What Is Analytical Chemistry?

What Is Analytical Chemistry?Analytical chemistry has been in existence for centuries. It is also one of the first areas of science to get out of the laboratory and live amongst the people. Chemists have always created new developments in chemical methods and chemists have continued to invent better and safer chemicals for us to use.Analytical chemistry started in the 1400's. It was actually really hard to grow herbs and vegetables without a microscope. The microscope made it easier for men to pick up plants and grow them as food. This would have been hard without a microscope and a guide for first aid if something happened to you.Some of the changes were so difficult to handle, that they took years to learn. The first time someone had the ability to grow foods and vegetables without a microscope they were the wealthy classes, most of the people could not afford the instrument. Without the microscope it would have been difficult to pick a plant up with their bare hands. The guide to do that is still the same today as we learn new things about nature.There are still good books and guides to be read today. If you are interested in learning all you can about science you may need to pick up a book. All of the information we learn gets stored in our brains. We can remember it for years.Analytical chemistry is a branch of chemistry. It has developed over the years and some of the methods have changed. Sometimes it feels like a branch of chemistry just because it does so many different things. With all the different fields of study, you can't take anything too seriously.Analytical chemistry is used to help scientists find things out. Sometimes a scientist will see something that they think is important to their research. They make notes in a book or even computer and email this information to the other researchers. They are hoping to show them how the information could help them develop a drug or cure something. This may sound confusing, but it is quite helpful.These drugs may cause side effects and can get lost if you lose them in your office or laboratory. By using analytical chemistry, you can get the drug in your office or laboratory and continue on with your research.

Top Computer Science Tutors Help With Assignments

Top Computer Science Tutors Help With Assignments Picking online computer science tutors who are proficient and a decent match to a students shortcomings or instructive needs is critical. When picking such a guide, make certain to pick an internet mentoring that gives you every coachs accreditation and capabilities. Before recruiting a computer science online tutor you need to ask yourself a certain set of questions like: Is the recruited tutor pretty much qualified? What is the ratio of tutor to students? Is the tutoring company having enough positive reviews online or in person? What other benefits do students get from such a company? Are student achievements being measured aptly on a regular basis? List of 5 best online computer science tutoring companies TutorPace.com All coaching sessions are balanced and customized. You can communicate with mentors on a whiteboard that is interactive to survey your problems. The mentors can offer you some assistance with a thorough understanding of essential PC programming as well as cutting edge knowledge on subjects, which include: Graphic Design C Sharp Programming C++ Programming CSS C Programming Android Programming Ajax Information Structures Applied Computer Science Networking Design Development Dynamic Graphics and more 24HourAnswers.com Submit anything from basic inquiries to cutting edge assignments and get master direction to offer you some assistance with complete mentoring arrangements. Proficient coaches offer live web mentoring sessions utilizing best in class whiteboard innovation. First-time students can download a straightforward module and you are prepared to begin. The problem solvers in the form of experienced mentors are specialists in every aspect of computer science. You can avail an expert mentor anytime essentially by signing on to your web based sessions. Tutor.com The guides have the advantage of an adaptable calendar. You can avail tutoring services at whatever time, any place. Make your own calendar and be in touch with your tutor from the solace of your home or office, everything you need is steady, fast web access. Keep your abilities sharp, profit and instruct what you cherish all around your timetable. WyzAnt.com Locate the best guides closer to your home. Correspond with guides, receive feedback, and run historical verification to ensure you locate the ideal fit. Since 2005, many have availed more than 4.7 million hours of direction through WyzAnt. You dont pay for your first hour with any guide unless you locate a solid match. 75700+ coaches are tried and looked into to guarantee best in the class services. Chegg.com Whether you are searching for prompt help with Computer Science or need to set up week after week mentoring, Chegg Tutors has online Computer Science coaches that can help now. Mentors are accessible every minute daily from all over the world conveying services for any subject Easy setup with no downloads is the best part here. Whats more! You can upload whiteboard chat, docs, sound, and video. Summing up things… When checking out online mentors, you will realize that they are so confident to the point that they can enhance your evaluations that they will promise with their computer science assignment help. The computer science mentors additionally help you with computer science homework help to perform better on exams and tests, and offer you assistance with staying competitive.

3 Ways Private Tutoring Can Reduce the Cost of Education

3 Ways Private Tutoring Can Reduce the Cost of Education Improving Academic Performance College is expensive.The cost of college has been rising faster than the average U.S. income for almost two decades. At the same time, the college admissions process is becoming increasingly competitive â€" getting into high quality state schools is nowhere near a given. At the University of Illinois, a 3.75 GPA and a 30 on the ACT does not mean you’ll be admitted, for example. Furthermore, due to the recent recession, once college is over, getting a job is more difficult than it was a decade ago. Yet, study after study still shows that a college education increases your earning power by tens of thousands of dollars every year, so even though a college education is more difficult to obtain and more expensive than ever, it’s still a great investment â€" in most circumstances. With all this in mind, you might think the private tutoring market, with its relatively high cost, would be struggling â€" it makes high school and/or college cost even more. But, the market for private tutoring is not struggling. In fact, it has been and is expected to continue to grow at more than double the rate of GDP through 2017. It’s growing very fast. Why is this? It’s because spending on education, including private tutoring, is really an investment â€" not a cost. For those of you with general business or accounting experience, you’ll realize the incredibly important difference between the two concepts. A cost is incurred today to produce something â€" perhaps a product, or a service â€" that you use today. An investment, on the other hand, costs money today, but produces a benefit far into the future.And, the long run return on investments in education is usually very positive. So, I suggest that private tutoring can actually decrease the overall cost of education. Three Ways Private Tutoring Can Reduce the Cost of Education, we list three scenarios that illustrate how this can be the case:Scenario #1 â€" A low performing high school or college student finds a long term private tutorScenario #2 â€" The above average high school student invests in an ACT tutorScenario #3 â€" The proactive high school student loads his schedule with 5 AP classesOf course, while this is all true in the broad sense, the real world can be complicated. If you attend a mediocre school, choose a major thatdoesn'tfit your passion, and don’t get involved in activities that build or demonstrate your leadership skills and/or creativity, you probably won’t land a high paying job. In this case, the investment you made in your education may not pay off as expected. The key is to understand your end goal and objectives, make intelligent choices about the education you pursue, and do what you can to increase your return on that investment in education while you’re in college (i.e., get As, not Cs.).In fact, MyGuru has developed two partnerships with organizations that help you navigate the college admissions process and highlight the choices you could make to find the right college for you at the lowest price possible.Collegian Financial is a college admissions adviser with a personalized approach that includes hands-on support for parents a nd students from freshman year in high school, through college and career. They consider academic, social, and financial pieces as a whole to avoid wasting time and money.The College Solution is an interesting and extremely helpful blog with a clear focus on creating tons of content that helps high school students and parents identify the right schools for their individual needs while reducing the cost of attending those schools.Click to learn more about how MyGuru helps you maximize your return on your investment in education through private ACT tutoring.

Phrasal Verbs with Multiple Meanings - English Lesson via Skype

Phrasal Verbs with Multiple Meanings - English Lesson via Skype Phrasal verb  is a very unique and quite complex construction of  the English language. Many ESL students have difficulties understanding the meaning of phrasal verbs. I hope you are more confident now with the grammar of phrasal verbs. In  case this is  not confusing enough for you, many phrasal verbs have more than just one meaning. Let’s have a look at popular phrasal verbs with multiple meanings. 10 Phrasal Verbs with Multiple Meanings TO TAKE OFF1. to removeExample: It was a warm sunny day and I decided to take off my coat.2. to leave the groundExample: I hope our plane will take off on time.TO GET THROUGH1. to finishExample: I don’t think I’ll get through your report by the end of this week.2. to passExample: I think Michael will get through the test.TO PICK UP1. to take it from a low placeExample: I asked him to pick up the rubbish.2. to collectExample: I have to pick up my Mum at 8.45 p.m.3. to improveExample: The world economy is picking up quite strongly.TO GO OFF1. to ringExample: Alarm fails sometimes on mobile devices and doesnt go off.2. to go badExample: The milk will go off if you don’t put back in the fridge after breakfast.3. to explodeExample: Luckily the bomb failed to go off.TO RUN OVER1. to hit someone with a carExample: I ran over a fox last night.2. to exceedExample: The project ran over its expected budget. Phrasal Verbs with Multiple Meanings Enjoyed this infographic? Here's what you can do next: TO BRUSH OFF1. to remove something with a brushExample: Sarah brushed off the dust from her golf shoes.2. to dismiss, to ignore a personExample: Peter brushed off all objections to his plan.TO TURN AROUND1. to improve dramatically from bad to goodExample: Half year end results were not great but we managed to turn around things by the end of the year.2. to change direction, to make a u-turnExample: He had to turn around to go back home to get his passport.TO GET ON1. to board (a bus, train, ship etc)Example: You should let passengers off the bus before you get on.2. to have a friendly relationshipExample: I get on really well with my boss.TO MAKE UP1. to restore good relationships after a quarrelExample: After an argument I had with my best friend last week we finally made up.2. to invent somethingExample: He made up a story to get out of trouble.TO WORK OUT1. to exerciseExample: To maintain a healthy lifestyle it is recommended to work out regularly.2. to resolveExample: “Everythi ng works out in the end. If it hasn’t worked out yet, then it’s not the end.” â€" Tracy McMillanMore information can about phrasal verbs with multiple meanings can  be found on the British Council website.What do you find the most confusing about phrasal verbs? Let us know in the comments below.

5 Things to do Before You Go Away to College

5 Things to do Before You Go Away to College Heading to college this fall? TutorNerds is here to help. High school is finally over, graduation day has arrived, which means you have successfully survived high school. Congratulate yourself because you deserve it. You championed those nasty standardized exams, you passed your AP classes (TutorNerds offers AP test Tutoring), you survived cafeteria food for four years, you did three hours of homework a night all while maintaining a part time job and gaining volunteer experience. And now you are done, well sort of. There are still an additional four years ahead of you (and for some of you a lot more than that; PhD anyone?). Of course, these next years won’t be anything like the four years in high school. You will have freedom to actually choose what you want to study, you will set your own schedule and take your own responsibilities, and you will still have to eat cafeteria food (READ our post on Self-Discipline). Countless students leave a bit unprepared for college and that can make the first semester a giant wake up call to the responsibilities of university life. I’m not talking about pre-ordering a twin sheet set for your dorm or getting to know your roommate prior to your arrival, I’m talking about good old fashioned organization and academics. Here are 5 things you can do to make life a lot easier during that first semester in college: One: Have a tutor, keep a tutor. Need a tutor, find a tutor Remember the tutor (most likely the private Orange County tutor from TutorNerds) that helped you through SAT, ACT or AP? Chances are they tutor other subjects as well. With the use of handy dandy technology, many tutors give lessons via Skype. If you have already found your perfect match, why make a change? Tutors book up early so if you want to keep your favorite tutor, make sure to let them know and make sure that they offer remote tutoring, especially if you are moving to a different time zone. Didn’t need a tutor in high school or didn’t get one but kind of wish that you had? Arrange for a tutor now rather than later. You don’t want to be in a position where you are scrambling around looking for a brand new tutor just after failing your first midterm. Even if you feel pretty confident that your academics are strong, do yourself a favor and call a tutoring company to put your name on the list of potential students. It could be the difference between having a tutor within a week or within a month. Don’t waste time (and possibly your first semester GPA) searching for a tutor when things have already gone downhill. A final point, choosing a private tutor for the summer (READ: ten reasons you need a summer tutor) will help you gain confidence and courage for the big switch to college. How do we know? Our college educated tutors have all made the leap, so theyll give you an insiders perspective as you prepare. Two: Review your core subjects and pick your core classes Before you burn your essays in a celebratory bonfire, go through all of your senior year English and math assignments and look for patterns. Patterns include things that you are consistently good at as well as things that need improvement. If you rock at algebra but probability problems made you want to run away screaming, use this knowledge about yourself to pick your freshman classes. Sign up for Algebra 1A but skip Statistics 101. If you hated writing papers with a passion, find out if you can take English Composition 101 in your second semester. There is no way around taking this class at the college level but you might be able to put it off until you feel more comfortable about college life. Three: Fill in the gaps Remember when your high school English teacher assigned summer reading (or in-class reading) and you took a shortcut by using Cliff notes or Spark notes and didn’t actually read the book? College is when these decisions seem like a bad idea in retrospect. Being well read will help you out in nearly every liberal arts college class that you take. Even engineering and computer science majors will find themselves on the humanities side of the campus during those first two years. Take the time to read the books that you truly skipped and review ones that you may have skimmed while in a hurry. Your older self will thank you later. (READ: the 10 best teen reads) Four: Have a game plan When I was in college I took a nice long look through the list of required classes and discovered that I could easily kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, by taking say Literature 2, instead of Literature 3. That left me with a ton of leftover units that I used to take fun electives or ‘easy A’ type courses. There is no reason why you can’t do the same. Don’t waste your time taking 2 classes that you don’t really like when you could have filled a few hours of your week doing something you love. Five: Dont bite off more than you can chew So, you took two AP classes, scored a 1900 on the SAT and maintained a 3.8 GPA during your senior year. That helped you get the well deserved acceptance letter to the place you will be moving to this fall but, so did everyone else that will arrive on campus in September. This doesn’t mean that you’re not awesome; it just means that everybody else is also awesome. The competition is fierce. If your counselor at UC or Cal State tells you that the maximum number of classes you should take is 4, don’t be brave and sign yourself up for 5! The academic counselors have mentored thousands of students and they know what works and what doesn’t. If you are behind on classes, save it for summer or at least save it for your second year. First semester freshman year is not the time to overload yourself. University life can be incredibly wonderful if you are able to balance out your academic and social lives. Do yourself a favor and ease in to your first few months at college. Remember all of the useful things that you learned in high school and learn how to cut through some of the red tape. Enjoy a seriously fun summer and head off to the next stage of life in a couple of months. All blog entries are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at info@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us post about. Orange County parents and students, listen up! Beat the summer slowdown with a private, in-home tutor. We work around your schedule so you can stay sharp while having fun in the sun. Read: 10 Reasons You Need a Summer Tutor. What are you waiting for? Call us. Teach.com

Eat Healthy In College Skip The Freshman 15

Eat Healthy In College Skip The Freshman 15 The Freshman 15 doesnt have to happen. Start good habits: eat healthy in college (https://www.flickr.com). Just remember: everything in moderation. Don’t let this fight against a few pounds make your life dramatically different, especially if youre hating it. And if my plan isn’t working for you, figure out what does. As kids’ TV tells us, everyone’s different! These should work for any diet just remember balance: get in some whole grains, plants, healthy fats, and protein! For space, I admittedly leave advice without evidence, but research is good for you, right? 1. Watch out for hidden sugar. I was a pretty healthy eater in high school, but my college coaches emphasized how important it is to watch added sugars and that was probably the biggest change in my diet. We tried to keep it to under 10g in a serving as a MAX (hint: look at your flavored yogurt, juice, peanut butter, instant oatmeal packets … and your nutrition bars). Overall, the less, the better. My favorite truly non-sugar alternative is stevia, but watch out the easiest “stevia” to buy is sprinkled into a bag of artificial sweetener. Look for pure stevia extract. Also, if you’re a regular flavored coffee drinker, try asking for half the flavor. That’s usually plenty for me. I don’t like sugar-free syrup because they’re all artificial sweeteners. 2. Eat more veggies.  When you fill up half your plate with vegetables, you’ll finish full and not need another roll. Now, you don’t believe me if your go-to veggie is a romaine salad. But try roasted brussels sprouts, baked sweet potatoes (pro tip: microwave ‘em in your hall just like a normal potato!) or a hefty, colorful salad filling a whole second plate. You’ll be surprised. The extra vitamins won’t hurt either. Remember, healthy eating gets easier as you get in the habit. 3. Eat breakfast and snacks.  Please don’t just eat lunch and dinner and the 10:00 p.m. snack. Just read up on eating schedules regular moderate meals are better. Personally, I like to try to eat first thing and then basically every two hours, until two to three hours before bedtime. By the way, you won’t fail college if you don’t eat Top Ramen every day. I haven’t had a bowl in years. Microwavable mac n’ cheese … okay, yeah, once in a while.   4. Snack smart. Try for protein and fiber in a snack, so you stay full until the next meal.  Also, try eating vegetables like carrots or fruits like apples or bananas as part of that!  You can do snacks cheap, too; just avoid buying all individually wrapped snacks. For convenience, though, my all-time favorite affordable granola bar is Kashi Sea Salt Chocolate Almond  (try Costco for the best price). On bars, look for more protein than sugar!   5. Just say no sometimes. To drugs, yes; but also to free donuts (they’re everywhere). Same goes for the late-night fast food run and daily coffee shop runs. I don’t know enjoy your friends, commune over food! It’s great! But keep treats special. If you eat two desserts a week, they’ll taste sweeter. Believe me I had around one small dessert a month during track season. Think: is this treat worth it? If I’ve had it before, how does it taste? Will it really make my day better right now? Generally, I don’t eat treats that aren’t “worth it” everyday, stale, generic. Go for a world-famous cookie or a decadent homemade brownie. Donuts have zero nutritional value, but youll see them at least once a week free or way cheap. Be satisfied with imagining that predictable taste or splitting it with a friend most of the time, and treat yourself once in a while! (commons.wikimedia.org) These are guidelines of healthy eating in college that worked for me. Please don’t hold to them like religious law. Sometimes I get caught up in healthy eating like it’s a measure of my moral success. It can make me crazy and obsessed. All I encourage you to do with this article is take courage: you can come home from semester 1 healthier, if you want to, by being conscious of what you eat.

5 Volunteer Opportunities That Will Lead to a Paying Summer Job

5 Volunteer Opportunities That Will Lead to a Paying Summer Job If you identity a little too much with Charlie Kellys resume, maybe its time to add some volunteer experience to your own.Photo Via Pinterest 1. The SPCA or your local animal shelter: The Society    for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or the SPCA, aims to help dogs and cats find homes while recruiting volunteers to help with cleaning up their cages, helping with washing food dishes/toys, folding laundry, interacting with customers, and participating in off-site adoption events at the local PetSmart. Volunteering at your local SPCA or animal shelter is great experience if you want to work with animals as a career objective or just as proof that you can effectively take care of animals, talk to potential owners, and clean efficiently. 2. The Library: Air conditioning and pounds of Stephen King literature? Sounds good to me. Chances are, your local library is hiring volunteers year around and are always in need of college students to aid in stocking book shelves and helping lost 9-year olds find where all the Captain Underpants books are. If youre an English major or just love the smell of books, this is great experience to add onto your resume as youll be in contact with thousands of novels, hundreds of pre-teens asking for the John Green section, and several book sales urging library-goers that The Grapes of Wrath wasnt excruciating to read at all. 3. Grassroots  Campaigns: Interested in political activism and human rights? Then volunteering for Grassroots Campaigns will offer you experience in interacting personally with advocacy groups, political parties, and candidates in order to enact political policy and reform. As a side note, this organization also hires, so you may be able to fight for your chosen cause while being paid to do it. Past and present clients of the Grassroots Campaign include  The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU),  Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee,  Freedom to Marry,  Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and  The Nature Conservancy. 4. The American Red Cross: Prepping for a career in medicine? The experience youll receive volunteering for The Red Cross will definitely aid you in your future medical career and will also teach you subjects in psychology, biology, and education. Being a volunteer for this organization will show your future employers that you are hard-working, reliable, and nurturing, which are all great qualities to have as both a doctor and potential Burger King employee (for now, at least). 5. Soup Kitchens: Working in a soup kitchen offers great experience if you cant seem to get a call back from Applebees or Taco Bell. Not only will you be serving others in need, but youll be gaining experience working with food, its preparation, and basic cleaning routines that will help land you a summer job at virtually any fast food chain. Finding a job is tough, despite what your dad says and how he paid his way through college working as a busboy. Our economy is worse than ever, and thats why adding volunteer experiences on your resume will give you a leg up in terms of competition and experience when it comes to finding a job for the summer or one that will eventually help you earn your college degree.

What italki Learned From A Lesson In An Endangered Language

What italki Learned From A Lesson In An Endangered Language A couple of weeks ago we have decided to show up to our office 2 hours early. through the streets and public transport of shanghai at 6 am is not the first thing that comes to mind that could be described as “fun” to try out a new language class. We fired up the meeting room projector and started our Skype lesson with one of our newest teachers, Ryan Heavy Head. If the name strikes you as unusual, it is because Ryan is a teacher of Blackfoot, an Algonquian language (linguistic family containing many North American heritage languages) of the Blackfoot tribe in Northwestern US and Southwestern Canada. His ancestry includes Blackfoot as well. This was the first group staff class, bringing italki staff and friends together for a rare glimpse of a language, culture, and worldview that may not exist in only one generation. The lecture served as a great introduction not only to the language itself, but to another worldview embedded in the language. In discussions and comments about about preservation of language heritage we often see the sentiment of “why bother?”. There is an almost Darwinian argument made here, that assumes that a language is worth learning or saving based somehow on the number of speakers or it’s “usefulness”. It makes sense, too, as many language learners are motivated by practical reasons: passing tests and advancing careers. Still, we can’t support this argument, not because of a knee-jerk fear of missing out, but because we believe that human experience and knowledge is valuable. The time we spent speaking with Ryan about Niitsipowahsin made it very plain to us just how much information can be embedded in conversation about language.The very structure of morphemes (basic units of meaning) in every word is elegantly descriptive in a way that reveals a fascinating amount of cultural context. The name of the language itself can be broken down into several meaningful parts: Niit “first” or “original”, referring to the Plains Indians traditional way of life before encountering the Europeans. -powahsin “language” Merging the two then creates the name for the “original language” of Blackfoot: Niitsi’powahsin. By this logic we can produce more words, for example, adding the name for the non-blackfoot Europeans: naapi, resulting in the word Naapi’powahsin. Similar logic is applied to other words, with morpheme -itapi meaning “living being” resulting in the following: niitsitapi (first people, the Blackfoot), naa’pitapi (Europeans), matapi (human), maatomaitapitapiiya(a mature, fully developed being; a respectable, kind person). The combinatorial nature of the language makes it very descriptive, and also suggests the internal logic and worldview associated with the language. But, what IS the Beaver Bundle? We delved further into this worldview by discussing the “bundles” sacred objects made of multiple animal hides representing the “treaties” between man and nature, which are further narrated in the oral tradition of the Blackfoot. As a people who have lived in a particular territory, the Blackfoot (or Siksikaitsitapi literally “blackfoot people”) their relationship to the animals, cycles of nature, and social attitudes were reflected in the content of the language and stories, but also in the mechanics and logic of the language. Exploring a new language is always exciting, but this particular case was especially interesting. The rarity of the language made us feel that we had a unique opportunity to experience language-learning. What’s more, we got to experience an endangered and exotic language in a way that was impossible in a traditional classroom setting.  Any large city will have an abundance of schools and courses for learning English, and any number of speakers and willing tutors of widely-known languages. Finding a professional teacher for a language that has only a few thousand native speakers, on the other hand, is a rare moment. Being able to experience Ryan’s lecture while sitting in our Shanghai office really underscored the advantage of online language learning. The potential is there, at our fingertips, to dive deeply and personally into a worldview alien from our own. We are able to gain more than just learning vocabulary or grammar. We are able to access the real carriers of culture and knowledge, someone able to explain to us a perspective onto a new world, a human experience impossible to have with a book or a recording of a language. This is one of the reasons why we are proud of our work, and of our community of teachers and learners. We are able to create a unique, truly human experience and promote understanding and self-reflection. We are creating a way to experience learning inaccessible through more traditional approaches. We hope then, that our community takes up the challenge to learn and explore, and to view language-learning not as a problem to be solved or chore to be done. Instead, we hope that language learning becomes a habit, a way of life, and a lens through which we can understand ourselves and each-other. Ryans Profile can be found here. Ryan’s youtube channel is also a great resource to learn about blackfoot culture and language, and oddly enough, how snake anti-venom is made. For more information about Ryan and Blackfoot language and history, please check out this documentary. If you’d like to see other fascinating initiatives about preserving Blackfoot language and heritage, check out this story about preserving the language through Hip-hop. What italki Learned From A Lesson In An Endangered Language A couple of weeks ago we have decided to show up to our office 2 hours early. through the streets and public transport of shanghai at 6 am is not the first thing that comes to mind that could be described as “fun” to try out a new language class. We fired up the meeting room projector and started our Skype lesson with one of our newest teachers, Ryan Heavy Head. If the name strikes you as unusual, it is because Ryan is a teacher of Blackfoot, an Algonquian language (linguistic family containing many North American heritage languages) of the Blackfoot tribe in Northwestern US and Southwestern Canada. His ancestry includes Blackfoot as well. This was the first group staff class, bringing italki staff and friends together for a rare glimpse of a language, culture, and worldview that may not exist in only one generation. The lecture served as a great introduction not only to the language itself, but to another worldview embedded in the language. In discussions and comments about about preservation of language heritage we often see the sentiment of “why bother?”. There is an almost Darwinian argument made here, that assumes that a language is worth learning or saving based somehow on the number of speakers or it’s “usefulness”. It makes sense, too, as many language learners are motivated by practical reasons: passing tests and advancing careers. Still, we can’t support this argument, not because of a knee-jerk fear of missing out, but because we believe that human experience and knowledge is valuable. The time we spent speaking with Ryan about Niitsipowahsin made it very plain to us just how much information can be embedded in conversation about language.The very structure of morphemes (basic units of meaning) in every word is elegantly descriptive in a way that reveals a fascinating amount of cultural context. The name of the language itself can be broken down into several meaningful parts: Niit “first” or “original”, referring to the Plains Indians traditional way of life before encountering the Europeans. -powahsin “language” Merging the two then creates the name for the “original language” of Blackfoot: Niitsi’powahsin. By this logic we can produce more words, for example, adding the name for the non-blackfoot Europeans: naapi, resulting in the word Naapi’powahsin. Similar logic is applied to other words, with morpheme -itapi meaning “living being” resulting in the following: niitsitapi (first people, the Blackfoot), naa’pitapi (Europeans), matapi (human), maatomaitapitapiiya(a mature, fully developed being; a respectable, kind person). The combinatorial nature of the language makes it very descriptive, and also suggests the internal logic and worldview associated with the language. But, what IS the Beaver Bundle? We delved further into this worldview by discussing the “bundles” sacred objects made of multiple animal hides representing the “treaties” between man and nature, which are further narrated in the oral tradition of the Blackfoot. As a people who have lived in a particular territory, the Blackfoot (or Siksikaitsitapi literally “blackfoot people”) their relationship to the animals, cycles of nature, and social attitudes were reflected in the content of the language and stories, but also in the mechanics and logic of the language. Exploring a new language is always exciting, but this particular case was especially interesting. The rarity of the language made us feel that we had a unique opportunity to experience language-learning. What’s more, we got to experience an endangered and exotic language in a way that was impossible in a traditional classroom setting.  Any large city will have an abundance of schools and courses for learning English, and any number of speakers and willing tutors of widely-known languages. Finding a professional teacher for a language that has only a few thousand native speakers, on the other hand, is a rare moment. Being able to experience Ryan’s lecture while sitting in our Shanghai office really underscored the advantage of online language learning. The potential is there, at our fingertips, to dive deeply and personally into a worldview alien from our own. We are able to gain more than just learning vocabulary or grammar. We are able to access the real carriers of culture and knowledge, someone able to explain to us a perspective onto a new world, a human experience impossible to have with a book or a recording of a language. This is one of the reasons why we are proud of our work, and of our community of teachers and learners. We are able to create a unique, truly human experience and promote understanding and self-reflection. We are creating a way to experience learning inaccessible through more traditional approaches. We hope then, that our community takes up the challenge to learn and explore, and to view language-learning not as a problem to be solved or chore to be done. Instead, we hope that language learning becomes a habit, a way of life, and a lens through which we can understand ourselves and each-other. Ryans Profile can be found here. Ryan’s youtube channel is also a great resource to learn about blackfoot culture and language, and oddly enough, how snake anti-venom is made. For more information about Ryan and Blackfoot language and history, please check out this documentary. If you’d like to see other fascinating initiatives about preserving Blackfoot language and heritage, check out this story about preserving the language through Hip-hop.

The Best Book For Learning English is Not the Self-Help Guide

The Best Book For Learning English is Not the Self-Help GuideIf you're looking for the best book for learning English, the obvious answer is the self-help guide. You see, the greatest number of people who find themselves fluent in English are the people who have received this kind of invaluable advice and instruction at some point in their lives.A lot of folks who seek the perfect English-language education do so because they see the potential they possess as individuals. They might have been gifted by some influential individual or a dream world-famous singer. They have made an effort to be a different person than who they were and when they finish that journey, they see themselves becoming more successful.It is quite common to observe that the most successful American people are probably also among the most tolerant, and they are able to make friends and team up with anybody. Although it might seem that American education is so much better compared to what we have in the country, t here is no doubt that we are still quite poor compared to other countries in the world. Having said that, it's also true that some countries don't offer the same opportunities as those in the US.Unfortunately, many people who wish to pursue further education don't get a chance to attend the best school in the country. This is not because the school itself is bad or isn't good. The problem is simply that the parents and the other adults in the family might think that it's best to send the child to the school that offers the least amount of discipline.Because of this, a lot of people who would have made excellent leaders end up being just ordinary workers instead. Of course, the education they receive does serve them very well in the future. However, it might not be as great as what they might get if they just go and enroll in some mediocre school instead.It's clear that the best book for learning English is the one that will be able to help you learn faster and at the same time help you build yourself up into an acceptable citizen. You see, no matter how much of a good candidate you are to be accepted by a particular institution, you can always improve it by absorbing as much information as possible. In short, you have to know how to learn.By learning how to learn, you'll be able to go and earn a college degree in a couple of years, as opposed to someone who doesn't know anything about the subject. You may end up learning more through the experience.