Where to Stay in Beijing

Where to Stay in Beijing Where Should You Stay in Beijing? Here’s Our Beijing City Guide! ChaptersStaying in the North of the Historic Centre: ShichahaiThe Dongcheng District in Beijing’s City CentreChaoyang, the District for ExpatsThe Haidian District, a City within a City“He travels the fastest who travels alone.” - Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)Of all the places to visit in the People's Republic of China, mainland China, Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Canton, etc., have you got your heart set on Beijing?Why?To learn more about Chinese history (from Imperial to Modern China), see the Great Wall of China, or explore Beijing’s unmissable attractions, perhaps?Your money will go much further in Beijing than it would in London. The cost of living in Beijing is 66% of that in London.However, you will need to set aside between £300 and £450 to rent a room in a shared flat in the centre of Beijing. After all, accommodation in the capital of China isn’t cheap. However, after you've paid to travel to China and for your accommodation, your trip to China will be qui te cheap.So where should you stay when you visit Beijing?In this article, we'll be looking at some of the best districts in Beijing, where you can stay, what you can do in these districts, and why you should stay there.This is also an area with a lot of traditional Chinese hutongs and many bars. Hutongs are are a type of street with courtyard residences known as siheyuan.For your next holidays, consider staying with a host family and discover the city’s most beautiful sites and learn more about the culture. This is the district for history, shopping, and the best place to go on a night out in Beijing.  However, the district is quiet by the lakes.Find out more about the best time to visit Beijing.The Dongcheng District in Beijing’s City CentreThe Dongcheng District is by the Old Summer Palace in the Forbidden City and stretches from the Central Business District to Tienanmen Square. You can visit the Temple of Heaven, Temple of Confucius, the Palace Museum, and the Forbidden City .Beijing, like many other Chinese cities, finds a way to blend the traditional with the modern.In addition to all these historic sites, there are also tonnes of museums: the National Museum of China, the National Art Museum of China, the Beijing People's Art Theatre, etc.Check for Mandarin courses London here on this platform.The district’s main street is Wangfujing Street and it’s one of China’s and Beijing’s most famous shopping streets.  It’s the heart of Beijing's commerce and has been since the Ming Dynasty. Under the Qing Dynasty, the district attracted the country’s wealthiest people and many mansions and residences were built for the rich and powerful.The name of the street, “Wang Fu”, literally means “princely residence” in Mandarin Chinese. It’s also largely pedestrianised.  On the flip side, this street is often packed with locals and tourists shopping and looking for souvenirs of their visit.Are you looking for something off the beaten track?This is n’t really the best place for finding tranquillity. Like all the big cities in China, Beijing is very busy and you’ll be surrounded by people almost all the time.  Dongcheng is a busy district and is great for a small group or if you’re travelling on your own and is a great base for visiting the rest of Beijing.Check when it’s at its busiest as hotels and flats in Beijing, which are usually quite expensive, will be even more expensive in the high season. In summer or during the Chinese New Year, for example, the cost of accommodation can jump up.Find out more about budgeting for a trip to Beijing.Chaoyang, the District for ExpatsIf you want to stay away from the touristy areas or are planning your holidays without a travel agency, Chaoyang is recommended.Choose where you stay based on what you want to do in Beijing. (Source: 3dman_eu)This is a huge district to the east of the historic centre and includes the Sanlitun neighbourhood and Beijing’s modern city centre.  This ar ea is representative of China’s transition from Communist Power towards a market economy with its futuristic skyscrapers, green spaces, and small stalls selling traditional Chinese produce.  As a foreigner, this is a good place to stay as the area is popular with expats and the wealthy.  This is due to the area's accessible infrastructure, shopping centres, international schools, and many restaurants.This part of the city offers a more relaxed and modern lifestyle to that found in the very centre just 12 miles from the lakes in Shichahai.  You’re also less likely to feel homesick here.You can learn Mandarin London with these lessons online.It’s also a good idea to stay here if you’re spending a long time in China to learn Chinese in an international school, for example.Here are some of the districts unmissable attractions:Blue Zoo BeijingBeijing Olympic TowerThe China National Film MuseumTuanjiehu ParkThe Sanlitun NeighbourhoodThe banks of the Tonghui RiverIt’s also quite close to Beijing International Airport so if you’re on an early flight out of China, staying in Chaoyang is the sensible option.Why?You’ll have a shorter trip to the airport the following morning.The Haidian District, a City within a CityTo the north-east of Beijing city centre, Haidian is an administrative subdivision of the city.The Summer Palace, in the Haidian District, is right next to China's own version of Silicon Valley! (Source: StockSnap)The district is home to Beijing’s large universities, the Zhongguancun technology hub, China’s equivalent to Silicon Valley, and the Purple Bamboo Park.  The district is four times the size of Paris!As you can imagine, it’s pretty big and 2.24 million people live in Haidian.Should it still be called a “district”?It’s effectively a city within a city. It’s also a modern city with people working with new technologies and start-ups.  The Chinese government are trying to make Haidian rival California and Silicon Valley so you ’ll find plenty of students and hipsters here.You should also check out the Wudaokou neighbourhood, a relaxed area to have a night out in.  With plenty of students and artists, you’ll get a good atmosphere here.If you're not sold on Beijing, you could always visit Xinjiang, Tibet, Shaanxi, Guandong, Zheijiang, or Hangzhou. China's a huge country, after all!Before you go to China, consider getting private tutorials in Mandarin Chinese. On Superprof, there are three types of language tutorials available: face-to-face tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials.Face-to-face tutorials are bespoke lessons with one tutor and one student. As the only student in the class, this is the most cost-effective type of private tutorial. Your tutor can spend all their time focusing on you, rather than having their attention split between you and other students.Online tutorials are similar with the main difference being that the private tutor isn't there with you in the room. Thanks to the internet and programmes such as Skype, you can learn Chinese from anywhere with a decent internet connection and from tutors from anywhere in the world. Your Chinese language tutor may even be in China!Finally, group tutorials are closer to traditional lessons at school with multiple students and a single teacher. This is usually the cheapest type of tutorial since the cost of the tutor's time will be shared amongst all the students in attendance. If you and your family or friends are planning a trip to China, you could all get Chinese lessons together from a tutor before you go.Each type has its pros and cons so it's up to you and your budget to decide which type of private tutorials you want.

Life Coach Glasgow

Life Coach Glasgow How to Find a Life Coach in Glasgow ChaptersLife Coaching with Your SuperprofLow Cost and Free OptionsLife Coaches in GlasgowThere’s been a lot of talk about mindfulness recently and, to be fair, media outlets are doing well at presenting both sides of the coin.Mindfulness is great; the best thing you could do, versus: Is mindfulness really that great?To further credit those writers, they give brief explanations about what mindfulness is, exactly: a state of awareness; of living in the moment. One achieves that state through meditation and other practices.Through the continuous practice of mindfulness, one could theoretically develop a better understanding of the self which, in turn, leads to what Buddhists call enlightenment: the absence of suffering.How does mindfulness differ from the results achieved through life coaching?Developing self-knowledge is the very premise of what a life coach guides you to do: recognising self-sabotaging thoughts, actions and attitudes that effectively keep you from reaching your full potential.It too can be achieved through meditation and other practices. Now, to deepen the comparison...Presumably, if one knows what one wants, reaches their full potential and becomes their very best selves, there would be no personal suffering... would there?Quite possibly will need to turn to a certified life coach for the answer to those questions and to find out how we could reach our personal goals... and/or professional ones.Fortunately, there are plenty of them in Glasgow!personal development.Because today’s average person is beset from all sides with demands â€" from work, from family and friends, from one’s personal wishes and aspirations, these coaches want nothing more than to help you find the best life balance possible.If you are facing retirement or being made redundant in your job, LCS has a solution for you.In fact, they tackle several niche areas such as losing weight and keeping fit. If stress eating or binging is a manifestation of your personal trauma, th ey can help with that, too.You may want to turn to them if you are preparing for an interview, facing a promotion or are simply not happy with your current work situation.They offer workshops and seminars too, with topics as diverse as managing stress and reaching your potential.Perhaps you could ask your boss to host a teambuilding event with them!Glasgow having been voted the friendliest city in the UK, it might be hard for an outsider to realise that Weegies sometimes need a boost in order to fulfil that reputation.Fortunately, there are plenty of life coaches to help us residents keep our stress levels down and exude that  aura of positivity we’re famous for!Discover the life coaches working in your area...ManchesterBirminghamLeedsLondon

Would you do this if you got robbed A listening exercise.

Would you do this if you got robbed A listening exercise. What Julio Diaz did after being robbed in the subway is courageous, compassionate and perhaps a bid dangerous. What do you think? Have you ever been robbed? Julio has a great bronx/Spanish accent. Youll notice sometimes he elongates his e sounds. This listening exercise uses audio from StoryCorps.Click here to go to the audio version of the story. It will open in a second window.Answer the questions below in comments, and well reply.1. Where did the robbery happen? What weapon did the teenager have?2. Why does he give him coat?3. What does he invite him to do?4. What happens at the diner? What does the young thief think about Julio?5. What questions does Julio ask the young thief?6. Who pays for the bill?7. Why does the thief give him his wallet back?8. What does Julio give to the thief and what does the thief give to Julio in return?9. What is Julios view of the world?Check out some of our lessons  about getting robbed:https://cal.skypeenglishclasses.com/lesson/lucky-thief-55-minute -lessonhttps://cal.skypeenglishclasses.com/lesson/reading-and-conversationthe-car-thief-25-minute-lessonHave you been robbed? What was your situation? Were you scared?

Using a Private Tutor A Short Rationale

Using a Private Tutor A Short Rationale Improving Academic Performance MyGuru students seek private tutoring for a variety of reasons. Some are “A” students today, but striving for the best grade in the class through focused tutoring sessions in “problem” areas. Others are “D” students, looking for long term help to improve their general conceptual understanding. Some are already scoring above the 90th percentile on a standardized test, but realize that getting into an Ivy League university or one of the top graduate, MBA, Law, or Medical schools is only getting more intense, and thus seek private tutoring to squeeze out a few extra points on the test. But, others are truly struggling, scoring well below average, and in desperate need of the confidence to perform at or above average. For some students, the key issues are knowledge-based â€"meaning the students don’t know certain facts or understand certain concepts that they need to master to perform better. But, in more cases than many people might realize, the issue is more emotional or psychological â€" the student just needs a private tutor to help them build confidence, relax, and perform in the classroom or on a standardized tests. The benefit of customized, private tutoring is that the particular situation, strengths, and weaknesses of the student can be understood and addressed by the tutor, thus improving performance. The problem with a high school classroom, an ACT, SAT, LSAT, MCAT, or GMAT prep class, or a college lecture hall is that the teacher is teaching a standardized set of materials to everyone. The teacher simply can’t pick up on queues provided by individual students regarding what’s hindering their understanding, and thus some fall behind. Or, because the material is meant to address the entire class, the teacher can’t help the fact that some of the students understand everything perfectly, and need to be challenged with more difficult material. In other words, a classroom is “OK’ for the average student, but a private, customized experience is better for everyone, and if you happen to be particularly below or above average, then a private tutor is much more effective than a classroom experience. One great way to determine whether you need a private tutor is to ask yourself why it is that youaren'tperforming as well as you’d like. If the answers are something like the following: I don’t do my homework I haven’t been to class I haven’t been listening well in class Then, you probably don’t need a private tutor. What you need is to start doing the above things first, and see how you do. Most likely, your performance in school will start to improve. It might sound crazy, but truly attending class and completing the assigned homework will work for most people. The homework is specifically designed to complement the classroom learning experience. However, if your issues are things such as: I don’t understand the laws of triangles (or economics, biology, etc.) What the professor is saying doesn’t make sense to me I get so nervous I freeze during tests This is all too easy for me Then, a private tutor is probably a good thing to consider.

Jam and Learn Passive Listening Language Learning with Music

Jam and Learn Passive Listening Language Learning with Music Passive Listening Language Learning with Music It’s a demanding world out there.How many times have you heard the following cries for attention?You’re just not listening.Everything I say goes in one ear and right out the other.Aren’t you paying attention?What did I just say!?Yes, after a while, actively listening can just be exhausting. Itd be nice to get a break.But you’re a language learner. Don’t you have to keep your ears open and your mind actively engaged when you’re trying to learn a language?Luckily, theres another option: Theres a way to use music for passive listening to learn a language. What Is Passive Listening?The auditory part of language learning is dominated by active listeningâ€"making an effort to hear the sounds of the words, trying to figure out which words you’re hearing and trying to translate less-familiar phrases.So, what on earth is passive listening? And can it actually be useful?Sleep learning  is probably the ultimate in passive listening, but even having music or television playing in the background can count. Basically, any time you hear media and you’re not directly paying attention to it, that can be considered passive listening.Somewhat controversial in language learning, passive listening is a learning technique that relies on the subconscious processing of background audio for more natural or effortless language acquisition.The Universe of Memory cites several reasons that passive listening can help you prime your memory for more active learning.On the other hand, noted language learner Benny Lewis of Fluent in 3 Months fame did some personal experiments with passive listening  and found the results much less than satisfactory.He describes the chances of mastering another language through passive listening as not a hope in hell, and the benefits of passive listening for language learning as barely better than nothing.And Benny’s not alone.Donovan, an applied linguistics graduate who runs The Mezzofanti Guild for fellow language learners, declares that passive language learning is nonsense. There are ongoing debates about it among language learners on Reddit and Quora.Why Use Music to Passively Learn a Language?Given all the controversy about learning a language through passive listening, you may be wondering what magic music holds that could help you overcome some of passive listening’s potential weaknesses.Here are a few of the reasons why music shines as a passive learning delivery systemâ€"even if you share in the skepticism about passive learning.Music catches your attentionâ€"on some level.Have you ever sat at a restaurant in the middle of a conversation with someone and noticed the song playing in the background muzak?You may be very intensely involved in the exchange with your dining companion. Nonetheless, a familiar tune will catch your ear.Even if you’re listening passively, music subconsciously gets your attention.The sound of music lets you hear native pronunciation.Listening to music in a target language can help you get more familiar with the language’s sounds.Sure, if you’re just starting out with the language, you probably won’t pick up on specific words or their meanings yet. But, on a more fundamental levelâ€"a phonemic level, if you willâ€"your brain will start to familiarize itself with the sounds that make up the language.Whether it’s the uvular Rs of French or German or the rolled R found in Spanish, Italian, Polish or Russianâ€"or any of these not-so-alien sounds from other languagesâ€"the music can expose you to the proper pronunciations of the basic auditory building blocks of a language.Music is entertaining.Whether it’s soothing or energizing, music entertains our brains. And, when we’re feeling entertained, we tend to feel happy and relaxed.According to linguistic expert Dr. Stephen Krashen, language learners have an affective filter that can impede language acquisition when the learner is stressed or anxious.So, doesn’t it make sense to listen to music you enjo y in the language you’re trying to learn, bypassing the affective filter with some groovy tunes and a catchy chorus or two?Music makes words memorable.As we listen to the same music repeatedly, becoming more familiar with it, we’re actually activating an important part of our brain that governs the storage of long-term memories.Deep inside the temporal lobe of your brain, the hippocampus controls both emotions and memory. So, when you make yourself happy by finding enjoyable music in your target language, you’re also stimulating the part of your brain thatll improve your memory.Both musicians and non-musicians alike can remember melodies and lyrics. We’ve all had the experience of learning song lyrics from repeatedly hearing a hit song on the radioâ€"even if we’re making no conscious effort to commit the words to memory. The music itself makes the lyrics more memorable.This may be why advertising jingles stick in your head forever. Although earworms  can be annoying, you c an use your brain’s natural tendency to remember songs by focusing on songs in other languages… which can passively lead to your learning more of those languages.In addition to strengthening our long-term memory storage, listening to music also sharpens our ears. It makes us better able to distinguish between different language sounds.Music travels well.You can take music wherever you go. And it’s perfect for multitasking!Fit it into your workout, your chores and your commute. Listen to it as you drift off to sleep.While you’re otherwise occupied, part of your brain can get funky with your favorite songs.Music is personal.Whether it’s techno, adult contemporary, country, hip-hop or opera, there’s music that suits your personal taste.Listen to whatever styles you enjoyâ€"you’re almost certain to find them in your target languages.Once you start recognizing tunes and lyrics from passively listening to songs in other languages, they’ll take their rightful place on the p ersonal playlist within your mind. You’ll associate them with times and places in your life, just like you would with music in your native language.In this way, the sound cultures of the language you’re trying to learn will profoundly become part of you. They won’t seem foreign anymore; they’ll be an important part of the soundtrack of your life.Passive Listening Language Learning with MusicHow to Make Passive Music Listening Part of Your Language Learning RoutinePassive listening can become part of your language learning strategy. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of it.Don’t rely on passive listening alone for language learning.Truth be told, you’re not going to learn a language from the ground up by passively listening to music, radio, podcasts, or television programs in the target languageâ€"no matter how much you love the genre or how boring the task you’re performing while listening is.If you’re serious about learning a language, it’s best to c onsider passive listening as a supplemental part of a largely active language learning program.Passive listening, while controversial in language learning, may have a few benefitsâ€"especially when paired with the toe-tapping, memory-stimulating power of music. But language learning by passive listening alone is probably little more than a pipe dream. It needs to be integrated into a more active language learning program to really help.For example, you might try listening to music videos while you’re doing something else… then go back later, watch them carefully and look up words as needed.Beginners: Try passive listening to help you recognize the sounds of a language.Fill your ears with the native pronunciations of a language. Then, use a resource like FluentU’s music videos to match the sounds to the written language. (We speak more in-depth about FluentU later in this post so stay tuned to learn more!)Early on in your language learning, you won’t be familiar with all the sounds of the language. Passively listening to music can help your early language learning by filling your ears with the native pronunciations of a language.Even if you don’t know what the words mean yet or how they’re spelled, you can get a subconscious grasp of how the language sounds when spoken (or sung).To leverage this passive listening experience, though, you’ll need to take your language learning to the next level by seeing how the words you’re hearing correspond to the written language… and, in your early learning, how they translate into a language you know well.How can you match the music to the written word? Captions on YouTube tend to be auto-generated, so they’re not always reliable.The music videos on FluentU are captioned by language experts, though. And the captions are interactiveâ€"so you can select any unknown words on the screen to find out what they mean.You can also use any of the numerous lyric websites available online to find the words to practi cally any song!Intermediate and advanced learners: Supplement your language learning resources with passive listening.For more experienced learners who want to branch out in their learning with culturally relevant resources, passively listening to music can be a great way to amp up your language learning.Passive music listening exposes more experienced learners to culturally relevant materials and opens the door for  active language study with music.Once you have a solid grasp of a language, you can recognize many more words and phrases. You’ll be much more likely to learn the words of songs playing in the background, just like you would if you were listening to songs in your native language.Learners of all levels: Use repetition to reap the benefits of passive listening language learning.Repetition helps beginners recognize the language’s sounds; more advanced learners can passively learn and retain lyrics, just as they might in their native language.Create playlists and play t hem often to give your brain the chance to pick up on lyrics.Keep yourself guessing by playing the songs in random order. This can prompt your subconscious to pay a little more attention since you won’t know exactly what’s coming next.Where Can You Find Music for Passive Listening Language Learning?Spotify:  Stream pre-made playlists, provided by other users.Whether you’re into a particular artist or a set of genres, Spotify has plentiful passive listening resources for your musical language learning.Once you create a free account and log in, you can access loads of different genres. You can build your own library of playlists, filled with music that interests you.Similar to Netflix, Spotify will plug your choices into an algorithm, generating a Made for You section that guides you to new musical favorites.FluentU: Enjoy curated videos with personalized suggestions.Use your favorite portable device (or browser) to play music videos in your target language as you complete other tasks, letting FluentU supply a steady stream of background music. FluentU will build a list of suggested videos that are based on your target language and learning level, offering you the most useful musical resources.FluentU is about more than just music videos, offering many different authentic content types like news, movie trailers, inspirational talks and so much more.When you want to switch from passive listening to active language-learning mode, you can take advantage of the exercises and activities associated with the videos.Capture the subtle nuances of each songâ€"just touch an unfamiliar word or phrase as you’re watching a music video, and FluentU will show you the definition in context, with several real-world examples. Want to save it for later review? Just add it to your flashcard deck with another touch.YouTube: Find a wide variety of songs to enrich your passive listening language learning.With a vast supply of music in dozens of languages and styles from many di fferent eras, YouTube can introduce you to a wide variety of songs to enrich your passive listening language learning experience.YouTube’s search engine is run by its parent company, Google. That means it does a fairly good job of finding similar material to your searches, which it uses to populate an Up Next playlist.When you’ve done multiple searches for music in a particular language and you have Autoplay switched on, you’ll automatically get unending hours of passive listening material.iTunes: Apple iOS users can take a bite out of the global music scene.Stream international music in dozens of genres to your iPhone or iPad. Choose from tens of thousands of songs.iTunes selections are neatly categorized by an extensive range of cultures, styles, and languages, such as Dangdut, K-Pop, Chinese Regional Folk, Guaracha or Thai Country.Google Play: Music for your favorite Android device.Unlike the smorgasbord format of iTunes, Google Play tends to localize its offerings to your location… which can get frustrating when you’re trying to open your musical horizons.A simple hack for finding music in your target language is simply looking for an artist you already know in the Search box at the top of Google Play’s Music section.Not only will you see a short bio of that artist at the top of the screen, but you’ll also get a selection of similar artists and songs.Amazon: 50 million songsâ€"and counting.The online retail giant has a large selection of music from around the world.Amazon offers streaming music as well as music on physical media like CDs. Some of it comes from 3rd party merchants, though, so the prices and delivery speeds can varyâ€"and you may pay more than you expect on shipping for some items.If you already have an in-home gizmo like Alexa, you can simply ask her to find you music in your target language(s), in the genres you most enjoy.Online radio stations: Marconi makes his mark on passive listening.Some music stations stream their audi o online, often for free. Use your browser to stream audio from radio stations across the world.Radio List is a gateway to streaming radio from around Europe, the Americas, Australia and New Zealand. The best selection is for European countries. Find free radio programming in languages such as:French German (from Germany or Austria) Italian Portuguese (primarily from Portugal) Spanish (primarily from Spain) Russian PolishStreema has a generous selection of radio stations in Spanish, originating from such diverse locations as Argentina, Florida, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela and New York City.Streema also covers Asian languages well. Filter by language or country to find radio stations broadcasting in languages such as:Chinese Hindi Japanese Korean Tamil Thai VietnameseYour local library: Score international music resources.For little costâ€"and frequently for freeâ€"you can often find music resources for passive listening language learning through your local libr ary.Many public libraries have ongoing sales of used CDs. You can wander into almost any public library to purchase cut-rate used CDs, even if you don’t have your library card with you.If you’re willing to kick it old school and get your music from physical media, you’ll often get the bonus of liner notes with lyrics for more active language study… all while paying a fraction of the cost of a brand-new CD.Also, many local libraries offer free membership to media-sharing sites like Hoopla.In Hoopla, you can enter your target language into the search box at the topâ€"it’s usually better to use français for French, for example, to avoid getting unexpected results.You can also filter by language using the checkboxes on the left-hand side of the page, although you may need to complete at least one search before these filters appear.When you want to take a little break from active listening and employ some passive listening language learning, don’t feel like all your language learning progress will be lost.Just turn up your speakers, hum a little tune and let the sound of music transport you to another linguistic world.Michelle Baumgartner is a language nerd who has formally studied seven languages and informally dabbled in at least three others. In addition to geeking out over slender vowels, interrogative particles and phonemes, Michelle is a  freelance content writer and education blogger. Keep up with her latest adventures in language and learning on  Twitter.

Busuu Review Where the Program Gets an A+ and What Could Be Better

Busuu Review Where the Program Gets an A+ and What Could Be Better Busuu Review: Where the Program Gets an A+ and What Could Be Better I knew zero Spanish when I moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Zero.  But, I learned to speak (semi-)comfortably and landed at a C1 (advanced) level within three months.Hows that?I love old-school learning. Im a sucker for elevating my reading and writing skills with  classic literature  on free book apps like BookMigo,  listening to self-help audiobooks on Audible  and journaling (okay, maybe not so old school).Yet, while those tools were fantastic as I learned a new language, I desperately needed verbal practice. I picked up the Spanish accent, street lingo and fluidity by speaking to friends I met while living in the city and through daily tasks like buying groceries.Its the combination of reading, writing, listening  and  speaking that creates the comprehensive learning experience needed to retain a new language.The problem? Its been hard to replicate that digitally.Luckily, language apps are very accessible and easy to use. But, far too often I see someone race through levels that only focus on one skill. Or, the app tells them theyre at an intermediate level but the learner cant answer a simple question out loud.Busuu is trying to change that. Its one of the newest language apps to join the list of interactive programs that incorporate all of the language skills.Below, Ive put together a comprehensive review of Busuu. Let’s dive in. Busuu Review: Where the Program Gets an A+ and What Could Be BetterWhat Is Busuu?Busuu is a paid language learning app.  More than other apps, Busuu encourages your speaking skills by helping you to practice the language out loud with its  speech recognition tool.The app also has a strong focus on listening to dialogues, and it gets you involved in other learners journeys.Although theres a free version, it limits you to just one language, and most of the learning is done through digital flashcards. Digital flashcards are a very popular style of learning within language apps because theyre interactive, entertaining and move q uickly, which makes you feel like youre progressing. However, learning just with flashcards isn’t exactly comprehensive (which is crucial to learning something as difficult as a brand new language).Most of the benefits of the Busuu app lie in its paid Premium option. Prices range depending on the subscription, but the cost can still be less than if you were to pay for private lessons at a school. Plus, theres a seven-day money-back guarantee so you can try out the paid version to see if its something that would work for you.Busuu has an easy-to-use interface for its desktop version but, of course, you can also download the app for your iOS and Android devices to get started. Whether youre tackling French, German, Spanish or something else, you can take these handheld language lessons with you on the go.Busuu also provides offline lessons so you can download some extra practice and take it with you anywhere, anytime.How Does Busuu Work?You first choose a level (Beginner A1, Element ary A2, Intermediate B1, Upper Intermediate B2).Then, if youre using the free version, start learning with their flashcard system, which has vocabulary that includes pictures accompanied by small dialogues. Its pretty cool to be introduced to dialogue, even if you choose a beginner level, so you can get speaking right away.You can also begin by choosing what youre interested in learning, such as business, travel or culture. For example, I got started with an A1 level French lesson for travel because Ill only ever need French when I go to France. My very first lesson included introductions between two French speakers and moved on to ordering food. Thats exactly what I would need while traveling, so the ability to choose tailored lessons is a good perk.If youve purchased the monthly subscription, youll now get access to advanced grammar lessons and tailored content. Once youve got some practice in, you can even start speaking to other native speakers who also use the Busuu app.Who Is Busuu For?Anyone willing to give this app a try can benefit from it, but itll work best for a few certain types of profiles.On-the-go professionals.  If youre a busy person with only 10 minutes at a time, you can set the app to bite-sized lessons according to your exact schedule.Anyone who loves interactive apps.  The free version is fun and makes learning some simple phrases and words easy, so you can replace a mindless game with Busuu and not feel bored.Language learners who want some accountability.  You can set reminders during specific moments in your schedule that youve set aside for learning. These reminders are helpful without being too pushy.Anyone who wants to get better at speaking.  If you dont want to simply memorize grammar but you dont have access to a native speaker or youre too shy to speak with an online teacher, you can still get speaking practice by using Busuus speech recognition tool.For those who prefer learning on their computer.  Busuu has developed desktop learning, not just focusing on their apps. It has an excellent keyboard control system so you can easily move through lessons while at your computer.Where Busuu WinsCreate a Study Plan Thats Relevant to Your LifeYou get to choose grammar lessons based on your language goal (e.g., Complete French, French for Business, French for Travel, etc.). Other apps and even in-person classes rely on cringe-worthy content like “the apple is red” and Juanita is a woman to teach you grammar. Snooze.Any polyglot will tell you  that the content you learn should be relevant to your life and be filled with phrases you can actually use when speaking to someone.Busuu uses lessons ranging from What Are You Up to Tonight? to A Day at Home for general learning. A business study plan has lessons like Talking with Your Colleagues and Managing a Project. I give Busuu an A+ for providing hyper-relevant content in each lesson.On top of that, you can also choose which days and at what hour you want Busuu to ping you to learn. For example, you can set the app to remind you to study every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 p.m. with a 15-minute lesson. This ensures that you always have time for language learning!Learn Cultural TipsTell me, how many times have you said something you learned in your high school language class to a native speaker only to have this exchange with them:Native speaker: No, we dont say it like that.You: But thats what I learned in class.Native speaker: Well, we dont say that.Oops.  Textbooks and classes sometimes teach us formal, often outdated language.For instance, while practicing “hello” is very useful while learning English, we know that native English speakers hardly use it, as we have many variations for greeting someone during the day (hi, hiya, hey, etc.).Busuu understands this and offers useful cultural tips that help you learn when to say something and how to use it appropriately.For example, my beginner lesson in French told me, “To greet people during the day, we use bonjour  (good day, hello). After sunset (usually between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.) we say bonsoir  (good evening).”Busuu offers tons of cultural tips (click on the lightbulb icon on each slide), so you can, as they say, avoid missteps while communicating.Build a Social CommunityBusuu has an entire tab dedicated to getting social on the app. You can find people who are native in your target language, which the app calls friends, and add them. The point of this is to be able to exchange messages with your new friends for them to review.Heres how that works: the app presents you with a small prompt, like a picture or a video, about which you can either write or speak. Your friends within the app and anyone within the app in your target language can reply to your written or verbal response to give you feedback! In my experience, they typically encourage you to write complete sentences and tell you how you can improve.Along the same line, youll start receiving message s from people in the app learning your native language, so you also have the chance to respond to their written or verbal responses. Its fun to give them a helping hand!Where Busuu Needs ImprovementLimited Language OptionsThere arent many languages available, and you only get to learn one in the free version. You must upgrade to get access to more than one language. That’s a bummer for people like me who want to learn French and Portuguese at the same time.At this time, Busuu currently only offers the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, English, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Portuguese, Spanish and Turkish.Could Use More EntertainmentWhile I think their digital flashcards arent bad, this type of memorization makes it very easy to answer correctly without actually internalizing the language. Its easy to be lazy and quickly choose the correct answer using the process of elimination, like in an exam.Plus, after a while, this method may get tedious. While the r elevancy of Busuus lessons is great (general learning, business, travel, etc.), the app could better cater to people who like to learn with a bit more entertainmentâ€"you know, the many people who like to  learn through Netflix or listen to music.If thats more your learning style, then you may want to consider a different app, like FluentU.FluentU takes real-world videosâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into language learning experiences. The authentic videos feature native speakers, so you not only get pure entertainment but also language immersion.Plus, with FluentUs interactive subtitles, you can click on any word in a video to learn more about it and see it used in example sentences and other videos.There are also fun quizzes to test your knowledge and keep you entertained!You Can Receive Incorrect CorrectionsWhile Busuus social aspect is one of the best features that makes this app stand out, theres also nothing stopping people who arent native German speakers from correcting your German verbal recording, for example. All that person needs to do is include German in their profiles list of languages I know. This means that non-native English speakers can correct those learning English, and so on.The lack of strictness here downgrades what could arguably be Busuus best feature.On top of that, I see that most people opt to write their social responses as opposed to speaking them. It seems that many people on the app are still too shy to utilize the speech recognition tool, and thats a shame.Busuu Review Conclusion: Upgrade to Premium for the Best ExperienceAt the end of the day, I recommend Busuus paid version if youre serious about learning. The free version is fun, but there are better free apps out there.Busuu gains major points for trying harder than most to get you to practice speakingâ€"and speaking like a nativeâ€"although some improvements can still be made in that aspect.If you want a downloadable app wi th offline availability and interactive lessons, I recommend giving the paid subscription a chance. Just make sure your target language is available in their lesson bank first.And, be sure to make the most out of the social features by speaking, speaking, speaking at every chance you get!

Language Audiobook Jackpot! 5 Sound Sources for Learners

Language Audiobook Jackpot! 5 Sound Sources for Learners Language Audiobook Jackpot! 5 Sound Sources for Learners Way back before the advent of television imaginations were sparked by stories told through nothing but the human voice and simple sound effects.Listeners imitated the iconic performances, from the demanding lilt of Mrs. Aldrich to the maniacal cackle of the mysterious Shadow.The stories of the Golden Age of Radio were so popular and engender such nostalgia that theyre  still easily available today, generations after their heyday.There are even websites devoted to the voice artists who gave them life.Now, nearly one hundred years later, we live in a new, exciting era: The Golden Age of Digital.Its a magical time, when human voices and creative sound effects once again combine, delivering stories that stir the imagination.These stories, now in audiobook form, are available throughout the digitally connected world, at the mere tap of a fingertip or the click of a mouse.For language learners who want to hear all of the rhythms, intonations and flow of a language, audiobooks are a brillia nt choice.We can savor audiobooks in many languages, absorbing not only the basics of grammar and vocab but the subtleties of expression taught by spoken word performances.So lets not wait any longer! Open your ears and get ready to conquer the intricacies of cadence and more with these audiobook resources. How Audiobooks Can Help with the Challenges of Learning to Speak Naturally in a Foreign LanguageGiving context to vocabulary learned in isolationMost of us begin learning a new language by memorizing vocabulary words and phrases in isolation. After all, you’ve got to start with the basics and build on that foundation.The downside of vocabulary memorization is that it doesnt give you practice with using new words naturally in speech.When youre writing words in another language, all you need is a grasp of their definitions, connotations and technical details such as how to write them in their native alphabets.However, to use them naturally in speech, you need to understand nuan ces such as intonation and rhythm. Audiobooks can help with that.Exposing you to the sublime subtleties of speechEven if you learn how to pronounce vowels and consonants correctly, you may be missing out on the finer points of how native speakers use non-verbal qualities of rhythm, intonation and flow to express themselves orally.To properly grasp the cadences of speaking, youll need abundant and varied audio and audiovisual resources. The more you expose yourself to the spoken language through tools like audiobooks and the ever-growing video library on FluentU, the sooner and better you can incorporate the natural sound of the language into your speech.FluentU  is a natural fit for audiobook-lovers, as it takes real-world videosâ€"like movie trailers, music videos, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language lessons.Allowing you to focus on the spoken wordUnlike with watching television or movies, audiobooks let you focus just on what youre hearing. You won t be distracted by the visual spectacle of a chase scene, a car exploding, dynamic wardrobe changes or the dazzling panorama of a mountaintop at sunrise.Sure, youll be forming mental pictures as the book is read to youâ€"but your imagination will be fed solely by audio input.And while songs are useful for language learning, the melody can mask the intonation and rhythm youd hear when someone is just talking. Besides… how many people habitually speak to each other in rhyme or to a set beat?Being portable, practical and availableYou can listen to audiobooks anywhere. Enjoy them while your hands are busy, but your mind is relatively free. Indulge in them even when youre low on time or money.Audiobooks are available for many levels of language learning and innumerable interests. Depending on your level of learning, you can benefit from different types of books and varied techniques for learning from them.Letting you feel the beat of the wordsAgain, when you listen to music, youre hear ing words sung to an arbitrary beat. In ordinary speech, you can more clearly hear how syllables are stressed in individual words. In many languages, word stress can make a difference in meaning, so this aspect of spoken language can’t be ignored.Providing a way to tune in to intonationThe rise and fall of someones voice can change the meaning of what theyre saying.If youre studying a language like Mandarin or Cantonese, youre already familiar with toneâ€"the way the rising or falling of your voice changes the meaning of a word.Audiobooks are a fantastic tool for learning intonation, the way speakers of certain languages change the pitch of their voices throughout a sentence or paragraph to let listeners know more about what theyre saying.Unlike tone, intonation isnt about differentiating between similar words. Intonation uses non-verbal cues to express broader concepts such as the purpose of a sentence or the emotions behind it.Interrogative rise is a well-known type of intonatio n. Its the way the pitch of someone’s voice can rise as a sentence ends, indicating that theyre asking a question. (Its recent, widespread misuse has come to be known as uptalk.)Helping you pace yourselfSpeeding up or slowing down your voice as you speak uses pacing, the flow of the words, to express emotions like excitement or sadness.When you listen to audiobooks, youll become aware of how the narrator might slow down for a somber passage, then speed up their voice to indicate urgency or trepidation.From Listening to Speaking: How to Improve Your Foreign Language Speech with AudiobooksMix up your genresDifferent genres of books may cover different emotional registers, affecting intonation and word flow. If you want to broaden your understanding of these important non-verbal indicators, youll want to listen to both fiction and non-fiction books on a variety of topics.Keep your eyes and ears openTo become more fully aware of how the spoken version interprets the text, read the cor responding text as you listen. This helps your brain link the written representation of the word or phrase to its spoken counterpart. You can then consciously note the way tools such as flow and intonation are used to impart another dimension of meaning to the text.Audition different voice actorsListen to the same text being read by different narrators, mentally noting the differences in one performance versus the other. In this way, you can internalize the natural, individual cadence variations among native speakers.Take a turn at the micRecord yourself reading a familiar passage from an audiobook.  (Your smartphone probably comes with a simple audio recorder app for this.)Compare your recording to the professional version. Try to figure out how you might sound more like a native speaker.Language Audiobook Jackpot! 5 Sound Sources for Learners?Now that weve discovered how audiobooks can be used to learn cadence and other important elements of speech, lets look at five bountiful lan guage audiobook resources that will take you closer to sounding like a native speaker.The Book Whisperers: Amazon AudibleThe company that brought you Kindle keeps the reading flame burning with Audible audiobooks service.Audiobook languages:SpanishChineseEnglishFrenchGermanItalianPortugueseTypes of available books:Literary classicsContemporary fictionNon-fictionSpecial features:Audible lets you switch from one device to another without losing your place in the book. Start out listening to a book on your laptop during your afternoon break. Continue listening on your phone right before bedâ€"and dont forget to take advantage of Audibles sleep timer!The next morning, take in a chapter or two via your Echo Dot as your coffee brews in the kitchen. Grab your travel mug full of java and proceed to the car for your morning commute… and continue listening seamlessly on your mobile phone. (You can even repurpose that old Garmin or TomTom GPS device in your car as an Audible device.)With Whi spersync, now available for thousands of books on Amazon, you can switch back and forth between the e-book and audiobook version on the fly. This is particularly handy if you want to keep reading, but youre in a situation where you cant listen out loud and cant use headphones.To take advantage of Whispersync, you must:have a wireless internet connectionown the e-book (or have a Kindle Unlimited subscription) andown the audiobook (or have an Audible subscription).Average cost and format(s):Individual books from the Audible service vary widely in price.Another buying option is an Audible membership, which includes access to a new audiobook each month. You can try a free trial.Audible books are completely virtualâ€"all you need to access them is a compatible device and a reliable internet connection. Once the books are downloaded, feel free to enjoy them even when you’re out of WiFi range.Freebies on LibriVoxLibriVox is a labor of love. A multi-language library of works recorded by v olunteers, LibriVoxs mission is the acoustical liberation of books in the public domain.Audiobook languages:ChineseEnglishFrenchGermanItalianJapaneseKoreanPortugueseRussianSpanish…plus over 50 more ancient and modern languages, including Ancient Greek, Irish Gaelic, Tamil, Arabic, Yiddish and Ukrainian.Types of available books:Books on LibriVox are from the public domain (as defined by the laws of the United States). LibriVox boasts all kinds of genres, including these:Childrens booksHumorHorrorCrime fiction and detective storiesHistorical fictionPlaysPoetryRomanceWesternsNon-fictionSpecial features:LibriVox is interactive. If you dont see a certain favorite work, feel free to add it to the wish list in the Book Suggestions forumâ€"provided its in the public domain.If you need to report an error in a file, you can do so in this section of the forum. You can even participate by recording works for the LibriVox library, or doing  proof-listening for newly recorded works, if that app eals to you.You can easily browse the LibriVox library by language, genre, author or title.Average cost and format(s):As the name suggests, all books on LibriVox are free.Its easy to listen online using your browserâ€"just click on the play arrow next to a selected book chapter to start.You can download entire books as MP3 Zip files or Torrent files.Theres a free LibriVox iOS app for your iPhone or iPad and a similiar, low-cost app for Android devices.Books to Try on SpotifySpotify hosts millions of songs in hundreds of languages. But it can do more than just get your toes tapping!Spotify offers a host of foreign-language audiobooks that are a boon to language learning.Audiobook languages:ChineseEnglishFrenchGermanItalianSpanishTypes of available books:Childrens booksFiction, including classics like Moby Dick  and  Treasure Island  (translated into various languages)For some languages, such as Japanese and Portuguese, audiobooks currently appear to be limited to language-learning te xts. For other languages, like Arabic, Chinese, Italian and Spanish, Spotify offers language-learning texts plus a few children’s bilingual books.Spotifys French and German audiobook selections seem the most varied, although other language audiobook collections will likely grow over time.Special features:Enjoy the communal efforts of other Spotify users who have worked to compile playlists filled with language-learning material. Spotifys Search feature finds public playlists created by Spotify and its users, such as these, that will aid you in your linguistic quests:FrenchLivres Audio (French audiobooks), includingLe petit prince (The Little Prince)  LÉtranger (The Stranger) and other classicsLa poésie française  (French Poetry), with selections by Jacques Prévert, Jean Cocteau and Paul Éluard, among othersGermanGerman Audio Books,  including translations of Moby Dick, Peter Pan  and Treasure IslandSpanishAudiobooks in Spanish,  a collection of works by Rubén DaríoYou can a lso search for specific authors or book names, although the most relevant results will appear if you combine both in your search.Average cost and format(s):Spotify can be enjoyed with a free membership; if youd like additional features and benefits, like advertisement-free play, the ability to skip over multiple songs and offline listening, you can upgrade to Premium.Listen to audiobooks on Spotify in any of the following ways:Web player (which runs through your browser)Spotifys desktop appAndroid appiOS appListen Up: Audiobooks.comA dedicated audiobook listening service, Audiobooks.com gives its listeners an extensive library of popular books in multiple languages, in addition to language instruction as well as other fiction and non-fiction books.Audiobook languages:EnglishFrenchGermanItalianPolishRussianSpanishTo find fiction or non-fiction books beyond language instruction texts, trying searching for the language’s native name, such as polski for Polish, to get more relevant re sults.Types of available books:Childrens booksAdult fiction, both classic and contemporaryCollections of quotations from philosophers such as Thoreau, Plato, Confucius and KierkegaardHistory (non-fiction)Treatises on disciplines like architecture and designBiographiesSpecial features:Using a patent-pending technology, Audiobooks.com lets you move your listening from smartphone to laptop to tablet, without losing your place in the book.Audiobooks.com members can download books to the library on their own devices, making them available for offline listeningâ€"perfect for times spent in airplane mode or in places with spotty network coverage.Average cost and format(s):An Audiobooks.com membership costs about $15 monthly. One audiobook a month, which you can choose to stream or download, is included with your membership; if youd like more, you can purchase them with existing credits or through a feature called InstaCredit.  Membership affords you discounts on other purchases from the si te.You can listen to your Audiobooks.com selections on your iPad or iPhone, or using your Android device. Audiobooks.com also offers web-based listening on your laptop or tablet.Card-carrying HooplaYour public library card can be your passport to a world of online language audiobooks through Hoopla Digital.Audiobook languages:EnglishJapanesePortugueseRussianSpanishTypes of available books:General fictionNon-fictionSelf-helpScience fiction and fantasySpecial features:Hoopla provides ad-free content and no membership fees. Your borrowed items will be automatically returned to the virtual library after 21 days.Hoopla offers other digital media, including music, comics and e-books.Spanish is probably the highest-profile language on Hoopla (besides English); check out the following extensive collections of Spanish-language resources:Spanish fiction non-fictionSpanish childrens booksMi Nombre es Sara G. (My Name Is Sara G. â€" easy stories to practice your intermediate-level Spanish)Aver age cost and format(s):As its a program supported by local public libraries, borrowing from Hoopla is free. All you need to join is your library card number, along with a PIN.Hooplas media library can be enjoyed on a wide array of devices, including:AndroidApple (iOS)Amazon Fire Fire TVGoogle ChromecastWherever you find your foreign language audiobooks, dont forget to listen, imitate and let the spoken stories work their magic on the rhythm, pace and intonation of your speech.Just like the tales told in the Golden Age of Radio, language audiobooks can take you on an unparalleled adventure, as you transform from language learner to near-native speaker.