Getting Started with Yoga

Getting Started with Yoga How to Become the Perfect Yogi ChaptersHow Can You Master Your Breathing in YogaHow Do You Achieve Perfect Alignment in Yoga?Essential Yoga Poses10 Daily Yoga Meditation Exercises“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” - Mohandas Karamchand GandhiYoga is becoming increasingly popular in the UK. There are somewhere between 300,000 and 460,000 people in the UK regularly doing yoga. Doing yoga, asanas, and breathing exercises are all about focusing on the present and achieving mindfulness.This is why more and more Brits are giving it a go; to improve their flexibility, manage stress, and get healthier. You can master your breathing, relax, and let go.So how can you become a yoga professional when you’ve just started trying to master your inner peace?In this article, we're going to look at different aspects of doing yoga including mastering your breathing, achieving alignment, essential yoga poses, and daily yoga meditation exercises to do every day. CarleyYoga Teacher 5.00 (5) £100/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GenYoga Teacher £45/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JulieYoga Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LynnYoga Teacher 4.89 (9) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AliceYoga Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LauraYoga Teacher 5.00 (6) £70/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors UndramYoga Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LottieYoga Teacher £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsHow Can You Master Your Breathing in YogaThere are techniques that are quite simple to master and breathing is one of them. This is one of the main aspects of yoga, too. While you may wonder why breathing is so important in yoga, you should remember that breathing indicates that we are actually alive. Breathing is essential for your body.Breathing is an essential part of yoga. If you're not controlling your breathing, you'll never manage the more difficult poses. (Sour ce: TheDigitalArtist)When you listen to your body, you’ll hear the warning signs that you’re stressed or realise that you’re relaxed. Deep breathing can help us experience exactly what’s going on with our bodies. In yoga, breathing is more important than in any other type of exercise since breathing is part of the yoga poses themselves.You can’t just hold your breath throughout a yoga session, you have to integrate your breathing into each pose. Each yoga pose has points where you should be inhaling, exhaling, and holding your breath. A yoga teacher or tutor could help you with this and they’ll guide and support you through the breathing exercises.How Do You Achieve Perfect Alignment in Yoga?You can achieve a state of serenity through perfect alignment. In yoga, alignment refers to how your body, mind, and spirit are aligned with one another and how the poses make this alignment possible. Thus, even if you’re not doing a yoga course, attending lessons, or going to a yo ga retreat, you can still benefit from yoga through your own alignment. This is believed to be down to your chakras.You need to work on your alignment to get the most out of your yoga sessions. (Source: lograstudio)If you want to achieve perfect alignment, you can do certain asanas or poses. You can calm down and get better at yoga by practising. As you probably remember from school, practice makes perfect! As you do these poses, you’ll need to pay careful attention to your body and mind. A perfectly executed sun salutation and you’re there!Whether it’s your first lesson or not, you should always listen carefully to what your tutor or instructor has to say as they’ll tell you how to position yourself and when and how to breathe. This can help you to become more flexible as well as battle stress. No matter which type of yoga you’re doing, you’ll need to make sure you warm up before trying these poses and working on your alignment.Essential Yoga PosesWhether you’re in a yoga class, following a yoga online lesson, or doing yoga in your living room, there are a few yoga poses that every single yogi should be able to do at any given time.There are a number of really common yoga poses. (Source: brenkee)In fact, regardless of your physical fitness and age, there is plenty of different yoga poses that almost anyone can do. Here are a few of them:Yoga Mudras, these are gestures done with your hands.Sun salutation, probably the most famous yoga pose.The Cobra, a useful pose that can improve your flexibility and balance.The Clamp, a simple and effective pose where you touch your feet with your hands.The CandleTwists, which are a bit more complicated but work on your flexibility and your digestive organs.The triangle, a good pose to do standing that works on your flexibility and breathing.In short, there’s a whole heap of useful yoga poses that you can work on depending on which parts of the body are in need of attention. In addition to improving your flex ibility, muscle tone, and spine, yoga poses can help you recentre, when done right. Make sure you pay particular attention to your technique so that you don’t hurt yourself.10 Daily Yoga Meditation ExercisesWith all the stress of everyday life, you’re probably wondering how 10 simple meditation exercises can really work. That said, when you concentrate correctly, you’ll be surprised at how effective they can be. These are simple and effective meditation exercises that anyone can do!Meditation is common in yoga, too. (Source: sasint)You can do these without too much difficulty. These aren’t really yoga exercises but rather meditation techniques that you can do on a daily basis, allowing yourself to reflect and concentrate on trivial things. Here’s a short list of meditative acts you can do every day:Take five minutes for yourself before you go to bed or when you’ve just woken up: you just need to focus on your thoughts at a given time in order to improve your concentratio n and to relax.Listen: This is very important when we’re stressed. Listen to your body, feel what it needs, think about your tension and worries and become aware of them.Listen to what’s happening around you: Focus on the world outside, focus on a given point and listen and feel what’s going on.Mindful eating: When you eat, pay particular attention to what you’re eating and the experience of eating as we’re made up of the food we eat. Focus on the taste, smells, colours, etc.Focus your attention: This is a fundamental part of meditation. Be in the present, feel the air pass into your lungs as you breathe, and make the most of now. You can do this at any time wherever you find yourself.Use your senses: In mindfulness meditation, you need to pay attention to each of your senses and what they’re feeling.  Is it pleasant? What are you feeling?  There are so many questions you should ask yourself about your own wellbeing.Let your mind wander: This needs to be done in a contro lled way. By doing the two previous steps, you’ll become aware of yourself and the world around you.Sleep: Sleeping is unconscious meditation. It’s a way to process your thoughts and feelings.Write: Writing is meditative as you focus on something very specific. Whatever you’re writing about, it’s meditative.Focus on what you’re doing: Every second of every day is an opportunity to meditate a little. You can focus on something as simple as typing away on your keyboard. Simple but effective!As you’ll have probably understood, everyone can do yoga. With breathing exercises, alignment, meditation, and basic poses, yoga is a diverse and accessible activity. So get your mat!The benefits of yoga go beyond just improving your flexibility through stretching and doing an asana, they also include improving your posture, helping you have an awareness of yourself and the world around you, working breathing techniques, stress reduction, strengthening muscles, building core strength, a nd even the emotional benefits of meeting new people in yoga classes near me.Whether you do hatha yoga, vinyasa yoga, Ashtanga yoga, Iyengar yoga, power yoga, or even prenatal yoga, there are plenty of different types of yoga and they all include the same benefits for your mind, body, and spirit through yoga postures, stretches, pranayama, and meditation.If you're interested in personalised yoga lessons, you should consider getting in touch with a private yoga teacher or instructor. On Superprof, you can search for both online yoga tutors and yoga tutors who work in your local area. A lot of the tutors on the platform offer the first hour of tuition for free, allowing you to meet them, discuss your needs as a yogi, your lifestyle, and put together a plan on how to improve your life with yoga.While one-on-one sessions will be the most effective as your instructor can focus on you, they tend to be more expensive than online sessions, which can take place over programmes such as Skype, since the tutors have fewer expenses.Additionally, you could always get a few friends together and do a class in a small group. A lot of tutors will offer a reduction per student which means everyone pays less but the tutor earns more.

Homework That Works

Homework That Works How is this ever going to help me, asks every student at some point in his/her life, buried under mountains of busy work, properly hidden by the euphuism of homework. Now, teachers are going to need a better answer to this common question, one much better than its (homework) due tomorrow morning. Alfie Kohn, the author of 12 books about education and human behavior and blogger for the Huffington Post, recently guest published an article in the Washington Post, claiming that homework is counterproductive and needs to be reevaluated. Kohn noted that even the best teachers assign counterproductive homework, knowing that there is credible research suggesting that homework is can be useless. Many teachers especially at the elementary level are pressured to teach a more topics and information than what they have time for. So, they assign homework simply to get that information in front of their students. Students then mindlessly complete the homework, and its never discussed or reviewed in classes. Essentially students do not actually learn anything from completing some forms of homework. Its simply tossed aside and quickly forgotten. Many teachers are aware of this conundrum; however, they are simply trying to meet state education requirements. Teachers then pass this burden onto students and their parents, wasting their time on new material time that could be spent learning current material. However, not all homework is counterproductive. Papers, essays and projects that encourage students to discover new topics and engage/react to different pieces of information help students learn and retain information much more efficiently than stretching just to cover a bunch of information via busy work. Kohn also argues that teachers force students to teach themselves when they assign homework on material that was not covered in class. So, teachers essentially take themselves out of their roles, placing the burden of learning new information on students and their parents. Most of the time, students wont actually learn the information as they mindlessly sift through irrelevant homework. The best teachers understand that homework is an opportunity for students to practice what they learned in class, to reinforce material, not to attempt to learn a lot of new material. This is especially relevant to mathematics and foreign language homework. However, Kohns claims that students learn best when they actively engage in their homework, using critical thinking skills and different approaches to learning, is consistent with other research. Students and parent should encourage teachers to assign better homework that forces students to deeply explore topics instead of busy work that squeezes in all the topics the state requires.

The Neighbourhoods in Rio

The Neighbourhoods in Rio What Are the Different Areas of Rio? ChaptersRio’s Slums in the NorthRio de Janeiro’s Areas: The CentroThe South of the CityThe West Zone“You walk off the plane in Rio, and your blood temperature goes up. The feel of the wind on your face, the water on your skin, the taste of the food, the music, the sexuality; Brazilians are very comfortable in their sexuality.” - Amy IrvingRio de Janeiro, with its 6 million inhabitants, is the second biggest city in Brazil after São Paulo. It's famous for the carnival, Christ the Redeemer at the summit of Corcovado, and its favelas.The historic centre, the seafront, Sugarloaf Mountain, the botanical gardens, etc., are all great places to visit in Rio.In this article, we’ll look at the different areas in Rio de Janeiro. IrineuPortuguese Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GabrielaPortuguese Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoanaPortuguese Teacher 5.00 (1) £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouisePortuguese Teacher 5.00 (2) £27/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RodrigoPortuguese Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors BlancaPortuguese Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors CarolinaPortuguese Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamPortuguese Teacher 5.00 (6) £11/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsRio’s Slums in the NorthYou can’t deny it, Brazil is one of the most unequal countries in the world. It’s 11th in the world according to the Gini Coefficient, a method for calculating a country’s wealth distribution. A value of 0 would indicate that the country is egalitarian and 100 indicates that the country performs poorly in terms of income equality. The favelas are home to the poorest in Rio de Janeiro? (Source: NakNakNak)In 2015, Brazil had a Gini Coefficient of 51.3 with South Africa’s 63 the worst-ranked in the world. Every country ahead of Brazil is in Africa.The city of Rio is a good example of Brazil’s income inequality. The richest rub shoulders with the poorest across the city. However, the richest enjoy the beach and coastline while the poorest live at the top of the city.The poorest residents of the city live in the north of the city. They don’t have the means to live elsewhere in the city. Rio’s slums, the favelas, continue to grow.  There are the Sumaré, Central do Brasil, Mangueira, Complexo do Alemão, Penha, and Portela favelas.Rio de Janeiro’s Areas: The CentroThis is Rio’s business and administrative centre which is home to large modern buildings and colonial buildings. The Avenida Rio Branco, which is very busy during the week, is very quiet on weekends and evenings. As a commercial and touristy ar ea, the Centro is also home to the middle classes. This is the area closest to the international airport and it’s also where most of Rio de Janeiro’s historical decisions were made as it was the administrative seat of the Portuguese colony before Brasilia became the country’s capital in 1960.The Centro is a mix of the old and new, with colonial homes and modern buildings designed by Le Corbusier, Oscar Niemeyer, and Lucio Costa. The area is also home to the country’s largest university campuses including the Law, Philosophy, and Social Science campuses.There are three main parts to the centre that you should visit.Find out how to budget for a trip to Rio.CinelândiaCinelândia takes its name from the main square in the Centro. Its official name is Praça Floriano Peixoto after Brazil’s second president. This is the heart of the business district.Until 1970, this was home to the Senate, in the Monroe Palace, which has since been destroyed. There are many fine examples of Be aux-Arts architecture including the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro, the National Library of Brazil, and the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes.The area gets its name from the many cinemas which were built by Francisco Serrador. Cinelândia means “Cinemaland” as if it were a theme park.LapaBehind the heart of Centro, you can find the Lapa neighbourhood, famous for its nightlife. It’s famous for the converted aqueduct and its archways which now allow the tram to cross the city. Lap's arches are an iconic part of the neighbourhood. (Source: melissapiper0)There are plenty of parties and tourists can enjoy forro, samba, and other types of Brazilian music. This is the place to go on a night out. During the day, you can enjoy the Escadaria Selarón that leads you to the Santa Teresa neighbourhood.Santa TeresaIn the heights of the Centro, Santa Teresa gets its name from the Carmelite Convent in the area. It’s also famous for the Santa Teresa Tram which runs over Lapa’s aqueduct. There are some great cultural sites to visit.  You’ll find artists’ workshops, restaurants, bars, and museums (Museu da Chácara do Céu, for example).Find out more about visiting Rio.The South of the CityThe south is the wealthier side of the city. You’ll find large hotel complexes and better public transport than elsewhere in Rio de Janeiro. However, in the heights of the south of the city, there's the Cantagalo favela between Ipanema beach and Copacabana beach and the adjacen t neighbourhoods. Head up the cable car if you want great views of the city. (Source: Poswiecie)The Flamengo NeighbourhoodThe Flamengo neighbourhood is by the beach and is home to Rio’s wealthier residents. Unlike the beaches at Ipanema and Copacabana, this beach isn’t often visited by tourists.  The area gets its name from the Dutch explorer Olivier van Noort, who people thought was Flemish (Flamengo in Portuguese). Flamengo is also famous for its football team and you can find large green spaces which are perfect for relaxing in what is otherwise an urban area.UrcaThe Urca neighbourhood, at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain, is where you can take the cable car from to enjoy views over the city and see Christ the Redeemer. It’s considered the safest neighbourhood in the city. There’s also a statute of Chopin facing the sea, which was gifted to the city by its Polish inhabitants.LaranjeirasLaranjeiras is one of the oldest residential neighbourhoods in the city and is at the foot of the Corcovado mountain. Today it’s the seat of the federal government for the state of Rio de Janeiro.CopacabanaThis area is famous for its beach and it’s a lively area with many restaurants, bars, and cinemas. If you go to Rio, you have to visit it. You can’t miss Avenida Atlântica which runs alongside the beach. If you’re there on New Year’s Eve, you can see the fireworks show and throw flowers into the ocean at midnight, as is the tradition.IpanemaThe next two neighbourhoods in the South Zone are some of the trendiest in Rio. Ipanema beach has become more popular than Copacabana. If you decide to go for a swim, be careful as there are strong currents and waves.  You can also bathe in the Lagoa (lagune), a saltwater lake and a great place to avoid mosquitoes. The Ipanema neighbourhood is also the birthplace of bossa nova music.LeblonLeblon is another trendy neighbourhood, much like Ipanema. During the Rio Carnival, there are private parties organised all through the night. Image is v ery important in Rio and especially in Ipanema and Leblon which explains why there are plenty of plastic surgeons springing up all over the neighbourhood.Find out more about accommodation in Rio.The West ZoneLike most districts in Rio, the West Zone has a rich and a poor area. The nicer the area, the more you'll expect to pay to stay there. (Source: Poswiecie)Barra da TijucaLocated by the ocean, the Barra de Tijuca neighbourhood, often referred to as just “Barra”, has around 15 miles of beaches and 3 lakes. It’s a good place to surf.  This area is home to the Olympic facilities. Additionally, the buildings are more like in American cities such as Miami, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles than the European design you find in the Central Zone.JacarepaguáThis is the 9th largest neighbourhood in Rio and the income inequality is even more evident here. On one side, you have a very wealthy population and on the other side, you'll find slums.Recreio dos BandeirantesThis relatively new neighbourhood is away from the influx of tourists in the city. This is where wealthy residents have made their homes. The buildings here aren’t as tall as the those in the neighbouring Barra da Tijuca. The beaches at Recreio were used during the Olympic Games.Discover the best time to visit Rio.So which areas of Rio de Janeiro are you going to check out?Before you see Cristo Redentor, you might want to study some Portuguese! Fortunately for you, there are plenty of talented Portuguese tutors on Superprof! There are three types of tutorial available, each with its advantages and disadvantages: group tutorials, online tutorials, and face-to-face tutorials.Group tutorials are great for those on a budget as you can share the cost of the tutor's time with the other students in attendance. It could be useful if you're going to Porto with a group of friends, though.Similarly, online tutorials are good if you're on a budget as the tutor doesn't have to travel and can, therefore, charge less per hour. Your tutor might even be from Brazil.Finally, face-to-face tutorials are between you and the tutor. This is the most costly type of tutorial but it's also the most cost-effective.

Tips to Take the Stress Out of Homework Time

Tips to Take the Stress Out of Homework Time Some parents find homework time to be the most stressful part of the day, but it doesnt have to be that way. If youve heard from any parents that homework is causing a lot of anxiety and arguments, its time to do something about it. Here are a few tips to share with your students parents to make things easier on the whole family: Time your children. Its a big red flag when your students take a long time on homework and dont have the grades to show for that effort. Give parents an idea of whats a reasonable amount of time to spend on homework and encourage them to keep an eye on how long their children are working. Teach prioritization. Students who struggle to rank their homework in order from most important/due soonest to least important/due later will find themselves taking far longer than needed to do homework. A simple handout explaining how parents can work with their children to review and rank tasks at the start of every homework session will help. Encourage a routine. Children today lead busy lives, but the more parents can guide their children toward a consistent daily routine, the better. Maybe that means homework happens after school or before soccer, but the key is to establish and stick to a schedule. This promotes good time management skills and gives children greater control over their days. Develop an organizational system. Staying organized is essential to de-stress homework time, and involves several components: using a planner (or planner app), keeping to a schedule, and keeping track of all important papers and materials required for homework. Again, a handout for parents could be useful as they try to keep their children on track at home. With a few adjustments, parents can transform homework time from an angst-inducing battle into just another part of the nightly routine. Pass along your best tips for making homework time run more smoothly at home, and youll most likely notice a positive difference.

How to Make Reading Part of the Summer Routine

How to Make Reading Part of the Summer Routine Many children look forward to summer as a time to unwind, relax and enjoyand reading for fun can definitely enhance the summer. The school year is busy and most students read plenty, but not necessarily the books or materials of their choosing, says Eileen Huntington of the Huntington Learning Center. Summer reading can be so much fun because children can read whatever they choose, take their time and explore topics they find interesting. Its easier than you think to make reading a part of your summer routine, says Huntington. Here of a few tips: Do some research. Teachers and education professionals know well that youll have far better luck getting children to choose to read if they find books that interest them. So, do a little homework on books that might appeal to your child. What topic, sport or activity is your child into right now? If you need help, ask your librarian for recommendations. Websites like goodreads.com are also helpful for searching genres (even getting as specific as childrens classics, juvenile, young adult fiction, realistic young adult, teen and young adult contemporary, for example) and reading reviews. Make it family time. Set aside 20 or 30 minutes each evening for the entire family to get out their books and read together. Make reading time a treat by setting out a tray of summer snacks and a pitcher of ice cold lemonade. If you have a shady spot in the backyard, transform it into your summer reading spot with a few lounge chairs or hammocks. The more you can treat reading like a fun, want-to activity, the more your child will embrace it and look forward to it. Sign up for summer reading programs. Summer reading programs do a great job of rewarding readers for achieving milestones and building a sense of community among readers. Huntington Learning Centers Reading Adventure Program runs all summer long and has children choose books from a pre-selected book list with many high-interest, popular books. Students record their reading in a reading passport and get recognized for meeting their goals. Dont forget to check out summer reading programs at your local library and bookstores as well. Visit the library. Librarians are the biggest proponents of summer reading and youll find lots of ideas to get your child inspired at your local library. Look into summer book clubs, summer reading programs, reading activities for teens and family reading programs. At a minimum, stopping by the library regularly is a great way to keep reading top of mind and set and meet goals. For every book that your child completes, why not reward him or her with a stop at the ice cream shop on the way home? Summer is an ideal time to incorporate reading into the daily scheduleand the perfect opportunity to get children to enjoy this ageless pastime. The key to making reading a daily habit is to make it enjoyable, and there are so many ways to do that during summer, says Huntington. Make it fun. Let your child choose the books. Make reading a fun family tradition. When you do things like this, youll start to see your child choosing to read over other activities, and his or her reading skills will improve greatly as well. About Huntington Huntington is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntingtons mission is to give every student the best education possible. Learn how Huntington can help at www.huntingtonhelps.com. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. 2016 Huntington Mark, LLC. Huntington Learning Center, the three-leaf logo, and 1 800 CAN LEARN are registered trademarks of Huntington Mark, LLC. Each franchised Huntington Learning Center is operated under a franchise agreement with Huntington Learning Centers, Inc.

5 Unconventional Tips for Becoming a Polyglot

5 Unconventional Tips for Becoming a Polyglot Becoming a polyglot is serious businessor, is it?All over the world, youll find average, everyday people speaking 2 or more languages.  Like, no big deal.In the United States, we often think that polyglots, or those who speak multiple languages, beis long to a rare and remarkable species.As an American myself, I was raised speaking English and only English.I dabbled in a few years of Spanish and Italian classes in grade school and university, however it wasnt nearly enough to bring me close to fluency. My situation is quite common for Americans.While living in Chinas Guangdong province, I witnessed just how mainstream polyglots are. In China, it isnt uncommon for natives to speak four languages: Mandarin (their native tongue), their hometown dialect (based on their province), Cantonese and English. The Chinese school system requires students to study English in grade school and usually college. So, by their mid-twenties most Chinese people will have a solid English proficiency.If you re someone thinking of becoming a polyglot, here are some tips to use as you learn the languages that make our world go round. 5 Unconventional Tips for Becoming a Polyglot1. Read the same book in multiple languagesThis is perhaps one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve your reading skills in multiple languages. Rather than read a variety of books in a variety of languages, think of one book or book series you were quite familiar with growing up. This may be one youve already read several times in the past or one that was a staple to your childhood. There are some books that you can purchase with English on odd pages and a second language on even pages. That allows you to translate both languages line-by-line and easily decipher how sentences and grammar are structured. Alternatively, you could read a page in your target language and simply refer to the English side when you want to double-check your comprehension from time to time.If you arent sure where to start, Harry Potter is a popular choice and all-time favorite because people are usually at least somewhat familiar with the storyline. If Harry Potter isnt your cup of tea, try other novels or book series (i.e., The Hunger Games, Twilight, Fifty Shades of Grey,  etc.) that use simple sentence structures and have a reading level of 8th grade or lower.2. Use your busy time for studyingBecoming a polyglot requires extra effort. Duh! Youre in the big leagues now, so its going to take more than just your normal language learning routine to hone in on your multilingual skills. When you subtract the time you spend sleeping, eating, cooking, commuting, bathing, pooping and working, you arent left with much time to actually focus and study. Therefore, its important to incorporate language reminders into your busy time. Even though getting in an extra ten minutes of language study time at three various busy times a day may not seem like a worthwhile effort, it actually adds to 3.5 hours a week!If y ou arent sure of your busy time, spend a day recording exactly how long you do each of your regular tasks. This can be incredibly revealing of the amount of time you spend doing specific things each day. We typically spend more time doing certain mundane and routine tasks than we realize (hence those moments where we say, time flies). Then, think about if and how you can include language studying into (or in-between) those chunks of time.One idea is to listen to language dialogues or songs during your workout routine, while you cook, during your commute to work or while waiting for a meeting to begin at work. Not only will you be more productive over those 24 hours in general, but youll also be sure to accelerate the language learning process.3. Host Couchsurfers from around the worldIf you dont have the means to immerse yourself in a new culture or travel to the country that speaks your desired language, bring the language to you! Hosting Couchsurfing guests from around the world i s a free and effective way to practice your multiple language skills. If you arent familiar with the service, its an online community of over 9,000,000 users. You first create a profile as either a traveler or a host, filling out details about yourself and your interests. In this case, youd start as a host.You might think, why would I ever let a stranger stay at my home? Well, thats a totally valid thought, but not one that should keep you from giving it a shot. Couchsurfing takes safety seriously, and all hosts are required to leave feedback for past guests. That way you ensure that youre hosting someone responsible with a history of positive reviews.Rather than hosting guests and having them speak your language, try communicating to them in theirs. Make sure to host guests from a variety of countries so that youre exposing yourself to different languages. If youre still beginning your journey in becoming a polyglot, it may be better to host guests of one language until you feel co mfortable exposing yourself to an additional new language.Think about it: if youre thinking of picking up Italian and dont have the money to invest in books or tutoring, you can easily host Italian tourists visiting your hometown. Its a win for you, a win for the Couchsurfer and a win for the global community youre enriching.  Perfetto!4. Use the Laddering TechniqueWhen learning multiple languages, it can be tempting to, in your head, imagine the phrase you want to express in your native tongue and then translate it to your desired language. For example, if youre an English speaker learning both Mandarin and Japanese, you first think of what you want to say in English before you mentally translate it to either Mandarin or Japanese. In this case, English is used as the base language for  all  other languages.  Unfortunately, this ends up confusing the speaker, making it common to mix up and confuse languages.This is where the Laddering Technique comes in! Laddering is a process of cr eating a mental hierarchy for your language translations. Imagine a ladder where the first rung is your native language, the second rung is your second language and so on. When translating something, only use the language of the rung before the one youre trying to communicate with.For example, lets say your native language is English (first rung), followed by Spanish (second rung), followed by Japanese (third rung). When learning Japanese, rather than mentally translating words from English to Japanese, translate starting from Spanish. This not only enhances both your Spanish and Japanese skills, but it also makes the language learning a little bit easier on your brain.5. Work with a life coachLearning multiple languages can easily become overwhelming and scary for someone going at it alone.  Life coaching is an effective way to develop strategies to manage your time and amp up your productivity. Sometimes its hard for us to see what exactly is keeping us from maximizing our true po tential. A life coach is trained to help you see what youre not seeing and ask you some thought-provoking questions to reflect on. Specifically, a life coach can help you process where youre getting stuck and brainstorm ways to overcome any internal or external barriers to your learning.There is no single go-to formula for how to become a polyglot. When working with a life coach, you can create solutions that are tailor-made to your values and needs. Coaching can help you awaken your inner genius and discover ways to master your time and energy. Plus, it helps to have someone who can hold you accountable and motivate you every step of the way!Congrats on beginning this exciting journey to becoming a multilingual master!Frank Macri  works with those looking to create off the beaten path lifestyles. For tips on saving (and making) money abroad, unique options to travel for a living,  and wisdom picked up around the world, visit  www.TheFrankLife.com.

Pranav, age 13; Haruyo Tanaka, Instructor

Pranav, age 13; Haruyo Tanaka, Instructor Pranav, age 13; Haruyo Tanaka, Instructor When Kumon Instructor Haruyo Tanaka first met a then four year old Pranav, she had no idea that by age nine he would become one of the youngest people in the world to pass the Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist exam or that he’d be taking calculus at Moorpark College by age 11. With nearly eight years of Kumon study under his belt, Pranav is just getting started. With a strong student-parent-instructor relationship at Kumon in place, Pranav has completed the Kumon Math curriculum and is working on completing the Kumon Reading Program. When he’s not honing his tech skills or tackling college level coursework, Pranav likes to unwind by cultivating his family garden and playing Pokeman video games with his sister. Pranav is anxious to complete college and has set his sights on beginning graduate school by age 18.  Drawn to the sciences and fascinated by the wonders of the universe, Pranav wants to be on the cutting edge of scientific discoveries. “In science there’s many things yet to discover and many unknowns. I want to make a scientific discovery so it can help the progress of science,” says Pranav. It is an understatement to describe Pranav as a determined young man. His drive and tenacity to be at his best is an inspiration to youngsters and adults alike.  Click here to meet Pranav as he talks about his Kumon experience. You might also be interested in: Discovering True Potential: An Early Learner’s Journey through Kumon Angel, age 10: Alison Mori, Kumon Instructor Shreya, Age 9; Jenny Valdecanas, Instructor Hansuja, age 7: Dee Mahtani, Kumon Instructor Pranav, age 13; Haruyo Tanaka, Instructor Pranav, age 13; Haruyo Tanaka, Instructor When Kumon Instructor Haruyo Tanaka first met a then four year old Pranav, she had no idea that by age nine he would become one of the youngest people in the world to pass the Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist exam or that he’d be taking calculus at Moorpark College by age 11. With nearly eight years of Kumon study under his belt, Pranav is just getting started. With a strong student-parent-instructor relationship at Kumon in place, Pranav has completed the Kumon Math curriculum and is working on completing the Kumon Reading Program. When he’s not honing his tech skills or tackling college level coursework, Pranav likes to unwind by cultivating his family garden and playing Pokeman video games with his sister. Pranav is anxious to complete college and has set his sights on beginning graduate school by age 18.  Drawn to the sciences and fascinated by the wonders of the universe, Pranav wants to be on the cutting edge of scientific discoveries. “In science there’s many things yet to discover and many unknowns. I want to make a scientific discovery so it can help the progress of science,” says Pranav. It is an understatement to describe Pranav as a determined young man. His drive and tenacity to be at his best is an inspiration to youngsters and adults alike.  Click here to meet Pranav as he talks about his Kumon experience. You might also be interested in: Discovering True Potential: An Early Learner’s Journey through Kumon Angel, age 10: Alison Mori, Kumon Instructor Shreya, Age 9; Jenny Valdecanas, Instructor Hansuja, age 7: Dee Mahtani, Kumon Instructor