tryintoflourish

[tryintoflourish]

Infographic: 7 Reasons This Is An Excellent Resume For Someone With No Experience

#jobs

[tryintoflourish]

Want to learn computer science?

One of the many great things about computer science is that it can be learned by anyone, from anywhere, and for free! Here are some websites that you can use to learn how to code. (Those marked with an asterisk are websites that I have personally used)

Codecademy*- This one is great because you can learn multiple programming languages, plus do fun projects to practice your skills. It also uses an interactive interface that allows you to see the changes you make in the code.

Code.org*- This one is best for people who don’t have a lot of time on their hands. The website features small projects that can be done in an hour or less. It also features projects aimed at smaller children, so it’s a great activity to do alongside your child/sibling/kid you’re babysitting that won’t shut up.

Dash*- Dash is actually the first website I ever used to learn how to code. It teaches you how to code in relation to Tumblr themes and how to eventually create your own theme. This website would be more useful to those only wanting to code themes than someone wanting to learn how to code in general. It does feature projects with just plain coding, but I haven’t tried those so I can’t say how good they are.

W3Schools*- This website is less for actually practicing code and more for learning textbook-style. It does feature A LOT of languages and it gives you a lot of practice material, quizzes, and tests. Plus, at the end you can receive a certification in the language of your choice (if you wish to do so). The certification is a bit costly, but looks great on a resume.

Khan Academy- I haven’t used Khan Academy for programming, but I have used it for algebra and chemistry, and I can say that it DOES work. The website features badges and a points system that is based on how many videos you watch, activities you complete, etc. It also has additional resources that will help you really master the material.

Code Avengers- Just from looking at the website, this looks like a pretty legit place to learn how to code. It uses an interactive interface like a lot of the other sites. The only thing I would be cautious about is the fact that you can sign up for a “free trial”. I’m assuming that means that not all of the features are unlocked unless you pay a fee. If you’re okay with having limited resources, then this website would probably be a pretty good bet.

More Masterposts

* * *

Good luck and have fun coding!

#masterpost

[tryintoflourish]

I’ve noticed quite a few people have problems with this subject, so here’s a little guide to help you manage chem!!

1) Realise that it’s an understanding based subject: Most of the people I’ve talked to think chemistry is just learning, but it’s really not. Everything is happening because of something and once you understand your basics, your brain will automatically start making links.

2) Know your basics: As I mentioned above, knowing your basics is the most important thing. If you don’t have a clear base of how things work then you won’t be able to understand properly & will just end up learning.

3) STOP LEARNING REACTIONS: Reactions aren’t learning based either!!! There’s a simple rule for each reaction and if you apply that and balance it, you’ll get the required reaction. (Base + Acid -> Water + Neutral Salt). Of course there can be exceptions to this rule.

4) Become good at nomenclature: Nomenclature is a pretty big part of chemistry and it’s not that hard! Know the rules of nomenclature and practice hard until you get the names of your compounds right everytime.

5) Use mnemonics! Ok I’m not going to lie, there’s very little chances you’re gonna research and spend lots of time to understand why which elements are there in the earths crust, so make a mnemonic so it helps you! (Mine is Oh Shit Allowance fees can near kill my hungry tiara = oxygen silicon aluminium iron cacium sodium potassium magnesium hudrogen titanium)

#chemistry tips

[tryintoflourish]

bookboon // for accounting, business, economics & finance, engineering, IT & programming, languages, marketing & law, natural sciences, statistics & mathematics (+ career & study advice, strategy & management)

booksee // for arts & photography, biographies & memoirs, business & investing, computers & internet, cooking, entertainment, health, history, home, law, literature & fiction, medicine, references, religion, science, sports, travel, and other categories

boundless // for accounting, algebra, art history, biology, business, calculus, chemistry, communications, computer science, economics, education, finance, management, marketing, microbiology, music, physics, physiology, political science, psychology, sociology, statistics, U.S. history, world history, writing

california learning resource network // for mathematics, science, history

ck-12 // for elementary math, arithmetic, measurement, algebra, geometry, probability, statistics, trigonometry, analysis, calculus, earth science, life science, physical science, biology, chemistry, physics, sat exam prep, engineering, technology, astronomy, english, history

college open textbook // for anthropology & archeology, art, biology & genetics, business, chemistry, computer science, economics, engineering & electronics, english & composition, health & nursing, history, languages & communication, law, literature, math, music, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, science, sociology, statistics & probability

ebooklobby // for arts & photography, biographies & memoirs, business, computers & internet, cooking, entertainment, health, home & garden, law, literature & fiction, sports, travel

freemathbooks // for algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, applied math, probability, analysis, statistics, and other sub-categories of mathematics

global text project // for business, computing, education, health, science, social sciences

openstax cnx // for arts, business, humanities, mathematics & statistics, science & technology, social sciences

open culture // for art history, biology, business & management, chemistry, classics, computer science & information systems, earth science, economics & finance, education, engineering, history, linguistics, law, mathematics, music, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, sociology

open textbook library // for accounting and finance, business, management & marketing, computer science & information systems, economics, general education, humanities & language, law, mathematics & statistics, natural & physical sciences, social sciences

textbook revolution // for biology, business & management, chemistry, computer science & technology, earth sciences, economics, engineering, environment, ESL, health sciences & medical, mathematics, physics, society and social sciences, sociology, world history

+ bonus

bookstacks // popular classics

**If you know other helpful sites, please send me a message so I can add it to the list!

#free books #links

[tryintoflourish]

A Stash of Tiny Study Tips

STAYING MOTIVATED

Create realistic goals: get ___ grade on next ____

Manageable let down; get back on track

Keep track of grades: focused, know where stand, no surprises

Start small

Low risk confidence builders

Take time to relax/give self rewards

Days off, breaks, rewards

All work & no play =/= living

Little organization goes a long way

Reward achievements!

Keep balance with exercise, clubs, friends

2h/d: friends and exercise

Remember that hard work pays off

Isn’t a breeze to try to get a 4.0 GPA; but it’s possible

You’re smart enough and can achieve it

90% there with these tips, 10% is just pure hard work

Only chill on weekends

Monday-Friday: school mode

Have time for some fun

If work as hard as should during week, will need weekends to blow off steam

Be self-motivated

Grades can matter, not everything, but follow through on what needs to be done

Not most important part of college but underperform? You will regret it

GPA cutoffs exist and matter to employers

College is full of distractions and opportunities

Nobody will hold hand and the work will suck but all the prouder of yourself to be

Suck it up, buckle down, get it done

If think need break, probably don’t

Turn off the little voice

Realize not alone in questioning ability

Avoid people who tend to burst bubbles no matter what 

Physical triggers to stop

Incentive to get something done when know have something else during the day

Don’t have a gaping abyss of study time

Work has to get done, in the end

Books, examiners, and especially your future self isn’t going to care about your excuses for not doing the work

Take the first step

It will almost be fictional how hard you thought the task was going to be

Just keep going because you simply can’t afford NOT to do anything today, nonzero days

Leeway, don’t give your perfectionism control over your life

MUNDANE HABITS

Sleep! Think and function, mind & body

CAN sleep if keep up with coursework instead of procrastinating

Will miss out on some fun stuff

Need to stay awake in class

Figure out what need for full speed

Stay relaxed

Stay physically healthy

Diet and exercise

1 hour exercise during week

Weekends off

Traditional breakfast not necessary if value extra sleep

Systematic habits: neat, prepared

Master material

Look for real world applications

Learning is a process: be patient, don’t expect to master off the bat

Designate study area and study times

Do trial runs

Practice tests

Ask a TA to listen to your oral performance

Study groups

Don’t copy other people’s psets and solutions

BEFORE SEMESTER

Spiral bound notebook, can color code with folders/etc if need be

Lecture notes: front to back

Reading notes: back to front (if fall behind on)

Seminar notes: mixed in with lecture notes, different pen color/labeled

Outline format

Bullet points for everything

Same NB for one set of class notes, separate notebooks for all classes

5-subject notebook

Midterm and exam material in it

Mesh sources, study guide

All study material from week/month in one place

Pick the right major

Indulge in favorite hobby feeling

Pick professors & classes wisely

Take a small class

Pick classes that interest you so studying doesn’t feel torturous

Want to learn

GRADES SPECIFIC

Prioritize class by how can affect GPA

More credits: more weight

Work enough to get an A in your easy classes: take something good at

Don’t settle, don’t slack off, don’t put in minimal effort to get that B/C. Just put in a tiny bit more effort to ensure A

Will have harder classes and need to counteract

Take electives can ace

Anything but an A in an elective is kinda mean and an unnecessary hit for your GPA

FIRST DAY/WEEK/HALF OF CLASSES

Get to know teaching style: focus most on, lecture/notes

Pick and follow a specific note taking format

Outline

Date each entry

Capture everything on board

Decide productivity system

Google Cal

Todoist

Agenda: remind meetings, class schedule, important dates/midterms/quizzes/tests, no homework 

Always wanted to be prepared

Rarely last minute

Have plan, stay focused

Homework notebook

Good redundancy

Study syllabus

Know it thoroughly

Plot all due dates after class

Penalize if fail to abide by

Study the hardest for the first exam

Seems counterintuitive

Hardest/most important test

Pay attention to content and formatLess pressure: just need ___ on final to keep my A 

Easy to start high and keep high

Go into crunch mode at the beginning

End softly

Get plenty of sleep, exercise, and good food in the finals days before the exam

DURING SEMESTER: PEOPLE

Get to know professors: go to office hours, care about grades/course/them

Easier ask for help, rec letter

Get to know interests and what they think is important

Figure out their research interests, 60% of their job is research

Learning is dynamic

Discussion helps

Get feedback early when not sure what doing

Take comments constructively

Consistent class participation: ask questions, give answers, comment when appropriate

Understand material

Find a study buddy in each class: don’t have to study with

Somebody can compare notes with, safety net

Pick somebody who attends, participates, and take notes regularly

Make some friends

Participate as fully as can in group activities

Be involved

Learn – not be taught

Be punctual

Good impression, on human professors

DON’T BE LATE

Skipping class =/= option: It’s “cool” to get attendance award

Make all the classes: it’s hard to feel confident when missing key pieces

Get full scope of class, everything will make a lot more sense and save a lot of time in long run

Mandatory class: higher graduating cumulative GPA

Go to class when no one else does/want to show up, reward

Get to know professor, what’s on test, notice, r/s build, material not in reading

Unless optional and super confusing professor

Sit in one of the first rows

Don’t fall asleep

Fake interest if you have to

Tutors

DURING SEMESTER: THINGS TO DO

Take notes! Provided is bare minimum, accessed by students who aren’t attending lecture

Based on lecture and what read –> test; it’ll be worth it

Write it down

By hand

Bored? Doodle instead of going online

Read all assigned–even if need to skim

Seems cumbersome and maybe impossible

Figure out what’s important

Look at the logical progression of the argument/what’s important/what trying to prove

Understand everything that you do read–even if don’t read everything

PIck 2 examples from text per topic

Complete course material on time

DO NOT WAIT UNTIL DAY BEFORE IT IS DUE

Begin as soon as possible

Sometimes it’s just straight up impossible

Have it look attractive

Library doesn’t just mean = study

Social media in the library is still social media

Confusion is terrible

Read other textbooks, review course material @ another uni/by another professor, google the shit out of it

Review

Do not wait, do throughout semester

Exam prep

Ask for model papers, look at style & structure, thesis, how cite

Get old tests

Look at type of questions (detail level and structure)

Can solve old exams cold

If give out paper exams in class: probs won’t repeat questions, focus more on concepts but still learn the questions

Have class notes and psets down cold

Do all the practice problems

Read through notes a few times; rewrite into a revision notebook

Highlight major topics and subtopics

Different highlighter for vocab terms

Overall picture, go from concept to detail

Look at overall context and how specific idea fit into whole course

Ideas, don’t memorize all your notes

Better understand = more able to use and manipulate info and remember it. Understand = manipulation.

Charts, diagrams, graphs

Lists

Practice drawing labeled structures

Flash cards for memorization

Every school requires some degree of grunt memorization

Say it aloud, write it down

Get friends to quiz you

Self-test: severely challenge self, have a running collection of exam questions

Explain difficult concepts to your friends; force yourself to articulate the concept

Never pull an all-nighter

Do not spend every hour studying up to the exam

Eat, shower, sleep

Don’t wait until night before exam to study

Prep takes time even if reviewed throughout semester

Ask about format–don’t ask the professor to change it for you

Law of College: it will be on the exam if you don’t understand it

Ask professor, internet, textbooks

Night before exam

Jot what want to remember/have fresh

Read through in morning/before exam

Physical prep

Sleep, have test materials

Day of exam

Don’t cram every single spare minute

Go to bathroom before exam

Never miss an exam/lie to get more time

You won’t be any more ready 2-3 days after when supposed to have taken it

Slay exam. Get A. 

WEEKLY 

Friday morning: go through each syllabus, write down in HW notebook

All hw during weekend; study/reading assignments during week

Save everything

Divide big tasks into small pieces to help propel self

Standard study schedule: block off lectures, labs, regular commitments

Note the weeks that have assignments and tests that will require extra studying

Don’t oscillate too heavily every day with study times (i.e. don’t study 2-3 hours for weeks and then 10-12 hour days right before an exam)

Eat and sleep to make more extended work periods liveable and enjoyable

DAILY

Set an amount of time would like to study every day

Try to study most days

Avoid vague/zoned out studying –> waste of time

Do a little bit daily but don’t let studying be your whole day

Review notes: 30mins/day, each class from that day

Look at important ideas/vocab

Prioritize new vocab because language is most fundamental and important tool in any subject

Circle abbreviations and make yourself a key somewhere so you don’t forget what the hell that abbreviations meant

Check spelling

Rewrite/reorganize notes if necessary

Format of ideas is just as important as the concepts themselves, esp. when it comes time for exam review

This helps you retain the material so you’ll be ahead next time you walk into class

Chance to ID any knowledge gaps that you can ask about for next class

Keep up with reading

Skim text before lecture or at least main topic sentences

Jot down anything don’t understand; if lecture doesn’t clarify, ask the professor

After lecture: skim again, outline chapter, make vocab flashcards

Highlight similar class and lecture notes

will definitely be tested on

Review and make study questions

Study

Disconnect from anything irrelevant to study material: help focus and your GPA

Don’t limit studying to the night

Study whenever, wherever between classes

Variety helps focus and motivation

Especially if tired at night and can’t transition between subjects

Try to study for a specific subject right before/after the class

#study tips

[tryintoflourish]

HOW TO WRITE A HIGH-GRADE RESEARCH PAPER

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first time I had to write a research paper for university was one of the most stressful experiences I’d ever had - it was so different to anything I’d ever done before and caused me so much anxiety! It turned out that I’m pretty damn good at writing research reports and I’m now looking to pursue a career in psychological research. 

I have never received less than a First (or 4.0 GPA for you American studiers) in my research papers so I thought I’d share my top tips on how to write a kick-ass, high-grade research paper.

*disclaimer: I am a psychology student, my tips are based on my personal experience of writing up psychological research (quantitative and qualitative); therefore, they may require some adaptation in order to be applied to your field of study/research*

These tips will be split up into the different sections a research paper should consist of: abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, references and formatting.

ABSTRACT

The aim of an abstract is to summarise your whole paper - it should be concise, include key-words, highlight the key points of your paper and be written last.

When I say concise, I mean concise! The abstract is what other students and researchers will read in order to decide whether your research is relevant their own work and essentially determines whether or not they’ll read on - they want to know the key details and don’t want to be overwhelmed with information.

I always aim to keep my abstracts under 250 words. I set myself this limit to stop myself waffling and dwelling on unimportant points, it helps me to be really selective of what I include and ensures I’m gripping the reader from the start.

Your abstract should discuss the research rationale, the methods and designs used, your results and the general conclusion(s) drawn. One or two sentences on each of these topics is enough.

Make sure you’re using key-words throughout your abstract as this will also help the reader decide whether your work is relevant to theirs. You can make key-words super obvious by highlighting them in a key at the bottom of your abstract (see below) or just used jargon consistently. Using key-words is also important if you’re looking to get your work published, these words will help people find your work using search engines.

Finally, write your abstract last! An abstract is a summary of your whole research paper which makes it practically impossible to write well first. After writing the rest of your paper, you will know your research inside and out and already have an idea of what key things you need to highlight in your abstract.

INTRODUCTION

For me, the introduction section is always the most intimidating to write because it’s like painting on a blank canvas - massively daunting and leaving you terrified to make a mistake!

The aim of an introduction is to provide the rationale for your research and justify why your work is essential in the field. In general, your introduction should start very broad and narrow down until you arrive at the niche that is your research question or hypothesis.

To start, you need to provide the reader with some background information and context. You should discuss the general principle of your paper and include some key pieces of research (or theoretical frameworks if relevant) that helps your reader get up to speed with the research field and where understanding currently lies. This section can be pretty lengthy, especially in psychological research, so make sure all of the information you’re including is vital as it can be pretty easy to get carried away.

This background should lead you onto the rationale. If you’ve never written a research paper before, the rationale is essentially the reason behind your own research. This could be building on previous findings so our understanding remains up to date, it could be picking up on weaknesses of other research and rectifying these issues or it could be delving into an unexplored aspect of the field! You should clearly state your rationale and this helps lead into the next section.

You should end your introduction by briefly discussing your current research. You need to state your research question or hypothesis, how you plan on investigating the question/hypothesis, the sample you plan on using and the analysis you plan to carry out. You should also mention any limitations you anticipate to crop up so you can address these in your discussion.

In psychology, references are huge in research introductions so it is important to use an accurate (and modern as possible) reference for each statement you are making. You can then use these same references in your discussion to show where your research fits into the current understanding of the topic!

METHODS

Your methods section should make use of subheadings and tables where necessary and should be written in past tense. This can make the (potentially) lengthy section easier to navigate for the reader. I usually use the following headings: participants, materials, design, procedure.

The participants section should describe the sample that took part in your research. Age, gender, nationality and other relevant demographic information should be provided as well as the sampling technique. Personally, I use a table (see below) alongside my continuous prose as an alternative way of viewing my sample population. Please note, if you’re using a table make sure it adheres to your university guidelines.

The materials section of your methods should include any equipment, resources (i.e. images, books, diagrams) or any other materials used in your data collection. You should also reference the program that helped you conduct your analysis. For example, if you are writing a qualitative research paper, you may want to include Microsoft Word in your materials if you use the program to transcribe interviews.

You should then describe the design used in your research. All variables should be identified in this paragraph, if relevant. You should also discuss whether your research is within-groups or between-groups, again only if relevant.

Last is your procedure section - the most important one! You must write this section with enough detail so that anybody could pick it up, read it and conduct the same experiment with ease. You should describe what participants were required to do, how data was collected and it should be written in chronological order! While it’s important to provide enough information, try not to overwhelm the reader with lengthy sentences and unnecessary information.

RESULTS

Your results section’s sole purpose is to provide the reader with the data from your study. It should be the second shortest section (abstract being first) in your research paper and should stick to the relevant guidelines in regards to reporting figures, tables and diagrams. Your goal is to relay results in the most objective and concise way possible.

Your results section serves to act as evidence for the claims you’ll go on to make during your discussion but you must not be biased in the results you report. You should report enough data to sufficiently justify your conclusions but must also include data that doesn’t support your original hypothesis or research question. 

Reporting data is most easily done through tables and figures as they’re easy to look at and select relevant information. If you’re using tables and figures you should always make sure you’re stating effect sizes and p values and to a consistent decimal place. Illustrative tables and figures should always be followed by supporting summary text consisting of a couple of sentences relaying the key statistical findings in continuous prose.

DISCUSSION

The discussion section should take the opposite approach to your introduction! You should start discussing your own research and broaden the discussion until you’re talking about the general research field.

You should start by stating the major findings of your study and relating them back to your hypothesis or research questions. You must must must explicitly state whether you reject or accept your experimental hypothesis, if you have one. After stating your key findings you should explain the meaning, why they’re important and where they fit into the existing literature. It’s here that you should bring back the research you discussed in your introduction, you should relate your findings to the current understanding and state the new insight your research provides.

You should then state the clinical relevance of your research. Think about how your findings could be applied to real-life situations and discuss one or two practical applications.

After this, discuss the limitations of your research. Limitations could include sample size and general sample population and how this effects generalisability of findings, it could include methodological problems or research bias! These limitations will allow you to discuss how further research should be conducted. Suggest ways in which these limitations could be rectified in future research and also discuss the implications this could have on findings and conclusions drawn.

Finally, you need to give the reader a take-home message. A sentence or two to justify (again) the need for your research and how it contributes to current understanding in the field. This is the last thing your audience will read so make it punchy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That’s it folks! My tips for writing a kick-ass, high-grade research paper based on my personal experience. If you have any questions regarding things I’ve missed or didn’t provide enough detail of, then please just send me an ask!

Also, if any of you would like to read any of my past research papers I would be more than happy to provide you with them :-))

#research tips

[tryintoflourish]

I don’t know about you guys but I am psyched to get an education, woo. This year is a hella important year for me because if I don’t finish this school year with five As then I am a dead man walking, you get me? So this started off as a collection to help me get those fabulous As but I thought, what the hell? I’ll share this perfection with everyone else because sharing is caring. Anyways, down to the nitty gritty

001. CALEDONIA'S DECLASSIFIED SCHOOL SURVIVAL GUIDE

how to survive freshmen year of high school

college packing list

alternative to buying expensive textbooks

dorm room survival

free online college courses

002. WRITE LIKE A FUCKING ANGEL

the ultimate guide to writing

how to write good

how to write an essay

how to write a good essay

the five paragraph essay

deadly sins checklist

formatting your paper

tips on getting started

seven tips to become a better writer (stephen king)

four ways to have confidence in your writing

seven ways to speed up your writing

five ways to add sparkle to your writing

how to finish what you started: a five step plan for writers

thirty-one ways to find inspiration for your writing

tips for dealing with writer’s block

003. READING ISN’T ONLY FOR NERDS AND FANGIRLS

how to take care of your books

how to read shakespeare

no fear shakespeare  (i found this incredibly useful when studying macbeth!)

one hundred most read books

how to read difficult books

how to read faster

books made into movies

books made into tv shows

350+ free ebooks

004. STUDY MOTHER FUCKER

studying techniques

how to pull an all-night and still have a successful exam result

how to get motivated to study

tips to help you concentrate

time management tips

chrome site blocker

005. LEARNING SHIT

solve any maths equations: 1, 2.

when your teacher says not to use wikipedia (an alternative)

square root calculator, cube root calculator

for when you can’t do your homework

chemical equation balancer (what got me through chemistry last year)

cliffnotes, sparknotes

college courses

how to: multiply big numbers

crash courses (youtube)

teaches you everything

006. PRESENTING YOUR BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL WORK AY

free powerpoint (prezi)

free powerpoint presentations on anything

help with presentations

007. USEFUL WEBSITES BECAUSE THE INTERNET IS A WONDERFUL PLACE /SOMETIMES/

TED (basically gods gift)

challenge your brain

feed the hungry and up your vocabulary game

free online textbooks

final grade calculator

a whole page dedicated to studying and organising

008. MUSIC TO CALM DOWN UR SCHOOL DAY BLUES YO

a really chill playist

coffee shop blues

coffee shop sounds

calm nature sounds

concentration/focus playlist

relaxation is key

four hours of classical music

playlists to listen to: xxx, xxx, xxx, xxx, xxx, xxx, xxx, xxx, xxx, xxx, xxx, xxx.

009. ALL THIS STUDYING??? YOU NEED A BREAK, MY FRIEND.

watch a cute ass dog lick your screen

one hundred thousand stars

movies masterpost

foreign movies

gay movies

lesbian movies

lesbian movies you should definitely watch

broadway musicals

LGBT+ books

download free books

read any book

the best masterpost ever if you’re bored

010. TIPS FOR SCHOOL N STUFF BCUS I WANTED TEN BITS

try your best. not everyone can get all As, and getting all As does not make you better than everyone else. just do the best you can and be the best person you can be.

don’t sleep in class! i know it seems so so tempting but slept my way through geography last year and i got a C in my exam instead of the expected A so…

Don’t tick off your teacher, follow the rules to an extent, get to class on time, respect your classmates and teachers. you know, just be a decent person.

be positive!!! and not just for the first week or so, keep the positivity going throughout the whole school year. if you don’t believe in yourself then why should anyone else?

“you can do it, wildcat, i believe in u” — something troy bolton said one time probably definitely

#school masterpost

[tryintoflourish]

50 Top Online Learning Sites

Rejoice fellow uni students looking for some studyspo, we urge you to take a few free lessons, as well as academic lessons provided from actual universities on several topics. Have a look at the 50 top learning sites you can find online to help you save some time.

Art and Music

Dave Conservatoire — Dave Conservatoire is an entirely free online music school offering a self-proclaimed “world-class music education for everyone,” and providing video lessons and practice tests.

Drawspace — If you want to learn to draw or improve your technique, Drawspace has free and paid self-study as well as interactive, instructor-led lessons.

Justin Guitar — The Justin Guitar site boasts over 800 free guitar lessons which cover transcribing, scales, arpeggios, ear training, chords, recording tech and guitar gear, and also offers a variety of premium paid mobile apps and content (books/ ebooks, DVDs, downloads).

Math, Data Science and Engineering

Codecademy — Codecademy offers data science and software programming (mostly Web-related) courses for various ages groups, with an in-browser coding console for some offerings.

Stanford Engineering Everywhere — SEE/ Stanford Engineering Everywhere houses engineering (software and otherwise) classes that are free to students and educators, with materials that include course syllabi, lecture videos, homework, exams and more.

Big Data University — Big Data University covers Big Data analysis and data science via free and paid courses developed by teachers and professionals.

Better Explained — BetterExplained offers a big-picture-first approach to learning mathematics — often with visual explanations — whether for high school algebra or college-level calculus, statistics and other related topics.

Design, Web Design/ Development

HOW Design University — How Design University (How U) offers free and paid online lessons on graphic and interactive design, and has opportunities for those who would like to teach.

HTML Dog — HTML Dog is specifically focused on Web development tutorials for HTML, CSS and JavaScript coding skills.

Skillcrush — Skillcrush offers professional web design and development courses aimed at one who is interested in the field, regardless of their background — with short, easy-to-consume modules and a 3-month Career Blueprints to help students focus on their career priorities.

Hack Design — Hack Design, with the help of several dozen designers around the world, has put together a lesson plan of 50 units (each with one or more articles and/or videos) on design for Web, mobile apps and more by curating multiple valuable sources (blogs, books, games, videos, and tutorials) — all free of charge.

General – Children and Adults

Scratch – Imagine, Program, Share — Scratch from MIT is a causal creative learning site for children, which has projects that range from the solar system to paper planes to music synths and more.

Udemy — Udemy hosts mostly paid video tutorials in a wide range of general topics including personal development, design, marketing, lifestyle, photography, software, health, music, language, and more.

E-learning for kids — E-learning for Kids offers elementary school courses for children ages 5-12 that cover curriculum topic including math, science, computer, environment, health, language, life skills and others.

Ed2go — Ed2go aims their “affordable” online learning courses at adults, and partners with over 2,100 colleges and universities to offer this virtual but instructor-led training in multiple categories — with options for instructors who would like to participate.

GCF Learn Free — GCFLearnFree.org is a project of Goodwill Community Foundation and Goodwill Industries, targeting anyone look for modern skills, offering over 1,000 lessons and 125 tutorials available online at anytime, covering technology, computer software, reading, math, work and career and more.

Stack Exchange — StackExchange is one of several dozen Q+A sites covering multiple topics, including Stack Overflow, which is related to computer technology. Ask a targeted question, get answers from professional and enthusiast peers to improve what you already know about a topic.

HippoCampus — HippoCampus combines free video collections on 13 middle school through college subjects from NROC Project, STEMbite, Khan Academy, NM State Learning Games Lab and more, with free accounts for teachers.

Howcast — Howcast hosts casual video tutorials covering general topics on lifestyle, crafts, cooking, entertainment and more.

Memrise — Lessons on the Memrise (sounds like “memorize”) site include languages and other topics, and are presented on the principle that knowledge can be learned with gamification techniques, which reinforce concepts.

SchoolTube — SchoolTube is a video sharing platform for K-12 students and their educators, with registered users representing over 50,000 schools and a site offering of over half a million videos.

Instructables — Instructables is a hybrid learning site, offering free online text and video how-to instructions for mostly physical DIY (do-it-yourself) projects that cover various hands-on crafts, technology, recipes, game play accessories and more. (Costs lie in project materials only.)

creativeLIVE — CreativeLive has an interesting approach to workshops on creative and lifestyle topics (photography, art, music, design, people skills, entreprenurship, etc.), with live access typically offered free and on-demand access requiring purchase.

Do It Yourself — Do It Yourself (DIY) focuses on how-tos primarily for home improvement, with the occasional tips on lifestyle and crafts topics.

Adafruit Learning System — If you’re hooked by the Maker movement and want to learn how to make Arduino-based electronic gadgets, check out the free tutorials at Adafruit Learn site — and buy the necessary electronics kits and supplies from the main site.

Grovo — If you need to learn how to efficiently use a variety of Web applications for work, Grovo has paid (subscription, with free intros) video tutorials on best practices for hundreds of Web sites.

General College and University

edX — The edX site offers free subject matter from top universities, colleges and schools from around the world, including MIT and Harvard, and many courses are “verified,” offering a certificate of completion for a nominal minimum fee.

Cousera — Coursera is a learning site offering courses (free for audit) from over 100 partners — top universities from over 20 countries, as well as non-university partners — with verified certificates as a paid option, plus specializations, which group related courses together in a recommended sequence.

MIT Open Courseware — MIT OpenCourseWare is the project that started the OCW / Open Education Consortium [http://www.oeconsortium.org], launching in 2002 with the full content of 50 real MIT courses available online, and later including most of the MIT course curriculum — all for free — with hundreds of higher ed institutions joining in with their own OCW course materials later.

Open Yale Courses — Open Yale Courses (OYC) are free, open access, non-credit introductory courses recorded in Yale College’s classroom and available online in a number of digital formats.

Open Learning Initiative — Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU’s) Open Learning Initiative (OLI) is course content (many open and free) intended for both students who want to learn and teachers/ institutions requiring teaching materials.

Khan Academy — Khan Academy is one of the early online learning sites, offering free learning resources for all ages on many subjects, and free tools for teachers and parents to monitor progress and coach students.

MIT Video — MITVideo offers over 12,000 talks/ lecture videos in over 100 channels that include math, architecture and planning, arts, chemistry, biological engineering, robotics, humanities and social sciences, physics and more.

Stanford Online — Stanford Online is a collection of free courses billed as “for anyone, anywhere, anytime” and which includes a wide array of topics that include human rights, language, writing, economics, statistics, physics, engineering, software, chemistry, and more.

Harvard Extension School: Open Learning Initiative — Harvard’s OLI (Open Learning Initiative) offers a selection of free video courses (taken from the edX selection) for the general public that covers a range of typical college topics, includings, Arts, History, Math, Statistics, Computer Science, and more.

Canvas Network — Canvas Network offers mostly free online courses source from numerous colleges and universities, with instructor-led video and text content and certificate options for select programs.

Quantum Physics Made Relatively Simple — Quantum Physics Made Relatively Simple” is, as the name implies, a set of just three lectures (plus intro) very specifically about Quantum Physics, form three presentations given by theoretical physicist Hans Bethe.

Open UW — Open UW is the umbrella initiative of several free online learning projects from the University of Washington, offered by their UW Online division, and including Coursera, edX and other channels.

UC San Diego Podcast Lectures — Podcast USCD, from UC San Diego, is a collection of audio and/or video podcasts of multi-subject university course lectures — some freely available, other only accessible by registered students.

University of the People — University of the People offers tuition-free online courses, with relatively small fees required only for certified degree programs (exam and processing fees).

NovoEd — NovoEd claims a range of mostly free “courses from thought leaders and distinguished professors from top universities,” and makes it possible for today’s participants to be tomorrow’s mentors in future courses.

IT and Software Development

Udacity — Udacity offers courses with paid certification and nanodegrees — with emphasis on skills desired by tech companies in Silicon Valley — mostly based on a monthly subscription, with access to course materials (print, videos) available for free.

Apple Developer Site — Apple Developer Center may be very specific in topics for lessons, but it’s a free source of documentation and tutorials for software developers who want to develop apps for iOS Mobile, Mac OS X desktop, and Safari Web apps.

Google Code — As with Apple Developer Center, Google Code is topic-narrow but a good source of documentation and tutorials for Android app development.

Code.org — Code.org is the home of the “Hour of Code” campaign, which is aimed at teachers and educators as well as students of all ages (4-104) who want to teach or learn, respectively, computer programming and do not know where to start.

Mozilla Developer Network — MDN (Mozilla Developer Network) offers learning resources — including links to offsite guides — and tutorials for Web development in HTML, CSS and JavaScript — whether you’re a beginner or an expert, and even if you’re not using Mozilla’s Firefox Web browser.

Learnable — Learnable by Sitepoint offers paid subscription access to an ebook library of content for computers and tablets, and nearly 5,000 videos lessons (and associated code samples) covering software-related topics – with quizzes and certification available.

Pluralsight — Pluralsight (previously PeepCode) offers paid tech and creative training content (over 3,700 courses and 130K video clips) for individuals, businesses and institutions that covers IT admin, programming, Web development, data visualization — as well as game design, 3D animation, and video editing through a partnership with Digital-Tutors.com, and additional software coding lessons through Codeschool.com.

CodeHS — CodeSchool offers software coding lessons (by subscription) for individuals who want to learn at home, or for students learning in a high school teacher-led class.

Aquent Gymnasium — Gymnasium offers a small but thorough set of free Web-related lesson plans for coding, design and user experience, but filters access by assessing the current knowledge of an enrollee and allows those with scores of at least 70% to continue.

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[tryintoflourish]

Ideas for language studying

These are some of the ways you can study a language that come to my mind. Some will work better than others for you, and you should try them all to find which ones fit you best.

“Good old” group classes/courses.

A private tutor.

Language books divided in CEFR levels, or beginner, intermediate, etc.

Grammar books.

Vocabulary books.

Having a language learning notebook.

Using flashcards for vocab or grammar rules.

Interactive courses like Pimsleur, Rosetta Stone, etc.

Free online courses, this can be something you download or websites, for example.

MOOCs (massive open online courses), they are online courses, yes, but I consider them as another category. 

Paid online courses.

Bilingual books.

Listening to the radio.

Watching TV.

Watching movies and series with or without subtitles in your target language.

YouTube videos, gold.

Podcasts, about learning that language or in that language about any topic.

Websites like italki.

Chatting with native speakers you met on the internet.

Writing in a diary or journal in your target language.

Reading newspapers, online or printed.

Re-reading your favourite books.

Reading children’s books if you’re a beginner, or for fun.

Reading manga or comics.

Reading novels from native authors.

Reading books about a topic that interests you in your target language instead of your native language.

Reading magazines, specially if you live in the country.

Buying cookbooks in your target language.

Searching for recipes in your target language.

Writing the name of things in your target language on post-its and laying them around the house.

Change the language in your phone, PC, tablet, Facebook, etc. to your target language.

Using Tumblr and following the #langblr community (lol).

#langblr

[tryintoflourish]

How to learn a language

How to learn a language

Learning a language can be extremely overwhelming if you don’t know what you’re doing and never studied a language before! I hope this tips can inspire you in some sorta of way and give you a guideline on what to study!!

Learn the pronunication and the alphabet!

This is a new brainier, in order to speak the language you need to know how to pronounce the words! My suggestion to you guys would be look up videos on native speakers speaking your target language so you can get use to the way the language sounds and get familiar with some of the pronunciation! Get your ears and brain use to hearing the language!

Learn the most common verbs and the most common words in your target language!

In order to start speaking the language and have a basic conversation you must learn the common verbs and words in order to speak! Try to learn phrases that natives use. Try to pick up patterns when you conjugate verbs, most verbs follow a similar pattern!

Vocabulary

Vocabulary is an important thing in a language and it will help you describe things. Try to start off with A1 vocabulary and work your way up the scale. MAKE THE VOCABULARY STUDY RELEVANT TO YOUR DAILY LIFE! For example, if you study at university learn vocabulary relating to your studies and university! This way you can describe yourself to others!

Change settings to your target language

A huge tip I have to language learners is changing your phone settings into your target language! This will help you immerse into the language and learn functions on the phone. My phone has been in Italian for years now (mainly because I’m Italian and I speak Italian but I live in America). You’re always on your phone so why not incorporate language into your daily life. You’ll be pressing Me gusto on instagram in no time!

Immersion

immersion is such a create way to learn a new language. Now, I’m not saying to move to another country (even though we all want to, but we’re poor af) but you can create immersion at home! Think in your target language, make sticky notes in your target language, watch tv shows, listen to music, and speak to yourself in your target language!

Meet friends online

I’ve met friends all over the world by just talking them through instagram. I speak to them in my target language (their native language) and sometimes they need help in Italian or English and I help them! It’s like a language exchange. This is also good to see how people actually write in their native languages, because most of the time you sound weird when learning outdated stuff from a textbook!

I hope this tips helped!

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[tryintoflourish]

Hi! Can you recommend any websites for self-teaching French after learning it at gcse? Thank you, I love your blog.

I’m not sure exactly what your level is but I’m guessing intermediate to advanced so here’s some resources based on that. 

Lingolia - has good explanations of grammarLivres pour tout - you can read all kinds of books, including comic books hereLyrics Training - pretty fun, helps you learn vocab in increasing listening skillsWatch French youtubersTry a MOOC - they have them at all levels for FrenchI also made this guide about how to study French at an advanced level

Hope this helps!

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[tryintoflourish]

Hi! Do you have any suggestions for how to study for a language test (specifically french)? My half yearly is very soon, and I still don't really know how to study for it! Thankyou! xx

Hi! I’ll link you to a couple of posts that might be useful since I’ve not learnt a language for several years now!

things to remember when learning a language

how to learn foreign languages

10 tips for studying a language

tips and tricks for learning a language

how to study languages in four easy steps

language learning: tips and resources

how to learn a new language

language learning masterpost

different ways to learn a language

Hope this helps! x

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[tryintoflourish]

Making the most of Duolingo

Here’s a list of what I do that really helps me learn the language using Duolingo; it’s extra work than the app gives you, but it helps me get my answers right most of the time and I feel like I know the language much better than I would have normally.

Completing the tree

The first thing you should do is complete the tree! Most people think they stop using Duolingo after that - this is absolutely not the stopping point! There’s a reason I listed this as step one.

To complete the tree, set a goal for yourself. One lesson per day, one unit per week, etc. Experiment a little and find one that works for you.

The XP feature on Duolingo helps me stay on track by measuring my frequency, not my learning. Use this to make you motivated to start each day, but don’t use it as a measure of how well you’re doing. It’s like a homework grade that gives points for completion but not accuracy. But, because of this, you can choose any goal you want. I’m on the “insane” goal (50pts per day) but I often go way past the limit. Trust me, if you’re following these steps, that won’t be a problem.

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT RULE!!!! Before ever starting a new lesson, all of your previous lessons must be golden.

Duolingo builds off of previous skills in a fairly linear way. You’ll notice especially as you get farther in the tree that whenever you learn new nouns, they will always be practiced in the context of the most recent verb tense you’ve learned, and they will always mix up adjectives and phrases that you’ve also recently learned. Because of this, if you’re even a little shaky on a previous lesson, you’re screwing yourself over if you don’t review that first.

When you first open Duolingo, use “Practice Weak Skills” - this will give you a random lesson to run through and practice, and often it will mix multiple to allow you to strengthen multiple skills at once.

Keep using “Practice Weak Skills” until every lesson is golden. This takes about 3-4 times if you get most of the questions right, 5-6 if you’re getting most of them wrong - and it will get you past your XP goal. When you’re done, scroll through to check that every lesson is golden. Feels nice, don’t it?

Your lesson strength deteriorates quickly. It often feels like you’re taking one step forwards and two steps back. This is the case for a short while - the more you practice, the longer your skills will stick there. When you need to strengthen them again, all you have to do is prove that you know it from before. Instead of 15 questions on the same lesson, you’ll get about 3 - if you get all of them right, the skill goes straight back up to golden!

HOWEVER:

If you are having trouble with a certain lesson, maybe you find yourself constantly tripping up on it? Practice these lessons individually.

I constantly mess up on verbs, and now that I’ve finished the tree, whenever I review it mixes up to 4 tenses at once. What happens then? I get mixed up.

Personally, I rushed through the tree when I shouldn’t have. Whoops.

Because of this, I review each verb lesson on its own before using “Practice Weak Skills.”

When I feel confident enough, the next day I might test myself using “Practice Weak Skills” and see how it turns out. It’s your personal judgement call on when you should stop isolating lessons!

Grammar time!

So, if you’re anything like me, you love learning languages. If you’re even more like me, you have a preference for doing it, and it is not memorizing vocab (though this is necessary!). Duolingo is nice for vocab and grammar….practice. To practice, you have to learn it first, right? It teaches you the vocab well, but there’s one huge problem I found while finishing up my Spanish tree: The farther you get, the less grammar lessons there are.

This is crucial! How am I supposed to know what’s going one with he/habia/habias when I don’t even know what the tense is?

So, I prepared a list of grammar resources/courses that I think do a good job of walking you through, step-by-step, the lessons in a similar order to Duolingo.

My recommendation for using these requires looking ahead. Look at your next Duolingo lesson and, before taking it, look at the corresponding lesson on one of these websites. Take notes on it! Go back to Duolingo and now that you actually know what you’re doing. (If you get things consistently wrong, you can then review the grammar lesson on whatever website - in case they’re out of order). These apply to any website or program other than Duolingo, especially self-teaching, since they’re all basic grammar lessons.

The ones I’ve listed are mainly Spanish and German; these are the languages I’m studying. I can’t speak on other websites and their ease/comprehensiveness if I’m not studying that language! Please feel free to edit this post and add your own websites/languages when you reblog.

Spanish

StudySpanish.com (This is my personal favourite! Separated into units that progress from basic to advanced.)

SpanishDict.com (good for referencing what you got wrong. Organizes by subject of lesson rather than easy-hard)

Bowdoin (Another one that goes through basic-advanced. Has lessons written in Spanish and exercises to practice! Also has more information than most of these other links, however this can be confusing and that’s why it’s not my favourite.)

German

German-Grammar.de (Has a TON of information and exercises; can be hard to navigate.)

Dartmouth Review (A little chart to separate very broad categories; once you pick a section, it goes on for a while.)

Deutsch Lingolia (Left column has a list; the top part is the important tenses, nouns, etc. grammar stuff.)

All Languages

ielanguages (Contains French, Spanish, ESL, Italian, German, Swedish, and Dutch, with a little information about various non-European languages.)

Rocket Languages (Another good reference. Ads pop up, but you don’t need to pay in order to read the free coursework. On each of these pages there should be a blue column on the right listing grammar lessons. Good luck!)

Spanish

Portuguese

Korean

Japanese

Italian

Hindi

German

French

Chinese

Egyptian Arabic

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[tryintoflourish]

hello hello hellooooo! (or bonjour bonjour bonjouuuur, I must say!)

okay, i’ve had a few messages about learning French soooo I’ve created this masterpost on studying foreign languages! I’ve been learning the French language since I was four and I am now studying French at Higher level and hope this post helps a lot of you!

please note!!!!!!: like any other skill, it takes a lot of dedication and effort to learn a language. it won’t be easy but if you practice a little everyday you will be totally fine!! i’m here if anyone needs a hand x 

reasons to learn another wonderful language

∙        you make lovely friends when u go abroad

∙        it’s like speaking a secret language cause you might be the only one in your friendship group/family that know the language

∙        you can curse under your breath without ur parents knowing??? hahaha bonus

∙        uhhhh it’s fun?

∙        u can get a better job

∙        it makes u feel pretty awesome when you go abroad and understand things

∙        improves your first language (grammar etc. etc. etc.)

∙        gain respect for someone elses culture

∙        u can move/live abroad

∙        the opportunity to do more things abroad with ur extra language skill

∙        there are loads more reasons but it would take up the whole post:)))

so u wanna teach yourself??

∙        bbc languages - choose from 40 languages to self-teach

∙        duolingo - good ole’ duolingo is an amazing smartphone app (and u can use it on ur laptop etc) that lets you teach yourself a language

∙        languages online - more grammar based work on languages that you can do yourself

∙        babbel - online lessons on learning a foreign language - there are 14 to choose from (you get a trial but after that i think you have to pay)

∙        hellotalk - an amazing app on your phone that allows you to speak to people in your target language and you can help them learn English etc. it’s a win win situation guys

∙        101languages – amazing site. just visit it. okay thank u!

∙        polyglot club – meet people just like u who are wanting to learn language!! fun right???

∙        youtube – there are loaaaaads of channels on youtube which help you to learn a language. check out some of these :)))

∙        digital dialects – games based activities for over 70+ languages to choose from to begin learning

∙        forvo – basically this is a dictionary but it pronounces the words for u

∙        lyrics training – this is mainly European languages but you are to fill in the gaps from songs :))

∙        babadum – one of my favourite websites! You can pick and choose which languages you learn, it’s great

∙        livemocha – you can learn and teach people languages

∙        memrise – a fun way to learn vocab

  specific languages

-          spanish

∙       udemy – learn spanish (beginners)

∙       spanishdict

∙       mi vida loca – spanish course for beginners – it’s pretty good!

∙       spanish with paul (youtuber)

∙       fluencia

∙       spanish radio stations

  -          french

∙        bonjour – learn french using this site!! it’s brilllll

∙        francolab

∙        français interactif

∙        vogue – read the French edition of Vogue for reading practice

∙        comme le francais (youtuber) – I watch these videos regularly! They are so helpful with grammar and vocab

∙        ls french

∙        french radio stations

  -          german

∙       deutsch lernen- online lessons on German

∙       der die das – phone app which helps you learn noun genders

∙       mission berlin - german adventure game which helps with vocab

∙       german connection – kids vocab games

∙       germanpod101

∙       german  (duolingo) – everyoneeee knows duolingo, its basically a handy little app that lets u learn loads of languages

  -          russian

∙       russian lessons – videos and activities on learning all things russian

∙       dictionary (russian)

∙       quizlet – revision, games, flashcards and tests on russian

∙       master russian - various activities/topics in russian

∙       bbc: a guide to russian – website to teach you the basics of russian

∙       learn russian

  -          chinese

∙       mandarin lessons –audio clips provided to help u learn chinese??

∙       bbc: learn chinese – website to teach you the basics of chinese/mandarin?? (sorry I don’t speak it)

∙       chinese tools

∙       digital dialects (Chinese) – vocab games

∙       hello world – games to help you learn mandarin

  -          arabic

∙       my easy arabic - learn basic Arabic (including alphabet and vocab)

∙       salaam arabic – beginner or intermediate levels of learning :)))

∙       madinah arabic – online courses in Arabic! They also offer a free 1-hour tutoring session via. Skype

∙       Haliae’s Arabic masterpost - @rockinspired.tumblr.com

    other language masterposts

∙        areistotle - omg i am in love with basically all her masterposts but this is her ‘foreign language learning’ one, it is fab-u-lous!

∙        z-co - this is a masterpost and a half!!

∙        romancing the languages – variety of language resources can be found here!!

∙        language adventurer – maaaaaassiiiiiive language resources masterpost :)))))) I loooove this!

∙        les langues sont ma vie – masterpost of helpful websites to use when studying languages! it is huuuuuge

  extras??? Who doesn’t love those??

·          aesthetically pleasing notes- rewrite notes as revision and make them pretty. it makes them easier to read/come back to

·          listen to the radio (in your target language) – to listen to French, I personally listen to Ado FM (it has the right balance between English and French music/speech)

·          take a break – learning a language takes time remember!! u r constantly learning so chill out sometimes :))

∙       word reference – rather than using Google Translate, try using this app because it tends to be more accurate and requires you to put in a little bit more effort. like a dictionary, only its electronic??? if that makes sense

[ If you need a study buddy or just someone to talk to, give me a message or ask and I’ll help u out!! ]

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[tryintoflourish]

Hey there! I’ve been getting a lot of questions recently regarding the way that I practice French and learn German at home. I decided to make a masterpost with all of the links I find helpful for learning a language for free!

I don’t like to learn in classrooms, it’s just way too much pressure. My French class last year was too hard for me, and it wasn’t fun at all since we were doing too much vocabulary and not enough fun stuff! I think that learning a language at home is your best option (from my experience), since you can go at your own pace, and not at the fast pace of a class!

I have used all of these links personally, so don’t worry, this isn’t a promotion in any way!

Starting your target language from scratch (beginners) 

Duolingo (can be found in the app stores for Android and Apple) is a great place to start learning a language. You can start from the basics of your target language, and build your way up. It provides a good base for the language learning process. I wouldn’t recommend using ONLY Duolingo to learn your target language, as it just goes through vocabulary. You should use other resources to learn the grammar as well.

BBC Languages is also a helpful website for over 40 languages.

MyLanguages allows you to learn the alphabet for your target language.

101 Languages has 167 languages available to learn for free!

Memrise is another helpful app for vocabulary.

Omniglot is kind of like an online language learning encyclopedia. It’s a good place to start! 

When you’re ready to start using the language (reading, writing, listening)

Interpals is a really cool website that allows you to have conversations in your target language with a native speaker! It’s really just a pen pal thing, but you can also meet people to travel with!

The Polyglot project is a good place to find things to read in your target language. If you don’t know a word, translate it through the site!

HelloTalk is another good app/website for conversing with speakers of your target language.

Celebrating Multilingualism Through Harry Potter is a section in the University of Calgary website. You can listen to the first part of Harry Potter in over 60 languages! 

Resources for studying your target language

Dictionaries are essential for learning a language. Here’s a masterpost with tons of dictionaries for different languages by lets-become-polyglots.

Quizlet is a great flash card making app/website. I use it to practice my vocabulary in my spare time.

Forvo is good for listening to words. Search up a word, and listen to a native speaker of your target language say that word!

Other masterposts regarding language

Learning a foreign language by areistotle

South Asian language resources by reclaimthebindi

Language Learning Collection by cosmogyros

German by studying-for-the-future

French by jenaipassommeil

Italian by studybowie

Maltese by maltese-boy

Latin by learnal

Japanese by nihongogogo

Vietnamese by skopjeisanawesomecityname

Finnish by nimeni-on-hopo-hopo

That’s all of my resources! I hope you all enjoy learning a language!

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[tryintoflourish]

How to Ace Your Foreign Language Class

Ready to succeed in your foreign language class this year? Here’s what you’ll need:

1. Index cards. You can get them color-coded or white or lined or plain or 3x5 or 4x6, whatever works best. Write a vocabulary word on one side and the definition, pronunciation, and any other useful information on the other side. When quizzing yourself, recite the definition and use the word in a sentence. Make sure you can also pronounce and spell the word correctly. If color-coding, do it either by unit (”Weather”, “Colors”, etc.) or by parts of speech (noun, verb, etc.). Keep your flashcards in a small multi-pocketed folder, on a ring, in a Ziploc bag, or any other organizational method that works. Carry them with you and study at random times, such as on the bus or in the waiting room. 

2. A notebook. Composition books or spiraled journals work fine. Jot down any vocabulary words or grammar rules/structures your teacher mentions. Write down anything that he/she says will be on the test, as well as anything about the test itself (is it multiple choice? short answer?). Don’t worry about making your notes “pretty”. Keep a separate notebook at home and rewrite your notes after class. Not only will it give you a fresh, neat set of notes, you’ll also be reviewing the information again.

3. Highlighters/Colored pens or pencils. During class, you might not have time to color-code things, and that’s fine. After, use colored writing utensils to organize examples, rules, conjugates, etc. 

4. Time daily. You can’t cram for a foreign language, since learning is cumulative. Set aside an hour or so every other day (or whatever amount of time you need, although less than two hours per week will probably be not enough). Review your flashcards, quiz yourself, and make sure to be practicing not only writing or reading, but also speaking and listening. 

5. A friend. If you have a friend in your class, you can each make your own practice test and then swap. You can also hold conversations in the foreign language with them or quiz each other on words. 

6. Video and audio. There are plenty of Youtube videos you can watch and listen to–exposure to the language is vital and will accelerate your learning process. Sure, you might not understand most of the content initially, but gradually you’ll start to get more of it.

7. These links. OpenCulture has resources for 48 different languages. Learn a Language has free activities, games, and lessons.

If anybody has any other suggestions, please let me know!

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[tryintoflourish]

There’s no perfect way to learn a language. Different ones work for different people so don’t feel that you have to choose a technique someone else uses and stick with it. Try different techniques and use the one (or more) that are good for you.

Study little and often. Try to set aside about 10- 20 minutes every day to maintain your learning.  

You’re allowed to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes when they’re learning a language (think of children learning a language). It’s a part of the learning process, and people (especially native speakers) are not going to judge you for it.  

Start with common words and then basic sentences and grammar rather than diving in with more difficult concepts.

Explore media:

Listen to language learning podcasts during travelling, or other idle times. , such as when travelling to work.

Watch TV and films online in the language you’re learning. You might not be able to understand it, but it can help you understand the rhythem of the language, and you might be able to find versions with subtitles so that you can develop your vocabulary as well.  

Don’t forget about news outlets and social media! You could follow foreign language accounts on twitter, or read / listen to the news in other languages as well.

Write words on post-it notes and stick them around the house (e.g. you could put the word for mirror on the mirror).

Visit a place where you can use the language you’re learning or find someone that you can talk to in that language. There are lots of pen pal projects so maybe you could find someone who speaks that language that you’re interested in. You could also look for tumblrs who speak that language and talk to them.

Get a pocket dictionary so that you can look up any words you don’t know. You could also build up your own dictionary using the vocab that you know and a notebook. It can help you keep track of your progress as well as being a good language resource.

Figure out pronunciation patterns. Languages with the same roots often share similar pronunciation patterns. For instance, one website I checked said that any word that ends in “-tion” in English will almost always end in “-ción” in Spanish and “-ção” in Portuguese.

“How do you say X?” is probably the sentence that you’ll get the most use out of. Learn it early and use it whenever you need to.

Repetition is key to memory! When you learn new words, try to use them as soon as you can and then once or twice later in the day. 

#langblr