My Grade is Low?! OMG!
You checked Progress Book and you aren't happy with what you see...
You know that as soon as your parents find out, you are going to be in trouble.
What do you do? How can you raise it to an acceptable level?
Check Progress Book OFTEN!
- Are you missing any assignments?
- What area has the lowest grade? (classwork, quizzes, etc.)
- Start with the current HDHS.
- Look over previous HDHS.
- Circle/Underline words that are unfamiliar, look up their meanings and write them down.
- When you are frustrated with your work, write down the questions you have so that you can ask your teacher.
- Ask for missing assignments.
- Arrange a time for make-up tests/quizzes.
- Ask questions about what you do not understand.
- Arrange tutoring times.
Don't wait until it's too late! ~ V.
Ten Tips for Learning a Second Language
DON'T EXPECT TO BE PERFECT!
Can you remember when you learned to ride a bicycle? Did you ride perfectly the first time you tried? When learning a new language, expect that you will make mistakes, and don't be embarrassed by them!
WORK ON DEVELOPING AN "EAR" FOR THE LANGUAGE.
Remember that language is first and foremost oral communication. A written alphabet is merely a collection of symbols used to represent the sounds of the language, and cannot be expected to capture every nuance of sound and intonation. Try to develop a "good ear" for the language. An easy and fun way to do this is by listening to music, watching movies, or watching cable TV in the foreign language.
USE FLASHCARDS.
One of the best tips we can give you is to make and use flashcards. Make cards that are small enough to easily carry with you, and write the English on one side and the vocabulary word on the other. Be sure to ALWAYS have some cards with you. This way, you can capture "wasted" time (standing in line, riding the bus, waiting for class to start, etc.) and turn it into productive study time. Even if you only have a couple of minutes, you can use it to improve your vocabulary and in turn increase your understanding.
LABEL YOUR SURROUNDINGS.
Make labels for things all over your house. For example: wall, kitchen, bedroom, desk, chair, etc. Remove the labels only after you have mastered the vocabulary.
BE CONSISTENT.
To really learn a language takes time and commitment Consistency is by far the most important factor. If you can devote five to ten minutes a day, you will be far more successful than if you "cram" for an hour or two before a test. In the long run, you will have studied less, but understand more!
READ OUT LOUD.
Try reading out loud. You will get all of the benefits of reading, plus you'll get really good pronunciation practice. In fact, as a beginner, you should read aloud as much as possible.
PRACTICE SPEAKING!
The only way to learn to speak a language, is by actually SPEAKING. You can study for years, and master all of the grammar rules, but unless you actually practice speaking, you will never speak well. When you are practicing speaking, remember to do it out loud, at normal conversational volume.
TALK TO YOURSELF.
When learning a foreign language, it is common for listening skills to develop more rapidly than speaking skills, leaving the learner in the unfortunate situation of being able to understand, but unable to respond. A good way to surmount this problem is to talk to yourself as much as possible. Because there is no one else around, you won't worry about your mistakes or what others might say!
BE PATIENT.
Learning a language doesn't happen overnight. You cannot expect to make the same amount of progress, day after day, week after week. You may find yourself struggling at times. Don't let this discourage you. It is normal to reach plateaus in your learning progress. If you find yourself "stuck" try spending time going back and reviewing things that you already know well. Often this will help prepare you to break through to the next level.
FIND A PARTNER.
Try to find a native speaker who can be your conversation partner. This can be your greatest asset and perhaps you can also provide assistance to your partner in your native language.
I hope these tips help you to discover and enjoy the language of your choice!! ~V
Can you remember when you learned to ride a bicycle? Did you ride perfectly the first time you tried? When learning a new language, expect that you will make mistakes, and don't be embarrassed by them!
WORK ON DEVELOPING AN "EAR" FOR THE LANGUAGE.
Remember that language is first and foremost oral communication. A written alphabet is merely a collection of symbols used to represent the sounds of the language, and cannot be expected to capture every nuance of sound and intonation. Try to develop a "good ear" for the language. An easy and fun way to do this is by listening to music, watching movies, or watching cable TV in the foreign language.
USE FLASHCARDS.
One of the best tips we can give you is to make and use flashcards. Make cards that are small enough to easily carry with you, and write the English on one side and the vocabulary word on the other. Be sure to ALWAYS have some cards with you. This way, you can capture "wasted" time (standing in line, riding the bus, waiting for class to start, etc.) and turn it into productive study time. Even if you only have a couple of minutes, you can use it to improve your vocabulary and in turn increase your understanding.
LABEL YOUR SURROUNDINGS.
Make labels for things all over your house. For example: wall, kitchen, bedroom, desk, chair, etc. Remove the labels only after you have mastered the vocabulary.
BE CONSISTENT.
To really learn a language takes time and commitment Consistency is by far the most important factor. If you can devote five to ten minutes a day, you will be far more successful than if you "cram" for an hour or two before a test. In the long run, you will have studied less, but understand more!
READ OUT LOUD.
Try reading out loud. You will get all of the benefits of reading, plus you'll get really good pronunciation practice. In fact, as a beginner, you should read aloud as much as possible.
PRACTICE SPEAKING!
The only way to learn to speak a language, is by actually SPEAKING. You can study for years, and master all of the grammar rules, but unless you actually practice speaking, you will never speak well. When you are practicing speaking, remember to do it out loud, at normal conversational volume.
TALK TO YOURSELF.
When learning a foreign language, it is common for listening skills to develop more rapidly than speaking skills, leaving the learner in the unfortunate situation of being able to understand, but unable to respond. A good way to surmount this problem is to talk to yourself as much as possible. Because there is no one else around, you won't worry about your mistakes or what others might say!
BE PATIENT.
Learning a language doesn't happen overnight. You cannot expect to make the same amount of progress, day after day, week after week. You may find yourself struggling at times. Don't let this discourage you. It is normal to reach plateaus in your learning progress. If you find yourself "stuck" try spending time going back and reviewing things that you already know well. Often this will help prepare you to break through to the next level.
FIND A PARTNER.
Try to find a native speaker who can be your conversation partner. This can be your greatest asset and perhaps you can also provide assistance to your partner in your native language.
I hope these tips help you to discover and enjoy the language of your choice!! ~V
How many languages is it possible to know?
Originally published by Arika Okrent on February 27, 2013
There are millions of people, even in the mostly monolingual US, who speak more than one language at home. Competence in three languages is not unusual, and we've all heard stories of grandmas and grandpas who had to master four or five languages on their way from the old country to the new. In India it is common for people to go about their business every day using five or six different languages. But what about 10, 20, 30, 100 languages? What's the upper limit on the number of languages a person can know?
Michael Erard, in his fascinating book Babel No More, travels around the world in search of hyperpolyglots, people who study and learn large numbers of languages. He sheds light on the secrets of their success, and explains why it can be hard to put an exact number on language knowledge. Here are some of the hyperpolyglots he meets:
Graham Cansdale, 14 languages.
Cansdale uses all 14 languages professionally as a translator at the European Commission in Brussels. He has studied more languages.
Lomb Kató, 16 languages.
This Hungarian polyglot said five of these "lived inside" her. Five others needed at least a half day of review in order to be reactivated, and with the six remaining she could do translation. Confidence, she claimed, was crucial to language learning. Her study tip: "Be firmly convinced you are a linguistic genius."
Alexander Arguelles, 20 languages or so.
Arguelles declines to say the exact number. "If someone tells you how many languages they speak, then you shouldn't trust them," he says. He has studied more than 60 languages and devotes 9 hours of study every day to them. Twenty is the number of them in which he has reading competence.
Johan Vandewalle, 22 languages.
In 1987, Vandewalle won the Polyglot of Flanders contest, where he was tested in 22 languages (though he has studied more). The contest required 10 minute conversations with native speakers, with 5 minute breaks in between.
Ken Hale, 50 languages.
The famous MIT linguist said he could "speak" only three languages (English, Spanish, Warlpiri), and could merely "talk in" others. He considered the ability to speak a language to include knowing all its cultural implications. He didn't like people perpetuating the "myth" of his language feats, though many colleagues had observed him do things like study a grammar of Finnish on an airplane and start speaking it easily upon arrival.
Emil Krebs, 32 to 68 languages.
The number depends on who's counting. A German diplomat who worked in China, Krebs had such an unusual talent for languages that after his death his brain was preserved for study.
Cardinal Giuseppe Mezzofanti, 40 to 72 languages.
One of his biographers broke it down as follows: he had 14 which he had studied but not used, 11 in which he could have a conversation, 9 which he spoke not quite perfectly but with a perfect accent, and 30 languages (from 11 different language families) which he had totally mastered.
Stories of Mezzofanti's language prowess are so legendary, they may be merely legends. But it is clear from Erard's time among the hyperpolyglots that with the right kind of natural talent, motivation, and hard work, remarkable feats can be accomplished. The psycholinguists Erard talked to said there was "no theoretical limit to the number of languages one could learn." There was only the limitation of time.
But most of the hyperpolyglots themselves were reluctant to claim too many, even when they had studied dozens. This is because they have a finer definition of "knowing" a language than most people, and the humility that comes from becoming an expert: The more you know, the more you know what you don't know. Among the hyperpolyglots, 15 seems to be about the high end when it comes to the number of languages they are willing to vouch for in themselves. Even so, the 30 or so other languages with which they may have some lesser familiarity are probably still better than your high school Spanish.
There are millions of people, even in the mostly monolingual US, who speak more than one language at home. Competence in three languages is not unusual, and we've all heard stories of grandmas and grandpas who had to master four or five languages on their way from the old country to the new. In India it is common for people to go about their business every day using five or six different languages. But what about 10, 20, 30, 100 languages? What's the upper limit on the number of languages a person can know?
Michael Erard, in his fascinating book Babel No More, travels around the world in search of hyperpolyglots, people who study and learn large numbers of languages. He sheds light on the secrets of their success, and explains why it can be hard to put an exact number on language knowledge. Here are some of the hyperpolyglots he meets:
Graham Cansdale, 14 languages.
Cansdale uses all 14 languages professionally as a translator at the European Commission in Brussels. He has studied more languages.
Lomb Kató, 16 languages.
This Hungarian polyglot said five of these "lived inside" her. Five others needed at least a half day of review in order to be reactivated, and with the six remaining she could do translation. Confidence, she claimed, was crucial to language learning. Her study tip: "Be firmly convinced you are a linguistic genius."
Alexander Arguelles, 20 languages or so.
Arguelles declines to say the exact number. "If someone tells you how many languages they speak, then you shouldn't trust them," he says. He has studied more than 60 languages and devotes 9 hours of study every day to them. Twenty is the number of them in which he has reading competence.
Johan Vandewalle, 22 languages.
In 1987, Vandewalle won the Polyglot of Flanders contest, where he was tested in 22 languages (though he has studied more). The contest required 10 minute conversations with native speakers, with 5 minute breaks in between.
Ken Hale, 50 languages.
The famous MIT linguist said he could "speak" only three languages (English, Spanish, Warlpiri), and could merely "talk in" others. He considered the ability to speak a language to include knowing all its cultural implications. He didn't like people perpetuating the "myth" of his language feats, though many colleagues had observed him do things like study a grammar of Finnish on an airplane and start speaking it easily upon arrival.
Emil Krebs, 32 to 68 languages.
The number depends on who's counting. A German diplomat who worked in China, Krebs had such an unusual talent for languages that after his death his brain was preserved for study.
Cardinal Giuseppe Mezzofanti, 40 to 72 languages.
One of his biographers broke it down as follows: he had 14 which he had studied but not used, 11 in which he could have a conversation, 9 which he spoke not quite perfectly but with a perfect accent, and 30 languages (from 11 different language families) which he had totally mastered.
Stories of Mezzofanti's language prowess are so legendary, they may be merely legends. But it is clear from Erard's time among the hyperpolyglots that with the right kind of natural talent, motivation, and hard work, remarkable feats can be accomplished. The psycholinguists Erard talked to said there was "no theoretical limit to the number of languages one could learn." There was only the limitation of time.
But most of the hyperpolyglots themselves were reluctant to claim too many, even when they had studied dozens. This is because they have a finer definition of "knowing" a language than most people, and the humility that comes from becoming an expert: The more you know, the more you know what you don't know. Among the hyperpolyglots, 15 seems to be about the high end when it comes to the number of languages they are willing to vouch for in themselves. Even so, the 30 or so other languages with which they may have some lesser familiarity are probably still better than your high school Spanish.
Why Learn Another Language?
The world is full of languages. How far do you have to go from your front door to know that this is true? Think about how many more people and places you could really get to know, newspapers and books you could read, movies and TV programs you could understand with another language! There are many reasons to learn another language!
Did you know that studying a second language can improve your skills and grades in math and English and can improve SATs, ACTs, GREs, MCATs, and LSATs scores? Research has shown that math and verbal SAT scores climb higher with each additional year of foreign language study, which means that the longer you study a foreign language, the stronger your skills become to succeed in school. Studying another language can improve your analytic and interpretive capacities. And three years of language study on your record will catch the eye of anyone reading your job or college application. If you've already learned a language other than English at home, expanding your knowledge of its vocabulary, grammar, culture, and literature--
at the same time you are learning English—will also improve your chances for success in school and in your career! :) V
Did you know that studying a second language can improve your skills and grades in math and English and can improve SATs, ACTs, GREs, MCATs, and LSATs scores? Research has shown that math and verbal SAT scores climb higher with each additional year of foreign language study, which means that the longer you study a foreign language, the stronger your skills become to succeed in school. Studying another language can improve your analytic and interpretive capacities. And three years of language study on your record will catch the eye of anyone reading your job or college application. If you've already learned a language other than English at home, expanding your knowledge of its vocabulary, grammar, culture, and literature--
at the same time you are learning English—will also improve your chances for success in school and in your career! :) V