Jul 06

The Internet – THE Best Place to Learn English

Author: admin  |  Category: Learning

Table of Contents

  1. The Primacy of Input
  2. Vocabulary over Grammar
  3. Learning in Chunks
  4. Better Tutors on the Internet
  5. Meaningful Communication
  6. Motivation and Enjoyment
  7. Efficiency

English is the dominant language of the Internet. The Internet will in turn become the dominant place to learn English. The way languages are learned is changing, and these changes are accelerating.

The Internet is constantly evolving. It has created a dynamic environment for the communication and the management of information. The Internet has brought with it new forms of social interaction without boundaries. Technologies like MP3, iPod, Skype and PDAs, as well as blogs and podcasts, are making an immense variety of communication, information, literature, news and other language content available anywhere and anytime. A cascade of developments is causing interactive communities to spring up based on common interests, without regard to geography. This is going to stand traditional language learning on its head. English dominates on the Internet in areas ranging from entertainment to science. If you want to learn English, this represents an unprecedented opportunity.

You can access English language content on any subject and learn from it. You can connect with English speaking people who share your interests. You can do this via e-mail, through blogs, podcasts and forums. You can link up with friends or even language tutors using free Internet telephony. The World Wide Web is the ultimate dynamic classroom and learning community.

Over the next few years the Internet will take over from the classroom as the place of choice to learn English: Here are some of the reasons.

The Primacy of Input

If you want to learn English or any other language, you need input, meaningful, interesting and at your level. Today language learning experts emphasize input over output, listening and reading over grammar study. Before you can use the language, you must get used to the language. You don’t need to be in a hurry to speak English, and you don’t need to speak it all the time to improve.

“Real language acquisition develops slowly, and speaking skills emerge significantly later than listening skills, even when conditions are perfect. The best methods are therefore those that supply ‘comprehensible input’ in low anxiety situations, containing messages that students really want to hear. These methods do not force early production in the second language, but allow students to produce when they are ‘ready’, recognizing that improvement comes from supplying communicative and comprehensible input, and not from forcing and correcting production.” Stephen Krashen.

When you learned your own language as a child, you didn’t begin by speaking. You began by listening. New language learners can benefit from a “silent period”. During the “silent period” you can absorb the language. You need not force yourself to speak it until you are confident. Even if you are an intermediate learner, extensive reading and listening will increase your familiarity with the language, enrich your vocabulary, and develop confidence. This is more beneficial than studying grammar.

While listening and reading often and regularly are vital, the content must be meaningful. Learning content should be interesting and comprehensible to you. This means that you, not the teacher, should choose what to learn from. The Internet allows unlimited choice of fascinating authentic content. The traditional textbook cannot compete.

Motivated learners used to spend their time in book stores looking for graded content that would help them in their language studies. Yet, inevitably a lot of this material could only be found in uninteresting textbooks and readers. But today authentic content on a variety of subjects is only a click away. This is especially the case for the person who wants to learn English.

This range of material is made accessible to learners, since new systems can grade it for difficulty in a way that is customized to your specific vocabulary. You can learn English by listening to and reading on subjects that interest you and you won’t find it too difficult.

Vocabulary over Grammar

In order to achieve fluency in English you need to be comfortable using at least 10,000 words. On the Internet, you can choose appropriate content to listen to and read. The content can be graded to your level. But what about learning and remembering all those new words. We know how quickly we forget words when we look them up in a dictionary. And there are so many words to learn. Fortunately, the Internet makes it a lot easier to learn vocabulary.

On the Internet you can use online dictionaries to look up words instantly (i.e., Babylon). There are learning software programs which create customized word lists for you as you learn words. This software can help you accumulate example sentences for these words from the familiar contexts you are listening to and reading. You can set vocabulary goals and follow your progress towards these goals.

The Internet helps you to efficiently accumulate vocabulary based on lively and interesting language content, customized to your needs. This combination of vocabulary learning efficiency and limitless content is only part of why the Internet will become the place of choice to learn English.

Learning in Chunks

Vocabulary does not only mean words. It also means phrases, or chunks of words. Phrases are groups of words that come together in a way that is natural to the native speaker but not always to the learner. Michael Lewis has been one of the pioneers in pointing out that you learn language in chunks, or lexical phrases. The Internet and the computer make this easier.

On the computer, you can grab language chunks as you are listening and reading and collect them in an easy to use database. Phrases and chunks of the language can be linked to larger contexts, which are already familiar to you. You don’t need to rely on dictionary definitions and rote memory. You can review these chunks of language in short fragment form, in sentence form and as part of a larger context that you can listen to and read many times.

In this way you gradually develop an instinctive sense for how words are used. This is the natural way to learn correct usage. It is more effective than trying to remember and apply grammar rules.

As you build up your confidence in English through regular input and word and phrase learning, you will no doubt want to talk to native speakers. Once again the Internet is the ideal environment, offering more opportunities than the classroom.

Better Tutors on the Internet

The Internet connects people who are looking for each other. A quick search on a few professional web sites will locate native English speaker writers, editors, or professionals from all over the world, who are interested in acting as language tutors and coaches. If you want to learn English, you can interact with this outstanding pool of qualified people with a wide range of experience and knowledge.

You do not need teachers with specialized linguistics degrees if you want to learn English on the Internet. The new learning paradigm does not require teachers who are trained in the details of grammar and language teaching. Instead the important qualifications for a tutor on the Internet are; an interest in people, an ability to use one’s native language well, and rich experience to share with learners in English.

On the Internet you can choose the tutor whose accent and interests match your own.

Meaningful Communication

Technologies like Skype make conversations via computer easy to organize and the communication is free of charge. You can get your friends together for a chat or make an appointment with a tutor.

It is like having lessons on demand. You can schedule one-on-one or four-on-one discussions via Skype with the tutor of your choice. You can invite your friends to join, or make new friends from different countries and cultures. Tutors need only provide advice and encouragement as well as feedback, at your convenience. There is no need for grammar instruction or quizzes, since you are learning the language naturally through your input activities.

In the relaxing atmosphere of Internet online discussion, learners and tutors become friends and form a community of people helping and encouraging each other. These are not stressful lessons. They are pleasant opportunities to communicate. You can record these conversations or produce your own oral essays and file them or share them. In this way you can keep track of your progress as you learn English on the Internet.

To really improve your accuracy of expression it is important to write. The correction of written texts can be efficiently organized on the Internet and integrated with your input and speaking activities. Systems can keep a permanent record of both your original texts and the corrected texts. These records can include details on the nature of your mistakes and the tutor’s notes. Tutors can make audio recordings of your corrected writing for you to listen to, in order to reinforce the learning of the corrected phrases. The writing can range from casual writing for a blog to serious academic essays.

Motivation and Enjoyment

Learning on the Internet is effective because it is fun. The Internet avoids the tension and boredom of the classroom and increases your motivation. You choose the content, vocabulary is easy to learn, progress is constantly measured, and you become part of a community.

There are already blogging communities with learners and tutors sharing their experiences. People come together from all over the world to help each other. Bloggers may post in their own language, or in English. English becomes the medium of communication among people of different cultural backgrounds. Blogging isn’t an assignment, but a genuine, enjoyable, and meaningful activity. A contagious enthusiasm will keep you learning. It is not like studying. It’s more like making new friends and discovering new cultures through language.

Efficiency

The Internet introduces a higher level of efficiency in language learning. Efficiency is essential because it creates intensity. It takes a high degree of intensity to transform yourself into a fluent speaker of another language.

There is also another reason why efficiency is important. You have a right to a decent return on your investment of time and money in language learning. If you want to learn English, efficiency is important, yet it is often ignored in traditional language teaching.

“I spent over 14 months studying English in a school. It was a waste of money for Canadian government and a waste of time for me.” Humberto Soto, a recent immigrant to Canada.

Traditional classroom methods are not as efficient as the Internet. It is difficult to cater to learners of different levels and interests. Stress and boredom are often the results. Many people are discouraged by their school experience, and end up convinced that they cannot learn to be fluent in a new language. They lose interest and give up.

For people who want to learn English, the Internet opens up a new world of efficient and satisfying language learning. The Internet makes possible a quality and variety of input that far exceeds the resources of a traditional classroom. Learning methodologies and communication opportunities are available to you on the Internet that the classroom cannot match. Goals can be set and achievements measured. The result is a highly integrated and enjoyable learning environment.

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Jul 06

Learning Foreign Languages Online

Author: admin  |  Category: Learning

In today’s competitive and evolving world, the importance of education has never been more important. People are now more aware of the continuing need to improve one’s self through adult learning. Due to factors such as time constraint, e-learning has quickly emerged as an alternative means of continuing education.

As globalization continues to be the trend these days, more and more people feel the need to learn at least one foreign language. Again, due to the fast-paced lives many lead today, online courses present a viable alternative to the traditional face to face, or classroom, language learning. The major advantage of learning foreign languages through e-learning is the convenience it presents to the learner. Materials can be made available anytime, anywhere. The learner can access modules at his own time and he work on his courses at his own pace.

Computer assisted language learning has been in existence for many years now. In fact, its roots can be traced back to the 1960s. This technique began with a simple drill and practice approach. As more pedagogical elements were introduced, computer assisted language learning evolved into a more interactive experience.

The question many people ask is just how effective is learning a foreign language online? The main difference between classroom learning and e-learning is the presence of a teacher. A good teacher recognizes the learning needs of the student. In addition to that, a good teacher recognizes the learning style of each individual student. He capitalizes on both factors and enhances learning through different techniques. Due to advances is many e-learning platforms, these factors have been taken into consideration. The learner’s needs and learning styles can now be dealt with accordingly.

Today’s e-learning platforms offer a wide range of approaches to suit each learner’s specific needs. Some platforms even make use of facilitators – human or otherwise – to encourage the student and enhance the learning process. When combined with the convenience of studying at one’s own pace, e-learning proves to be an effective way of learning a new language.

Studies show that more people prefer e-learning to the traditional classroom sessions. The flexibility the e-learning offers seems to be one of the major factors that students take into consideration. Some personalities react more positively to the online learning environment. One explanation is that the relative anonymity that this type of learning gives a student more confidence. Studies show that learning languages online seems to present a more relaxed learning atmosphere. It has been proven time and again that such a learning atmosphere does a lot in terms of enhancing the learning process. The student learns more and in a shorter span of time than normal. The student also tends to remember more of what he has learned.

Online foreign language learning also capitalizes on the amount and quality of information and resources that can be found on the Internet. E-learning programs take advantage of this situation, enhancing learning even more. So if you are seeking to learn a foreign language, whether for professional or personal reasons, online learning just might be the right choice for you.

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Jul 06

Learning Objectives: Writing Learning Outcomes So They Matter

Author: admin  |  Category: Learning

Why Learning Objectives?

Why go to the bother of writing learning objectives for your training program? Our business sees many programs that simply wear participants out by being “nine miles long and one inch thick” with little opportunity to engage learners and practice skills and in the end serving no useful purpose for the organization paying for the program. These programs have a heavy emphasis on what needs to be “taught” with little regard to what participants will need to be able to do when they get back to their job. What is missed in a lot of cases is a focus on writing effective learning objectives that are tied to real organizational needs.

What is a “learning objective”? What is called a “learning objective” is variously named “learning outcome” and “learner objective”. Sometimes the term “student” or “participant” is used in place of “learner”. In any case, a “learning objective” is what the training participant is intended to have actually learned at the conclusion of the training program. “Learning” encapsulates new beliefs, new attitudes and new practical skills and the unlearning of outmoded beliefs, attitudes and skills.

What are the benefits of defining and articulating a well-constructed learning objectives statement? I see the benefits for your program as including the following:

  • Learners can focus more easily on what is important to their actual workplace performance.
  • Learning objectives form a solid basis for sequencing and chunking program content and activities.
  • Participants’ managers can be assured that training addresses actual organizational goals.
  • Learning objectives determine the relevance of program design features and content, allowing trainers to weed out easily what are just peripheral sideshows.
  • Trainers can better focus on the key deliverables of the training program, without being too sidetracked to the detriment of the program.
  • Learning objectives allow learner tests to be checked for relevance and completeness.

The writing of well-specified learning objectives plays a central role in any training program. Formulating and documenting such objectives serves to guide the activities of all of the people involved in its development and delivery; course designers and developers, participants’ managers, trainers and the learners themselves.

The Learning Objectives Process

How do you write effective learning objectives? As with all good outcomes, I see the trick as following the right process. Effective training program needs analysis and high-level design consists of four basic steps. These four steps are:

Determine Content, Delivery Mode and Schedule

Write Learning Objectives

Derive On-the-job Behaviors

Determine Organizational Objectives

The first step involves working with client managers to determine the organization’s purpose for the training. This purpose should be stated in organizational terms and not in training terms. In Step 2, the organizational unit’s objectives are expanded in order to clarify what it is employees will need to be able to do following the training for the organizational unit to be able to achieve its stated objectives. The behavior statements documented in Step 2 are then converted into the language of training in Step 3. Step 3 culminates in a document specifying behavior based learning outcomes for the program. In the following Step 4, the designer determines the basic course design and delivery parameters.

Step 1: Identify Organizational Unit Objectives

In this first step, determine clearly who are your clients (CEO, department manager, project manager, etc). Review the appropriate organizational documents (strategic, project and operational plans, etc) and conduct joint meetings with your clients. Ensure that the objectives agreed with your clients are SMART objectives; that is, that they are

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Achievable
  • Relevant
  • Time framed

Step 2: Determine On-the-Job BehaviorsIn this next step, determine what behaviors participants must demonstrate back in the workplace following the training for the organization’s objectives to be achieved. To do this effectively, ensure that your behavior statements:

  • are directly linked to the organization’s objective,
  • contain active verbs, and
  • refer to actions that are publicly observable.

To stay in touch with reality, gather a cross section of stakeholders to thrash out what behaviors are really required. At the least, invite client managers, subject matter experts and prospective training participants. At this stage, you will need to work hard to make sure that stakeholders stick with what participants are required to do back on the job, and not what they will need to know.

Step 3: Write Learning Objectives

Only now that you and the organization are clear on business objectives and workplace behaviors are you ready to actually write the learning objectives. Translate the behavior statements formulated in the previous step into learning objective statements of the form:

At the conclusion of XYZ program, participants should be able to:

anticipate …

consider …

create …

Make sure that the learning objectives are learner centered and not centered on what the trainer or program will do or provide or cover.

Now add the standard to which training participants are expected to perform back on the job. A racing car driver, for example, is expected to drive at a higher skill level than an ordinary road user. Also now add the working environment that the participants are expected to perform within and their available resources back on the job. Will they work autonomously or within a team? Will they have access to user manuals, or will they be expected to remember the process steps?

These now constitute the terminal learning objectives – the highest-level outcomes specified for the entire training program. Many of your programs will span several modules or sessions. For each of these discrete components, now formulate enabling learning objectives. To do this, think about what it is the training participant will need to learn to be able to satisfy each terminal objective.

For each enabling learning objective, make sure you consider each of Bloom’s three learning domains:

  1. cognitive -includes knowledge, beliefs and reasoning,
  2. affective -includes values, feelings, attitudes and motivation, and
  3. psycho-motor -includes physical movement and co-ordination.

Once again, make sure that you use active verbs to describe the outcomes. By writing learning objectives that are both meaningful and practical, you will enhance your credibility with your clients and improve your effectiveness as a training designer.

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Jul 06

Seven Free Online Resources for Learning Chinese Faster

Author: admin  |  Category: Learning

Are you learning Chinese?

Chances are, you’ve already searched the internet for information that’ll help you learn Chinese. And what do you find? Lots of sites offering free information on learning Chinese.

I did an online search recently and realized that with all the information out there, it can be pretty confusing for a person who’s just beginning to learn Chinese to figure out what’s useful and what’s not.

Where should you start? Which are the sites that offer you, the beginning Chinese learner, practical advice and Chinese phrases you can use immediately?

I decided to put together a select list of useful, free online resources to jump start your learning of Chinese and help you get better results in less time. :-)

Learn Chinese Resource #1:

**”How to Learn Chinese with More Fun and in Less Time in Five Easy Steps”

This step-by-step guide does two things: it gives you proven tips on how to approach the study of Chinese for better and faster results plus the 80% of listening, speaking, writing and reading basics you need to know when you’re at the beginning stage of learning Chinese. Sign up for this 5-part mini-course at
http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/learning-chinese

Learn Chinese Resource #2:

**Chinese Pod

Free, daily Chinese conversational audio mp3 lessons (called podcasts) based on real situations (ordering food, renting an apartment, talking about yourself etc.) you can download, listen and review on the go to start speaking Mandarin right away. Start with their New User Guide. Visit Chinese Pod at http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/chinese-pod

Learn Chinese Resource#3

**Five Beginner Steps to Learning Chinese Faster

Real experiences of an American learning Chinese in China. This funny and useful “5 Beginner Steps to Learning Chinese Faster” free email course doesn’t teach you Chinese but describes a beginner’s strategy for how to get out into a real Chinese-speaking environment and learn it for yourself.
Sign up at http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/master-chinese-faster

Learn Chinese Resource #4:

**BBC Real Chinese

For those who plan to travel to China, learn useful Chinese phrases (note: no Chinese characters, only in pinyin, the Romanized script) for introducing yourself, getting around, shopping, booking a hotel in China etc. in this interesting ten-part, online beginner’s Mandarin course in slideshow format with text, images and audio followed by a one-minute video shot in China and cultural notes. Learn BBC Real Chinese at http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/chinese/real_chinese/index.shtml

Learn Chinese Resource #5:

**Chinese Forums

Find like-minded, motivated Chinese learners to discuss topics related to learning Chinese and Chinese culture. Chinese-forums.com is an online community of people with an interest in learning Chinese language and culture. When you’re just starting to learn Chinese, keeping yourself motivated is vital for getting results. This is where you’ll find other motivated Chinese learners of all skill levels to exchange tips and information whether it’s about overcoming difficulties in learning Chinese Mandarin or sharing your favorite Chinese movie or travel destination in China. Visit
http://www.chinese-forums.com.

Learn Chinese Resource #6:

**CRI Radio

A great site to read and listen to radio broadcasts in English and Chinese about China and life in China – China news, culture, sports, travel, entertainment etc. CRI Radio can be found at http://en.chinabroadcast.cn.

Learn Chinese Resource #7:

**Chinese Fonts

If you’re not reading Chinese characters properly on your computer, like the chinese words for “learn Chinese” 学中文 follow the link to find out how to display and type Chinese fonts on your Windows or Mac computer: http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/chinese-fonts.html

There you have it — seven free online resources for learning Chinese faster.

If there’s any “secret” to learning Chinese faster and with better results, it’s this: learn a little, use a lot!

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, or fret about getting the pronunciation right.

Start by speaking Mandarin with Chinese friends whenever you can. There’ll be lots of slip-ups along the way, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much you can accomplish in a short time!

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Jul 06

Eight Great Ways to Learn to Be a Kid Again

Author: admin  |  Category: Learning

Most of us have taken at least one walk down the aisles of Toys “R” Us. There’s no better place than a toy store to observe these truths: Learning is fun. Learning is kid stuff.

Kids are smart enough to reject anything they don’t like, yet many of the most popular toys are dedicated to teaching them something new. Note the tremendous success of the LeapFrog® toys. They teach reading, writing and more, and kids love them.

No matter your age, abilities or income level, you can always be a learner. People who continue to grow and learn are happy – like kids. Here are eight great ways to keep that childlike grin on your face while you learn:

1. Fire Up Your Desire to Learn with Fun

At its best, learning is a form of entertainment. Next time you walk down the toy aisle, notice how many ways the educational toys make learning fun. They use music, color, pictures and physical interaction. How much more interesting is that than sitting for an hour listening to an important but dull lecture? No wonder the really great educational toys are so popular.

Studying a topic that interests you shouldn’t require a double espresso to keep you from falling asleep. If that’s happening, you might have the wrong instructor. Who needs that? Seek out trainers who know how to deliver a message with punch. Not only will you enjoy it more, you’ll want to learn and you’ll retain more of the information.

In my training seminars and conferences, I strive to provide a one-of-a-kind learning experience. I educate with entertainment – music, games, contests and humor. It’s all connected to the topic I’m presenting, and the students’ brains just soak it up. In the process, their careers are reignited, and so is mine.
Education should be entertaining. Commit to having fun while you learn.

2. Keep the Flame of Learning Alive with Variety

Advanced learning is essential. So is brushing your teeth. But just because learning is essential to your career, doesn’t mean it has to be as monotonous as brushing your teeth.

Every day of my life I have fun reading at least one book and often have several open at one time. A few minutes of study on each book keeps my interest stimulated, I retain the material better and I often find myself synthesizing information from the various sources. I also listen to audio programs while driving. Not only is this a fun way to learn and improve myself, it also keeps me calmer and more relaxed in traffic. I tried watching videos, but that seemed to excite the other drivers.

No matter what the subject, you can find a variety of interesting ways to further your knowledge and expertise. Open a book. Listen to an audio presentation. Watch an educational video. Start a study group with other lifetime students.

The same principle applies to the teachers and mentors you learn from. Choose those who have something interesting to say and an interesting way of saying it. Don’t hesitate to have more than one mentor with different experience and teaching styles for different subjects. While one-on-one personalized mentoring is ideal, you’ll find a world of varied and specific information presented by excellent speakers on audio and video. The varied approaches will enable you to better absorb each subject from the most appropriate teacher and will keep you stimulated and eager to learn.

Learning shouldn’t lull you to sleep. Commit to learning from a variety of teachers and choose the learning modes that keep you excited about learning every day.

3. Seek Out Teachers from the Trenches Who Make Learning Fast and Easy

In all my years of education, I’ve discovered that there are basically two ways to learn:

You can choose the hard way, figuring things out on your own by trial and error and making lots of mistakes. You’ll do some of this anyway, but it’s a slow path to success.

OR you can choose the easy way, learning from mentors who have already overcome any challenge you might encounter and already discovered the solution. The right mentor is eager to share those answers with you and set you on a smoother, easier road to knowledge.The best continuing education is immediate and applicable. Going back to college is not the way to change your life’s work. Your best bet is to seek the fast-track education route to business success. You want a nontraditional program designed specifically to deliver the information you need in a form you can use immediately.

All teachers and training programs are not created equal. Learning shouldn’t have to be an uphill struggle. Commit to finding the wildly successful teachers and targeted training programs that can make the process fast and easy for you.

4. Be Willing to Learn from Anyone and Everyone

Never fall into the trap of educational snobbery – “Oh, I have my MBA, JD, PhD, etc., etc. – I couldn’t possibly learn from a secretary.”

I’m open to learning from anyone. Four times a year, 20+ Institute staff members (www.LegalNurse.com) of all levels plus outside consultants gather around our big conference table for a focused, all-day brainstorming session. We work hard on a number of strategically selected topics, and we include frequent breaks for eating and exercise to keep the day interesting and fun. These brainstorm sessions have contributed tremendously to the phenomenal growth of my business.

Not all CEOs agree with my egalitarian take on learning. When I recommended company-wide brainstorming to a CEO group I belonged to, all they saw was the cost of shutting down their businesses for the day. They didn’t understand that an idea from a $12-per-hour employee could launch a new division, service or product, adding tremendous value to the company for years to come.

You’ll find mentors in many guises, from business associates to family members, friends and colleagues. Although I’ve been in my business for more than two decades, I still learn every day – not only from recognized experts, but especially from my students and staff members, outside consultants and vendors, favorite writers and speakers, and other CEOs.

Learning possibilities aren’t limited to “learned” teachers or a classroom setting. Stay open to learning everywhere you go, from everyone you know.

5. Make Sure You Learn the Right Stuff

We ask college students, “What’s your major?” Life is a college of its own, and we all learn every day. The important question to ask yourself is: “Am I learning the things that will make a difference in my life or things that won’t enhance it at all?” For example, are you mastering techniques for expanding your professional skill set or absorbing the intimate details of the characters on a TV sitcom?

Successful people do not major in minor things. Massively successful people focus on learning the right things. Do you want to learn about the life of a movie star or about a topic that will make you the star of your own life?

To be excellent at learning, laser in on the topics you need to succeed. Where you focus is where you get results. If you want big results, focus on Big Things.

6. Make the Most of Every Learning Opportunity – Even Those Disguised as SNAFUs

Life is a learning smorgasbord. Try to learn from every experience, good or bad. Even in a crisis, you can always glean something positive.

I happened to be in New York City in August 2003 and experienced the blackout firsthand. I looked around me and studied others who survived this negative situation in different ways, from children to adults, from doctors to lawyers to hotdog vendors. Through my observations, I learned this lesson, “Don’t let a communication blackout come between you and your clients.” I then wrote an article about this business world application of a SNAFU, and made sure I applied this lesson to my own business.

Life is full of lessons, both large and small. A bad experience is only bad if you don’t learn from it. Commit to learning from each experience, even the “negative” ones.

7. Carve Out the Time for Learning

If continued education still sounds daunting, remember that you don’t need hours a day as you did in college. Commit to reading 30 minutes a day on a topic you find interesting and intriguing. Commit to listen to an audio program while driving or to watch an educational video while exercising.

You’ll also find appropriate classes and other informational material online and even on educational television. Just don’t get sucked into wasting irreplaceable time on the junk that prevails on these media. Subscribe to electronic newsletters that feed your learning in a focused way.

Like any journey, a lifetime of fun and learning starts with the smallest step. Commit to finding the time for learning wherever and whenever you can.

8. Make Learning a Lifetime Priority for Growth and Fun

In today’s information age, believing you can launch or grow a successfulbusiness or career without continuing education is a guarantee of failure. Successful people respect the complexity of their professions. They become students for life.

Researchers say most of us have learned 80% of everything we know by the time we’re eight years old, when we’re still enthralled by every new discovery. How sad is that? I don’t know about you, but I like to think I’m a lot smarter now than when I was eight.

Rekindle that childhood enthusiasm. Pick up a book today. Turn off the TV and tune in to an inspirational speaker. This is the best New Year’s resolution you can make for yourself.

Learning really is kid stuff. Commit to enjoying it. Start today. Be a child again.

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Jul 06

Cooperative Learning

Author: admin  |  Category: Learning

Cooperative Learning is actually having the students work in groups or a group setting. Instead of the traditional style of teaching, the students interact with each other and build upon their school relations. In Week 4’s class lecture it states, “Cooperative learning teaches students to be a functional member of a team, with not only individual responsibilities, but group responsibilities as well” (Week 4, 2005). This is an importance learning style to incorporate in the lessons because it builds communication skills in the classroom. These skills will become the basis of their adult relations. In order to better understand cooperative learning, the main theorists and basis of this subject need to be explored.

Due to the internet and the vast majority of sites on this subject, teachers can implement this information into their classroom quickly. When going to google and typing in “Cooperative Lesson”, 826,049 sites can be viewed. The main idea behind the 10 most popular sites are “What is Cooperative Learning” and “How can Teachers implement it in the Classroom”. The most vaulable site found in regards to this subject is http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/intech/cooperativelearning.htm. This site is titled, “Cooperative Learning” and have a dozen links which will help a teacher grasp this style. The consensus of this site states cooperative learning.

Is a successful teaching strategy in which small teams, each with students of different levels of ability, use a variety of learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject. Each member of a team is responsible not only for learning what is taught but also for helping teammates learn, thus creating an atmosphere of achievement. Students work through the assignment until all group members successfully understand and complete it (Cooperative Learning, 2005).

Learning how to use Cooperative Learning in the classroom room is a must for teachers because of the communication and social relations she can develop for the students. These communication and social relations are best understood by comparing and contrasting the major theorists of Cooperative Learning.

In the models of Johnson, Johnson, and Holubec explain, “the five advantages to cooperative learning are interwoven in five basic principles: 1) positive interdependence, 2) simultaneous interaction, 3) individual responsibility, 4) Interpersonal and small-group learning skills, and 5) reflection and planning” (University of Phoenix, 2002). These five basic principles seem to be the basis for cooperative learning. These theorists understood children need to learn to work together and know each other in a non-competitive environment. Some of the interesting facts about these theorists is the “sink or swim” philosophy, mutual goal idea, and assigned roles (Principles of Cooperative Learning, 2005). Johnson, Johnson, and Holubec seem to have grasped the updated version of cooperative learning in the classroom. Their methods and ideas are more conservative than the other theorists and tend to be more approachable by teachers.

Dr. Robert Slavin’s approach to cooperative learning is more based on catering to individual students needs. He developed the Student Teams and Achievement Division, STAD. His theory was also based on 5 different ideas much like Johnson, Johnson, and Holubec. The five components are Class Presentation, Teams, Quizzes, Individual Improvement Scores, and Team Recognition (Cooperative Learning a New Direction, 2005). The difference in Slavic’s earlier theory and the theorists present before is his concern for the lack of experience teachers have in this subject and how the subject might not achieve all the expectation. This theorist had a strong belief that high risk students and special educational students would benefit the most from cooperative learning (Dr. Robert Slavin on Cooperative Learning, 2005). In reality, this man’s theory was a good basis, but his lack of experience in the needs of today somewhat discredit his thinking. In the reading it seems this doctor presented the lack of vision of a world where teachers are highly educated and there is a melting pot of students in a classroom, which is the major difference between the theorists.

Dr. Spencer Kagan has
Two important points to be made: (1) The world is not just competitive and in some important respects is becoming less so; (2) I do not advocate exclusive use of cooperative learning methods, but rather a healthy balance of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic classroom structures to prepare students for the full range of social situations (Ten Frequent Questions, 2005).

When reading about this theory a more liberal view of cooperative learning comes to mind. When trying to find a specific amount of steps by this theorist, it is impossible because there are too many to count or write about in one paper. Basically this style focuses on “stress positive interpersonal peer relationships, equality, self-esteem, and achievement”. With these different concepts comes different goals such as, “building team spirit and positive relationships among students; information sharing; critical thinking; communication skills; and mastery (learning/remembering) of specified material”(Spencer Kagan’s Positive Learning Structure, 2005). Unlike the simple 5 steps of the last theorists, a teacher would have to put the information together based on her students. The teacher would have to explore many different lead and use the information to her best judgment.

In conclusion, Johnson, Johnson, and Holubec have set the basis for cooperative learning in the classroom. Their theory is easy to understand and can be simple implemented in the classroom. Overall, Cooperative learning is important because it bind communication with social skills, something every student needs to develop. It is easy to compare and contrast the different theorists because each one has a different idea on what cooperative learning actually is. The Cooperative Learning Style has been developed and redeveloped by many theorists; it just depends on the teacher’s learning style to determine the best approach to this method.

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Jul 06

Six Keys to Help You Learn Spanish Online

Author: admin  |  Category: Learning

This article consists of six tips to help
you learn Spanish online. If you follow these
six tips, you can be sure that you will
learn to speak Spanish online much easier.

Key Numero Uno to Learn Spanish Online:

“Stay motivated”

I think everyone that studies
a foreign language will experience
a time when they are becoming less and less
motivated. You may feel that you are
losing your desire to learn Spanish online
around the same time that you have reached a plateau.

If you feel that you are losing your desire
to learn to speak Spanish online,
try planning a trip to a Spanish speaking country.
Since you will want to get the most out of
your trip, this should motivate you to study.

Here’s another tip to help you stay motivated and
to make you want to learn to speak Spanish online.
Find a native speaker that you are romantically interested
in. Since you will probably want to impress him or
her with your Spanish, this should motivate you
to keep studying and make you want to learn Spanish
online. You will also notice that you
are making progress quicker by practicing your
Spanish with a native speaker and that should also
motivate you to keep studying and practicing Spanish.

Of course, this tip only applies to single people
or other people without a significant other.

Key Numero Dos to Learn to speak Spanish Online:
“Don’t Be Afraid of Making Mistakes”

Make lots of mistakes. And then after you have made
lots of mistakes go make some more mistakes. And then
go make some more mistakes.

Many people are afraid of making mistakes
when learning Spanish online. If you really
want to learn to speak Spanish online, then you
have to accept the fact that making
mistakes is part of the learning process.
The more mistakes you make, the quicker
you learn to speak Spanish online.

If you are not making mistakes, that’s probably
an indication that you are not making
the effort to learn Spanish online.

Some people will try to learn to speak Spanish
online by ONLY listening. Their reasoning is
that once they learn enough Spanish that’s
when they will begin trying to speak Spanish online.
But I can I assure you that it doesn’t work that way.
It works in reverse.

That is, once you start trying to speak Spanish
and making mistakes that’s when you will begin to
learn to speak Spanish online. Not the other way around.

So go ahead and make mistakes. The mistakes
aren’t there to embarrass you. The mistakes
are there to help you master Spanish.

Key Numero Tres to Learn Spanish Online:

“Focus on how to speak Spanish”
Don’t focus on “why Spanish is Spoken
the way it is”

Many people have sent me emails with questions
such as why is it “me gusta” (I like) instead
of “me gusto” or why is it “me toma” instead
of “me tomo”

Of course, I could easily answer these questions.
(And I do) But the objective is not to try equate everything
in Spanish with English or your native language.

Accept the fact that Spanish grammar is different
from English grammar. And focus on the objective
of any language — which is to communicate effectively.

And in order to communicate effectively, you only
need to understand and be understood. It is not
necessary that you understand each and every
grammatical facet.

Trying to do so will only hinder your learning and make
it difficult to learn Spanish online.
Imagine trying to teach a 4 yr old the definition
of a direct pronoun vs. an indirect pronoun.
We would never attempt such a thing. But the
4yr old child is still fluent in his or her
native language.

So make your goal to understand and be understood.
Focus on “how to speak Spanish”
Don’t focus on “why Spanish is Spoken
the way it is.”

Key Numero Cuatro to Learn to Speak Spanish Online:

“Master the Fundamentals”

Many people spend their time learning
a bunch of Spanish vocabulary that they could
go a life time and never use. That’s
because the words are hardly used
in normal everyday conversation.

If you want to learn to speak Spanish online without
Wasting anytime, I advise you to master
the fundamentals. When I say the
“fundamentals” I am referring to
the basic vocabulary and basic grammar.

I know adults that have studied Spanish
for a few years and they know thousands
of words in Spanish. Although they may
be proficient in Spanish, I would not
consider them fluent. On the other hand,
a three or four year old native Spanish-speaking
child can speak Spanish fluently. It is not
because the child knows thousand of words in Spanish.
The child may only know about a thousand words
or less in Spanish. But the child has mastered the fundamentals.

Mastery of the fundamentals is what separates
the proficient from the fluent.

If you really want to learn to speak Spanish online
make it a priority to master the fundamentals.

Key Numero Cinco to Learn Spanish Online:

“Take Advantage of downtime”

Finding time to study can be a challenge.
Many people just don’t have the time
to sit down and study. But who said that
you have to be sitting down? If you are
waiting in line at the bank or waiting at the
doctor’s office, turn on your mp3 player
or ipod and listen to an audio Spanish lesson.

If you drive to work everyday, that’s
an excellent opportunity to practice your favorite
audio Spanish course. If you like to jog or
exercise on a stairmaster or treadmill,
bring your mp3 player or ipod with you
and listen to your favorite audio Spanish course

Instead of watching the 10′ clock News. Watch
“Las Noticias” Instead of watching a movie
on HBO, watch a movie on HBO Latino.

So to those that say “I just
don’t have the time to learn Spanish online.”
My response is that you can make excuses
or you can learn to speak Spanish online.
But you can’t do both. The choice
is yours.

Key Numero Seis to Learn to speak Spanish Online:

“Become an Imitator”

Some Spanish courses do not put much emphasis
on pronunciation. I think that is a big mistake.

If you really want to be understood, you must try
to mimic native speakers.

Have you every experienced someone that
asked you for directions or some other question
and you were unable to assist the person because you didn’t
speak her language. And then you suddenly
realized that the person was actually speaking
English but her accent was so thick that you
thought the person was speaking another language.

The same thing happens to Spanish ears. If
you do not develop good pronunciation, you will
not be understand.

If you say the word “dad” in Spanish and you do
not stress the appropriate syllable, a
native Spanish speaker may think that you are
talking about “french fries.” To English ears
the difference may be very subtle. But to the
Latin American its the difference between
“dad” and “potatoes”.

So focus on mimicking native Spanish speakers.

I hope that you enjoyed these 6 Tips to Help You
Learn Spanish Online and that they truly help
you in your journey to learn to speak Spanish online.

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Jul 06

Why Learn Languages?

Author: admin  |  Category: Learning

Why learn languages? Why would anyone want to learn someone else’s language? Obviously, there are a lot of reasons, and if the question is on your mind, then you probably have a desire or need to learn a language yourself. The answer is often different for people. Put 10 random people together who are learning another language and you will probably have 7 or 8 different reasons and 5 or 6 different languages. Every answer is valid. Every reason is the right reason for that person and every language is the right language. There is no wrong answer to the question ‘why learn a language?’ and there is no wrong language to learn.

The ability to learn another language is not limited by economic background, ethnic background, nationality, gender, race, religion, age or the grades you got (or are getting) in school. While everyone is different, and we all have differing abilities and strengths, we all have language ability to some degree. Maybe we all aren’t going to become great orators or novelists in another language, but we all have the ability to learn, and communicate in other languages.

There is no danger of learning ‘too much.’ You can’t fill up your head with too much language, and there’s no danger of you losing knowledge of the languages you already know. In fact, learning a foreign language (or more than one) improves memory, math skills, analytical skills, problem solving and increases critical thinking and creativity. Furthermore and most remarkably, learning a foreign language actually improves our reading, writing, speaking and listening skills in English.

Languages don’t just pop up out of nowhere, they evolve from other languages and change over time. Many of the most widely spoken languages are related and share some vocabulary, and even if they aren’t, languages are always borrowing words from each other. English is full of words from many other
languages. Learning another language not only gives you new knowledge, but expands upon your existing knowledge of English and gives you a whole new way of understanding it. Furthermore, you begin to learn how to learn languages, making it easier to learn other languages and understand how language and
communication works in general. Other languages are not just a word for word translation of English, but an interpretation of events and opinions from a different point of view.

So, why learn languages? Ok, so there are some benefits. Can learning a language benefit everyone? In a word – Yes. I’m sure if you look around and evaluate your life you will see lots of opportunities to use different languages. We are all surrounded by people who use other languages, or opportunities we could
benefit from by using other languages. The possibilities are there if you look for them.

You may have relatives living in Japan, or you want to visit China. Perhaps you have a life-long desire to see Italy or you are planning a vacation in Argentina, or retirement in Costa Rica. All are valid reasons for learning a language. Learning for travel is one of the most common reasons to learn a language. There are more opportunities to travel today than there have ever been before, and they are likely to increase in the 21st century Global Village.

Many people learn a language to connect with their roots. You may still have relatives living in the ‘old country,’ or you may just want to define yourself a little bit. Learning the language of our ancestors can help bring us into better contact with ourselves and open up a whole new understanding of ourselves and how we got to be who and where we are.

Do you have a new addition to the family by marriage? Learning even a little of your new family members language can bring both families closer together. Or maybe you’re looking for love yourself. Think of the possibilities when you learn another language. The increase in possible social contacts is tremendous when you add a whole new way to communicate. That goes for love, friendship, travel or business.

Learning a language for business is a very common reason. The business opportunities that have arisen in the last few decades have made it almost imperative for a businessperson to have language skills. English may be spoken by many people and it is the language of the internet, but in order to really cultivate
business relationships and get ahead in the business world, language skills are a must. There are a wide variety of industries in which having language ability is a great advantage. It broadens our job skills and career options.

The reasons for students to learn languages are many, and not just because you need it to graduate or get a certain degree. Obviously, improving English skills and overall communication skills are both valuable to students. Improvement of memory, creativity, problem solving ability and analytical skills also are of significant importance to a student. Studies show that bilinguals routinely outperform monolinguals in all areas of testing. Scores for SATs and other tests are shown to be higher for foreign language students, and the longer the foreign language study the higher the average test scores. Having second language skills also makes a student more competitive in the job market.

Learning a language isn’t just learning some new grammar concepts, vocabulary and different sounds. It gives insights into other cultures. It creates a more positive attitude toward people who are culturally different and gives us a better understanding of what it’s like to be an immigrant. Accomplishing this life skill will give you increased prestige in your own culture and a markedly increased status in other cultures. It’s a required skill to become a World Citizen. Ultimately, learning other languages gives us a better
understanding of our own language and our own culture, and a new viewpoint to look at the world in which we live and define our place in it.

One of my favorite quotes about language by Ambrose Bierce :

Belladonna, n.: In Italian a beautiful lady; in English a deadly poison. A striking example of the essential identity of the two tongues.

It’s meant to be funny and it reminds us that languages really are different, but it makes me laugh every time I read it. This, to me, also reminds me why I like to learn languages. It’s fun! The inner workings of each language are full of little nuggets that are downright enjoyable to learn. So, why learn languages? Lots of the reasons above pertain to me, but my answer is much simpler – because I enjoy it.

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Jul 06

Action Learning: It’s More Than OJT

Author: admin  |  Category: Learning

For centuries companies have used on-the-job training (OJT). OJT works because it follows much of what we know about adult learning theory. For example, we know:

1. Adults learn best when new learning can be applied immediately.

2. Much of classroom “learning” is lost because it does not transfer back to the job.

Action learning is a two-part method to maximize learning and productivity by maximizing OJT. Action learning involves teams of organizational members working on real organizational projects and problems. The team members’ work is also accompanied by regular (and spontaneous) facilitator-led reflection and discussion meetings.

Action learning projects have led to new product launches, acquisitions and divestitures, and large-scale organizational changes. In addition to extensive and measurable productivity, there are significant learning benefits from these action learning projects. The benefits include:

* exposure to other parts of the organization,

* development of emotional intelligence (EI),

* learning the political realities of the organization, and

* being able to showcase skills to senior management.

Obviously, action learning projects require serious senior management commitment. Senior management buy-in includes not only contribution to choosing projects and participants, but also a commitment to evaluating and implementing projects.

Not every organizational project is an appropriate action learning project. Many projects have severe time constraints that would not allow sufficient time for reflection and discussion for the project team. Some projects are not strategically important enough to justify the investment of organizational resources (time, people, and money).

The facilitator for the action learning project must be a trained facilitator. To maximize the learning in an action learning project, the coach or facilitator must know how to extract learning from the team’s work. Learning goals must be identified early in the project. Provoking critical thinking, reflection, creative thinking, and self-awareness is the job of the facilitator.

Action learning is one of many organizational learning strategies. Action learning must be used in alignment with the other organizational learning programs, such as individual coaching. For example, many coaching discussion topics can be based on the real-time learning that takes place in an action learning project.

Obviously, action learning projects (like any other organizational learning methods) are not a cure-all for every learning need. But, the productivity and learning benefits of action learning should be considered by every organization.

For more information of action learning projec

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Jul 06

Learning About Child Learning

Author: admin  |  Category: Learning

Being an effective teacher one’s child begins first with knowing how you child learns. Getting a grasp on your child’s learning characteristics is essential to homeschooling success. What is your child’s learning ability levels? Motivation is also an important aspect. What motivates your child to learn? Knowing the pieces of your child’s learning style come together to make up the learning environment. A child’s learning activity is as diverse as each one’s personality. As you can see, a one size fits all approach isn’t going to be conducive to a dynamic learning environment.

In the beginning the best way to learn about how your child learns is to observe everything they do in their daily activities. Take notes, written or mental on how the child learns and approaches new learning situations. For instance, do they appear to learn more by touching and feeling, do they seem to learn more by drawing or expression? Do they learn by watching or doing? Today there are many child development tools, books, and software available on various types of learning styles to you to get you going in the right direction. Do some online searches regarding child learning, learning activities, children’s learning tools, child learning websites…. That type of criteria. You’ll find much information on all types of learning.

An often little thought of aspect to children’s learning is what time of day does the child learn best. When is their peak learning times? This is particularly more in play with younger children.

Again all of this discussion and now research that you have done is circling back to creating an optimal learning environment for you and your child. Knowing how they learn. What motivates children to learn? When do they learn best? All of these come under the heading of learning style. It’s important to know how to break the areas down into specific knowledge for yourself to insure that you create that highly effective learning environment, so the learning experience for both you and your child is a wonderful road filled with much joy and discovery!

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