7 Things Introverts Can Do to Turn Networking for a Job from Bad to Good - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 7 Things Introverts Can Do to Turn Networking for a Job from Bad to Good - Introvert Whisperer 7 Things Introverts Can Do to Turn Networking for a Job from Bad to Good I once had a fellow Introvert tell me: “I’d rather clean the floor of Grand Central Station with my toothbrush than network.” I think that pretty much sums it up for the vast majority of job seekers with even the slightest leaning toward being an introvert. Statistically, that’s about half of all job seekers. Yet, despite all that distaste for networking, and especially networking for a job, you have to do it, right? Yes, you do. Even with all that the Internet gives us, people hire people. You most likely won’t get a job without connecting your resume or you to a real person simply to get an interview. This is a fact of life that predates the Internet. We have to network and build relationships for jobs, resources and opportunities. Before I get into some actionable advice, it’s important to understand a bit about how Introverts tick: Being around people sucks up our energy.  We almost go into autopilot to save energy, which means we do avoid networking events or even parties. We tend to form relationships one-on-one.  It helps save energy and allows us to focus, which we do very well. When we do speak it’s either because we have a purpose to speak or a context of understanding about the other person. (We know the other person and have enough background to know where to start a conversation) To sum this up, events suck up energy, which isn’t fun; being around groups of people isn’t fun; and if I don’t know you or know what to talk to you about, I’m a deer in the headlights.  Great. Don’t despair; there are things you can do to work with your natural tendencies. Tip #1: Expand Where You Are Many of us fail to recognize that our place of business is one big networking opportunity.  Introverts do tend to “hunker down” or focus on work rather than relationships, but schedule yourself to daily get away from the desk and get to know someone better. At work you have a number of workmates, but don’t discount customers, vendors and contractors. This will also allow you to develop the relationship one-on-one! Tip #2:  Look Up Former Workmates The great thing about our jobs is that we do make work friends, even if we get out of contact when someone moves on. Use LinkedIn to locate some of your former workmates. They will love you for remembering them. Besides, it’s fun to get caught up. Once you connect â€" stay connected. Tip #3: Don’t Work the Room The worst advice for us is to try to meet as many people as you can. We hate it. It’s superficial and you really won’t get to know others with that strategy. By focusing in on just meeting 2 or 3 people, you will reduce the overwhelm and feel good about going because you got to spend time focusing on the other person. When you hit your target, leave. Tip #4: Following Up Is Not Stalking I hear this a lot. When you finish speaking to someone, ask for their contact information and suggest coffee. That way when you do make contact, it won’t be awkward for either of you. Tip #5: Not Everyone Is Perfect for You If you don’t feel some type of connection to another person, that’s ok. Not everyone you meet is going to be someone you will or can develop a relationship with. Take the pressure off yourself that you have to get traction with everyone, because it’s not realistic. (Tweet this!) Tip #6: Give First All relationships are like a bank account. You must deposit first before you can start drawing out any currency. Do not make demands until you have spent time nurturing the relationship. Tip #7: Ask a Friend This is a great Introvert strategy. Ask a friend to bring a friend of theirs to meet up for coffee. Explain that you are expanding your circle and you trust their judgment in people. This strategy gives you a context for talking to them and remains intimate. As an Introvert, you have to start thinking creatively about how to network without overwhelming yourself. Start with one tip and master that before adding another one. Just realize we don’t all have to do things the same way. Bonus Tip: Adapting is key to your career survival, growth and advancement.  Get Free Instant Access to Video series The 5 Most Common Ways Introverts Commit Career Self-Sabotage and How to Avoid Them.  Click here now: www.introvertwhisperer.com/careergoals Go to top Bottom-line â€" I want to help you accelerate your career â€" to achieve what you want by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my 4 Building Blocks to Relationships eBookâ€" the backbone to your Networking success and fantastic work relationships.   Grab yours by visiting: CLICK HERE Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleash your professional potential. What’s one thing you can start doing today to improve your networking? Let us know in the comments! This article originally appeared at FlexJobs. Image: Flickr

Resources for Teaching Children Mandarin Chinese

Resources for Teaching Children Mandarin Chinese How Can Young People Learn Chinese? ChaptersTraditional Resources for Learning Mandarin ChineseLearning Chinese with Groups and AssociationsResources for Getting Children Started with ChineseThe Best Resource for Young People Learning Chinese: Studying AbroadMore Information on Teaching Children ChineseWhile Chinese is actually a group of related languages, the largest member of this group, Mandarin, has nearly a billion speakers. While the speaker of one local variety may not understand another, the standardised form, based on the Beijing dialect, is widely understood by people all over China and around the world.China also happens to be the world's second-largest economy and is classified as an emerging and developing economy, meaning that things are only going to get better for those involved in it and those who can speak its language.Thanks to globalisation, it’s never been easier to learn a foreign language, even a seemingly complicated one like the Mandarin language. There are groups like the Confucius Institut e Network UK that promote the Chinese culture and language. There are 510 in the world and 13 in the UK.They are the best places to find out more about Chinese lessons and Chinese culture, of course. There are also plenty of other ways to learn Chinese like traditional resources, groups and associations, and language exchanges. In this article, we’re going to show you all the different resources you can make use of to learn Mandarin Chinese as spoken in mainland China and Taiwan. 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 Teache r £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsTraditional Resources for Learning Mandarin ChineseIt’s often thought that traditional resources are the best way to learn foreign languages. You can use them for learning about a variety of different aspects of languages such as:Chinese characters or ideograms.Chinese language and culture.Exercises focusing on linguistic skills such as the spoken language, pronunciation, and tones.Books are a traditional but useful resource for children studying Chinese. (Source: quillau)These resources are useful for both teachers and students alike. With just a book on Chinese, you can learn to read and write, even on your own. Before you start speaking, you should know that Chinese is a tonal language.Chinese writing is a gateway to Chinese culture! Books are also a great way to learn more about the history of the People's Republic of China, the Great Wall of China, or Chinese philosophers such as Confucius.There are tonnes of private Chinese tuto rs from all over the UK on Superprof ready to start teaching you how to speak Chinese.  The main question is how and when you should use these traditional Chinese resources. While certain resources are good for teaching yourself, others need to be used in certain teaching environments such as:Primary school, secondary school, sixth form, college, or university.Private language schoolPrivate Chinese tutorials with a tutorIn these three cases, you’ll also have an opportunity to work on speaking and listening, which you won’t be able to with just a book in your house.To get the most out of learning Mandarin Chinese, you should probably keep a bilingual dictionary to hand.  Curious children enjoy collecting beautiful books!What do you think is the best age for children to start learning Mandarin?Learning Chinese with Groups and AssociationsWith 1.2 billion speakers, Chinese is an official language of many international organisations, and rightly so. Chinese is made up of several par ts: Chinese writing, grammar, pronunciations, etc. It’s one of the most demanding languages to learn. The advantage of associations is all the resources they provide to various levels:For beginners, there are introductions to Chinese writing and characters.Intermediates can enjoy more technical aspects of the language such as phonetic transcription and speaking with native speakers.Advanced students can enjoy conversation classes.There are also lessons available on computers taught by Chinese teachers.  Chinese, after European languages such as French, Spanish, German, and Italian, is one of the most common languages taught in the UK.Associations are also useful for those who wish to travel to China as they offer advice and resources. There are events like:Mandarin Chinese conversation classesVisiting a Chinese-language museumGoing to the cinema to see a Chinese filmA Chinese-themed picnic.There are tonnes of interesting and different ways to learn Mandarin Chinese and association s are a great way to bring language learning and culture together.  There are Chinese associations all over the country so anyone, wherever they live, should be able to learn Chinese.Thanks to these associations, Children can learn more about Chinese while also learning about different aspects of life in China. 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 tutorsResources for Getting Children Started with ChineseThere are two main reasons as to why the internet is such a  great resource for learning to speak a foreign language:You can sign up to online Chinese lessons with tutorsThere are plenty of digital resources for you to practise Chinese regularlyWhy not watch a Chinese cookery show together? (Source: YashilG)Skype and Facebook, for example, can be used to get in touch with people who want to practise speaking or writing a certain language by either calling them or sending them messages. It’s perfect for learning a language and making new friends.Apps like Babbel and Lingq are also useful resources. You can learn Chinese vocabulary and expressions. They’re quite useful if you’re getting ready to travel to China. Let’s not forget useful translation tools which can be used to help you write and understand Chinese.When you first start learning Chinese, you need to use a variety of different resources to get the most out of your studies.  Don’t forget to use other digital resources to help you learn to speak Chinese and to correct your mistakes. These r esources can include:Free Chinese YouTube channels from native speakers wanting to share their mother tongue.Fun YouTube channels with Chinese teachers from the UK or other English-speaking countries.Television channels broadcasting Chinese-language programming from reality TV to cooking shows.Podcasts and radio shows that you can listen to whenever and wherever you like.What’s the main advantage of these resources?Almost all of them are free! This is great for learning the basics of the language without having to make a financial investment until you absolutely have to. Of course, a computer can never teach you the subtleties of a language like a dedicated teacher can.  That said, they are great for learning more about Chinese culture, customs, and life. Immerse yourself in Chinese culture from the comfort of your own home.Why are there so many resources for beginners to learn Chinese?Because they’re so accessible (and they're still free!).Children prefer digital resources when it comes to learning a language at a young age because it’s easy, especially when it comes to learning at home or on public transport!The Best Resource for Young People Learning Chinese: Studying AbroadReferring to studying abroad as a resource might sound odd, but to be fair, it’s technically the best way to become an expert in Mandarin Chinese. Generally speaking, a language exchange programme includes:Theoretical language classesPractical language classesWorkshops for learning about local cultureTrips to cultural and educational sitesThere are plenty of great sites to visit in China and they're a great way to bring the culture and the language together. (Source: levifraser0)This is like having intensive lessons where you’ll learn the language very quickly. While you can organise studying abroad through a university or private institution, you can also travel to China yourself and work it all out for yourself. You’ll return with a much better knowledge of the language. Wh en it comes to speaking Chinese fluently, there’s nothing better than spending time immersing yourself in the country.There are also a number of similar experiences you can opt for such as summer camps for kids to learn more about the language and the country. There are also professional language programmes for adults to work and study in the host country.Which children don’t like to travel? And while you're on the road, you can implement these ten tips to make learning fun!This is perfect for learning Chinese in the long term.More Information on Teaching Children ChineseHow Much Do Chinese Courses Cost?Chinese courses vary according to which resources they use. For example:A bespoke tutorial organised by a private tutor will be tailored to the student and will take more time to plan.Chinese distance learning requires less tailoring.An online course can be put together more quickly as they’re not tailored to individual students.The resources used and the time spent planning wi ll influence the cost of Mandarin London lessons. You have to choose the most effective method for your budget.On Superprof, our private tutors can use almost any resource to teach you Chinese and you talk to them about which you prefer. These resources are usually used in addition to their teaching rather than on their own.On the other hand, learning from a specific resource can be useful for studying on your own or perfecting a certain aspect of the language. You need to find a balance between all of the different ways to teach Mandarin to children and they’ll soon be speaking Chinese fluently.Ready to go?

A Guide to University Photography Courses

A Guide to University Photography Courses Photography Courses at University: What to Study? ChaptersChoosing a Specialty for Photography ClassesSchools that Offer a Photography CourseOnline Photography CoursesYou're Certified: Now What?If you love to capture slices of daily life â€" a matron shopping or an infant sleeping, why not focus and refine your passion through photography courses?Should you aspire to be a photojournalist or documentary photographer; in fact if you find yourself most adept behind the lens but don't yet know where your love of photography will take you, attaining a degree in photography is the first step on that photography  career path.Public and private institutions in the UK offer programmes in the art of photography.Students of these photography classes receive tertiary level general education in addition to vocational instruction on the various aspects of photography as a metier and a form of art.Depth of field, composition and hands-on usage of photographic equipment: Bachelors' programmes in professional photography will cultivate students' tec hnique as well as their artistic flair.Let us now uncover some of the best photography study programmes in the UK!If you wish to make a career out of capturing and publishing images, be they snapped in a studio or in nature, professional development generally demands a degree.As with all college/university degrees, the student learning basics of photography is treated to higher general education at the outset, with more attention given to the art and science of photography toward the end of the programme.In general, the syllabus for such programmes are hammered out by the Department for Education.In seeking a school that offers diplomas in photographic arts, you should make it a priority to find those whose diplomas are accredited.They lend your degree more gravitas when seeking employment in the field of photography.Getting an education in photography teaches you the depth of the field. Source: Pixabay Credit: Michael GaidaFields of study include, among others:Professional Practice of photographyCulture of PhotographyHistory of photographyVisual CommunicationComputer graphics and digital imagesHardware and technologydslr cameras, lenses and light meters; Adobe lightroom and Photoshop are includedApplied arts and photography training for artistic venturesTo ensure successful graduation, the candidate is generally required to present a photographic project, and would be called on to expound on the steps taken in executing his/her work.For some courses, the student would also draft a thesis related to the field of photography: a critical study of several photographic works, or expound on how to photograph various subjects.Such aspects could be: uses of an infinity cove, directing models effectively, or drawing a comparison between analog (film) and digital photography.If night photography is your particular passion, you might talk about lighting techniques, shutter speed, exposure and apertures required for those specialised snaps.To successfully demonstrate you r theoretical and practical knowledge of photography, you must present knowledge and skill of both aspects!Food for thought: in spite of advances in digital slr cameras, film photography remains a prevalent form of artistic expression in photography.Thus, as you search for your ideal photography school, you might consider those that embrace both media.74 institutions that offer degrees in photography!That list does not include private schools that develop photographers for professional shoots.A number of well-to-do people prefer private education for career development, believing the quality of education is superior than anything taught in public schools.Please don't be fooled by that stereotype!Many public establishments have turned out professional photographers who are recognized for their quality work and innovation.It might behoove you to review information from former students of select institutions before you enroll in any photography class.Here is a decidedly non-exhaustive list of institutions that could help you become the best photographer:Middlesex University in LondonUniversity of Salford in ManchesterLeeds Art University in Leeds (obviously!)University of HerfordshireFalmouth University in CornwallSt John University in YorkBornemouth UniversityCardiff Metropolitan UniversityGeography is, of course, a consideration to any university you enrol with.Living in London, for example, you would have a choice of several schools through which you can earn your degree in photography. There are also many private tutors to give photography courses London, both locally or online.However, living in the Highlands or some other, less populated area, you may only have access to online photography courses.Good news! Many of the institutions that offer professional development of photographers also boast an intranet, so that you could take courses online!And, for students who have no opportunity at university, either attending in person or via distance learning, the re exists several online courses to become a professional or commercial photographer.Online Photography CoursesWho says that online learning is reserved only for academic subjects, or languages?These days, you can learn almost anything online!Some people think that online learning does not compare to a traditional, brick and mortar institution.At some point in the past, that may have been true.Not today!With but a quick search, you could soon find an accredited organisation that suits your needs and budget.Or, you could make use of this handy photography courses online list we've compiled for you.Digital Photography offers an accredited programme from which you could earn a Level 3 certification in photography.The British Institute of Professional Photography could be a good bridge into a formal institute, should you later desire to matriculate in a brick and mortar institution.You might use those credentials to apprentice with a commercial or professional photographer.The Universit y for Creative Arts offers a full BA Honors degree in photography, fully online.The London Art College makes available a degree programme in photography, complete with materials and instructor support.Food for thought: if you intend to open your own studio, you should gain a measure of business sense, about running a business in general, and the legalities and intricacies.Thus, unless you apprentice with an already existing concern â€" a studio or ad agency, for example, you would be responsible for all of the paperwork endemic to running a business.Taking a Level 3 accredited course online, you learn at least the rudiments of business management.Be wise as an owl: map your way to a career in photography through education! Source: Pixabay Credit: Alexa_FotosYou're Certified: Now What?Every photography professional will tell you: obtaining a degree is the path to follow in making photography a full-time job.Level 3 training in advanced photography includes all components necessary to establish oneself in the field of photography.Therefore, it would be entirely possible to stop formal training after attaining a three-year degree; or you could prolong your studies.Either way, your prospects could be lucrative, exciting and far-reaching.With such a certification in hand, you could aim for any (or all!) of these stimulating careers:General photography professions, which include:assistant photographer, freelance photographer, animal photographer, post-production specialist, professional photography in photo studioFashion jobs: Fashion photographer, image editing in post processingArtist: as a photographer you could create photographic art, exhibit in galleries; or photograph decorative art, and so onAudiovisual Professions: Vision engineer, production assistant, director...Even graphic artists, who create beautiful images digitally, quite often start as beginner photographers, and then learn  how to embellish their shots digitally.With a mention of graphic arts stud ies on your graduation transcript, you nearly have a shoo-in to the community of professional photographers!Ideally, you would build a network of support throughout your educational process: be it through workshops with professional photographers or with the mentors at your school, or a combination of both.Fortunately, most of the schools we investigated averred that they do promote such networking and support in job placement.Food for thought: it would be entirely possible to take your love of photography to the next level by teaching the next generation of imaging professionals how to shoot.Naturally, you would need post-graduate studies, as required to teach in any institution of higher learning.You might also want to host workshops: in your own studio or home; around the city or at some of our country's more stunning medieval architecture.Whether you ply a digital camera or prefer 35mm; if you know all about studio lighting, white balance, and how to use natural light...No matte r if you hope for the excitement of commercial photography or the skill and artistry necessary to be a nature photographer, attaining formal education in photography is most certainly the right step to take.Happy studies!

Distance between two points

Distance between two points Distance between two points tool is used to find the distance between any two points. Only important criteria or point is to know the coordinates of the two points. If the coordinates of the two points are known then distance can be evaluated easily. Let us take a line segment AB shown in fig 1 to find out the distance between the two points. Distance between point A and B = (x2- x1) ^2 + (y2-y1) ^2 This can be more clarified by the relevant examples. Problem 1: Find out the distance between two points C and D. The coordinate of C is (2, 4) and D is (11, 7). Solution: Given coordinates are C (2, 4) and D (11, 7) = So x1 = 2, y1 =4 and x2 = 11, y2 = 7 = So distance between C and D is (x2- x1) ^2 + (y2-y1) ^2 = (11-2) ^ 2 + (7-4) ^2 = 9^2 + 3^2 = 81 + 9 = 90 units Problem 2: Find out the distance between two points X and Y. Solution: Given coordinates are X (4, 6) and D (6, 10) So x1 = 4, y1 =6 and x2 = 6, y2 = 10 So distance between C and D is (x2- x1) ^2 + (y2-y1) ^2 = (6-4) ^ 2 + (10-6) ^2 = 2^2 + 4^2 = 4 + 16 = 20 units.

What type of learner are you

What type of learner are you One of the fun features of AJ Tutorings academic tutoring program is an assessment that we give to our students sometime in the first few sessions.   This assessment, the VARK Questionnaire, helps us to determine what type of learner each student is.   This information is invaluable for students who are struggling in their classes for no apparent reason sometimes theres just a mismatch between the teaching style and learning style!There are four major learning styles: visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic.   Visual learners thrive with pictures, graphs, and charts of information.   Auditory learners learn best by hearing and discussing the material.   Reading/writing learners are able to understand information by reading it and then writing about it.   Finally, kinesthetic learners are people who learn by doing hands-on demonstrations and experiments work best.The VARK Questionnaire consists of multiple-choice questions with real-life situations.   Students choose whic h answer or answers best fits their actual preference.   By looking at the pattern of answers, we can determine which types of learning best suit the student.   Information about their personalities is also helpful in determining their learning styles for example, athletes are frequently kinesthetic learners.While its fun to know what type of learner you are, this information is also highly practical for tutoring.   Many high school classes are taught in an auditory or read/write format (or some of both) the teacher lectures, and students are expected to read the book and write papers (professional essay writers).   Students who are kinesthetic or visual learners are sometimes at a disadvantage in these environments.Related: Affordable essay writing service get your highest mark today!This semester, Im working with a student whos an auditory learner.   She knew this about herself already (although she didnt know the name for it), and she told me that she learns best by discussing the material with other people.   So although her teacher lectured frequently, my student was having a hard time because she didnt get an opportunity to think through her thoughts in a discussion format.   Armed with this information, Im able to help her by discussing and debating each chapter in the history book.   Ive seen her understanding go way up in just a few weeks of tutoring!Interested in trying the questionnaire for yourself?   Here you go: http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire

6 Common ESL Errors

6 Common ESL Errors Infographic One thing I have become acutely aware of while working on the  VirtualWritingTutor.com ESL grammar checker  is just how common some errors are in college students writing. I see the same errors day after day, year after year. I could easily come up with a list of about 100 common errors that college students should avoid, but for the sake of brevity, heres an infographic with six undisputably common glitches in ESL writing. Infographic Infographic of 6 common ESL writing errors Share this Image On Your Site /pbr / pstrongPlease include attribution to virtualwritingtutor.com with this graphic./strong/pbr / pa href=https://blog.virtualwritingtutor.com/infographic-6-common-esl-errors/img src=https://blog.virtualwritingtutor.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/6-Common-ESL-errors-1.png alt=Infographic of 6 Common ESL Errors width=619 border=0 //a/pbr / p Please follow and like us:

After Spanish, These Are 6 of the Best Languages to Learn

After Spanish, These Are 6 of the Best Languages to Learn Your Move: 6 of the Best Languages to Learn After Spanish Choosing a language to learn may not seem like a strategic move.After all, for many, Spanish is the obvious choice.But after you learn Spanishâ€"Wait, hold on. After?Well, yes.Spanish covers a lot of the world. English covers quite a bit more. But added together, you might still only get… about a fourth?There are still many, many places around the world where Spanish and English wont get you far at all. Besides, there are plenty of native Spanish speakers looking for additional languages to learn, too, and maybe youre even one of them!So whether youve already learned Spanish, you grew up speaking Spanish or you dont know Spanish but are still curious about what other languages are out there, its certainly worth considering your options carefully.From bustling cities to remote jungle villages, the world is absolutely full of languages. So why limit yourself?Even if youre English-Spanish bilingual, youve still only scratched the surface.Learning an extra language or two will definite ly give you a leg up in business, travel and even your day-to-day life. And looking into languages to learn aside from Spanish will give you a chance to weigh the advantages of each.So, out of the whole  vast linguistic landscape, here are six of the best languages to add on top of your English and Spanishâ€"or just to learn based on their own merits. Your Move: 6 of the Best Languages to Learn After SpanishThe languages below are highlighted for their overall usefulness but also for how they can benefit those who are learning or who have already learned Spanish.FrenchFrench might be the number one obvious choice.English is a Germanic language with huge numbers of Romance loanwords, most of them from French. Spanish is, well, a Romance language to begin with.If you already know English and Spanish, youll go into French basically knowing every other word. Plus, all that grammar that gives first-time French students nightmares? Youll have been over it.And once you learn French, youl l be able to communicate with millions of people all over Europe, Africa and North America  who have learned French as their first or second language.Tip: It’s a good idea to focus on listening from the beginning with French because there are some tricky sounds and the pronunciation isnt always clear from the spelling. Once your listening is strong, its smooth sailing.FluentU has a very robust collection of videos for learning French that you can start using to build up your listening and speaking skills with authentic language right away. FluentU takes real-world videosâ€"like movie trailers, music videos, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language lessons. You can also check it out for German or Russian (below), and use it to learn Spanish along with any of the languages on this list.PortuguesePortuguese, of course, is already extremely similar to Spanish. Many Spanish speakers can start reading newspapers in Portuguese with little to no preparation.Des pite that, the approximate 220 million native speakers of Portuguese in the world are often quite proud of their own language. Many of them understandably somewhat resent tourists who only bother to speak portuñol (essentially Spanish in a Portuguese disguise).In fact, as Portuguese isnt as well known as French or Spanish, few Portuguese speakers even expect foreigners in their home countries to be able to say more than a few words.That means if you can speak good and correct Portuguese, theyll understand that youve really put in the time to understand their culture and their language, and probably appreciate it.Tip: Since Spanish is so similar to Portuguese, if you want to learn both, the best way to avoid mixing the two is to achieve a very comfortable level in Spanish first (unless you go for Portuguese first, in which case you can do it the other way around). Give your brain two or three years to really internalize Spanish.Then, when you begin learning Portuguese, translate fro m Spanish to Portuguese and vice versa to keep the rules for the two languages separate in your mind.Additional tip: If you want to learn European Portuguese, it can be tricky to find resources online, but this guide should give you everything you need to get started. If youre learning Brazilian Portuguese, here are some apps you may find useful.GermanLots of people say that German has hard grammar. In reality, it just has different grammar.If you already have substantial experience learning Spanish, that experience will have taught you about using the subjunctive as well as grammatical gender in general. Thats a significant advantage.Ordinary, everyday words in German tend to be more similar to English than Spanish, such as Buch for book compared to Spanishs  libro. As vocabulary moves up into higher registers, however, the German words tend to come from Latin roots that look an awful lot like Spanish. One example: To try is  probar in Spanish and probieren in German.Heres a more d etailed look at what learning the German language entails.If you know German, Spanish and English, pretty much every Romance and Germanic language becomes transparent. You could probably pick up Dutch over a summer or Italian in a handful of weeks.And although German speakers have a reputation for speaking perfect English to learners, thats far from a universal guarantee. Even in the most metropolitan cities, people will appreciate that you know their languageâ€"and that opens doors every time.Tip: One of the best free resources for starting out as a German learner is  Deutsche Welle. You can even explore some of their content  through Spanish!ArabicOkay, so none of the varieties of Arabic are related to either English or Spanish. Arabic is going to be a challenge.But if you know Spanish, you have a few tricks up your sleeve.Thanks to around 800 years of Moorish influence in Spain, the Spanish and Arabic languages actually share a deep pool of vocabulary. You cant describe food or a ccommodation in Spanish without tripping over Arabic-derived words like  azúcar  (sugar), alfombra (carpet), albahaca (basil)  or naranja (orange).The benefits of learning Arabic are manifold. The Arabic language covers an enormous swath of the Middle East and North Africa, including millions of people who arent comfortable speaking English or Spanish.Plus, with Arabic, Spanish and English, youll know exactly half of the official working languages of the UN!Tip: Spanish speakers, when it comes time to learn the beautiful Arabic script, you can actually start with texts in aljamiadoâ€"a way of writing Spanish using Arabic letters. Its far, far easier to get used to reading a new script if you already know what it says.IndonesianIndonesian (and its closely related cousin Malay) is the first or second language of millions in Southeast Asia, and thanks to a huge diaspora, people speak Indonesian all over the world, from Australia to the Netherlands. And have you ever dreamed of the whi te sands of Bali? Knowing some Indonesian will help you thrill the locals and make your trip an unforgettable experience.Its true, Indonesian isnt related to Spanish, either. However, as the Malay Archipelago has been a Muslim-majority region for centuries, youll find that quite a few Arabic words in Spanish also appear in Indonesian.And the grammar and pronunciation are extremely simple from a European language perspective. No tenses, no casesâ€"just some interesting verb features.All the time honing your Spanish accent will pay off here: Virtually all the sounds of Indonesian happen to be  found in either English or Spanish!Tip: The biggest hurdle is definitely remembering all the unfamiliar vocabulary. The best way to handle that is to take things slow when you start out and do a ton of review to really make those new words second nature.But theres a great surprise in store, because advanced vocabulary in Indonesian is frequently Latin-based and resembles English and Spanish quit e a bit! No prizes for guessing the meanings of ekonomi or multikulturalisme.RussianNow, Russian is a challenge for any language learner. Between the script and the grammar, its no cakewalk.And yet, although Vladivostok and Madrid are practically on opposite sides of the globe, there are several features of Russian that are quite similar to Spanish.Take the way you say I like it, for instance. In both Russian and Spanish, a construction along the lines of it pleases me is used.Someone who knows Spanish also already has a leg up on learning the sounds of Russian: Your old friends ñ and rr are along for the ride once more.Russian, too, has borrowed heavily from Latin for terms of politics and science. And French was all the rage in Russian aristocracy a few hundred years ago, which means another helping of Latin-derived terms for high society and luxury goods.Russian is spoken across pretty much all of Central Asia to this day. Its even still widely understood in much of Eastern Euro pe, not to mention among the enormous Russian diaspora all around the world.Tip:  Start by doing a lot of listening and reading to get a feel for how all the familiar sounds get rearranged and fit into Cyrillic letter shapes.If you learn another language after Spanish, youll almost certainly gain from some shortcuts like shared vocabulary or similar grammar.But the most important advantage youll have learning any language after any other language is knowing how to learn. Picking up a third language goes significantly faster than your second.But even if youre only starting on your second language now, you already have an advantage in that youre thinking consciously about your choices and considering your options. Why not set the bar high and consider learning multiple languages  so you can reap the benefits?If it takes you three years to get conversational in Spanish, dont be surprised if you reach the same level in Portuguese in less than 18 months.Not only can you quickly relate fe atures of any new language to other languages you know, but if youve previously learned languages you know yourself and you know that, lets say, you really dont like vocab flashcards. So just replace the flashcards with word lists or more reading work. Or focus on listening from the start, if it took you a long time to get used to native Spanish accents.Whatever language or languages you choose, it only gets easier and easier.The only question isâ€"whats next? And One More ThingIf youre digging these language recommendations, youll love using FluentU. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that natives  speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, 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 quiz 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% personalized 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  or  Google Play  store.

Get Down to Business 6 Corporate Language Training Programs to Make Your Organization a Global Player

Get Down to Business 6 Corporate Language Training Programs to Make Your Organization a Global Player 6 Corporate Language Training Programs to Make Your Organization a Global Player What if there were a way to expand your business massively?What if employees had an easier time making the deals your business needs to thrive?What if company retreats could suddenly get a whole lot cooler and more international?The good news is that all this is possible.There are many advantages to learning a foreign language  and benefits of being bilingual  in or out of the job market. In the workplace, learning a  language for business  benefits both the individual employees and the company as a whole. Countless  awesome jobs require additional languages. If youre considering corporate language training, weve no doubt that jobs at your company are pretty awesome, too.So its time to take the plunge into corporate language training. These six training programs might just give your business the edge it needs to go above and beyond the competition! Why Use Corporate Language Training?One reason to use corporate language training is to ensure your staff possesses necessary skills to be successful. Employees often receive on-the-job training in areas like computer programs, corporate policy and other job-related skills. It goes without saying that some may need more training to ensure they have the language skills necessary to perform well.These employees might already be bilingual, but every field has its own technical vocabulary. You want to be absolutely sure your staff has a firm grasp on essential terminology to be successful in their position.Additionally, corporations often use language training to expand business into more markets. Having staff members who speak key languages improves a businesss ability to negotiate effectively in international contexts and opens up new opportunities.Finally, using corporate language training provides greater employee development. Additional training in skills like languages can attract better candidates to positions in your company and make existing employees more satisfied with their work. After all, even the most ja ded employee would most likely jump at the chance to learn a new and exciting skill.6 Corporate Language Training Programs to Make Your Organization a Global PlayerBerlitzIf you want corporate language training from one of the biggest names in language education, look no further than Berlitz. Berlitz is known for its language learning programs that focus on functional communication.Their corporate language training programs offer flexibility and customization to fit your organizations needs, goals and budget. Want in-person training? Thats cool. Prefer online training? They can do that, too. Plus, corporate language training is available for beginners to advanced learners, and Berlitz can assess the employees to determine their skill levels.Berlitz corporate language training programs can even be personalized to focus on specific skills to prepare your workforce for whatever situations theyre most likely to encounter. Berlitz also trains in culture, which is a valuable component to conducting business in a foreign language.But Berlitz offers more than corporate language training. If you have employees moving abroad, Berlitz can also provide assistance with relocation and/or the transition to life back home.Berlitz offers instruction in common languages like English, Spanish, French, German and Italian, but they also have instructors who teach less common languages, like Finnish and Dari.TalkWhat more could you want than corporate language training thats affordable and effective?Talk aims to provide just that.Talk is also flexible. They can either come to you to train employees onsite, or you can choose their online learning option. Plus, Talk offers a variety of unique opportunities. For instance, Talk can help you work on accent reduction, presentation skills, business writing and/or industry-specific language skills.If you decide youd rather have your employees study abroad, Talk will even help you find a program.Talk offers English, Spanish, French, Italian , Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese and any language that is essential in todays multilingual marketplace.Education FirstEducation First offers four different types of corporate language training programs. Thats four. You read correctly.These four types of courses include face-to-face courses, teacher-led online courses, self-study online courses and immersion abroad at Education Firsts language institutes. Yes, your company can actually send employees to study abroad, and they may very well love you forever for it.Each type of course has different features. All the programs offer access for various devices, professional content and tailored course material. Immersion, face-to-face and teacher-led online courses also offer additional features like writing exercises, conversation classes, level testing and certificates.Education First also offers industry-specific courses to prepare employees for certain industries like aviation and pharmaceuticals.Study abroad programs are available for E nglish in 12 cities in the US, UK, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Singapore and Malta. Additional language programs are available in Berlin, Paris and Madrid. Face-to-face, teacher-led online and self-study online courses focus primarily on English education.Concordia Language VillagesCant resist a good corporate retreat? Then Concordia has the corporate language training youre looking for!Located in Minnesotas Northwoods, Concordia Language Villages offers customized training retreats that are usually six to seven days in length. These retreats aim to educate participants in language and culture.The idea behind using a retreat to teach a language is that its more immersive, which can help participants learn more quickly. Even the food is authentic to the country of origin of the target language. They take immersion seriously (and deliciously).The customization element allows for companies to train employees in whatever skill sets are most important for their business. For instanc e, programs may focus on learning the necessary language or using the language skills in realistic scenarios that employees might actually encounter.Concordia Language Villages offers 15 languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.LTC Language SolutionsWhether your organization needs French language skills or Flemish language skills, LTC Language Solutions has you covered. LTC Language Solutions offers corporate language training for a wide array of language options. However, if the language is not yet offered, theyll still try to hook you up.LTC Language Solutions focuses on teaching participants valuable language skills in a low-stress environment. Programs are crafted specifically to meet the needs of the learners and build on each persons skills and experience.Plus, LTC Language Solutions offers targeted programs for specific industries. Whether your organization ha ppens to be a sports team traveling abroad or a manufacturing company looking to ensure all workers speak the same language, LTC Language Solutions can help give your employees the language skills they need to excel in your industry.DexwayDexway is a useful corporate training program whether you want your organization to learn online, in a blended format or at in-person classes at training centers across the world.Dexway programs use interactive multimedia to help participants engage with the language and focus on immersion. Dexway apps work on multiple devices, making it easy for employees to fit learning into their busy schedules.Voice recognition software can help even remotely located students practice their speaking, but anyone looking for more conversation practice can also access conversation groups with other Dexway students.Dexway also offers a wide array of sector specific courses in areas like business (including finance, human resources and more), retail (including cloth es store, supermarket, etc.), tourism, insurance, industrial and healthcare.Languages offered include English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Russian.These six corporate language training programs will not only prepare your employees to work effectively in a global marketplace, they may also up your companys cool factor several notches. And One More ThingWant to learn language skills for all areas of life, not just for the office? Then youre going to love learning with FluentU!FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.  Its all stuff that native speakers  actually watch.  With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that natives  speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, 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. N ow 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 Quiz 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% personalized 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  or  Google Play  store.