Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Should I Go To Georgia State University
Should I Go To Georgia State University Galina earned her bachelors degree in Spanish from Georgia State University. She specializes in Spanish tutoring, algebra tutoring, and a number of other subjects. Below, she shares her experience at Georgia State University: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Galina: I attended the downtown campus of Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a big urban campus, with classrooms as close as 1 to 2 minutes and as far as 40 minutes walking distance from one another. There were buses that took the students around the campus, but I always walked. One aspect of being a downtown campus is, of course, the safety. We always had to keep our eyes open and pay attention to our surroundings. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Galina: For the most part, my professors were available both in-person and via email. I would receive a response via email within 24 hours, sometimes even within a few hours of reaching out. I did not interact with many teaching assistants as an undergraduate student, but I always made sure I was available to students who needed help when I was working as GRA myself. I did not seek much help from the advisers. After the initial dialogue, I felt I was not getting much value out of speaking with my adviser. However, right now my cousin is going to the same university, and she works a lot with her adviser. It may all depend on the individual adviser. How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Galina: During my first year I lived in the Student Loftshousing designated for the scholarship students. However, for the following year, despite keeping my scholarship, myself and many other students were reassigned to the University Commonsbasically, the housing for anyone who wanted to live on campus. In addition, at the Lofts I only had one roommate, who was also a scholar and a dedicated student. However, when we got reassigned to the Commons, we were going to share a six-person dorm. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Galina: GSU has a very strong business school, best known for its risk management and insurance department and managerial science department. We also have an incredible foreign language department, specifically one of the strongest Spanish departments. I got my first undergraduate degree in actuarial science with a minor in Spanish language. But as I was finishing, I realized that my heart was really in something more international, and I did not see myself stuck with numbers all day long. As a result, I enrolled in a dual degree program of a Bachelors degree in Spanish and a Masters degree in international business with a focus in Latin America. I couldnt have been happier. How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Galina: For me, it has always been easy to make new friends. I did not have any problems striking up a conversation with someone. I had my extracurricular activities outside of the university and was very happy with that. I had no interest whatsoever in the Greek lifeI didnt even know what that was, so I never got involved with it and have no knowledge about its importance to the campus social life. How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services? Galina: The Career Center seemed somewhat helpfulsome students were more successful than others. Sadly, the key to that success seemed to reside in having previous internship experience, even when looking for an internship. So, many students, myself included, felt left out and helpless when it came to finding an opportunity for an internship. At the same time, there were many well-known and reputable companies often hiring students as interns or full and part-time employees, especially when it came to graduates. Those were companies from all over the nation, from every industry. Overall, I think this was a good pool of companies. How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Galina: In general, the libraries were a very good place to study if on one of the top three floors. The first two were usually noisy. The student center would normally be a pretty quiet place; one could even fall asleep or see others take a quick nap. The Lofts did not have dorm lounges, and the Commons were very noisy. There were some additional study places, some of them were somewhat hidden, which made them excellent study spotsquiet and helpful in concentrating. Describe the surrounding town. Galina: Since we were in the middle of downtown Atlanta, we had a relatively easy and quick access to the main city attractionsthe Aquarium, the Coca-Cola museum, the CNN station, several parks, and the Midtown. I would say that the Midtown and the parks are the most picturesque and popular places to visit any time for the year, so there are always many students in those areas. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Galina: The student body was rather big; we were the second largest student body in the state. Also, our university is one of the top ones in the state for the first-generation college students, so many people celebrated the mere fact of being on campus and going to classes. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Galina: One of the most memorable experiences was my study abroad in Argentina, a course in Psychology/Spanish. We were learning about the Dirty Wars (Guerras Sucias) of the 1976-82, a time of military dictatorship. We learned not only about the history, but also about the people. That was an unforgettable experience, I highly recommend such a trip to anyone who wants to learn more, not only about the country and its history, but also about human nature. Check out Galinas tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.
Friday, March 6, 2020
Job Search Made Easy (Even for Introverts) - Introvert Whisperer
Introvert Whisperer / Job Search Made Easy (Even for Introverts) - Introvert Whisperer Job Search Made Easy (Even for Introverts) While launching a job search may not rank in difficulty with rocket science, it has become increasingly difficult and more complex. If you add on top of that some Introvert tendencies, like a reluctance to âput yourself out there,â you are starting to nudge the scales towards seriously tough. If you are on the brink of launching a job search or have started one, hit the pause button before doing anything else. There are some simple guidelines you can follow to ensure you get the results you want, without the standard Introvert cringe: 1. Donât Cherry-Pick Job Search Advice There are volumes on job search advice. If you pay attention, youâll notice there are themes or things that get repeated. This should be a huge indicator that you need to do this âthing.â Too often I see job seekers decide to skip what they are being told to do. This will have dire consequences. 2. Donât Do Everything at Once You will get overwhelmed, especially if you are an Introvert. You have to figure out your keywords, branding, LinkedIn profile, Facebook, Twitter, resume, online job sites, the latest and greatest job search tool, finding recruiters, interview prep, salary study, body language, handshake, new wardrobe, company research, networking and attending business events. Long list? Thatâs just to name a few. The deal is, if you attempt to bite off too much at once, youâll choke or die trying. (Like this thought? Tweet it!) Start by being abundantly clear on one or two âjob typesâ you are pursuing. Youâd be shocked at how very few job seekers have real clarity. Then, work on a targeted resume. 3. Itâs All About Connecting I deliberately put this in the middle, as Introverts really like to avoid this one (itâs the cherry-picking I told you about in #1). Most likely, you wonât find a job via a posted job. Iâm sure someone has landed a job this way, but no one I know has been hired solely by pursuing a posted job. That means you and your resume have to connect to a real, live person. You can do this primarily through referrals and introductions from the people you know. People hire people. The online job search comforts Introverts because they donât have to connect to a person. Itâs a false sense of comfort. Start out to build your confidence. Set up coffee with one person you know so you can let them know what youâre looking for and see if they can introduce you to someone in your targeted company. Rinse and repeat. You will build confidence by doing this one at a time. 4. Figure Out YOUR Competitive Advantage You must think you have something to offer or you wouldnât be pursuing a job. Why you? What is the thing that will set you apart from everyone else? You have to get it first or no one else will. If you can figure out your competitive advantage, you can translate that into everything from your resume to your LinkedIn profile. We are all unique, even if we do the same job as a thousand other people. 5. Donât Take Things Personally You will discover a complete lack of etiquette out there. People donât return emails or phone calls, they fail to follow up after interviews and they expect you to drop things just because they are hiring. You must pick up the slack and make the phone calls until you get a real human and do superhuman rescheduling. Itâs not because they donât like you; itâs because hiring someone takes a huge bite out of their schedule, and business must go on. Oh well. As a fellow Introvert, your key to a flawless job search is to connect with people, which isnât always easy. But if you take it slow and easy, trust most of what you read on the job search and know you are an asset, youâll love the results. This post originally appeared on JobMob. Go to top Which of these tips could help your job search go more smoothly? Share your thoughts in the comments! Image: Flickr Bottom-line â" I want to help you accelerate your career â" to achieve what you want by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my 4 Building Blocks to Relationships eBookâ" the backbone to your Networking success and fantastic work relationships. Grab yours by visiting: CLICK HERE Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â" dedicated to unleash your professional potential.
How to Develop Strong Leadership Skills
How to Develop Strong Leadership Skills Your Complete Guide to Developing Strong Leadership Skills ChaptersWhat Are Leadership Skills?Why is it so Important for You to Develop Leadership SkillsHow Can You Develop Your Leadership Skills?Online Resources to Help You Develop Your Leadership SkillsNelson Mandela. Mahatma Gandhi. Jack Ma. Winston Churchill.It doesnât take much thought to come up with the names of great leaders; whatâs puzzling is how they came by their leadership skills.To be sure, many great leaders benefit from formal education, but then, so do a great many people... and they are not necessarily remembered for their leadership skill.What are leadership skills, anyway? How come some people seem imbued with leadership qualities while others in leadership positions... donât?Think of a manager you work(ed) for whose autocratic style of management gave neither you nor your teammates room or opportunity to thrive and, mayhap grow into a leadership position yourselves. In fact, they may have quenched any desire you might have had to seek out leadership development!Why does anyone aspire to become a leader?Often, it is because a leadership role is the next logical step in their career â" whether they possess any leadership skill or not.Sometimes, people crave power (and riches, the two often go hand in hand). They believe that an extensive cadre of subordinates is the way to wield power... but, as we all know, such power must be used judiciously.A handful of people who seek out leadership development see it as a vital aspect in their personal development; such ones do not have any aspirations to take a leadership position in their company. They only want to cultivate any leadership traits they already have and learn how to use them to the best effect.Are you such a one?Would you like to learn about leadership styles and what it takes to be an effective leader on the path to self-awareness?If so, your Superprof has got you covered. Weâll look at why it is so important for you to develop leadership skills and the best ways to go about doing so. Weâll also examine what leadership skills are and where you can find leadership training online.May we take the lead? TraceyPersonal development Teacher 4.93 (9) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaPersonal development Teacher 5.00 (7) £55/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AntonellaPersonal development Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors IsamPersonal development Teacher 5.00 (3) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors CarriePersonal development Teacher £24/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AndriyPersonal development Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MichelePersonal development Teacher 4.73 (7) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FlloydPersonal development Teacher 5.00 (11) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhat Are Leadership Skills? Good leaders possess a combination of training and traits that make them stand out Image by Gerd Altmann from PixabayYou would think that the skills that make for effective leadership would be easy to determine and list but, the truth is, the topic is debatable.Leadership is not only something you learn through a series of classes such as business administration or principles of management.True leadership is a mixture of human qualities like trustworthiness and empathy that blend seamlessly with learned abilities such as decisiveness and communication skills.Strategic thinking is often regarded as a leadership skill. It involves visualising all possible outcomes of a situation or decision; it is a type of thinking that requires imagination â" something you either have or donât have.That example concisely sums up the blending of human traits and learned skill that epitomises leadership.Creativity is another important leadership trait; it permits everything from effective communicat ion to boosting morale among employees. It is another personality trait that cannot be taught.However, there are things that you can do to boost the human traits you have in common with great leaders; why not find out how?Why is it so Important for You to Develop Leadership SkillsIt is possible that labelling these skills âmanagement and leadershipâ may perhaps do them a disservice.After all, not everyone aspires to be a leader; there is a chance you might turn away from the benefits of good leadership practices simply because you donât think of yourself as CEO material.Not so fast! In seeking out leadership development, youâre not signing up for a managerial position, youâre looking for great interpersonal skills so you can get along better with others.Team performance might not concern you but, if youâre hoping to learn conflict management... maybe so you can help kids manage bullies at school, then leadership training is exactly what you need.Consider these instances where good leadership is essential:You are a teacher who likes to conducts team building activities in your classroomYou are a guidance counsellor who practises active listening and gives empathetic supportYou are preparing to enter university and have been tasked with writing a self-assessmentYou are seeking to boost your self-confidence through leadership competenciesYou want to understand how assertiveness can help you advance in lifeAfter several rough months, you want to understand emotional intelligence and how it can help you manage difficult situations or avoid them altogether.Not once of these examples, save perhaps for being a teacher puts you in a leadership role but still call for leadership skills. It often goes unremarked that teachers actually fill leadership roles Image by David Mark from PixabayNaturally, if you are interested in being a team leader at work, it wouldnât hurt to include any leadership and management training youâve had on your CV... but you donât have to set your sights on the high bar to learn leadership skills and discover your leadership style.Now discover other ways that leadership training can benefit you in every aspect of your life.How Can You Develop Your Leadership Skills?You donât have to do as Madeleine Slade (AKA Mirabehn) did, abandoning home and family, to learn from a great leader.You donât need to spend tons of money, go away on retreats or completely change your personality, either. To start developing leadership skills, you only need a bit of direction; you can take things from there.According to a survey conducted by a team of leadership consultants, the skills most needed by leaders today are actually behaviours, not anything th at can be taught.For instance, the majority of leaders who were surveyed aver that anyone who leads must be motivating and inspiring. That makes a lot of sense; delegating tasks and responsibility is far easier if your team is motivated to complete them.Other effective leadership skills include problem-solving, relationship-building and, believe it or not, being ethical and honest and trustworthy (no, they are not all the same thing!).What is most striking is that all of these are soft skills; human traits that you may already possess; traits that only need cultivating.Go ahead: be as honest and ethical as you can be! You may well inspire others to do the same. Be a great communicator! You never know who will be inspired by your personal leadership to do the same.That is only one half of the equation; the other half does actually call for a bit of education.For instance, it would help for you to know and understand the different leadership theories and when best to apply them.Letâ s say your boss knows you and your team can do your jobs competently, with a minimum of oversight. S/he might employ the laissez-faire style of leadership, which falls under the situational theories.If youâre really lucky and have a fantastic manager, s/he might practise transformational leadership, a style of leading that inspires positive changes in all who follow them. This type of leadership falls under the relationships theories of leadership.Weâve written an entire article on how you can develop these leadership skills; now weâre going to find resources available to get you started. You can take leadership skills training courses online, often for free! Image by Gerd Altmann from PixabayOnline Resources to Help You Develop Your Leadership SkillsBelieve it or not, cultivating different styles of leadership is a hot topic these days; even academia is on board with students in the earliest Key Stages learning creative thinking skills and problem-solving.You might think that an education in leadership skills and development would come with a hefty price tag; in one sense, you are quite right.It is by no means cheap to earn a degree in Business, let alone an MBA â" where there are entire courses on Business Ethics and Organisational Behaviour.The Masters of Business Administration is the degree that many aspiring to a leadership position aim for. Would you be totally surprised that itâs not actually necessary to have one in order to lead a major company?In fact, you can learn all about leadership traits and management skills right in the comfort of your home, ofte n for free. As an example, whether you work in sales, business administration or finance, there is a podcast for you.You could download a Dose of Leadership (Richard Rierson) before you head out for your morning (jog?) commute and absorb all of the wisdom from military leaders, those from the financial sector... even religious leaders.If youâre less interested in how to lead than in a transformative experience, let Dov Baronâs Leadership and Loyalty catch your ear. You will hear about the value of leading a purposeful life and find inspiration to push on, no matter what obstacles you might encounter.From the Womenâs Leadership Podcast (Sabrina Braham) to The ONE Thing (Geoff Woods), the wealth of listening material to inspire great leadership is... only one way to gain insights into leadership.You could also take free courses online, participate in workshops, read blogs, find quizzes and puzzles to test and sharpen your thinking skills...There is so much online learning materi al available to anyone who wants to improve their leadership capabilities!Arenât you glad your Superprof listed the best of them in one, convenient article?
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Grammar Exercise Mixed Conditionals
Grammar Exercise Mixed Conditionals I had a Spanish class this morning and my teacher worked with me on the subjunctive tense. Soas payback Ive created a lesson on mixed conditionals.Just kidding, about the payback part. Although I did realize how confusing it gets when you are trying to speak in a mixture of times, which is what we do during normal conversations. Unfortunately or fortunately we dont usually speak in a formulaic manner, so during conversation we talk about the future and the past and the present all at the same time. Here is a somewhat formulaic look at mixing our times in conditionals:Watch the video and try the exercise below: 1. If you __________ (insulted) him yesterday, he _______ __ ____ to the wedding tomorrow. 2. If she __________ (accepts) the promotion, she ____ __ ____ to Brazil in 2015. (future using will) 3. I ________ ______ (speak) fluent Spanish, if I ____ lived in Spain for 10 years. 4. He _____ _____ ____ (left), if he ____ _____ (known) you were coming. Joan Oh, man now that I got the I, II and III conditionals, the mixed conditionals appear so those conditionals have nothing to do with the other ones?Lets see 1. If you hadnt insulted him yesterday, he would go to the wedding tomorrow. 2. If she had accepted the promotion, she will go to Brazil in 2015. (future using will) 3. I would speak fluent Spanish, if I had lived in Spain for 10 years. 4. He wouldnt have left, if he had known you were coming. But the 4th one is not the III type conditional? Now Im lost. Jesús Castañé Hi. I disagree with Joan in the first and second. Here my try.1.- If you hadn`t insulted him yesterday, he would be going to the wedding tomorrow. 2.- She accepted the promotion, she will go to Brazil in 2015 3.- I would speak fluent Spanish, if I had lived in Spain for 10 years. 4.- He wouldnt have left if he had known you were coming.Thanks in advance. Joan I really have problems with mixed conditionals. I thought there were only 3 types, and now I discover there are more of them. Why dont they teach them as type iV, V VI and so on? I dont get it. MarvinOB 1. If you hadn ´t insulted him yesterday, he would be going to the wedding tomorrow. 2. If she had accepted the promotion, she would be going to Brazil in 2015. (future using will) 3. I would speak fluent Spanish, if I had lived in Spain for 10 years. 4. He wouldn ´t have left, if he had known you were coming. LOIEnglish Perfect!
English Phrasal Verbs Christmas Movie Edition
English Phrasal Verbs Christmas Movie Edition My all time favorite Christmas film is A Christmas Story. A lot of my friends and family think Im just being sentimental, but I just think the movie is really funny. The movie follows Ralphie Parker during the weeks prior to Christmas, as he tries to convince his parents to buy him a BB Gun for a present, fights bullies, gets in trouble for swearing for his first time, and battles cold midwestern U.S. weather.The movie is written by Jean Shepherd, who uses a very natural, spoken English style that you can hear this style in dialogue throughout the movie. As most of my students know, natural spoken English relies on a lot more phrasal verbs than formal or written English, and youll find a lot of them in the clip from the movie below. Youll also notice the word gonna used in place of going to and ya instead of you.Here is a list of phrasal verbs from this clip. Watch it and see if you can figure out what each one means:to get readyto put downto come onto wait upto get upto sit upUnfort unately, this clip cannot be embedded, but you can watch it on YouTube by clicking here. Click here to find out about our special Christmas prices were offering for the next few weeks. Ana Carolina Dyminski 1. prepare2. in this case move down3. lets go4. to stay untill someone catchs up5. stand up6. to sit erectbut I am not sure Ana Carolina Dyminski Can anyone answer if it is correct? LOIEnglish Excellent! Ana Carolina Dyminski thx for answering, because I was not sure
Nothing Is Impossible
Nothing Is Impossible Nothing is impossible, the word itself says im possible! Audrey Hepburn Beautiful Audrey Hepburn a famous Hollywood actress who left a trace in a history not only on celluloid but in Africa as a humanitarian. Audrey Kathleen Hepburn-Ruston was born in Ixelles in Belgium. Audrey was the only child of an Irish descent banker. Her nationality was British. Hepburn became one of the most successful and recognizable actresses in her time. She performed together with famous men such as a Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, Henry Fonda, Gregory Peck, William Holden, Fred Astaire, Peter OToole and Albert Finney . She won BAFTA awards for her performance in the The Nuns Story (1959) and Charade (1963). Furthermore Hepburn received Academy Award nominations for âSabrinaâ (1954), âBreakfast at Tiffanysâ (1961) and Do Not Wait Until Dark (1967).
The 200th anniversary of George Boole`s birth
The 200th anniversary of George Boole`s birth Today is the 200th anniversary of George Boole`s birth (2 November 1815-8 December 1864). He was an English mathematician, educator, philosopher and logician. George Boole was the first mathematician who defined an algebraic system of logic in the 19th century. In honor of the 200th anniversary of George Booles birth, University College Cork decided to join admirers of Boole around the world and celebrate his contribution in mathematics. UCCs celebration includes variety of events throughout the day such as a viewing of a documentary film on The Genius of George Boole, academic conferences on his legacy and the birthday party in the heart of campus. George Boole is regarded as one of the founding fathers of computer science. Boolean algebra is named after him, as is a Boolean datatype in many programming languages. Are you looking for a great math tutor with lots of experience and convenient scheduling? Youâve found what youâre looking for. All our tutors have a large range of experience with all types of learning styles and offer tutoring in person or via Skype.
Get It Right How to Apply Error Analysis to Your Language Learning
Get It Right How to Apply Error Analysis to Your Language Learning Get It Right: How to Apply Error Analysis to Your Language Learning Today, weâre going to learn how to turn errors into lessons.Weâll turn bad into good and wrong into right.Nope, itâs not going to require any magic. Itâs going to tap into a branch of applied linguistics called Error Analysis.But what does this have to do with you, the language learner?Everything! Whats Error Analysis?Error Analysis (EA) is simply the systematic study of language mistakes. This analysis is done so that the identified errors can be systematically learned from and weeded out.Stephen Pit Corder is credited with revolutionizing the field of applied linguistics in the 1960s, pointing out the utility of errors in language learning. Yes, language learners have always sought to learn from their mistakes, but Corder bolstered the effort of identifying and evaluating errors. In short, he made it less chancy and haphazard.The steps of Error Analysis, as suggested by Corder, are:a. collection of samplesb. identification of errorsc. description of errorsd. expl anation of errorse. evaluation of errorsLinguists basically comb through materials that have been produced by language learners, such as written tests, composed paragraphs and recorded audio. They then identify errors in the content and see if there are patterns that emerge. With the errors displayed in the light of day, explanations for them are posited and some prescriptions for course correction can be given.Perhaps you arent a professional linguist, itâs true, but as a language learner you can actually use Error Analysis to inform your learning.What linguists do for a class of Middle Eastern students learning English, you can do for yourself. Youre both the linguist and the subject at the same time.Granted, you wont necessarily use the rigor of statistics to assess your errors like linguists might, but casually following the above steps can still yield a ton of great information.Even then, itâs no walk in the park, thatâs for sure. This will involve the brutal honest y to admit both your strengths and weaknesses. Itâll require some metacognition on your partâ"an awareness and understanding of your own thought processes. But the fruits of your labor will be worth it.Want a little taste of those juicy fruits? Here are some of the benefits of applying Error Analysis to your personal language learning experiences.Get It Right: How to Apply Error Analysis to Your Language LearningYou Can Identify Your WeaknessesThe most obvious value of Error Analysis is that it unequivocally points out your weaknesses. By looking through your mistakes, you can say to yourself, âAh, this is where I need work.â For example, if you notice plenty of errors in verb conjugation, then you can decide to focus your effort more on that. If the verb conjugation errors are mainly related to certain tenses, then you can plan to hone in on those.You Can Identify Your StrengthsPerforming your own casual Error Analysis double-checks your knowledge of the target language , giving you a good sense of what youâre already good at. You can always review the topics youre better at, but you wont end up devoting an excess of time to these topics anymore. In short, Error Analysis guides the focus of your study, saving you valuable time and effort.You Get an Honest Look at Your ProgressError Analysis provides you with added insights that arent easily obtained from other learning approaches. With Error Analysis, you dive deeper. By following the steps of Error Analysis laid out earlier, you can seek overarching patterns. Instead of cursorily looking at overall exercise scores, youll carefully look at each one of your slip-ups, then figure out if theyre at all connected, getting a better understanding of your current problem areas.For example, doing this might help you realize if the grammatical rules of your first language are negatively influencing your acquisition of the target language. By looking at all your errors in a series of exercises, you migh t discover that a pattern of errors emerges: Youâre still applying first language rules of syntax to your target language.You Gain a Deeper Understanding of the Language Youre LearningFinally, Error Analysis increases your ability to recognize nuances in the target language. Noticing, thinking about and studying your errors allows you to split hairsâ"which can be an excellent thing in language learning. Youll find yourself thinking things like, âWhy is this word appropriate in this context and not in that one?â or âWhy is this case an exception to the rule?âAs you can see from the above benefits, theres much to be gained here. With Error Analysis, you can really make significant leaps in learning and avoid making the same mistakes over and over. Hopefully this will result in you becoming fluent in your target language faster.So, now that you know about the objectives and benefits of trying Error Analysis out, here are some tips on how to use it all on your own.5 Ho t Tips for Using Error Analysis to Improve Your Language Learning1. Complete Plenty of Tests, Drills and ExercisesIf youâre going to make the most out of Error Analysis, youd better give yourself plenty of data to work with.The only way you can get sufficient results is to give yourself a significant amount of material from which to draw conclusions.A 10-item exercise on prepositions where you get 7/10 items correct doesnât necessarily mean youre 70% of the way home. You might need to do much moreâ"or much lessâ"work to really master prepositions. Go through as many exercises as possible on each topic so that you can get a clearer benchmark. Dont stop until youre scoring 10/10 consistently.Written material is the type that best lends itself to Error Analysis, because youll actually have a record of the errors and mistakes. Audio recordings comes second, but theyre harder to keep track of and assess accurately.The good thing is that you can find plenty of exercises an d drills onlineâ"just like this one for French learners. This resource is certainly not the spiffiest of sites, but what it lacks in finesse it more than makes up for with the great number of tests and exercises you can take. You can easily rack up a solid number of completed French exercises on this site. Another advantage is that it shows you all the questions at the same time, not following the usual one-question-at-a-time format thats so common on similar sites. Thereâs also the easy print feature which could come in handy for keeping records and reviewing later. Find a site like this for your target language, and get going!2. Group Your Errors for Easy IdentificationWhats an âerrorâ in the first place? Is it the same thing as a âmistakeâ?Linguists have differentiated the two. Do you know the difference?A mistake is a slip-up, a one-off. Its situation-specific and can be easily corrected. Even native speakers commit them. A native English speaker could unintentional ly blurt out âI drinks the juice, even though he definitely knows the correct form. Maybe he was just sleepy or distracted. He just made a one-time mistake, and hell probably never make the exact same mistake again.An error is more serious. It signifies a level of incompetence and cant be corrected quite as easily. The error is part of a pattern and not a one-time event. The person may have intentionally chosen to use that language, thinking its perfectly correct. For example, if someone says, âI ate the juice,â âI ate wine and I eat milk every day, theyre consistently confusing two verbs, to eat and to drink. They still need to study these two verbs and how to use them when differentiating between imbibing liquids and masticating solids.So, now you know what an error is. Thats what youll need to be looking out for. Once you find them, what do you do with yours?Group them up!There are tons of potential errors that a language learner could make in any given language . You need to create a system of categorizing your errors that makes sense to you. Coming up with a logical grouping will help you understand where youre making most of your errors. Seeing the connections between your errors will allow you to keep your focus on a few key areas.You can group the errors in any manner you like, as long as the groups make sense to you. Maybe you can group similar incidences. Is an error vocabulary-related, or is it grammar-related? If its grammar-related, then perhaps you can jot it down next to other errors made with the same part of speech. For example, you can note down all your verb problems together. You can note down all your conjugation problems together. You can note down all your gender-agreement problems together. If one group is getting large, you can even start to create smaller sub-groups.As you can see, there are many ways to group errors. Youre free to build your own nomenclature. It just has to be personal and meaningful to youâ"aft er all, youll be the only one to use it.3. Keep a Visual Record of Your Thought ProcessesNow weâre really getting into the deeper levels of Error Analysis here. This will require a certain level of self-awareness on your part. Like I said earlier, Error Analysis requires metacognition, an understanding of your own thought processes. Why do you tend to make the same errors? What was your thinking behind these errors?Heres how to go about keeping track of errors and the thought processes behind them.For example, when youre speaking and you suddenly take a long pauseâ"not for effect or for thoughtful reasons, but because youre unsure of what to sayâ"that could be a sign of lacking knowledge or confidence in your language. Youâre probably drawing a blank. What word are you unsure about? What caused the pause? What were you just thinking about?Indicate this moment on a sheet of paper, using your very own words. You could write something like:forgot the past tense of the word cut. didnât know what the word for sleep is in Chinese.got tongue-tied trying to pronounce the rr sound in a Spanish word.When youre answering the questions in a multiple choice exercise and youre alternating between the choices, this indecision betrays a knowledge gap. It means you still havent gotten a good handle on the subject matter in question. Mark down those numbers with a star or a question mark so that when you review you can remind yourself that you had difficulty with that particular itemâ"even if it turns out that you got the correct answer.Itâs these little marks on a sheet of paper that give you a visual of your thought process, heretofore unseen. Itâs a record of the areas that are challenging to you and a great way to discover patches of weakness.4. Evaluate Your Errors by Asking Yourself These 3 QuestionsWhen you do personal Error Analysis, you dont have a team of linguists positing explanations of why you made this or that error. You only have yourself to i nvestigate and yourself to do the investigation.You need to ask yourself these questions as you evaluate the error.a. What rule or principle did I miss?Asking this question forces you to think about the grammar rules that exist in your target language. It checks if youve been the wiser this time and are now aware why an error exists. If you cant answer this question, then you cant be sure that the error wont haunt you some other time.Note: When considering rules and principles, you should also consider their exceptions.b. Why did I think my initial answer was correct?This is another important question to ask when you evaluate the error because it looks into your incomplete understanding of the target language. When you completed the exercise, you did it using your present and personal understanding of the language. Comparing your original reasons to the correct answers hones more of this understanding, eliminating faulty impressions and replacing them with accurate ones.Note: If you answer this question with, âI only guessed,â then it counts as an even bigger knowledge gap.c. What should I do so I wonât make the same mistake?This is the proactive part of the evaluation process. Not only are you now aware and wary of your errors, youll be taking active steps to weed out your weaknesses. Think of this part as the âNew Yearâs resolutionâ of the process.Your answers to this question could be something like:Create flashcards for the rules of this verb conjugation.Memorize five new words a day. Review them before going to sleep.Use my language learning app every day, for at least 10 minutes.Listen to an audio course or podcast on my daily commute.Most important of all, have the nerve to follow through with your plan. Thereâs no point in making a resolution and an action plan if youâre not going to resolve to act on it.5. Enlist the Help of a Native SpeakerYouve probably had the experience of listening to an English beginner, right?The mistak es and errors are evident to you, and they poke you like a string out of tune. As a native or fluent speaker, youll have a sharp ear for language mistakes in English.If youâre looking for someone to spot the mistakes and errors you make in your target language, a native speaker will do a great job. Even minor grammatical errors will ring loud bells in their heads.A native speaker can guide you towards mastering the nuances of your target language. There may be instances when a certain word youâre using is grammatically sound, but to a native speaker itll sound a bit offâ"a little less than natural. They can point out things like this and give you a more appropriate lexicon.A native speaker can also highlight some of the exceptions to grammatical or syntactical rules that go beyond what can be offered in any textbook. And if you want to learn the most contemporary way of speaking the target language, youll certainly want a native speaker to keep you updated.Luckily, native s peakers in any major language are readily available on any language exchange site. A language exchange site is a place where you can trade your innate knowledge of your native language for another persons native knowledge of your target language. For example, lets say youre an English speaker who wants to learn Spanish. You can find a native Spanish speaker who wants to learn how to speak Englishâ"thus, an âexchangeâ takes place. Youre helping another as that person is helping you.If that sounds great, youll definitely want to check out the best online language exchange sites to find your learning partner!So, there you have it!Donât be too hard on yourself and always remember that linguistic errors are never fatal. Nor are they permanent. Theyre but signs of an incomplete understanding and can be remedied with a little study.Youâre now ready to face the music and tango with your own linguistic errors.
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