Saturday, April 4, 2020

Tutoring Online Monthly Subscription

Tutoring Online Monthly SubscriptionOnline tutoring subscriptions are meant to meet the needs of the student. With a monthly subscription, the tutor does not have to hunt around for the space and equipment to set up an in-classroom session. These are all taken care of by the tutoring company, making the online tutoring service even more effective.When choosing a tutoring provider, consider how long it has been in business. If it is a very new company, it may be easy to find a school that is willing to pay for their services. It is important to make sure that they are serious about providing quality educational programs. Some tutors get into this business only because they believe that it is an easy and lucrative profession.You can choose between a discount online tutoring service or a monthly subscription. Discount online tutoring is not generally offered by any company that caters to the needs of students. A discount online tutoring service only offers limited services such as tutor ing on the web. It is very expensive for a private student to attend a regular tutor in person, so online tutoring offers an alternative.When you look at online tutoring, one way to avoid disappointment is to make sure that the services offered are done in the manner that you want them to be done. If you want your tutor to conduct a virtual class with the students, you need to make sure that you can have that service. While it is possible to have your instructor phone you if you cannot make it to a particular time, it is not always practical. Your tutor may not be available and the student will have to continue with their own schedule.Tutoring with a monthly subscription is easy for the tutor because they can set it up and manage it themselves. However, they do not have the flexibility to change services or to do extra study sessions. They may not even have the option to adjust their timetable to make it fit in with the scheduled classes.A tutor can offer additional materials for on line tutoring. Most companies will provide a variety of subjects and assignments with the services. This will help students learn the material quickly and retain it. To add value to their offerings, many tutors will offer eBooks and other materials which will help the student remember and retain the content of the class.While online tutoring does not bring about the same opportunities for extra learning as the classroom experience, it can be helpful for students that wish to supplement their education. One of the best things about the online tutoring service is that it can be performed from the home computer. All of the materials can be accessed from one place and one website. All of the fees that are paid are easily accessible from a single location.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Excel at Music by Acting Like a Child

Excel at Music by Acting Like a Child Suzy S. Many of our students here at TakeLessons.com are older, hoping to fulfill a life goal they may have had for some time.   Its never too late to start learning an instrument, but it can definitely be a bit scary.   Dont let that stop you, though! The secret to success depends a lot on your attitude. Youre at a stage in life where you can just play for fun, so why not make the most of it?   By taking on some childlike traits, mastering the instrument of your choice can be a piece of cake.   The Lone Guitarist Blog has some great insight into these traits here are a few rules to follow: Rule #1: Forget about the master plan Children don’t have a grand plan in their heads, no roadmap with sub-goals and an ultimate goal â€" not consciously anyway. Adults have a tendency to plan things, map things out over time, consciously allocate time each day to practice, etc. Children don’t do this. They are a lot more pragmatic and as-it-happens with learning new things. Children live in the moment, and they don’t worry about the future. They take things in one step at a time. This is a very important thing as it basically prevents you from becoming overwhelmed.   If you ignore the bigger picture and ignore what you’ll be doing a week, a month or a year from now, you can focus on what is important to you today. Rule #2: Very focused, short learning bursts In the absence of a master plan, it comes down to being able to spot a missing piece in your existing knowledge and then focus your entire concentration on getting it right. When a child is presented with something new, say a single word, they will focus their entire energy on it: first by listening to it, then either trying to pronounce it, or remembering the word and what it is associated with. Children will focus their whole attention on this one word, but only for several seconds, and then move on when they feel they have absorbed the new piece of information or it has simply become boring. As a musician, you can adopt this approach into your own routine. When you learn something new, and you have trouble with a small part of it â€" maybe a bar or two in length, maximum â€" devote all your energy on improving this part. Try to get it exactly perfect, repeatedly. Do this until you feel satisfied that you have improved, and then move on. Rule #3: Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, or to look foolish Children do things that they will be embarrassed about later on as adults. In fact, they do this all the time. You probably have a lot of these painful memories that you’d rather not talk about. Somehow, when you’re a kid, you don’t really mind or think about it all that much. And as a kid, you get away with these kind of things.   Therein lies the power, though, because it allows you to really experiment with things when you’re young. Adults are expected to behave properly.   But if you want to improve, go ahead and do that whacky thing that you’ve been too scared to do. If you do get a weird look, just laugh it off, but above all, don’t be scared to look foolish! So there you have it taking music lessons as an adult doesnt have to be scary!   Sometimes, you just have to go for it.     Like these posts?   Sign up to receive daily updates right to your inbox!   Click here to subscribe. You might also like 5 Key Benefits of Taking Music Lessons as an Adult How to Tune Into the Perfect Music Teacher for You Composing Life Lessons from Music Photo by kellyv, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic.

Friday, March 6, 2020

How to Prevent Procrastination

How to Prevent Procrastination Procrastinationit happens to the best of us. Even though the deadline for an upcoming project, test, or assignment is looming, you still find yourself watching Friends reruns on Netflix or scrolling through Twitter. Once the deadline arrives, youve scrambled to turn something in on time. Why didnt you just start sooner?Don't let procrastination take over your life. There are small steps you can take to prevent this pesky habit and get your work back on track. Find a study space You may procrastinate because you dont have a clean, quiet space dedicated to studying. You aren't going to be very productive if you're lying in your bed with your TV on. Your bedroom should be used for sleeping and relaxingnot taking an ACT practice test. Instead, find a different study spaceat the library or even at your favorite coffee shopor create a good study environment at home. Limit distractions by turning off your electronics, and consider wearing earplugs if the space tends to be noisy, like a student center or Starbucks. Find a study buddy There are many benefits to group study. Sometimes the best way to get work done is to find someone or a group of people who can inspire or support you. Do you have a friend or classmate who always seems to meet deadlines? Ask that person if you can be his or her study buddy. In addition to teaching you strong study habits, having company when studying can be that extra push you need to crush procrastination. Reward yourself for meeting deadlines Another way you can avoid procrastination is to reward yourself. Set study or academic goals that are tied to a reward, such as a night at the movie theater or studying abroad over winter break. For example, make a commitment that youll read 100 pages of your textbook before you head out to meet your friends for dinner. The key here is to stick with your plan, and only reward yourself if you actually meet your deadline. Receiving positive reinforcement after completing work can keep you motivated. Make your work more manageable The key to dealing with deadlines is to break up your work into more manageable pieces. For example, if you know you have a 20-page paper due in a week days, set small deadlines every two days to ensure youre working on the paper throughout the week, rather than spending an all-nighter finishing it in time. The first deadline could be to finish all of the research components. The next deadline could be to write at least six pages of the paper. Before you know it, your 20-page paper just got a whole lot easier. If you can, set a deadline to finish your paper a day or so before the actual deadline, just in case you need to make any last-minute adjustments. This tactic will only work if you actually follow your deadlines, so treat them as you would any deadline put in place by a professor. Follow these small tips to prevent procrastination and take control over your academic life. If you ever find yourself faltering, try to remember how you felt the last time you were rushed to complete a project or assignment. You can beat procrastination if you put your mind to it and stick with it.

How To Succeed On The Essay Portion Of The SAT

How To Succeed On The Essay Portion Of The SAT The SAT writing section is unique in that it is the only part of the test that is graded subjectively. It is a 25 minute section where you are presented with a prompt (could be a quote by someone famous) and an assignment (a question about the prompt or a guideline to follow for the essay). The instructions are simple write an essay. There is no preferred format or technical direction to follow which gives the test taker flexibility in their writing. The important instructions are outlined at the beginning of the section: Develop a point of view on an issue presented in the excerpt Support your point of view using reasoning and examples from your reading, studies, experience or observations Follow the conventions of standard written English [RELATED: What Does SAT Stand For?] There are a few different ways to approach this part of the test but an effective and proven strategy is to prewrite the essay. This may sound illogical since you do not get the prompt or assignment before the test; but you can still be prepared. Having 2 or 3 paragraphs ready to go can put you in a stronger position on test day. You know from the instructions that in order to support a point you are making you will be drawing on your own life experience. Think back on poignant moments something that stuck with you. It could be a lesson learned from a teacher or a volunteer opportunity you took part in or a time you and your team beat a rival. But again, you may ask if I dont know the question, how can I give the answer? The strategy here is transition sentences. If you volunteered at a middle school and helped a child learn how to read, you can cater this to many different topics: Charity, education, children are the future, relationships, overcoming adversity, inspirational moments, a time you were challenged, poverty in the inner city, economic disparity, etc. And once you have the transition sentence, you can dive right back into your previously written paragraph. Another benefit of prewriting the essay is that it will give you a chance to show off your vocabulary. In your preparation, try to pepper in SAT caliber vocab words to show the graders that you have a command of these words and are able to use them correctly and comfortably. This will give you a chance to improve your language skills and review your sentences with a teacher or tutor to make sure they are as strong as possible. This way on test day, even if you have to tweak your paragraphs a little to fit into the subject, you will still have 3-4 strong sentences which will be guaranteed to impress the graders. Practice writing these paragraphs over and over. Not only will this help you memorize and ingrain the material into your mind, but handwriting is important. If the graders cannot read what you write, it is hard for them to evaluate it properly. Finally, with a prewritten essay, you are able to come into the test more relaxed. Once you read the prompt, you will not be searching you brain for examples or stressing about having enough material to cite. When you sit down, take a minute or two to draw up a quick outline so you can refer back to it and know where you want the direction of the essay to go. (This is a good idea no matter if you choose to prewrite the essay or not). Then, once you are ready, you will already have some examples and experiences at your fingertips and will be ready to write.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Are Online Tutoring Sessions Worth Buying

Are Online Tutoring Sessions Worth Buying 0SHARESShare Online tutoring is a new way of tutoring for students who need help and support on any subject in a short span of time. It is very simple and easy to access works like ready reckon help. It is safe, flexible and interesting where a student can learn any time right from home. It is available computer and an internet connection. Often, online tutoring websites let students choose their own subject, topic and tutor guide them. It offers several positive elements that make online learning beneficial for the younger generation. According to research, online tutoring brings a remarkable change in learning as a lot of students have shown an increase in their performance by using this innovative tutoring technique. Online tutors and their teaching methodologies work towards improving the students ability and problem solving skills. Online learning is very interesting which improves the students perception towards any subject. Besides, traditional way of tutoring, homework help, assignment assistance and last minute test preparation help are useful options offered by online tutoring proves very beneficial. Students can take homework, assignment and test preparation assistance for any subjects and any grades. The tutors give step-by-step explanations that not only provide extra help to master the concepts but help them to develop problem solving skills. The students are encouraged and motivated by better understanding of subjects and comfortably overcoming their problems with personalized one-to-one unlimited tutoring. A lot of students seek Math tutor online who can help them work out daily homework, difficult problem solving and test preparation. Science, English online tutoring are other primitive subjects for which student seeks assistance in preparing answers to the questions, essay and composition writing, etc. Online tutoring is worth buying and everyone should definitely take this opportunity to improve academic career. [starbox id=admin]

8 Facts to Know about SAT Changes

8 Facts to Know about SAT Changes 8 Facts to Know about SAT Changes As you may or may not have heard, the College Board recently announced that substantial changes will be made to the SAT, effective spring 2016. These changes are meant to better accommodate what students will need to know in post-high-school life, for both college and their future careers. The new test will shift the focus to analytic thinking and will be more aligned with what is learned in the classroom. This is a big point of interest for students in junior high and early high school, as the rules they are currently familiar with are now changing. Here are the new rules parents and students will most need to know. The test is reverting to the old scoring scale. While the current SAT is scored on a 2400-point scale, the College Board has decided to return to the 1600-point scale that was used in 2004 and earlier. The essay score will be separate from the math, reading, and writing sections of the test. Essay will be optional. Speaking of the essay being scored separately, students will now be given the option to forgo this section altogether. There will not be point deductions for wrong answers. Formerly, students were encouraged to leave answers blank if they didn't know the answer, since wrong responses resulted in of a point being subtracted from their scores. On the new test, students are encouraged to use their deductive reasoning skills to choose the most logical answer with no penalty for guessing incorrectly. Vocabulary will be more 'real world.' It's currently not uncommon to see antiquated vocabulary sprinkled throughout the reading and writing sections of the exam. Archaic words will no longer be prominent in the test, giving way to more useful and modern, though still challenging, vocabulary. The focus on the math section will be narrower. There will be a smaller range of subjects on the math portion which will emphasize equations, functions, ratios, and other types of math that may be applicable to everyday life. The use of calculators will only be permitted on specified parts of the test. Relevant mathematic formulas will still be supplied to students at the beginning of the test, but don't ditch your algebra tutor just yet. In keeping with the shifted focus on the math portion, calculators will only be allowed for use during certain parts of the test. The reading and writing section will look for evidence-supported answers. In order to get high scores on the reading and writing sections, students will need to provide ample supporting facts in order to demonstrate their interpreting and analyzing skills. Each passage that students must read will be accompanied by a question asking them to select a quote from the text that best supports their response to the preceding question. For the reading section, texts will be chosen more wisely. Rather than choosing passages from old, classic novels and short stories, the excerpts will be taken from multidisciplinary texts such as the Declaration of Independence and other widely-read documents. What are your thoughts on the new SAT tests? How should students adapt their study habits?

How Does Your Child Learn Best

How Does Your Child Learn Best How Does Your Child Learn Best? It doesnt take an education professional to know that when it comes to learning, each person is unique. As a parent, its not just helpful to know more about how your child learnsits essential. Youve probably heard before about learning styles, which are often explained through different theories and models. Here are a few well-known types that suggest how students might approach learning tasks: The VARK model This commonly cited model examines learning style through the senses: Visual learners learn best through the use of visual aids, diagrams, or other visual tools other than words. Auditory learners process best through listening, reading aloud and talking about ideas. Read/write learners prefer taking in information through the texts which they read. Kinesthetic learners prefer using their hands or body to learn by doing. The Experiential Learning Model This model considers learning as a cycle that begins with a concrete experience, moves into reflective observation to understand the meaning of things from different viewpoints, abstract conceptualization to analyze a situation, and active experimentation to reinforce learning through action. In short, the cycles are feeling, watching, thinking and doing. You can work with your schools guidance counseling office to arrange for your child to take one or more learning assessments to better understand his or her learning style. However, you can still get a good idea of how your child learns, the types of environments that suit him or her best, and more by asking the right questions and being observant. Start with these topics for discussion with your child: When does your child seem to absorb information? While reading? While being read to? While talking things through? How and where does your child prefer to do homework? Is your child most focused when listening to music? In a quiet space? When studying alone, or with siblings? When does your child seem the most productive? In the morning or at night? Immediately after school or after dinner? What seems to be the best way for your child to grasp new information? Through reading? Visual aids? By watching someone else do something first? What are your childs best subjects? What concepts are easiest and hardest for your child? What does the teacher think? Why does your child prefer certain subjects over others? What environments get your child most excited about learning? Indoor or outdoor? Smaller classes or larger ones? Classes with frequent group discussions or those where students learn independently? Getting to know your child as a student is valuable because it will help you work effectively with his or her teacher when issues arise. Just as important, you will be better equipped to nurture your childs strengths and guide your child toward overcoming weaknesses. If you need help, contact Huntington. We can assess your childs learning style and preferences and academic strengths and weaknesses and develop a program of instruction to help your child become the best student possible. Call us at 800-CAN-LEARN. 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.

Discovering Oneself by Mentoring Others

Discovering Oneself by Mentoring Others Education has always been a big part of my life, and I have found myself acting as both learner and teacher over the years. It started at in-school tutoring programs where I began working with my peers tutoring for standardized state examinations, and gradually I began taking on more and more responsibility. I worked as a private tutor on my own for many years before finally coming to Frog Tutoring, which has opened up many new doors for me.As a math and science tutor in Fort Worth, Texas, I work primarily with students leaving high school or entering college, and in the last semester have worked with many new freshman engineering students from the area. I work as a mentor as much as I do a tutor. My job is not only to help these students understand the materials, but also to help mentor these young adults through this transitioning period in any way I can. Most of these students are leaving home for the first time, and are encountering more responsibility than they've ever had before. It can be tough for new college students to adjust to being in charge of managing their time and juggling all their priorities. I am able to help as a peer who understands and can help with all the new difficulties these changes can bring. I don’t just help them with study skills, but also with how gaining confidence in their abilities, preparing for meeting their professors for the first time, troubles with their new roommate, and anything else that comes up.In all of my years of tutoring, these past few months working with other engineering students have been the most rewarding. I don’t just help with homework or preparing for exam, I am able to help students build the skills they will use for the rest of college, and even in their careers. The first few semesters can make or break you in college, especially as a science student. I am there to help support them when there is a bump in the road. They must learn new avenues and approaches to problem solvingâ€"the engineer mindset, so to speak. I truly feel like I am having a meaningful impact on their lives.It’s strange that in teaching others over the years, I have managed to learn so much about myself. I’ve learned how to be a leader, a friend, and a coach. I've learned what it means to really inspire others, and that means a great deal to me. Being told that my work makes a difference with these students really make me feel so grateful for the opportunities I've been given to help them, and it has also revived my interest in subjects I had long since moved on from. Helping a student on general high school chemistry recently I remembered my love for the course that I took so many years ago. The time I spend with these students sheds light on how much I have grown since the time I was there age, and how I got to where I am. Teaching these kids helps remind me who I am and what is important to me.I can think on a single instance in particular which has really impacted me while tutoring. A student came to me with a need for tutoring in chemistry, and she claimed there was no way she was going to pass her class. After a few weeks of working together, she turned to me, grinning widely, and said “I get it!” Watching a girl who had no interest in the subject and who felt so down on herself about it suddenly become really engaged and, dare I say it, excited was extremely fulfilling.I believe that tutoring, and in turn mentoring, makes me a better person. Looking back on old courses that I once took reminds me of where I started outâ€"just as clueless as any other freshman about how the world actually worksâ€"and how much I have actually achieved with my hard work.

Weve made the Public Video Pledge for the 2014 italki World Cup Language Challenge!

Weve made the Public Video Pledge for the 2014 italki World Cup Language Challenge! Were Doing it!  So Should You! If youre taking the Langauge Challenge and really want to succeed, were giving away 50ITC if you make a Public Video Pledge!   Why would you ever want to do this? (Click here for more details)   Please take some time to motivate and encourage our Public Video Pledge Challengers  by commenting on their Notebook entrees! Lindsaydoeslanguages from England Lindsay is a veteran italki Challenge winner.  Shes a Polyglot and well known blogger and vlogger on her popular Language Learning website Lindsaydoeslanguages.com.  Shes going to be blogging about her experiences tackling Portuguese throughout the Challenge.  Send her some words of encouragement on her  Notebook entry! Lindsay also thinks that England will win the World Cup! Kobinata Reiko from Japan This is Kobinatas 3rd italki Challenge! She has committed to learn English and Chinese and will be taking 25 hours worth of lessons in both these languages! She is also one of our most beloved Japanese Community Tutors. We received a great Testimonial Story about her from Alisa, who is learning Japanese on italki.  Her Public Video pledge is below.    Please comment on her Notebook entry! As Kobinata hails from Japan, we have a strong feeling she wants Japan to win the World Cup! Søren (aka Koko the Polyglot)   from the United States Søren is also a Language Challenge veteran.  He took the last Challenge where he came oh so close to reaching his goal but just sputtered towards the end.  It just goes to show you that even the most talented language learners have trouble staying motivated.  Hes determined to finish this Challenge though as he was one of the first Challengers to submit the Public Video Pledge!  Now the whole world will be watching and cheering him on.  Søren will be learning Catalan.  You can follow his progress on his language learning blog site Kokothepolyglot.net.    Send him words of encouragement in his Notebook entry. Søren predicts that its Denmark or Sweden winning the World Cup!  Lets see if hes right! Vero from Italy Vero, who is also one of our Professional Teachers teaching Italian and Spanish is taking the Challange to learn French! Shes already got a good foundation but hopes that the Challenge will take her French ability to the next level. Read her notebook entry here and leave some words of encouragement! Vero, who is Italian, wants Italy to win the World Cup. Andy from England Andy is learning French for the Language Challenge. In his own words, while its very straightforward for me to practice reading and writing, the speaking and listening aspect is much more difficult. Im still translating a lot in my head, things arent coming to me and flowing as naturally as they would, so i think a nice intensive period doing lessons is really going to help! This is exactly why we run the challenge! Leave some comments on Andys notebook entry here. Yet another Challenger from England.  Yet another Challenger rooting for the British National Team! Rachel Boyce from England This is a great Public Pledge from Rachel who just happens to be one of our Professional Teachers teaching English. She is taking the Challenge to kickstart her Russian which as you can tell from her Public Pledge is starting from the beginning! Give her some love by commenting on her Notebook Entry! Its not very hard to guess what team Rachel wants to win the World Cup?  Just look where she is from (even though shes living in Italy) Rob from the United States Rob, who is fluent in Sign Language, struggles with learning new spoken languages.  As hes making a move to Mexico, hes determined to learn Spanish from scratch!  He made a great Public Video Pledge video where explains his motivations to learn this and his commitment to succeed.  Please send some words of encouragement in his notebook entry. Rob predicts the host of the World Cup Brazil to take home the trophy! JasmineEnglishTime   from the United States JasmineEnglishTime is one of our Community Tutors who teaches English and has signed up for the Language Challenge to improve her Mandarin.  She already has a strong foundation in Mandarin (as you can see/hear from the below video) but she wants to take it to the next level and even pass the HSK4 exam as one of reasons for taking the Challenge.  Give her some support by commenting on her Notebook post here. JasmineEnglishTime doesnt mention anything about the World Cup but were assuming shes rooting for the United States! Chad   from the United States Chad is a college student who is majoring in Chinese so he actually speaks quite fluently already (check out his pledge!). Hes mainly taking the Challenge to push his Mandarin ability to the next level. He specifically wants to improve his fluency and grammar and expand his vocabulary.  Give him some support by commenting on her Notebook post here. nuriayasmin   from the Germany nuriayasmin is actually a Professional German Teacher who has taught over 1400+ hours on italki! To put things in perspective thats 60 days or 2 months of taught language lessons However, shes actually the Challenge to learn both Spanish and Hungarian! Show her some support by commenting on her Notebook post here. nuriayasmin really doesnt care for the World Cup but if she were to root for a team it would be Spain! Victor   from the Dominican Replublic Victor represents our South American contingent for the World Cup Language Challenge. Victor is committing to to 3 English lessons a week to finish the Challenge and wants to improve his English skills. He wants to focus on his fluency and also his confidence in speaking. He sounds pretty good already but theres always room for improvement (judge for himself).  Give him some support by commenting on his Notebook post here. When asked who he thinks will win the World Cup, Victor is very confident and gives a resounding Go Italy! to support his favorite team! Fermin   from Mexico Fermin is one of our Language Challenge veterans who participated in our last Challenge. Hes back again and is now focused on learning Mandarin for the World Cup Language Challenge. Fermin is also one of our Community Tutors teaching Spanish.    Send him words of encouragement in his Notebook entry. Fermin wants Mexico to win the World Cup! Leigh Davis   from Northern Ireland Leigh is already very fluent in Spanish (check out his video below) but he really wants to take it to the next level!  He also will be visiting Spain to test his Spanish.  Please wish him good luck by commenting on his Notebook entry. Leigh did not tell us who he wants to win the World Cup but we feel its probably Ireland! Massimo Grazzi   from Italy Massimo, who is also one of our Professional Teachers loves to teach Italian language and culture, but this time he wants to refresh his Russian! He seems really determined to complete 25 hours to finish the Challenge! We are all confident he will make it! Lets support him by commenting on his Notebook entry. Obviously, Massimo wants Italy  to win the World Cup! Fabricio Carraro   from Brazil Fabricio  is from Brazil and he loves languages. His passion is Italian, but for our  World Cup Language Challenge he wants to focus on improving his Japanese. Fabricio  is committing 3 to 4 Japanese lessons a week to finish the Challenge.  Give him some support on his Notebook entry. As we all expected, Fabricio wants Brazil to win the World Cup! Sandrah   from the United States Sandrah is a student living in California. She is really excited about our World Cup Language Challenge and she wants to learn French. She will be taking 2 to 3 lessons a week with a French tutor. She hopes that at the end of the Challenge she will be able to speak some actual French! Read her Notebook entry and leave some words of encouragement. Sandrah wants Spain to win the World Cup, but her second favorites are Brazil, Italy, and Germany! Fabio   from Spain Fabio is taking the Challenge to learn English and has committed to taking 25 hours of language lessons in 2 months.  Give him some support by commenting on his Notebook post here. Fabio feels that Spain will repeat as World Cup Champions! FutureSpy   from Brazil FutureSpy can speak Portuguese, Catalan, Spanish, and Japanese. This time he took our World Cup Language Challenge to improve his skills in French. It seems he already has a very strong foundation in French (as you can hear from the video below), but he wants to become more confident with this language. Lets wish him good luck by leaving some comments on his Notebook post here. FutureSpy didt say who he wants to win the World Cup, but we think its probably Brazil! Adri   from the United States Adri is learning Japanese and she is tanking the World Cup Language Challenge to learn more about grammar, vocabulary, and sentences structure. Please send her some comments of encouragement in her Notebook post here. Adri will support the USA team during the World Cup! Even though the Challenge has already started, you still have time to make a Public Video Pledge. Dont forget we’re giving away 50ITC if you make a Public Video Pledge!!! Weve made the Public Video Pledge for the 2014 italki World Cup Language Challenge! Were Doing it!  So Should You! If youre taking the Langauge Challenge and really want to succeed, were giving away 50ITC if you make a Public Video Pledge!   Why would you ever want to do this? (Click here for more details)   Please take some time to motivate and encourage our Public Video Pledge Challengers  by commenting on their Notebook entrees! Lindsaydoeslanguages from England Lindsay is a veteran italki Challenge winner.  Shes a Polyglot and well known blogger and vlogger on her popular Language Learning website Lindsaydoeslanguages.com.  Shes going to be blogging about her experiences tackling Portuguese throughout the Challenge.  Send her some words of encouragement on her  Notebook entry! Lindsay also thinks that England will win the World Cup! Kobinata Reiko from Japan This is Kobinatas 3rd italki Challenge! She has committed to learn English and Chinese and will be taking 25 hours worth of lessons in both these languages! She is also one of our most beloved Japanese Community Tutors. We received a great Testimonial Story about her from Alisa, who is learning Japanese on italki.  Her Public Video pledge is below.    Please comment on her Notebook entry! As Kobinata hails from Japan, we have a strong feeling she wants Japan to win the World Cup! Søren (aka Koko the Polyglot)   from the United States Søren is also a Language Challenge veteran.  He took the last Challenge where he came oh so close to reaching his goal but just sputtered towards the end.  It just goes to show you that even the most talented language learners have trouble staying motivated.  Hes determined to finish this Challenge though as he was one of the first Challengers to submit the Public Video Pledge!  Now the whole world will be watching and cheering him on.  Søren will be learning Catalan.  You can follow his progress on his language learning blog site Kokothepolyglot.net.    Send him words of encouragement in his Notebook entry. Søren predicts that its Denmark or Sweden winning the World Cup!  Lets see if hes right! Vero from Italy Vero, who is also one of our Professional Teachers teaching Italian and Spanish is taking the Challange to learn French! Shes already got a good foundation but hopes that the Challenge will take her French ability to the next level. Read her notebook entry here and leave some words of encouragement! Vero, who is Italian, wants Italy to win the World Cup. Andy from England Andy is learning French for the Language Challenge. In his own words, while its very straightforward for me to practice reading and writing, the speaking and listening aspect is much more difficult. Im still translating a lot in my head, things arent coming to me and flowing as naturally as they would, so i think a nice intensive period doing lessons is really going to help! This is exactly why we run the challenge! Leave some comments on Andys notebook entry here. Yet another Challenger from England.  Yet another Challenger rooting for the British National Team! Rachel Boyce from England This is a great Public Pledge from Rachel who just happens to be one of our Professional Teachers teaching English. She is taking the Challenge to kickstart her Russian which as you can tell from her Public Pledge is starting from the beginning! Give her some love by commenting on her Notebook Entry! Its not very hard to guess what team Rachel wants to win the World Cup?  Just look where she is from (even though shes living in Italy) Rob from the United States Rob, who is fluent in Sign Language, struggles with learning new spoken languages.  As hes making a move to Mexico, hes determined to learn Spanish from scratch!  He made a great Public Video Pledge video where explains his motivations to learn this and his commitment to succeed.  Please send some words of encouragement in his notebook entry. Rob predicts the host of the World Cup Brazil to take home the trophy! JasmineEnglishTime   from the United States JasmineEnglishTime is one of our Community Tutors who teaches English and has signed up for the Language Challenge to improve her Mandarin.  She already has a strong foundation in Mandarin (as you can see/hear from the below video) but she wants to take it to the next level and even pass the HSK4 exam as one of reasons for taking the Challenge.  Give her some support by commenting on her Notebook post here. JasmineEnglishTime doesnt mention anything about the World Cup but were assuming shes rooting for the United States! Chad   from the United States Chad is a college student who is majoring in Chinese so he actually speaks quite fluently already (check out his pledge!). Hes mainly taking the Challenge to push his Mandarin ability to the next level. He specifically wants to improve his fluency and grammar and expand his vocabulary.  Give him some support by commenting on her Notebook post here. nuriayasmin   from the Germany nuriayasmin is actually a Professional German Teacher who has taught over 1400+ hours on italki! To put things in perspective thats 60 days or 2 months of taught language lessons However, shes actually the Challenge to learn both Spanish and Hungarian! Show her some support by commenting on her Notebook post here. nuriayasmin really doesnt care for the World Cup but if she were to root for a team it would be Spain! Victor   from the Dominican Replublic Victor represents our South American contingent for the World Cup Language Challenge. Victor is committing to to 3 English lessons a week to finish the Challenge and wants to improve his English skills. He wants to focus on his fluency and also his confidence in speaking. He sounds pretty good already but theres always room for improvement (judge for himself).  Give him some support by commenting on his Notebook post here. When asked who he thinks will win the World Cup, Victor is very confident and gives a resounding Go Italy! to support his favorite team! Fermin   from Mexico Fermin is one of our Language Challenge veterans who participated in our last Challenge. Hes back again and is now focused on learning Mandarin for the World Cup Language Challenge. Fermin is also one of our Community Tutors teaching Spanish.    Send him words of encouragement in his Notebook entry. Fermin wants Mexico to win the World Cup! Leigh Davis   from Northern Ireland Leigh is already very fluent in Spanish (check out his video below) but he really wants to take it to the next level!  He also will be visiting Spain to test his Spanish.  Please wish him good luck by commenting on his Notebook entry. Leigh did not tell us who he wants to win the World Cup but we feel its probably Ireland! Massimo Grazzi   from Italy Massimo, who is also one of our Professional Teachers loves to teach Italian language and culture, but this time he wants to refresh his Russian! He seems really determined to complete 25 hours to finish the Challenge! We are all confident he will make it! Lets support him by commenting on his Notebook entry. Obviously, Massimo wants Italy  to win the World Cup! Fabricio Carraro   from Brazil Fabricio  is from Brazil and he loves languages. His passion is Italian, but for our  World Cup Language Challenge he wants to focus on improving his Japanese. Fabricio  is committing 3 to 4 Japanese lessons a week to finish the Challenge.  Give him some support on his Notebook entry. As we all expected, Fabricio wants Brazil to win the World Cup! Sandrah   from the United States Sandrah is a student living in California. She is really excited about our World Cup Language Challenge and she wants to learn French. She will be taking 2 to 3 lessons a week with a French tutor. She hopes that at the end of the Challenge she will be able to speak some actual French! Read her Notebook entry and leave some words of encouragement. Sandrah wants Spain to win the World Cup, but her second favorites are Brazil, Italy, and Germany! Fabio   from Spain Fabio is taking the Challenge to learn English and has committed to taking 25 hours of language lessons in 2 months.  Give him some support by commenting on his Notebook post here. Fabio feels that Spain will repeat as World Cup Champions! FutureSpy   from Brazil FutureSpy can speak Portuguese, Catalan, Spanish, and Japanese. This time he took our World Cup Language Challenge to improve his skills in French. It seems he already has a very strong foundation in French (as you can hear from the video below), but he wants to become more confident with this language. Lets wish him good luck by leaving some comments on his Notebook post here. FutureSpy didt say who he wants to win the World Cup, but we think its probably Brazil! Adri   from the United States Adri is learning Japanese and she is tanking the World Cup Language Challenge to learn more about grammar, vocabulary, and sentences structure. Please send her some comments of encouragement in her Notebook post here. Adri will support the USA team during the World Cup! Even though the Challenge has already started, you still have time to make a Public Video Pledge. Dont forget we’re giving away 50ITC if you make a Public Video Pledge!!!