and speak.5. Learn new words in contextLearning in context means being exposed to new words through reading or listening.  This enables  you to naturally run across unfamiliar words and learn their meanings.Research shows that people learn words best when they see them used in context, so seek out opportunities to learn new words from sources such as:Books  and  magazine or news articlesOnline videos, TV shows and filmsAudiobooksTextbooks, which usually provide lists of words and texts to help you practice themTalking with a conversation partner or friendThis strategy can be used alone or in combination with other methods such as flashcards or using a dictionary.When learning in context, its important to choose  texts and conversation  opport unities that wont be overwhelming. You need to be able to recognize most of the words you read or hear so that  you can identify the  new words. Researchers suggest that a ratio of one new word to every 20-50 familiar words is ideal.Learning in context is slower than learning with flashcards because you arent as focused on the sole task of memorizing, and because you need to do a lot of reading or listening before you encounter a new word. However, its very effective because it provides you with a lot of information about a new word. It also provides lots of practice using your target language, reviewing other vocabulary words and practicing grammar structures.One great way to learn in context is to use FluentU, which  provides foreign language videos that native speakers actually watch, along with interactive subtitles, translations and even active learning tools like multimedia flashcards, quizzes and custom vocabulary lists. Use the content here to learn and practice new vocabula ry words using flashcards, as well as to access real-life contextual information about how the words are used and pronounced by watching videos!FluentU takes real-world videos like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks, and turns them into language learning experiences, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse Screen.FluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.Interactive transcript for Carlos Baute song.You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs learn mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personaliz ed experience by recommending videos and examples.Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the iTunes store  or Google Play store.6. Use a dictionaryUse a dictionary to look up:Unknown words you read or hearTranslations for words  you want to learnHow to spell a wordHow to pronounce a wordYou can also use a dictionary to find grammatical information about new words.  Most dictionaries will tell you things like which preposition(s) or noun case(s) to use with a word and provide  sample phrases using the word.There are two different ways to access a dictionary:Print  dictionaries.  Find one that is made by a reputable company and used popularly. These are usually well-researched, accurate and thorough.Online dictionaries. These provide easy, fast opportunities to look up words and may  include features like audio pronunciation samples. However, you may find it frustrating to type in your foreign language, and it c an take some research to find the most  reliable and accurate online dictionary.You can also choose whether to use a bilingual or monolingual dictionary.  Bilingual dictionaries are the easiest way to learn new words. However, monolingual dictionaries often provide more grammatical information and examples of a word in context. It may be helpful to use a combination of both dictionaries, or seek out a bilingual dictionary that provides  thorough grammatical and contextual information.7.  Learn word partsOne of the most effective ways to improve your ability to predict the meaning of  new words is to study word partsâ€"the roots  and affixes that make up words.This process is less familiar to language learners than learning whole words and is best used after youve developed a substantial vocabulary of whole words. However, if done right, it can provide you with the capacity to guess the meaning of new words without looking them up, greatly increasing your comprehension of the languag e.Word parts include the stems  that give a word its general meaning, as well as affixes that modify the grammatical form or structure of the word and provide important information about its exact meaning.An example of a word stem in English is  -STRUCT- which means to build. Its the root in words like  structure and construct.The stem is also used in a wide variety of other words, including destruction, instructive and obstruct. Each word has a different meaning, but you can see how they all relate to a general sense of building.Affixes are also useful in predicting the meaning of a word. In English, these include prefixes like de- and non- as well as suffixes like -ment and tion.Knowing what these affixes mean can  help you understand that destruction is a noun (the suffix -tion tells you this) that means to tear something down (the opposite of building, as you can see from the prefix de-).This approach requires that you find sources for information about word parts in your target language. The book  Leveraging Your Russian with Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes  provides students of Russian with a thorough source of word parts to study.Online sources like Building Your Vocabulary: Prefixes  provide word parts to study in Spanish, and  lists of Greek and Latin roots  can help you learn these languages or learn English words derived from these languages. There are also many sources of information about Arabic word roots, which function slightly differently  but use the same general concept.8. Embrace memorization techniquesAs you use  the methods described above, you should make use of memorization techniques that will  help you remember new information. A few of the best methods include:The keyword technique. Make up a story using the  new word, the meaning of the word and a word in your native language that sounds similar. If you want to learn the Turkish word ev, which means house, you might think that it sounds like the English word every. Your story might be something like, Im in my house every day.Visualize and vocalize. When you learn a new word, take a moment to visualize  an image of the words meaning and say the word aloud.Use the word in your native language. Practice the new word not only in your target language but also in your native language. If youre learning  the Spanish word siempre, which means always, you might say things like, I siempre meet my friends for lunch on Thursdays.Make  gestures. Research  shows that the brain learns better with sensory inputs like physical actions. If youre learning the word for ball, try making a ball with your hands and pretending to throw it as you repeat the word aloud.Learning vocabulary takes practice and time, but it can be rewarding and fun and, with the right methods and techniques, you can speed up your learning enormously.As you learn, dont forget to look back on your notes or flashcards to remind yourself how much youve already learned.And remember to practice the new words you le arn in context by doing a general online search for articles with the word in them, writing stories, writing journal entries with the words or watching videos on FluentU.