How a Film Director Learns Arabic on italki

How a Film Director Learns Arabic on italki We love to hear how our italki users are overcoming the challenges of learning languages, and Nicole Ballivian has quite a story to share with us. Read on to learn about Nicole and her language learning experiences. Nicole and an actor in Hebron _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Tell us a little about yourself Im an American Film Director who usually makes international movies. A Sundance Screenwriters Lab Fellow and recipient of a few international awards for films. [Check out her site  www.bintfilm.com] What language are you learning? Arabic. What would you say your level is now? My level started at intermediate, and since Ive been taking it intensively for three months, Id say Im uber-intermediate now. Why are you learning that language? I have the aim of becoming fluent in the Palestinian dialect of Arabic in order to communicate clearly with my cast for my upcoming film to be shot in the West Bank city of Hebron. Its called Sleeping on Stones. The Sleeping on Stones film was selected for the 2012 Cairo Film Connection at the Cairo International Film Festival. What are you using/doing to improve your fluency? I am taking classes three times a week with a Palestinian teacher and Im going on Youtube to scope out any Palestinian videos that have English subtitles. Also practicing with Palestinian friends and local liquor store owners. What difficulties have you had learning this language? Arabic grammar even in the ammiya version (spoken, colloquial) is very difficult. Verb conjugation can be intimidating but as long as I keep trying and dont mind sounding like a five-year-old for now, I know Ill get it eventually. What tips would you have for people learning this or any other language? I would say in order to learn a language fluently (as I speak Spanish and French as well, took Russian in high school and college), you have to consistently immerse yourself in it. You have to speak it a lot. Force your brain to think in the language as if you were living in a foreign country. Ways to do this is by taking classes with a native speaker multiple times a week. Watch the news in the language so you can pair images with words. Write down vocabulary and verb conjugations, go through them daily. Practice with friends or make friends on italki. Dont be shy and get corrected a lot; it will only help you learn more quickly in the end. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ If you would like to learn more about Nicole and her movies, check out:  www.bintfilm.com Have an interesting story to share with us? Message us at support@italki.com and you, too, can be featured on italki. If you are interested in learning Arabic, remember to check out our Arabic teachers on italki. How a Film Director Learns Arabic on italki We love to hear how our italki users are overcoming the challenges of learning languages, and Nicole Ballivian has quite a story to share with us. Read on to learn about Nicole and her language learning experiences. Nicole and an actor in Hebron _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Tell us a little about yourself Im an American Film Director who usually makes international movies. A Sundance Screenwriters Lab Fellow and recipient of a few international awards for films. [Check out her site  www.bintfilm.com] What language are you learning? Arabic. What would you say your level is now? My level started at intermediate, and since Ive been taking it intensively for three months, Id say Im uber-intermediate now. Why are you learning that language? I have the aim of becoming fluent in the Palestinian dialect of Arabic in order to communicate clearly with my cast for my upcoming film to be shot in the West Bank city of Hebron. Its called Sleeping on Stones. The Sleeping on Stones film was selected for the 2012 Cairo Film Connection at the Cairo International Film Festival. What are you using/doing to improve your fluency? I am taking classes three times a week with a Palestinian teacher and Im going on Youtube to scope out any Palestinian videos that have English subtitles. Also practicing with Palestinian friends and local liquor store owners. What difficulties have you had learning this language? Arabic grammar even in the ammiya version (spoken, colloquial) is very difficult. Verb conjugation can be intimidating but as long as I keep trying and dont mind sounding like a five-year-old for now, I know Ill get it eventually. What tips would you have for people learning this or any other language? I would say in order to learn a language fluently (as I speak Spanish and French as well, took Russian in high school and college), you have to consistently immerse yourself in it. You have to speak it a lot. Force your brain to think in the language as if you were living in a foreign country. Ways to do this is by taking classes with a native speaker multiple times a week. Watch the news in the language so you can pair images with words. Write down vocabulary and verb conjugations, go through them daily. Practice with friends or make friends on italki. Dont be shy and get corrected a lot; it will only help you learn more quickly in the end. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ If you would like to learn more about Nicole and her movies, check out:  www.bintfilm.com Have an interesting story to share with us? Message us at support@italki.com and you, too, can be featured on italki. If you are interested in learning Arabic, remember to check out our Arabic teachers on italki.

How to Find a Good Tutor

How to Find a Good TutorWhen you are considering learning how to tutor at home, you may be unsure as to what a good tutor will look like, what it will cost you, and what you can expect from the tutor. You are not alone in wondering about these things.In this article I will give you some useful information that will help you in your quest to find a great tutor. Remember, you are free to choose the method of learning that is best for you, however, remember to go for the methods that can benefit you the most. Below are some tips on choosing a good tutor.School certification- Make sure that the tutor you choose has proper certification. The certifications must have been provided by either the United States Educational Testing Service (ETS) or a national group like the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). You can look for this on the internet but make sure that you get a copy of the certification before you hire a tutor. Without the certificate, you cannot hold the person responsible for the tutor's performance.Private tutors- This is another way of finding a good tutor. There are many, many private tutors who have their own curriculum and will offer you some free lessons. Be sure to ask if they charge a fee, and if they do, make sure you know what the fees are. You should also ask how many lessons are included in the fees, since you will need to pay an hourly rate.Cost - The cost of the tutor is important, so make sure that you consider all the costs before you choose a tutor. Ask for quotations, and make sure that you are very clear on all the costs. The last thing you want is to hire a tutor only to find out later that you spent too much money.With these tips, you should have a better chance of finding a tutor that will help you learn how to tutor at home. If you are good at math, you may want to take up tutoring with a tutor who is really good at math. If you are a great singer, but just not good at reading, consider getting lessons from a tutor who sings a little. You will get much better results from a tutor who is a good singer than one who does not sing at all.You should consider how you can learn about the different aspects of the subject. Getting a good tutor will help you be successful in your goals of being able to tutor at home.

Tips and Ideas For Learning English

Tips and Ideas For Learning EnglishIf you are reading this article, chances are you are looking for some tips and ideas for learning English. There are many different ways to learn a language, and many different approaches, but when it comes to learning English there are several ways that you can learn the language and many different approaches you can take to make the process more effective.Tips on how to learn any language are easy to find. Try out a website like Rosetta Stone, which is one of the most popular websites out there for learning languages. You can download a free trial version and see how easy it is to learn.There are also many different approaches to learning English as well. Some people use a course such as Rosetta Stone or other programs to learn the language, while others use online resources to learn English. An approach to learning that I personally find to be the most effective is to take some vocabulary lessons with your friends.Whenever we talk with someone ab out a subject that is English related, we all tend to use the same words. With a few basic vocabulary lessons you can learn how to write these words correctly and use them effectively in conversation.For example, you could look at a word and say it out loud, or look at a word and say the name of the thing it refers to, such as toothpaste. By doing this you will get a feel for how to use a word.You could also spend some time with your American friends in order to get used to the US phonetic alphabet and how to read American slang words. This should help you be able to learn words easily and correctly.If you use the tips I have given you for learning English above, you will be able to not only understand the conversation, but you will also be able to speak correctly. This is a great way to learn English and hopefully one day you will be speaking fluent English.

What is an Electron Shell?

What is an Electron Shell?The electron shell definition is the term used to describe a microscopic particle of matter that forms when electrons and protons go through a series of positive and negative electric charges. In a sense, it can be defined as the central nervous system of the molecule of matter. It is a key feature of the chemical bond that serves as a conducting medium.The electron shell is also known as the so-called electron pair. In chemical bonding, the electron pair plays an important role. The electron shell has a central electron and protons are both necessary for binding the molecule together and in a process called ionization, the bonds between them form a solid.A ring formed from two electron orbits surrounds the nucleus nuclei of matter. The nucleus is made up of hydrogen atoms and the electron pairs, proton and electron, are arranged around this nucleus. This creates a core. The electron shell in the nucleus is actually made up of two electrons.Mass is the abili ty to hold a quantity of something together. The more mass that an atom has, the heavier it is and the more stable it is, as it can withstand a lot of force and heat.The molecular structure of molecules is determined by its number of bonds, length and atomic weight. An atom is made up of three basic elements, namely, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen.Hydrogen is used in energy and propulsion. Oxygen is used in air-breathing mammals and plants. Hydrogen gas, however, is a very strong and powerful element. Oxygen is not really used as an element because it can easily decay with other atoms.The energy in the body is held in the cell. When the energy in the cell is released, the body will receive heat. The loss of body energy is known as heat.