How Much Do You Know About How Your Voice Works

How Much Do You Know About How Your Voice Works Suzy S. Here on the TakeLessons  Blog, we talk a lot about singing tips and tricks for making your voice shine. And as youre learning how to sing especially if youre working with a voice teacher youve probably already learned how things like posture and breathing can affect your  voice. But how much do you actually know about how your instrument works?  Understanding how your voice works is a big key to singing well, yet many vocalists never take the time to study it. We recently connected with Elissa  over at Voice Body Connection, who has been working on an online course designed to help you learn just that. Still not convinced? Heres how Elissa explains it: We start using our voice mere moments after we’re born. But here’s the thing… no one sits us down and hands us an instruction manual. There’s no explanation about how we should make sound, we just do it! A couple years from now we’ll start learning speech and language, and all that will include much more explanation. However it’s likely going to be years before we start any sort of vocal or singing lessons which will draw our attention to the quality of our sound (if ever, of course!). By that time we’ll have some pretty well engrained patterns and habits. So here’s the problem with never having learned how our voice works: When something goes wrong with it, we don’t know how to fix it. If no one taught us how we produce sound in the first place, it’s very difficult to troubleshoot when we’re not able to make the sounds we want. We’ve got to understand what’s going on. We think of our voice as something intangible. In fact we often use the word “voice” metaphorically. That way of thinking is lovely, but our voice is also something very concrete. It comes out of our body, and there are significant muscles and cartilage and bones and organs that contribute to our ability to make sound. It’s valuable to know what all of these are, which is why we go over them in our Spotlight on Anatomy blogs and in Vibrant Voice Technique training. Think about it this way: if you’re a real car person, you’ve gotta learn what’s under the hood. It would be silly to grab a wrench and start messing around if you’ve done no research about how the car is put together…you might mess something up! By a similar token, we all know it’s foolish to start IKEA furniture together without following the (inscrutable) instructions. It’s useful to spend the time understanding how things work. After all, how we understand a thing informs how we use it. Let’s repeat that, because it’s the big thesis: How we understand a thing informs how we use it. So, how does the voice work? OK, so how much do you know? Do you  want to learn more about how the voice works? You can learn more about Elissas course here and if you register before December 19th, you can even get a discount on the price. Curious in the meantime? Here are some vocal health resources we like: 15 Amazing Facts You Never Knew About Your Voice [Infographic] Vocal Health Articles via Boston Singers Resource You and Your Voice via Lions Voice Clinic The National Center for Voice Speech Readers, whats the most surprising thing youve learned about your voice? Let us know  by leaving a comment below! 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

Composite Function

Composite Function Composite Functions is the application of one function to the results of another function. Composition functions will not be commutative. This commutatively is attained only by particular functions and in special circumstances. Derivatives of compositions that involve differentiable functions can be found using the chain rule. Suppose result of 1st function f (x) is applied into the 2nd function g (x), this composite function is written as g(f(x)) or (g?f) (x). Composite functions are combination of 2 or more functions. We can say that it is a function that is expressed in terms of one or more functions. It may be noted that, (f?g)(x) (g?f)(x). Example 1: Simplify by Composite function f(x) = 2x + 3 Solution: First we will apply f and then apply f to that result = (f?f)(x) = f(f(x)) = (f ? f) (x) = 2 (2x + 3) + 3 = 4x + 9 = f ( f (x) ) = f (2x + 3) = 2 (2x + 3) + 3 = 4x + 9 Example 2: If f(x) = 2x and g(x) = 2^x, then what is (f ? g) (x)? Solution: The given problem we have = F(x) = 2x and g (x) = 2^x = When we do composite function (f ? g) (x) we get = (f ? g) (x) = f ( g ( x ) ) = f (2^x) = And f (2^x) = 2 . 2^x = 2^ (x + 1) = Answer: (f ? g) (x) = 2^ (x + 1)

7 Top-Rated Apps to Learn Italian Like a Pro

7 Top-Rated Apps to Learn Italian Like a Pro Jessica Dais If you’re looking to pick up some basic Italian or advance to the next level of fluency, there are many useful apps that can help you achieve this goal! The flexibility and convenience of downloading an app on the go makes learning fun and affordable.   It’s important to keep in mind though that apps shouldn’t be your sole method of learning a language. No technology can beat the personalized instruction and guidance of an experienced language teacher. (Apps aren’t a substitute for real-life conversation practice either)! With that in mind, here are the 7 best Italian apps to supplement your learning. The 7 Best Apps to Help You Learn Italian 1. Mondly With a 5-star rating, Mondly allows you to study Italian vocabulary and phrases through interactive games and graphics. The app is free for In-App purchases and also available for the Apple Watch! Mondly allows you to collect points and compete with other users from across the globe. Students who face challenges learning Italian verbs can also benefit from the app’s 3D conjugation tables. 2. Busuu Of all the apps to learn Italian, Busuu was the first one to allow users to have verbal conversations with native speakers from all over the world. The app offers students direct communication with new pen pals right from their phone or iPad. Busuu also teamed up with McGraw-Hill to enable students to obtain an official learning certificate. The app has a  4+ star rating and allows for family sharing! 3. Learn Italian, Speak Italian This helpful app was rated by Google as the “Must have app for Android.” Lessons are created by a team of language experts and teachers, with over 150 topics and over 3,000 vocabulary words. If you’re a beginner, tourist, or business traveler, use this app to test your knowledge with fun quizzes. The Android app also allows you to record yourself so you can keep track of your progress! SEE ALSO: 10 Podcasts for Learning Italian 4. Italian by Nemo This app allows for hands free interaction, so you can practice your Italian skills while you walk, exercise, cook, or commute! Italian by Nemo is the perfect companion for busy students who only have a minute or two to spare throughout their day. You can download the app for free in either the Apple store or Google Play. It has a 4.3 star rating from users. 5. Learn Italian by Bravolol Learn Italian features a friendly, animated cartoon parrot guiding you on your way to mastering Italian. With engaging and interactive flashcards, this app will help you pick up commonly used Italian phrases and words. An awesome perk of the app is that it can be used without an internet connection! If you are traveling to Italy, make sure to bring this fun app with you on the plane to brush up on your skills. It’s available in the Apple store and Google Play. 6. Easy Talk The Easy Talk app comes with an Italian travel phrasebook, sample dialogues based on real life situations, and multiple search functions to select and keep track of your favorites. Another perk there aren’t any drills or boring grammar exercises! The app can also be used as a personal, pocket translator. It’s available for Android phones for a purchase of $3.99. 7. TakeLessons For easily accessible Italian lessons on the go, the TakeLessons app is the perfect resource no matter your skill level. Find experienced Italian teachers in your area, or connect with one digitally via the app’s video chat feature. With the TakeLessons app, you can learn Italian from a professional no matter where you are. You can also join in on free, group classes for your first month as a new student. The app is available for both Android and iPhones. It’s often said that when learning a new language like Italian, practice makes perfect. Any one of these apps to learn Italian would make an excellent tool to help you practice your skills! Impress your language teacher and your friends with how quickly you’ve learned. Ready to get started with private lessons? Schedule a one-on-one lesson with an Italian teacher today to start speaking, writing, and reading Italian! Need Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Post Author:  Liz T. Liz T. teaches Italian, ESL, as well as a variety of musical subjects! She is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music with a B.M in Vocal Performance and she currently performs all styles of music including Musical Theater, Classical, Jazz, Rock, Pop, RB, and Country. Learn more about Liz here!

[Infographic] American vs. French Culture 8 Things Every Traveler Should Know

[Infographic] American vs. French Culture 8 Things Every Traveler Should Know Sign up successful Share this Image On Your Site pstrongPlease include attribution to TakeLessons.com with this graphic./strong/pbr /br /br / pa href=https://takelessons.com/blog/french-culture-differences-z04img src=https://takelessons.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/america-vs-france-infographic.png alt=American culture vs. French Culture width=720px border=0 //a/pbr /br /br / p American Culture vs. French Culture: Things You Need to Know 1. Driving America:  The majority of Americans travel by automobile, even in major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. In fact, three out of four Americans drive to work, while a mere 5.2 percent take mass transit. France:  You won’t see roads full of  SUVs in France, as the country is known for having an excellent public transportation system. Most people use the underground subway systems and tramways to get around. 2. Dining France:  In France, there’s no such thing as a meal on-the-go.  Rather, people take their time eating and typically don’t eat dinner until around 8 p.m. America:  It’s not surprising to see someone eating a slice of pizza while rushing to get to their next destination. Typically, Americans eat much earlier and faster than the French. 3. Fashion France: The French wouldn’t be caught dead wearing sweatpants and sandals in public. People take pride in their appearance and dress more moderately compared to Americans. America: While every city has its styleâ€"for example, New York is more high-fashion, while California is laid backAmericans are all about comfort and being casual. Swim trunks and a t-shirt on a hot day are A-OK in their book. 4. Drinking America: Americans are more apt to reach for a refreshingly cold beer. Over the past years, however, wine has become increasingly more popular. While not celebrated, public intoxication isn’t rare. France: The French have a reputation for drinking in moderation and their drink of choice is typically wine. After all, you can find a wine bar at just about every corner. In French culture, public intoxication is heavily frowned upon. 5. Dating America: Americans are all about playing the field. It’s not uncommon for a stranger to ask someone  out on a dateâ€"which typically includes some sort of meal or outingâ€"if he or she is interested. France: The French don’t date. In fact, there is no real word for “date” or “dating” in the French language. People get to know each other through social circlesâ€"and exclusivity is always implied. 6. Communication America: Americans are super friendly and outgoing. They are likely to greet friends and acquaintances with a big hug. You could say that communication is very informal, whereas the French are more formal. France: Hugging is sometimes considered more intimate than kissing in France. The French don’t use the first name of a person unless they are invited to do so. What’s more, speaking too loud is considered a sign of anger and impoliteness. 7. Body language France: When it comes to body language, the French are quite reserved. Placing your hands in your pockets or slouching are big no-nos.     America: Oddly enough,  both American and French culture are very similar in this category. Americans value their personal space and don’t respond well to unnecessary fidgeting.   8. Small Talk America: People in the U.S. are very open and polite. It’s not uncommon for someone to ask  his or her  mailman or pharmacist how his or her family is doing or what his or her plans are for the weekend. France: Stick with small talk. It’s okay, for example, to talk about the weather, but anything beyond that isn’t normal in the French culture. Tip: 50 French Phrases You Need to Know Before Your Trip to France Happy Travels! Now that youre up to speed on the French culture, youre ready for your trip. Dont shy away from meeting locals, as immersing  yourself in the French culture will ensure that you make the most of your trip! Do you live in France? If so, share your advice for traveling in the comment section below. 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

English Conversation Class Can Art Change the World

English Conversation Class Can Art Change the World The topic for our first group English conversation class is, which will take place on Wednesday, March 16 at 9 PM GMT, is: Can Art Change the World?This topic was inspired by the 2011 TED Prize winner, semi-anonymous French street artist JR. JR started out as a on the streets of Paris, where he began photographing fellow graffiti artists, and posting the photos in public spaces as illegal street exhibitions.His projects became more and more ambitious over time. In 2006, he enlarged photos of thugs from the suburbs of France after large riots there, and posted them on walls in wealthy neighborhoods.A photo of JRs Face to Face project in the Middle East. © jr-art.netIn 2007, he created the largest illegal photo exhibition ever, entitled Face to Face. For this project, he photographed Israelis and Palestinians that worked in the same professions, then posted the portraits next to each other on either side of the wall that separates Israel and Palestine.Since then, JR has continued to c reate interesting and daring art projects around the world, often in places that are considered too dangerous to visit. After winning the TED Prize, the TED Foundation gave JR one wish, which it then uses its resources to help fulfill.JRs wish is to do a massive art project, in which people from all over the world can send him photos, that he will then have printed, and mail back for people to create their own JR-like street art exhibitions.Below you can watch a video in which JR himself explains his work and the project. Youll also find several links to additional reading about his work and the TED project. Click here to register for a group English conversation class about JRs work, and the question: Can Art Change the World?Read more about JRs work, and the TED Prize here.Click here to become part of his art project.

The Forgetting Curve

The Forgetting Curve I have an awful memory. Seriously! I can barely recall what I had for breakfast yesterday. While my memory is probably below average, I’m not alone in my struggles with recollection. As humans, our minds are not designed to store and retain every piece of data that enters through our senses.We forget approximately:50% of new info we encounter within an hour70% within 24 hoursAnd 90% within a weekIt’s important to note that our forgetfulness is a highly beneficial trait. Imagine if you could remember the color of every car you passed this morning, or last week, or ten years ago! We forget the vast majority of what we experience because most of the data is inessential. Forgetting is an active, adaptive, and desirable process.That said, we are often called upon in our academic and career journeys to remember important concepts and information. To do so, it’s crucial to understand our psychology and that of our students, so that we can learn and educate with our forgetting in mind. What can we do to help students remember better?Tips for overcoming the forgetting curve1. Have a focusKnowing that memory is selective and limited, it’s crucial to pick 1-2 key topics and focus on them during a class or training. Walking through myriad details and minutia is hopeless because the learner can only really keep a couple of big ideas in mind for the long term.2. Space it outOnce you’ve picked a most important idea to hone in on, you must hammer the message home over time. Our SAT test prep students often report that their tutors will repeat the same strategical pointer, such as “read the question carefully and annotate”, so frequently throughout the prep that the tutor’s voice can be heard in the student’s mind when they are taking the actual SAT. That means the tutor has done a good job of stressing a certain concept’s importance.3. Make a connectionA common memory enhancement technique is to connect a new idea to an old one. Connections are used to great success in history tutoring; by linking newly-learned events and people to more familiar ones, students can begin to think in terms of trends and retain core historical ideas and concepts for the long term.4. Say it first, say it lastDue to primacy and recency biases, we often remember the first and the last things said by a speaker.5. Deliver it in multiple waysBecause we all learn differently, explaining an idea in multiple ways is most effective. For example, one student might grow to understand the graph of a line visually, while another prefers the abstraction of an equation, and still another might best digest the concept by having it explained verbally. For many students, it will be ideal to have the algebraic concept of a line explained in all three ways, repeated over time, and reinforced through practice.6. Revisit the information frequentlyLuckily, while forgetting is a pervasive process, it is not random. It is possible to signal the brain that a particular piece of inf ormation is important and that it should be retained. Thus, this tip is the most crucial. When you force a learner to revisit information in the hours and days after training, they are much more likely to retain that information in the long run.If your goal is to produce long-term retention and behavior change, then what you do after training is more important than what you do during training. Give us a call today to learn more about how we can help your student!

How to Prep for a College Job Fair

How to Prep for a College Job Fair via pixabay.com 1. Bring several copies of your resume. One of the most important things you can bring with you to a job fair is your resume. This piece of paper is something you can put in the hands of those who are hiring so they can remember you later on. Make sure youve edited your resume multiple times and gotten several opinions on formatting, use of verbs, and organization. Your schools career center will likely have professionals who dedicate their daily lives to reading college student resumes and aiding in the job search. Before you attend your college job fair, make sure your resume is as close to perfect as possible. Writing a resume can be challenging and intimidating. Its tough to know what your industry expects, and there are way too many online templates to choose from. Research tips on  making your resume stand out  to human resources managers prior to completing and printing out several copies of your resume. 2. Dress appropriately. When you attend a job fair, youre making a first impression on the company. If you show up in your sweaty gym clothes, potential employers will be anything but impressed. Remember that first impressions cannot be redone. If youre serious about getting a job after college, ensure that when you attend a job fair and meet professionals in the field, youre dressed as if youre interviewing for the job on the spot because oftentimes, thats exactly what a job fair is. Outfits that are acceptable for job interviews are also acceptable for job fairs. Though I would say youre safe if youre slightly more casual than formal interview wear. Employers understand that you might be coming from class, so theres a chance youre going to be in shoes that are a bit more comfortable to walk in than your dressy ones. However, theres no excuse for showing up to a career fair in shorts and a t-shirt. I would  not  recommend throwing away your chance at a job because of a wardrobe faux-pas. via Pixabay.com 3. Do your research. Showing up to a career fair without any information about employers who will be in attendance is one of the worst ways to prepare for a job fair. Colleges will most likely publish a list of employers who will be in attendance often organized by industry. Spend some time looking over this list and prioritizing the employers that youre most interested in (more on this in the next point). Otherwise, you could waste your time talking to employers that dont offer what youre looking for. One of the best ways to research companies is to talk with a current employee. Its pretty unlikely that youre going to personally know someone who works for the company youre most interested in, but this is where upperclassmen can come in handy. Reach out to classmates youve had that have graduated and gotten jobs. They could be some of your best resources when it comes to finding a job for yourself! The one thing you  absolutely do not want to do  is show up to a career fair with absolutely no knowledge about any of the employers in attendance. Itll make you look completely unprepared and irresponsible. This isnt to say that you cant visit tables of employers youre not as familiar with its just to point out how ill-prepared you look if you walk up to an employer and expect them to sell  you  on what they have to offer. Sure, employers know theyre competing with everyone else in attendance. But it looks pretty bad when your introduction to an employer begins with so tell me about you guys. Employers will be much more impressed if you know your stuff upon opening a conversation with whoever is there to represent them. created by Lorena Roberts via Piktochart.com 4. Prioritize your interests. There are going to be hundreds of employers at this job fair trust me. If your university has gone through the trouble of scheduling a job fair, theyre going to make sure its loaded with potential employers. Because it can be overwhelming to walk into a job fair and approach employers, prioritize those you are most interested in speaking with. I wouldnt suggest showing up and lolly-gagging from table to table, hoping you come across your dream job. Preparing for a career fair requires you take time beforehand to really do your research. Plus, companies are highly impressed when students can show theyve dedicated time to researching a company and their goals. Consider reaching out to HR before the career fair expressing your excitement for meeting one of their representatives on campus. That way, when you show up to the fair, someone is already expecting you and youll have a starting point for conversation. This is probably better advice for upperclassmen who are on the verge of graduating. As a freshman, its not as important that youre on a first name basis with the HR supervisor. But as you move through your college career, consider ways you can network with companies youre most interested in working for. 5. Be prepared to give a pitch. Career fairs are about selling yourself and your abilities. When you travel from table to table, representatives from companies will ask you about yourself, your interests, and your career goals. Be prepared to strike up a conversation with a professional regarding the things youre interested in, some of your favorite classes, and any experiences youve had that would make you valuable to their company. If you need help writing or rehearsing your elevator pitch, reach out to your schools career services center. They specialize in making sure youre prepared to land a job after college. It can be intimidating to try and write an elevator pitch on your own and its hard to know what youre up against as far as competition with your fellow classmates. Universities have career service departments to help students with things like this! Youll be able to meet with someone whose sole purpose is to help you land your dream job. Most likely, theyll be with you every step of the way from writing your pitch to practicing and perfecting it for the employers youre most interested in. 6. Know what  not  to bring. Employers know that youre visiting the fair in between classes, but, if at all possible, stop back by your apartment or vehicle to drop off your bulky belongings. While its generally acceptable to show up to a career fair with friends, I wouldnt suggest traveling from table to table together. Be confident enough to branch out on our own and talk to potential employers without your BFF by your side. Food and drink is a total no-no, unless its your refillable water bottle. Showing up to a table holding your Subway sandwich is going to make you look like nothing more than a  total goon.   My advice? Eat a snack beforehand and only show up to a career fair with a bottled water if you need it. Carrying around a soda, a snack, or other eateries just makes you look like you werent prepared for a college job fair. Employers remember things like this though you may think they dont. You probably dont want to be the one they remember as the girl with the sauce on her face. Potential employers have taken time out of their busy schedules to meet with college students who could potentially become employees. Walking up to a table with a greasy sandwich in your hands is a total turn-off. via Pixabay.com 7. Have a plan for following up with some of your top choices. Collect business cards, email addresses, and names of the companies youre interested in pursuing. Come up with a game plan for following up with them! Whether you send an email thanking them for their time or getting more information, employers like to hear from you after theyve met with you. You can truly seal the deal by making sure you have a plan for how youll follow up with the employers you favored most. College job fairs can be intimidating especially if its your first go-round. But after you get the hang of things, youll realize that these career fairs are gold mines  for ensuring you have a shot at a job after graduation. Its the perfect place to network and make connections with professionals in your field and get your name out there. Students will often attend more than one career fair. The more opportunities you can take advantage of, the better! So as soon as you feel prepared to start showing up to these events do it! The more practice you get meeting employers, the better. Youll be glad you did it when it comes to making those student loan payments after graduation. Attending your universitys career fair might be intimidating at first, but there are ways you can ensure youre completely prepared to hit a home run with every employer you talk to. Make sure you show up with plenty of copies of your resume, dressed for the job, with the background knowledge you need to make conversation with the employers in attendance. The earlier you get experience with attending career fairs, the more practice youll have, and the more likely itll be that youll land your dream job after graduation.

Playing It by Ear How to Use Radio to Learn Absolutely Any Language

Playing It by Ear How to Use Radio to Learn Absolutely Any Language So, youve started learning a language. Good for you!You may be finding that learning curve to be pretty steep, but youre going at it with all youve got.Youre collecting textbooks by the dozen.Youre hoarding foreign  novels  like nobodys business.Youre loading up on target-language movies and TV shows, guilt-freeâ€"because hey, theyre  educational.  You might even know what  SRS is and how to use it!And youre listening to a few radio stations here and there, right?If not, you really should start. And if youve already started, you may want to consider seriously upping your intake. But well get to all that in just a minute.The point I want to make first is, with language learning, its important to amass all kinds of tools.Sure, some wont work for you and some will, but its like throwing spaghetti at a wallâ€"you just have to try it to see if it sticks.Reading is essential for comprehension and vocabulary acquisition, those fancy-shmancy textbooks break down grammar and hand you useful, everyday vocab up front and TV and movies provide you the opportunity to listen to casual speech in context (all while picking up important cultural mannerisms).And SRS (spaced repetition software) can seal it all together by ensuring that youre maximizing your memory!So with all that written language, technology and information put together by experts, why is it so important to fit humble, old-fashioned radio into the mix? Why Radio Is so Important for Language LearnersYou may already know that listening to native resources in general is great for listening comprehension.Thats why FluentU is built around authentic resources, giving you access to the same stuff native speakers enjoy every day along with neat learning features like interactive captions and SRS.FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news, inspiring talks and more.With FluentU, you hear languages in real-world contextsâ€"the way that native speakers actually use them. Just a qui ck 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 Fluen tU on the website  with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the  iTunes store  or  Google Play store.Radio comes with its own set of benefits, and there are tons of reasons why it should be a cornerstone of your language learning.Its free and plentifulSo much in this world comes at a cost, and language learning can get pricy. We might fork over whatever it takes for textbooks, programs and classes. Novels, movies and TV shows can come a  little cheaper, but not by much if you want a vast second-language library. This isnt all badâ€"a lot of these essential resources are worth every penny.Radio, however, comes free.You dont need subscriptions to pay for radio. Whether offline or through online sources, its just a matter of finding stations that appeal to you!On top of that, theres a multitude of radio out there, just waiting to be discovered. Live in a region that doesnt speak the language? No worries! Online radios got you covered.Are you learnin g a somewhat rare language? Say, Navajo, Icelandic or Welsh? Well, radios going to be your very best friend, because other resources are in short supply for these languages. Even if there isnt a station dedicated to your particular language, various communities often have local radio shows in a minority language, like Yiddish, for example.With all this availability, theres nothing stopping you from tuning in to your favorite station. Which brings me toRadio is convenientWhen youve got your textbook out for some serious study, thats where your focus is going to be. When youre glued to a movie or TV show, guess what? Its not easy to split your attention.Radioâ€"either music or talkâ€"is hands-off. All you need is an Internet connection (or, you know, an actual radio).Unlike a lot of other learning tools, radio is super easy to have on while doing chores like washing dishes or folding clothes. Even if youre doing something that requires higher attention, like working or studying, you c an still benefit! Even with radio in the background, youll tune in every now and then and pick out words and sounds. Even with split attention, youll get used to the speed at which  real  speakers talk.And speaking of convenience, quite a lot of stations are available to you 24 hours a day, as long as you dont mind listening to late-night call-in shows and some repetitive new stories. If you dont live in a country in which your target language is spoken, this makes up for regional time differences. No excuse to slack off now!Radio is full of varietyCompared with other learning tools, radio is chock-full of options. Hand me a bored learner, and Ill lead them to the nearest radio-emitting machine. Radio reigns as king of variety, primarily because all of the options available come at the low, low price of  free.Now, when I talk about using radio as a learning tool, I mostly mean talk radio because its conversational and this makes it unique (unlike music, which you can easily obtain f rom lots of other sources) and less formulaic (unlike sports).But even just within the universe of talk radio, there is oh-so-much variety. You have news channels, comedy shows, interview shows, shows on subjects like literature or film (maybe you can even get some good recommendations), documentaries and call-in shows. Besides all that, you can of course still catch up with sports or relax with some musicâ€"the options are nearly endless!Radio is all talk (in a good way)TV and movies are fantastic resources for learning a language because you get the talk along with mannerisms that are essential to mixing in with a new culture, but theres still something to be said for talk and talk alone.With movies and TV, youll find yourself picking up words and meaning through situational context, and thats great!  But radio is an exercise in listening with minimal context to  really test yourself. Youre forced to figure out meaning by parsing what the speakers are saying based on  only their w ords and tone.Of course, this isnt at all like what youll encounter in the real world. Its good and useful to use context, body language and other non-verbal communication to understand others and express yourself!Nevertheless, listening to radio is a great exercise for challenging yourself, and stretching your skills now can make TV, movies and real people easier to understand in the end.Radio is naturally repetitiveAs the Romans were fond of saying:Repetitio est mater studiorum.(Repetition is the mother of skill.)And radios got repetition in spades.For one, youll hear commercials  ad nauseum  (get it?), and they tend to be more repetitive than their TV commercial brethren. Why is this desirable? Well, soon youll have them memorized word for word. And what good does  that do you? Any memorized snippet of language helps you remember vocabulary and grammatical patterns.Moreover, having a particular word or grammatical pattern attached to an irritating commercial will help it stick in your mind  much  more easily than if you had simply learned it from a textbook.Commercials arent the only repetition youll find, either. Radio shows often have introductions that the speakers will say periodically through each show, usually word for word. Longer shows are made to be listened to in the car, and so are written for people who could tune in at any time. Thus, the speakers recap everything multiple times! Like commercials, this is potentially irritating to your casual listener, yes, but gold  for a language learner.The news in general is repetitive by nature. All jokes about the current state of news media aside, the news is a wonderful learning tool. Heard a bit of a news story a while ago, but didnt quite  catch the meaning? No problem! Theyll talk about it again in about an hour. Sometimes, a big news day will come along, and theyll be talking about the same story for a week. For you, that means the same vocabulary over and over, and abundant chances for you to get i t right.So, How Can You Start Using Radio to Learn Your Language?First, find stations you loveAs mentioned above, this has never been easier. If youre lucky enough to live in a country that speaks your language, then simply crank up the radio in your car, or even buy a small handheld radio. Why do that in the age of the Internet, you may be wondering? Well, not all radio stations have online streams, and if you live in a country in which your target language is spoken, you can have access to all sorts of great local radio!For the rest of us, theres still trusty online radio to help out. But where to start?TuneIn: This is a general online radio site. The front page will show you local stations, but if those arent in your target language, thats not what were after. Instead, click By Location at the top of the page, and youll see a list of continents. Click through until you find the country youre interested in, and then browse the radio stations as you see fit. Each station has a brie f description of the kind of content it plays, but these arent always accurate, so every stations worth a shot. If you cant find something you like through this search method, try clicking Talk on the front page again. Click through to World Talk, where TuneIn has archived streams of talk shows from many of the larger world languages.Multilingual Books: This site is mainly a resource for people to buy books and media from other countries. However, like TuneIn, its radio section allows you to search by language  for online radio stations. You have to download the streams here, so make sure you have the appropriate software to play each file type!Omniglot: Omniglot is a great resource to learn about languages and writing systems in general. Luckily for our purposes, they also have a wonderful section with resources for a huge number of world languages. These include radio stations, so check them out!Apps: I recommend checking out radio apps in your target language for iOS or Android. There are plenty of them for most major languages, but they vary widely in quality. Personally, I use Radio Netherlands for Dutch and Radios France for French.Then, listen, listen, listen!Now that youve got your radio by the basketful, listen to as much as you can, wherever you can, whenever you can. Whether youre listening to it in the background or hanging on to every word, listening is important! Try listening to a show or station you like on a regular basis, like whenever you walk to class or drive to work. If you can tie language activities to your daily life, it can help to keep you consistent.Need some more targeted listening tips? Try these.Pick up new words and remember them.While youre listening, youll end up picking out and reinforcing words you already know. Keep that up! But how do you retain the  new words you learn through radio?As you listen, the speakers will most certainly repeat words over and over. Wait till you hear one that stands out to you. Look it up in a di ctionary to make sure you have the meaning right. (This can take a few tries if spelling or writing is tricky in your target language!) Then, enter it into your SRS or whatever you use to store new vocab. For added context and retention, enter one of the example sentences from your dictionary along with the English translation. After that, mosey on back to your radio!Watch for linguistic ticks, like filler!Whats filler? Linguistic filler includes words like um and uh Theyre placeholder words for when were collecting our thoughts or hesitating. However, they often dont work between languages!Using English filler in Spanish or Zulu will immediately mark you as a foreign speaker. This isnt the end of the world, but its  incredibly easy to fix.  Filler  words can be hard to come by without listening in on native speakers conversations. But with unscripted conversational  radio, filler is very easy to pick out, because itll be used over and over.Sometimes filler is more obvious, such as when Spanish speakers say eh  and French speakers say euh. Sometimes its less obvious: Japanese speakers say ??  (ano) and Icelanders say hérna.  Either way, just keep listening to unscripted radio, and the filler will become readily apparent, mostly by its frequency alone. So easy!As you listen, use the variety of content to tackle specific linguistic problemsIts always good to keep tabs on your weak areas when learning a language, as well as to be aware of your strengths. Maybe you have plenty of native speaker friends, so youve got casual conversation down pat, and its formal language that trips you up. Or maybe youre the opposite, and slangy, off-the-cuff conversation sends you running. Radio can help you bring these weak areas up to speed!News is great for formal language. This can range from a news recap on the hour, to an interview with a leading expert on some topic, to the most formal of speeches given by heads of state. Become a real news junkie, and youll see improvement in your formal tone as well as some complex vocabulary. News is unlikely to stray into the realm of informal talk.For that, youll want to listen to interview shows for more informal conversational give-and-take. Call-in shows provide much of the same, with the added benefits of odd accents and terrible phone connections! For an even deeper comprehension of informal language, listen to comedy. Comedy obviously provides jokes (they dont always translate well!), swear words and crucial cultural references.Finally, use different accents to exercise your earBecause radio stations are easy to find and cheap, theres no reason you should only be able to understand the standard accent of your chosen language. Most popular world languages include a wide variety of accents and dialects. Even if you never want to  talk  in a particular dialect, listening to different manners of speaking can help you roll with the punches when you come across them in the field.While accents from within a certai n country can be harder to find (national standard dialects and all that), accents  between countries are relatively easy to find in terms of radio stations.So for example, use TuneIn to compare Canadian French with Haitian French, Spanish from Madrid with Colombian Spanish, Taiwanese Mandarin with Mainland Chinese Mandarin. You get the picture! As an added benefit, after youve struggled awhile with a strange accent, listening to the standard language will be like a hot knife through butter.And there you have it: all about why and how radio can bring your language skills to the next level.Now go blast that German/Spanish/Icelandic talk radio!