French Verbs and Grammar Le Passé Antérieur

French Verbs and Grammar Le Passé Antérieur Sign up successful In English, this tense corresponds pretty closely to the past perfect, which in other words describes the past of the past. In English, it looks like this: 1) When I reached the end of the path, the sun had already set. 2) When the child began kindergarten, she had already studied cello for a year. The formation of this verb tense  bears some similarities to both the futur antérieur and the passé composé. As with both these tenses, the verb form will use an auxiliary verb (avoir or être) and a past participle. Select the auxiliary verb in the same way you would for the futur antérieur or passé composé. Conjugate this verb using the imparfait. As a review, here are their conjugations: Avoir Être J avais J étais Tu avais Tu étais Il / elle / on avait Il / elle / on était Nous avions Nous étions Vous aviez Vous étiez Ils / elles avaient Ils / elles étaient Now form the past participle of the main verb in the same way you would for the passé composé. So the full passé antérieur for one -er reflexive verb, one -ir verb, and one -re verb might look like this: se coucher â€" to go to bed or, for the sun, to set Je métais couché(e) Tu tétais couché(e) Il / elle / on sétait couché(e) Nous nous étions couché(e)(s) Vous vous étiez couché(e)(s) Ils / elles sétaient déja couché(e)s finir â€" to finish Javais fini Tu avais fini Il / elle / on avait fini Nous avions fini Vous aviez fini Ils / elles avaient fini rendre â€" to return Javais rendu Tu avais rendu Il / elle / on avait rendu Nous avions rendu Vous aviez rendu Ils / elles avaient rendu So how would the previous examples in English look in French? 1) Quand je suis arrivé(e) à la fin de la rue, la soleil sétait déjà couchée. (The extra “e” in arrivé(e) would depend on whether the speaker is male or female.) 2) Quand lenfant a commencé la maternelle, elle avait déjà étudié le violoncelle depuis un an. Try conjugating the verbs in the examples below in the passé antérieur. 1) Quand je suis venu à la fête, mon frère ______________________ (partir). 2) Quand elle sest couchée, la fille ______________________ (finir) ses devoirs. 3) Quand la bibliothèquaire a appellé, j ______________________ (rendre) le livre. 4) Quand tu es rentré, nous ______________________ (se coucher). Now check your answers below: 1) était parti 2) avait fini 3) avais rendu 4) nous sommes couché(e)s (Add the extra “e” only if all the people included by “nous” are female.) How did you do? Either way, keep practicing and checking yourself! Keep an eye out also for uses by other people, and for opportunities to use it in conversation. Correct repetitions, practice, and listening to others use it correctly will help you learn to use this conjugation naturally. Of course, having the right teacher will propel your success in French even farther! Post Author:  Carol Beth L. Carol Beth teaches  French lessons in San Francisco, CA. She has her Masters in French language education from the Sorbonne University in Paris and has been teaching since 2009.  Learn more about Carol Beth here! Photo by Dennis Jarvis Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

3 Tips to Succeed in Medical School

3 Tips to Succeed in Medical School The following piece was written by Dr. Sahil Mehta. Sahil has been featured in ourAdmissions Expert series and is a former admissions interviewer for Columbia University. He is the founder of MedSchoolCoach. So, youve gone through the application process. Youve written your personal statement, put on your best suit, shared your personal stories at your medical school interview, and just got that email or phone call saying you are in! Congratulations! That is an amazing accomplishment getting into medical school is probably the hardest part of your journey. But there are plenty of trials and tribulations that lay ahead. As a medical student, you will be expected to do things you never thought you could. On the wards, youll be looked upon by patients as their doctor sometimes, even though you may have just Googled their disease five minutes before meeting them! Relax everyone goes through it, but here are three basic tips on how to succeed in medical school. 1. Read every night Medical school will throw a mountain of information at you. From anatomy to physiology to pathology, youll be constantly bombarded with new material. The best thing you can do is to stay on top of your daily classes. Read every day so that you are not left having to memorize all of anatomy the night before your final. Its more important than you think many of you may have been able to succeed in undergrad by simply cramming for tests. That becomes harder and harder in medical school, as the amount of information is enormous. Take two hours every day to review the material you learned in class and to preview the next days lectures. Medical schools have great online resources and lectures, so its easy to know what is coming. 2.Understand what you can, rather than memorize A lot of medical school is about memorizing facts, whether it be anatomical locations, drug dosages and interactions, or the cell cycle. But whenever you can, try to understand the material, rather than memorize it. Why is the left recurrent laryngeal nerve important clinically? If you ask yourself that question rather than memorize where it goes, youll remember the material much longer, and it will be much more relevant to you when you get on the wards! 3.Form study groups Medical school is a great time to make new friends, but given your eight hours of class and two hours of reading every night, that doesnt always leave much time. Remember that studying can be a social activity. Get your friends to study with you, quiz you, and help you understand the material. Unlike college, every one of your friends in medical school is taking the same classes as you, so use it to your advantage. Small group learning is essential for success in medical school and in medicine in general! There are many more ways to succeed in medical school, but hopefully this short list will get you started! Best of luck in the future. Remember, while the hardest part may be over, there is still plenty more work to be done as you continue on your journey to become a physician. Check outMedSchoolCoachfor more information. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Ask a Private School Admissions Expert Amanda Uhry

Ask a Private School Admissions Expert Amanda Uhry Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. Amanda Uhry is the founder and owner of Manhattan Private School Advisors, which helps up to 1,600 families per season in regards to preschool and K-12, boarding school, special needs admission, and college preparation. Before founding Manhattan Private School Advisors, she attended the University of Pennsylvaniaand Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. What is the typical timeline for private school admissions? Amanda: Getting in is a one- to two-year process before acceptance. Our many preschool and K-12 applicant families begin preparing for admissions one year in advance. Applications are due between October 15 and December 1. During that time or the spring before, parents tour schools and attend open houses and students are observed (younger children) or interviewed, a process which may go on until January. Parents are also interviewed separately at most schools. Final decisions are mailed or emailed in mid-February for continuing schools or early March for preschools. Parents have a number of days or weeks to make final decisions before schools go to wait lists. What is the typical process admissions officers go through to evaluate applications? Amanda: It depends on the school and the admissions director or staff, but all are generally looking for a child and family that might be a good fit for the school community. Children applying to kindergarten are often evaluated at a group or individual visit to the school, by school reports from preschools, and, at some schools, by AABL entrance exam testing. Children applying to older grades are evaluated via individual interviews or visits, transcripts and recommendations from teachers at present schools, and by scores on the ISEE or SSATentrance exam or often, both. What are the most important things children need to have represented on their applications? Amanda: Applicants need to represent who they really are and the same is true of parents in their parent statement. It is pointless to tell a school that a child is a brilliant, budding mathematician if he or she actually neither likes nor does well in math, just as it is a shame not to tell a school that an applicant is interested in any subject even if a parent thinks its silly. Classrooms are made up of all kinds of kids with all kinds of personalities and interests. Parents should not be afraid to discuss a childs weaknesses or areas that are emerging: this is the hallmark of an honest parent, not a flawed child! What are common mistakes parents and/or their children make when applying to these programs? Amanda: Children rarely make mistakes they are simply children. Parents make tons. They lie about their childs talents or interests. A five-year-old who likes to sing is not really the next Lady Gaga, just as a ten-year-old who won the science fair prize is not going to go for the Nobel Prize anytime soon. Parents also tell schools what they believe the schools want to hear and it often sounds silly and false. Parents need to work with qualified sources not get their info on schools and admissions from haunting parenting websites that often provide more disinformation on high-stakes schools admissions than usable or even reasonable advice. Just be yourself. Can you imagine spending K-12 at a school positioned as someone who is not you, not your kid, and not really your family? How should parents go about determining the culture of a private school, and whether it would be a good fit for their children? Amanda: The best way we have found is to connect applicant families with families who have students already at the schools. Parents at a school have nothing to gain or lose by being honest about that schools community. How important are standardized test scores when admissions decisions are being made? Amanda: That depends entirely on the school. At some schools, testing is very important. At some other schools, it is not important at all and some schools do not test. What is universally important is that subtests of admissions tests do not have glaring discrepancies. In the ERB for younger kids, for example, it is far better to have average scores on the verbal and performance portions of the test rather than high scores in one area and low scores in another. What are the most important things parents need to represent about themselves when meeting with admissions officers? Amanda: Once again, honesty is always the best policy. If you feel progressive education is a waste of time, dont go tell the admissions director at a progressive school you think its marvelous and vice versa regarding traditional education. Remember that if you get in, faking it til youre making it may not work in a school community. You could wind up transferring out and doing the entire nightmarishly-competitive private school admissions process all over again. How competitive? Well, a good number of schools have reported receiving more than 1,000 applications for an average 60 kindergarten spots, and it gets worse moving up. That is not including siblings and legacies. Know before you go and discuss what you want as a family. Dont be afraid to be funny and relaxed in your parents interview; its a marvelous ice breaker. Also, do not do not, and I repeat do not assume admissions officers and staff whom you meet are your new friends. They are nice to everyone and professionally distant with all. That is because, in the end, they have to reject or waitlist up to 90% of the applicants! How does networking and having in-school connections affect one's chances of admission? Amanda: Its helpful and nice, but it doesnt always result in an acceptance not at all. Connections to board members who know you, your family, and your child are helpful. Connections to active families at the schools are helpful, but somewhat less so. Connections to teachers and staff at a given school are often not helpful at all in an admissions decision. How can a student best prepare for admissions interviews? Amanda: Your student can be his or herself. Children should also get used to speaking with adults because this is often an issue. Looking a teacher or admissions person in the eye while speaking to them, shaking hands, and saying simple greetings and farewells goes miles in a student interview. Additionally, so does having the student think about one or two school experiences he or she has enjoyed recently at his or her own school and being able to recount and discuss this with poise and passion. Visit Manhattan Private School Advisorsfor more information. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Using Technology To Engage Students

Using Technology To Engage Students Falling asleep in class, theres the hooded sweatshirt pulled over the head, hide your eyes as you rest your head on your hand or the-Im-just-going-to-hope-teacher-doesnt-see-me approach, is something that just happens at times, despite actual effort or interest. However, teachers are wising up and using new ploys to catch and wake up students, ploys more effective than the if-you-sleep-or-daydream-I-will-catch-you ploy. Teachers, in attempts to keep students awake, paying attention and engaged in their classes, are now armed with technology. Professors and teachers are now giving their students small hand-held devices called clickers that resemble TV remotes to monitor their students attention spans and quiz them, according to an article in The New York Times. Each clicker has a series of numbered buttons on it, and every 15 minutes or so a professor will give short quizzes that correlate with the current lecture, requiring students to first be paying attention and second push one of the buttons to correctly answer the quiz question. Heres how it works: John Jacobs Jr. is sitting in his 8 am Economics 101 class. Mr. Jacobs Jr. had a late night last night, staying up studying for other tests. Mr. Jacobs Jr. is growing increasingly more tired as Professor Dr. Preston Hulcuth is lecturing on supply and demand correlations and how they relate to the world of micro economics. Mr. Jacobs begins to nod off in the back row of class as Dr. Hulcuth periodically quizzes his students using the clickers. Dr. Hulcuth, stuck on supply and demand curves, announces a sudden quiz that will count toward each students grade. He asks, True or false, generally speaking, price and demand are inversely related meaning as one increases the other decreases and vice versa. Press the button labeled one for true and button two for false. Then students who are awake and paying attention would press button number one, correctly answering the question as true. However, John Jacobs Jr., and other students who are not paying attention, will incorrectly answer the question or sleep through it, getting points off their final grades. Professors can also ask multiple choice questions with the clickers and take attendance. Students can push a button on their clickers to inform the professor that they are confused about something in the lecture or provide other information. Northwestern, Harvard, Ohio State and other universities have already implemented these clickers into classes, asking students to answer quiz questions and provide feedback every 15 minutes, keeping them paying attention and engaged in classes. Administrators also hope that these devices will keep students off their cell phones and other gadgets during classes. Early studies at Harvard and Ohio State suggested that using these devices or other gadgets (making iPads and BlackBerrys, etc into class-ready clickers) increases students learning of new material. Professors can then display students responses to questions and the feedback they give on overhead monitors at the front of classrooms. Some students feel that these products unnecessarily monitor students in a big-brother fashion; however, others enjoy the increased interactions with professors.

7 Tips On Creating Workplace Motivation - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 7 Tips On Creating Workplace Motivation - Introvert Whisperer 7 Tips On Creating Workplace Motivation Motivation is one of those interesting things.  We think it should just drop out of the sky like magic but it never really does.  We also don’t really think about how to create motivation for ourselves but we really can with the right tools. First, let’s get on the same page about what motivation is.  Motivation is what causes you to take action.  Clearly, you’re at work so you do have some motivation because your action is going to work and performing your job.  What we are talking about is feeling engaged and inspired about the actions you do take.  Let’s look at some of the tools you can use to get fully engaged and motivated in the workplace: Change â€" Nothing like changing things to really get the juices going.  You don’t want to change things just for the sake of changing; however, you want to change things that don’t work well.  With that, you must have a vision of what the right outcome would be and then you apply your steps to create the action for change. Goals â€" Many times the lack of motivation is due to a lack of direction or goals.  Sit down and figure out what would really get you up in the morning and make that your goal.  Having a goal isn’t enough, it has to be a goal that you yearn for or have some emotions about.  Once established, put together a plan for how you will achieve your goals. Keep in mind SMART for goals = Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Resonate, Time-bounded if you really are going to shot for something worth having Be accountable â€" The vast majority of us want to do things but we’re really lazy about doing them.  It’s often easier to diet or workout with someone because we have a person that is looking for us to perform. Find someone to hold you accountable to yourself and be willing to trade off the favor. Clean up your own internal litter â€" We all have baggage but sometimes we have so much of it cluttering up our life that it bogs us down and we fail to see what’s possible.   Surround yourself with the right people â€" Yes, your mother was right…it is important to hang out with the right people.  In this case, hang out with people who are inspired and motivated as it will be contagious. Research the issue â€"  Find out from others what motivates them.  In the process, you may hear something that would really be great for you.  Don’t be afraid to copy what works. Cop an attitude  â€"  Motivation creates more motivation.  Look for it and it will be there.  We often get hung up about our ability to control things in the workplace.  The one thing we can control is our attitude and approach to various workplace challenges. These tools for workplace motivation are simple to do which means there is nothing but you holding you up from trying them. Go to top Do you know what your next career step is?   Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable.   Get your copy now and start your action plan today: CLICK HERE Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleash your professional potential.

Why I Volunteer - Jodies Story

Why I Volunteer - Jodie's Story Jodie is one of our new recruits through our partner TeachFirst. As she studied History at university, Jodie will start her teacher training next year in hopes to become a History teacher. She will be teaching high school students, but chose to take part in Tutorfair’s “Stretch Academy” volunteer programme teaching at primary level, as a way of easing her way into the education system. Jodie has so far given 12 hours of her time to Wilbury Primary School students, teaching a small group in year 5, helping them with their numeracy and literacy - focusing on verbal and nonverbal reasoning. How has your experience been so far? It's been such a good experience so far, as I truly feel that I am making a difference to these children's lives. How did you find working with the students? I've really enjoyed working with children in such small groups as it's allowed me to really get to know them all individually. It also means that when a child is struggling, I can go through the topic as slowly as he/she needs and therefore no child is left behind.  All of the children are highly motivated and are so keen to learn, which makes it so enjoyable to teach them. What will you gain from the experience? Teaching such young children has made me aware that educational difficulties begin from the start of children's education and how important it is to tackle these problems from an early age. This will ensure that no child is left behind and that children from all backgrounds have the same start to life. It has also given me confidence and drive for when I start Teach First later this year. Tutorfair and Stretch Academy Over 50 kids piled into the gymnasium at Wilbury Primary School to receive free tutoring run by the Stretch Academy with Tutorfair volunteer tutors. Stretch Academy founder,  Alex Lee  takes us behind the scenes of this truly inspirational programme. If you're a tutor, teacher or an aspiring educator looking to make a difference, please come find out more Find out more about Tutorfair's work with the Stretch Academy

Does ADHD Increase Risk for Addiction

Does ADHD Increase Risk for Addiction A recent New York Times article entitled, The 4 Traits That Put Kids At Risk For Addiction, featured the results of a study and corresponding treatment program developed by Dr. Patricia Conrod at the University of Montreal. Dr. Conrods research points to several personality traits that can identify 90 percent of the highest risk children, targeting risky traits before they cause problems. The four traits identified in the study? Sensation-seeking, impulsiveness, anxiety sensitivity and hopelessness. As a parent of a child with ADHD who suffers from impulsiveness (one of the cornerstone behavior issues of ADHD), you may then wonder: does this mean my child will struggle with addiction as a teen or an adult? My own research has focused on alcohol and drug use in college students with ADHD. So I wanted to take a moment to share with you what the research today shows on ADHD and addition, and what steps you can take to help your teen and young adult avoid falling into some of these patterns. Research on ADHD and addiction does indeed show that both males and females with ADHD are at increased risk for alcohol and drug-related problems and addiction. My own research shows that while college students may report using the same amount of alcohol or marijuana as their peers without ADHD, they experience greater negative consequences and impairment as a result of their use. Across multiple studies by a variety of researchers, adolescents with ADHD are more likely to start using alcohol or drugs earlier than adolescents without ADHD. And, early initiation of alcohol or drug use, even in small amounts at first, is associated with increased risk for alcohol or drug problems later in life. The indiv iduals with ADHD who are at the greatest risk for addiction are those who have a history of alcohol or drug addiction in their family. In fact, researchers have even identified a shared genetic link between ADHD and alcohol use disorders that may contribute to this risk. As parents there are things that you can do now to help protect your child or teen from developing alcohol or drug-related problems. I recommend focusing on four areas: Seek effective ADHD treatment. Children and adolescents whose ADHD symptoms are well controlled through behavioral interventions or medication management may be less likely to self-medicate or impulsively seek-out alcohol and drugs. Some parents are concerned that ADHD treatment with stimulant medications may increase the risk for drug addiction later in life. But in fact, research shows no increased risk and some studies suggest that early treatment with stimulant medication may actually protect against the development of alcohol and drug addiction later in life. Teach coping strategies. Poor coping and stress management skills are a consistent predictor of alcohol and drug related problems among college students and adults. Teaching your child or teen to effectively manage his or her stress and respond in a healthy way to lifes ups and downs can help protect him or her against addiction. Help your child get involved in stress-relieving extra-curricular activities that he or she can turn to again and again throughout their life. Also encourage him or her to learn mindfulness strategies that have been proven to reduce stress in teens and adults. I recommend The Stress Reduction Workbook for Teens: Mindfulness Skills to Help you Deal with Stress, by Gina Biegel as a starting point. Monitor your child or teen. Monitoring how your child or teen is spending his or her time and knowing who your childs friends are will help you intervene early if you think he or she is experimenting with alcohol or drugs. Make sure your child is participating in structured activities afterschool (the time when kids are most likely to be unsupervised), and dont let your child spend time at the homes of friends whose parents allow alcohol or marijuana use in their house. Talk to your teen about the risks. Let your teen (or preteen) know that his or her ADHD puts him or her at increased risk for alcohol or drug addiction. If there is a history of alcohol or drug addiction in your family, share this with your child. He or she may not want to hear it from you, and may seem very dismissive during these conversations, but talking to your child can still make a difference. If you drink alcohol, model responsible drinking for your child or teen. The things you do are just as powerful as the things you say when it comes to influencing your child. A diagnosis of ADHD does not mean your child is destined for a life of addiction. What it does mean is that ADHD doesnt usually go away. ADHD is usually a lifetime diagnosis that requires constant vigilance. Throughout your childs life, beginning with diagnosis and all through adulthood, he or she will be confronted with situations that challenge him or her differently than his or her peers because of his or her ADHD. But the key to success, now and in the future, is acknowledgement and awareness, together with a set of tools and strategies to overcome those situations and thrive! ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center 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 of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

How Do We Learn Language 5 Key Tips That Unlock Your Brains Potential

How Do We Learn Language 5 Key Tips That Unlock Your Brains Potential How Do We Learn Language? Heres What Modern Linguists and Learners Have to Say It seems like magic.Crazy multilingual hyperpolyglots are learning six or seven or twenty languages.Others only learn one or two, but they  learn them  to exceptionally high levels of fluency,  with the  accent and local slang to pass for natives.Babies, otherwise unable to do literally a single useful thing for themselves, make the leap from babbling poop machines to creators  of fluent sentences seemingly overnight.Even retirees, old enough to be the great grandparents of the freshest generation of two-year-olds approaching fluency in their native languages, are learning new languages later in life  and doing it well.Which raises the question: how do we genius humans, with our big brains and advanced societies, learn language?The answer to that question is complicated, but we can tell you one thing outright: you dont need to be wildly intelligent, especially talented or good at languages to learn a language.The specifics of how you personally set out to learn a foreign language are particular to you, but for the most part, we all learn language through the same series of biological, cognitive and social processes that work exactly the same across cultures and individuals.Now, learning our first language as a child is a different feat entirely than  setting out to learn a foreign tongue as an adult. But to really get a grip on whats going on when were learning foreign languages as adults, it helps to understand not just how we naturally acquire our mother tongue, but also why language is both unique to humans and ubiquitous in our societies. Learning Language: The Thing That Makes Us Human?You could argue that when youre learning a language, youre at your most human.Language is something we all share as humans, and alongside our fancy opposable thumbs its one of the core characteristics that make us just a bit cooler than all the other animals.Today there are around seven thousand languages spoken around  the world, including sounds and grammatical features that can seem distinctly alien to the languages many of us are familiar with, yet all languages are  in nearly every way more similar than contrasting.Starting with the most fundamental fact, any healthy human child exposed to any language anywhere in the world will always, always learn language. Theres never once been a kid who just never quite picked it up, and there never will be.It doesnt stop there: did you know that children learn many linguistic structures in the exact same order  throughout the world, regardless of their language?The facts that language is universal in human societies and that we all learn it in the same way are two of the biggest pieces of evidence for the theory of Universal Grammar, one of the concepts that launched MIT linguist Noam Chomsky to fame. Universal Grammar argues that humans are born with an innate ability to learn languages and that the mechanisms that identify and interpret grammar are hardwired into the brain.While there are tons of argumen ts (some more compelling and exciting than others) for different interpretations of human language, Chomskys theory is and has been the near-consensus among linguists since the 1970s.Regardless of diverging thoughts on where it comes from, most of modern linguistics is in agreement that human language is essentially a system of symbols used to communicate. We use words like apple, pomme  and ????? as symbols to point our minds to the delicious red fruit that actually has no inherent relationship to the word were saying. Its just an apple or a pomme or whatever else because we say it is.You could say that its this capacity for symbolic thought that makes us human, allowing us to  use sounds, pictures, letters and other abstract representations of things or ideas that arent right in front of us.As we climb towards fluency in our first language or any other, were learning how to use and understand these symbols to communicate with others and interact with the world around us. And thats important for how we think about how we learn a language.How Do We Learn Language? Heres What Modern Linguists and Learners Have to SayChild Language Acquisition: How We All Learned Our Native Language Without Cracking a BookNobody ever had to learn how to learn their first language. It happens whether we like it or not.One of the reasons babies are so good at language learning is neurological: babies brains enjoy some special tech upgrades. While all of us were born with them, we lost them somewhere between diapers and high school Spanish.Babies, like all humans, are experts at statistical learning: observing the overwhelming amounts of linguistic information theyre presented with every day and making exceptionally accurate generalizations about the patterns they deduce. Every time you say bottle with bottle in hand, the infant brain jots down some notes on the possible relationship between the sounds its hearing and their possible relationship to that object in Moms hand.But they re also busy investigating when you use in versus  on, why you sometimes call yourself I and sometimes me, and what happens when a familiar verb gets an -ing at the end of it.Listening, analyzing and collecting statistical samples is only half of the story of child language learning.We can think of the other half as the use it or lose it principle.In combination with the masses of statistical data they gather, children employ social language learning strategies to truly master their mother tongues. This is the reason behind another universal linguistic truth: no child will ever learn a language without human interaction.Its through combining the statistical with the social that babies finally start taking off at breakneck speed and using their language to interact with other humans around one year of age. Want milk makes Daddy bring the bottle, again makes Mommy come back for another round of peek-a-boo and whats that becomes the key to unlocking all the worlds secrets.Adult Languag e Acquisition: How We Learn Language, How We Cant and How We ShouldThe two key components of child language acquisitionâ€"statistical and social learningâ€"are the same ones at play when adults learn languages. But both the adult brain and, more importantly, the adult social life feature some key differences from those of children.Adult language learning is basically the same game, just  with different rules.Being a grown-up is hard: why we cant learn language exactly like babies doSetting out to learn a language like a baby is a great strategy, as long as you remember that youre doing it  like a baby, with the differences between child and adult language learning in mind.Since both the statistical nuts and bolts and the social use of language are the main cruxes of language learning, you may not be surprised that they figure in differently to the lives of three-year-olds and thirty-year-olds.Its understanding these differences that can help you learn a language like your younger se lf.Here are some of the key differences adult language learners should be aware  of as they embark on learning a new language:Adults already speak at least one language fluently. Yes, you already have some language skills. But this can actually be a problem. One way of explaining why babies always beat us in language learning is that we as adults are actually so incredibly good at our mother tongues that it confuses the way we think about language in general. Your first language hardwires your brain for language learning and has a huge impact on any language learning that follows.Adults respond to social sanctioning, where children mostly dont. Babies arent afraid to make mistakes. If it takes them two tries or twenty to get a grammar rule or a pronunciation down, theyll keep coming back until theyve got it. Adults, on the other hand, are particularly susceptible to shame and embarrassment. Were afraid of looking stupid in front of others, so we protect ourselves by using a new lang uage too conservatively (being afraid to try out new words and forms we think we might understand) or not speaking at all.Adults communicate in mostly equal relationships. A babys main conversation partners are her parents and other adults, who naturally adapt their speech to accommodate childrens less advanced linguistic abilities. Adults, on the other hand, are used to communicating as equals. The vast majority of your speech exchanges in a foreign language force you to engage with the same level and speed of speech as native speakers.Other things demand our attention. Babies as a group tend to have sky-high unemployment rates, which means theyre free to dedicate absolutely all of their time to learning their mother tongue. For adults, between jobs and errands and relationships and the thousand other things we need to do every day just to keep ourselves afloat, finding the time to learn a language can be a challenge.Adults have to try. This is the biggest difference: a baby just n eeds to hang around for a couple years not doing much of anything, and their linguistically awesome brains take care of the learning for them. As adults, our brains are less plastic and more resistant to change, which means we have to push them, and sometimes all that trying just makes things worse.In essence, how adults and children learn language is really the same. We observe native speakers,  identify patterns in the language (statistical learning) and then we test those patterns by interacting with other people, using their feedback to correct and better nuance the patterns weve deduced (social learning).What really changes between childhood and adulthood is both our brains and our lives.But the first doesnt change as much as you might think, and we have enough control over the second to keep it from  squashing our multilingual ambitions.Brain plasticity and the critical period: the neuro-acrabatics of  how we learn languageIf theres one specific thing that separates how childr en learn language from how we as adults learn language, its the critical period.The critical period of language learning refers to the period of a childs life, from birth until somewhere between age 5 and puberty according to various experts, in which theyre uniquely neurologically prepared to acquire a language. Studies show that there is in fact a critical period for all language learning, even sign language.The trademark feature of the critical period is what gives babies their ultimate language learning advantage: increased brain plasticity.This means that babies brains are uniquely adapted to growing and changing quickly, whereas our adult brains generally become less plastic over time. And physically growing your brain isnt just one of the benefits of learning a language, but also a requirement for it.So, how do we as adults account for our decreased brain plasticity and the practical factors that make it harder for us to learn languages?5 Key Language Learning Tips That Unloc k Your Brains PotentialUsing what we know about how both adults and children learn language, we can  make our brains learn language faster and better as adults.The  following  lessons and tips  are all aimed at navigating the constraints of learning a language as an adult,  increasing your brain plasticity  and doing your best to incorporate the strategies of a child language learner into the life and reality of an adult language learner:Even though our brains mechanisms for language learning are severely weakened around puberty, we can re-strengthen them as adults.  Just by starting to learn a new language youre reawakening these parts of your brain. Borrowing learning strategies from child learners helps the process.Retraining your brain to learn second languages more easily, like you did as a child, might be one of the best language learning advantages you can give yourself.Adults and children both rely heavily on statistical learning, but they do so in very different ways. Babie s brains are like sponges, whereas adults are more like cups: dump liters and liters of language on and around the first and itll get soaked up, but the second is useless unless the language is poured directly and purposefully into it.Adult language learners need to actively pursue and dedicate time to their language learning, as well as  acquire language input purposefully.Social interaction is indispensable, but it works differently for adults and children. Babies lives are filled with a few unequal relationships with caretakers and loved ones who become personally attuned to the childs speech and learning. Its like having a flock of attentive, patient and understanding personal tutors round the clock.Adults, however, lack the guiding light of motherese,  and instead have to use their language to navigate complicated adult interactions. Adult learners need extra patience and dedication for getting through these interactions, especially in the earlier stages of learning.While most adults can only recognize speech sounds present in their own language, your ears can be reset to learn new speech sounds naturally. Part of learning a language as a baby is strategically narrowing the range of speech sounds listened to and focusing in on the ones that matter in your language, but you can retrain your ears and regain your ability to recognize and interpret new sounds that you havent previously given meaning to.Adult learners must be prepared to work extra hard to both understand and be able to pronounce new sounds in the languages they learn.Adults can achieve native-like fluency in a language learned later in life, but only under certain circumstances. Certain immersive language situations can lead adult language learners to develop native-like pronunciation, usage and even psycho-linguistic processing of a second language. Some learners who also follow other best practices attain and retain the brain activity patterns of native speakers, which may also imply a nati ve-like understanding of the language. Adult learners generally benefit most from immersion or immersion-like learning settings.Its true that there are a lot of important differences between how children and adult learn languages, and its clear that babies have some distinct advantages over older learners, but adults also enjoy certain language learning advantages over their tiny crawling counterparts.While its been a popular urban myth for decades that only children can  really  learn languages and learn them, well, nowadays we can definitively say we know better.Language is inherently human, and humans are always changing, which might be why were able to miraculously revive our childlike abilities for language acquisition and literally grow and reshape our brains when we want to or need to.So, now that you know a bit more about what learning a language looks like inside your head, you can start learning a foreign language today! And One More ThingSo you really want to learn a la nguage? Then its time to check out FluentU!FluentU takes real-world videosâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.With FluentU, you hear languages in real-world contextsâ€"the way that native speakers actually use them.Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of FluentU videos on offer:FluentU really takes the grunt work out of learning languages, leaving you with nothing but engaging, effective and efficient learning. It’s already hand-picked the best videos for you and organized them by level and topic. All you have to do is choose any video that strikes your fancy to get started!Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under Vocab.You can use FluentU’s unique adaptive quizzes to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions and exercises. Just swipe left or right to see more examples of the word youre studying.The program even keeps track of what you’re learning and tells you exactly when it’s time for review, giving you a 100% personalized experience.Start using FluentU on the website  with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the  iTunes store  or  Google Play store.