The Life of Artemisia Gentileschi

The Life of Artemisia Gentileschi Artemisia Gentileschi: a Pioneer Among Women Artists ChaptersGrowing Up Artemisia: Early WorksArtemisia, Artiste at LargeArtemisia and DaughterCalling Naples HomeAnalysis: What Did Artemisia Want to Say?If one should ask you to name your favourite post-Renaissance painting or sculpture, which would you claim?Are you coming up empty? Don’t feel alone...Many people tend to include the Baroque period in the Italian Renaissance era, which lasted roughly two centuries and yielded amazing artworks... overwhelmingly by male artists.Were there any female artists that flourished during either the Renaissance or Baroque eras?Of course, there were! It was just much harder for any of them to gain any type of recognition in the art world and attract any patrons.Even our featured artist was often accused of passing off her father’s work as hers, which was never actually true, although father and daughter did work together at times.Who was this remarkable woman who blazed through life, paintbrush in hand? How is it that, in a time when women were not believed to have artistic abilities, she had both the respect and renown generally reserved for male artists?Artemisia: her name fairly demands her to become one of the first women artists. Her work commands us to look closer â€" at the woman behind the brush as well as the works she executed.It is our pleasure to do so. FernandoPainting Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EmmaPainting Teacher 5.00 (5) £75/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DavidPainting Teacher 4.75 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaPainting Teacher 5.00 (7) £37/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors StefaniaPainting Teacher 5.00 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SakinaPainting Teacher 5.00 (1) £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorrenPainting Teacher 5.00 (2) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Off2themoonholliePainting Teacher £8/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsGrowing Up Artemisia: Early Works Some say that Artemisia is the most important female painter in art history Source: Wikipedia via the History BlogArtemisia was born in Rome, in 1593 â€" although the state archive records indicate that she was born in 1590.Her father was Orazio Gentileschi, a mannerist painter whose style was heavily influenced by Caravaggio, the master of the day. When each of his children grew big enough, he took them into his studio to teach them how to paint.Much to his surprise, his daughter â€" not his sons, showed the most promise. Soon, he was bragging around about his most exceptional girl-child.Indeed, Artemisia excelled in her brushstrokes. She seemed to have an intuitive grasp on how to mix colours and to contrast light and dark elements in a painting for maximum effect.Her realistic human depictions seemed so true to life that one might believe that the canvas’ subject may walk right out of the painting, as though she were a living person. And she was not one to paint still lifes...Wh ereas her father tended more toward a representational ideal of his subject matter, Artemisia was more of a realist: she showed what was there, not what should be.For their differences in perspective and other reasons, her father felt she would broaden her palette through the teachings of another master.Agostino Tassi, a painter of some repute, had been working with Orazio, mainly in painting architectural decoration.He was a con man and a cheat; even his last name was stolen from a high-ranking baroness to support his story of having been adopted into nobility. Adulterer, liar and already convicted of petty crimes... this was the man that Orazio entrusted his daughter to.Agostino and a helper of his raped Artemisia when she was only 18 years old.In an odd twist, she continued intimate relations with Tassi on the promise that he would marry her â€" thus make her legitimate. Nine months later, with no nuptials in the works, her father finally pressed charges against him.We have to un derstand that the trauma of being raped was legally irrelevant at that time; her ‘loss of honour’ - meaning that she was no longer a virgin, was on trial.Indeed, there was a trial, during which Artemisia was tortured to force a confession that she had instigated her rape.It’s hard to imagine how anyone could return to business as usual after such an ordeal but it seemed that Artemisia did just that. After the trial, she was married to a fellow artist from Florence who either didn’t know about or, presumably, forgave her loss of virginity.Life went on.Helen Frankenthaler, the expressionist painter, is another great female artist... but her life was much easier than Artemisia! Artemisia excelled at figurative biblical representations such as Lot and his Daughters Source: Wikipedia via the Toledo Museum of ArtArtemisia, Artiste at LargeShortly after her marriage, Artemisia and her new husband relocated to his hometown, Florence, where she soon landed a commission from Casa Buonarroti â€" a former property of Michelangelo’s.Today, it is an art museum featuring the works of that great sculptor and painter.About four years after settling in Florence, Artemisia’s daughter was born (it is quite unfortunate that not much is known about her other than she too was a painter; no works of hers exist).Artemisia found professional success with Florentine patrons and academics alike; she was the first woman ever to gain admittance to the renown Academic Art and Drawing school.Although she was well-thought-of in art circles and had several wealthy patrons, Artemisia and her husband were not doing well financially or legally. Her material support of her husband’s ex cesses caused a particular strain on the marriage; she and her daughter returned to Rome without him.Works from her time in Florence include:Jael and Sisera (Museum of Fine Arts, Hungary), oil on canvasJudith Slaying Holofernes, 2nd version, on display at the Uffizi GalleryJudith Slaying Holofernes, 1st version, hung in the Palace of Capodimonte, NaplesSelf-Portrait as a Lute Player Wadsworth Athenium Museum of ArtFind out how Artemisia’s work measures up to other great women painters.Artemisia saw that she had no choice: she set about changing her image and her art, making herself a bit softer and her work not quite so brutal and intense.  Nevertheless, her newest depiction of Susannah and the Elders cemented her reputation as a painter of biblical heroines.There would be no success in Rome. It was time to move on.Georgia O’Keeffe, the American artist, might have been another such wanderer... The works of Artemisia epitomise the Baroque art movement in Italy Source: Wikipedia via Napolipost.comCalling Naples HomeArtemisia’s reputation as an artist had obviously kept growing in spite of her not landing any commissions. Her arrival at Naples was celebrated; in fact, art historians believe that she was invited there by the Duke of Alcala â€" he owned three of her canvases.In Naples, she found work painting in a cathedral, which bought a table and put food on it. She also painted Birth of Saint John the Baptist (Prado Museum, Madrid).Artemisia was surprisingly well-known among Englishmen!Traveller Bullen Rimes records in his diary his meeting with Artemisia and a group of other painters whom he casually referred to as ‘... who also paint.’ Artemisia, of course, was mentioned by name.So it came as no surprise that, when her father became court painter for Charles I, Artemisia would feel right at home, by his side and among the English. She didn’t travel there on a whim ; she too had been invited by the king.Her father died after only a year at court. Artemisia finished her commissions and then decamped just as the English Civil War broke out.  Her return to Naples was unremarkable but her work showed a shift toward more feminine themes.One of her last paintings, an oil paint on copper titled Virgin and Child with a Rosary, depicting a maternal scene, seems to reflect her father’s style of painting more than her command of light and shadow. Of all the paintings by Artemisia, this one most reflected maternal sentiment.It’s not exactly known when Artemisia died but it is suspected that she, along with an entire generation of artists succumbed to the plague that ravaged the city in 1656.Would you believe that impressionist painter Mary Cassatt had much in common with Artemisia?Analysis: What Did Artemisia Want to Say?It is easy to interpret Artemisia’s depictions of strong, heroic women as reflections of herself. It is even easier to believe tho se gory renderings such as Judith Slaying Holofernes as allegorical of her desire for revenge for what she endured.Obviously, a woman who had been treated so badly must have revenge fantasies! Why, if she weren’t a weak and puny woman, surely it would be her beheading that invading general instead of Judith!And it must be her, not Susannah, feeling shame in front of The Elders, especially as it was painted so soon after her trial...In short: whereas Frida Kahlo painted herself and her emotions, Artemisia painted the religious world Italian society was steeped in.While nobody today can know what was going through the artist’s head as she chose and painted those works, the latest postulate presents the idea that Artemisia had, above all else, a keen sense of marketing  and the sensationalism of her rape trial was like hard currency for her.The fact is, Artemisia was neither Susannah nor Judith but all of the heroines she depicted and none of them.Like so many women today, Artemisi a Gentileschi endured horror and moments of pure bliss; she was smart and talented and hard-working and wise. Whether she lived in a time when women, as a rule, were only expected to produce the next generation is immaterial.The fact that she did so much more besides raising a child is what matters.

Vocabulary Developments and Word Meaning Tutorpace

Vocabulary Developments and Word Meaning Tutorpace Developing vocabulary helps to improve ones reading comprehension and writing skill. Learning new words require understanding not only the literal meaning of the words studied but also the implied inferred/ connotative) meaning. Vocabulary development is an implement to retrieve the existing knowledge in ones mind, to communicate ideas, to study and to acquire new concepts. Basically, developing vocabulary and learning word meaning are essential elements in comprehending what one reads and to be an academic success. To develop and understand vocabulary, words should be introduced in proper context and authentic situations so that it can relate to the knowledge and experience of the learner. Interactive word games are another tool to learn vocabulary and meaning. The learner should actively participate and interact with new words that are introduced in reading excerpts. Context clues such as definitions, synonyms, antonyms, inference and examples help to develop vocabulary and meaning . Additionally, using structural analysis by breaking the words into basic units like roots, prefix and suffix facilitate the learner to acquire vocabulary easily. Thus varieties of strategies are applied to improve and develop vocabulary learning.

Russian Lessons Manchester

Russian Lessons Manchester Looking For Russian Language Lessons In Manchester? ChaptersWhy Should I Consider Taking Russian Classes?What Type Of Russian Class Would Work Well For me?What Can I Expect To Learn During Russian Classes?How Can I Find Russian Lessons Near Me?If you’re interested in learning Russian, you might wonder where in the UK you can find a Russian language course.Thankfully, there are Russian courses available across many cities in the UK. So,  whether you’d like to learn Russian in London, improve your Russian in Leeds, learn intermediate Russian in Glasgow, develop your Russian skills in Birmingham, or study Russian in the UK generally, there are lots of major cities where you can achieve your goal of improving your proficiency in Russian.This article focuses on learning Russian in Manchester and outlines what kinds of things might have an influence on the type of Russian language course that you decide to take.It’s a widely spoken second language across Eastern Europe;It’s one of the official languages of the United Nations;It can be useful if you’re planning on travelling or working in Russia; andIt’s known as a challenging language for English speakers to learn, due to some aspects of Russian grammar as well as the fact that Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet.If you're completely new to the Russian language, you can learn how to ask basic questions with the help of Russian language lessons. (Image Source: CC0 1.0, geralt, Pixabay)What Type Of Russian Class Would Work Well For me?The type of Russian language class that you enrol in will likely be dictated by a number of different factors, such as:How much money you can afford to pay for a Russian language class;How long you’d like to learn Russian for;Where the course is located (for example, somewhere in Manchester or online);Whether the course is accredited; andYour existing proficiency level in Russian.Another factor that might influence the type of Russian class that you take is how you prefer to learn. For example, if you find that you learn a lan guage best on your own, or that you'd prefer to learn Russian with just the help of a personal tutor or teacher, then you might be more comfortable taking private Russian language lessons.Equally, if you find that you learn better in a group environment and you enjoy having the opportunity to speak and listen to different people in Russian, then a group Russian class may be a better environment for you.One of the great things about learning a foreign language such as Russian is the fact that there are so many different course types out there. So whether you'd like to take private lessons, or would prefer to attend group Russian lessons, workshops, or online-only classes, there should be a course format that works well for you and your preferred learning style.What Can I Expect To Learn During Russian Classes?When looking for Russian language courses, it’s important to remember that every course is different. There are a variety of things that might influence the direction that a R ussian language course takes, including, but not limited to:The experience of the teacher;The ability level of the class;The nature of the course and whether it is accredited or unaccredited; andHow long the class is expected to run for.Let’s look at one of these influencing factors â€" the ability level of the class â€" in more detail.Generally, most Russian language course providers will offer Russian courses for specific groups of people who have a similar, if not the same, proficiency level in Russian. As a result, you'd typically expect to see a selection of courses offered, aimed at either beginners, intermediate or advanced Russian learners.By providing Russian language courses according to the students’ ability levels, the content of a course can be tailored in order to help students tackle the aspects of the Russian language that they would typically struggle with at their ability level.For instance, a beginners’ Russian language course might cover topics such as the Russian alphabet (known as the Cyrillic alphabet) and may also cover topics such as basic Russian grammar, common nouns and verbs, and typical greetings. The course may also only focus on the present tense.An intermediate class, on the other hand, should already be familiar with the topics covered in a beginners’ Russian lesson. As a result, their classes should focus on more advanced topics and more specialised vocabulary while covering a wider range of tenses, including the past, present, and future tenses. Intermediate Russian classes may also learn more about the distinctions between the perfective and imperfective aspects of verbs.Finally, in an advanced class, it’s likely that many students are already comfortable with verb conjugation across all tenses and moods, and have developed a broad vocabulary that allows them to discuss a wide range of topics in detail. In such instances, classes may focus more on improving the students’ overall fluency levels, and cover much mo re advanced areas of grammar.There are lots of different types of Russian language lessons out there, and some Russian classes are more conversational in nature. (Image Source: CC0 1.0, Tumisu, Pixabay)Russian For Business Or For General Conversation?Another thing to remember is the fact that the structure and content of your Russian language course will also likely be influenced by the type of Russian that you’re looking to learn.For example, if you’re interested in learning about the Russian language more generally, then you might expect your Russian lessons to teach you things such as  common Russian greetings, how to describe yourself and others in Russian, and may also teach you things such as how to give directions or order a meal in a restaurant.On the other hand, if you’re hoping to learn Russian for business purposes, then the content of your course might well be different. For example, a business Russian course may place more focus on things such as:Learning how to c onduct yourself during a meeting in Russian;How to write emails and letters to business contacts in Russian; and, perhapsLearning vocabulary specific to the area that you’re likely to work in.If you’re interested in taking a particular Russian course, but you’re not completely sure what that course is supposed to cover, feel free to get in touch with the course organisers and ask for further clarification and information regarding the syllabus before you make a decision on whether to book your place.How Can I Find Russian Lessons Near Me?There are lots of different ways that you can find a Russian language course in Manchester, and typically a quick search in an internet search engine should point you in the direction of which Russian language course providers are near to you.As a general rule, places that might offer Russian language classes include language centres. However, it’s always a good idea to double check which languages such centres offer, as they may not always offer Russian as a taught course, or they may not offer a Russian course appropriate to your proficiency level.Alternatively, you might want to look at whether one of the universities in Manchester offers a Russian language course that’s right for you.The University Language Centre at Manchester University, for example, offers a number of courses, including Russian, to a wide range of people, including the general public as well as students and staff of the university. At present, two Russian courses appear to be offered â€" one aimed at beginners and the other at intermediate learners.Manchester Metropolitan University also offers Russian lessons alongside other languages such as French, German, Spanish, Arabic, and Japanese, to name just a few.If you need to learn Russian for business purposes, then you may want to consider taking Russian classes that focus primarily on business Russian. (Image Source: CC0 1.0, StartupStockPhotos, Pixabay)You Can Always Take Your Search OnlineIf you can’t find a perfect Russian course for you in Manchester, the main thing is not to give up hope, as there are lots of different ways to learn a new foreign language  or increase your existing proficiency in a foreign language.In fact, one way of learning a new language, or developing your existing foreign language skills, is to hire a tutor.Online tutoring sites, such as Superprof, have a range of experienced foreign language tutors, including Russian tutors, who are able to provide bespoke lessons based on your desired learning outcomes and existing ability level in Russian.What's more, there are lots of tutors available that are actually native Russian speakers, which can be really helpful when it comes to improving your Russian speaking and listening skills.So whether you’ve never learnt Russian before, or consider yourself to be a near-native speaker, a Russian tutor may be able to help you further improve and develop your understanding of Russian. With one to one, gro up, and online tuition options available, why not see whether tutoring can help you?

Maths Problems How to avoid silly mistakes

Maths Problems How to avoid ‘silly mistakes’ Maths Problems: How to avoid ‘silly mistakes’ “I don’t know why I keep making these stupid mistakes in maths. I never get over 90% on practice tests even on problems I am good at because of these mistakes.” Does this sound familiar? Many tutors find that concentration is one of the biggest issues for students, and one that tutors find a lot of time focusing on in their lessons. Careless mistakes account for a huge number of lost marks in maths problems, where one mistake - doing a plus instead of multiply, for instance, or putting the decimal point in the wrong place - can lose all the marks in a question. These careless errors stem from the inability of the mind to concentrate. But how can we avoid them? We recommend following the SHUV Strategy Slow down . Hang On a Minute. Underline Stuff . Visualise with Vivid Images. This strategy can be adopted by parents to support their children with their maths homework. Slow down Practicing the skill of slowing down is quite challenging, especially in exam conditions where students know they have a limited amount of time. Ask your child to say this sentence before every question: “I am just going to slow down for a bit here”. Repeating this sentence exactly sends a signal to your brain to slow down and start thinking. Hang On a Minute Besides slowing down, engaging your child’s curiosity reduces the chances of careless mistakes. Repeat the sentence: “Hang on a Minute, something sounds fishy” Even when your child doesn’t feel that way, this will help to shut off automatic guessing mechanisms. Underline Stuff Besides the obvious benefit of underlining key points from questions, following the question with a pen fixes your gaze to one word at a time and reduces the ‘scatter brain’ syndrome where your mind just tries to look everywhere. See speeder.com  for some examples of this. Visualise with Vivid Images Daydreaming can be controlled by deliberately trying to visualise an image or picture that is partially relevant to the question. Whenever your child sees a question on gradients, he or she can visualise a playground with a slide and the formula of the function floating around this playground. The more strange the context the better. It is important to remind your child that paying attention to detail is an art form that has to be practiced! For private maths tuition tailored to your needs search in your area and for the level you want, e.g. GCSE maths tuition, A-level maths tuition, and boost your learning.

Is my cover letter correct

Is my cover letter correct Job hunting is hard. There are so many candidates competing for the best jobs that recruiters look for ways in which you disqualify yourself. Either your CV is too thin, your interview was awkward, or your cover letter was the wrong format and full of errors. Was it the cover letter that blew it for you? Could be. Whats a cover letter, anyway? Its the letter that acts as a cover to your CV. It introduces your CV and explains what you want. It is hard to know what is important in a CV, so cover letters help prospective employers know what parts of your CV are most relevant to the job you are applying for. Cover letters are like a users guide to your CV. What should my cover letter say? A cover letter highlights what your CV cant. If you are a college student graduating from college with no work experience, a cover letter is a way for you to explain to prospective employers how your work experience doesnt tell the whole story, how your degree, your volunteer experience, your hobbies, your blogging project should be considered as well. A cover letter is also an important opportunity to demonstrate your bilingualism and written communication skills. Some job applicants like to write in their cover letters, I have excellent communications skills. Really? Prove it with a well-written cover letter. Could you correct my cover letter? Yes. Let me help you write a better cover letter. I wont give you a lengthy list of dos and dont. Just submit the letter you have and I will tell you how to improve it. If you have a cover letter already, click the button below to get started. Cover Letter Checker The Virtual Writing Tutor has an automated cover letter checker to guide you in your revisions. It can identify the various parts of your letter and tell you what is missing, what errors it detects, and how to improve it. It also calculates a score for you. Use the score to guide your revisions. It lets you know how well you are doing so far. What should I write in my cover letter? If you are new to cover letters, here are some instructions. Follow them carefully. Cover letters are quite standard in format and content. It is important that you follow the format described. Using the standard format will help hiring managers grasp the content of your letter quickly. Eccentric letters do not indicate brilliance. They indicate that you are difficult and cant follow instructions. Make your letter easy to read by putting your specific information in the right place. Instructions for the Cover Letter Write a 450-550 word cover letter in response to an authentic job advertisement. In addition to the standard elements of a letter (addresses, date, salutation, and close), write 4 paragraphs about your qualifications, experience, your CV/resume, the company you are applying to, the job you are applying for, and end with a request for an interview. Test the system with thissample letterif you like. Sender’s address, date, recipient’s address, and salutation At the top of your letter, include the following: Sender’s address:Write your address on two lines. Do not include your name because it will appear at the bottom of the letter. Do not write “Cover Letter” or any other words above your address.Date:Give the date in English in either of these formats:16-Sept-2020or16 September 2020.Recipient’s address: On a maximum of 6 lines, write the address of the person you are writing to. On the top line, put the recipient’s name if you know it. Under that, put the recipient’s job title. On the third line, put the name of the company. On the next two or three lines, write the company’s address.Salutation:If you use the recipient’s name, write “Dear” + the recipient’s name”. Use “Ms.” rather than “Mrs.” for a woman. If you don’t know the recipient’s name, you can write “To” + the recipient’s title”. If necessary, you can write “To whom it may concern,” but it is not recommended. In all cases, end this line with a comma. First body paragraph Include the following: Purpose:Begin the paragraph by saying why you are writing the letter. Use the standard phrase “I am writing”.Source:Say where you found out about the job. Use one of these phrases:I found the job offer on, I became aware of the opening through, I heard about this internship through, I learned of the position from.Other phrases may be acceptable.Best qualification:Tell the recipient about your most important qualification using phrases such as the following:I will be earning a degree, I will be graduating, I will be receiving a degree in.Other phrases may be acceptable. Middle body paragraphs Summary of experience:Write about what you have achieved in the recent past. Use phrases such as these:have worked, has prepared me, has provided me, have grown, have acquired, have gained, have learned, has helped me, has allowed me, have developed my, have improved my Refer to CV:Draw attention to any information in your CV that you believe to be particularly relevant but liable to be overlooked. Use phrases such as these:You will see in my CV that I have, My work history does not capture the extent of my…Evidence of research:Demonstrate that you have done some research. Show that you have insights into the company’s unadvertised needs. Highlight any skills and characteristics that might be relevant to the specific company you are applying to. Avoid trying to flatter the recipient with praise. Final body paragraph Gratitude:Thank your reader for taking the time to consider your candidature.Reference to documents:Let the reader know what documents they will find with your letter.Call to action:Request an interview or phone conversation. Say what you want the recipient to do.Contact information:Provide a phone number, your availability, and how you look forward to the next step. Close Close your letter:Use the standard closing “Sincerely” on its own line ending with a comma.Your name:Write your full name using the standard capitalization convention. Teach cover letter writing in class MS Word docx of cover letter instructionsDownload PDF of sample cover letter feedbackDownload Everything you need to get started teaching and evaluating cover letter writing is right here. Download the MS Word docx file above. Have students draft a letter and submit it to the cover letter checker for a formative evaluation. Once they are satisfied with the score generated by the system, ask them to turn it in to you for summative evaluation. Remember that the VWT is fast but it doesnt understand what the letter says. It merely checks for structural features, expected vocabulary, and common grammar errors. Students need a human reader to check if they have made a compelling case to hire them. Please follow and like us:

5 things college prep students should do before winter vacation

5 things college prep students should do before winter vacation Tips from a Costa Mesa College Admissions Consultant: 5 Things College Prep Students Should do Before Winter Vacation Summer is over, and high schoolers are back in the classroom. Students who are in the 10th through 12th grade are now prepping for college in addition to staying on track in their courses. The college prep years can either be a fun and productive time or they can become incredibly overwhelming and stressful depending on how prepared a student is and if theyre able to work efficiently. Although each student’s schedule will be tailored to their specific college goals, there are some things that every college prep student should do before they reach winter vacation. 1. Sign up for college entrance exams Its important to sign up for either the SAT or the ACT in advance of the actual test date because each testing program has strict cut off dates after which students will have to wait until the next test, sometimes months away. Once student know when theyre going to take the exam, they should take a practice test and get a baseline score. They can then work through a test prep booklet with the guidance of a tutor to assess their strengths and weaknesses and potentially improve their overall score before test day. 2. Take a college tour College prep students will also benefit from taking a tour of some of the college campuses they are most interested in. Deciding without visiting the campus leaves students with a big question mark in their mind regarding their future college experience. Its better for students to have an idea of what college life will be like to ease the transition. If students are not able to travel long distances to visit some of the schools on their list, they can visit their local university so that they can get an idea of campus life. Students can take an organized tour sponsored by the college, or they can go on their own with their family and take a look around (READ: 5 Things English Majors Should Do This Fall). 3. Get used to AP classes Many students start taking advanced placement classes as early as sophomore year. These classes require students to study and test at a much higher level and require an incredible amount of homework. One of the best things students can do is get used to the rigors of this type of a course, so they dont fall behind. They may need to work on study skills or learn how to study more efficiently, or they may need to develop more of a balance in their after school schedule. Students can also utilize the help of a tutor, study group, or their classroom teacher to get extra help when needed our private Costa Mesa AP tutors are here to help you succeed. 4. Join a club or organization In addition to working on academics and test prep, its important that college prep students have a chance to explore some of their interests so they can start thinking about what they might want to major in once in college. Most high schools offer several after school opportunities where students can explore personal interests. If a student is not interested in what their local school has to offer, they can often find activities for teens within their local community. Being involved in extracurricular activities help students find a balance in their schedule, allows them a chance to socialize with other motivated students, and looks great on college applications. 5. Refine study skills Study skills and personal organization will become essential during the college prep years. Students need to get things done as efficiently as possible, so they have time to complete all of their assignments, study for entrance exams, perhaps work a part-time job or volunteer within the community, and also just enjoy some free time to themselves. At this point, most students will know what study habits work best for their learning style, but they may need to work with a tutor a few hours here and there to stay on track. Our Costa Mesa private college admissions consultants have a 97% success rate. Call us today to learn more. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

Learning a language can increase your brain size!

Learning a language can increase your brain size! According to Swedish scientists, learning an additional language can increase the size of your brain. The study focused on a control group of hard working, Medical and Cognitive Science Students from the US. By measuring their brains before and after the language training, a group of researchers had the unique opportunity to observe what happens to the brain when a language is learnt in a short period of time. The Swedish MRI study, showed that students who had learnt or were learning an additional language had considerable brain growth in comparison to students who were not bilingual having unchanged brain structures. According to The Telegraph, learning an additional language can improve the functionality of your brain by challenging it to recognise, negotiate meaning, and communicate in different language systems. Educators often liken the brain to a muscle, because it functions better with exercise, improving overall memory- making language speakers considerably better at remembering lists or sequences. Studies suggest it can also build your multi-tasking skills, reduce your chances of developing Alzheimer's and can enhance your perception. If you want to increase your brain size or just want to master an additional language - regardless of the scope of your linguistic ambition, First Tutors: Languages is a great place to start: we have language teachers catering to all knowledge levels across the whole of the UK.

15 Addictive Apps to Learn Languages and Never Stop

15 Addictive Apps to Learn Languages and Never Stop 15 Addictive Apps to Learn Languages and Never Stop Our smartphones and tablets can distract us from the world around us.Yup, they can even be addictiveâ€"even dangerous.But, when used in moderation, these gadgets can be valuable tools.Theyre phones, messengers, televisions, internet browsers, travel companions, maps,  foreign language teachers, dictionaries  and tour guides, all rolled into one.What makes them such multipurpose items?Look no farther than apps.There are countless apps, and new ones just keep coming and coming.Since youre a modern language learner, youre no doubt considering apps for language learning. Its a no-brainer.But you might not have the time to check out each and every language learning app that has hit the app store.Well, you’re in luck.Here, were going to introduce 15 of the most useful apps for language learners.We’ve taken a swim in the big sea of apps and brought to surface 15 of the really cool ones that are worthy of winning a place in your phone.Before we look at the best apps to learn languages, w e’ll first look into some clever techniques you can use yourself when picking and utilizing appsâ€"after all, were only giving you options here. The final choice will be up to you.Then, when you’ve got your chosen apps downloaded, youll know how to make the most out of them.So, let’s begin. 5 Clever Techniques to Pick Language Learning AppsLearn how to read the reviews “properly.”When you want to know more about an apps quality, the first place youll go are the reviews. No doubt.To get an accurate picture of an app, dont just focus on the star rating that you see immediately below or beside the apps logo and name. Thats just an average of all the ratings submitted by other customers, so it honestly doesnt tell you much about features and app experience.And a lone, five-star review that only says, Awesome! isnt very helpful either.You need to read thoughtful feedback that tells you both sides of the story. Pay particular attention to those reviews that populate the mid-ra ngeâ€"those 2-, 3- and 4-star ratings with reviews that consciously  take you through the real pros and cons of the app.Look for feedback that discusses which features the language app contains or lacks. This feedback is opening the app right up for you, giving you an idea what’s inside and managing your expectations.As always, dont rely too much on a single, well-written review. Try to look for repeating themes, repeating comments and similar insights. Watch out for words that come up again and again. They’ll reveal a lot and allow you to imagine what using the app is like before you download.Pick just one app for each category. (You only need one dictionary app. Seriously.)Ever had those nights when you stopped by the App Store or Play Store and you can’t seem to stop downloading apps?Every time you search for a specific type of app, all the best ones show up. You can’t help but download them all. How else will you know which one you really want to have on your device? And they all look really cool!Then you find yourself binge-loading your phone with apps that should never really have seen the light of day.Before going on this downloading spree, remember, you only really need one language learning app for each category. You only need one:language course appdictionary appvocabulary builder apptranslator applanguage exchange appI’m sure you can think of other language learning categories, but the point is, you just need one for each.The reason is focus.In order to milk all the lessons from an app, you need to throw your attention into it and not jump from one app to another. Deep dive into a few apps rather than skim the surface of many. Otherwise, youll miss out on a lot of valuable lessons.There’s really only one criteria: You.Can we all agree, right here, right now, that there’s no such thing as a perfect app?No app, no matter how hardworking the team behind it is, can ever be made perfect. Well never run out of feature ideas we wish could be integrated. There’s no such thing as an app that perfectly serves the deep-seated wishes of every user.That said, the only remaining criteria for choosing a language app, from the thousands available today, is you. What do you need help with? What language topic or skill or language do you want to practice? What app features are “must haves” for you?When you read a review and discover that the app requires online access or has a few bugs, don’t dismiss it out of hand. Again, there’s no perfect app.But hey, look here, there’s an app that’s perfect for you. Sometimes you read all the reviews about some kinks, and say to yourself, “heck, I think this one’s good. I’m gonna give it a try despite these negative reviews Im seeing.” It meets your needs and has the features that you want, no matter what everybody else says.And on that note, we go to the next tip.Download and delete.There’s nothing like using an app yourself in order to find out if it’s perfect for y ou (or not).No amount of combing through reviews is enough for some apps. So, take the apps for a spin, especially when they’re free of charge anyway.When in doubt, download.Explore the app, and really use it. Use the app meaningfully, really give it a go and commit to it. See everything it has to offer you. Give it a week, see if it grows on you. (Some apps don’t give good first impressions, but then the more you use them, the more you take a liking for them.)And don’t think any decision as final. Delete the app the moment you realize it’s really not doing anything for you. Deleting language apps not only frees up precious phone memory, it keeps your psychological focus on apps that are the most effective and useful.But hey, if you’ve deleted and realized you kind of miss it, just download it again. No harm done.Buy late.Most language apps are free to download, but contain additional features or services that can be purchased later on. This “freemium” model allows you to use the app first before deciding on investing actual money.For those that do offer in-app purchases, make sure you’ve checked every nook and cranny of the free world before considering paid additions. Finish all the stages, master all the lessons and games.Buy late. You can even try doing the whole thing over again. You might discover that, after running everything for the second time, you don’t really need the purchase and are in fact ready to move on to a different app.Before you buy, ask yourself: Am I buying additional stages, levels? Or am I buying a totally new feature I’ve never tried before? How would this unlocked feature enhance my learning experience? Are there other apps that offer this feature or enhancement for free?These questions should help you decide if the sticker price is worth it.So, moving forward, lets say that you now have your app. You’ve separated the wheat from the chaff.How do you actually make the most of it and get the benefits other learne rs with the same gem don’t get? Read on.5 Easy Tricks  to Make the Most Out of Language Learning AppsTrick yourself into regularly using them.Did you notice that there are screens, spaces and folders in your smartphone that you frequent? That you almost automatically swipe to?And at the same time, there are corners and folders in your phone that you almost never visit. You only ever open them when you’re trying to locate something or are so bored you’ve finally decided to explore your phone.Strategically place your language learning apps in “prime real estate,” that space or screen you first see when you activate your phone. The least amount of taps or swipes, the better.You probably Facebook or Instagram often, so place the language apps adjacent your favorites. (In the same vein, if you want to limit use of some social media apps, bury them deep in your phone’s “attic.”)It goes without saying, you shouldn’t flood your phone with apps that “might be useful” in the future. They’ll compete for your visual attention when you go through your phone.For example, when you’re standing in line for the ATM and decide to check your phone for anything to do, what are the chances that youll land on a language app when so many other candies are vying for your attention?Get to writing. Transfer lessons into a language journal.The key to an effective app is to integrate its lessons to daily life. Meaning, the lessons and learnings should cross the digital borders and into the way you speak, think and even write. And the cool thing about writing is that it has been proven to help with memory. There’s just something about doing strokes with your hands, writing words in the target language that helps you remember what you write.So,  have a notebook where you can transfer stuff like vocabulary words or phrases. In a notebook, they’ll be in a more condensed, concentrated form and allow you to see so much on a single page.Learned a new grammar rule to day? Write it down, in your own words. Try explaining the grammar rule, as if you’re teaching somebody else. (In reality, on some future date, you’ll be opening that notebook and be reminded of what you’ve learned.)When you’re using the app, your mind is actually also doing some self-talk. You’re not a passive, blank slate to stuff information into. You’re really interacting with the lessons. For example, in a French lesson about colors, you might be presented with “rouge” (red). And at the back of your head, you might be thinking, “Hey, I’ve met this word before. This was part of the title of some movie I saw some years back. Right, it was Moulin Rouge.’ Oh, so ‘rouge’ means red in French.”So you write this tidbit of info in your notebook. And you know what happens? You would have created a memory in more ways than one. First, you’ve placed the vocabulary word in a specific context, and second, the act of writing itself helps you remember it. Now, “r ouge” becomes strongly ingrained in your memory and it would be very difficult to forget. All because you spent a few minutes writing it.Sometimes, old-school just works.Repeat lessons, even when you think its unnecessary.An app could take you on different game levels and quests. You could get so engaged you’ll be raring to progress through the stages to get your name in the international leaderboards.The better developed the app, the greater tendency there is for this to happen.You might be tempted into thinking that, when you’ve finished everything, you’ve already learned well all the words and phrases that were taught along the way.Well, this is rarely true.You’ve got to find the self-discipline to repeat the lessons, even if you think youre going through the same thing all over again. The purpose here isnt to get a better score on the game, the goal is to have the lessons embedded firmly in your long-term memory. Repetition is needed for that.You really don’t have to wait to finish the whole thing before you go back to past lessons. It would be better if you review in bits. Finished a stage today? You can review that stage tomorrow or the day after. That way, the lessons will remain fresh in your head.Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the game is what the app is all about. It’s not the game you need to master. It’s the words and lessons in it.“APP” stands for Active Participation and PracticeApps can be taken and enjoyed everywhere, from an unmoving line at the movies to your bed later that night.But make no mistake, an app isnt a passive way to learn language. In order to get the most out of it, you need to invest more than a few dollars. Its developers have been working day and night to imbue it with special powers. So instead of complaining what features the app could have, why don’t you have a real go with whats already there?You need to actively participate in whatever the app tells you to do. For example, in an audio-bas ed application, if the lady in the app tells you to “repeat after me,” by gosh, repeat after her!If you’re asked to type in an answer, do it. Don’t skip the question. If youre asked to speak into your phone’s mic, then do it. A language app shouldn’t be just something you silently swipe at into the night. Interact with it. If you see an icon suggesting there might be an audio for you to hear how a word is correctly pronounced, then tap it. Then tap it again. Try to mimic what it sounds like. You don’t really need to wait for official instructions to repeat what you hear.Remember, you’re trying to learn a language, not scrolling through your social media newsfeed.Never forget to reap the rewards.When you’ve done all that, when you’ve done your bit for the day, don’t forget to give yourself a little something. A scoop of ice cream. An episode of your favorite sitcom.This is actually very important.You need to associate using the app with something pleasant. Why? Because you’re going to be using it every dayâ€"or several times a day, or as often as you can. You don’t want to be thinking, “Oh, not this again!” You don’t want to feel like you’re being dragged into learning. You want to be excited about it. You want to be looking forward to that simple treat after.(That’s why I would also advise you not to make your app sessions too long. So long that they become work. Then you’ll only remember how tiring it was the last time and you wont want to do it again. Just work on it before your interest and energy levels actually drop. Leave yourself wanting more.)And on that note, we now go to the 15 awesome apps that you should be checking out.15 Addictive Apps to Learn Languages and Never StopFluentUAvailable: iOS  and  Android  FluentU is just like YouTube, only more focused on language learning. It has huge digital libraries of the best foreign language videos on the planet, taking authentic clips like interviews, movie trailers an d music videos and transforming them into language lessons.How?With FluentU’s interactive learning technology, you get a word-by-word transcription of the clips. For example, whatever is spoken in a French interview is converted into written form and displayed below the video. Tap on any written word, and you’ll get all the information you need about the wordâ€"its translation, definition and even pictures and usage examples. This way, a simple lyric video of a Chinese songs becomes a language lesson on steroids!FluentU also has the Learning Mode which take you on a series of vocabulary questions, asking you to pair the correct translations or fill in the blanks. Add to that a built-in flashcard system and you have an unbeatable combo for language learners.The app is free to download and currently offers lessons in  Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese, German, Japanese, English, Russian, Korean and ItalianTry FluentU todayâ€"its free for seven days!DuolingoAvailable: iOS and Andro idNext up, one of the world’s most popular language learning platforms. Its 150 million (and counting!) registered users get to choose from 28 different languages that includes, Vietnamese, Esperanto and even High Valyrian.What is it about Duolingo that made even the high-and mighty-Google take notice? (In 2015, Duolingo raised $45 million in an investment round led by Google Capital.)Consider Duolingo the Michael Jordan of gamification. The app gives users a sense of continuous accomplishment. Youll be taken on a series of little tasks that improve your language skills. Maybe you’ll be asked to pair a word with its translation in the target language. Sometimes you’ll have to speak into your phone’s mic to pronounce the phrase flashed on the screen. Sometimes you’ll need to type in and translate a simple sentence.All the while, you get the psychological proddings of a progress bar and some merits, badges and prizes when you pass certain levels.The more you use the app, the more XP or experience points you gain. These points will win you Lingots, which is the virtual currency in the Duolingo world. You can use them to buy cool stuff in the Shop, like outfits for “Duo,” the app’s mascot.Its a great way to get a quick introduction to basic lessons in the beginner and intermediate stages of language learning. Its not about depth with Duolingo, its about gamification, repetition and giving a quick overview  to many key topics. To get really in-depth and deeply learn each lesson, youll need to pair Duolingo with another appâ€"FluentU and Duolingo is a particularly great language app pairing.Every time youve mastered a Duolingo mini-lesson, scour FluentU for related videos to practice that lesson with real-world context, hear it in use by native speakers and reinforce it with plenty of varied, dynamic exercises.The app is free to download and will present you with priceless hours practicing your target language. It’s a must for every language learne r.YouTubeAvailable: iOS and AndroidThis free app here needs no introduction. You know all about it. And you’ve probably been using it to look at adorable cats, Vine compilations and listen to those awesome covers that rival the originals.Well, in addition to all that, did you know that YouTube also houses the biggest collection of video content produced by native speakers of your target language?Learning Spanish? German? French? You have loads of channels dedicated to learning the world’s different languages. Native speakers teach how to greet and make friends in your target language. And not only that, treat yourself to authentic material when these same native speakers take you with them on their daily routines, showing you the food and the cool places you’ll find in their country. So you not only get language lessons, you go on a cultural tour simply by holding your smartphone.I’m not saying that you stop looking at videos of cats chasing red dots, I’m saying that you a dd language learning as another of your reasons for hitting up Big Red. Or maybe just watch a Japanese person tease their cat with a laser pointer, so you can learn a lesson in Japanese exclamations while being entertained.MemriseAvailable: iOS and AndroidWhat do you get when you have a grand master of memory (Ed Cooke) and a Princeton neuroscientist (Greg Detre) develop an app?You get Memriseâ€"winner of the “Best App” in the 2017 the Google Play Awards.The app is highly addictive with its Spaced Repetition techniques. You would think repeating words over and over becomes boring. Memrise has a way of repeating things without being repetitive, making you go back and forth between English and your target language. The app also touches writing, listening and reading skills.Your journey through the app will be composed of language-related mini-tasks where you might be asked to translate a word forwards and backwards, type in what you hear, or choose from a set of audio clips what â €œHow are you?” is in Spanish. New words are incorporated regularly and old words you’ve learned previously pop back every once in a while.Audio is ubiquitous throughout the app. Youll always hear a clip of how a vocabulary word is pronounced. So you might be translating or typing in an answer, once you get the correct answer, youll always hear an audio for the word before moving on to your next task. This is pretty important because this technique layers in another way for learners to remember the words.One of the best features of the app are the integrated videos of native speakers actually pronouncing the words you’re studying. And of course, when they flash those beautiful smiles, they make you want to learn the language even more.Memrise offers programs in 25 languages and is free to download. A Pro subscription will cost $5 a month.Rosetta StoneAvailable: iOS and AndroidRosetta Stone is one of the leading language learning brands today. The name comes from a huge stone s lab found in Rosetta, in Egypt, containing both Egyptian hieroglyphics and Greek text.Today’s Rosetta Stone, the app, is based on the notion that if you want to learn language, you should only be using the target language, and not translating between your mother tongue and the target language. Thats ineffective and slows down your thinking and learning.So if you’re learning German, the Rosetta Stone app will be conducted wholly in German. You won’t hear or see any English words. To help you figure out the words, youll be given pictures. So under the picture of a boy for example, you’ll see junge  (boy). Instead of spoon feeding users, its their job to make the necessary connections and deduce these things.Rosetta Stone, which is offering 23 languages, is also set on making you talk the target language as soon as possible. So early on in the app, you’ll be ask to speak into the phone’s mic to pronounce a given vocabulary word. With their speech recognition technology, you re given immediate feedback, which lets you know if you’re beginning to sound like a native speaker.Rosetta Stone is free to download and offers in-app purchases.MosalinguaAvailable: iOS and AndroidThe Mosalingua app is a cool flashcard system premised on the belief that you should only be learning the most useful words in the language. So it starts off by letting you declare your purpose for using the app.  Is it for travel? For business? Or to socialize with native speakers?It also lets you choose the level you’d like to start in. If you’re a complete beginner, you can select that, or if you’re a little more advanced, you can choose from more advanced stages. Or if you’re not too sure of your level, you can take a sample test so the app can determine the most appropriate level for you. Cool, huh?As a flashcard system, Mosalingua hits on the different language skills. For example in the “Listen Pronounce” section, youll be presented with a text phrase, a picture and its audio pronunciation. You can then press record to try the phrase for yourself, and then compare your recording with that of a native speaker. (You decide if your pronunciation approximates the audio clip given.)In the “Memorize” section, you are given a picture and the English translation of the phrase and you have to give the correct translation. To find out if you got it right, tap the “Turn The Flash Card Over” button.In the “Write” section, you’ll type in the translation for the English phrase and again tap the “Turn The Flash Card Over” button to find out if you got it right. Each time you do turn the card over, you’ll also hear an audio of the studied phrase. (You’ll notice that instead of words, Mosalingua is more focused on useful phrases.)If you want to learn Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Portuguese or English, the app is free to download, and its premium version containing more advanced levels costs $5.MondlyAvailable: iOS and Android If you’re interested in learning any of the 34 languages Mondly offers (including Persian, Afrikaans, Bulgarian and Turkish), youll be forgiven for thinking the app bears a close resemblance to Duolingo.Like present favorites, it also has speech recognition technology, gamification features such as level ups and leaderboard, and translation drills to test your language skills.What sets Mondly apart from other apps is its ability to explain points of grammar better than other apps. While other apps gloss over verb conjugations and tenses. If you tap on the verbs for example, youll be shown its conjugations and their translations. So in a single glance, you learn more about the verb and its different forms.The app is free to download but the full version has a $9.99 monthly or $47.99 yearly subscription.Bravolol Travel PhrasebookAvailable:  iOS  and AndroidWhen travelling internationally, instead of carrying around extra luggage in the form of phrasebooks, why not download this app on your phone and have access to over 30 of the world’s languages, including Malay, Greek and Hindi.This travel app gives you access to the most useful words and phrases in your target language. So even if you’ve suddenly forgotten the German you’ve studied before flying to Berlin, you can easily access past lessons with this app.The words and phrases are grouped topically, so you have sections based on the most common activities of travelers: greetings, eating, shopping, numbers and even romance. You can also do an instant search by typing in a keyword.When you tap a phrase or word, the app comes to life and gives you its pronunciation, done by a native speaker. You can repeat this as often as you like, if the phrase was spoken too fast, you can press the snail or turtle icon and get a slower audio. This way, you can practice exactly what to say, do a recording of your own and compare it with a native speaker’s.(If worst comes to worst, in your travels, you can simply play the recording to the shop owner and hope to get the bargain that you were gunning for.)Its free to download the app. But each language’s full version costs $4.99. For for the “All Languages Pack,” it will be $19.99.HelloTalkAvailable:  iOS and AndroidHelloTalk is a language exchange app. It connects you with native speakers of your target language who, in turn, are interested in your native language.So, let’s say you’re an English speaking chap who wants to learn French. This free app will pair you with a Frenchman whos interested in learning English. That way, you can help each other out. You can teach him English, and he can give you a French lesson or two.You can communicate via text, voice or video, but HelloTalk isn’t just Skype. It actually has more features and functionalities that help facilitate language exchange.Let’s say you’re talking to your partner and he says something you don’t understand. You can use the app’s “Voice-to-Text” feature to get a text copy of what he said. Also, if you get a word from the chat that you don’t understand, the app has a translation service that gives you the texts in your own language so you can better understand.HelloTalk even has grammar correction options so that if your partner sends you a grammatically wrong statement, you can give him a corrected sentence, allowing him to compare and learn from you. The app is really giving you all the tools not only to communicate with each other, it’s giving you the leg up to teach each other as well.With its translation, transliteration, text-to-voice and voice-to-text capabilities, it’s no wonder the HelloTalk community is growing by leaps and bounds.TandemAvailable:  iOS and AndroidSpeaking of community, Tandem is another free language exchange app worth checking out. Think of this app like your favorite social networking app, where you connect with many cool and interesting people.Tandem is a good way to look for a language exchange partner. And one of its advantages is the zealousness with which its creators try to protect its community from people only interested in spamming or flirting.When you initiate the app, you’ll be asked to promise that you’ll only use the app for language learning purposes. You’ll also be asked to say something about yourself, your hobbies and interests. (This will appear in your profile later on.) Then youll have to wait a few days to be approved.The app also gives you tons of filters so you can zero in on people who would give you the best learning experience. You can filter people who can see you. If you want to talk only to learners of the same gender or in the same age group, you can do that. You can also filter via interests and topics.You can also punch up your profile and upload as many as six pictures. Make your profile more interesting by writing in specific things that you want to talk about, so that when other users hit you up, you can immediately get the ball rolling. For e xample, you can write, “Hey, let’s talk about your favorite ice cream flavors!”The app lets you know the really excellent language partners because they have the “good vibes” system where you get to see how many good vibes the user has received from past learning partners. If you think you’ve found a good one, you can hit that “Follow” button and specially mark that profile.The app also has a section for language tutors, so if you want to work with paid professional language guides, you can check them out.Mango LanguagesAvailable:  iOS and AndroidThis free app offers lessons in 70+ languages, from A (Arabic) to Z…uhm I mean Y (Yiddish).Mango Languages’ methodology is what they call “Intuitive Language Construction,” which focuses on four key components in language learning, namely: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Grammar and Culture.Each chapter begins with a specific conversation, say about the weather, which serves as the jump off point for the lesson. Native sp eakers record the dialogue. And you don’t just listen to it, you follow along line by line via the written text and its corresponding translation. You can repeat the lines and entire dialogue as many times as you want.The app also features voice comparison technology which allows you to record your pronunciations and compare them to native speakers. You can actually see the sound waves of your voice and visually compare it to those of native speakers. That way, you get feedback on how to correct and adjust your pronunciation.At various points during the lesson, grammar and cultural notes are presented in order to both deepen and widen users’ understanding of a specific topic.The app is really a wonderful tool. The only major drawback is that their sign up process isnt as intuitive. Free access can only be had through a partner public library. Otherwise, you’d have to shell out $20 every month for a personal subscription.50 LanguagesAvailable: iOS and AndroidThis 50-language ap p is a great vocabulary builder, and if you’re the type who learns best with text, then you’ll feel at home with this app. Yes, theres audio and pictures, but the free app’s design and its no-fuss, no-frills interface is perfect for people who learn best with text.The app has a total of 100 free lessons which prepare you to communicate in different situations, from saying “Hello” to bidding “Goodbye.” It’s an excellent travel companion and helps you what to say whether you’re at the restaurant or at the train station. It also contains sections like “Phrasebook,” “Places of interest” and “Numbers 1 to 100.”Games are there to help you review. There are vocabulary games and language and geography quizzes.An “All Languages Pack” will set you back $9.99. (But that won’t stop ads from popping from time to time. To stop ads from displaying, you’ll have to shell out another $2.99.)Innovative LanguageAvailable: iOS and AndroidThere over 30 languages offe red through the Innovative Language app.What really differentiates this free app from others are the hundreds of audio and video lessons given, not just by native speakers, but by real language teachers.Other apps approach the topic by making you play games or giving you a series of tasks that lets you work on the language. The Innovative Language app lets you listen to videos of a teacher actually explaining a point of grammar or giving you the nuances of their native tongue.After working on the language just on your own, progressing through the different gamification levels of other language apps, there’s something so refreshing about sitting back and simply listening to what a teacher has to say. And lest you think the lessons are boring, theyre absolutely not. These teaching videos come with colorful and catchy graphics, making for engaging sessions.In addition to the loads of material already on deck, the Innovative Language team is one of the most prolific producers of new c ontent, promising new lessons each week. This makes your $9.99 monthly subscription worth it.All Language TranslatorAvailable: AndroidEver had the experience of forgetting the translation for a common English word? You know you’ve learned it before, but it seems to elude you at that moment. Well, fret no more. This app will instantly give you the translation in the language you specified. (It covers practically every language you can think of, including Kannada, Haitian and Telugu.)It’s pretty straightforward. You simply type in a word, a phrase, or even a sentence, hit send, and out comes the translation of the thing you just typed. It’s almost like magic.If you don’t want to do some typing, you can use its audio capture function and speak into the phone’s mic. The app will convert what you say into text.And because the app knows a word can mean many different things, it also tries to give you multiple translations where applicable.The cool thing about it is that it has s o many language pairs. So, for example, you can translate French into German, or Spanish into Russian or Persian into French. Just make sure that you’ve checked the correct language pair. So, if youll be typing in English, make sure “English” is chosen, otherwise, things will get weird, fast!For a free  app that’s not even 2 MB in size, it’s really punching above its weight.BeelinguappAvailable: iOS and AndroidWith a tagline that says “Learn Languages With Audiobooks,” Beelinguapp has a unique approach to the whole business of language learning. It makes use of the written word and the benefit of context to help users remember and learn.With this free app, you not only hear a native speaker reading a passage or story, you see the two languages side by side. So in addition to an audio recording, you see bilingual texts. You also see a moving highlight on both texts, right on pace with the reading so you can follow along.Click on a sentence in order to highlight it. And when you click on it again, you’ll hear that sentence read.Texts are available in over 10 languages and they range from classic fairy tales, news, novels and even scientific papers. New selections are added on a weekly basis so you won’t be running of things to read soon.Wouldn’t this be a fun thing to do right before you sleep?So those are 15 apps that you should check out. See if they fit the bill. Explore them and see if they grow on you.Like I said earlier in this post, the only real criteria is you.You’ve learned how to pick apps  to learn languages, and you have handy ways to make the most out of these them.Now it’s your turn.Good luck!