Finally, a language-learning app that works. Lingua.ly, which just raised $1 million in funding, helps you read foreign-language texts that would otherwise be daunting Have you ever tried to teach yourself the language of a country you don’t live in?
It requires a lot of self-discipline and stick-to-it-ness. You would love to be fluent, but the steps along the way – say, mastering the conjugation of hundreds of German verbs – can be a real slog when there’s no immediate pay-off. A few years ago, Orly Fuhrman was trying to teach herself Spanish the way most of us do: by reading articles online and looking them up in a dictionary. Suddenly, an idea occurred to her: What if there were an app that did all the work for you? An app is born Lingua.ly, which just received $1 million in funding from government and private investors, is a brilliantly simple and effective app. As soon as I started reading the article, there were words I didn’t know.
Fuhrman, the company’s co-founder, told Geektime that the app is not for absolute beginners. Learn really useful English phrases: Home. Reading Programs. Writing Programs. Integrated Programs. Comprehension Programs. 124. Bilingual Is Better. Learning a second language is hard, but it is better for your brain.
While many people learn another language because of their cultural or ethnic heritage, it also helps your thinking. Studies show that people who speak two or more languages score higher on IQ tests. 21. One Country, Many Taxes. Taxes are special fees charged by a government on the people who live in a country, state or city.
These fees help pay for public services like police, road and bridge repair, and public schools. In the United States people have to pay national, state, and local taxes. 24. Community Colleges (1) The American community college system is a place for second chances.
Community colleges are two-year schools that thrived in California after the end of World War II. Many American military personnel were returning to civilian life after their service to the country. Some of these young people decided not to go to college after high school so that they could serve their country during that time of need. When they returned, many of them turned to the community college system in California to continue their education. The United States government introduced the G.I. Today, community colleges attract students from all parts of the world. 25. Community College (2)
These days many people attend community colleges with plans to transfer to a four-year college or university to get a bachelor's degree.
35. Selfies. The self-portrait is nothing new.
Painters and photographers have always used themselves as subjects. Today, however, almost everyone walks around with a camera in his or her pocket. 56. Funeral Customs in the United States. America is one of the most diversified countries in the world.
It is comprised of many different cultures from Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. 84. Bride and Groom Traditions. There are many traditions that U.S. brides and grooms are expected to follow at their wedding.
One of the most well-known traditions is for a bride to toss her bridal bouquet to the unmarried female guests attending her reception. According to the tradition, the single woman who catches the bouquet will be the next woman to be married. The flowers thrown may not be actually the same flowers the bride carries down the aisle during the wedding ceremony. 89. When a Kid Becomes an Adult. In the United States someone legally becomes an adult when they turn 18 years old.
122. Couch Potatoes. More and more people in the United States are becoming couch potatoes.
This doesn't mean that they are turning into a root that can be cooked and eaten. The actual potato is a lot more useful than a person who sits on their sofa watching television or playing video games. One of the reasons why obesity rates are going up in the country is because more and more entertainment is available on television. Now television is not just for watching shows, people can watch movies, play video games, and even surf the Internet.
10 lifesaving websites for ESL teachers. Lisa has asked me for some recommendations regarding useful sites for EFL teachers and I’m happy to make a little compilation of the places I visit most often to find ideas, inspirations, betimes lesson plans if I feel exceptionally lazy (The Liberation of the Garden Gnomes by Peter Vahle is just shiny!) And share them with you. So, here we go – my ten favourite websites: Hope you’ll like my choice and give these sites a go. I must admit, my life as a teacher is WAY easier thanks to those wonderful people contributing there, but I also appreciate their influence when I see my own teaching style spiced up with different inspirations and ideas – I feel motivated to change, experiment, develop, to make my classes as interesting as I can.
Enjoy the recommendations I’ve shared and if you know some interesting sites, please, share them with me as well. Enjoy! Free Ebooks. Storyline Online - Where Reading Is Fun!