What are the Benefits of a Primary School Tutor

What are the Benefits of a Primary School Tutor At Home Private Teachers to Provide Extra School Support ChaptersWhat does the Primary School Curriculum Consist Of?Helping Students Who Have Trouble In MathematicsHelping Students Who Have Difficulties in ReadingHelping Students Who Have Difficulties in WritingHire a Personal Tutor to not Fall Behind Before Secondary SchoolThe number one concern for parents: children dropping out of school  The pupil is exposed to result based pressure from their teachers, fellow classmates and finally their beloved family.The accumulation of homework from various subjects, the pace of primary school or even worse extrinsic problems and influences are all elements that can cause the young student to feel overwhelmed and be tempted to repel all the valuable information they are learning.Therefore, let us all look at how personal tutoring classes can improve the situation for many young British primary students.In order to help the student reach the road to success, we need to be honest and realize that there is no perfect solution since we live in a very i mperfect world, however, there are a number of great options to choose from. The student needs to be kept far away from memorizing and knowing by heart rules that they cannot fully understand (that’s basically what they are taught at school). In order to do that, the private tutor needs to present mathematical concepts and abstract notions using concrete material that the student can manipulate and touch.Then, as often as possible, let the child reason and determine the answer by himself. The pupil needs to determine, without any help, how to arrive at the correct conclusion. Thus, they remember how they came to the correct answer.Finally, be pedagogical!During your at-home tutoring sessions, think about the 5 senses…The difficulties in math often come from the fact that the student doesn’t see or clearly understand what we are asking. Once the statement or equation is understood, the student can finally make progress.  Mathematics is a subject that remains important, througho ut your entire school career. Moreover, to pursue a scientifically based career, why not plan to take remedial classes at a secondary school level also? CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics T eacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsHelping Students Who Have Difficulties in ReadingWe don’t remember when we grow up by, but reading is a difficult step, labour-intensive and complicated in our life as a young child. A lot more complicated and difficult than let’s say a game of hopscotch or a friendly football match!Reading rapidly solicits our learning capacities (our attention or memory), our knowledge (recognition of the alphabet…), and our wisdom (to decipher a text, unders tand the definition of a word from a certain image or from the meaning of the sentence…).These learning techniques are somewhat complicated in the beginning and are difficult for primary school teachers to explain well in a class that is overcrowded with bratty students. Therefore, the pupil needs a tailor-made, personal tutoring session to thoroughly comprehend the aforementioned elements in order to facilitate the reading process.A specialized teacher, psychologist or school speak therapist can often offer a helping hand to the student, however, it is usually the regularly scheduled and well-structured classes of a private tutor that bring the most success.These private lessons will act as a bridge connecting the students to his classroom lessons. The two go hand and hand and the former is essential for a student who is having difficulties in reading. If the student has great trouble it would be wise for the tutor to take the time to explain every single letter of the words that are found in a word bank, the results will be worth the effort!The faster the pace becomes in the classroom, the faster the young pupil loses confidence in himself and shuts in on himself. These are things that need to be avoided because they can easily jeopardize the student’s future success at school. With that being said, the role of a personal tutor is never in vain because the young child needs a positive extrinsic influence that he can count on and trust in as a friend during hard times.Students become very attached to their academic tutors!To offer remedial help in English to a student who has trouble reading, the tutor will diagnose the issues like a well-trained physician to identify where are the common mistakes.A personalized reading test comes highly recommended because you will be able to observe the technique of the young student and therefore be able to identify the procedural mistakes he is committing.Ask yourself certain questions: Does the pupil understand the s tory he is reading?Are they memorizing the key vocabulary words?Does the student correctly identify letters that look alike?A series of exercises should be implemented to have the student progress and perfect their reading. During the tutoring program, they will proceed to understand syllabic decompositions of words and sort between identical letters.And there is nothing wrong with such an ongoing academic support programme through secondary school and even into your child's university studies!Helping Students Who Have Difficulties in WritingDrawing pictures is proven to build the student's confidence in writing. (Source: Visual Hunt)From Leeds to London, schools have always been filled with students who have difficulties writing in English.But how do we propose suggestions to a student who has trouble in writing prepare for an exam?Evidently, among all the distinguished professionals who are likely to support one could resort to: Speech therapist: if there is time on the  agenda, A reading specialist that is known for doing graphotherapy: an unregulated profession, an unsupported rhythm and very expensive sessions!  A psychologist: very expensive if you hire a private one and not necessary if the student has only a slight writing issue.If the student is constantly and permanently confronting by writing, they can quickly become discouraged, stressed and still poorly express their writing skills.With these issues the skilled professionals may come to their aid or in certain situations hinder their progress, therefore the private tutor should take advantage of providing the student with the extra school support they need in order to succeed.    In the cosy, comfort of the pupil's own home, all the writing-related stress diminishes thanks to the help of a personal academic instructor who acts as a caring big brother instead of a cranky babysitter.    By prioritizing drawing in an entertaining way, something the pupil has done since before kindergarten, he will im prove his fine motor skills and the holding of his pencil so that he regains confidence in his writing. Helpful Tip: the use of special lines (enlarged or the first coloured line) facilitates learning English writing.  Hire a Personal Tutor to not Fall Behind Before Secondary SchoolBefore planning on taking remedial classes in secondary school, the student needs to finish primary school with style!Homework accumulates every day, classes keep going at a quick pace and the pupils slowly get lost in the pages of their textbooks that weigh more than a Range Rover!  Despite motivation, help from the entire teaching staff and his older brothers and sisters, he sees the secondary school in the distance but he doesn't feel ready because he hasn't assimilated all of the basic primary school concepts.  School holidays, Wednesdays and weekends, there is still a ton of spare time and the parents ask themselves questions on about their child's scholastic difficulties.  How would private, academi c tutoring help my daughter or son more than the support they are offered by teachers in the classroom? That's a very good question indeed!Considering a recent study, it would be wise for parents to hire a private tutor in the UK since the research showed that British parents give their children less help with education than almost every other country!   These stats are concerning but go on to show that hiring a personal tutor to follow your child through primary to secondary school would be a great idea.  The support a pre-secondary school private tutor can bring is multiple:  Bridging gaps before they weigh more heavily on the student's shoulders,Reinforce the student's knowledge of the alphabet and the number system,Train and mentally prepare the student to juggle a more intense class load.    It's very rare to see a student smiling when they receive their report card. Private tutoring can turn that frown upside down and give your child a reason to smile.  If you are tempted by a dventure and want to fortify the foundation of your child's scholarly knowledge, Superprof offers professional private tutors! While we wait to see you using our platform, we wish you or your child great success in school!    Read on now for how to find the ideal tutor no matter what your child's level is...

Happy Holidays from Tutor Pace

Happy Holidays from Tutor Pace 0SHARESShare Hey it’s Christmas time! Students from grade 1-3 do not understand the importance of learning. They want to enjoy the holiday and get absolutely detached from studies. Teachers who want to foster childrens development and set a good amount of homework for the vacation. They want kids to give sometimes of the day to focus on learning. Working parents want to relax during their holidays; even private tutors are not available these days. Students find it really difficult to enjoy the holiday as they have a constant anxiety about the homework. Don’t worry! Online tutoring websites are a one-stop-solution to this problem. You can attain live one-on-one tutoring sessions and get online homework assistance. Students get time to go out with friends, enjoy a weekend party with family, participate in sports, go for a short trip with family and even watch their favorite TV show. The online tutors are available 24/7 and this allows you to plan your schedule as per your convenience. The online tutors take specific care to ensure that they complete the homework properly. The sessions help students to enjoy and still complete their set holiday assignments. This is a process of gathering facts and essential information. The sessions are cost-effective and convenient and hence appreciated by most students and parents. To get all these great resources at your fingertips, register Now! [starbox id=admin]

5 Ways to become fluent in English

5 Ways to become fluent in English While Ive been teaching English classes, I have also been learning Spanish over Skype. So I have an idea of how hard it is to become fluent in English. Ive found several things that have helped me learn a new language, and wanted to share them with you. These, I think, are the fastest ways of becoming fluent in English.1. Take live, one-on-one English lessons with a teacher who is a native English speaker.This might seem like an obvious advertisement for our business, but it is also true. If you want to learn quickly and correctly, speak with people who have been learning the language their whole life. They are the experts. One-on-one classes allow you to be constantly speaking and listening during the class, with a teacher who can instantly correct any mistakes.Let Shrek help you learn English.2. Watch movies in English.My personal favorites are cartoons, such as The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Shrek etc. They use fairly simple language that is often demonstr ated through the characters movements. At first, it may help to watch the movies with the English subtitles on. I recommend not using the subtitles in your native language. Its just too tempting to read them and not pay attention to whats being said in English.3. Listen to podcasts in English.Ive mentioned this to several students, and most of them ask me What is a podcast? A podcast is like a radio program, but its in MP3 format, which allows you to listen to it anytime you want on your iPod or other MP3 player. Most podcasts are free, and iTunes has a large collection of them. My personal favorites are This American Life and RadioLab, although these are best for advanced speakers. There are several free podcasts, including this one, that are made for people learning English, which will be easier for beginners.Download these, put them on your iPod, and listen to them when youre doing the dishes, cleaning, taking a long drive or riding on public transportation, walking somewhere, et c. It will greatly develop your English listening skills.4. Read in English.I strongly believe that reading in English   is key to developing your understanding of it. Reading helps you internalize the grammar and syntax of English, learn new grammar, and start thinking in English.5. Immerse yourself in English.Change your preferences on your internet browser to English, change your cell phone settings to English, watch television in English, listen to music in English You get the idea, the more of your daily life you can change to English, the faster youll learn. We also offer special rates on English immersion courses. Email us if you are interested.Aulas de Inglês | Cursos de Inglés

English Resources for Entrepreneurs

English Resources for Entrepreneurs Many of the students taking our Skype English classes are entrepreneurs and small business owners, and as a result, we often talk about our businesses, and various aspects of being a small business owner and entrepreneur.Knowing English allows entrepreneurs to look for opportunities not just in English speaking countries, but all over the world, as English has become the go-between language for many people. English can help you make your next sale in the United States or China, expand your business to Europe or Asia, and look for programmers in India or designers in Italy.It also gives you access to a lot of great information about your business, and about entrepreneurship in general. Below Ive listed some of the resources I read and watch as an entrepreneur. Use them to improve your English listening skills, and improve your business skills at the same time. If you have any questions, or want to take an English class based on one of the videos or blogs below, contact us.Ive been a f an of Andrew Warners Mixergy site for some time, and actually had the chance to meet him in Buenos Aires a couple years ago. Warner interviews entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and other people of interest to entrepreneurs. Im also pretty sure he does his interviews over Skype, which is cool.Hes interviewed the founder of Groupon, the author of The Four Hour Work Week, the founder of Wikipedia, and other people with stories to tell that are valuable for entrepreneurs. Warner asks very specific questions related to exactly how they became successful, what mistakes they made, and what other steps they took as entrepreneurs.He posts all these videos on his site, and you can watch them free. Almost all the videos have transcripts included on his website, so English learners can read along if it gets difficult to understand.Another great resource is the New York Times small business section. It features a mix of articles and blogs about small business and entrepreneurship, including Sta ying Alive, a blog written by cabinet maker Paul Downs. Downs originally started the blog as a chronicle of his business going bankrupt, but his business ultimately became successful, and he carries on writing about the day to day work of owning a small business. Here is one of my favorite posts of his, about the first time his business turned a profit.The Rise to the Top is another blog for entrepreneurs, produced by David Siteman Garland. Like Warner, David interviews entrepreneurs, he also writes about various aspects of starting and running businesses, as well as articles about lifestyle for entrepreneurs, including health and fitness. Check out his recent interview with Ze Frank here.Thats all for now. Again, well give custom English classes based on the materials above (or anything else you might be interested in) at no extra cost. Also, if you have any other favorite resources, let us know in comments.

Thanks to all the great people at The Polyglot Gathering in Berlin

Thanks to all the great people at The Polyglot Gathering in Berlin From April 30th to May 4th, hundreds of language enthusiasts gathered in Berlin to share in their passion for languages, swap tricks of learning new languages quickly and efficiently.   Kevin Chen, CEO and Co-founder of italki shares his experience: Being based in Shanghai, we unfortunately dont get that many opportunities to meet many of our users face-to-face. This is one of the reasons why I was so impressed and inspired by the Polyglot Gathering in Berlin.  Imagine being surrounded by hundreds of people who love learning languages, and who want to make real human connections with people around the world. Here are just a few highlights: Speaking with Judith Meyer, the main organizer of the Polyglot Conference.  In addition to managing a great event, she is an amazing polyglot.  I was afraid to test her debate skills in Chinese. Learning more about Benny Lewis and his personal journey.  Weve known Benny for a long time (he visited us in Shanghai in 2012!), and his message is always so positive.  Being a successful language learner is all about the desire, and an open-minded willingness to try learning in a different way. Meeting Olly Richards and learning more about his personal experiences in learning Arabic in Egypt.  His feedback on Arabic is already helping us at italki. Meeting Richard Simcotts  and hearing him speak about what it means to be a polyglot.  Hell also be co-organizing the Polyglot Conference, which is coming up in October. Getting a taste of the life of an interpreter from Lydia Machová.  For a laugh, ask her about her experiences interpreting for hallucinating shamans and European tourists. Meeting Ulysses Hsiúng-Lúo and getting his unique perspective on the world. Being impressed by Vladimir Skultety, a Slovak whose American accent and amazing Chinese would allow him to pass as a native of either place. Getting advice from Michael Levi Harris, a polyglot actor who spoke about how actors practice sounding like native speakers.  Check out his hilarious short film (based on his real experiences in New York), The Hyperglot. I also have to make a special mention of the italki teachers that I met Alina, Lea, and Shauna!  I know there are others who attended, and I wish I had had more time to meet everyone. Lea /frencheek One of italkis most popular French teachers, and also one of Bennys teachers! Alisa /teacher/996362 A successful Russian and Hebrew teacher, and also an entrepreneur with big dreams. Shana /teacher/1552674 Another great teacher that is able to teach online while traveling around the world. I met so many great people, and this post would go on forever if I tried to list them all. The whole experience made a strong impression on me, and it fired up my desire to start studying again.  I considered starting Esperanto, partly based on my conversation with Chuck Smith and Katerine Berone-Adesi from the Esperanto community.  However, I want to make one more push at improving my Chinese.  (Im thinking I will take the pledge in the next italki Challenge in June.) Once again, if you have never heard of the Polyglot Gathering, I really recommend going.  Youll meet fascinating people, and be inspired to start or restart learning a language.  At italki, we believe the future of education is moving in this direction people will be driven by their passions and by a desire to understand the world.  We hope that italki can continue to be an important part of this movement! Kevin Thanks to all the great people at The Polyglot Gathering in Berlin From April 30th to May 4th, hundreds of language enthusiasts gathered in Berlin to share in their passion for languages, swap tricks of learning new languages quickly and efficiently.   Kevin Chen, CEO and Co-founder of italki shares his experience: Being based in Shanghai, we unfortunately dont get that many opportunities to meet many of our users face-to-face. This is one of the reasons why I was so impressed and inspired by the Polyglot Gathering in Berlin.  Imagine being surrounded by hundreds of people who love learning languages, and who want to make real human connections with people around the world. Here are just a few highlights: Speaking with Judith Meyer, the main organizer of the Polyglot Conference.  In addition to managing a great event, she is an amazing polyglot.  I was afraid to test her debate skills in Chinese. Learning more about Benny Lewis and his personal journey.  Weve known Benny for a long time (he visited us in Shanghai in 2012!), and his message is always so positive.  Being a successful language learner is all about the desire, and an open-minded willingness to try learning in a different way. Meeting Olly Richards and learning more about his personal experiences in learning Arabic in Egypt.  His feedback on Arabic is already helping us at italki. Meeting Richard Simcotts  and hearing him speak about what it means to be a polyglot.  Hell also be co-organizing the Polyglot Conference, which is coming up in October. Getting a taste of the life of an interpreter from Lydia Machová.  For a laugh, ask her about her experiences interpreting for hallucinating shamans and European tourists. Meeting Ulysses Hsiúng-Lúo and getting his unique perspective on the world. Being impressed by Vladimir Skultety, a Slovak whose American accent and amazing Chinese would allow him to pass as a native of either place. Getting advice from Michael Levi Harris, a polyglot actor who spoke about how actors practice sounding like native speakers.  Check out his hilarious short film (based on his real experiences in New York), The Hyperglot. I also have to make a special mention of the italki teachers that I met Alina, Lea, and Shauna!  I know there are others who attended, and I wish I had had more time to meet everyone. Lea /frencheek One of italkis most popular French teachers, and also one of Bennys teachers! Alisa /teacher/996362 A successful Russian and Hebrew teacher, and also an entrepreneur with big dreams. Shana /teacher/1552674 Another great teacher that is able to teach online while traveling around the world. I met so many great people, and this post would go on forever if I tried to list them all. The whole experience made a strong impression on me, and it fired up my desire to start studying again.  I considered starting Esperanto, partly based on my conversation with Chuck Smith and Katerine Berone-Adesi from the Esperanto community.  However, I want to make one more push at improving my Chinese.  (Im thinking I will take the pledge in the next italki Challenge in June.) Once again, if you have never heard of the Polyglot Gathering, I really recommend going.  Youll meet fascinating people, and be inspired to start or restart learning a language.  At italki, we believe the future of education is moving in this direction people will be driven by their passions and by a desire to understand the world.  We hope that italki can continue to be an important part of this movement! Kevin

Deadline Approaching for Phi Kappa Phi Award Programs

Deadline Approaching for Phi Kappa Phi Award Programs pixabay.com According to the press release, “Grants of up to $2,500 are available for new and ongoing projects ranging from traditional reading initiatives to those fostering learning in cultural, digital, financial, health, historical literacy and beyond.” Not only will this be a great resume booster, it will also give you the priceless joy of helping your community out with a fun project to promote literacy. Both of these applications are due April 1, 2017. For more information about eligibility requirements as well as application instructions, click here. Since 1933, the Society’s award programs have recognized members and students on its chapter campuses for outstanding academic achievement. Currently, $1.4 million is awarded each biennium to qualifying students and members through graduate fellowships, funding for post-baccalaureate development, member and chapter awards, and grants for local, national, and international literacy initiatives. There is a little something for everyone, no matter where you are in your academic career. So what are you waiting for? Get your applications in for both the Love of Learning Award and Literacy Grant before they close.

3 Inspiring Reasons Why No One Is Actually Bad at Languages

3 Inspiring Reasons Why No One Is Actually Bad at Languages Were you one of the kids in school who just couldnt grasp language classes?No matter how hard you tried, you just werent ever sure exactly what you were doing or why you were doing it.Rote memorization of grammar tables was boring.And fill-in-the-blank tests were stressful.It’s memories like these that can keep adult learners  from trying on a language on their own.After all, we keep telling ourselves were bad at languages.But were wrong! No one is bad at  learning languages, and anyone can learn any language.Schools traditionally have catered to  one  basic type of learning style, and that learning style simply doesnt work for everyone. Classroom-style language learning can be a bit misleading when it comes to different learning methods or individual talent.Language, in fact, is natural, and adults can (and do!) learn as easily as children do.There are plenty of different ways to learnâ€"again, no one is bad at learning languages.Still dont believe me? Here are three reasons why, along with some real, practical ways you can make language learning work for you. h13 Inspiring Reasons Why No One Is Actually Bad at Languages1. Traditional classes just dont work best for everyoneMost of us look back on our schooling with memories of strict classes, grades and stressful competition. A lot of the time, the classes were boring, too. Boredom  plus pressure? That does not make for a productive learning experience for a lot of people.Moreover, plenty of successful language learners sucked at their classesâ€"check out Khatzumoto from All Japanese All The Time and Ramses from Spanish Only. These guys figured out that they could learn differently, and set out on an immersion-heavy endeavor that got them to fluency!But even in the classroom, a lot of teachers and researchers are taking a second glance at how things are run these days. Ive had language classes that put some emphasis on native media and immersive, colorful textbooks.Some are even doing away with grammar m emorization and are teaching grammar in an organic way through exciting materialsâ€"students end up picking up grammar mostly through exposure.So if youre looking into language classes, see if your city has Total Physical Response (TPR) method classes, which teach vocabulary through using the target language alone, along with ample context. My first Spanish classes were taught in this style, and its a breath of fresh air when compared with traditional classes!And if TPR doesnt interest you, check out the textbooks the professor is using before signing up for the class. Look for colorful, fun textbooks that have large amounts of text in the target languageâ€"lots of reading samples. You need context to learn, so the less your native language appears in your target language textbook, the better.Just goes to show that old-fashioned, traditional classes are only one way of doing things. If classes arent working for you, feel free to switch to or supplement with exciting textbooks, nativ e materials or conversation partners!One place where you can look for textbooks that meet your needs is VitalSource. They have e-textbooks that you can rent or buy, along with a convenient reading app, and they carry books for many world languages.Another great option is taking an online course like polyglot Olly Richards  Grammar Hero or Conversations courses, which are designed to help you set up workable, step-by-step systems for learning your target language. Either course can act as an excellent bridge between learner-oriented and authentic material.Which brings us to our next point:2. Immersion is key!As already mentioned, a lot of learners feel like they dont get very close to proficiency or fluency from their high school or college classes. They then take the logical leap and conclude that theyre just not good at the language.Immersion, however, can help anyone get good at learning languages.In other words, try using native media right from the start. Movies, music, TV, anyt hing you can find. You can use Amazon third-party sellers, YouTube and FluentU.FluentU makes it possible to learn languages from music videos, commercials, news, inspiring talks and more.With FluentU, you hear languages in real-world contextsâ€"the way that native speakers actually use them. Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of FluentU videos on offer:FluentU really takes the grunt work out of learning languages, leaving you with nothing but engaging, effective and efficient learning. It’s already hand-picked the best videos for you and organized them by level and topic. All you have to do is choose any video that strikes your fancy to get started!Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under Vocab.You can use FluentU’s unique adaptive quizzes to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions and exercises. Just swipe left or right to see more examples of the word youre studying.The program even keeps track of what you’re learning and tells you exactly when it’s time for review, giving you a 100% personalized experience.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.Native materials are fun. They give you more opportunities to come into contact with the language. Traditional classes fail students  when they only provide cold, textbook dialogues and grammar tables.With inherently entertaining content like sitcoms and hip-hop at your disposal, exposure will ensure you cant be bad at the language. Language learning is oftentimes  a function of quantity, and classes oftentimes just dont provide enough.If you dont know exactly where to start, I recommend media made for kids, like cartoons and comics, if you can find them.My standby method is to YouTube search for [target language] cartoon and see what I come up with. You dont have to worry about understanding everything (or anything!) when you first start to use native media, but if this worries or frustrates you, kid media is the answer. Cartoons and comics are heavy on visual context, visual humor and simple storylinesâ€"this allows you to piece together what youre hearing with whats on the screen or page.Again, dont expect yourself to understand anything right off the bat. Native media provides exposure,  which works really well when combined with other methods, like classes and textbooks. Using different tools together allows each of them to support the other.When you first start using native media, simply try to pick out vocab words youre learning at the moment. Really easy things, like and, or the or because. And then take wild guesses as to the rest of the meaning!Dont worry about being wrongâ€"languages are  big  and require mistakes to learn:  As you get more exposure and experience, youll figure out your incorrect guesses and adjust along the way.Finally, native media helps you get addicted to things in your target language. When youre having fun, you keep coming back for more. Language exposure simply takes care of itself! It helps fix the issue a lot of solo language learners struggle withâ€"how to stay committed to a long-term project.If you cant stop listening to a certain band in your target language, well, your project has a lot more hope of staying afloat!3. Self-testing for memorization = amazing linguistic talentFinally, language learners (and students of all subjects) often have problems with memory. This is what made those darn grammar tables so difficult. And how does anyone remember new vocab words, anyways?The answer? Test yourself.What? That doesnt sound like fun? Well, its more fun than it sounds once you start to realize that youll get results. By quizzing yourself over time on new information, you sol idify that knowledge in your mind.  Think flashcards or covering up answers in your notes. No more staring at grammar tables or word lists until your brain turns to mush!Here are a few neat ideas you can benefit from.Spaced Repetition SystemsTo rev up your memory even more, use a  spaced repetition system (SRS). Youll no longer have the excuse that your memory just isn’t made for foreign languages. An SRS  is a flashcard program that uses an algorithm based on how quickly human memory forgets information. To start using an SRS, you can download apps like Anki or Mnemosyne, and you can take advantage of the built-in SRS on FluentU.If you start using an SRS, believe me, youll think yourself a linguistic genius. No more forgetting! Simply plug in your target language vocab and a translation on the back, and youre golden. Let the algorithm do the rest while you rack up a sizeable vocabulary. Learning vocab isnt something you just need to muddle through. It can be fun, easy and painles s. If youre considering learning a language with a new script, like Russian, Hindi, Chinese or Korean, dont be scared! You can easily learn new scripts and even characters by using resources like Remembering Kanji  /  Hanzi  by James Heisig (which uses mnemonic devices to help you out, and SRS is a great support for that). Anki has a huge library of user-made decksâ€"you can easily download a  pre-made Anki deck that teaches you Hangul or the Cyrillic alphabet.SRS can also solve all the grammar trouble you ever had in school.  How? Instead of entering solitary words into your flashcards, enter sentences in, perhaps from your textbooks so that you have a reliable translation to put on the back. By seeing and understanding the same sentences and sentence patterns over and over, youll absorb complicated new grammar more easily than you ever imagined. Tell me youre bad at languages now!Wordlists and paper quizzesWhat if you’re a low-tech sort of person? Well, paper flashcards can be e xtremely helpful in and of themselves. It doesnt have to be like your grade school classes, either. Context is important, so use flashcards for fun words youre learning from your TV shows and music, and include quotes and lyrics as examples. Since you already enjoy the media youre consuming, youll be more motivated to try to understand it!The same principle applies to the vocab you can learn with wordlists. If you have an aversion to flashcardsâ€"and they dont work best for everybodyâ€"wordlists are your friends! Check out the Iversen methodâ€"Iversen is an accomplished polyglot who is active at the How To Learn Any Language forum. And he is decidedly a paper-and-pencil language learner, so let him inspire you.Playing games!One more way to test yourself to solidify knowledge is by playing games. A quick Google search will lead you to grammar quizzes in the most popular languages. You can also  Google search in your target language to find games kids play in your target language itse lf.For example, when I was knee-deep into learning Japanese, I played around with kanji games  aimed at Japanese first-graders. El País, the popular Spanish newspaper, recently made a Spanish accents quiz (aimed at native speakers!) that can help learners identify the differences between different accents.Most of the time, when people think theyre just bad at something, theyre dead wrong.Students and solo learners alike only need to find learning methods that work for them and excite them.Thorough experimentation can even reveal  learning methods that are more efficient for everyone.Just because one method doesnt work for you, it doesnt mean nothing will.Dont write off language learning and all the wonderful fun and benefits that come with it. Just try something else!