Thursday, May 29, 2008

How To-8: How to Learn Speed Reading

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Whether you're hitting the textbooks in philosophy class, reading long-winded emails from co-workers, or just reading the morning newspaper, chances are at one time or another you've wished you could read a little faster. So widespread is the desire to learn speed reading, in fact, that teaching the skill has become big business: a host of companies now offer books, training sessions and even computer programs to increase reading speed, sometimes at a cost of hundreds of dollars. But why fork over your paycheck or student loan money for a speed reading system when you can start reading faster today by following these simple steps?

Steps

Have your eyes checked. Many people who read particularly slowly do so because they have an undiagnosed vision problem. Even if you think you have perfect vision, if you haven't had an eye exam recently, there's no time like the present.
Time your current reading speed. It's important to find out how fast you read now so that you can track your improvement through subsequent timings. Not only will timing help you to tell if you're improving, but it will also keep you motivated.

You can break out a book and a stopwatch and either time how long it takes you to read a certain number of words on a page or find out how many words you read in a given amount of time.
An easier way to time yourself is to take an online reading speed test. There are a plethora of these available: just enter "reading speed test" in your search engine. Many of these have reading comprehension tests, as well, so you can see how well you're understanding what you're reading.
Regardless of how you decide to time yourself, be sure to read at your normal speed during the timing, and time yourself on a few different pages - the average of your times should approximate your average reading speed.

Get rid of distractions. Even if you think you read better when you have music playing or when you're in a crowded coffee house, you can probably increase your speed if you reduce distractions to a bare minimum. Try to find a solitary place to read, and turn off the TV, radio and cell phone. Even being in a room of people talking is distracting. If no solitary place is available, try using earplugs to drown out the distractions. In order to maximize comprehension while reading quickly, you'll need to focus on the material as closely as possible.
Adjust reading speed depending on the material. Often, we must trade off comprehension for speed, so an important part of increasing reading speed is deciding how thoroughly you need to comprehend a particular piece of writing. So before you even start reading, decide how fast you intend to go. If you're reading a newspaper article, chances are you just want to get the main ideas, and you can skim through the passages quite rapidly. If, however, you're reading a mathematics textbook or a demanding philosophical treatise - and you need to fully understand the material - you don't want to rush.
Learn to separate the wheat from the chaff with pre-reading. No matter what you're reading, there is frequently a lot of "filler" that you can read quickly through or even skim over. With practice, you'll be able to identify the most important parts of a book as you skim through it. When you get to such a passage, slow down. Before you begin a chapter or book, look over the entire piece very quickly. Try to find patterns of repeated words, key ideas, bold print and other indicators of important concepts. Then, when you actually do your reading you may be able to skim over large portions of the text, slowing only when you come to something you know is important.
Train yourself not to reread. Most people frequently stop and skip back to words or sentences they just read to try to make sure they understood the meaning. This is usually unnecessary, but it can easily become a habit, and many times you will not even notice you're doing it. One exercise to help you avoid rereading is to take a sheet of paper or index card and drag it down the page as you read, covering each line once you've read it. Try to drag the card in a steady motion; start slowly, and increase your speed as you feel more comfortable.
Stop reading to yourself. As you read you probably subvocalise, or pronounce the words to yourself. Almost everybody does it, although to different degrees: some people actually move their lips or say the words under their breath, while others simply say each word in their heads. Regardless of how you subvocalise, it slows you down. (You are concerned with speed reading here, not reading to practice communicating the material verbally, which can be done later if you find it necessary.) To break the habit, try to be conscious of it. When you notice yourself pronouncing words to yourself, try to stop doing it. It may help to focus on key words and skip over others, or you may want to try humming to yourself in order to prevent subvocalising. One exercise to stop your lips from moving is to put a finger on your mouth and keep it there while you read.
Read with your hand. Smooth, consistent eye motion is essential to speed reading. You can maximize your eyes' efficiency by using your hand to guide them. One such method is to simply draw your hand down each page as you read. You can also brush your hand under each line you read, as if you are brushing dust off the lines. Your eyes instinctively follow motion, and the movement of your hand serves to keep your eyes moving constantly forward. Note, however, that many speed reading instruction books warn off using a tracking member in speed reading as it inhibits the process. Try not to become dependent on using your hand or fingers.
Practice reading blocks of words. Nearly everyone learned to read word-by-word or even letter-by-letter, but once you know the language, that's not the most efficient method of reading. Not every word is important, and in order to read quickly, you'll need to read groups of words - or even whole sentences or short paragraphs - instantaneously. The good news is you probably already do this to some extent: most people read three or four words at a time. Once you make an effort to be aware of your reading style, you'll discover how many words you read at a time. Now you just need to increase that number. Using your hand as a guide may help, as may holding the book a little further from your eyes than you usually do.
Practice and push yourself. While you may see some gains in speed the moment you start using these tips, speed reading is a skill that requires a lot of practice. Always push yourself to your comfort level and beyond - if you end up having to reread a section, it's not a big deal. Keep practicing regularly.
Time yourself regularly. After a week or so of practice, time yourself as in step two. Do this regularly thereafter, and keep track of your improvement. Don't forget to pat yourself on the back every time your reading speed increases!

Tips

Try books with large font to start. A book with small letters might be hard at first because it is easy to skip lines by mistake.
Start by reading a book or article that you have already read. It will be easier to skip words and keep up a smooth flow if you're familiar with the material.
When using your hand or finger to guide your eyes, start slowly, but at a challenging pace. Even if you don't think you're keeping up with your hand, keep going for a page or two and then test your comprehension. With practice, you'll be able to move your hand and read faster that way.
Take frequent breaks. Your comprehension and focus will be better if you take a five-minute break every hour or half-hour. Taking breaks is also important to keep your eyes healthy and avoid eye strain.
You may not want to read some things quickly, even if you can. Fiction for example, is usually relatively easy to read quickly, but you can miss out on a lot of the nuance and beauty of the fiction writer's craft, even if you understand everything that's going on in a story. The same is doubly true for poetry. If you're reading for enjoyment, it may be best to savor the words.
An index card, bookmark, or other page-width item might help increase speed more than a finger. By obscuring surrounding text, a card prevents your eyes from wandering.

Warnings

While faster reading can actually improve your comprehension by making you a more active, focused reader, reading too fast can also lead to decreased comprehension. You read in order to get important information; if you're reducing your comprehension dramatically, you might as well not read at all.
Beware of expensive speed reading products. Try the tips above before you spend money on a speed reading book or kit. If you're still not making progress after a few weeks of regular, serious practice, you may want to consider paying for a product, but do some research and compare your options before you do.
Sleep well! You won't be able to have a good understanding of the text if you don't. It will make you spend a lot more time on reading, and even like that, the comprehension isn't going to be as high as you may wish.

Things You'll Need

Reading material
Good eyesight
Patience
Earplugs

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

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 Speed Reading. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-7: How to Learn Perfect English As a Native English Speaker

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Even if you were born into English, it can be a tough language to master. It has widely irregular spelling and pronunciation. English borrows words from all sorts of different languages and new terms are emerging constantly.

Steps

Read, read, read! It doesn't matter a whole lot what you read, so choose subjects that you like. Not everything in print is perfect, but the vast majority of printed works, such as books and magazines, have been thoroughly edited. You will pick up structures, tones and ideas from your reading. The more you read, the more mistakes and problems will start to "look" or "sound" wrong to you. Correctness will start to feel natural.
Listen to talk radio, podcasts, and audio books. It's good listening practice. Audio books, especially, are an opportunity to hear writing. Besides hearing words pronounced that aren't normally used in conversation, you'll hear complex sentence structures inflected.
Read out loud, with intonation. If you have kids, read to them, and ham it up with Dr. Seuss. Even if your dog or cat is the only one listening, reading passages out loud is one way to interpret their structures, and it will make you more conscious of their details.
Study the creation of works using proper English. What makes the artful imagery in a novel so beautiful? What makes a good speech so persuasive?
Build your vocabulary. Reading is the best way to do that since it exposes you to a far wider range of words than conversation or spoken media, such as radio or television. Collect words you don't know. In addition, browse in the dictionary, play word games, and subscribe to a word of the day.
Play with the language. Start a pun war. Dust off your Scrabble game. Invent your own word. Try your hand at a garden path sentence or enter the Bulwer-Lytton contest for bad prose or one of its imitators. Making fun of the language is a great way to explore it.
Brush up on the rules. Get hold of a copy of William Strunk's The Elements of Style, a thin volume covering the essentials of good writing. If you prefer a physical book, an updated version by Strunk and E.B. White is still in print. Other style manuals discuss common, frequently-confused rules, too.
Practice writing. Write for a journal, blog, or wiki. Wikis, especially, need writers and frequently come with a whole community of editors who will help you. Whatever and wherever you write, practice daily, if possible. In email and text messages, use complete sentences. That's writing, too.
Consider your audience. Just as you wear different clothing for different weather, you should write or speak differently depending upon your audience. Having an audience in mind will help to focus your communication, too.
Consider your purpose. Is this communication factual or fanciful? Are you telling a story, arguing a point, or explaining a procedure?
Proofread your writing. Even a thorough grasp of English does not ensure perfect typing or ideal sentence structures the first time around. Proofreading will also tell you what sorts of things you regularly do wrong, so that you can improve. Reading out loud is a very good way to catch things you might have missed.
Have somebody else proofread your writing. Something that sounds right to you may not make sense to somebody else.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Language takes extraordinary amounts of practice to master, and mistakes are part of the learning process.
Try learning another language. It will make you more conscious of the structures and grammar in your own. Many of the Latin-based and Germanic languages have words and structures similar to those in English, and exploring these similarities and differences will strengthen both languages.
Avoid trying too hard to perfect the accent and criticizing other people for their not-so-perfect ones.

Tips

Do not hesitate to split an infinitive when it is warranted. Grammarians, teachers, and writers used to try not to split "to" and the verb. The rule was supposed to make the English language more like Latin because the infinitive is one word in Latin. Strictly speaking, however, “to” is not a part of the infinitive, and both English and Latin use one-word infinitives. For example, in the sentence “I made my daughter clean her room,” “clean” is an infinitive without “to.” Split infinitives are not ungrammatical because they are unavoidable in some sentences. Infinitives lack subjects and thus do not have voice, meaning that split infinitives can be used in very formal English that avoids the active voice. In the sentence, “Her plan is to not use the active voice,” the split infinitive prevents confusion. If we place the “not” after “is,” we end up saying that it is not her plan to use the active voice, instead of saying that she is trying not to use the active voice. “To more than double” is another example. “More than to double” and “to double more than” are not English!
Do not be afraid to use a "split verb phrase." Some writers who do not split infinitives refuse to split verb phrases as well, but there is no such rule. If there were such a rule, we should all be saying, "I saw her not" instead of "I didn't see her." We should also say, "You are going?" instead of "Are you going?" but "You are going?" is a Nonstandard question. This rule is not consistent with the evolution of the English language. In fact, split verb phrases have the advantages (in terms of emphasis) of split infinitives.
Realize that you sometimes have to end a sentence with a preposition. Consider this line from Robots: "You can shine no matter what you're made of." It would be ungrammatical to write, "You can shine no matter of what you're made," and it should sound foreign to you! Also consider that like Latin, the English language is able to use intransitive verbs in the passive voice! Consider "Speak only when you are spoken to." "Spoken to" are treated as a single unit in English, and this sentence can be "corrected" only by rewriting it in the active voice: "Speak only when someone speaks to you." This sentence makes assumptions because you may be spoken to by one person or by a group. When your sentence uses a relative pronoun, try to place the preposition in front of the relative. For instance, "It was the ball by which I was hit" works better than "It was the ball that I was hit by." Your sentences will generally be stronger if you try to follow this rule. After all, few people are going to say that their favorite part of speech is the preposition. Your writing will be more exciting if you end your sentences with an exciting word.
An intuitive grasp of English usage, while not infallible, is the most flexible. You will write or speak most naturally if you can focus on the ideas and their communication, instead of thinking about the rules.
Remember that good writing calls for good grammar, good spelling, logical organization, clarity, attention to the audience, and a good selection of content. A good writer does not overlook any of those things. Be sure to allot plenty of time to check for grammar and spelling errors and poor organization.
Accept that the rules change over time. For instance, the word data was once strictly the plural of "datum", but has come to be used as a mass (or uncountable) noun, similar to "information" or "water."
Write first, fix second. If you do not know how to spell a word, keep writing! Do not stop to correct errors if you might lose your train of thought. You can always make corrections later.
The ability to spell is not necessarily an indicator of the ability to write, although the two skills are closely related. If spelling is not your strong point, use a dictionary or spell-checker before you publish a work or hand something in.
Attention to written English will improve your spoken English as well.

Warnings

Nobody is perfect. Even English mavens such as William Safire, Richard Lederer, and Lynne Truss draw comments and criticism on their writing styles.
Written works, especially on the Internet, may not be grammatically accurate.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

Librivox, a project to provide free audio books of public domain works.

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 Perfect English As a Native English Speaker. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-6: How to Get Good Grades

How to Get Good Grades

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

This is easier than you think! You do have to work at it though. It doesn't matter what your normal grades are (unless you're already an A student) you can improve through these simple steps.

Steps

The most important advise to get good grades is very simple; do well on tests and quizzes to get yourself a B or B-. Do your homework and do what your teacher says, and the chances are fairly good that you'll get an A+. Don't stress yourself. Act cool and calm. (Sometimes its good to be stressful but not always when its not necessary)
Remember that the material being introduced to you is only one part of the school experience. The rest is about learning how to learn!
Write good legible notes. Colored pens are fun to write with if you want to get more creative with your notes, but use them only for sections of your notes that you feel will be on a test or that are important. It makes them stand out. Making your notes fun to read will make you actually want to read them.
Watch to determine how your teachers teach, use the same method to learn the information. If they write on the blackboard, take notes; if they lecture, listen hard or record the lecture to listen to multiple times. This sounds simple, but many will find it hard to stay focused for an entire class period. Here is where the hard work comes in - staying focused.
It has been said that different people learn different ways - some are note takers, some are homework doers. Don't buy in to this - it is nothing more than an excuse. You can and do learn from every method of input. Have you ever noticed how some students don't seem to work at all until test time when they get A's and B's? these are the students who have learned to learn from all forms of teaching. You can do this too!
Try to do your homework immediately after school. Time management is essential. If you're given an assignment that's due next week, don't procrastinate; get started the same day you get the assignment (See more about this in Tips).
Teachers want you to give them back what they gave you. So give it to them! By now you have learned how the teacher is giving you the information and you have had plenty of time to sink it in. Give it back to the teacher. Do this by using the knowledge they've taught you and apply it to your homework, tests, and projects.
Always do your homework. If you have trouble remembering it, use a notebook to write it down everyday, right after the teacher assigns it. Homework counts for a large portion of your grade. If your teacher has any extra credit assignments, do them! It won't hurt if you try it out. Even if you get some wrong, I'm sure your teachers will still give you some points back.
Stay organized. A lot of people say this but it really does help. Organizing your locker helps you remember to bring your supplies to class and to your house to do your homework or studying.
Take notes (dated) of the big topics to help you remember what happened that day.
Review your notes every night. So when the big test comes, remembering what you learned is a snap.

Tips

Organize your work area. Make sure everything is neat and you can find it easily. As any college student will tell you, working in an untidy environment will only lead to distraction. Make sure you have all of the supplies you need for class.
Don't be ashamed of being smart or needing a tutor. Tons of smart kids get picked on but being smart always pays off in the end. Also, don't be afraid to get a tutor because it doesn't mean you aren't smart. It just means you need a little help and that you are learning at a right pace for you, which is perfectly ok.
It's not about how long you study, its about how well you study. Skimming a book for five hours doesn't help as much as reading your notes and the book for two hours.
Stay focused on the goal.
When taking tests, you have to relax. Easier said than done? Remember - you have all of the answers in your head already! The only challenge is getting them out! Your first instinct is nearly always correct. Don't go back and change answers. If you are really not sure, skip it and come back later.
Use your time wisely. If you are given an hour to complete a 120 question test, thats 30 seconds per question. 30 seconds can be made into a lot of time. Many of the questions will take far less than 30 seconds, so apply the balance to a tougher question.
If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask the teacher! You have the right to learn. Plus, they'll be happy to help you.
Do not procrastinate. Don't do a project the night before or on the morning of. If it seems like a huge project, then break it into little steps and do a couple per day. Or, find a partner to work with, if your teacher allows it, and split the work between you two.
Don't cram right before a test. Study well in advance. This will allow you the luxury of breaks between study sessions and to study with friends once in awhile.
Study with a friend as much as possible. Plan a weekend study session, or weekday sessions and help each other. This tends to work best when you are in the same class and not just with the same teacher - one class can be further ahead than the other.
Look to the future, and make sure you see what the benefits of actually studying are.
Sometimes it helps if you reward yourself. if you've gotten good grades, take a day off of studying. Just don't slacken too much.
Having small goals also helps. Your goals should climb to improvement: a C+ to a B-, a B- to a B+, a B+ to an A-, and finally an A. Aiming for an A right away leaves you feeling unrewarded and makes your goal seem unreachable.
Read from the text book (if you have one). There are sometimes things in there that the teacher didn't mention or you didn't hear.
Always follow instructions on assignments, tests, math problems, etc.! It may not seem neccessary sometimes, but reading the instructions beforehand is crucial.
Set a study schedule. May seem overrated but it actually works. Give yourself 15-20 minutes to wind if you feel stressed from school, unless you can stay in *school mode* right after you get home. Do not save your homework for 9 p.m.
Remove all distractions. Although it may be okay to listen to music or leave the TV on while doing simple work, it is best to be in a quiet enviroment, preferably alone. Make sure you have plenty of space and good lighting.
Be proud of high marks!
Try as hard as possible.

Warnings

You may have to cut down on social habits and partying in order to succeed. The best students know how to say, "No I can't hang out because I have to study." Some friends might tease you, but your real friends will understand.
Do not compromise your future with any one. There will always come a time in your life where your face should I or shouldn't I.
Try to avoid using "rote memorization." That is where you repeat something over and over again until it finally sticks in your brain after the 100th time. It is the worst and most inefficient method of memorization. Instead, search for and read about memory tricks such as The Link Memory System, Method of Loci, or acrostics.

Things You'll Need

Books and Supplies
Agenda book
A Study Buddy
Pencils and Pens
Highlighters
A Bookbag(Carrying tons of books gets kind of tiring)
Computer with internet connection

Related wikiHows

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 Good Grades. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-5: How to Learn Any Language

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Learning a new language can be tough, and takes a lot of time and effort. However, learning a language can be dramatically simplified by following a few basic steps.

Steps

Study the pronunciation of the language first. Practice the most difficult sounds with repetitive drills daily until you are confident. Practice the most common words and short phrases. Check your pronunciation with an educated speaker.
Practice the native intonation, stess, and rhythm of common, short social sentences and social questions next (example: "Hi, How are you?" "Where is the restuarant?", etc). Try to imitate educated native speakers. Begin by listening carefully to a repeated phrase 5 to 10 times. Use audio and video to help you. Then, try saying the phrase correctly. If possible, ask educated native speakers to correct you and record correct phrases of pronunication. Repeat each of the phrases 50 times or more if needed. Many langauge students get into bad pronunciation habits that are difficult to break. Bad pronunciation will cause confusion and misunderstanding. Be patient and diligent with this early pronunciation drill as you will be rewarded with a near-native accent.
Get audio books in the language you wish to learn. Choose a popular audio book in a subject that interests you. This will help your listening skills.
Get a quality dictionary of the language you wish to learn. When you encounter a new word, highlight it in the dictionary. Then, copy the word, definition, and an example sentence using the word into a notebook. Then, study the notebook. This activity helps you think in the language.
Get a quality translation dictionary which translates from your native language to the one you wish to learn. Use this only as a back up in case you don't understand the definitions in the native language dictionary.
Getting a picture dictionary is helpful for learning common nouns.
Get several classic, well-known literary works in the language you wish to learn, such as plays, short stories, or novels. These works should be written by a native writer (not translated into that language). For example, if you wish to learn French, read works by Victor Hugo, Marcel Proust, Gustave Flaubert, etc.
Get popular magazines or newspapers in the language you wish to learn. If magazines, get a topic in which you are interested. Magazines are a good way to learn common idioms in context.
Spend some time reviewing the grammar and essential parts of speech of your native language. This will help you jump-start your study of the language you wish to learn.
Get a book on idioms, proverbs, and expressions used in the language you wish to learn.
Get teacher's copies of gradeschool and highschool textbooks in the language you wish to learn (ensure they include answer keys).
Pay an educated native speaker to tutor you through one-on-one conversation practice. This is an immersion technique. This is best done after you've become more familiar with the language and at at least "low to intermediate" level. Conversation Tutoring should be done at 100% in the language you wish to learn. Ask the tutor to help you with pronunciation and conversational grammar. Record the sessions if possible and take notes.
Pay an educated native speaker to record readings of books or magazines in the language you wish to learn. Ask them to make one reading slowly, and the next reading at normal pace. This will help with listening practice.
Listen to news broadcasts in your target language. You can listen to live feeds free on many internet radio stations. Take notes of any words or expressions you don't understand. After the broadcast is complete, check the notes in the native language dictionary.
Enroll in a class, if possible. Classes are possibly the best way to learn a language because you are given activities to do, and you have a teacher to guide you. The teacher is also able to tell you what you are doing right and wrong. Check your local community college and see if they are offering lessons.
Visit your local library. Many libraries have an audio section with language books on tape. Check out the tape and make an effort to study 30-60 minutes a day.
Work on your vocabulary. Learn the most commonly used words first, including how the words can be used grammatically. Next learn words that will be helpful in conducting business or traveling. A simple dictionary or similar books from the local library might be helpful.
Attach labels to everything in your house/ at your desk/ etc in the language you are learning, picture/ word associations help best. Use mnemonics for vocabulary you have trouble with. You may wish to build a Memory Palace for your language.
Study the grammar. This is probably the most important part of the language besides the vocabulary. "Paul want Mary go store" is not at all correct English, and sounds very unintelligent. If you do not pay attention to grammar, you can sound equally incomprehensible in another language. Practicing verb conjugation is essential. Ensure you know how to express questions, affirmative and negative statements in the past, present and future using the 20 most common regular and irregular verbs.
Learn the orthography. The orthography is the written language. Countless other languages do not use the Latin script (which is what English uses), and you may need to study their writing in order to become literate. For example, Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet, Chinese uses various ideographs, and Thai uses its own script. Many of these scripts do not resemble our alphabet at all, and will require a lot of adjusting to. In languages that do use a Latin script, pay attention to accents, diacritics, and letters which are pronounced differently than their English counterparts. Leaving out a diacritic can amount to misspelling a word and in some cases, it may even change the meaning; also, pronouncing a word incorrectly will almost certainly confuse whoever you are talking with.
Educate yourself in the cultural aspect of the language. This is very important if you do not want to come across as rude to the other person. For example, in parts of Europe, it is customary to kiss the other person's cheek when greeting, while in America, this would be considered awkward. Often the cultural context will inform you of why certain language elements are used and will assist your learning process.
Start to find good channels to practice with. This is necessary to get good at the language. Watch a lot of movies in the language with or without subtitles, read a newspaper in the language, or listen to music in that language. Are there a lot of people in your community who speak the language you want to learn? If so, ask one of them to help you with learning their language. If not, get online and look for somebody. This will give you the great opportunity of being critiqued and taught by a native speaker, and you can often return the favor.
Practice! Do not hesitate to speak the language in public and with native speakers. It will be helpful in improving your mastery. Also, don't be ashamed to allow other people to correct you if you pronounce something wrong. No one knows everything. Welcome some constructive criticism. Test your knowledge at every social occasion you have. Good Luck!

Tips

Focus your time: During your first 50 class-hours studying a language, spend Approximately 50% of the time practicing pronunciation and intonation, 20% learning the 250 most common vocabulary words, 20% in listening practice, and 10% in grammar. After this, spend 40% in conversation practice, 20% studying written and conversational grammar, and 10% learning new idioms and vocabulary, 10% pronunication practice, 10% composing letters, emails and notes, and 10% listening to radio or watching television in your target language.
If possible travel to the country where the language is originated. For example, if you are interested in learning French, take a trip to France. By doing that, you put yourself in an uncomfortable environment where you have to survive for that few days. When you aren't able to use English, you must speak the language to get to where and what you want.
Quiz yourself from time to time. Don't continue to drill and study what you are confident in, move on to new things.
Associate with children who speak the language. Children tend not to be shy around people who do not speak their language and do not mind repeating themselves. Children also like to help you learn. If you are a child learning, get a pen pal and share your thoughts in the other language.
If you need help with your accent, try listening to music in the language you're learning. Those who learn languages with music tend to have much better accents than those who don't. Television shows are also helpful because sometimes music can be hard to understand and mimic. Choose a favorite actor and copy his or her speech style.
Ask someone you know who speaks the language to say common phrases or read you a passage or short story and send it to you as a .wav or .mp3 file, so that you can play it when you're doing things around the house. In this way, you can "absorb" key phrases and grammar structures effortlessly.
If you want to get better at speaking any language, force yourself to think in that language.
A conversation partner or pen-pal can be an indispensable guide to the culture as well as the language. Keep an open mind and a sense of humor, and be respectful of what you learn.
Another useful trick if you want to learn a language in the shortest possible time, is to learn the first 2500 most frequently used words of that language.
Learn to express yourself in the most direct, simple way first. Learn how to ask polite questions so you can satisfy your basic communication needs first.
Some language educators believe the truest test of fluency is to be able to be able to order a pizza by delivery in your target language, have a friendly exchange with the driver when it arrives at your door, and if your food isn't correct, be able to call back and rectify the situation. This test requires you to have good listening skils, learn local phone ettiquette, use idiomatic expressions, understand questions, ask questions, give directions, make a transaction, have polite conversation, and express disatisfaction. If you're confident that you can do this with few significant pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary errors, then you've probably achieved a decent level of fluency.
If you are under the age of 13, try using "Muzzy". It is extremely helpful.
While all the above tips and recommendations are accurate and well tested, a somewhat different approach is offered in this article on "Accent Addition" [1] (as opposed to "Accent Reduction"). This is for those who dare challenge the common myth that adult learners will by necessity end up with a sub-optimal version of the language they are learning. The author insists that it is indeed possible for adults to obtain a near-native-like accent. It's not another instant snake-oil commercial product, but a method that entails a lot of work and dedication on the part of the learner. But the principles are simple enough and can be practiced by anyone with a guaranteed better-than-expected result.

Warnings

You might be discouraged along the way but remember, nothing comes easy. Just remember what got you interested in learning the language.
When learning certain languages, such as Chinese or Vietnamese, you need to pay attention to tones. Be sure to use the right tone so that you don't unintentionally insult someone. Tonal languages are one of the most difficult for English-speakers to master.
Don't spend too much time with academic grammar and only learning from books. While those are valuable for perfection, many students find conversational, social communication extremely difficult.

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Conversation Exchange, a website that matches up conversation partners and pen pals.

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 Any Language. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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

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.
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.
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.
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.
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

Create learning time. Make sure you have at least an hour a day to dedicate to learning mathematics.
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.
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".
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.
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.
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.
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!

Related wikiHows

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

Make sure you really want to learn this language and that you are determined to learn it, because any new language is hard work.
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.
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.
Make sure you learn the basics like your name, where you live, and your age before diving into the harder stuff.
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.
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.
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.
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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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

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.
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!
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.
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.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

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

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

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

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Steps

Tips

Warnings

Things You'll Need

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Steps

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Steps

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Steps

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Steps

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Thursday, April 3, 2008

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

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