Learning Swedish From English - A Simple Way to Learn Swedish From English

Learning Swedish From English - A Simple Way to Learn Swedish From EnglishLearning Swedish from English is a great way to learn another language, especially if you have always wanted to speak the beautiful language. There are plenty of books and magazines that can teach you all of the basics of the language, but they are only able to cover a small percentage of the language. In order to really be able to speak the language fluently, you will need to learn it from the very beginning.If you know your way around a computer then you will be able to do all of the basic things in English before you even consider learning the Swedish language. The reason for this is because there are some things in English that are hard to express in a language other than English.When you use phrases and sentence structures in English, it will come out sounding really strange. That is why people who are learning English from another language are looking for words that they can say in English. However if you look at learning Swedish from English there are no other words that are used in Swedish so it will be much harder to learn than what you would do if you just started to read and learn vocabulary that was already in your native language.This is why there are so many different products out there on the market to help you learn Swedish. These are called eBooks or eReaders and they are all you need to get started with learning the language.The eBooks and eReaders that are available are designed to help you learn the basics of how to say the same things in English as you would say them in your native language. Many of the books that are available will take you through a number of the different types of grammatical constructions in the Swedish language. These are different than what you would see in English and if you were to learn from English you would not be able to use the same constructions you see in English.When you first start to learn the Swedish from English, you will be faced with a few different things in that you would find odd. For example, if you tried to use a contraction in English like for example -com? in Swedish, they will make you say something different than what you would think when you first begin to learn Swedish.There are going to be times when you will be told to do things that you will not be able to do. You may not even be able to figure out how to spell something when you first start. If you keep reading and learning from books and magazines and trying to figure out how things work, you will soon get used to using them in your native language.

Deferred Admission in Early Decision What You Need to Know

Deferred Admission in Early Decision What You Need to Know The following piece was written by Rachel Korn. Rachel has been featured in ourAdmissions Expert seriesand is a former University of Pennsylvaniaadmissions officer, as well as the founder of her own admissions consulting firm. Youve heard back from your dream school about your Early Decision (ED) application no, not rejected; no, not admitted; deferred your application will be re-read and reconsidered with the Regular Decision (RD) applicant pool in the coming months for a final answer later. In the meantime, what can you do to improve your chances of admission? How can you manage this time period as well as your applications to other schools? Behind the decision: Most of the time, a deferred ED application falls under a colleges admission criteria and/or admitted student norms. For example, grades may not always have been strong, class schedules may not always have been demanding, testing may have been low, essays may have been poorly executed or in poor taste, or activities may have been slim. Sometimes, these issues can be resolved or improved, and in such cases, the applicants can have a fair shot at admission later. There are other reasons, though, why you may be deferred that are not as clear-cut. You may come from a high school that sends many annual applications to your college and the college wants to wait to see you in the context of the rest of your high school pool in RD. You may not be admissible for some reason, but you are the kind of candidate the college seeks, so the college wants to send a positive message to you and your community that you are, indeed, viewed as talented. You may have connections to the college and the college does not want to say no, but is also not ready to say yes. In many of these cases, politics play a role in resolving the decision in RD. What can you do? First of all, send the college a letter that can be considered when your application is re-evaluated. While you want to remind the college how much you are committed to attending, your passion for the college is a given since you applied ED, so the letter should focus on explaining anything relevant to what you suspect could be the cause of the deferral. Perhaps you have not yet shared enough information in your application about something that worried the admissions officers. Moreover, you should be sharing updates about anything significant that could impact your application like new test scores that you will be sending, the resolution of an incomplete grade, or new awards. It may be possible to correspond or speak with the admissions officers in charge of your application to see if there is something specific you can share to help them in their decision-making. Sometimes, you may gain feedback, overt or subtle, about what has happened. Do note that how you handle this situation will shape how the admissions office feels about you. The odds are very high that you are liked remember, your application could have just been rejected and you want to keep it that way. Contact the admissions staff only when you are calm and thoughtful. Shouting on a phone or sending weekly e-mails bombarding the office will not persuade them to admit you. Plan your contact strategically, speak and write thoughtfully, and take cues from the admissions officers about how much your contact/information is wanted. Prepare for new directions. Although ideally your defer will turn into an admit, you need to start to plan for the possibility that it may not. Make sure that you are continuing to prepare with the same care applications to other schools for RD. As much as you want to hope for the positive answer from your dream school, you actually will help yourself if you can start to also focus on your other favorite options. While completing the remaining applications, remember why you liked those schools in the first place. You may have a dream school, but by no means is it the only school you can love and in which you will thrive. Try to keep a balance between hopeful and strategic for Regular Decision. When all of the application results finally arrive, you will then be assured to have an exciting college option for your future. Visit RachelsAdmissions Consultingsite. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

What To Do the Summer Before Your Senior Year of High School

What To Do the Summer Before Your Senior Year of High School The following piece was written by Kofi Kankam. Kofi has been featured in our Admissions Expert series and is a former admissions interviewer for The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also the co-founder of Admit Advantage. The summer is finally here. Time to kick back and relax before the final push of your high school career, right? Unfortunately, I think this notion was generated in the same rumor mill that would have you believe that senior year is a time to coast. The reality is that if you are applying to competitive schools, there is much work to be done during your senior summer. Senior summer affords a tremendous opportunity for continuing, extending, creating, or mitigating experiences as needed. Continuing: If you have been a part of an organization consistently throughout your high school summers (or during the school year, for that matter), your senior summer could serve as an opportunity to demonstrate continued involvement. There is often a misconception about what colleges are looking for. In more of a check-off-every-box approach, students build resumes that read as more of a hodgepodge of disconnected experiences. I would challenge this notion, as this sort of resume building is easily discerned by admissions officers and does little to support your candidacy. Certainly, if there are gaping holes or a lack of certain activities that are preventing you from growing as a high school student, then, by all means, use your senior summer to fill in these holes. For example, if youd really like to challenge yourself by taking a certain advanced course during your senior year but you lack the prerequisite requirements to enroll in that course, go ahead and take a summer cours e that will allow you to advance academically. Or if you are particularly light in community service and involvement, you could use your senior summer to engage in such activities. The key here is this: try to pick organizations, activities, and courses in which you have a genuine interest and are in line with past experiences or future plans. This way, you are more likely to stick with the involvement, and your participation in such endeavors will come across as a seamless part of the bigger picture you are trying to paint as an applicant. Extending: This is the step beyond mere continuation. This means that for three summers you have been a camp counselor, and, during your senior summer, you step up to be the lead counselor. Perhaps it means that you challenge yourself athletically and earn a new designation or title during your senior summer for your sports team. It could also mean that you take the initiative to take an advanced course that goes beyond what is offered at your high school. Colleges love to see this! Not only does it demonstrate a sustained commitment to an activity, organization, or interest, it demonstrates initiative, leadership, and passion. More importantly, it also signals to colleges that this is something you will bring to their campus should you be admitted. So, if the opportunity presents itself for you to step up, or if you have to create this opportunity for yourself, without a doubt you should heed the call. Creating: Perhaps the only thing that speaks louder than the extension of an activity is creating new ones. These are the stories that get featured in local and national publications or go viral on YouTube. These are the kind of ventures that dont require you to point out how terrific you are because someone else, usually with a much larger platform, is already doing it for you. Just this week, I watched an internet story about a boy in southern California who didnt just volunteer at a soup kitchen he, along with his father, created a program to feed poor neighborhood residents breakfast every Sunday, complete with corporate sponsors and dozens of volunteers. This level of engagement sends a message to colleges that you arent the kind of person to sit around and complain about things; you are going to institute change. Think about the impact that this sort of proactive person could have on a college campus; it could be game-changing. Look around your community where do you recogniz e a need? Whats lacking? And more importantly, what can you do to spark that change? Alternatively, what industry would you like to learn more about? As the job market continues to struggle, internships abound. Want to learn more about social media? Propose an internship at a local PR firm looking to enhance their social media presence. Just because there isnt a job posting for an opportunity yet doesnt mean there isnt a need; this is where you swoop in to create that opportunity. Just a word of caution here dont force the issue. Again, pick an area that is consistent with your interests or past involvement so that you are more likely to stick with it. Additionally, it should be in line with your values as well as the story you are trying to communicate to the admissions committees. Mitigating: No one likes to admit that they have weaknesses or deficits, but we all do. If your weakness happens to be in the area of test taking, dont allow this to be your Achilles heel. The summer offers the perfect opportunity for test preparation. With so many applicants now taking test prep courses, you are almost certainly at a disadvantage if you do not. Not the best math student? You could use the summer to take a course at a local college to get a jump on the material that will be presented during senior year. Often, a weakness is only as much of a hindrance as you allow it to be. Perhaps youll never grow into a Nobel Prize winning mathematician or get a perfect SAT score, but proactively tackling your weakness may prove to be just the boost you need to at least make it a non-issue. Heres a heads-up for the fall of your senior year: it will likely be overwhelmingly busy. Rather than testing the limits of your time-management skills, use the summer to review and familiarize yourself with the Common Application, and take a stab at responding to the essay questions. Come senior year, you will still find that you are unbelievably busy, but the overwhelming feelings will be turned down just a notch. Remember, you are not alone in this venture. The college guidance office at your school can serve as a tremendous resource for opportunities that may be available during the summer from pre-college programs to summer study abroad and internship opportunities. Additionally, search the websites of local or interesting colleges for programs that they may be offering. Figure out if you need to continue, extend, create, or mitigate and make the most of your senior summer. Then, time permitting, you can kick back, relax, and enjoy the remainder of it. Visit Admit Advantage for more information. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Five Strategies to improve Academic Performance

Five Strategies to improve Academic Performance Is your child struggling to improve their academic performance? Are you looking for some manageable, simple learning strategies to help them improve their academic performance? Top tutor  Scott D  has figured out the most effective strategies and techniques, based on his own experiences at university. He discovered that while some aspects of a student’s academic performance are very unique to them (i.e. their learning styles and natural aptitudes), there are several key strategies which can be applied to accelerate anyone’s performance. In this post Scott outlines five strategies to improve academic performance. Most of them are simple, but if implemented (and this is the key) they are extremely effective. Set Goals and Work Backwards The first step with any new student is to construct a set of goals. Goals enable a student to continuously track their progress and adjust accordingly. It is considerably easier to make small adjustments throughout the year, than to make a huge pivot come exam time (or after mock examination results, as is common). This helps students feel more in control, reducing anxiety during exams. The process of setting goals also enables students to plan their time more effectively and quantify their progress. This enables students to re-evaluate their performance and determine what they can achieve throughout the year. In the words of Bruce Lee, “Long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity”. When I first went to university, my initial goal was to get a 2:1. However, when I achieved a high first-class average for my second year, my long-term goal immediately changed. I adjusted what I believed was possible for me and set a new higher goal. This is how I have seen students jump several grade bounds during a single year. They set a goal, hit it early (which often surprises them, but fills them full of belief) and raise their expectations (and usually their performance). However, without setting a goal in the first place, the student cannot effectively measure, track or adjust their performance as they go. Their education becomes a shot in the dark. Use A Wider Variety of Learning Resources Using different resources is significantly more effective than using a single resource. Here are a few reasons why: You can gain different contexts and/or perspectives Overall, anything that gives you a different perspective on a theory, idea or problem will act to enhance learning. A good example of this is to look at the earth from a single image. It does give you a perspective of what earth looks like, but you never get the whole picture until you look at it from several different angles (and get several different perspectives). They can provide different associations and analogies The same is true of using different associations and analogies. Everyone has had that experience where they haven’t understood something properly, and then suddenly it clicked with an analogy that resonated with them. In my opinion, it is certainly one of the most effective ways to learn more abstract subjects, such as the sciences or maths. Different learning styles i.e. visual, auditory and/or kinaesthetic are stimulated In my experience, using resources that engage  visual, auditory and kinaesthetic have the best results for students. As a private tutor I will often start with a syllabus textbook and then gradually introduce other subject specific reading materials. I may also introduce videos, images, varied questioning and testing resources. This I find to be the most effective way for students to learn.  It can help make learning more enjoyable. There are two effective ways to memorise information: repetition and variation. While the former is very effective it is also quite tedious, particularly if it is from the same resource. Variation, on the other hand, is not only very effective but it can also make learning more enjoyable. Studies have also found that students learn better through active engagement. Get Through the ‘Frustration’ Period There is no doubt about it; trying to learn a new skill or material can be frustrating at first. However, this is a natural process and the friction caused by a lack of understanding will always disappear given enough exposure. A great analogy for thinking about these stages is learning to drive (or if you haven’t reached that stage, riding a bike). The ‘learning cycle’ suggests that we all go through four stages of learning. Here are the four stages using this analogy. Unconscious incompetence (this is when you are grossly incompetent at something because you haven’t been exposed to it before). When you start learning  to drive, you don’t know how anything works. This stage can be very frustrating and you feel completely incompetent for the first couple of lessons. Conscious incompetence (this is when you know you are not good at something despite having had some exposure to it) After a few driving lessons you begin to improve but you still cannot not drive independently. Conscious competence (this is when you become knowingly competent in some area of skill) You have taken your test and are able to drive on your own. This stage, however, still requires a lot of conscious effort to drive on your own. Unconscious competence (this is when you can do it on autopilot.  It becomes natural and subconscious) Finally, after a few months, driving becomes subconscious. One of the key challenges of secondary and higher education is getting a student to the last two stages in the learning cycle. The challenge being that many students are exposed only to new information for a few lessons at most. The problem arises when students are stuck in the ‘incompetence’ stages of learning. Frustration can lead them to avoid the subject altogether; or worse still, they start to believe they are not smart enough and develop a dislike (or even anxiety) towards that subject. We know, however, if students are able to through this ‘frustration’ phase they will grow in confidence and self belief. Sharpen Your Examination Techniques It might sound obvious, but you don’t get good at driving a car by taking the theory test (using my car analogy, again). You have to physically get in the car and start to drive. Likewise, you don’t get good at exams just by learning the content tested in the exams. Mastering examinations is a skill all of its own, much like essay writing and giving oral presentations. Yet, surprisingly, I have found many students fail to practice the techniques required to do well. These techniques do depend on the individual’s level of education but typical questioning generally progresses from description to explanation to discussion. At GCSE level, you are focusing much more on the former. The typical prefix to questions will be: Describe Explain Suggest These are usually combined with the open-ended questions: what, where, when, why and how. At this level, the examiner is typically looking for keywords. At higher levels, the questions start to incorporate discussions. These require more thought and structure, typically combined with your own research, opinions and case studies. Exam technique requires an article of its own. Nevertheless, one useful tip is to always put yourself into the mind of the examiner when answering questions; and when practicing, always have the mark scheme to see exactly what keywords the examiner is looking for.  5.  Practice Exams In his TED Talk “What do top students do differently?”,  Douglas Barton of Elevate Education discussed how top students don’t necessarily get the top grades because they have the highest IQ’s or even because they work the hardest (although there is usually some correlation with the latter). It was because they do more practice exams. Their study, based on a 13-year process looking into the learning habits of tens of thousands of students, found that they could almost perfectly estimate a student’s results based upon the number of practice exam papers they had done. I cannot disagree with this. Here are a few of the many benefits associated with practicing exams: Recognisable patterns will begin to form in the questioning and content Applying knowledge to different types of questioning will become easier. Using additional resources supplied with the exam will become more familiar. The structure of the exam will make more sense. You will become faster and less prone to silly mistakes Ultimately you will sharpen the techniques I discussed in the section above and become more aware of what the examiner (or mark scheme) is looking for. One of the most common problems I see is when a student is knowledgeable in the subject area but cannot connect that with answering a question. This is simply a symptom of lack of practice. So there you have it. These are my top  five strategies to improve academic performance. I guarantee that if you apply these strategies from the beginning of the year you will be shocked at how far you progress by the time you have to sit an exam. If you would like to contact Scott D to arrange private tutoring please contact him through his Tutorfair profile. Scott is a Maths and Science specialist as well as a learning coach with many years experience in tutoring. Alternatively search on Tutorfair for an ideal tutor in your area.

Writing How I Learned Its Okay to Ask For Help

Writing How I Learned It's Okay to Ask For Help As I embarked on my journey to become an English teacher, I would find myself worrying about my abilities as a writer. After taking a class my first semester that showcased my weaknesses as a writer, I began to question myself and wondered if maybe I had mistaken the calling I was so sure I had heard. Along the path on the rest of my three-year journey, however, I have found inspiration and have also come to realize that to love the English subject, I do not have to have the words or vision of Jane Austen or Emily Dickinson. In other words, I do not have to be a naturally great writer. I discovered that when I started seeking help and additional resources, I was not only able to achieve better grades, but I was also able to grow as a writer. We all have those moments in life that make us question everything. While attending Wake Tech Community College, I took an Argument-Based Research class. That class was that moment for me. Here I was, making the biggest decision of my life to l eave a job I’d been at for ten years to be an English teacher, and I am struggling with an English class. To be clear, I was by no means failing, but I was not getting all A’s and B’s either. I never understood what my instructor wanted from me and would spend hours on papers that received nothing but criticism and low grades. I was frustrated and I was too prideful to admit I was struggling or to seek help, but when my teacher decided to offer, I hesitantly accepted. The first time I sought out extra help was on my second paper for Argument-Based Research. My instructor assigned three major essays and three mini-essays. She realized that a lot of us were not understanding what she expected us to do after the first major essay, so she held an online webinar to walk us through the first mini-essay. I went to the gym and then, instead of meeting my friends for post-workout libations, I went home to participate in this webinar. I did not expect it to help, but I figured it coul dn't hurt either. My instructor took us step-by-step through her rubric and I outlined my paper as she continued. Once I had the organization of my paper down, it was easy to write the rest. I got an A! Then came the second mini essay. Feeling more confident this time, I wrote the paper without additional help and got a B, and more criticism. Feeling defeated once again, I asked my instructor for advice. Her advice has helped me write every paper I’ve written since then during my college career. Tutoring was not something I ever felt I needed. I was the one that made good grades naturally without studying. When my instructor suggested I send my papers to the tutoring center for revision, I was taken aback at first. I told my dad about the conversation, and he assured me that there was no shame in seeking extra help. So I did it, and my paper came back with positive comments as well as a ton of feedback. I was overwhelmed at first, and a little discouraged, but I read through the c omments and realized that I had been understanding some concepts wrong the whole time. One example that I remember is that I would refer to society as plural rather than singular. I also would slip out of third person without realizing it, which in the future, taught me to read my papers back to myself out loud. I made the necessary changes and got an A on my next paper, as well as the ones after that. While the tutoring center at Wake Tech was my greatest resource, I had to leave it behind when I began attending NC State in the Fall of 2015. Through my journey as a writer, I have learned lessons that will help me in the future as an educator. For example, if I am stuck or feel like I am not being effective in my lessons, I know it’s okay to seek help and additional resources. I realize that I do not have to be “great” at everything the subject of English requires of me. Proficient, yes, but not great. I also learned that there are people that want to help others succeed, and I hope to be one of those people to my future students.

What You Need to Know About Office Etiquette

What You Need to Know About Office Etiquette via Pixabay Be On Time Nobody likes waiting for someone to start a meeting. Nobody likes walking in late to a meeting after it has already started. So, to avoid both of these situations, try your best to be on time to meetings and into the office in the morning. Time management can be difficult for some people, especially during an especially busy day. Set reminders on your phone before meetings so you don’t lose track of time and can prepare to leave. If you are in charge of scheduling meetings, make sure you have enough time to travel from meeting to meeting instead of scheduling them back-to-back. Punctuality is one of the biggest forms of office etiquette. Be Conscious While on the Phone If you work in an open office or with cubicles, be conscious of how loudly you are speaking on the phone. While you may be on a work call, someone near you may be trying to concentrate on a project distracted by your conversation. Keep your voice at a lower level so you don’t disturb any of your coworkers. When it comes to personal calls, keep them short or take them away from your desk. Go into the break room, lounge or lobby, or outside if you really have to talk. You don’t want to lay your personal life out for everyone in the office. Clean Up After Yourself This one may seem pretty obvious, but how many times have you seen a dirty dish in the communal kitchen or trash in the bathroom? In order to keep a clean workplace, you have to clean up after yourself. If you heat up your lunch in the microwave and it splatters, make sure to wipe it down with a paper towel so it’s clean for the next person. Throw out your trash instead of leaving it on the break room tables or on the floor in the bathroom. Your coworkers will definitely appreciate it. via Pixabay Pay Attention in Meetings Remember back in high school when you weren’t allowed to use your cell phone during class because it was rude and you should pay attention to what your teacher had to say? Take that mentality into office meetings as well. Part of office etiquette is paying attention during a meeting and actively listening to whoever is leading the meeting. That means taking notes, asking questions, and making eye contact. If you have to answer a text or call that is work-related, quietly excuse yourself from the meeting. Stay Home When You’re Sick It may be tempting to go into the office if you are sick because you have deadlines, important meetings, or don’t feel like using one of your sick days. However, keep in mind that your healthy coworkers do not want to catch your sickness. When you go into the office when you are sick, you put everyone at risk. The best thing to do is to stay home and rest so you can get better as quickly as possible. That way you can go back to work and catch up on missed work. Use Punctuation in Your Emails The emotion and meaning of texts and emails can be hard to gauge without proper punctuation. While it may seem childish to use exclamation points at the end of sentences, it may be necessary when sending emails. “Nice job on this project! Thanks, Michelle,” sounds a lot better than “Thanks. -Michelle.” Don’t be afraid to be friendly towards your coworkers. Don’t overdo it on the emojis or exclamation points though. Be Respectful The number one rule of office etiquette is to always be respectful of everyone you work with. While you may not necessarily like everyone you work with, you still have to be respectful and kind. That means holding the door open for someone, greeting your coworkers, and working together as a team when necessary. When you show others respect, you will receive respect. Learn Office Etiquette If you are unsure of what office etiquette means, start with these simple tasks. Overall, just be respectful and considerate of your coworkers. You all share the same space, so why not make an effort to keep it clean and comfortable for everyone? With these office etiquette practices, you’ll be extremely pleasant to work with in the office.

10+ Ways to Language-Learning Success by Setting Goals

10+ Ways to Language-Learning Success by Setting Goals Its easy to feel overwhelmed  when youre learning a new language.False cognates  can trip you up, idioms  can seem completely incomprehensible, and you may run across some words so weird you  dont believe they  exist.Instead of letting this discourage you, take control by setting goals for yourself.Setting goals is arguably one of the most important steps you can take to ensure your success, and its remarkably easy to do.  Here are some tips to help you get started. Why Set Language Goals?Youve probably already heard a lot about goals. High school teachers love to talk about them, and so do bosses.Why? Because  research shows that people who set goals are more likely to achieve success.Goals help you achieve success because:Goals help you identify what you want to achieve. Its hard to achieve  success when you havent defined what success is. Setting goals helps you identify what you want to accomplish so you can start working toward accomplishing it. What does fluency mean to you?G oals keep you focused on whats important (and help  you ignore whats not).  Learning a language requires familiarity with  literally millions of different grammar points, vocabulary words  and cultural competencies. Setting goals helps you stay focused so you dont get  distracted by the many things you may need to learn in the future. By focusing on smaller bits of information, you make faster  progress and gain tangible skills.Goals save you time. Instead of memorizing vocabulary words you wont readily use, spend your energy learning words directly related to the way you want to use your target language. Setting goals helps you identify your ultimate reason for studying the language, which makes it easier to pinpoint the skills and information you need to learn first.Goals provide a way to  measure  your progress, which helps improve your motivation to learn more.  It takes a really long time to learn a foreign language well, and its frustrating to pour time into something that doe snt seem to have a payoff. By setting goals, you can identify the progress youre making and feel good about the work youre doing. Instead of kicking yourself for not knowing a new word you hear, you can congratulate yourself for learning the 25 new words you just memorized.Identifying Your Language GoalsThe first step to identifying your goals is to figure out why you are studying this foreign language.  Take some time to think about the big picture and ask yourself questions like:Why do I  want to learn this language?What would I  do if I could speak this language fluently right now?The answer to these questions is your ultimate goal the reason you are spending time, money and energy learning a new language.Its okay if your ultimate goal is huge, multi-faceted  or  even a bit vague. Maybe you want to learn Spanish so you can move to Spain. Maybe you want to learn French so you can talk to your boyfriends family in their native language. Maybe you want to learn Chinese so you can t ravel to China next year.Whatever your goal, just make sure you are honest with yourself about it. Theres no right or wrong.The next step is to break your ultimate goal into specific steps   the components that make up your larger goal. At this point, you arent setting tangible goals yet just identifying the things you need to learn in order to achieve your ultimate goal.At first, focus on identifying only a handful of the most important steps. Recognize that you cant list every possible thing you need to know  to become fluent  in German. Just list a few of the most important tasks you want to achieve along the way.  Here  is an example:Ultimate goal: To be able to communicate with Spanish-speaking patients at the medical clinic where I work.Specific steps:Learn vocabulary for body partsLearn vocabulary for common diseasesLearn to ask what hurts and what is wrongLearn to talk about a patients medical historyLearn to express sympathy for pain or lossSetting Effective Language Goals Youve identified your ultimate goal and a handful of  specific steps. Now prioritize your specific steps and select one or two to focus on first. You will use these steps to generate your short-term goals.Research shows that the best goals are specific, short-term and moderately challenging. Follow these tips to write effective goals:Write down your goals. Its easier to remember and consult them if you can see them.Set  deadlines.  Its usually ideal to set deadlines  between one week and three months.Focus on tangible tasks rather than the amount of time you plan to spend studying. Instead of setting a goal of  studying  30 minutes a day every day this week, set a goal of  learning all the basic vocabulary words related to ordering a cup of coffee at a cafe.Identify specific things you plan to learn.  Focus on themes or outcomes you want to achieve, rather than identifying a  certain quantity of new words. For example, set a goal of learning the vocabulary words related to modes of transportation or body parts or types of clothing, rather than a goal to learn 50 new words.Challenge yourself, but dont push yourself too hard. If you set goals that are too difficult, youll waste time  stressing about them or beating yourself up for not achieving them.Use  optimistic wording.  Write your goals in a way that makes them feel achievable. A good model is this: By [time frame], I will be able to [achievement].Grab Your Paper and Pencil: Set Your Goals Now!Its time to get started! Think about what your ultimate goal is, write down some specific steps and identify  a few short-term goals for yourself.Use the examples below for inspiration as you start writing your own unique goals:Ultimate goal: To be able to speak Chinese comfortably so that I can move to China and use Chinese in my everyday life. Specific step: Learn the vocabulary and phrases necessary to go shopping in China. Short-term goals: By the end of this week, I will have learned the vocabulary words for type s of clothing and shoes. By the end of the month, I will have learned the phrases and basic vocabulary needed to talk to shop clerks in China.Ultimate goal: To be able to read the newspaper in German. Specific step: Learn vocabulary related to politics and the political scene in Germany. Short-term goal: By the end of this week, I will have learned the basic vocabulary words for issues related to elections.Ultimate goal: To be able to talk to my in-laws on the phone in Japanese Specific step: Learn pleasantries. Short-term goals: By the end of the week, I will have learned basic everyday pleasantries, including greetings and closings like How are you? and Talk to you again soon.If youre struggling, review the examples below for help:Instead of:  By the end of this week, I will have learned how to talk about medical problems. Try:  By the end of this week, I will have learned the words for all the primary body parts (i.e. arm, leg, heart, stomach).Instead of: By the end of this year, I will be able to have a phone conversation in Spanish. Try: By the end of this month, I will have learned how to use basic telephone phrases such as, Who are you calling for? and Dr. Smith is not available at the moment.Instead of:  By the end of this week, I will have learned all 500 of the words in my medical dictionary. Try: By the end of the week, I will have learned the basic terms  for simple diagnoses (i.e. a cold, the flu, a backache).Following ThroughGoal-setting  is not something you do once and forget about. For goals to be effective, you need to consult them regularly and set new goals every few weeks.Every few days, take a moment to review your goals and check your progress. This will help you identify  what to study next and feel good about  the progress youre making. It will also keep you on track when youre veering away from your ultimate goal.Although its important to follow through with  the goals youve set for yourself,  dont be afraid to change your goals if th ey no longer serve you well. As you gain confidence in your new language,  perhaps your ultimate goal will grow from being able to have a phone conversation to wanting to travel to a  country where your  foreign language is spoken. When you make discoveries like this, adjust your goals appropriately so that they can continue to serve your needs.Finally, remember that there are no right or wrong goals. The most important thing is that you believe in your goals and can visualize yourself achieving them.If you set goals with this in mind, you will find that they help you stay motivated and enthusiastic about your language learning, and youll be proud of what you achieve!Katherine Kostiuk is a freelance writer with  professional  experience in international education and English teaching. She has lived in four foreign countries and studied five different foreign languages. And One More ThingFor a shortcut to motivated, encouraging and goal-oriented learning, try FluentU.FluentU takes real-world videos like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks, and turns them into language learning experiences, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse Screen.FluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.Interactive transcript for Carlos Baute song.You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs learn mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.Start using FluentU on the website  with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the  iTunes  or  Google Play  store.