Critical Thinking Skills and Why They Are Important - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Critical Thinking Skills and Why They Are Important - Introvert Whisperer Critical Thinking Skills and Why They Are Important What is critical thinking? It alludes to the capacity to break down data equitably and make a contemplated judgment. Critical thinking includes the assessment of sources, for example, information, realities, noticeable marvel, and research discoveries. Great basic scholars can make sensible determinations from a lot of data and separate among helpful and less valuable subtleties to take care of an issue or settle on a choice. Why Do Employers Value Critical Thinking Skills? Businesses need work competitors who can assess a circumstance utilizing coherent idea and think of the best arrangement. Somebody with critical thinking abilities can be trusted to settle on choices on his or her very own and does not require consistent handholding. Its nothing unexpected that critical thinking skills are the absolute most looked for after abilities in pretty much every industry and work environment. You can show critical thinking by utilizing catchphrases identified with this expertise in your resume and introductory letter, and amid your meeting. The conditions requesting critical thinking change from industry to industry. A few precedents include: A triage nurture investigates the current cases and chooses the request by which the patients ought to be dealt with. A handyman assesses the materials that best would suit a specific occupation. A lawyer audits proof and devises a procedure to win a case or to choose whether to settle out of court. A director breaks down client input structures and uses this data to build up a client administration instructional meeting for representatives. How to Use Skills Lists If critical thinking is a key expression in the job postings you are applying for, make certain to underline your critical thinking abilities all through your pursuit of employment. Right off the bat, you can utilize critical thinking catchphrases (expository, critical thinking, inventiveness, and so on.) in your resume. In the depiction of your work history, you can incorporate any of the underneath abilities that precisely portray you. You can likewise incorporate them in your resume synopsis, if you have one. For instance, your outline may peruse, Promoting Associate with five years of involvement in venture the executives. Talented in directing intensive statistical surveying and contender examination to evaluate advertise patterns and customer needs, and to create proper securing strategies. Also, you can incorporate these critical thinking skills in your introductory letter. In the body of your letter, you can refer to a couple of these abilities, and give a case of when you showed those skills at work. Consider times when you needed to investigate or assess materials to take care of an issue. At long last, you can utilize these ability words in a meeting. Talk about when you were looked with a specific issue or test at work and clarify how you connected critical thinking to illuminate it. A few questioners will even give you a theoretical situation or issue, and request that you utilize critical thinking skills to illuminate it. For this situation, clarify your point of view altogether to the questioner. The person in question is normally progressively centered around how you touch base at your answer as opposed to the arrangement itself. The questioner needs to see you use investigation and assessment (key pieces of critical thinking). Obviously, each job will require diverse skills and encounters, so ensure you read the set of working responsibilities cautiously and center around the abilities recorded by the business. Top 5 Critical Thinking Skills 1. Analytical Part of critical thinking is the ability to carefully examine something, whether it is a problem, a set of data, or a text. People with  analytical skills  can examine information, and then understand what it means, and what it represents. Asking thoughtful questions Data analysis Information seeking Interpretation Judgment Questioning evidence Recognizing differences and similarities Skepticism 2. Communication Often, you will need to share your conclusions with your employers or with a group of colleagues. You need to be able to  communicate  with others to share your ideas effectively. You might also need to engage in critical thinking with a group. In this case, you will need to work with others and communicate effectively to figure out solutions to complex problems. Asking important questions Assessment Collaboration Explanation Expressing opinions and ideas Interpersonal Presentation Teamwork Verbal communication Written communication 3. Creativity Critical thinking often involves some level of  creativity. You might need to spot patterns in the information you are looking at or come up with a solution that no one else has thought of before. All of this involves a creative eye. Cognitive flexibility Conceptualization Curiosity Imagination Making abstract connections Making inferences Predicting Synthesizing Visionary 4. Open-Minded To think critically, you need to be able to put aside any assumptions or judgments and merely analyze the information you receive. You need to be objective, evaluating ideas without bias. Embracing different cultural perspectives Fair Humble Inclusive Objective Observation Reflection 5. Problem Solving Problem-solving  is another crucial critical thinking skill that involves analyzing a problem, generating and implementing a solution, and assessing the success of the plan. After all, employers don’t simply want employees who can think about information critically. They also need to be able to come up with practical solutions. Applying standards Attention to detail Clarification Collaboration Decision making Evaluation Grounded Identifying patterns Innovative Logical reasoning Critical thinking refers to the ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned judgment.  Critical thinking involves the evaluation of sources such as data, facts, observable phenomenon, and research findings. Good critical thinkers can draw reasonable conclusions from a set of information and discriminate between useful and less useful details to solve a problem or make a decision. Author Bio: Sara Albach  is a full-time content writer and English major from Toronto, Canada. Sara currently resides in Amman, Jordan and uses her free time writing career-help articles. Go to top Let me emphasize that Self-Promotion doesn’t have to be obnoxious to be effective.  But, if you don’t Self-Promote you, who will? If you ever want to get ahead, you have to learn how to Self-Promote. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that shows you simple, yet effective ways to Self-Promote. Start watching now by clicking here! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Why Learn Spanish To Benefit You

Why Learn Spanish To Benefit You The Benefits of Learning Spanish ChaptersWhat Different Reasons Are There to Learn Spanish?Why Study Spanish?How Can You Learn Business Spanish?How Has the History of Spanish Led to Its Modern Day Popularity?Why Should You Learn Spanish at School?Study Spanish to Live and Work in a Spanish Speaking CountryWhat Are the Best Ways to Learn to Speak Spanish?Where Is Spanish Spoken?Spanish is one of the most important languages the world, and this is reflected in the number of native speakers that there are worldwide, and the emphasis that is placed on learning the language around the globe.Spanish is a rich and beautiful language that is spoken across a number of different countries around the world. It is one of the UN's 6 official languages, and the language is the most widely spoken language in the Americas.Although some younger students might not see the advantages of learning Spanish due to their age, these are just a few of the reasons why the Spanish language isTherefore in this article we will cover one central theme; why learn Spanish?If you like the sound of this, but you don't have a language school nearby, then you could look for private or group lessons with a Spanish tutor. These could be in your house, or at a friend's house. By learning in a group, you can share the experience with your family and friends at the same time as developing your language skills in Spanish.There are some more modern methods that are now available. You can learn Spanish online, or you can learn Spanish with a tutor via webcam. Both of these options mean that you don't even need to leave the comfort of your own home!Remember, the method you choose is important as you want to get off to a good start. If you have a bad early experience, you will be more likely to stop learning Spanish all together.Keep in mind the way you like to learn, your budget, and what you want to achieve from your Spanish tuition before you commit to any one method.Where Is Spanish Spoken?Learning Spanish doesn't only gives you a numb er of options for choosing your next job, but also for choosing your next holiday destination.We have talked about how widespread the Spanish language is, but where exactly is Spanish spoken?If you had previously thought that Spanish is only spoken in Spain, you would be very much mistaken. In fact, it is a language that is spoken in Africa, Europe, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. And these are only the countries where it is an official language!It is a language that dominates heavily from the U.S-Mexico border in the north, all the way through to Ushuaia at the tip of Argentina, with Brazil, Suriname, and Guyana being the only countries where Spanish isn't an official or recognised language in Central and South America.Spanish is also spoken in Equatorial Guinea in Africa, and Cuba and the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean.Did you know that Superprof offers Spanish courses London, Spanish courses Manchester and Spanish courses Birmingham?

8 Expert Tips for Improving Spanish Reading Comprehension

8 Expert Tips for Improving Spanish Reading Comprehension Suzy S. Struggling with Spanish reading comprehension? Here are some helpful tips from Honolulu tutor Jinan B... Are you intimidated by texts, magazines, or books in Spanish?  Do you feel overwhelmed at the thought of reading and understanding written Spanish? The following tips will allow you to increase your Spanish reading comprehension and help you feel assured as you navigate new linguistic territory. 1. Notice the title and any photos or graphics in the text. These things will give you an idea of the style and content of the text. Improving reading comprehension in Spanish is like becoming a detective, and things like the title and images are your clues! 2. Draw on your own experience with and knowledge of the topic. Its likely the reading selection may cover some material that you already know. Thinking about keywords and points that the author may address, based on your prior knowledge of the topic, will increase your ability to decode the text in Spanish. 3. If there are reading comprehension questions attached to the text, read through the questions first so that you can look for the answers to the questions as you read. This will increase your engagement and understanding of the text. Knowing the questions ahead of time also gives you an idea of what the main points of the text may be, since the questions are often centered around general comprehension. 4. Get a gist. Skim the whole text to get a basic idea of the meaning. Dont worry about reading it thoroughly yet or understanding everything. Then, as you read it more in depth, you can scan each paragraph before you read it more carefully. 5. Consider the context of the text. Depending on where the story takes place, if its literature, you might expect to see informal or formal language. If its a news article, you might expect to see clear facts and details presented. Understanding how the author might convey the information allows you to anticipate the text and increase your comprehension. 6. Use cognates. Cognates are ever-helpful words that sound similar in Spanish and English and often share the same Latin root. If youre struggling with understanding a passage, try to determine what you already know simply from finding the cognates. (Note: Be wary of false Spanish cognates!) 7. Watch out for figurative language. Often, when you first start to read in a foreign language, you can forget that not everything is intended literally. Figurative language can be complex to grasp since the expressions are usually not equivalent in Spanish and English. However, if you anticipate some use of figurative language, it can reduce the amount of confusion you encounter with the text. 8. Use your knowledge of grammar. Understanding how the sentence is constructed can help you understand the meaning. Identify the subject, predicate, any conjunctions, direct and indirect objects and prepositions, and prepositional phrases. This is especially helpful if you encounter a wordy and complex sentence with many parts. Breaking it down can be the key to comprehension! You will find that the more you  practice using these tips while reading Spanish, the more your reading comprehension will increase. You can also read a text before your lessons: use the strategies above to gain as much understanding as possible, and then go over it with your Spanish  tutor  to further increase your Spanish reading comprehension. May your reading time be productive and fun! Jinan B. tutors in Honolulu, HI. She is currently an  Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, teaching various courses including  Community Nutrition, Concepts in Nutrition Education, and Advanced Child and Adolescent Nutrition.  Learn more about Jinan here!   Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by  Juan José Richards Echeverría

Master These Metal Guitar Scales So You Can Shred

Master These Metal Guitar Scales So You Can Shred Megan L. Practicing scales and scale-based exercises are a great way to build the speed you need to shred like a pro! Guitar teacher Noel S.  shares his favorite tips to get you started How do you get the speed and energy in your guitar playing that you need to truly shred? There are four simple skills youll need to master, and Ive put together exercises here so you can practice them all. Lets dive in and get started! 1.Right Hand Alternate Picking Speed You have two goals in this exercise. One is to develop perfect timing as you pick alternately up and down on a single string. It is best to start at slower speeds, to monitor and improve your mechanical movement. I know you metal guitar players want to shred ASAP, and for this part, the fastest way to get there is to take your time. Minimize your movement away from the string as you pluck and listen for perfect timing to align with your metronome clicks. Make sure youre hearing pure sound connect to pure sound, no pick noise or silence in between. Heres the scale pattern to practice alternate picking, using an A minor riff from one of my solos. Practice it on every string in steady 16th notes. To add extra connectivity and speed, pull-off the first note of every beat onto the second one, using the left hand. 12-0-0-0-10-0-0-0-8-0-0-0-7-0-0-0 / 5-0-0-0-5-0-0-0-3-0-0-0-1-0-0-0 / 4-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-4-0-0-0-1-0-0-0 / 4-0-0-0-7-0-0-0-10-0-0-0-12-0-0-0 / 5 Time for goal two, teaching your muscles to eliminate wasted movement by playing at fast tempos (144 BPM and higher). Play the same exercise, starting at that metronome setting, remembering a lot of clear, fast, connected notes sound great and a lot of fast noise is nothing. If you have to use bursts to get started, play one beat as 8th note and the next as 16th notes, working to eventually extend those fast note sections into more beats. 2. Right and Left Hand Synchronization The next step is to make sure you can shred with BOTH hands on a single string. Now that we have great right-hand mechanics, watch the left hand for the smallest movements possible. Ive written this riff based on the G harmonic minor scale. Again, play it on each string using all 16th-note alternate picking. Left hand indicators are i (index), m (middle), r (ring) and p (pinky) 3-6-5-6-3-6-5-6-2-5-3-5-2-5-3-5 / 5-8-6-8-5-8-6-8-3-6-5-6-3-6-5-6 / i p r p i p m p i p m p i p r p 8-11-10-11-8-11-10-11-6-10-8-10-6-10-8-10 / 5-8-6-8-5-8-6-8 / 3 i p r p i p m p Again, the burst is a fantastic tool for breaking through your speed threshold! 3. Outside Uppick String Crossing There are other variables for string crossing and this one will be the most useful for us to shred in step 4! Outside picking means your pick crosses from one string to another on the outside of that string pair, not from in-between (inside picking) Practice this movement using a B minor pentatonic scale in position 7 , again using all 16th notes. -10-7710 1010-7-710-77 99-7 79-779- 99-7-79-77-9- -9-9-7-79 -10- 4. Three Note Per String Scales These scales use consistent patterns across the strings, allowing for a streamlined raceway where you can speed! We maximize that here with an even MORE consistent string-crossing pattern (as practiced above in scale number 3). In 16th note groups, we add everything weve learned so far to this ascending A harmonic minor scale, an explosive opening or great climax for a solo. Get it up to 160 bpm, then 176, then all the way up to 200! 7 6-9-10- 5-7-9-5-7-9- 6-7-8-6-7-8- _____5-7-8-5-7-8- 5-7-8- Practice these exercises every day when you pick up your guitar and youll be up to speed and playing your favorite metal songs in no time! Keep building your guitar skills and learn even more metal guitar scales with help from a private music teacher. Find your guitar teacher today! Noel S. teaches guitar, piano, and music theory lessons in Beachwood, OH. He holds a Masters degree in music from Dusquesne University and he has been teaching since 2001. Learn more about Noel.   Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by Feliciano Guimaraes

Academic versus Conversational Vocabulary Differences

Academic versus Conversational Vocabulary Differences Vocabulary Differences Arranged by Parts of Speech There are extensive linguistic differences between different registers of English (Biber et al., 1999, p.9). Academic and conversational registers reveal a complementary frequency distribution of vocabulary and grammatical forms. Some of the principle differences are as follows: Vocabulary Differences Arranged by Parts of Speech Nouns Conversation has a lower density of information and therefore fewer nouns (Biber et al, 1999, p. 66). 60% of lexical words in academic prose are nouns (p. 65). Plural nouns are used 3-4 times more in academic prose than conversation (p. 291). Nominalization is much more common in academic prose than other registers, especially â€"tion and -ity (p. 322). Adjectives Adjectives are least common in conversation and most common in academic prose, The comparative form is used three times more often in academic prose than in conversation. Conversely, superlatives are more common in conversation than in academic prose (p. 65). Pronouns Conversation is marked by a high frequency of pronouns and a low frequency of nouns (p. 1042). The words everybody, everyone, everything, somebody, anybody, anyone, anything, and nobody are common in conversation but rare in academic writing. Conversation uses pronouns in anaphoric expressions (to refer to an already established idea), whereas academic writing uses definite noun phrases in anaphoric expressions (p. 266). Preposition+which relativizers are only common in academic prose (p. 625). Determiners The determiner that is 11 times more common in conversation than in academic writing, where it is relatively rare. This, used as a determiner, is more common in academic writing than in conversation, occurring 2500 versus 1500 times. The big exception is with the phrase this one which occurs 3000 times in the conversation corpus and not at all in the academic written corpus. Verbs Conversation has shorter clauses, and so verbs and adverbs are much more frequent in conversation and fiction (because it contains quoted speech) and much less frequent in academic prose (p. 65). Certain verbs are particularly common in conversation and particularly rare in academic prose: try, buy, put, pay, bring, meet, play, run, eat, watch, pick, wear. Negation is most common in conversation and least common in academic prose (p. 159). Only in conversation is the progressive used to emphasize the reported message itself as in, “She was saying…” (p. 1120). Across all registers, 85% of verbs are tensed, while 15% of verbs are modal constructions (p. 456). Modals are most common in conversation and are about half as common in academic prose (p. 456). The progressive aspect is more common in conversation than in academic prose. The present perfect is about 30% more common in conversation than in academic prose (p. 461). Have/has got is the most common present perfect verb in an y register, occurring over 1000 times per million words in conversation, but less than 20 times per million words in academic prose (p. 465) Coordinators “But” is more frequent in conversation and fiction, and less frequent in academic prose. “And” is more frequent in academic and fiction than conversation and news. In conversation, “and” is used as a clause level connector. In academic prose, and is used as a phrase level connector (p. 81) . Contractions Verbs and not are contracted most frequently in conversation and fiction. Verbs are contracted less than 2.5% of the time in academic prose, and not is contracted 5% or less. (p. 1132) Adverbials The word since is used to introduce a reason in academic prose 95% of the time, but it is used to indicated a point in in time in all other registers (p. 848). The word while is used for concession in 80% of occurrences in academic prose, but it is used for time references 100% of occurrences in conversation (p. 849). The word though is used primarily as a linking adverbial in conversation but as a subordinator in written registers (p. 850). Clauses Expressions like see if, wonder if, know if and ask if are common in conversation and rare in academic prose. Know whether is 8 times more common in conversation than in academic writing. Determine whether, the most common post predicate wh-clause in academic prose, occurs 20 times in academic writing and not at all in conversation (p. 692-693). References Biber, D., S. Johansson, G. Leech, S. Conrad and E. Finegan (1999), Longman grammar of spoken and written English. Harlow: Pearson Education. Please follow and like us:

Navigating the College Admissions Process

Navigating the College Admissions Process Improving Academic Performance One of the things I learned when applying to both undergraduate and graduate programs is that it’s not enough to simply strive for good grades and a good test score. Sure, the entire college application process is very competitive, so you should aim for the best possible grades and highest possible tests scores, not just something that’s above average. But, that’s not what I mean exactly. What I mean is that each school has a different approach to admissions and different criteria against which you’ll be judged. Each school is looking for a different “story” that aligns with their culture and admissions standards. For example, my college application had a well-rounded list of activities, three varsity sports, AP and Honors classes, a good GPA and a very good ACT score. However, I was only admitted to two of the five large, but highly selective, state schools to which I applied. What happened? Well, it turns out that large state schools tend to have a very simple sliding scale of GPA vs. test score they use to grant admission. My GPA, while above average, was pretty low for the schools to which I applied. For a highly selective state school to admit me, I would have needed an extremely high ACT or SAT score. While these schools do require application essays, etc. â€" they tend to place less weight on those. However, I learned later that many highly selective smaller private schools don’t have quite the same process, and my overall application may have better suited those schools. At these schools, your essays are ready very carefully, and more weight might be placed on the extracurricular activities you engaged in during high school. The lesson is that it’s important to begin thinking about where you want to go to school early, and then structure your high school experience so that it aligns with what those schools look for. In addition, when it comes to writing essays, it’s important to communicate your personal “story” effectively based on the culture of the school to which you’re applying. While MyGuru chooses to focus on 1-1 tutoring, we do partner with companies that can help you think through these issues and write excellent essays. One such company is called Accepted.com If you check out their web-site and think you might want to work with them or purchase one of their e-books on the college application process, let us know. They’ve agreed to offer MyGuru students exclusive discounts and benefits. To review other products, partners, and solutions we are currently working with, visit ourtools and resources page.

7 Ways to conquer Math

7 Ways to conquer Math 1. Write neatlyAs silly as this sounds, writing legibly is very important when doing your math homework. I don't know how many times I've had to kick myself because I got a problem wrong just because I accidentally thought one of my 4's was a 9, or one of my 3's was an 8. Remember, in math one silly mistake at the beginning of a problem can mess the whole thing up. Make sure you are not rushing through it.2. Take your homework seriouslyIn my opinion, the most important subject to do your homework in is math. In other subjects, homework might seem like busywork. However, in math, homework is the best way to learn the material. Math teachers give homework because the best way to learn math is actually doing the problems. So if you're getting homework answers from another classmate, or not doing your homework at all, then it is likely you will not know what you are doing come test time. Stay on top of your homework, and try your best not to procrastinate.3. Double check everythingThe gr eat thing about math is that you can usually check to see if you get the answer right before someone with the answer key tells you that you got it right. For example, if you were to solve the problem x2-9 = 0, you would find that x = 3 x = -3. Instead of quickly going to the next problem, you can plug 3 -3 back into the original equation and find that the solution would be 0. Now you're certain that you got that problem correct. Also, most textbooks have answers in the back of the book. So, when you're doing your homework, check those answers every once in a while to make sure you are on the right track.4. Do extra practiceA lot of times just doing the homework isn't enough to know the material in and out. If you are only assigned one problem per section, it may behoove you to do some extra problems to get a better understanding of the subject. A great way to study for your test is to redo previous homework problems, or better yet do other problems in that section so that you will be ready for everything on the test.5. Search for outside helpOnce you get into upper level math courses you come to a point where you realize you can't do it all by yourself. Even if you can't get your teacher or a tutor to help you, there are still lots of ways you can find help. There are numerous videos on YouTube that will walk you step-by-step on how to do various kinds of problems. There are also great educational sites such as Khan Academy that offer great tips and videos on all kinds of subjects, not just math. It is easier now more than ever to find help, so make sure you take advantage of it.6. Remember the formulasA lot of math problems involve plugging numbers into formulas before calculating, so it is important to know what the formulas are, and when to use what formula when studying for a test. If you are fortunate enough to get to use a cheat sheet, make sure you devote a good chunk of it to writing down all the formulas you will need for the test. Otherwise, make s ure you emphasize memorizing the formulas in your studies.7. Block out enough time for quick breaksEven for the smartest kids in the class, math can be stressful. It is important that you are not waiting until the last minute to do all your homework and study for the test. Make sure you are staying on top of things and not procrastinating. This way you have time to do a couple problems, take a quick break to get a snack or something to give your brain a rest, do some more problems, and then call it a night. If you find yourself doing math problems for five hours straight the night before the test, you are going to regret it.

The Ultimate Guide to Finding a Language Exchange Partner

The Ultimate Guide to Finding a Language Exchange Partner Quick quiz: What is the main reason that people learn a foreign language?Answer: Quite simply, to talk!Literally. Though reading and writing are important components of language learning, what we all dream of  is to speak fluently, to travel to a  country where our target language  is spoken and sound like a local.If your dream is like mine, keep on reading, because the clearest path to fluency is  finding a language exchange partner.Ill explain the benefits of language exchange, tips on how to get the most out of your language exchange sessions, and of course how to find partners both online and offline.So what are you waiting for? Scroll down! Benefits of Having a Language Exchange  PartnerPositive Social MotivationLearning a language on your own can be tough. As hard as you try to listen to audio lessons online, use flashcards  or take advantage of  online resources, it can be hard to keep your  motivation high. Traditional courses, with their focus on exams and grades, arent ex actly a low-pressure solution.So heres a fun, positive option: a language exchange partner. Meeting up with a friendly faceâ€"someone who only wants to see you succeed and can provide a barometer on your language learning progressâ€"is a great way to not only reduce the loneliness of language learning, but provide some positive momentum as well.Training Your EarOne of the biggest challenges facing new language learners is training your ear to hear the nuances of language and accent. Sitting over a textbook  or listening to audio tapes is just not the same as living and breathing a language. Since you cant just go to the country where the language is spoken, why not find someone in your town or community to speak with?Non-verbal LanguageSomething youll quickly find out is that theres more to language than just words. Facial expressions, hand gestures and inflections are all unwritten parts of a language, and there is no better way to learn these than one-on-one with a language exchan ge partner. Moreover, understanding these aspects of a language can make learning vocabulary easier.So we know that the benefits of having a  language exchange partner are huge. But how can you  make the most of your meetings?Getting the Most out of Your  Language Exchange SessionsWhen youre heading to your very first language exchange, the butterflies might hit. I barely know how to speak this language! What are we going to do for an hour?First of all, dont worry. Language exchange is supposed to be funâ€"stressing out is never  a good way to learn a language. Here are some tips on how to get the most of your language exchange sessions, and have fun doing it!Warm Up with FluentUTo get your mind thinking in your target language before you meet with your language exchange partner, spend 5-10 minutes on FluentU.  FluentU is an online immersion platform that takes  real-world videosâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized languag e learning lessons.FluentU is designed to get you comfortable  with everyday language,  by combining all the benefits of complete  immersion and native-level conversations with easy-to-read subtitles and FluentUs  highly-effective learn mode.  This is also a phenomenal way to improve during the week, between meetings with your language partner.Stay on ScheduleThis is key. You should definitely have some time to get to know each other, and have friendly conversation in your mutual, best language. But then, get down to business. Set up a reasonable schedule: 30 minutes in the language youre trying to learn, 30 minutes in English (or whatever language your partner wants to learn) is a common and great  way to divide the time. Its easy to get off topic and waste timeâ€"dont let that happen!Meet RegularlyThe longer you wait between meetings, the less likely you are to remember what you learned. I recommend meeting once a week, with once every two weeks the bare minimum. Anything less and you wont have time to train your ear and learn.Dont Be Afraid to Make MistakesRemember, youre not being graded! Mistakes are part of learningâ€"in fact, they are the best way to learn. Cant think of a word? Try to describe it using the language youre learning. Your partner doesnt understand you? Try speaking it out slowly.Heres a tip: Smile when you make a mistake, and begin turning failure into laughter. Then your fears will fade and your mind will open to the trial and error necessary for deep language learning.Like the saying goes, its better to have tried and failed, than to have never tried at all.Practice Between MeetupsI recommend bringing a notebook with you and, without distracting too much from the conversation, jotting  down any difficulties youre having or new words youre learning. Then, when youre back home, practice whatever  you found most difficult. It could be pronunciation, or maybe a challenging verb tense or conjugation.The best part? When you show up to your ne xt meeting  and impress your partner with how much youve improved!How to Find a Language Exchange PartnerNow, I know what youre thinking: The benefits are all swell, and Im  itching to put those tips into action, but I  dont know a single person who speaks French (or Russian, or whatever language you are learning)! How can I find a language exchange partner?Dont fret. We live in a multicultural era, with people of all ethnicities, nationalities and languages traversing the world for globalized opportunities. Chances are that there are people in your community or city who speak the language you want to learn, and would be interested in having the chance to improve their English through language exchange.If not, there is an alternative: a virtual language exchange partner. Though tools like Skype, you can reap most of the benefits of an in-person exchange through many online resources, accessible wherever you have an internet connection!Finding an In-person Language Exchange  PartnerH ere are the best ways and resources to find yourself a language partner with whom you can meet face-to-face:Craigslist:  The worlds top classified site has a section for “Activity Partners where you can both post a request for a language exchange partner.University Message Boards:  Do you live near a university? Most American universities, no matter how big, small or remote, have international students from all around the world. Post an ad at the university either online or on bulletin boards on campus.Forums:  Does your town or city have a forum on a site like InterNations? If so, do a search or put up a post.Meetup:  Meetup is a website dedicated to organizing small group get-togethers around shared or common interests. They have numerous language exchange meetups in cities all across the world. This is especially useful for popular languagesâ€"like Chinese, Spanish, French, German, or Japaneseâ€"but may not be as useful if you are learning a more obscure or less popular languag e.Local Language Centers:  Similarly, there might be a local cultural center that offers language courses, or provides a venue for language learning, in your community. Alliance Francais (French) and Goethe Institute (German) are two common ones. Google is your friend!Couchsurfing:  Couchsurfing is the worlds largest travel social network. Though its focus is getting locals with extra space in their homes to host travelers, the site also has a wide host of events in cities all around the world. The best part about Couchsurfing is, after you register and create an account, you can search for locals in your area by the language they speak. This is fantastic way to find language partners in more obscure or less spoken languages.In my experience, a friendly introduction message to a Couchsurfer, with an offer to meet over coffee and exchange language, will usually work (though you might have to send messages to a few profiles to get a response).I, for one, was able to use Couchsurfing t o find an Indonesian language exchange partner, a language for which there are nearly no exchange groups in the United States.Finding a Virtual Language Exchange PartnerHaving trouble finding an in-person partner? Do you live in a place without a large university or a diverse immigrant population? Or is the language you are trying to learn too obscure?Dont fret. We live in an interconnected world, where distance no longer matters as it once did.   The web is connecting people all around the world, and there are several sites where you can set up a profile and find a virtual language exchange partner and gain nearly all the benefits of in-person exchange from the comfort of your home.Here are a few of the most popular ones with recommendations to help you decide which is best for you!italki: This is my pick for the best overall language exchange site. It is large, well designed, easy to use and has a good diversity of languages and members. You can log in directly using your Facebook account, which will save you time as you wont have to fill in as many details, and then you can search for a teacher based on your language level and which conversation skills you want to improve.ExchangeLanguage.com: Though not quite as user-friendly as italki, this site tends to have more members who speak European languages. The registration process is fairly straightforward, but be careful when searching through profiles that the user you are contacting has logged into his or her account recently.Conversation Exchange:  This site has an older layout, but is still very reliable with an active community. You make a profile and write about yourself, then you can browse the profiles of other users based on their target and native languages. There are three possible modes of interaction that you can look for: face-to-face conversation, correspondence (pen pal) and text/voice chat. I recommend checking this site out if you are learning an Asian language, as they have a large number o f profiles from people in East Asia.The Mixxer: For those of you specifically looking for Skype video exchange partners, the Mixxer is a great option. It is a free educational site for language learners hosted by Dickinson College, and is designed specifically to connect language learners around the world to have  video exchanges. They also have lessons plans and other resources that you can use to improve language skills and plan out your exchange sessions.LiveMocha: This site blends language lessons with the ability to find language partners. After you register and put your native language and the language you want to learn onto your profile, LiveMocha will automatically give you a list of potential partners that match your needs. This is a great option for those of you who want a more comprehensive option.Reddit: For those of you who love message boards and chat forums and dont mind a bit of mess, check out Reddit. There are subreddits for nearly every language in the world, maki ng it a great place to post and find a partner, especially for  obscure or less popular Asian and African languages. Registration is simple and forums are open to all, as long as you dont post spam.Location-specific Sites:  Many cities have their own regular language exchange events or partner-finding sites, like  loquo in Spain or GoLingo in Montpellier, France. Use Google and Facebook to find out if your city (or a city/country you plan to visit) has its own site for finding language exchange partners, or its own weekly language exchange event.Multiple Language Partners: Double Your LearningIf one partner is so great, why not have two? Or more? Here I urge you to move with caution, as sometimes more is not necessarily better.Meeting in groups of three can mean less pressure, and you can train your ear to distinguish between multiple accents. The downside is that theres less time for you to speak, and the conversation tends to go to the level of the one who speaks the worst of the language, which can limit your ability to improve.So think carefully about what you want to gain from a language exchange. If you feel that just meeting with one person would be best, then go for it. If you think that meeting in a group is better, then follow that path!Heres another option:  meeting two people separately, one-on-one. This will allow you to have more exposure, perhaps learn different accents, but also means more commitment on your part.So what are you waiting for? Get out there, find a language partner, and fast track your language skills! And One More ThingLet FluentU inspire your language exchanges. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that real people speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse ScreenFluentU has interactive captions that let you ta p on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive TranscriptsYou can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.