How To-4: How to Build Your Vocabulary

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

When you leave school or college, someone will inevitably point out that this is not the end and that it is only the beginning. Of course the speaker is right. No educational process is the end. It is always the beginning of more learning and more living. And that is the case here. What has happened to you as a result of your reaction to the material and suggestion in this site is only the beginning of your development. To stop increasing your vocabulary is to stop your intellectual growth. You will wish, we are sure, to continue to growing intellectually as long as you remain alive. And with the momentum that your weeks of hard work have provided, continuing will not be at all difficult.

Steps

1. Become actively receptive to new words. Words won’t come chasing after you. You must train yourself to be on a constant lookout, in reading and listening for any words that other people know and you do not.
   
2. Read more. As an adult, you will find most of the sources of your supply of new words in books and magazines. Is your reading today largely restricted only to the quick perusal of daily news papers? Then you will have to change your habits. If your aim is to have superior vocabulary, you will have to make the time to read at least one book and several magazines every week. Not this week and the next week, but every week for the rest of your life.
   
3. Add to your own vocabulary the new words you meet in your reading. When you see an unfamiliar word in a book or in a magazine, do not skip over it impatiently. Instead pause for a moment and say it to yourself. Get used to its sound and appearance. Then puzzle out its possible meaning in the context of the sentence. Whether you come to the right conclusion or not, whether indeed you are able to come to any intelligent conclusion at all is of no importance. What is important is that, by that process, becoming super conscious of that word. As a result, you will suddenly notice that this very word pops up unexpectedly again and again in all you reading. For now your mind has been alerted to notice it. And of course after you have seen it a few times, you will know fairly accurately not only what it means but the many ways in which it can be used.
   
4. Open your mind to new ideas.Every word you see is the translation of new idea. Think for few minutes of the areas of human knowledge that may possibly be unknown to you - Psychology, semantics, science, art, music, management, etc… Then attack one of these areas methodically, by reading books on that particular subject. In every field, form the simplest to the most abstruse, there are several books for the average, untrained lay reader that will give you both a good grasp of the subject and at the same time add vocabularies because they are required to expose themselves constantly to new areas of learning. You must do the same.
   
5. Set a goal. If you do nothing about your vocabulary, you will learn, at most, twenty-five to fifty new words in the next twelve months. In conscious efforts, you can learn several thousands. Set your self a goal of finding several new words every day. This may sound ambitious, but you will discover as soon as you start actively looking for new words in your reading, and actively doing reading of a more challenging type, that new words are all around you. That is, if you are ready for them. And understand this -- vocabulary building snowballs. The results of each new day search will be greater and greater. Once you provide the necessary initial push, once you gain momentum, once you become addicted to looking for new words, for finding new words and for taking possession of new words, you'll find you can't stop.

Warnings

• Never become obssessed with vocabulary. Vocabulary building should be a pleasant exercise.

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Sources and Citations

• http://www.english-for-students.com

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Build Your Vocabulary. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-3: How to Learn Math

How to Learn Math

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Here are some important things to remember when learning mathematics (known as math or maths for short). Learning mathematics is like learning another language, so at first it will be hard but it will get progressively easier. A lot of concepts in mathematics are inter-related, so knowing one helps you understand many others. Being frustrated is not a problem, it is a natural part of the learning process, so don't give up.

Steps

1. Create learning time. Make sure you have at least an hour a day to dedicate to learning mathematics.
   
2. Become acquainted with the vocabulary. Keep a mathematical dictionary by your side as you study. Many areas of mathematics require knowing a certain amount of mathematical vocabulary and it is less frustrating to be able to quickly look up the meanings.
   
3. Get at least two reference books on set theory. This way, you will have two different explanations and one of the explanations may make better sense to you than the other; or a combination of both will help you to "get it".
   
4. Tackle subjects along with their prerequisites. Many concepts are related and knowing one helps you understand the other. If you didn't grasp one concept as well as you should have earlier, set aside a little time to revisit it and learn some more and then combine it with the new concept. Often, the new concept will help the older one to gel in your mind.
   
5. Progress through the levels of mathematics. Work your way up to advanced mathematics through this progression: Basic algebra, basic geometry, basic calculus, intermediate algebra, regular calculus, number theory, linear algebra, advanced algebra, combinatorics, analysis, topology.
   
6. Practice with many problems. Do as many mathematics problems as you can lay your hands on - even those beyond the class. This will assist you in getting a good feel for the topics and will likely help much of mathematics become "second nature" to you.
   
7. Always ask for help if you don't know how to do something. Also never stop trying to learn something because you say it is to hard keep working at it.

Tips

• Frustration is part of the process so don't give up just because you have a hard time understanding some concept.
  
• Tackle all the basic stuff all at once and spend an hour every day learning one of the basics like algebra and geometry.
  
• A good tutor once a week can really help to straighten out math problems; make sure your tutor is very understanding and can express the concepts well. Try university level students as a good source of tutors.
  
• Regular practice will ease your challenges.
  
• It cannot be stressed enough: Frustration is part of the process so don't give up.

Warnings

• Like any other worthwhile endeavour, the study of mathematics is not easy; persistence and focus can help you excel in your efforts.

Things You'll Need

• Books and lots of them, unless of course one of your relatives is a math professor; in which case you can just borrow their books. They'll be more than willing to help you!

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Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Learn Math. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-2: How to Learn German

How to Learn German

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

No language is easy, but if you really want to learn German, you can! German is a logical language with orderly syntax and few foreign words adopted into its vocabulary. Most foreign words are English loan words. German belongs to the Germanic family of languages as well as Danish, English, and Dutch. German and English are closely related, although in German the difficulty lies in the Teutonic setup of syntax.

Steps

1. Make sure you really want to learn this language and that you are determined to learn it, because any new language is hard work.
   
2. Go to your nearest bookstore and buy books/audio tapes for German beginners so that you can start with the basics. If you are a beginning learner, translate simple texts, poems, songs, and German kids' books. A dictionary, and quick grammar reference guides, as well as more informal basic German books can all be really helpful tools when something slips your mind.
   
3. Take at least a 1/2 hour to an hour out of your day to practice German. Lots of students find it more productive to study in twenty minute sessions as opposed to one hour sessions.
   
4. Make sure you learn the basics like your name, where you live, and your age before diving into the harder stuff.
   
5. Carry a small notepad in your pocket with vocabulary; you can study it anywhere. You may find it very helpful to review only four or five irregular verbs each day.
   
6. Take at least one year of introductory German taught in your own language. Being exposed to it in your own language and learning the basic grammar before immersing yourself in it will make the overall experience a little less overwhelming. If you are taking this class in college or a community college and aren't using it to graduate, don't take the class for a letter grade. This takes the pressure off getting the grade and makes the experience more relaxed and enjoyable, just remember that what you put in is what you get out.
   
7. Become friends with people who speak better than you or are in a higher level class. Having someone who is always there to help you out can really pay off.
   
8. Research potential language schools in Germany. This is the best way to learn, as you will be immersed in the culture and language, yet there is structure and guidance to facilitate quick learning. The Goethe-Institut is the official language school and is sponsored by the government. Whatever school you choose probably isn't cheap, so a scholarship is preferred. The DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer AustauschDienst) is the first place to try and get one.

Tips

• As many former exchange students will attest, the only way become fluent in any foreign language is to be willing to make a fool of yourself. Do not worry about being perfect. Study, do your best, then inflict your German on the Germans. Do not take it personally if they correct you.
  
• If you're able to spend time in Germany, participate in all of the school related activities. Study hard, but play hard too. Having a beer or two at a pub can really let your inhibitions about speaking imperfect German go out the window, and you can explore how much you know. Make friends, socialize, and explore the country with your newfound friends. At the end of your journey you will have learned more German than you would've taking years of classes, and you will have friends from countries all around the world to visit next time you go traveling! Avoid people from your country. Being around someone who speaks your language will cause you to always revert back to your comfort zone in speaking your native tongue. If you're in your comfort zone, you aren't learning.
  
• German: a self-teaching guide, by Heimy Taylor and Werner Haas, is an informative book. Great for beginners.
  
• Read, speak, and think in German as much as possible.
  
• Word grouping is extremely useful to some.
  
• Ignore the myths: "German is very difficult." Any language is hard at first glance. As you progress, the language will grow steadily easier; the same with any other.
  
• If you encounter an unbelievably long word, be aware that there is no limit to the number of root words that can form a compound word in German. In this respect, German is similar to ancient Greek. The good news is, you can break these down with a little experience and a dictionary. An extreme example is Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän. This can be broken down into:
  
• Donau__Dampf Schiff Fahrt Gesellschaft Kapitän
  
• Danube_steam_ship__trip__company___captain
  
• In other words, the Captain of a ship owned and operated by a company that offers cruises on the Danube river. Note, all nouns in German are capitalized. Also note that there are two cognates, and one false cognate, in the above example. Finally, feminine nouns ending in a consonant add an 's' when forming compounds.
  
• Realize that you have an advantage over other learners if your native language is Germanic. German and English used to be one language. They're practically cousins! To Russian speakers, Polish is easier than English!
  
• Stay positive and optimistic. Don't become crestfallen by minor difficulties. Keep studying!
  
• Get a penpal, via http://www.penpals.de, or through the mail.
  
• Find a language partner at http://www.mylanguageexchange.com/ then talk to him or her using http://www.skype.com
  
• Never let yourself become bored. If you do, then language learning isn't for you!
  
• Learn word etymologies.
  
• Visit Germany and stay at a Jugendherberge (youth hostel). They usually maintain inexpensive rates. However, be warned that many Germans speak English well. You may need to explicity ask people if you can practice speaking German otherwise you may find yourself in mostly English conversations.
  
• It may be easier for you to learn German by listening to German music. Try finding German covers of songs that you know, or try mtv.de/charts for a list of the current hits in Germany.
  
• To aid in pronunciation, here is the alphabet in closely approximated English:
  
• A(ah), B(bay), C(say), D(day), E(ay), F (ef), G(gay), H(haa), I(eeh), J(yoht), K(kah), L (ell), M (emm), N (enn), O(oo), P(pay), Q(koo), R(air), S (ess), T(tay), U(ooh), V(fow), W(vay), X(ixx), Y(oops-see-lohn), Z(tsett). Once you know the sounds of the alphabet, it'll be incredibly easy to pronounce any word in German.
  
• Germans are used to hear other people speaking German with a strong accent. Most Germans like it when a person speaks German with a British accent, for that sounds quite noble and elegant. German with an American accent rather sounds lazy or even bossy. So if you can, prefer speaking German with a British accent!

Warnings

• If you do get the chance to talk to someone in German, make sure you do not offend anyone: for example, refer to authority figures with "Sie", not "du". "Sie" is formal, or for someone you just met or don't know well, and "du" would be used if you were talking to a child or a friend.
  
• Be certain you aren't confusing the meanings of words. German contains plenty of false cognates such as Gift (poison),Mist (manure, dung) or bekommen (to receive). These are known as false cognates, or falsche Freunde (false friends) in German. A fairly thorough list can be found at False Friends in German

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Sources and Citations

• http://www.language-learning-advisor.com

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Learn German. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-1: How to Get Your Homework Done

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Read the steps below to get your homework done!

Steps

1. Choose a good space. Go somewhere with some space you can work in. When you're somewhere that's crowded and messy, you can lose some pages of your homework. Then you're going to lose time looking for it, which undermines the purpose of this article.
   
2. Do it well in advance. If you have homework that is due Monday and the weekend's coming up, you should try doing your homework earlier so you have time to do whatever you want on the weekend. Do not do your homework on Sunday night if your homework is confusing to you or has more pages, or else you'll stay up all night working on it and you won't get enough sleep!
   
3. Avoid distractions. You can easily be distracted by noise, so go somewhere quiet. Don't be talking on the phone or computer while doing your homework; it makes you do your homework slower because you're busy chatting.If you are uncomfortable with the silence, try putting on soothing music. Nothing loud, like rock or heavy metal.
   
4. Remember you have homework to do. Don't forget after you get busy watching TV or chatting with someone. That's why you should check your backpack when you're home. Make sure if you have homework that needs to be done.

Tips

• Ask your teacher to explain how to do your homework until you get it because you can't do your homework if you don't know how.
  
• Make a list of what you have to do. A bunch of words all cramped together can make you think you have a ton.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
  
• Eraser
  
• Pencil sharpener
  
• Your homework
  
• A Brain
  
• A good workspace
  
• Any Text Books

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Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Get Your Homework Done. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Words of Wisdom-44:

What usually happens in the educational process is that the faculties are dulled, overloaded, stuffed and paralyzed so that by the time most people are mature they have lost their innate capabilities - R. Buckminster Fuller

Words of Wisdom-43:

Education is valued by most parents as leading to advancement in life, to attaining a station in life. But education in itself is advancement in life – John Ruskin

Words of Wisdom-42:

It is impossible to teach without learning something yourself – Unknown

Words of Wisdom-41:

Education does not mean a knowledge of letters but it means character building. It means a knowledge of duty – Mahatma Gandhi

Words of Wisdom-40:

Education is in the instruction of the intellect in the Laws of Nature, under which name I include not merely things and their forces but men and their ways; and the fashioning of the affections and of the will into an earnest and loving desire to move in harmony with those laws – Aldous Huxley

Words of Wisdom-39:

True education is limited to those people who would die without knowing, whereas the masses in the institutions are merely going through the motions, for education is a way of living - Bryant H. McGill