5 Unconventional Tips for Becoming a Polyglot

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

5 Ways to Navigate the Community College System

5 Ways to Navigate the Community College System 5 ways to navigate the community college system Many students choose to attend the excellent California community college system. Theres a chance for them to earn some certificates or AA degrees that will help them in their career or, they can transfer to a four-year Cal State or University of California campus and continue to finish their bachelor’s degree. Students who choose this option will need to complete a number of tasks before they can enroll and be successful. There are also a ton of options for students to go above and beyond when it comes to contributing to their campus community and gain an excellent chance of transferring to their dream four-year university. 1.   Before the first day of class Many students intend to start at a community college in the fall after graduating high school but never actually go through the steps to become a student. Anyone can enroll in a community college as long as they have a high school diploma but they still have to become an official student, take a series of exams, and meet with an advisor. Students should visit the website of the college they plan on attending and write down a list of important dates and deadlines. They should also visit the campus theyre going to attend and become familiar with their new surroundings.   While on campus, applicants should also make an appointment to meet with an academic advisor who can walk them through the various courses they need to take to earn an AA degree or transfer to a four-year campus. 2.   Academic and career counselors Community college students should plan to meet with an academic or career counselor at least once a semester while in attendance. New students may need to meet with a counselor several times to make sure theyre on the right track. Academic counselors can make sure that a student is taking the right classes so they can transfer to a four-year university of their choice or they can help students select appropriate courses to achieve an AA degree or complete a certificate program. If students are unsure of what they want to study as their future major they should check back with their academic counselor on a regular basis. Career counselors can also help students figure out what they need to do to get to a specific career. 3.   Choosing a four-year campus to transfer to Community college students in California will have two primary choices when it comes to transfer options. They can either attend the University of California system or the California State system. Both options will provide a clear path for which courses students need to take in order to successfully transfer. Students who are thinking about attending a private college or an out-of-state school are encouraged to talk with an admissions advisor at that school to make sure the courses they’re taking are transferable (READ: 5 Things to Think About Before Deciding On a College). 4.   Academic clubs and organizations One way community college students can go above and beyond their basic course load and impress potential admissions committees is to join any number of academic clubs and organizations. Some academic societies offer membership based on the student’s GPA while others are focused on a student’s concentration/major or just their general interests. Students can also join advocacy and volunteer organizations that help students of all different circumstances be successful and feel close to their community. These types of things look really good on a transcript but they are also a fabulous way to have a good overall two-year college experience. 5.   Non-traditional options Community colleges also offer students a ton of additional options to complete their courses and earn a degree. For instance, there are eight-week courses where motivated students can get through the course material faster, online courses for students who work full-time or dont live near the campus, and some vocational and elective courses ranging from physical fitness classes to concrete on-the-job training. There are tons of ways students can be successful these days, and they should explore the many options that community colleges have to offer. Still applying to college? Our private Irvine college admissions consultants are here to help. Our consultants have a 97% success rate. Call us today for more information. 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