What is Electromagnetic Induction

What is Electromagnetic Induction All You Need to Know about Electromagnetic Induction. ChaptersWhat is Electromagnetism?A Brief History of Electromagnetic Induction.How Does Electromagnetic Induction Work?How Do We Use Electromagnetic Induction?The science of electromagnetism is one of the most important fields we know of. For practical applications in industry and for our knowledge of the physical structure of the universe, electromagnetism is central.Maybe you’d never have realised but, without electromagnetism, we wouldn’t be able to transport or generate electricity. It just wouldn’t happen. We wouldn’t be able to get the massive quantities of electricity we need across the country and into each of our homes. Think about that when you’re turning on the lights, boiling the kettle, or watching the tv.Meanwhile, by the way, electromagnetism â€" that curious overlap of electricity and magnetism â€" forms the bonds of the universe. This is why we can’t really say that anyone ‘invented’ electromagnetism: it was rather discovered â€" and then calculated to be the force that holds together the different parts of the atom. It is responsible for chemical compounds â€" and it is also the force that produces light.Electromagnetism, then, is everywhere. But, here, we are going to look at a particular phenomenon known as electromagnetic induction â€" the production of electromotive force through the presence of a changing magnetic field.Don’t worry if that is not clear â€" because we’ll do a recap of all of the science that you need to know to understand this really quite amazing process.Check here for a physics and maths tutor s1. PetarPhysics Teacher 5.00 (11) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamPhysics Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Dr parikhPhysics Teacher 5.00 (8) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RubenPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FrankPhysics Teacher 5.00 (8) £90/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JidePhysics Teacher 4.80 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DorothyPhysics Teacher 5.00 (5) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RahulPhysics Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhat is Electromagnetism?Let’s start with electromagnetism. What was this again?Let’s Start with MagnetismWell, we know what magnetism is, right? Some materials are magnetic â€" meaning they exert a magnetic force â€" whilst others are not. In those magnetic materials â€" and we call those that remain magnetic even beyond an external magnetic field permanent magnets or ferromagnetic materials â€" the unpaired electrons are all aligned, meaning that they exert a force in a particular direction.In nonmagnetic materials, this doesn’t happen â€" with the electrons either being all paired or else completely random.These ferromagnetic materials â€" like iron or nickel â€" are either magnetic at random or because they have been in contact with a magnetic field. And whilst these things a re cool in themselves, they are not of handy as electromagnets â€" which can be switched on and off and which are much much more powerful.And powerful magnets can do an awful lot.And Electromagnetism?An electromagnet, meanwhile, is a magnet powered by an electric current.Electricity itself has a magnetic force. And whilst this is present even in just a simple copper wire â€" and, as we said, in all of the miniscule measurements of electric charge across every atom and chemical bond â€" scientists have found ways of making that force much stronger.Generally, electromagnets use coils of wire, with each coil winding around a piece of metal â€" usually iron. This particular thing is called a solenoid. When there is an electric current flowing through this wire, the magnetic field produced is centred on the magnetic core, the piece of metal at the centre of solenoid. These electromagnets are super strong â€" and, as soon as you turn off the electricity, the solenoid stops being magnetize d.So, yes, really an electromagnet is really just a really strong magnet. However, this particular combination of electricity and magnetism is incredibly useful. And one of its most important applications is in electromagnetic induction â€" the productive of electromotive force (emf or induced voltage) through the movement of a magnetic field.These magnets, then, produce electricity. Do you see why they might be useful now?Check out our guide to magnetism and electromagnetism! A diagram of a magnetic fieldA Brief History of Electromagnetic Induction.To best explain the process and importance of electromagnetic induction, let’s trace its history briefly. Let’s go back to the very first experiments that brought it to light â€" way back then in the 1830s.At this point, we already had the horseshoe electromagnet, thanks to the invention of William Sturgeon â€" and we already knew that electric currents wielded a magnetic force of their own, due to the findings of Ampere and Oersted.However, it was a man called Michael Faraday that discovered the principles of electromagnetic induction, when he conducted a little experiment published in 1831.Michael Faraday.Michael Faraday has actually become one of the most influential scientists in history â€" with his work on magnetism showing how this force can affect rays of light, for example. However, his most influential experiment was that which discovered electromagnetic induction.Faraday took an iron ring and, wi th two different pieces of wire, wrapped coils around opposite sides of it. When running an electrical current through one of the pieces of wire, he expected to see some sort of electrical charge or effect on the second piece of wire.He therefore connected this second piece of wire into a galvanometer, a machine that measures electrical charges. And, lo and behold, when he turned the battery on and off on the first wire, the galvanometer showed an electrical charge. This, Faraday suggested, was due to the magnetic flux that passed through the centre of the ring.To clarify this, there was only an electric current produced when the magnetic field changed. So, only at the moments when he turned the battery on and when he turned the battery off did he see a change on the galvanometer. At other times, the galvanometer showed nothing.This is why another of his experiments had him slip a bar magnet in and out of a coil of wire. Here, the same electrical charge was seen on the galvanometer with the movement.Faraday’s Law and Maxwell’s Equations.Whilst Faraday did the practical work, his results weren’t met with much enthusiasm â€" as he didn’t present his findings in mathematical terms.It was James Clerk Maxwell who, thirty years later, described what Faraday had shown mathematically. Maxwell’s equations have become the name of these laws which describe what happens in electromagnetic induction.How Does Electromagnetic Induction Work?So, what exactly is this thing that Faraday discovered? Simply put, the importance of this discovery was that changes in magnetic fields can induce electrical currents.As we know, electrical currents have a magnetic field. This is what solenoids are all about. But, as Faraday did, if you interact with that magnetic field with another magnet, the potential or voltage of the electric current is changed.If you were to move such a magnet in and out of a coil, you’d feel a fair bit of resistance. But with this resistance is produce d the current flow. Speed up the movement of the magnet and the induced current will increase; strengthen the magnetic field and the same happens.In this way, then, magnets can be used to turn kinetic energy into electric energy â€" as by moving the magnet, the current flows. This is precisely how things like generators work: they generate electricity through the movement of a magnet in a magnetic field.Maybe you can see now why this was such an incredibly important discovery. Electromagnets produce a strong magnetic field.How Do We Use Electromagnetic Induction?To clarify this phenomenon further, let’s take a look at one of the major technologies that applies it. That’s the electric generator, a tool that is really incredibly common. From power stations â€" in which fuels are burned, say, to power the magnetic field â€" to cars and teeny-tiny motors in all sorts of different equipment, these things are everywhere.Electrical Generators.Electrical generators work by producing a magnetic field in which other magnetised coils are moved.Cars, for example, use an alternating current generator â€" or alternator â€" to ensure that the battery remains charged. With alternating current, the induced current moves in alternating directions â€" hence the name.Imagine a magnetic field in an enclosed space. At the centre of this space is a rotating coil of wire with a current passing through it. As you can imagine, there will be interaction and resistance between th e coil of wire (with its own magnetic field) and the general magnetic field in the generator.As one side of the rotating coil moves upwards, a positive current is induced. As it moves back downwards, its opposite occurs. Consequently, you get a current which is constantly changing.In a DC generator (direct current), there is a mechanism that means that the movements in the magnetic field are reversed â€" so there is no alternation.Why Use AC?AC is much more common in massive electrical contraptions. That’s because it is much easier to transport than DC: you can up the voltage whilst having a small current.But, given this high voltage, you need transformers for this current to be usable. And you can learn all about transformers in our article here. AC/DC? Not quite what we're talking about here, no.

5 Introvert Leadership Myths - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 5 Introvert Leadership Myths - Introvert Whisperer 5 Introvert Leadership Myths Personal Branding starts with how well you speak about YOU.  I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook â€" The Definitive Guide to Creating and Using an Elevator Speech.  In this guide, I give you simple to follow instructions for creating a “wardrobe” of ways to talk about you â€" to leave a lasting impression. Get your copy now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Math Level 1 or Math Level 2 Online Tutoring Tutorpace

Math Level 1 or Math Level 2 Online Tutoring Tutorpace Online Tutoring for SAT Mathematics 1 and 2 The SAT Mathematics subject test is broken up into two sections and is a useful tool for students trying to get into competitive engineering, economics, and science programs. In order to in score high enough to get into your first choice, working with an online Math tutor may give you an advantage over students who have decided to study on their own. Tutor Paces tutors have been helping students prepare for the SAT Mathematics section for years, and their expertise can give you the confidence you need to earn the score you desire. Comprehensive SAT Mathematics 1 and 2 Tutoring Because these tests cover several years of advanced high school subjects, it is important to make sure you are fully prepared for each subject in the test. Our tutors will cover everything you need to know, including: Numbers and operations Algebra and functions Geometry and measurement Data analysis, statistics, and probability Trigonometry Elementary Pre-calculus functions Advanced Online Learning Tools Tutor Paces online SAT Mathematics 1 and 2 tutoring program makes use of the latest innovations in online learning to provide you with an unparalleled educational experience. Our online classroom allows you to interact with your tutor through an intuitive whiteboard that makes it easy to create complex formulas. Tutor Pace is on the cutting edge of online tutoring, and our programs offer the best value available. Unlike other tutoring services that limit your time, we have many unlimited tutoring programs that will ensure you are ready on test day.

GMAT Review Series Sentence Correction - Parallelism

GMAT Review Series Sentence Correction - Parallelism GMAT MBA Admissions Blog In today’s GMAT Review Series video, we’ll take a look at a Sentence Correction (Parallelism/Verb Tense) question from GMAT’s Official Guide 2019 â€" Verbal Diagnostic Exam. Key pointers from this video: Begin by setting up your scratch pad to help you ID the Error CategoryWrite the question number with a line beside it to write any errors you identify in the sentence or the answer choices. List answer choices below to facilitate the process of elimination as you work. Ignore Punctuation as a Standalone IssueThe GMAT does not test punctuation, so never worry about punctuation as a standalone issue. Punctuation can be subjective and all errors on the GMAT have to be absolute. Look to Main Subject Verbs for Errors Look at the subject and verbs for the clearest understanding of any potential errors. Find the subject and any verbs in the underlined portion of the sentence. In this case “dolphins” are the subject and “recognizing” and “to grasp” are the verbs, these are not parallel verb tenses, so we have identified the error category (parallelism/verb tense). Always default to the original sentence as it was written when considering different meanings. As you move through the answer choices, read the sentence literally to see if it makes sense. This video was produced by MyGuru'sDirector of Online Instructionand expertonline GMATtutor Stefan Maisnier. Visit ourYouTube channelfor more GMAT analogy videos.

Thoughts on Online MBA Programs

Thoughts on Online MBA Programs Improving Academic Performance Every once in a while, students who work with us on GMAT prep will ask for advice about business school options (especially if they don’t do well on the GMAT). From time to time, the topic of online MBA school options will come up. MyGuru’s founders attended the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, which is a top 10 MBA school. However, we still wonder whether the extremely large investment in an MBA will ultimately be worth it. For that reason, we encourage potential online MBA school students to be extremely careful before investing large sums of money in going to an MBA school online. Our recommended options for online MBAs are those that come from well-respected schools that also offer traditional in-person programs. One such example would be Indiana University’s online MBA program. The problem with MBA degrees is that there are just so many programs. Regardless of the program you enter, you’ll have the opportunity to learn a lot about business and improve your management skills. However, from an “employee screening” perspective, most employers know that it really isn’t that difficult to get an MBA, so they look for students with degrees from top notch schools. However, for some students currently working in jobs or careers that place a high value on an MBA, regardless of the school, an online MBA can make a lot of sense. They allow you to continue working, so you don’t have to take a huge hit in the form of two years of lost salary. Plus, the online option obviously works around your schedule. So, as long as you weigh the cost/benefits carefully, and study how much the degree will cost you (both in terms of upfront cost and the opportunity cost of lost wages while you’re in school) vs. what jobs you expect to land after you have the degree, an online MBA could be a good option for you. However, just don’t fool yourself into thinking that having “MBA” next to your name will necessarily earn you a better job or higher salary.

Quiz Where should you apply to teach abroad in 2016 (With job postings)

Quiz Where should you apply to teach abroad in 2016 (With job postings) Happy New Year! After a busy year at Teach Away we are happy to welcome 2016 with open arms. It’s time for us to help even more educators get overseas! And it’s time for you to find the best education job abroad for you; we have piles of job postings coming up this year in countries all over the world.Whether or not you have a resolution for the new year, growing your education career, learning about the world through new perspectives, accomplishing old goals and setting new ones are all things made possible in 2016 by pursuing your itch to travel and teach overseas.The only thing left to take care of is deciding where on Earth you want to go! Pinpointing a place to teach abroad is a task in itself. Do you want to escape the cold next winter for a more tropical destination? Maybe you want to take in the modern of architecture of the UAE or the ancient cultures of China.Or maybe you should just take this quiz to help you get an idea of where to go:  Where Should You Go Teach  Abro ad?  Current job postingsTeach Away jobs in ChinaTeach Away jobs in the UAETeach Away jobs in MexicoTeach Away jobs in JapanTeach Away jobs in South Korea

4 Career Paths to Find While Working at a Summer Camp

4 Career Paths to Find While Working at a Summer Camp Image via Pixabay.com Movies might make it seem as though camp counselors are only supposed to escort the kids from one activity to the next and make sure they don’t get hurt, but there is much more to the job than that. You’ll be tasked with giving your campers a constant balance of education and fun. In some cases, this means working with other counselors to create lesson plans full of activities that will appeal to multiple ages. As a camp counselor, you will be able to practice presenting education to children in an energetic manner that will make them want to learn. Your sense of creativity and patience will be tested as you come to realize there are several different learning styles that your lessons should cater to. Some students will learn through hands-on approaches, and others will grasp concepts just by listening. If you find that you can recognize these learning styles in your campers and educate them with ease, then a career in teaching might be right for you. Food service The kitchen of a summer camp is home to some unique and delicious recipes, from roasted tomato soup to s’mores campfire cones. Working as a line cook at a summer camp will put your culinary skills to the test, and you might discover a hidden love for the food service industry. Image via Pixabay.com Cooking at a summer camp will expose you to a sort-of restaurant environment you’ll be serving a large mass of people, each with different accommodations that need to be met. You’ll have to keep food allergies in mind if you offer recipe ideas. Step away from what you think you would enjoy eating, and consider what the majority would enjoy. This is where your creativity will come in handy. A summer camp is the perfect place to experiment with those fun kids’ recipes you find on Pinterest, or any ideas you have of your own! Just as a manager in a restaurant must do, you’ll have to ensure that the campers have everything they need for their meal  and that you have enough for everyone. You should be able to calmly take care of any problems that a camper might find with their food. Working in a camp kitchen will teach you plenty of management skills that you’ll be able to carry into a future food service career. Environmentalism If you’re one with nature, you could take on a job as a trip leader at an outdoor camp. A trip leader, as you might guess, “leads groups on expeditions, trips, and outdoor experiences, usually for extended periods,” according to the American Camp Association. You’ll get to teach campers about nature as you experience it in real time, and the job might peak your interest in an environmental science career. Being a trip leader will give you a chance to share your love of nature with other people. Plus, if you would like to know more about the environment, what better way than to live in it for a few weeks? Plan a boating trip on the river for your campers, and observe some of the fish along the way. Schedule a hike through the woods to check out all the different plants. You’ll be surprised at what you can learn from looking at how nature lives. Image via Pixabay.com We live in a world where the environment is often taken for granted. Adventuring through the great outdoors might inspire you to do better. As a trip leader, you might see yourself pursuing studies in environmental sciences like botany, biology, ecology, or zoology. Hospitality management A job as an activities planner for a summer camp is perfect for anyone with organization skills. If you’re the friend that draws up an itinerary for every trip, this job would be a dream come true for you, and you might decide you want to study hospitality management. As an activities planner, you’ll be in charge of how the campers spend their day everything from waterskiing to making jewelry. You’ll have to ensure that the activities run smoothly, and make sure that the counselors are aware of the plans. Your time management skills will improve greatly from trying to fit so many activities into a day, and it can teach you to be quick on your feet when it comes to solving scheduling issues. Studying hospitality management can lead to you becoming a hotel manager, restaurant manager, wedding planner, and more. You could even come back to your summer camp as a camp director. Image via Pixabay.com This list definitely doesn’t cover the number of career paths you could find while working at a camp. People travel from all over the world to visit some camps, so you never know what connections you’ll make. If you’d like to work for a summer camp, try to choose one that best suits your interests. Here are seven types of summer camps to work for.

How the Science of Language Learning Can Help You Acquire a Language in Record Time

How the Science of Language Learning Can Help You Acquire a Language in Record Time How the Science of Language Learning Can Help You Acquire a Language in Record Time Science and discovery go hand in hand.And it all starts with Curiosity.Not, not NASAs Mars Roverâ€"though that  Curiosity  is pretty cool tooâ€"but the raw curiosity that compels us to study things and seek out answers.What if I told you that science has discovered the very keys to unlock that target language youre studying?Curious yet?Well, stay tuned for some amazing discoveries that will benefit you greatly on your language learning journey.Researchers have found some cool stuff that can make studying a language easy, fun and effective.The implications of this research will help you view the process of learning a foreign language in a new light and speed up the process.Better buckle up, because these ideas will make you want to jump right out of your seat!But first, lets talk about what we now know about the brain and some of the challenges that are typically thought to hold back the typical foreign language learner. What We Should Know About the Brain and Learning a LanguageAre you saddled with the thought, “Ugh, I’m twenty years too late for this language learning party?” Think of yourself too old to learn new tricks? Maybe you’ve heard about the “critical period” (from early childhood to adolescence), during which language is said to be soaked up like a sponge. Proponents of this theory would say if youre not in this age range, learning a new tongue becomes an uphill battle.Well I’ve got news for you, the hill is not as steep as people think.  Neuroscientists are finding out just how plastic the brain is. Its built for lifelong learning. Meaning, it doesn’t just fossilize after a certain age. It retains the ability to create, mend or restructure neural connections throughout lifeâ€"which is what learning a new language, on a physical level, essentially is.Your noggin is not staticâ€"its awesomely dynamic. It can change, reorganize and form new connections all throughout adulthood as a result of learning in general, not just language.Scie ntists administered MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and electrophysiology tests on new recruits at the Swedish Armed Forces Interpreter Academy  (folks beyond the so-called “critical period”) before commencing their language studies. They also administered tests on a control group that also studied, but not languages. After just three short months of language learning, the tests were once again conducted. Scientists were able to see pronounced changes in areas of the brain related to learning new material in the group that studied language. Areas like the superior temporal gyrus grew significantly larger, while that of the control group remained the same.Studies like this attest to the brain’s astounding absorptive power, and that the all too-common difficulties encountered by adult language learners arent actually about its limited bandwidth, but about different things altogether. Yes, the brain does prune itself and stabilize those neural connections, but that doesn’t dul l the ability to  learn a new language.This means that it doesnt matter whether youre 20, 40 or 60 years old. Your brain is perfectly capable of learning a whole new language.What this tells us about learning a language is that our age doesnt put us at a disadvantage, so lets dive a little deeper into the challenges that might affect an older language learner.Age isnt an issueIn a published quantitative and qualitative study titled “Affect trumps age: A person-in-context relational view of age and motivation in SLA,” researchers wanted to find out if early language classroom instruction is more beneficial than late onset language instruction.One would guess that early language acquisition would yield better language achievements. It’s better to start ‘em young, right? Well, the study got some interesting results, pointing to late onset learners outperforming those with early language instruction on a variety of skills. When the researchers dug deeper as to why, their qualita tive analyses uncovered how individual motivation is actually a stronger predictor of linguistic achievement.There was something inside the better performing students that pushed and coaxed them to better language performance. They were more forward looking, more goal-oriented, more determined to succeed. Acquiring a language is simply not dependent on age and a young brain.You know, there are plenty of young students in classrooms, forced to learn a language day in and day out for years and never actually go beyond “ ¡Hola!” These students are supposed to be right smack in the middle of the “critical period,” but they never progress beyond what can be learned in the first two minutes.I know a lot of these individuals. I was once in their shoes myself. Two decades ago, compelled by well-meaning parents, I was studying Mandarin, long before China was a burgeoning superpower. I was at it for six grueling years. I’m proud to say that I have nothing to show for it today. (Sorr y, Mom and Dad.) Had I known its future utility, I wouldve paid more attention to my kind and generous teachers.In another study, it was found that the age in which a person starts their language study isnt a predictor of language achievement. Instead, input was highlighted as a better indicator of language outcomes. High quality input, such as contact with native speakers, consistently speaking the target language and using authentic materials , results in high performance and faster language acquisition.What these two studies point out is that its not age, per se, that explains the learning challenges experienced by adult language learners. Rather, it’s the things that come with age, like the attitudes and expectations of adult learners that hobble language acquisition.Were our own worst enemyThe language journey is a mental game as much as it is biological, and over the years, most adults have taken on a lot of limiting beliefs (one of which is the belief in the “critical per iod”) that puts them at a disadvantage, rather than a brain that just won’t learn a new language.Language learning is a risk-taking enterprise. You’re voluntarily putting yourself in potentially embarrassing situationsâ€"whether in front of the class, or in front of native speakers who eat, sleep and dream in the target language. Learners are in a cauldron of mispronunciations, misunderstandings, awkward usage and non sequiturs. Language learners go blank, get tongue-tied or end up blurting a kind of gibberish that doesnt resemble any known human language.Language learning is being in situations where you’re not absolutely certain about things. Its admitting that you don’t know this stuff and are still getting the hang of it. You’re bound to make embarrassing boo-boo’s along the way. All of language learning, at its very core, is risk-taking.Unfortunately, adults have pretty much mastered the art of being safe.“Don’t talk to strangers! Don’t open your mouth unles s you’re absolutely certain you’re making perfect sense. Talk properly, or else they’ll think something is wrong with you. Don’t talk to yourselfâ€"for the same reasons.” These thoughts are crippling to those in the beginning stages of learning a foreign language.On the other hand, young language learners seem to pick up a new language just like that and are not bothered by such mental baggage. Have you ever seen a child get embarrassed because she used the wrong tense of the word or the improper plural form? You wouldnt see a child wait to get all the grammar rules right before carelessly blurting out, “I waits here!” Children get tongue-tied, end up blurting something that nobody in the room understands and we laugh it off as cute.We arent as forgiving to other adults or to ourselves. When we see an adult with headphones muttering to himself, we think it’s the effect of some kind of medication he’s taking. Then we walk a few paces away, you know, just to be sure. And those are some of the more important reasons why a kid can outshine an adult in terms of picking up a language. There’s just not so much mental noise. And I havent even begun talking about the family, work and school responsibilities adults have that children simply arent burdened with. It’s all child’s play to them. And they’re at it 24/7.And on that note, we ask the all-important question: what can adult language learners do in order to effectively learn a new language?Lets look at some of the newest research and how we can apply that to our own studies.How the Science of Language Learning Can Help You Acquire a Language in Record TimeLearn from the Best Language LearnersYour brain, with its awesome processing power, can handle any language you throw its way. The potential is there. There’s just some things hindering you from harnessing that full potential.Thankfully, there’s a set of language learners that are leading the way, showing us how to effectively learn a language.The researchStudies have compared the coping and learning strategies of extroverts and introverts and have found that extroverts are inherently risk-takers who put themselves in much better learning positions than their peers. An extrovert, for example, will go out and talk to a complete stranger, some native speaker, and come out of the conversation with their ego unbruised, in spite of making a linguistic error every three seconds.Meanwhile, an introvert is sitting in a cozy coffee shop somewhere (where it’s safe), intently reading a textbook, writing some grammar notes and pining for the day when he can fluently talk to a native speaker. And oh, look! The extrovert is about to approach another native speaker again. It’s a tall gentleman this time.Theyre child-like that way, not easily embarrassed. Or they get over it fast. They’re not afraid to try saying new words and phrases they’ve just learned, even when they know the pronunciation’s far from perfect.In a classroom setting, extroverts raise their hands more. They participate in class and ask the question that’s on everybody’s mind.Because of that, extroverts are able to more effectively and efficiently learn to speak  their target language. (Introverts on the other hand, are often better when it comes to reading and writing in the target language.)One of the most linguistically extroverted people I have ever seen would be Benny Lewis of the blog “Fluent in 3 Months.” He goes to different countries, immersing himself in the language and culture, talking to native speakers.People who start off as complete strangers eventually become his friends. He’s the guy whose learning philosophy is to make the most mistakes as often as possible. He’ll tell you to start talking in the target language on the very first day of training.He’s been able to make himself fluent in seven languages because he puts himself at risk, embarrassing himself in front of others. It’s not the traveli ng. We all know that even if you live in Japan for a couple of years, if you’ve never ventured outside those English speaking enclaves, then the change in geography won’t do you any good.You’d have to clash with the culture head on, spend time in the public markets, for example, and interact with the locals, even if you often have to resort to sign language to get your point across.Practical implicationsTake a page from the best language learners and put yourself out there. Remember when I told you earlier that adults have become masters of making themselves safe? This becomes mirrored in the way they choose to learn the language. Often, they use methods and materials that are too passive and too safe. They just read and re-read textbooks, not once opening their mouths. But speaking is different from reading and learning the grammar rules, you need to speak it as often and as many times as possible, no matter how awkward you look and feel.And please don’t get me wrong on thi s, because textbooks, listening and the passive consumption of materials are needed to learn the language (you need both a passive and active mix), but it shouldn’t just stop there. Often, people give up before they even get their first word out, because theyre too afraid to look stupid in front of somebody who knows more than they do.Put yourself out there. Seek out native speakers whether online or in person. Book a teacher or a tutor who you pay to actually listen to your booboo’s and patiently lead you to the correct pronunciation and usage. Verbling and Verbal Planet have rosters of tutors and teachers you can search and sort according to rates, reviews and availability.If you don’t want that, there are language exchange sites like My Language Exchange and Conversation Exchange. Or you can try a language exchange app like Bilingua and Hello Talk where you can trade language tips with users who are seeking to learn your language and help learn each other out. It’s free!G et talking as often as possible during your day. If the audio program you’re listening to says, “Repeat after me.” Please repeat. Talk to yourself in your room, in the subway, in a Starbucks queue. Gesture away (it helps with your pronunciation). Record yourself and let somebody listen to it.Take risks, because thats at the core of learning a new language. Be a child again, all the naysayers be damned.Practice the Magic of Spaced RepetitionYou know you’ve really learned something when the skill is embedded in your long-term memory.To be able to say you really learned a language, you have to be able to summon it at will. And you know that’s the case when you’re having lively dinner conversation with an Italian native speaker and there’s no smartphone under the table with Google Translate pulled up.We’re not just talking about knowing a language just enough to pass the Chinese midterms, then forgetting it a week later.So how do we do that exactly? You know, learn a lan guage and have it stay with us for the long term?The answer: spaced repetition.It’s often been said that “repetition is the mother of all learning.” But spaced repetition is not your run-of-the-mill kind. Repeated exposure of the same content can actually backfire and become dull and boring, demotivating language learners so they close their minds to it.The researchSpaced repetition is the result of over a centurys study and research, from the forgetting curve hypothesized by Ebbinghaus in 1885 to H.F. Spitzers retention experiments (1939) to Hintzmans  studies on the spacing effect (1969)â€"which practically came together in Wozniaks algorithm (1994) for  optimal timing of exposureâ€"which calculated the time and number of repetitions that make for effective learning.Its not just repetition that creates learningâ€"its retrieval, the active recall of what one has learned, thats been shown to bolster learning.Active retrieval is different from passively looking at some words on a page. Active retrieval is closing that book, perhaps closing your eyes, and mentally going through what youve learned or memorized from the book. Its been shown that active retrieval leads to better recall.Students were asked to study foreign language word pairs. One group was asked to simply look and read the word pairs over and over. The other test group was told to study by actively recalling (thinking about) the other word in the word pair, instead of just looking at them again and again. Researchers found that students who studied under active recall conditions performed better when the groups were later tested.The same researchers looked into the effectiveness of massed repetition/massed retrieval versus spaced repetition/spaced retrieval. Mass repetition is commonly referred to as cramming, which hordes of students swear by. Unfortunately the study doesnt support them on this one. The study showed that students in the massed repetition condition, where they were asked to a ctively retrieve a piece of information three times, were outperformed by students in the spaced repetition condition where active retrieval was spaced throughout the session.In short, cramming might get you by, but for excellent results go for spaced repetition. That is, rather than studying six hours straight, you will do better by doing three two-hour sessions.Here are more things you can do to bolster your language learning. . .Practical implicationsThe body of research really gives new life to an old toolâ€"the good old flashcards. These are a pretty typical staple of studying new vocabulary (for good reason!). Because translations are written on opposite sides of the card, learners are given the chance and the time to perform active retrieval processes. They can try to recall, even guess whats written on the other side, before finally looking.Today, technology has been applied to the regular flashcards and theyve now become learning materials on steroids. Now you  don’t have to manually take out your deck and choose which cards to study.This is what used to happen: you have a deck of 30 flashcards of Korean vocabulary to study. You look at the English side of the card and try to give the Korean translation on the other. Some you guess correctly, others you don’t. You group your hits into a pile and your misses into another. So you now have two piles. The more important one would be your misses. So you take them again and try to learn them a second time. Again you have your hits and misses. So you take those misses and try to nail them a third time (and so on and so forth).Today, flashcard applications do that for you automatically so you can focus on the learning part.  Flashcard apps have been imbued with spaced repetition algorithms designed to exactly pinpoint the optimum timing of exposure to certain cards. That is, the word pairs you know are shown less, while the word pairs you struggle with are more frequently revisited. And, with spaced repet ition technology, you get to avoid massed repetition or cramming as well.Talking of flashcards applications, what if instead of just words written on the card’s faces, you have pictures that go along with them? And what if instead of just the words’ translation written on the other side, you have a complete information packet that tells you everything you need to know about the word, like how to pronounce it and an example of how the word is used? Sound good? Now, let’s really blow this out of the water. What if instead of just words and pictures, you actually have a whole video to teach you?Loving it already? Then you’ll love FluentU. Yes, not only will you find excellent flashcard apps, youll see the web’s most potent language learning videosâ€"authentic materials like concerts, interviews and music videos. With the use of spaced repetition and interactive transcription technology, youll find a resources that ensures the most effective and efficient use of your study tim e.And speaking of music, let’s look at how music gives you the needed leg up to learn a language.Combine Music and LanguageMusic and language are kindred spirits. Think of music as language with tap dancing shoes. Music is language with a beatâ€"skipping, hopping and twirling on melodic cue.The researchResearch over the years points to the intrinsic connection between the two. Before, we used to think of music and linguistic functions as residing in different hemispheres of the brain, with music engaging the right hemisphere and language localized on the left. Advances in brain imaging technology has shown scientists how the two functions actually share many common neural underpinnings.In that same study, researchers found that phonological awareness, a linguistic skill most useful in reading and writing, is actually related to pitch awareness and musical skill. Furthermore, researchers have also discovered that people who speak a tonal language as their first tongue (like Mandari n speakers) have enhanced sensitivity to pitch changes.But beyond that, a study has unveiled something about the convergence of music and language that’s really quite interesting. They discovered that musicians actually have a heightened ability to pick up language. People who spend a lot of time working with music have inadvertently honed their linguistic skills. Meaning that banging your drum, strumming your guitar or tickling the keys of the piano can have language learning payoffs!What does this mean to you? Well, if that’s not an invitation to start banging those drums, I don’t know what is. Perhaps it’s better to put down that textbook for a minute and pick up those drum sticks.Here are other things you can do with music.Practical implicationsThe growing body of research supporting the connection between language and music can mean only one thingâ€"you can use music to boost your language-learning. There’s just something about it that sticks and facilitates long-term embedding of the language in the working memory.Mine songs for language gems. For example, you can learn vocabulary, catchy turn of phrases and whole sentences from lyrics of songs. Songs have a lot going for them, since they provide a solid context and an engaging story that ties all the words and phrases together. This is one of those things in language learning that is often underutilized and underappreciated. But when you really think about it, songs are really just an example of language spoken with a heightened melody. And there’s a repeating pattern that your mind can easily latch on to.You can work with music videos and add another layer of stimulation to the senses. The visuals in music videos work with the lines, making them more meaningful and memorable. (You can find a considerable number of music-videos-turned-into-language-lessons in FluentU.)Children’s songs work best for beginners. They’re short, they’re catchy and the language involved is simple.You can als o do the reverse of this technique, which means that instead of repeating that grammar rule over and over, sing it to the tune of a familiar melody.  It can be a pop song close to your heart, or the latest hit (“Despacito”, anyone?).Youll find that learning through music will make it easier to commit new words, phrases and grammar rules to memory since you’ll have real-world examples of how it’s put into practice.And while were talking about hearing language in contextGet in the Mix of the Context and Language ComboLanguage can be learned more effectively when placed in a vivid context, like a story, a movie or a song. Because in reality, language doesnt exist in a vacuum. The words gain their meaning through a specific context.And there’s no better provider of context than content. In this case, content refers to subjects or topics taught in the classroom. Lets see what the research tells us.The researchTheres a teaching approach thats been making the rounds in the langua ge classrooms in Europe. Its called CLIL, or Content and Language Integrated Learning. The idea behind it is that instead of teaching language itself, teachers discuss a whole different subject, like history, but use the target language as a medium of instruction. So instead of teaching French, youll get classes like World History taught in French. Or Philosophy taught in German. So youre really hitting two birds with one stone on this one. Youre learning a subject and a language at the same time. (Granted, teaching a subject using a language not mastered by ones students is an eminent challenge, but skilled teachers have been able to meet this challenge.)CLIL students benefit from this setup because instead of using traditional language materials like textbooks, theyre shown the language in live, real world situations. The language experience becomes more authentic.A study compared linguistic achievements by CLIL and non-CLIL classes in Hungary. In the CLIL classes, English was use d as the medium of instruction for different high school subjects. The study found that students from these classes displayed better functional English proficiency than those from the traditional language learning classes. CLIL students displayed more comprehensive vocabulary, more nuanced grammar, more comprehension and conversational skills. More and more institutions are encouraged by the benefits of CLIL and are adapting their classrooms to this design.Practical implicationsBut what does all this talk about CLIL mean to language learners who dont plan on spending any time in the classroom?Well, you should pick up the lessons from CLIL by finding content of your own.The key is combining the language with something that you’re interested in. If you love technology and enjoy reading about the newest smart phone, then put that passion to good use and read about phone-related stuff in your target language. Listen to gadget reviews and explore websites. Read the comments section at the bottom of websites written by native speakers regarding a specific model. Do this in the guise of learning more about smartphones. Lo and behold, you’ll pick up vocabulary and phrases that youre more likely to use on a daily basis.Love gardening? I’m sure you can find a gardening guide book in Japanese. Are jokes and funny stories your thing? Give a German collection of jokes a try.If you’re going to apply this to your studies, the key is to start with materials so easy that  you can’t be possibly be overwhelmed. So choose short videos, or pick up book titles geared towards children. Otherwise, the 600-page treatise on German Philosophy would just go over your head. Start instead with a poster that points to the different car parts in Italian and you’re on a far better footing.Do the content and language combo and youll be learning a new language and engage in two of your passions at the same time. It’s a win-win-win!These are just some of the research-backed insight s that can help you pick up a language in record time. Apply them to your language learning journey and youll immediately reap their benefits. I wish you the best! And One More ThingWhew! If youve made it this far, youre obviously serious about language learning. And with that being the case, youre likely to seriously love FluentU.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that natives  speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, including movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse Screen.FluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive Transcripts You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or r ight to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.