How to Get Help With Organic Chemistry

How to Get Help With Organic ChemistryOrganic chemistry is one of the most interesting subjects to study. It involves the various components of matter and the chemical reactions that occur within. So you can expect a lot of great things from this subject. However, if you are a newbie to this subject, you may want to look into getting help from a tutor or class assistant.Organic chemistry consists of some of the fundamental concepts such as chemical bonds, atoms, molecules, etc. Getting a tutor is one way of helping you to learn these important concepts. They can help you get the best out of your study time, as well as help you make the most of your teacher-student ratio.If you want to take a break from the topic of organic chemistry, it is also possible to take help from a teacher on organic chemistry. You may find yourself taking some advanced classes, and the need for a teacher to make sure you do well in the classes can come in handy.Another way to learn organic chemistry is by ta king a class in a nearby college. Some colleges have these at all levels. Check around and see what the colleges have available, as they will vary in size. Many colleges have access to many local labs, so you can study anywhere in the community.You can also look into online schools that offer courses. These are extremely convenient and often allow you to stay at home and study at your own pace.One thing to keep in mind is that you need to be very disciplined. If you do not understand the material, you should not worry too much about taking tests and quizzes, because they will not make much difference.Organic chemistry is a really interesting subject to learn and can be very useful when you want to understand how different substances interact with each other. It is important to choose the right learning method for you.

15 Famous Drummers You Should Know About

15 Famous Drummers You Should Know About The Best Drummers in the World ChaptersFamous Jazz DrummersBest Rock Drummers of All TimeFamous Female DrummersLearning From Your Favourite DrummersAnyone who has ever taken face to face or online  drum lessons has dreamed of becoming one of the greatest drummers of all time. They want to influence young jazz drummers just as they were influenced by the bands of their youth, play the drum solo in a metal band and find themselves on the cover of Drummer Magazine.Superprof is here with a list of famous drummers to provide inspiration to aspiring musicians., then with Rod Stewart. His younger brother Vinny played with Dio and Black Sabbath.Ian PaicePaice is the one member of Deep Purple who has been with them from the start. He plays hard and fast and full of energy and is know for hits such as “Smoke on the Water” and “Hush”.Phil CollinsThough Phil Collins also played jazz, he is best known for being the lead drummer in the Prog-Rock band Genesis. He is widely considered to have been the best drummer of the 1970s, often coming into the studio to support other well-known names. He is known for his “gated snare” drum sound. Nerve damage has forced him to retire as a drummer in 2007 (or has it?), but his legacy lives on.Learn which drums make up a traditional drum set...Dave GrohlFrom playing on pillows with snare sticks to contributing to Nirvana’s hard, uncompromising sound, Grohl has truly come up in life.He is the lead guitarist and main songwriter for the Foo Fighters and still drums for Them Crooked Vultures.Dave Grohl, drummer for Nirvana, Foo Fighters and Them Crooked Vultures. Photo credit: Giarc80HC on Visualhunt.comGinger BakerTrained in jazz, Baker started with the band “Cream”. He’s known for his power style, complicated rhythms, energy and showmanship. Ginger spent several years in Nigeria to study African drumming, and his rhythmic style reflects it.To take drum lessons anywhere in the UK, you only need to head to Superprof!Famous Female DrummersFor some reason, female drummers are not quite as visible as male drummers in rock bands, but a number of women have made their mark in the music world as some of the best drummers around.Cindy Santana-BlackmanA versatile drummer who has worked in jazz drumming and rock, she first rose to prominence drumming for Lenny Kravitz. She has drummed with a variety of bands including Spectrum Road, Sam Rivers and her husband Carlos Santana.Sheila E.Sheila Escovedo is a well-known drummer, singer and songwriter who had her big break during the eighties. She is best known for her work with Prince.Meg WhiteThe percussionist for the blues rock duo The White Stripes, Meg White has a minimalist, flowing style that set a powerful stage for their music. She often sang as well.Karen CarpenterThough her career was tragically ended by anorexia, Karen Carpenter was known as a drummer before she was famous as the lead singer of The Carpenters. She was especially admired for her ability to drum and sing and the same tim e, something that is not easy to do.Janet WeissConsidered as one of the top fifty best drummers in the world, Janet Weiss has played with bands such as The Furies, then got taken on with Sleater-Kinney after an impromptu jam session after one of their shows. She also played for Quasi, the Jicks and Wild Flag.Bobbye HallA session musician not affiliated with any one rock band, Bobby Hall has played with many of the greats, including Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Doors and Pink Floyd. She plays a dizzying array of percussion instruments, from congos to congas to tabla to the güiro.Discover also the history of playing drums through the ages!Bobbye Hall is a session musician who has worked with all the greats, with a large number of percussion instruments. Photo credit: Sunkissis, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40881344Learning From Your Favourite DrummersLooking at the performances of star drummers is a good way to progress in your craft. Watch music v ideos or YouTube videos of concerts and pay attention to their technique on the snare drum, their trick for double bass rolls, how they hold their sticks or hit the cymbal.Of course, part of finding yourself as a musician is finding the moves that are most comfortable for you. But if you try to imitate other drummers, you will get a feel for what works for you and what does not. It will give you ideas for your drum fills and a starting point for elaborating your own style.Try looking at drummers outside of your own music style. Sometimes certain trends in a genre can lead to bad habits or ignoring a technique that is very common in jazz though it’s rarely done in funk.Also, finding what you liked or didn’t like in their performance will help you fine-tune your own. You can try recording yourself or having a friend make a movie as you play the drums so you can analyse your own performance the way you did that of your drumming idol.If you are taking drum lessons London or in Manch ester, our Superprof drum tutors will teach you how to emulate your drumming heroes! You can even find drum lessons for kids.Now discover more facts about the drums!

Teacher Tips to Get the New Year off to a Great Start

Teacher Tips to Get the New Year off to a Great Start Holiday break is behind you, yet your students still seem to be in vacation mode. What can you do to get things back on track quickly? Here are a few ideas for how to re-energize students for the winter semester: Catch up. Talk with your students about what they enjoyed about their breaks. Make the transition a little smoother by easing into the work and giving students a chance to restore that camaraderie with their classmates. Set class goals. Surely you have an agenda for this semester, but rather than tell students what it is, talk through your objectives for student outcomes and get their buy-in. Invite student input where you can. Go over expectations. January is a good time to refresh students memories on class expectations and processes that you went over at the start of the school year. Share your expectations and consequences for not meeting them and trust your students to behave accordingly. Have students write their own goals. Some students might have already thought about their New Years resolutions why not dedicate some class time to that process, too? The first week back to school, ask students to think about what they want to accomplish this semester, academically and otherwise, the steps theyll need to take to get there, and how you as their teacher can support them. Tidy up. Get your classroom in order, and have your students get their desks, binders, and backpacks in order, too. Yes, you could spend your free time doing this, but getting your students involved gets them more invested. Survey students. What did they like about the fall semester? What projects or lessons were particularly engaging? Talk about things youd like to do differently throughout the winter and spring and ask for their ideas. Lastly, be enthusiastic yourself! Nothing is more inspiring than your own attitude, so if youre eager and forward-looking, theres a greater chance that your students will be, too.

New Years 10 Day English Challenge

New Years 10 Day English Challenge As we begin a new year, we might  reflect on the past year and look forward to the next one.  For many people, this means thinking of what they would like to do better, or something they want to accomplish in 2019.  Im a fan of small, achievable goals for my New Years resolutions.  So, I thought of a fun, achievable goal for all you English learners out there: a ten day English challenge.  All you have to do is spend 10 minutes learning English  for 10 days.  Luckily for you,  Ive compiled ten  fun, 10-minute learning experiences.  Some days well practice grammar, some days listening, fluency, reading and more.  You might see topics youre already familiar with, but extra practice never hurts.   Are you ready to set 2017 off on the right foot by improving your English?  Happy New Year, and happy learning!DAY ONE: LISTENING EXERCISEThis interesting video explains  why many people (including myself) dont care much about NYE.  The narrator speaks very quickly, so pay close atten tion, and share your thoughts on this holiday and your answers in the comments section!83% indicated they felt let down.  Not because of their actual plans, but because they ended __ having less fun than they expected.To end  up is a common phrasal verb that means to finally be in a particular place or situation.  What did you end up doing at 12:00am on January 1st, 2019?Reflection can cause existential crises, and __________ on negative events ___ also ____ shown to increase stress.Since we wouldnt  want to increase stress, what has been a positive event for you in 2018?Prone is an adjective that means likely to do/experience/suffer from something negative.  What are we prone to when we drink alcohol?If _____ ___  someone particular on this already angst-ridden evening, a midnight kiss may not be so bad.What have you got to do in 2018?DAY TWO: MODALS WITH CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORYWhat to know about modals:Do not use s in third personHe cans run fast.She should eat health ier.Use not to make them negativeYou should not be rude.  They might not come over tonight.Usually, we cant use modal verbs in future or past tensesShe will can take me home from work.We musted finish our project.You Try:  take a look at these common modals, choose five to  say an example sentence of your own.  Or, even better, write your sentences in the comments below!Sentence structure: (Subject) + (modal) + (base verb) + (object/adj).Question structure: (Modal) + (subject) + (base verb) + (object/adj)?CanCouldMayMightMustOught toShallShouldWillWouldListening Practice:  watch the video and fill in the blanks with the modal verbs.Veruca.  ___ you _____  that for us, please?As soon as little Veruca told me she had to have one of these golden tickets, I started buying up all the Wonka bars I _____ ___ my hands on.From now on, you ___ ____ shelling peanuts and _____ shelling the wrappers off these chocolate bars instead.I vowed I _____ ____ up the search until I _____ ____ her wh at she wanted.We knew Augustus _____ ____ the golden ticket.DAY THREE: FLUENCY FUNSinging is known to help fluency, build vocabulary, and be fun!  So today, I found this song listed as a top song of 2016.  Its easy to sing along to, so its a good one to learn.  Listen and read along a few times until you think youve memorized it.  For even more practice, put it on a playlist for your commute to work.  There are lyrics written in the video, or  you can read them below.Closer (feat. Halsey)Hey, I was doing just fine before I met you I drink too much and thats an issue But Im OK Hey, you tell your friends it was nice to meet them But I hope I never see them AgainI know it breaks your heart Moved to the city in a broke-down car And four years, no calls Now youre looking pretty in a hotel bar And I, I, I, I, I cant stop No, I, I, I, I, I cant stopSo, baby, pull me closer In the back seat of your Rover That I know you cant afford Bite that tattoo on your shoulder Pull the sheets righ t off the corner Of that mattress that you stole From your roommate back in Boulder We aint ever getting olderWe aint ever getting older We aint ever getting olderYou look as good as the day I met you I forget just why I left you, I was insane Stay and play that Blink-182 song That we beat to death in Tucson, OKI know it breaks your heart Moved to the city in a broke-down car And four years, no call Now Im looking pretty in a hotel bar And I, I, I, I, I cant stop No, I, I, I, I, I cant stopSo, baby, pull me closer In the back seat of your Rover That I know you cant afford Bite that tattoo on your shoulder Pull the sheets right off the corner Of that mattress that you stole From your roommate back in Boulder We aint ever getting olderWe aint ever getting older We aint ever getting olderSo, baby, pull me closer In the back seat of your Rover That I know you cant afford Bite that tattoo on your shoulder Pull the sheets right off the corner Of that mattress that you stole From your room mate back in Boulder We aint ever getting olderWe aint ever getting older No, we aint ever getting older We aint ever getting older No, we aint ever getting older (repeats)DAY FOUR: SECOND CONDITIONAL AND THE BIG BANG THEORY  Use: what we would generally do in an imaginary situation.If (subject) (past simple), (subject) would (verb).If this thing happened, that thing would happen.Would (subject) (verb) if (subject) (past tense)?Would that  thing happen if this  thing happened?Good to know:We can’t use ‘when’ since we’re talking about  imaginary situations that probably won’t happenIt is considered grammatically incorrect to use ‘was,’ in this conditional.  For example:If he were rich, he’d buy a car.You try: watch the video for examples of second conditional, then answer the following questions with your own examples.  Dont forget to share your knowledge in the comments section!If you had your own video game character, what would they be like?If you were to ask som eone out on a date, where would you take them?If you made a robot, what would it do for you?If you had  a time machine, where would you go in time?What would happen if everyone was like you?DAY FIVE: ADVERBSadjective + lyUses: we use adverbs toModify verbs: Usain Bolt ran quickly to the finish line.Modify adjectives: Usain Bolt can run  impressively fast.Modify other adverbs: Usain Bolt ran  incredibly quickly.Irregulars:good-well, fast-fast, hard-hard, late-late, straight-straightYou try: start the following video at 3:10.  Listen to the examples of adverbs.  Choose 5 out of the 7 adverbs and create sentences of your own.  Remember to post your ideas  in the comments section!DAY SIX:  TONGUE TWISTERSTongue twisters are a great way to practice pronunciation and fluency.  Take the next ten minutes to read the following tongue twisters several times.  The first time, read them nice and slow, focusing on good pronunciation.  Then, pick up speed.  Youll want to say them as fast as possible in the end, while also using correct pronunciation.   You can even memorize them and practice throughout the day!This one is a personal favorite and common tongue twister:Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, Wheres the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?This helps with pronunciation of /sh/, and is particularly difficult for me:I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop. Where she sits she shines, and where she shines she sits.For those of you who have trouble with /r/ and /l/ pronunciation:How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?This helps with people  who have trouble with the /w/ pronunciation (many people mistakenly pronounce it like /v/) as well as the /r/ and /l/  sounds:Why do you cry, Willy? Why do you cry? Why, Willy? Why, Willy? Why, Willy? Why?(source)DAY SEVEN: IMPERATIVESForm: we start an imperative with the base verb.Uses:  we use imperatives for    Direct orders: Chew with your mouth closed.Instructions: Complete the exercise.  Invitations: Come on over.Signs:  StopYour turn: listen for the imperatives in the following video clip, and write them in the comments section.  Can you find all 6?DAY EIGHT: READING COMPREHENSIONToday well focus on reading.  So, even though this video has sound, try turning it off  for this exercise.  Press play to read this inspiring story, then answer the comprehension questions.  Remember to answer with complete sentences, making sure to use correct verb tenses and sentence structure!How is the dance company empowering people with disabilities?What does it mean to empower?What is the companys mission?Why did Hamamoto start the dance company?What did the doctors think Hamamoto would never do again? (2)Why did she think her life was over?How does she adjust her choreography (dance routine)?How long ago was Hamamoto told shed never dance again?DAY NINE: PRESENT PERFECThave/has + (past participle )Uses:Experience: Have you seen Human?  Its a long movie, but its so good!Change: He has lost weight since last year.Accomplishments: Scientists have found vaccines for many diseases.Incomplete, expected action: Have you finished your homework yet?Several actions in the past at different times: I have tried that 20 times.You try: check out this clip from a great movie, Freedom Writers, and fill in the blanks with examples of  present perfect.How many of you ____ ____ Boys in the Hood?How many of you ____ ____ in juvenile hall or jail for any length of time?Stand on the line if _____ ____ a friend to gang violence.Stay on the line if _____ ____ more than one friend.DAY TEN: QUIZCongratulations!  Youve made it to the final day of the ten day English challenge!  Pat yourself on the back for starting 2019 on a positive note  by improving your English skills.  Lets finish off the challenge by completing this short quiz.  Dont forget to continue your learning with our friendly, exper ienced English teachers  at  LOI.What did you end up doing last Friday night?Finish the sentence: You are  prone to get sick if youWhat should you do before bed?What can you do well?Sing the song from day 3 again.What would you buy if you won the lottery?If you had time off, where would you travel?Use an adverb: He sings _____.Do a tongue twister from day 6 as fast as you can.Write an imperative.What have you accomplished since January 1st, 2019?

Fostering Perseverance and Motivation in Your Child

Fostering Perseverance and Motivation in Your Child Fostering Perseverance and Motivation in Your Child “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”  â€" Albert Einstein Intelligence equals success. That’s what most people would say, but Albert Einstein attributed much of his success to persistence and persevering through challenges, rather than to his intelligence. A word for this is grit. Merriam-Webster defines grit as an “unyielding courage in the face of hardship.” While we can all agree there is a strong relationship between intelligence and success, Einstein saw grit as a bigger predictor, which leads us to a question we often receive from parents. How can we develop perseverance in our children? A simple “Great Job!” goes a long way in fostering motivation. Parents can foster perseverance and inspire motivation in children by cultivating the right learning attitude and praising them when they meet expectations, whether at home or in the classroom. Encouragement should be given regardless of a child’s result. It’s important to focus on your childs effort and their progress. “Look at how well you are doing with addition! A few months ago, adding up to +9 wasn’t easy, but now you can add double digits in your head! Im so impressed with how far you have come. I can’t wait to watch you do it with subtraction!” Encouragement entails using descriptive words. “I know subtracting fractions feels challenging right now, but I don’t want you to give up. I know you can do it! Do you remember a few months ago when you thought long division was too difficult? Now, it feels easy for you, right? It must feel good to know you worked so hard and now you are a pro at it! Fractions are the same thing. I’m really proud of you because I know you are going to become really good at fractions too!” Encouragement has a bigger effect than praise on a child’s motivation and willingness to persevere. By developing a mindset for goal setting and ultimately cultivating an attitude to preserve in order to achieve those goals, students will have the tools they need to be successful in life. Together, parents and educators provide the ideal foundation for children to achieve their goals and their dreams, one step at a time. You might also be interested in: Motivating Children by Developing a Growth Mindset Finding the motivation to continue learning during the summer can be a challenge. 13-year-old Kumon dual program completer shares advice on perseverance. Motivation is the Key to this Kumon Student’s Success Father of Second Generation Kumon Students Talks about Motivation and Self-Learning Fostering Perseverance and Motivation in Your Child Fostering Perseverance and Motivation in Your Child “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”  â€" Albert Einstein Intelligence equals success. That’s what most people would say, but Albert Einstein attributed much of his success to persistence and persevering through challenges, rather than to his intelligence. A word for this is grit. Merriam-Webster defines grit as an “unyielding courage in the face of hardship.” While we can all agree there is a strong relationship between intelligence and success, Einstein saw grit as a bigger predictor, which leads us to a question we often receive from parents. How can we develop perseverance in our children? A simple “Great Job!” goes a long way in fostering motivation. Parents can foster perseverance and inspire motivation in children by cultivating the right learning attitude and praising them when they meet expectations, whether at home or in the classroom. Encouragement should be given regardless of a child’s result. It’s important to focus on your childs effort and their progress. “Look at how well you are doing with addition! A few months ago, adding up to +9 wasn’t easy, but now you can add double digits in your head! Im so impressed with how far you have come. I can’t wait to watch you do it with subtraction!” Encouragement entails using descriptive words. “I know subtracting fractions feels challenging right now, but I don’t want you to give up. I know you can do it! Do you remember a few months ago when you thought long division was too difficult? Now, it feels easy for you, right? It must feel good to know you worked so hard and now you are a pro at it! Fractions are the same thing. I’m really proud of you because I know you are going to become really good at fractions too!” Encouragement has a bigger effect than praise on a child’s motivation and willingness to persevere. By developing a mindset for goal setting and ultimately cultivating an attitude to preserve in order to achieve those goals, students will have the tools they need to be successful in life. Together, parents and educators provide the ideal foundation for children to achieve their goals and their dreams, one step at a time. You might also be interested in: Motivating Children by Developing a Growth Mindset Finding the motivation to continue learning during the summer can be a challenge. 13-year-old Kumon dual program completer shares advice on perseverance. Motivation is the Key to this Kumon Student’s Success Father of Second Generation Kumon Students Talks about Motivation and Self-Learning

ABIE American Baby International English

ABIE American Baby International English ABIE American Baby International English ABIE specializes in high-level education and training for young learners. ABIE centers offer English training for Chinese children as designed and directed by ABIE HQ. The course is fully integrated with current American curriculum,childrens second language learning philosophies, methods and keeping in mind early child development psychology. Additionally, ABIE classes combine face-to-face teaching, in-class smartboard interactive learning technology, and online teaching, creating a learning process which is effective, practical and entertaining. ABIE classes include CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) in order to enrich English classes with interdisciplinary content such asArt, Science, World Cultures, etc. ABIE classes also foster important 21st century skills such as innovation, cross-cultural communication, independent thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and IT skills. In order to keep students motivated and encouraged to continue learning, ABIE promotes the Assessment For Learning philosophy, training Chinese children to take control of their learning, helping them become more responsible, better prepared for future challenges, and Global Citizen of the 21st century. ABIE students strengthen their abilities of communication, leadership, creativity, thinking and collaboration. ABIE promotes all-round development. ABIE students are truly global citizens of the 21st century counting with Life and Career Skills, Learning and Innovation Skills, Information, Media and Technology Skills. ABIE leadsthe education industry thanks to its deep understanding andits desire to improve the English education system in China, its accurate market positioning, distinctive business model, professional products and exemplary service. ABIE has won the approval and love of those within the same industry, parents and children. Qualifications: Native English speaker, American is preferred. Bachelor degree or equivalent, TESOL or TEFL certificate is preferred. 1-2 years English teaching experience with kindergarten or primery school students Excellent communicative skills, outgoing and friendly personality. Be reliable and responsible. Be positive and warm-hearted, with vigor and patience, love childern and teaching. Responsibilities: To conduct classroom lessons to 10-15 kids in class with the assistance of one chinese teacher, text books, teaching plans are provided by training center. To provide high quality professional teaching at all times. To prepare and provide Demo classes as required. To help students reach the level of English established in their learning objective. To provide advice and assistance to students, in and out of the classroom. To take an interest in and give advice on individual students progress in English. To prepare new materials as requested. To promote and preserve a happy atmosphere to attract children be involved in the training process. Start date: immediately Working city: LianYungang, Jiangsu, China

Swift Stardom How to Improve Your Foreign Language Listening Skills in a Flash

Swift Stardom How to Improve Your Foreign Language Listening Skills in a Flash Swift Stardom: 5 Tips to Improve Your Foreign Language Listening Skills in a Flash So youre cruising down the highway with some good friends when suddenly your favorite song comes on.The atmosphere instantly changes. What was just a moment ago a dull discussion about weekend plans has foamed into chaotic sea of flying hands and ridiculous yelling. The car floor can barely hold out against the rhythmic stomping.And, of course, every passerby is looking in and thinking youre all insane.Fast forward a year or two and now youre in a foreign country. Maybe youve already got the language down a little or maybe youre  just beginning.But after being there for a while youve begun to miss some things. Like understanding the lyrics when  a song comes on the radio or being able to catch the news in your car on the way home.Listening is incredibly important in making our everyday life satisfying, and is in fact the most used language skill.Yet, in our native language, we receive no training in it. Which might leave you wondering just how in the world can you get better at liste ning in a second language.Thankfully though theres nothing all that complicated about making quick progress in your foreign language listening skills. With a few quick tips for how to improve listening skills in a foreign language, youll be well on your way to wowing your foreign friends at karaoke. Swift Stardom: 5 Tips to Improve Your Foreign Language Listening Skills in a Flash1. Mentally Prepare YourselfOne of the biggest hurdles to listening skill mastery can be our own perceptions.Poor mental frameworks can  cause us to pursue time intensive but unrewarding tasks, give up quickly when were faced with a challenge or simply not achieve as much as we would like to.For listening one of the most damaging perceptions is this idea that you have to understand  everything. Your language exchange partner is talking to you at a thousand miles an hour, you feel like you have no clue whats going on and a sensation similar to sea-sickness is beginning to take hold.But  thats okay.When wer e listening to anything, whether it be a conversation with a friend or a television drama, when were starting out we should consider ourselves successful as long as we understand the gist of what were listening to.Another unfortunate belief that has stolen many an hour from language learners is that you can learn from passive listening. By passive listening I mean things like having the radio on in the background while youre focused on writing an essay or listening to music while trying to study for a brutal science test the next day.The audio is there, the sound waves are physically entering your ears,  but its not being processed.Think about all of the times youve watched a foreign movie in a language you havent studied with subtitles. Even if youre physically hearing Chinese when youre watching Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, you probably didnt improve your Chinese listening skills any by the end of the movie.Hence, we must be active listeners.What is active listening? Giving you r full attention to any audio material that youre using to study.For instance, if youre going to watch a drama you should be focused on trying to figure out exactly what is happening in the shows plot line through the characters speech. No talking on the phone. No cleaning your room. Just focus.And if you really want to push your active listening, try writing a summary midway through what youre listening to and then again at the end of it. Or, listen to an audio clip, write down five questions about things you didnt understand and then listen to the file again while trying to answer your own questions.Both options will help you to keep your attention focused on the task at hand.2.  Play with Audio PacingListening is notoriously difficult for a lot of people learning a new language. Unlike reading, the other receptive language skill,  you usually cant do it at your own pace.However fast people want to talk to you is what youre going to get. There are exceptions of course (hopefully y our language partners slow down when they talk to you), but for the most part this is true and often proves to be a substantial hurdle.Thankfully, technology has provided us with a solution to our problem. Now with programs like Audacity,  you can take any audio file and slow it down to something more your speed. Suddenly listening is more like reading.Just find some audio files or movies that you can convert into MP3s, which  you like and dont mind listening to several times. Take the speed down as low as you need to so that you understand everything thats being said. Then gradually adjust the speed until its back to normal.This can be a fairly intensive study method, so if youre using a movie its probably best to break it up into segments and do a little each day.If downloading a program and converting files sounds like too much trouble, you can also try the transcription method.With this method you dont alter the speed at all, but simply try to write down as much as you can of wh at the speakers in the audio file are saying. When you start out there will almost certainly be big holes in your transcription. Thats okay!Replay the audio file and pause often until you can get most of the transcript down. As you practice with more and more audio files, youll find you wont have to replay them so much.3. Listen Everywhere, All the TimeIn language learning circles,  extensive reading is a well-known strategy. If you want to be able to read and comprehend lots of text quickly, you have to read a lot of stuff all the time.Just as important, but less often mentioned is extensive listening. Extensive listening has  a host of benefits ranging from improving how quickly you can comprehend the spoken word to fine tuning your understanding of pronunciation and intonation.There are two key principles to instituting an effective extensive listening plan. Firstly, the things you listen to should be enjoyable. If theyre not, you wont be listening to them for long.Secondly, the things you listen to should be as diverse as possible. You should have newscasts that you can  listen to in the car, movies ready to watch at night, podcasts loaded and ready to go for your coffee break, limitless numbers of songs to make your exercise routine more educational.The more effort you put in to squeezing listening practice out of every available moment, the sooner you can stop worrying about missing important pieces of what your foreign friends are saying to you.4.  Use Visuals for Extra ImpactMovies have never been more popular. Movie festivals have sprung up across the world, many even in small towns. And with that proliferation of film it has become easier than ever to access foreign films.Which is good, because movies are an irreplaceable language learning tool.The visual nature of film serves to support our listening  comprehension and even our vocab recall ability of new words we learned during the film. In other words, you learn more by watching a movie than you w ould have if you just heard an audio clip.Whats more, movies provide significant motivation to language learners. Many people want to learn a new language entirely because of foreign films theyve seen.If your language-learning plans incorporate things that are pleasurable and that you dont feel like you have to force yourself to do, youre much more likely to succeed in the long run. Consequently, a broad selection of movies and TV shows in your target language consumed on a regular basis makes for an excellent listening diet.To ensure you get the most out of your movie viewing time, try to get your hands on the transcript of the movie you would like to watch. Simply Scripts has movie scripts in a variety of languages so its always a good place to start. After that, there are a couple of different ways you can go.First, you could simply read the transcripts, or certain sections of it, and look up any of the vocab you dont know.Then when youre watching the movie and the new words come up, youll be able to recognize and associate them with whatever is happening in the scene youre watching.Another, perhaps more challenging option, is to print out the script, shuffle the pages and then try to put it in the correct order after youve watched the movie.For those of you watching from the computer, there is also the option of pausing the movie when you hear a word you dont understand, taking a screen still that has a clear association to the new word and then using that as a study cue later.Sites like Memrise allow you to upload images for each vocab word youre studying, so it would be easy to incorporate this into a regular spaced repetition study program.5.  Dont Forget to ReadWhile reading and listening may both be receptive language skills, most people might assume their connection ends there.Surprise! Theyre  as closely connected as any sitcom family you can think of. In the conclusion of one group of researchers, reading can actually be more effective for improvin g listening skills than listening itself!Of course, if youre a beginner, youre still going to need lots of listening practice to really get those new sounds and the intonation hammered down, but never fall prey to the belief that each language skill is tightly compartmentalized and should be studied in isolation.Reading, especially extensive reading, is imbued with so many benefitsâ€"perhaps most importantly with increased vocabularyâ€"that it would be criminal to ignore practice with printed texts, even if your goal is nothing more than to talk to other people.So do a little reading. Have some fun with foreign movie nights. Slip foreign language music into your running playlist. Play the news slow and fast, slow and fast until you get the hang of it.A little tinkering here and there to learn how to improve listening skills in a foreign language, and youll have nothing to fear when it comes to listening. And One More ThingIf youre digging these techniques, 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 ScreenFluentU 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? Hover your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive TranscriptsYou can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz 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.