Coterminal Angles Definition

Coterminal Angles Definition Coterminal angles worksheet deals with problems on coterminal angles. Angles which are drawn in standard position that share a common terminal side are called coterminal angles. It can be positive and negative. In simple words, Coterminal angles are the angles having common terminal side. From the figure we understood that A ray (x-axis) where we start measuring the angles is the initial side. A ray where we stop measuring the angle is the terminal side. The angles 60o, -300o, 780o are all coterminal angles. Example 1: Find a positive and negative coterminal angle for250 degrees. Solution: First add 360 to 250 to get your positive Coterminal angle = 250+360= 610 = Then subtract 360 from 260 to get your negative Coterminal angle. = 265-360= -110 Example 2: Find a positive and negative coterminalangle for9pi. Solution: First add 9pi to 2pi to get your positive coterminal angle. =9pi+2pi=11pi = Then to get your negative coterminal angle, subtract 2pi from 9pi. =9pi-2pi=7pi = this is the negative Coterminal angle. Example 3: Find angles that are coterminal with the angle 400? Solution: To find positive angles that are coterminal with 400, add any multiple of 3600 with 400 = Therefore 400 + 3600 = 4000 = 400 + 7200 = 7600 (360 * 2 = 720) = 4000 and 7600 are two positive coterminal angles. = To find negative angles that are Coterminal with 40 degree, subtract any multiple of 3600 with 400 = Therefore 400 - 3600 = -3200 = 400 - 7200 =- 6800 (360 * 2 = 720) = -3200 and -6800 are two negative coterminal angles. = Likewise we can find any number of positive and negative Coterminal anglesfor 40 degrees.

Understanding Guitar Tabs the Easy Way.

Understanding Guitar Tabs the Easy Way. How, then, Do You Read Guitar Tablature? ChaptersWhat is a Guitar Tab?Special Symbols for TabsWhere Can You Find Easy Guitar Tabs?If you want to learn how to play the guitar but you don't know any music theory and reading music is impossible for you, there’s a great alternative. These we call guitar tabs - or tablature.Whatever your nationality or playing level, guitar tabs are easy to read for everyone. They are not dependent on the vocabulary of sheet music, they are pictorial, and they are relevant to classical guitar, acoustic guitar, and electric guitar alike.A lot of guitar players use them because they are simple, straightforward, and get you knowing how to play guitar - and how to play your favorite guitar songs - in no time.So, how do you read guitar tabs? Are there universal symbols for everyone to understand? Are there online guitar tutorials to learn how to read tabs - or are they best picked up in a formal guitar lesson or guitar course?Superprof has put it all together for you so that you can learn this meth od of playing the guitar.It’s no longer necessary to learn to read music in order to play the guitar. Nowadays guitarists often read their music on tabs.Although they have a few drawbacks, tabs are quick and easy to learn and you can share many different types of   guitar music with fellow musicians. If you want to learn licks, guitar chords, a chord progression, or the pentatonic scale, tab is probably the easiest way for the beginner guitar player to do it!If you’ve already taken a few guitar lessons for beginners, then you’ll know that reading tabs is necessary for any guitarist worthy of the title - as it is an important way,alongside standard notation, to share written music with other guitar players.What’s Tab Then?Tabs are a specialized and simplified way of reading music for a specific instrument. You can find tabs for piano, guitar, bass guitar, and even drums.In terms of guitar, tab provides a visual representation of the fretboard. Unlike standard music notation, which uses a stave of five lines with the placement of a symbol on a different line signifying a different pitch, tab gives you a number on one of six lines.The six lines represent the fret board - and the number shows on which fret you should place your finger. So, if there is a '1' on the top line of the tab, you put your index finger in that box on the guitar neck on the thinnest string. If there is no number on a string, don't play that string!The benefit of this, for guitarists, is that the notes of a different guitar chord, arpeggio, or lead guitar lick, can be played in a different place on the neck of the guitar. Standard notation does not show the different places where these can be played - leaving that decision up to the musician - but tab does, showing the best guitar position or the most easy guitar position to play this at.Reading the tab on its own isn’t difficult. You read it from left to right just like any other piece of music, and when you get to the end of the line you go down to the next one and continue following the notes in the same direction.In fact, learning to read tabs is as essential to learning rhythm  and both are fundamental guitar playing!Playing Chords from a Guitar Tab.As we said, each string is represented by a line on the tab, meaning that there are six lines. But, as we know about the guitar, we don't just play one string at a time.Rather, the six strings of a guitar were designed to be played together. We can read the main chords - power chords, barre chords, open chords (the most basic chords), jazz chords - by looking at where on the tab different numbers on different lines are presented as one above the other. This will tell you that they need to be played simultaneously.Once you have developed your dexterity through the basic chord shapes, tab provides a really easy way to see how chords are constructed all over the neck.You just need to follow the tab and see where to put your fingers!The Quirks of Guitar TabsNonet heless, guitar tabs do have several unique features of which you must be aware:Most tabs don’t have any indication regarding the speed or rhythm at which you should play. The ones that do - that you can see in anything from jazz guitar to rhythm guitar, chord progressions to guitar solos - use the rhythmic notation of standard musical notation.The tab is broken up into measures, but it is very rare to know the rhythm to play the guitar.The best advice is to really listen to the piece of music that you’re trying to play. Notice how it is structured, and how many counts are in each measure (ninety of rock, pop and folk songs have four beats, or are in 4/4 time).Recognize guitar tabs to improve your guitar playing!Symbols that denote rhythm are written like this: ‘w’ for a whole note, ‘h’ for a half note, ‘e’ for an eighth note, and ’s’ for a sixteenth note.If there’s a dot after a letter like ’w’, that means that you need to hold the note for half of its leng th again.Special Symbols for TabsWhether you want to play Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton, Metallica or Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd, you're going to come across some strange notation that you might not immediately recognise.You’ll notice that there are many different symbols on tabs that tell you how to play the notes or link them together.It’s important to learn to recognize the symbols by heart so that reading them becomes second nature. This way you can perfectly reproduce your favorite songs and play your arpeggios on the guitar - without having to stop and think about what each one means when you are playing whichever song.These are different guitar techniques or guitar tricks that make up the more sophisticated parts of rock guitar, blues guitar, and solo guitar.Here are a few of the most common symbols.Hammer-OnsTo play a hammer-on, you need to play a string, let it vibrate, and forcefully place, or 'hammer', another finger on a fret on the same string. What h appens in this hammering is that you play a different, higher, note without actually plucking it with your right hand.Hammer-ons are often represented by the letter ‘h’, and are written between the first fret you play and the one on which you’re doing a hammer on. (for example, 4h9 means strum the 4th fret and then the 9th).Sometimes the ‘h’ can also be replaced by a ^ (4^9).Pull-OffsPlaying a pull-off is the opposite of a hammer-on.To play a pull-off, pull your fingers away quickly from the fret in order to create a lower note.Learn to play with guitar tabs.Pull-offs are generally represented by ‘p’ and are placed between the first fret you play and the one on which you’re performing a pull-off.An example could be written as either 8p6.Practise your tabs during bass guitar lessons.BendsBends are performed by pushing a string after playing a note, in order to change the note while staying on the same fret.Bends are generally indicated by a curved arrow and then a not ation like ‘ ½â€™ or  â€˜ ¼â€™ or ‘full’ to tell you how to change the note.If the arrow curves back on itself, or is marked by an ‘R’ for ‘bend and return’, that means that you should go back to the original note after you perform the bend.Another way of writing a bend is with ‘b’ where it is placed between the first note to play, and the second that sounds due to the bend (for example 10b12).The letter ‘r’ for return could also be added to this combination, telling you to return to the original pitch (8b10r8).SlidesTo play a slide, you slide along the string from one fret to another, either to get a higher sound (slide up) or a lower one (slide down), by continuing to hold the string down.Slide ups are noted by a ‘/‘  and a slide down as ‘’  as with 6/86.You can also play slides  legato, meaning a slide where you don’t use your pick for the first note of the slide.The note sounds natural, without any effect.Slide is a symbol on guitar tab.Some guita rists think that you should also avoid using a pick on the base note, but the most important thing is to play without leaving a gap between the two notes.Another feature of the slide is the slide and shift, where you play a note on the same string instead of on another string, so that only one sounds at once.This will also help you to avoid having to change your guitar strings too often.This is marked in tabs as ’S’.Less common symbolsOther less common symbols are also important to recognize in tabs. Recognizing them is an important part of getting the right sound as you work on improving your guitar technique.'~'VibratoBend and relax a string to modulate the pitch slightly on long held notes.'S' or 'T'Slap, or ThumbA technique common in bass guitar where you slap the string with the thumb of your right hand.'PM'Palm MuteWith your right hand, you muffle the strings at the bridge - to give a crunchier sound.'X'MuteHere you will want to completely stop the sound of a particular st ring.' /'TremoloA number between two slashes requires you to use the whammy bar - changing the pitch of the note by the value of the number noted.'t'TappingWhere you tap on the neck with your right hand.To learn to read guitar tabs, the most important thing to do is to stay motivated at guitar.Where Can You Find Easy Guitar Tabs?The internet is swimming with different guitar tabs to help people play songs. The songs to tab ratio is fairly huge, with hundreds of different tabs available for every different song. For a first guitar tab, you can just pick the best reviewed ones. But, as you improve your ear training, you'll be able to discern the difference in quality of tabs by just listening.But, in the meantime, here are some great places to find some easy tabs.The Internet.As we said, the internet is full of guitar tabs - which you can either find in Notepad-style text, or else in specialised computer programmes. These latter, such as Guitar Pro or TablEdit, are hugely useful things that c ombine tab with traditional sheet music.They can play back the tabs to you too, so you know exactly how you are supposed to play the rhythm.A Guitar Teacher.If you start guitar lessons, either online guitar lessons or in person, one of the main ways that your teacher will aid you is by giving you music to learn. And if you are playing acoustic guitars or electric guitars, you will be provided with tab (classical guitarists usually use standard notation!).Alongside all the theory of the major chord and major scale, and the techniques of fingerstyle, fingerpicking, and improvisation, your teacher will be able to guide you through practicing tabs too. Knowing whether to use your middle finger or first finger on the first string or second string, and how best to develop your guitar skills using tab.Make Tabs Yourself.If you are feeling ambitious, you can try and make the tabs yourself. This comes from listening to the music you want to play and writing it down. This process is known as transcription - and it can be the only way to learn some songs, as sometimes the tabs aren't available!Give it a go!

How To Prepare For GRE Subject Tests

How To Prepare For GRE Subject Tests The sooner you figure out exactly what it is you want to do, the better. Then, you can start marketing yourself as a budding chemist (for example). And that is exactly how to perk up a grad school admissions counselor. Graduate schools dont want students who are still trying to figure out what they want to do. They want students who are set on a field, and are now doing everything they can to get there. Theres one simple way to show youre one of those students: take a GRE subject test. A GRE subject test measures your knowledge/analytical thinking skills in a specific field and is much more specialized than the standard sections of the GRE (Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Analytical Writing). Students can take subject tests in the field they majored in during undergraduate school. The GRE offers subject tests in these following areas (click each for additional information): Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Biology Chemistry Literature in English Mathematics Physics Psychology Click here for preparation materials from the Educational Testing Service (the creator and administrator of the GRE) for each subject test. The ETS will mail additional materials to you once you apply for the test. Doing well in a GREmay even help you pick up some lost ground in a section you did poorly on. Say youre a wiz psychologist, but youre vocab is incredibly poor. So, you score very low on the Verbal Reasoning section, but very high on Psychology Subject Test. Your chances of getting into a grad school psychology department may even be better than someone who slightly outperformed you on the three standard tests but opted not take the Psychology Subject Test. Remember, at most grad schools, admissions decisions are made by the individual departments you would be applying to, comprised mostly of faculty members and sometimes even students. So, what section do you think those admissions groups are going to look at first? Most are placing more weight to your subject test than your standard score but not all of them. When you apply to a specific GRE program, it looks at your transcripts, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, personal statement, interview, etc., all to answer one question: will this student be successful in the field they are applying for? If yes, youre in. If no, youre not. At some schools, it really is that simple. Performing well on a subject test may answer that question better than any other factor in your application. But, before you take the GRE, contact your prospective schools and ask them if they require a subject test and how they consider it. Total subject test time is about 2 hours and 50 minutes. Every question is worth equal value, and for every four questions you answer incorrectly, you will lose one correct answer (or each incorrect answer subtracts 1/4th of what a correct answer is worth). Only guess if you can eliminate one or more of the choices.

Sequence Solver Online Tutoring

Sequence Solver Online Tutoring Sequence is the set of terms, usually numbers which follow a certain order or a rule. Here term is each element or number of the sequences. Every sequence can have its own set of rules which it follows. To find the missing terms or following numbers of a sequence the pattern behind the sequence needs to be identified. Some of the very well-known sequences are the arithmetic sequence, geometric sequence, Fibonacci sequence or the triangular sequence. For example in an arithmetic sequence there is a fixed difference between every two consecutive terms. In a geometric sequence there is a fixed ratio which is maintained between two consecutive terms. Example 1: Find the 15th term in the given sequence 5, 7, 9, 11, 13..? Solution: Given in the question is a sequence 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 The numbers have a fixed difference of 2 i.e 7-5= 97= 2. The 15th term of the sequence can be found by the formula a + (n-1) d Here a = 5, n = 15 and d = 2. This gives 5 + (14)* 2 = 33 Hence the 15th term is 33. Example 2: Find the 11th term in the given sequence 6, 10, 14, 18..? Solution: Given in the question is a sequence 6, 10, 14, 18 The numbers have a fixed difference of 4 i.e 10 - 6 = 4. The 11th term of the sequence can be found by the formula a + (n-1) d Here a = 6, n = 11 and d = 4. This gives 6 + (10)* 4 = 46 Hence the 11th term is 46.

5 TOEIC Preparation Tips

5 TOEIC Preparation Tips Be prepared for the TOEIC.The most important thing you need to know about the TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication)  exam is that it is a test of the English language as used in daily life and in the workplace.As a result, you need to tailor your knowledge of English to suit this emphasis.Here are some tips to help you out. Click here to register for English test preparation classes. 1. Learn the Vocabulary of the OfficeFrom fax machines to laser printers, water dispensers to answering machines, you need to familiarize yourself with the vocabulary of the items around you in the office. These regularly appear in TOEIC comprehension tests.2. Practice Taking Telephone MessagesIf someone calls for your colleague and he/she is on sick leave or on holidays do you know how to take a message in his/her absence? This is a critical skill for TOEIC’s listening comprehension. Start practicing!3. Learn To Follow InstructionsWhether they come in a memo from your boss or are wri tten on the side of a printer, lists of instructions appear regularly in TOEIC comprehension tests. Pay attention to instructions, wherever you find them, and consult a dictionary for words that are new to you.4. Know How To Talk About Your QualificationsWhat is your academic experience? Have you done internships? What are the qualities you bring to the workplace? These are things you will need to have rolling off your tongue for TOEIC’s written test.5. Know How To Talk About Important Work ProjectsCan you talk about an important project you worked on in the office? What role did you play in it? What was the outcome? This is another important topic for the TOEIC writing test.Did you find this blog helpful? Feel free to share it on Facebook and Twitter.

Heart-Wrenching Writing Practice

Heart-Wrenching Writing Practice I love animated short films.  They are not just for children, especially this one.  They often have little to no dialogue, so they serve as great writing prompts.  This one might make you feel certain emotions, which also helps inspire us to write.  Many of my students tell me they need to improve their writing, but they complain that its boring  to practice.  If this sounds familiar, youve come to the right place!  Today, were going to learn how to improve  a very common writing mistake, watch the film, then put our knowledge into practice.When I edit students writing, I often have to tell them their sentences are too wordy.  If someone has told you this before, dont worry.  Its a common issue  for native speakers as well!  The problem is, we dont want to write in short, baby sentences.  We want our writing to have a nice flow.  With the proper use of linking words, we can sound intelligent AND  have good flow in our writing.Linking words, or connectors, are used to join two ideas  together.  They help us express our thoughts  in more complex ways.  Today well focus on connectors that show contrasting ideas and cause/effect.  Then, well use them to write a short story!Contrasting ideas:But:  I have a lot of homework, but I dont have time to do it.Remember not to use but at the beginning of a sentence!However:  I have a lot of homework.  However I dont have time to do it.However is more formal than but, but you can use it at the beginning of a sentence.Although:  Although I  have a lot of homework, I dont have time to do it.Anyway:  I dont have a lot of time, but Ill do my homework  anyway.Cause and effect:So:  He missed his family, so he went to visit them.Because:  He visited his family because he missed them.Since:  He visited his family since he missed them.As:  As he missed his family, he visited them.Now you try!  Connect the ideas with a linking word listed above:He got a bad grade.  He didnt study.My boss gave me extra work.  I didnt ask for more work.She doesnt want to get married.  He proposed to her.She really wants to get married.  He proposed to her.Its dangerous to walk around the city at night.  She didnt have another option.Choose 5 connectors to write  a short story from this film.  Wed love to see what you come up with in the comments section below.  Feel free to start with this example sentence:The sun was setting, but the sheriff was far from his homeIf youd like to learn more about connectors, book a class with LOI today!  In the meantime, check out Teaunas post  here!

The Dynamic Duo Music and Language Learning Join Forces

The Dynamic Duo Music and Language Learning Join Forces Music and language learning is the best combo since peanut butter and jelly.I boosted my  Spanish to fluency by listening to Enrique Iglesias, Marc Anthony and Shakira at full blast.  I got truly passionate about Portuguese after discovering Joao Gilberto. Im brushing up on some dusty Japanese skills these days by cranking up the J-Pop.True story.If only I knew sooner just how scientific my off-key singing and  salsa  dancing actually is!As it turns out, theres a reason why so many language learners swear by  studying with music.Whether its  foreign music in the background  to get you in the learning zone,  music and lyrics paired for active learning or just  dance tracks played at full volume for fun times, music can supercharge your learning. What Science Is Telling Us About Music and LanguageMusic Improves Overall  Brain PowerChildren whove been musically trained start out in life with tons of great advantages. For the better part of a century, psychological research has continu ally pointed to music lessons being a key element of early childhood education.By playing or listening to music, many regions of the brain are activatedâ€"even some pretty unexpected regions, ones that are seemingly unrelated to music and listening comprehension.If you can play or are learning to play an instrument, more power to you.  Musical training has been shown to significantly impact brain development.  Playing an instrument exercises your brain, ultimately getting it to make stronger neural  connections and start firing faster. All in all, a nimbler brain can tackle language lessons with greater ease.This is exactly why music is often used as therapy for people facing brain damage and linguistic challenges.Music Puts the Memory Pedal to the MetalIt has been straight-up proven that music aids memory in language learning.  In one recent study, research participants made bigger strides in acquiring Hungarian when they sang their new language.One prominent psychology researcher has devoted his career to the study of memory and music.  But, for Dr. Roediger, the issue isnt so much getting information into your brain as it is  getting information out.  Have you ever spent a huge chunk of time cramming vocabulary or grammar, only to struggle with recalling what you just taught yourself? Then youve experienced this firsthand. Memory is about informative storage  and  retrieval. What good is it to learn anything if you can never access that information again?According to Dr. Roedigers research (along with the work of numerous other intrigued psychologists) music creates a sticky structure that gloms to key information and helps it all get extracted neatly when you need it. Its kind of like when youre trying to remember the order of the alphabet and need to sing a chunk of the alphabet song you learned in kindergarten to help you. I know Id personally be unable to list all 50 United States without the 50 Nifty United States song I learned in elementary school.Mu sic is so darn powerful in memory recall that many medical professionals suggest music as therapy for elderly patients with Alzheimers, dementia and other degenerative memory loss conditions. Hearing songs that held some  sentimental value for them allows them to rediscover  long lost memories, things locked away in parts of their brains which have been extensively damaged by their medical conditions.This beautiful idea brings me to the next benefit music has for  language learning.Music Makes Us HappyWhen youre learning a language, attitude counts. Singing, dancing and music brings joy. The key is to be uninhibited while singing along to your musicâ€"enjoy the experience without any pressure about technique, accuracy or sound.Especially when listening to music that you love, your brain releases dopamine in response.  Plus, its even been shown to  aid those coping with mild to severe depression, lessening feelings of sadness, hopelessness and despair.Singing and Speaking Are One and the SameBut the benefits of music for language learners dont  just end with general brain-boosting effects. Oh, noâ€"music and language learning are inextricably linked.In the first years of our lives, it turns out that our soft, squishy baby brains cant tell the difference between lullabies and nursery rhymes.  Our natural sense for syntax comes from every word we hear in the crib, whether its sung or spoken. Music and language are all one and the same for us. Lullabies impact the way we start speaking and, likewise, the speech we absorb impacts our singing and musical sensibilities.Music Defines YouEven if you dont consider yourself a music-aficionado, you probably know what you do and dont like. The type of music we enjoy is strongly connected to our personalities.No matter what kind of music you like, its most likely out there in your target language. Choose to learn with the music you like best, and youll give yourself a boost of personal satisfaction and enjoyment. This keeps language learning fun and personalized, as it always should be. Thats whatll give you the momentum and motivation to keep practicing!Why Music and Language Are a Dynamic DuoPut simply: Music is  a language.  Think about it. Even when there arent any words set to a tune (or when the song is accompanied by foreign words that you cant understand at all), you can still grasp what the tune intends to express. Is it a happy, upbeat song meant to make you smile? A love song that makes your heart flutter? A blues song about heartbreak that conjures up rainclouds around your head?Bottom line, we can communicate through music. While each culture, society and individual has their own spin on music, music is truly a universal human language. Its a uniquely beautiful form of human expression. Its only natural that we want to channel music into our language learning.There are tons of language and culture lessons that can be learned from the diverse music out there:Culture.  Youll start to hear c ommon pairings of types of lyrics with types of music. For example, if you hear the fanfare of a national anthem, you know that the words are meant to express a strong sentiment of national pride. What words does this language use to capture and express this feeling? When I first heard the Ecuadorian national anthem (starting with ¡Salve, Oh Patria, mil veces! ¡Oh Patria, (We salute you, Oh Homeland, a thousand times! Oh Homeland!), thats exactly the moment I learned the word patria, which is often used by Ecuadorian nationals to describe their country in moments of prideâ€"both in speech and song.Syntax.  Whether you realize it or not, catchy choruses will teach you word orderâ€"so youll have the building blocks to branch out and use the language authentically.Diverse vocabulary.  From lofty, poetic language to hip, trendy slang, music has it all.Bilingualism.  By listening to bilingual music, you can train your brain to switch quickly and seamlessly between languages. Thats an a wesome skill for a language learner to have!The Best Types of Music for Language LearningEarworms. An earworm is a devastatingly catchy songâ€"you know, the kind that wriggles its way deep into your brain through your ear canal. They dig in deep and pop up when you least expect them. Youre minding your own business and thenâ€"oh, dangâ€"that Britney Spears song is playing in your head again. You may even be humming along or mouthing the lyrics. To find good earworms, consult modern pop music with repetitive lyrics and cute choruses. You can even look for television commercials and viral YouTube-based advertisements in your target language. Like, the only reason I know the word for lottery ticket in Spanish is because of this annoying little number.Childrens music.  It might seem below your language level, but even advanced learners can glean new information from childrens songs. Theyre  repetitive and easy to learn, and theyre designed for the ultimate new language learnersâ€"kids! Absorbing the lyrics of childrens songs will embed proper syntax and pronunciation in your mind, and itll teach you essential grammar and vocabulary.Modern music.  Oh yeah, we love the modern stuff. Modern music grants you important  pop culture knowledge which, as we all know, is vital for things like carrying casual conversations, understanding humor and following television programs. Modern doesnt just mean pop music eitherâ€"it refers to anything by artists of our current generations. The topics sung about in these songs often point to key political injustices, social issues, trends, modern relationship dynamics and more relatable things.Traditional music.  While older music can at times be hard to follow due to antiquated language, it can be a goldmine of cultural information. It can also introduce you to more complex and poetic vocabulary. Once youve listened to some more traditional tunes, youll likely hear remnants of these musical styles in more modern music in your target language.Music that you love.  It doesnt matter if you love to listen to it or dance to itâ€"if the song makes you smile or makes your booty shake, use it for language learning. The more addictive you find your study music, the more fun youll have listening to it. This will keep you chugging forward with musical study time.Music you know well.  Listen or translations or unique  renditions of songs you already love, or find songs with similar melodies. Familiarity with the tune, lyrics or meaning will give you a headstart learning language with that particular song.Methods for Studying Language with MusicWrite Your Own Melodies.  The lyrics you write yourself can be some of the most memorable. Its kind of like when you dream up your own mnemonic devices for memorizing thingsâ€"the most vivid images that stand out in your brain will work better than those that other people tell you to use. Need to memorize a series of grammar patterns or conjugations? Organize them and set them up wit h a tune that you know well.Listen Passively.  Keep foreign language on in the background at all times. The key to fluency is familiarity. Your brain needs to learn how to function 100% in the foreign language. It should feel like this new language is normal and comfortable. By immersing yourself in the language with constant background music, youll not only become familiar, youll start picking up on commonly-used words, phrases and grammar patterns.Have a Sing-along.  Pull up the lyrics while listening to your chosen songs and sing as the song plays. If youre lucky, youll find the video on YouTube with lyrics written on-screen for easy reading. As well discuss further in a bit, another great option is using FluentU music videosâ€"these come complete with annotations in English and your target language.Karaoke.  If you live in a major city, chances are pretty good that the community speaking your target language has some cool joints where they love to hang out together. If youre lea rning German, find the local pub where the Germans hang out. From there, you can inquire about karaoke night, or make some new friends to invite to your own at-home karaoke night. If you dont have many diverse international communities in your area, youd be surprised how often local karaoke joints have foreign language music in their machines. And if you really dislike the idea of stepping on stage or singing in front of others, host your own little party-of-one karaoke night at home. Just type the name of your favorite foreign language songs into YouTubes search bar along with the word karaoke. This will lead you to instrumental renditions of the song with lyrics presented on-screen.Dictation.  Its as simple as this: listen and write. Scribble down every word you can catch on the fly, even if its only the odd word or phrase every 20 seconds. If you catch 90% of a sentence but are missing a couple of key words, just write down whatever you heard. Dont stop the music, keep it rolling until the song has played through completely. Then go back again and fill in whatever you missed. The chorus should come together fairly quickly thanks to the repetitions in just one play-through. If youre really at a loss after a couple of plays, refer to the lyrics to see what you missed.        Fill in the Blanks.  This ones a little more classroom-style but, heck, its very effective. Print out a full sheet of lyrics. Use white out or a permanent marker to blot out some words and phrases throughout the lyrics. If youre studying gender, blot out pronouns and gendered word endings. If youre studying verb conjugations, blot out entire verbs or just blot out their conjugated elements.Resources for Learning Language with MusicLyrics TrainingThis online game is all about learning languages with lyrics. Choose your language, your genre, your song and, finally, your language level. Once youre in, settle in for a whileâ€"this engaging resource reaches another level of seriously addictin g.Watch your chosen music video and fill in the blanks in the lyrics as the music video plays. The game levels span from beginner to expert. Beginners only need to fill in a handful of words here and there. Experts need to fill in every single word. Decide which difficulty level allows you to play casually, without stress, but also offers you a little challenge in terms of problem solving.Theres no rush to keep up with the song either, when you mistype or fall behind, the song pauses and allows you to catch up.FluentUFluentU 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.You can see FluentU in action by checking out this video, which uses the program to break down the popular song from The Lego Movie.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.EarwormsThis program is available in various formats; CDs, MP3 downloads and apps  are all available for your educational enjoyment. This one fuses music and language lessons so that theyre completely interwoven.This isnt about learning with popular songs and artists, its about using little jingles for better memorization. Unsurprisingly, this method gets the job done!JamtokThis up-and-comer is currently available as an app for Japanese and Spanish learners. The principle behind this learning program is that the brain absorbs information better when learning and casual enjoyment are layered. So, sandwich up your language lessons with music and games. Join Jamtok as they  ambitiously strive to engage your whole brain for enhanced memorization.Now that youve assembled some fantastic resources, its time for me to release you back into to the world of language learning.Sure, language learning can be hard, but now youve got the scienceâ€"and the know-howâ€"to back you up in all your music-based language studies.Open your ears, expand your mind, boost your brainpower, and start listening to foreign language music today!

Preparing your child for their GCSEs - Part 1

Preparing your child for their GCSEs - Part 1 GCSEs are the first set of exams which have an influence on a pupil's career. Successful results enable pupils to take their pick of A-level subjects, and the top universities like to see a stream of A*s and As when it comes to GCSEs on UCAS forms. With that in mind, it's so important to prepare your child well for their GCSE studies. Here are three ways in which you can do this. 1. Stress to your child how important their GCSEs are. This is a chance for them to shine and get their lives off to a great start. Tell them that it's time to knuckle down - and that you'll give them all the love and support they need for success. 2. Organisation is key and comes in two main forms: time management and information organisation. In terms of time, make sure that your child is spending equal amounts of time on each subject when it comes to their homework and coursework. As for storing their work, make sure they have folders for each subject and that they know how to organise each folder. There are a lot of handouts and notes to collate, and organising them from the start makes the inevitable exam revision much easier to handle. 3. A challenge you will face as a parent is the fact that GCSEs happen at the same time that your child's interest in their social life will start to rise. They'll want to go out all the time - or spend all their time on Facebook. Set boundaries for their social lives. Friends are important, but their schoolwork has to take priority.