Excited State in Chemistry

Excited State in ChemistryTo understand how excited state in chemistry works, we need to have a bit of understanding of the chemical bonding. It is a rule that a solid will be able to bond with a gas, or a liquid to a solid. What this means is that if a chemical atom is bonded to another one, they will come together and form a compound.The excited state in chemistry will hold chemicals, and liquids, but will not allow solids to bond. There are many different atoms that can be bonded together, and for this reason a compound can have more than one bonded to it.Two atoms for example, along with oxygen will bond together to make a compound, but they will have no other atoms that will bond with them. When two hydrogen atoms, along with oxygen are bonded together, they will be able to hold onto other atoms along with them, and will then bind to a third. This compound will have one more atom bonded to it, and it will have two more than one bonded.If you want to know how excited state in che mistry works, all you have to do is look at the atoms that the two hydrogen atoms are bonded to. There will be three hydrogen atoms bonded together. The one that has more hydrogen atoms will be the one that will hold onto the other atoms, and the others will be the ones that the third hydrogen atom is bonded to.In the case of oxygen and hydrogen, and then looking at the bonds to see which of the two atoms have been bonded together, then you will find that the one that has more hydrogen atoms will be the one that has been bonded together. That one atom will hold onto the two that have bonded together and will be able to hold onto them and then the three, and then be able to bond with the three other atoms, that have bonded together. It is important to note here that molecules are made up of various parts of atoms, and with those atoms bonded together, they form a molecule.When a molecule forms an excited state, it means that it has a positive or negative charge. This is just as the f ield in physics states that there is an electric field, which is used to explain the movement of electrons, or charge. When atoms are excited, the hydrogen atoms lose some of their electron so that they are no longer electrically neutral.When a molecule is excited, it also forms an excited state and will release energy. The release of energy can be seen as heat, which is what the thing called the electromagnetic field is. It is a good idea to remember that excited state in chemistry, and that it is used in all kinds of reactions.

Advice from Past Winners How to finish the Language Challenge!

Advice from Past Winners How to finish the Language Challenge! So we recently received feedback from many of our past Language Challenge winners and wanted to share what weve found from everyones responses. We were very surprised as all the Language Challenge winners had the exact same advice on how they finished the challenge and weve summarized it in the following graphic: Just finished with week one and some of out #LanguageChallenge contestants are asking us some #tips on #howtowin. Heres the #answer #quotation #secrettosuccess #dontgiveup #italki #foreignlanguage #languages #languagelearning A photo posted by Italki (@italki) on Jan 25, 2015 at 6:41am PST Advice from Past Winners How to finish the Language Challenge! So we recently received feedback from many of our past Language Challenge winners and wanted to share what weve found from everyones responses. We were very surprised as all the Language Challenge winners had the exact same advice on how they finished the challenge and weve summarized it in the following graphic: Just finished with week one and some of out #LanguageChallenge contestants are asking us some #tips on #howtowin. Heres the #answer #quotation #secrettosuccess #dontgiveup #italki #foreignlanguage #languages #languagelearning A photo posted by Italki (@italki) on Jan 25, 2015 at 6:41am PST

Games Can Help Kids Learn! - ALOHA Mind Math

Games Can Help Kids Learn! Ask any parent about the best way to keep a child occupied and sitting in one position for more than 10 minutes and the answer will mostly be “Hand them a video game!” Though we try to impose restrictions and limit the time spent on electronic items such as games or the computer, an easier way might be to introduce children to games that are fun as well as educational. In this way, we can utilize the time that is going to be spent on playing games anyway, in an effective and positive way. Free Educational Games Online:You can find a multitude of learning games for kids on online sites which can be played free of cost. These are usually even provided in a grade-wise grouping which makes it easy to find age appropriateness for your child. Do make sure that you scout around and check out the site online before you let your child play any game unsupervised especially for younger children. You will even find fun games for kids that help motor skills, such as painting or typing games, as well as a variety of math games for kids. Some of the most popular games are: Coloring games like this which educates the child about colors as well as teaches them motor control in a fun way. Math games like this one in which the child gets to play a game like pac-man and also solve some simple math problems along the way. Sites like this also give a grade-wise selection of games. Using gadgets effectively: Children are instantly attracted to gadgets like tablets or phones and pick up navigation skills to get around these devices even faster than an adult can. Parents can ensure that devices are updated with the current apps and newer games, choosing a combination of fun and educational games. Kids spend a lot of time on gadgets especially when you may be traveling and there may be nothing else to entertain them, so by choosing the best educational games for kids, you can make sure that they can learn along with play.“Super Why” has been named as one of the best educational Apple apps for kids, by Parenting.com, Board Games: Whenever possible, parents can also sit with children and play games such as Scrabble which are great for building vocabulary. Initially they might need a little parental guidance unlike with some online games or apps, but once the child gets an idea of the rules, they can start playing with friends and spread the enthusiasm too. As we can see, there are many games that we can choose from to help our kids have fun and learn at the same time. Another way to make learning fun and easy is to introduce them to mental math techniques through Abacus classes at Aloha USA. Please see our website for more details: http://www.aloha-usa.com/. Also, follow us on Facebook; http://www.facebook.com/aloha.usa and on Twitter @AlohaKidsMath for continuous updates on your child’s learning development!

6 Ways to Set Sail for Advanced Language Learning Without Leaving Home

6 Ways to Set Sail for Advanced Language Learning Without Leaving Home 6 Ways to Set Sail for Advanced Language Learning Without Leaving Home Learning a new language is a wild adventure. Youre introduced to new music, new movies, new people  and new cultures!The beginner stage is a particularly heady part of the love affair.Progress is quick, and the rewards are pretty high.There are tons of courses for beginners online, myriad blog posts and reams of books detailing how to get started.Everything about the new language is fresh  and exciting.But what about the intermediate or advanced learners out there? Wheres the support for them?Things are somewhat easier at a higher level, true.While you once stared at target language text with confusion, you now see lucid, beautiful writing! While you used to watch TV shows or listen to podcasts wondering how any human could  utter  such sounds, let alone make sense of them, you now  understand  a surprising amount of whats being said.Along with these successes, however, you cant help but notice that there are still texts out of your reach, and theyre not all exactly high literature e ither. You understand a lot of the spoken language, but you dont get  all  of the jokes, and some movies still fly right over your head.People who know youve been learning a language for a while may wonder why youre not fluent yet. Why you cant translate any phrase someone throws at you on command.It seems like its been weeks, nay,  months, since youve seen any improvement!Whats worse is that many people insist that  living in the country  is necessary to achieve real proficiency in a language.And if youre like me, you dont  quite have the resources for such an endeavor. So is that it for you? Will you ever make progress again?Of course you will! If youre somewhere roundabout the high-intermediate to advanced levels, and youre not sure what to do next, then this post is for you.There are plenty of ways to keep progressing without leaving your house, no matter how much of a challenge you need! 6 Ways to Set Sail for Advanced Language Learning Without Leaving Home1. Deliberately fil l holes in your vocabulary.  Learning vocabulary through media is greatâ€"its carried by context, and its easy to remember. However, you dont have to learn that way only. Sometimes word lists can be great. You can even engineer your reading to fill gaps in vocabulary!While this tip is a little textbook-y, its great for learners who already have a good handle on their target language. Competence in a language only drives further competenceâ€"youll understand and remember individual words better as you progress.This is active learning right here. Think hard about your vocabulary-based weaknesses. Can you talk easily about your job? About your favorite animal? Your hobbies? Can you teach someone to play your favorite sport in your target language? No? Then fix it!For example, scroll down to check out the baby-themed part of this Around the House vocab list  on MedicalSpanish.com.It includes the Spanish equivalents of words like crib, stroller and diaper. You probably knew these words w hen you were four (for good reason), but they dont tend to pop up in your run-of-the-mill language course or immersion environment.  A specific word list like this one is your solution if you suddenly need to talk about  babies!Most major languages have tons of vocab lists online. And its important to realize that even if they seem basic, theyre not necessarily just for beginners. There are lists out there with every household object you can think of (can you say clothespin in your target language?), obscure animals, gaming vocab, etc.One way to find these kinds of lists is to simply Google [topic] word list [target language], if youre learning a popular language.If youre interested in learning the vocabulary youre missing  without having to deliberately seek it out, you can always try  FluentU, an online immersion platform that keeps track of all the language you know.  FluentU takes real-world videosâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them in to personalized language learning lessons.You can also read Wikipedia articles on whatever subject you like, and look up the terminology you dont know. Its reading, its fun and itll make you into one fantastic conversationalist!2.  Start working your target language into your daily life.Whats the number one benefit of traveling or living abroad? It gives you an environment in which your target language is all around you all the time. You cant ignore it or easily retreat into an English (or whatever your native language is) bubble. If you can embrace that kind of intense environment, your linguistic skills will improve and  fast.But that doesnt mean that traveling abroad is the only way to boost your level. You can easily imitate this in your own home!Move beyond deliberately setting aside time for textbook study, reading or even target language TV. Youre past the beginner stage, so nows the time to mix these things in with your other everyday activities.  Make the language a part of you.  Shape your life so that it mirrors the lives of the most advanced speakers of your chosen language on the planet (native speakers!).Start browsing the Internet in your target language. Look up websites and online communities that talk about your favorite hobbies, your field of study or your work. TV, movies, video gamesâ€"whatever native resources you likeâ€"are doubly important now. Mix them in with the other things you watchâ€"watch target language TV or movies not just specifically while thinking about improvement, but  for fun, just to relax. Change your OS language or your phone settings, if you havent already. Own the language like youve never done before!However, if youre one of those good souls whos been hitting the native resources from the get-go, or even if youre not, trying  upping your concentration level every now and then. Really try to understand everything. See a word you dont know? Dont ignore it, look it up! Write it down or  enter it in your SRS.More input is crucial for advanced learning. Aim for resources outside your comfort zone every now and then, and focus on the parts you dont know.Which leads to3. Get intensive and extensive with your novel reading.In the spirit of focusing on what you  dont know, novels will improve intermediate and advanced language abilities in a very specific  way: They will hand you that elusive, obscure, specialized vocabulary on a silver platter.This is the stuff of fluency! Of eloquence!  Its hard to express yourself if you lack the specific words that express  precisely what you mean. Imagine yourself always having the right word, right at the tip of your tongue. Imagine being able to communicate  exactly what you mean,  exactly  when you need to.Novels will give you all this and more.But come on, why novels specifically? Wont Internet surfing, nonfiction scanning, technical manual browsing or shampoo bottle reading get you there just the same?Not quite. Novels differ from nonfiction in that fiction authors tend to employ a broader and richer vocabulary, all to your benefit. Its poetic! Theyre not just trying to convey information, theyre trying to do it artfully.Really pay attention to the long, descriptive passages in your novel of choice.  Sections like this tend to be more difficult and tend to use less common vocabulary. If youre already into target language novels, you might have skimmed these bits before between easier parts with more action and dialogue, but really concentrating on these passages will serve you well at this stage in your learning.Nevertheless, dialogue is also great for picking up conversational nuances and slang you might have missed in your listening or textbook work.But what should you read?What to readI find that, at the intermediate and advanced levels, middle-grade novels (aimed at children ages 8 through 12-ish) and young adult fiction (aimed at the 12 through 18 crowd) are particularly useful for making progress. The stories tend to be short and engaging without being bogged down with too much flowery language.Try to find your own favorite childhood novels in translation, or look for book bloggers and vloggers and get recommendations from them. (Google or YouTube search favorite books in your target language.)How to readSo besides keeping up with those descriptive passages, how can you incorporate novel reading into your routine with an eye on the advanced level?Try balancing these two methods:Extensive reading: This is reading for pleasure! The goal here is  breadth. You want to be reading lots of novels, skipping what you dont know. You have my permission to ignore unknown vocabulary words and weird grammar constructions! Youll end up picking up a lot of these through context, anyways. Extensive reading is great for intermediate and advanced learners, because a lot more comprehensible literature is available to you. You can pick up things in your favorite genres and just relax and have a good time. You wont understand ev erything just yet, but extensive reading gets you there!Intensive reading:  This is just the opposite of extensive reading. The goal here is  depth. This fits in with  the aforementioned idea of really focusing on what you dont know. Look up words on each page and make note of them or enter them into your SRS. Make mentalâ€"or physicalâ€"note of grammar patterns you havent seen before. This gets tiring, however, so Id recommend limiting this to 2-3 pages or 10-20 minutes at a time. After that, go back to extensive reading for fun!4. Add output to your input!Output (speaking and writing) is often the benchmark of whether we know a language. While this might be a  little  unfair (comprehension is worth a heck of a lot), output is what a lot of us are after.During the beginning stages of language learning, it can be beneficial to stick with input (listening and reading), while you build up your skills. Then, when you feel somewhat confident, you can bounce over to talking and writing!I f you use this kind of input-based method, you can comfortably start speaking and writing practice at the mid-intermediate stage, around when you start to understand sizeable chunks of clearly-spoken media (think news, radio shows, things like that).You can certainly wait longer if you want. Input is still hugely beneficial for speech and writing, even if you wait to speak. And if youre the outgoing type, make sure you still include input even when youre focusing on output!However, what this all comes down to is that practicing output at the intermediate and advanced levels can really make your target language feel natural to you, and youll soon be able to speak and write without stumbling. The main thing to keep in mind when practicing output is that its important to get corrected!Here are a few resources for practicing writing:Lang-8:  Lang-8 allows you to write journal entries in your target language, and native speakers correct you. The turnaround is quick: Native speakers will generally get back to you within the day, sometimes within hours. Because were talking advanced level here, try to use Lang-8 and similar resources on a scheduled basis, say, a journal entry every day or every other day. Additionally, make sure to push yourself. If you just talk about your daily life in every entry, youll be using the same vocabulary over and over. Pushing beyond intermediate and advanced stages means getting a little creative: Try writing book and movie reviews, political opinions, tutorials for sports or games, religious manifestos, you name it!Conversation Exchange:  This site allows you to contact native speakers for Skype calls, live meetups, or pen pal exchanges. While it gives all of these options, I find its best for seeking out pen palsâ€"a lot of people on the site are willing to exchange emails every now and then. This is great because, like Lang-8, it forces you to write drawn-out letters rather than quick texts or chat, and youll get corrections! Again, push yourself out of your comfort zone and talk about a variety of subjects (though political opinions or religious manifestos might not be as appropriate when writing directly to another person).Google searches:  If youre just writing on your own and youre not sure about a particular phrase, try typing it into the Google search barâ€"if it autocompletes, youre probably right! If youre  still not sure, search the phrase in quotes to see if native speakers commonly use it.WordReference forums:  Finally, while many of you might already be familiar with the online multilingual dictionary WordReference,  you may not have taken advantage of the sites extensive forums.  The forums are a fantastic resource because native speakers and learners alike discuss the nuances of all kinds of vocabulary. This is a boon for the intermediate-advanced learner whos moved beyond your standard bilingual or monolingual dictionary!For speaking practice, try:Finding an exchange partner on  italki,  The Mix xer  or any other language exchange site:  italki is a hugely popular site thats geared towards learners who want to practice their languages over Skype (though it has features similar to Lang-8, too). On italki, you can also hire an online tutor if you so choose. The Mixxer is similar, but a little less active. As many of you will know, a Skype language exchange will likely involve speaking one language for a set amount of time, and then switching to practicing the other. So, how do you tailor this to the advanced level? Look for a serious partner on these sites whos willing to brutally correct you and talk about a variety of subjects!Find an online tutor. For a relatively low price per lesson, you can also find a professional tutor. Verbling is a site that makes the whole process of searching for an online language tutor super easy and comfortable. Once youve found a tutor, make it clear that youre there for conversational skills, and a well-trained tutor will be able to help you expand those. Theyll help you target your weaknesses and get you away from talking about the safe subjects you might have a habit of clinging to.5. Forget long-term goals: Set mid-term and mini goals.When youre a beginner, its easy to absorb whats around youâ€"thatll be a lot of the common vocabulary and common grammar, and other basic conversational stuff.When youre at the high-intermediate or advanced stage, you know that there are still linguistic bits youre missing, but doing the same old things that worked as a beginner doesnt necessarily cut it anymore.Sometimes you can get bored. Youve been at the language for a while now, and it might be frustrating for you that youre not further along.Goals are key hereâ€"they can vary widely, from learner to learner, but they help maintain your progress.To make sure you stay on track, set mid-term goals. Your long-term goal is probably fluency in the language, and youre still working towards that. But mid-term goals keep you on track from week to week and month to month.These can include things like:To be able to comfortably have casual conversations within two months.To be able to talk about my work at job interview level within ___ months.To be able to understand classical literature in my language within ___ weeks.Specific goals are bestâ€"you know what reaching the goal should look like, so youll know with certainty when you’re there!Set mini goals tooâ€"these can be things you do on a daily basis. Try to tailor them to your long-term goals, and theyll help you along the way. For example:Skype conversations once a week.Lang-8 journal entry three times a week.6. Relax and accept learning plateaus.Learning plateaus are common amongst learners in the intermediate stage and beyond. You were used to making huge strides as a beginner, but now it may seem like its been a long time since youve made significant progress.The good news is that these plateaus are not caused by your inability to learn a language.  Your stri des might seem smaller, but youre making as much progress and more! In fact, if you harness the power of the intermediate and advanced stages, you can get better at your target language a lot faster. The key to this, as already mentioned, is exposure to native resourcesâ€"once you understand a little, that understanding builds on itself.Personally, Ive found that at the intermediate level, learning starts manifesting as sudden, almost inexplicable jumps in ability.  The fact of the matter is that youve been improving all along, but you only notice the improvement when its dramatic.So dont worry too much about seeing progress from day to day. Just carry on with your reading and listening and watching and talking, and be comforted by the idea that youre surely still on track and youre making progress. And some day soon, youll surprise yourself with fluency!There you have it: Everything you need to know to move up to and beyond an advanced level, all without spending thousands on trave l!Travel is not a necessity for reaching proficiency in a languageâ€"not by a long shot.And getting fluent in a language before you travel can come with some sweet benefits.When you do eventually go, youll be able to talk, read signs and generally relax in the language.Itll make your progress that much more rewarding! And One More ThingIf youre digging these at-home learning strategies, youll love using FluentU. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that natives  speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse Screen.FluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hov er your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.Interactive transcript for Carlos Baute song.You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs learn mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the iTunes store  or Google Play store.

An Overview of Educational Tutoring Programs For Toddlers

An Overview of Educational Tutoring Programs For ToddlersTaught tutoring for toddlers should be the goal of every teacher and parent, but it is often elusive. These children are often too much for most teachers to handle, especially if they have no background in childcare and the toddler has no formal schooling. Most teachers aren't really comfortable with the idea of teaching and learning to their children, especially when they already feel that they don't know enough about the subject matter.When you want to begin tutoring for toddlers, you need to make sure that you have the right curriculum. This can be a hard topic to find time to research, especially since many tutoring programs for toddlers fall under the auspices of traditional schools. It is imperative that you search for a program that provides the right educational material to prepare your child for the first step of tutoring, which is Kindergarten. A lesson plan will help you in teaching this first stage in a fun and inte ractive way, while allowing your child to develop an overall attitude and confidence.The time required to read through the many other lessons in a program may be very daunting, so you may want to consider purchasing or making an online package that includes some of the more engaging lessons, which are more commonly found in the programs for children. Online tutoring programs for toddlers also enable you to review the material as it is taught, so that you can really see what is being done and whether it is working.Make sure that the online program has a homework assignment or activity for each lesson and video for each activity. This enables your child to demonstrate skills and learn faster. It is also important that the program allows you to perform the tasks in the computer, allowing you to view the progress as your child goes through the program. If your child is lacking motivation to perform the tasks, you may want to look at purchasing a program that contains parental management software that allows you to lock the computer while the child is completing the program.It is very important that you use a tutor that has experience in working with children and can be patient and understanding of your child's shortcomings. As much as possible, make your interaction with the tutor something you enjoy and your child will also become motivated to be a more cooperative student. If you have specific issues you would like addressed, you should make sure that you bring this up and your tutor will be happy to provide answers.There are several excellent programs that you can utilize. Some are very popular and offer a wide range of teaching methods. Others are much more simple and allow your child to focus on reading and writing skills at a younger age. There are programs that allow your child to speak to the tutor in real time, so that they can listen and see the results of their work in their own time.When you start your program, there will be a few initial tasks, such a s identifying your child's strengths and weaknesses, looking at a particular lesson, and training your child to be able to function in the tutor's office. After these tasks, you will have a program that is geared toward teaching your child as well as building their confidence. This is the program that you will be using when you begin tutoring for toddlers.

How Can I Teach With a Teaching Degree?

How Can I Teach With a Teaching Degree?You can find many opportunities for teaching with a degree in tutoring Clear Creek and several other area schools. Even if you don't want to teach, there are numerous great opportunities to work with children. Many people who work in this field are employed as tutors and counselors at various schools.Parents may contact your school or community center in order to find out if you can teach there. They may be willing to hire you for a job. It is even possible to join one of the private tutoring centers in Clear Creek and get started teaching. You can work with kids who come to your school but don't have classes there.You can start by working at the downtown Clear Creek branch of West Valley College. It is an excellent place to start. If you want to teach at a different school, you need to work there for a while. Once you get used to it, you may be able to teach at your new school.There are also other opportunities to teach at the Clear Creek Schoo l District. The district does not really do a good job of keeping track of how many tutors they have. In fact, the school district doesn't really provide you with any kind of job opportunities if you don't have a teaching degree. You might find that you are working in schools for a while before you can be hired as a teacher. You might be able to find work as a counselor.Don't forget that the Clear Creek School District has several schools that are running programs that are based on the rich history of the Clear Creek area. You might find that you can teach there. It is possible to work as a tutor for them. They can use your teaching experience to help keep their students educated. You might also find that your teaching ability helps children who are struggling to make it in school to learn as much as possible.In fact, your help at Clear Creek can make it possible for the children in the district to have a more successful future. Teaching with a teaching degree may be necessary to ma ke that happen. If you are looking for a great way to learn how to teach, you should consider learning the ropes at Clear Creek.If you think you would enjoy teaching at Clear Creek, contact their library. They will be happy to give you information about the opportunities there.

Slope of a Vertical line

Slope of a Vertical line A vertical line is the line that is parallel to the y axis as, the y-axis is the vertical line. The equation of the y axis is x = 0. Slope of a line is defined as raise over run. The slope of a straight line is calculated by the change in the y co-ordinates divided by the change in the x co-ordinates of any two points on the straight line. Example 1: Find the equation of the straight line parallel to y axis and passing through the point (3, 4)? Solution: Given, the line is parallel to the y axis. The equation of the y axis is x = 0. The lines are parallel so they have the same slope. The slope of the y-axis is undefined. Hence the slope of the vertical line is undefined. General form of the vertical line passing through (a, b) is x =a The line is passing through (3, 4). Therefore the equation of the vertical line is x = 3. Example 2: Find the equation of the straight line parallel to y axis and passing through the point (1, -5)? Solution: Given, the line is parallel to the y axis. The equation of the y axis is x = 0. The slope of the y-axis is undefined. Hence the slope of the vertical line is undefined. General form of the vertical line passing through (a, b) is x =a The line is passing through (1, -5). Therefore the equation of the vertical line is x = 1.

How Well Do You Know Spanish 15 Ways to Test Yourself

How Well Do You Know Spanish 15 Ways to Test Yourself Suzy S. How much do you really know from your Spanish lessons or classes? While there are a few Spanish proficiency tests available online, theres an easier way to test yourself: simply ask yourself 15 practical questions. Read on as Fairfax, CA tutor  Jason N.  explains Learning Spanish can enhance your life in innumerable ways, such as having more competitive job opportunities, understanding Spanish films and poetry, and most importantly being able to form deep connections with people who only speak Spanish. Contrary to what many believe, you do not have to be young to learn a new language (although it helps). That said, learning a new language can be one of the most demanding goals you can conquer. The depth of practice necessary to root Spanish into the brain so that it sticks for the long-haul can discourage many Spanish learners, and they give up before they are able to see the fruits of their efforts. This article is about preventing that, by keeping the bigger picture in mind when faced with seemingly insurmountable roadblocks. You can think of the following questions as indicators of where you are, and that can point you in the right direction to get you “back on track” and not throw in the towel too soon. Each question follows a chronological order, and reflects a progressively more advanced command of Spanish. Effective language learning rewards persistence and repetition over a long time span. If you are reading this blog, you already learned one language, proving you can definitely learn another! 1) Can you sing the alphabet in Spanish?  This is key to understanding, spelling, and pronouncing basic Spanish. Most Spanish classes start here. I start here with my students who are new to the language. 2) Can you conjugate a verb, especially hablar or comer?  Without knowing how to conjugate verbs, we would not be able to form coherent sentences. Just like English, conjugating verbs is essential to learning Spanish. 3) Can you count to 100 in Spanish?  Numbers are key to a basic knowledge of a  language. 4) Can you differentiate between masculine and feminine nouns? Between ser and estar? Between por and para?  Unlike English, every noun in Spanish has a gender! Learning their genders is just as important as learning the noun. The same applies to the differences between ser and estar,  and por and para. 5) Can you routinely pluralize the articles and adjectives of any given noun?  Plurality tends to follow nouns around in Spanish, unlike in English. For example, in English, we say the red beautiful cars,” whereas in Spanish, we would say  Los carros bellos y rojos. 6) Do you struggle with Spanish without giving up or feeling lousy?  Struggling is where a lot of the learning happens, so be patient! Unfortunately, this is where many people give up. If you are being too hard on yourself when you haven’t learned a certain concept or word, pause and remember how difficult learning a new language is, by nature. 7) Is your vocabulary strong enough to order a meal or choose the correct bus or subway line without faltering? 8) Can you read an article in Spanish and get the general idea? 9) Can you formulate a complete sentence in Spanish? 10) Do you ever think in Spanish, or are you constantly translating words and phrases from English to Spanish in your head?  On your road to truly becoming proficient in Spanish, you should gradually start to think in that language. This can be as simple as “How are you?” ( ¿Cómo estás? in Spanish) to as intricate as “I wonder why the person sitting in front of me at the coffee shop drank three coffees, but still fell asleep?” ( ¿Por qué la persona en frente de mí quedó dormida después de tomar tres tazas de café?) If you’ve been practicing for years, but are still mentally translating, see this link to practice Spanish on mobile applications, or even better, work with a tutor regularly! 11) Can you listen, read, write, or speak for more than 20 minutes without feeling like your brain is on a frying pan?  Believe it or not, if you are a native English speaker, you once struggled to learn English as an infant and child. You were not always verbal. You have years, possibly decades, of English practice under your belt now. If you feel overwhelmed after practicing Spanish for 20 minutes, stop and take a breather. This is simply an indicator that you need more practice. 12) Can you watch a movie in Spanish without subtitles and not feel totally confused? 13) Do you dream in Spanish?  A language really begins finding its way into the core of your neutrons when it influences your unconscious mind and habits. When studying Spanish in Costa Rica in 2010, I had recurring dreams of my Costa Rican friends and classmates correcting my Spanish grammar and pronunciation as I spoke to them. This isn’t exactly the kind of dream I am referring to, but I still associate this with when I truly started to become fluent. This was the first time in my life where I was writing, reading, speaking, and listening to more Spanish than English on a daily basis. Ask anyone who has successfully learned Spanish as a second language, and he or she will have a similar story. 14) Do certain words or phrase come more readily available to your mind in Spanish, before English?  If you are listening, reading, speaking, or writing  in  Spanish frequently, you will know you’re doing well when you can think of the Spanish word or phrase before the English one every now and then. 15) Do you feel understood when you are in a context where only Spanish is used?   With language, you either use it or lose it. These questions are meant to motivate you! Six years ago, I knew fewer than 40 words in Spanish, and now I work primarily with Spanish-speakers in one job and teach Spanish in my other job. It’s a long-term process, and your efforts (although not always tangible immediately) will reap incredible benefits if you stick with it! Looking for a more interactive Spanish proficiency test? Here are some of our favorites: Spanish Proficiency Test via Transparent Language Spanish Test Online via don Quixote Placement Test Spanish via Lengalia Jason N. tutors in English and Spanish in Fairfax, CA.  He majored in Spanish at UC Davis, lived in Mexico for 3 years where he completed a Masters degree in Counseling, and studied Spanish Literature and Psychology at the University of Costa Rica. Learn more about Jason here!   Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! 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How to Structure French Sentences for Beginners

How to Structure French Sentences for Beginners How To Build French Sentences ChaptersThe Simple Declarative SentenceNegative SentencesAdding Adjectives, Adverbial PhrasesDependent and relative clausesThe French Interrogative SentenceThe French Conditional SentenceConfessions of a Language Learner: Learning with a TutorSpeaking French is more than just learning vocabulary words from flash cards. Words are just the atoms, the building blocks of a language. They have to be put into context, strung together to form a sentence that is imparted with meaning.And grammar rules don’t just govern how to decline a verb, or what gender a French word is. They also regulate in what order you are going to put the words in a sentence. Your French classes will teach you a lot about how to conjugate a verb, have your nouns and adjectives agree and what words and phrases will help you find the bathroom. What they might not teach you (but should) is sentence structure.How are sentences put together in French? Does one use the dative, nominative, accusative and interrogative ca ses the same way as in English?Setting aside that pesky grammatical gender agreement required to speak French properly, where and how do adjectives and adverbial phrases fit in a properly constructed sentence?As an overview of these topics, Superprof presents this chart, one that you might consider printing and clipping and carrying with you to your French lessons or your French tutoring sessions.Native speakers of French experience the same conundrum: if they are already speaking correctly, why do they have to analyse their speech?Grammar rules are the blueprints upon which language is built; its role obvious only upon learning a second language.Going back to the earlier analogy, that words are a language's building blocks, we can put grammar in that context by assigning it the role of mortar holding the blocks together.Just as mortar may combine different ingredients, so, from one language to the next, grammar may involve different constructions to make sentences.The most common t ype of sentence in English and in French is the  declarative sentence;  a simple expression stating a fact:Il fait beau.   It (the weather) is nice.Catherine est une adolescente. Catherine is a teenager.  J'ai faim! I am hungry!Ma mère est danseuse. My mother is a dancer.  Il écoute la musique. He listens to music.  As in English, the declarative form in French is the core around which more complicated sentences can be built.Basic as (French) bread, the declarative sentence is the simplest form of expression Source: Pixabay Credit: Free-PhotosBasic French sentences with nounsWhen you learn a language, you start with basic sentences with the most common word order.In French, this is SVO - Subject + Verb + Object. As for most Romance languages - and, indeed, English - the subject (who is doing the action?) generally comes at the beginning of the sentence.There follows the verb, and then the direct object (what is he/she doing?). The sentences above are all examples of the SVO constr uct.We now expand on that basic sentence structure by adding an  indirect object (for/to/with whom is he doing it?):Subject + Verb + Direct Object + Indirect ObjectMarie donne le livre à sa maîtresse.  Marie gives the book to her teacher.Jean rend le cartable à son frère. Jean gives his brother his rucksack back.Suzanne apporte les pommes  Ã  la cuisine. Suzanne brings the apples to the kitchen.Lucie retourne les livres  Ã  la bibliotheque. Lucy returns the books to the library.  Remi mange son dîner  Ã  table. Remi eats dinner at the table.  In each of these examples, the subject is doing something with the direct object for, to or with the indirect object.Until now, we've only shown sample sentences using action verbs: somebody or something doing something. What about sentences that use a compound verb?In French as in English, compound verbs consist of an auxiliary verb and a participle verb form, either in past or present tense.In English these 'helper' verbs are to be, to h ave and to do. In French, only the first two, être and avoir, are used in compound structures with being  Ãªtre used less frequently.Nevertheless, the structure remains the same: the verb that indicates what is happening stays in second place:Le roi avait pardonné le mousquetaire. The king had pardoned the musketeer.J'ai fini la vaisselle. I have finished the dishes.  Les parents ont gaté ces enfants! The parents have spoiled these children!Le maitre avait donné des devoirs. The teacher had given homework.  Mon copain est arrivé hier soir. My mate arrived yesterday evening.  The only time a direct object might come after an indirect object is if there is additional information attached to it, such as a relative clause:Jean rend à son frère le cartable qu’il lui avait prêté. Jean gives his brother back the rucksack he had lent him.Ma soeur montre  Ã  ma mére les dessins que j'avais peint. My sister shows my mother the drawings I painted.  Mon collegue dit  Ã  nôtre patro n que je suis fainéante!  My colleague tells our boss that I am lazy!Benoit lit  Ã  sa copine des pôemes qu'il trouve romantique.   Benoit reads to his girlfriend poems he finds romantic.Gabriel donne  Ã  sa soeur les bonbons qu'il avait promi. Gabriel gave to his sister the sweets he had promised.  Naturally, you could structure the sentence in such a way that the direct object comes before the indirect:Gabriel a donné les bonbons qu'il avait promi a  sa soeur. Gabriel gave the sweets he had promised to his sister.  However, that makes the sentence meaning ambiguous: He promised the candies to his sister, but who exactly did he give them to?French being an exceedingly precise language, it is always best to follow the proper sentence structure in order to convey your intended meaning.It might take a bit of practice, but your language skills will be all the richer for it!Who exactly did Gabriel give the sweets to? Said correctly in French, we would know! Source: Pixabay Credit: Sk yradarWord order with pronounsAs in many other languages, French words are put into a different order if some or all of them are pronouns.Let’s take the sentence:Marie montre son dessin à sa maman. Marie shows her drawing to her mum.Subject pronouns stay at the beginning of the sentence:Elle montre son dessin à sa maman. She shows her drawing to her mum.  Sometimes, in French, it is much more convenient to describe an object in a sentence by using a pronoun.Consider the sentence above: She shows her drawing to her mum. How can that sentence be made less cumbersome?Elle lui montre son dessin. - 'lui' takes the place of 'maman' even though, generally, 'lui' represents a male. Elle le montre à sa maman. - 'le' takes the place of the picture. In this sentence, the gender matches; dessin is masculine. Elle le lui montre. - here, you have a combination of the two representations above, with 'le' meaning 'dessin' and 'lui' in for 'maman'.Let us now suppose you are that dear mum, telli ng a jealous mother about how your daughter creates artwork for you. You would say:Son dessin? Elle me le montre! Her drawing? She shows it to me!Because of its first person singular designation, “me” ranks higher than “le” - a mere article. Therefore, you would place 'me' before 'le' in such sentences.Object pronouns come BEFORE the verb but AFTER the subject. In what order they come depends on the pronoun:Subject + 'me', 'te', 'se', 'nous', 'vous' + 'le', 'la', 'les' + 'lui', 'leur' + (adverbial pronoun “y”) + 'en' + Verb.Examples:Elle nous les montre. She shows them to us. Note that 'montre' agrees with 'elle' - third person singular.You might also phrase it as a question:Elle vous les montre? Does she show them to you? Either way, the order listed above remains.'En' is an indefinite plural pronoun that, in this sentence's case, represents the drawings. 'en' is always placed just before the verb:Elle montre des dessins à sa maman. - Elle lui en montre. She shows some drawings to her mum. She shows her them.Learn more about French grammar rules.Negative SentencesThe French negative words are: ne…pas and ne…point (the latter is archaic or regional).“Ne” comes immediately after the subject. “Pas” comes immediately after the verb.Marie ne montre pas son dessin à sa maman. Marie does not show her drawing to her mum.  Marie ne le montre pas à sa maman. Marie doesn't show it to her mum.Marie ne lui montre pas son dessin. Marie doesn't show her her drawing.Marie ne le lui montre pas. Marie doesn't show her it.French sentence structure in the negative. Photo credit: biphop on Visual huntNegation is pretty straightforward in French, however you should be aware of using 'any' properly.The equivalent of the English “no” or “not…any” is “ne…aucun”:Marie ne montre aucun dessin à sa mère. Marie doesn’t show any drawing to her mother. Or: Marie shows no drawings to her mother.Adding Adjectives, Adverbial PhrasesAdverbs and a dverbial phrasesThe adverbial phrase or complément circonstanciel can come at the beginning, the end or the middle of the sentence. They are emphasised if they are put at the beginning or the end; it is more colloquial to only put single-word adverbs in the middle.Such phrases may denote a time:Marie lui montrera son dessin demain. Marie will show him/her her drawing tomorrow.  Demain, Marie lui montrera son dessin. Tomorrow, Marie will show him/her her drawing.Marie lui montrera demain son dessin. Marie will show him/her tomorrow her drawingOr a place:Marie lui montrera son dessin à l’école. Marie will show her drawing at school.  Ã€ l’école, Marie lui montrera son dessin. At school, Marie will show her drawing.However, if you are using a complément circonstanciel construction to denote a place where an activity has happened, you cannot put that location in the middle of the sentence:Marie lui montrera à l’école son dessin. Marie will show him/her at school her drawing .  You'll note that, as we do not know who the 'lui' in question is, it might represent a male or a female - hence both pronouns.    Adverbial pronounsThe adverbial pronoun “y” (directional) comes after most other pronouns but before the plural pronoun “en”. It is generally used to denote a progressive action, or one that is about to take place. However,  'y' can only be used if the listener knows what the speaker is talking about:Marie va à l’école. Marie goes to school. If the listener knows where Marie is headed, the speaker could say: Marie y va - Marie is going.Another example: Nous irons au bois. We go to the forest. Contrast that with the much simpler: Nous y allons. We're going - the usage is contingent on it being known where we are going!Caution! You should never say:Marie y va  Ã  l'école or Nous y allons au bois  - it suggests the listener both knows and doesn't know the destination.Find French lessons that may interest you here.How would you say Marie and P aul go to school in French? Source: Pixabay Credit: Mohamad HassanAdjectives and their placement in the sentence.Unlike in English, Adjectives  are generally placed right after the noun:Whereas an English speaker would say: 'the red balloon', in French, the proper order is: 'le ballon rouge'. Here are some more examples:The hungry lion = le lion affamé.The sleepy child = l'enfant somnolent(e).The playful cat = le chat (la chatte) ludique.A good book = un bon livre.Do you know of the BAGS group? It denotes constructions wherein the adjective comes before the noun:Beauty: Un joli ballon. A pretty balloon.  More: Une jolie femme (a pretty woman), une belle chanson (a pretty song)Age: Un vieux ballon. An old balloon. More: Un viel homme (an old man), une vieille bicyclette (an old bicycle)Goodness: Un méchant ballon. A mean balloon. More: un bon vin (a good wine), une bonne amie (a good friend).Size: Un grand ballon. A big balloon.  More: Un petit ballon (a small balloon), une petite fille (a small girl).Adjectives used with verbs expressing a state come after the verb:Le ballon est vert.  The balloon is green.Le ballon semble petit.  The balloon seems small.Le ballon deviendra grand.  The balloon will become big.  Note that adjectives should always agree with the noun they are qualifying in gender and number.La chatte deviendra grande. The (female) cat will become big.  La fille semble petite. The girl seems small.  La voiture est verte. The car is green.  An imperative phrase,always begins with the verb. Photo credit: biphop on Visual HuntDon’t forget to do the grammar exercises in your French grammar textbooks and from your online French course to help you learn all about French sentence structure, learn French expressions and how to conjugate French verbs.Confessions of a Language Learner: Learning with a TutorLet us again reflect on how we learned our native tongue: by speaking it. That being the case, wouldn't it make sense that language classes would fo cus on spoken language rather than language mechanics?All while acknowledging that grammar is indeed essential to language, must we inevitably conclude that lessons in grammar are a vital component of language lessons?It seems to be a universal practice that language classes will devote a substantial portion of their time to teaching grammar, placing less emphasis on speaking and listening skills.I can say that with some veracity. Having been a language learner for all of my life - aren't we all? - and currently embroiled in picking up a new tongue, I feel frustration at grammatical exercises in the classroom that do seemingly little to improve my speaking ability.I could rail about it, complain to my teacher or school leader... or I could do something about it.Grateful as I am of my teacher's efforts at imparting declensions, cases and other grammatical particulars - and having no desire to detract her, I have engaged a tutor for the express purpose of practicing my speaking skills .This gives me the best of both worlds.I have a teacher, in a formal setting, imparting all of the nuts and bolts that makes this language I'm learning so very challenging.I also have a conversation partner who is a native speaker of this language, whose focus is exclusively on my pronunciation and my ability to understand what he says.Whereas in class, I get very little talking time; with my online tutor, I get to talk as much as I want - indeed, I am encouraged to talk ever more!If you are reading this, then you too must be a language learner. As such, you might consider the solution I hit upon to acquire the most language capability in the fastest manner possible.A language tutor will tailor his/her lessons to your needs and abilities, all while driving you to improve steadily. Also, s/he will give you a substantial boost in confidence - something that sometimes gets left out for all of the busy-ness in class.Why not contact a Superprof French tutor to help you, the way my tutor helps me?