7 Strange (But Effective) Ways to Keep Your Voice Healthy

7 Strange (But Effective) Ways to Keep Your Voice Healthy Sign up successful 1. The Concert/Sports Game “Wooo” The biggest culprit of vocal health problems is vocal abuse. We use our voices constantly, and if we do it wrong, the voice suffers. One place where we tend to abuse our voices is at big events like concerts and sports games, where everyone spends hours hollering at the top of their lungs. So, whats the solution? The concert/sports game “wooo” allows you to enjoy the thrill of yelling without killing your cords. Some people naturally do this: think of the times you’ve heard a long, high “WOOOO!” at a concert. This head voice “wooo” is also a popular vocal warm-up. To master this, simply practice gently saying “wooo” in head voice (falsetto for men) with adequate breath support. As you get better at this, you will be able to make a lot of noise  more than the screaming, overenthusiastic fan who won’t be able to talk the next day. Here’s a good example (skip to 1:02): If you need help with this, ask your voice teacher. 2. Pretend to Scream on Roller Coasters While I do enjoy healthy whooping at concerts and sports games, I choose to stay mute on roller coasters. Why? The ups and downs aren’t exactly conducive to proper vocal technique, and no one is listening to you anyway. I just open my mouth so it looks like I’m screaming and enjoy the ride. I promise it doesn’t take away from the fun, and you’ll be able to sing beautifully even after a full day at the amusement park. 3. Don’t Sing Only Christina Aguilera at Karaoke Night Vocal health for singers is important to keep in mind, even while youre out at karaoke! Yes, it’s fun to belt along to your favorite tunes at karaoke night (or in the car, shower, or wherever). But overdoing it can lead to serious vocal problems. To avoid hurting yourself, limit the number of super-high belting songs you sing and try mixing in some head voice-dominant songs (Beyoncés Naughty Girl, Ellie Goulding’s Lights, and pretty much anything Justin Timberlake sings are good, low-impact choices). If you find yourself belting all the time for fun, please, please, please take voice lessons. Belting is not inherently unhealthy, and you can learn how to do it right  but it can injure your voice if you do it wrong (trust me, I know from experience). 4. Lip Sync at Concerts Concerts are bad for voices. Not only do we scream at them, we also sing along  loudly and badly  to our favorite songs. Doing this is fun, but if you don’t want to wave goodbye to your voice, try lip syncing. No one will notice, and youll still have  a great time (as well as showing everyone that you know all of the lyrics). 5. Support Your Speaking Voice Did you know that voice therapists treat people who talk a lot (actors, reporters, lecturers, etc.) just as often as they treat singers? You probably talk more than you sing, and talking too loudly or with lots of tension can harm your voice. If you have a voice teacher, ask him or her to devote a lesson to healthy, supported speaking. Your voice teacher can help you apply breath support, throat relaxation, and other vocal techniques to your speaking. If you don’t have a teacher, consider getting one! But in the meantime, try speaking while thinking about breath support and resonance concepts. If you get the hang of it, your speaking voice will have more range (no monotone here) and be louder with less physical effort. 6. Pick Quiet Restaurants If youre going out for a nice long meal, consider noise levels. Some restaurants are so loud that you have to shout across the table, and by the end of the meal your voice won’t feel so great. Taking noise levels into account will not only protect your vocal cords, it will make the dinner conversation much more audible and enjoyable. 7. Mouth Words at Clubs Remember tip #4? You can use this at noisy clubs, parties, and other events as well. If people try to talk to you, they aren’t going to be able to hear you unless you shout. But they might actually understand you if you mouth your words clearly. If they don’t, they will lean in and you can speak at a comfortable volume. As you can see, you don’t have to be a hermit to keep your voice healthy. Go to all of the social gatherings, concerts, clubs, restaurants, and sports games you want. If you keep these seven strange ways to keep your voice healthy in mind, your vocal cords will stay as rested as if you had stayed at home and watched Netflix. Learn More About Vocal Health for Singers The Absolute BEST Vocal  Exercises for Every Singing Goal [Videos] Video: 4 Effective Vocal Warm-Ups to Try When Youre Sick Quiz: Do You Treat Your Voice Right? | Vocal Health Elaina R. teaches opera voice and singing in Ypsilanti, MI, as well as online. She received her Master of Music from  the University of Michigan, and earned her Bachelors degree in Vocal Arts from the University of Southern California. Learn more about Elaina here! Photo  by Jeff 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

Literacy understanding English reading Online Tutorpace

Literacy understanding English reading Online Tutorpace Literacy understanding refers to the process of students learning the skills of language to enable them to improve learning and communicating in the activities at school and outside school. Students acquire knowledge, talents and inclination not only to interpret language but also to use it effectively. Literacy pertains to the learners in the activities of listening, speaking, reading, writing and the ability to create variety of texts orally, visually in print or digital medium. Therefore, literacy understanding can be explained as acquiring the skills to process the understanding of language components and using the same effectively for several purposes in variety of contexts. Literacy understanding can be developed and improved by studying English language in all the available forms and evaluating the writers ideas, intent and bias in different contexts so that the learner could successfully choose their own language to communicate in any form. Above all, learners employ their ac quired literacy capacity to interpret other writers and thus create their own texts in speaking, printing and other type of texts on a wide range of functions. In other words, students learn types of creative texts like, prose, poetry, drama and fiction by other writers and use their knowledge to create their own texts for all purposes.

SAT words. From Extol to Panegyric - Private Tutoring

ACT/SAT words. From Extol to Panegyric BobbiM Apr 25, 2014  ACT/SAT coming up?  Calm your nerves by learning these words. Extol; v. To praise highly.   They extolled me when I returned after receiving my bachelors degree with honors. Kudos; n. Praise; a compliment. Kudos to whoever came up with the brilliant idea of sliced bread. Laudable; adj. worthy of praise and/or recognition. She did a laudable deed and because of this, she was very much loved in the community. Meritorious; adj. deserving of award, merit, or praise. I admired his meritorious behavior of attempting to save the child. Panegyric; n. A formal public compliment or elaborate praise. After all chaos politician had caused, there was much panegyric when he resigned from his place of office. Praiseworthy; adj. Meriting praise and high commendation. Everything he did was praiseworthy and thats why I so easily loved him. Abominate; v. To detest thoroughly. He was an abominable person who was so forceful and mean. Admonitory; adj. Mildly cautionary, reproving, or scolding. The teachers admonitory tone made me know I was close to getting on her last nerve. Berate; v. To scold angrily and at length. She berated her daughter for coming home long after curfew. Blameworthy; adj. Worthy of blame or reproof; guilty; deserving punishment. Everything she did was blameworthy. She put behind every act her rebelliousness. Castigate; v. To criticize thoroughly, even to punish for an infraction. After I got in a physical fight at school, I was castigated by my father and grounded for two months. Censurable; adj. Deserving of censure or blame. This material is censurable and needs to be blocked.

Skype English Classes Cheaper than a Martini in Rio De Janeiro

Skype English Classes Cheaper than a Martini in Rio De Janeiro This, or a class with a native English speaker.Weve recently started giving a lesson based on this article in the New York Times about the economy in Brazil. As the economy heats up, prices have risen, so much so that a martini costs $35 in some parts of Brazil. Thats well above the cost of even our 1-on-1 Skype English Classes! On top of that, our group English classes are only slightly more expensive per hour than 1 Big Mac in Brazil ($7.99 per hour).So, let me give you some advice. The next time youre thinking about buying a $35 martini, or a $6 Big Mac, stop yourself. An English class is much healthier than a martini or a Big Mac, and in an hour with a native English speaker, youre going to learn something.Yes, I know, before you drink the martini or eat the Big Mac, it will seem like a much better idea. Learning a language is kind of like exercise in that way. Before you exercise, sitting on the couch and watching another show on television seems much better than exercising. But then, after the show is over, you feel guilty for wasting your time watching another stupid thing on television. If you had gone to the gym, youd feel great afterward, knowing youd done something good for your health, and having a sense of accomplishment.English classes are the same way. It may sound like work beforehand, but once youre in class, youll know youre spending your time and money wisely. Contact us today and take a first class free.

4 Things Every Home Schooling Parent Needs to Know

4 Things Every Home Schooling Parent Needs to Know I must have seen it a hundred times: parents take up home schooling with an admirable zeal and grandiose plans, but fail to take some of the most essential steps for their child's success. Here are four of these essential steps, taken from personal experience.1. ExtracurricularsI cannot stress this enough: your child needs extracurricular activities. This is an absolute must. Athletics, theater, volunteering, debate club, Girl Scouts, two-stepping club - whatever it may be, make sure your student is involved and is involved consistently. The number of extracurricular activities on your child's college application has the power either to push her across that acceptance line, or hold her back on the wait list. As far as colleges are concerned, there can be no such thing as too many clubs or volunteering efforts, especially constructive ones like debate or serving at a community home. As long as these activities don't hinder academics, you should definitely make an effort to have your c hild involved at least every school year, and preferably every semester. Whatever it may be, make sure it is interesting and application-worthy.2. Real-World ExperienceIt is excruciatingly painful to watch under-socialized home schooled kids try to take their first steps into the real world.Back when I was taking dual credit at the local community college, I witnessed innumerable incoming students struggling with basic social interaction. They were excessively awkward or oblivious to normal social cues (yes, when people start answering you with monosyllables and acting like they have somewhere else to go it probably means you have been talking too much). I do not intend to point fingers or accuse the parents in any way. I am simply very strongly emphasizing the importance of making sure your home schooled child has plenty of real-world interaction. Not just co-op, not just weekly youth group, but something that challenges him to stand up for himself and voice his own opinions confid ently. Make sure your child has opportunities to interact with older children and others who are not home schooled, as well. It can be a part-time job, some sort of leadership initiative, or even just sending your child out to order his own dinner once a week (without you standing beside him). Trust me, this one will be infinitely helpful in the long run.3.AP ExamsThis is one of the great advantages of home schooling - you have the freedom to take any AP exam any year and in any subject you choose! Don't lose this amazing opportunity! So many parents throw this great chance out the door; I know many home schooled seniors who have never taken an AP exam in their lives. This causes me grief. Do you know what good AP scores do for your child's college applications? Four good AP scores can set her apart from the crowd. Not only do good scores demonstrate academic excellence, they also prove to colleges that you are just as serious about schooling as traditional public schoolers - someth ing that can be infuriatingly hard to convince people of. Besides, with home schooling, you are not limited to only taking certain exams in certain years. I was able to take AP English Literature as a freshman, while most public schooled students are not able to take it until junior or senior year. This gives home schooled students a wonderful advantage that they should take care not to throw away.4. Don’t Be a Helicopter ParentThis is probably the easiest trap to fall into as a home schooling parent. Because you have immediate access to your child nearly twenty-four hours a day, it is natural to want to regulate all twenty-four of these hours. You have the special opportunity to spend a lot of quality time with your child â€" isn’t this part of the advantage of home schooling? However, this can easily go from ‘a lot of time,’ to inordinate amounts of time, and before you know it your child never has a moment apart from you. This ties in closely with the need for real-world experience; someday your child will be on his own and when that time comes he needs to be capable and independent. How can he become a fully-informed and responsible citizen if you’ve made every decision for him his entire life? Ensure that your child has adequate time apart from you â€" with friends, at work, in a classroom setting â€" and allow him plenty of opportunity to make his own decisions. Above all, try to remember what it was like to be your child’s age, and what you needed most at that stage in your life.Under informed and loving care, your child is sure to flourish in his or her education and development. I wish you the best of luck in this great undertaking!Nathania DavisTCU Class of 2021John V. Roach Honors CollegeVerified Tutor for Frog Tutoring October, 2017

Playing By the Rules 4 of the Most Logical Natural Languages

Playing By the Rules 4 of the Most Logical Natural Languages 4 of the Most Logical Natural Languages This language doesnt make any sense!Im pretty sure weve all said that at some point when trying to learn a new language.Most of the time its just out of the frustration of not being able to understand something.However, sometimes its true: Languages can be downright illogical.Sometimes spelling is convoluted, rules have more exceptions than followers and everything you learn gets thrown out the window.There has to be some language that makes sense right?Right! Believe it or not, some languages actually follow their own rules. Lets explore some of the  most logical languages you can learn today.What Do We Mean by Logical?Were looking for languages that, regardless of your mother tongue, make the most sense. What might that mean? Logical languages have:Regular grammar. Theres little more frustrating in a language than studying hard to remember verb conjugations or preposition patterns only to find that theres a list of exceptions as long as your arm. Many natural languages have develop ed irregularities from what might once have been sensible and consistent rules but were lost along the way; a logical language should be much more predictable than this.Consistent syntax (word order). Some languages structure their sentences in a very clear and regimented order, while others allow for a more flexible and inconsistent approach to building phrasesâ€"meaning it can take longer to work out what a native speaker would use.Easy-to-grasp phonology. English is one of the worst (or most interesting) offenders when it comes to pronouncing words as theyre written. A logical language should be straightforward to pronounce once you know the rules dictating it.Its worth noting at this point that logical does not mean the same as easy to learn. This is a much more subjective term, and also depends a lot on what languages you already speak. For instance, Spanish would seem comparatively easy to an Italian but completely alien to a speaker of an Asian language.Some of the languages were looking at are listed among the most difficult to understand, but once you know the rules and the vocab your journey to fluency will be smoother than something less logical.Make any languageâ€"whether its logical or notâ€"easier to learn with  FluentU.  FluentU takes real-world videosâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.  Use the interactive subtitles, flashcards and vocabulary lists to learn languages better than ever!What About Constructed Languages?Before we move on to the natural languages most of us are used to, its worth mentioning artificial or constructed languages, also known as conlangs. Believe it or not, there are dozens of these, created for all sorts of different reasons.Some of them, like  Klingon  from Star Trek or Elvish from Lord of the Rings, are designed for fictional purposes and intended to imitate natural languages. These are less likely to be what we might call logical .However, other conlangs are created with logic in mind. Here are some examples:EsperantoProbably the best known conlang, Esperanto was designed with the intention of being a universal, international language. Created in the late 1800s, it now has around two million speakers and you can even learn it on Duolingo.With ease of learning being a top priority for its creator, Esperanto has an extremely regular grammar and a vocabulary that draws from existing languages (albeit from a Eurocentric perspective.)SlovioWith some links to Esperanto, this is considered a zonal conlang. That means its created by fusing elements of existing languages from a certain region in a logical way. There are no special endings or declensions in Slovio, so clarity is communicated with as much efficiency as possible.Slovio has an official website if you want to find out more.LojbanLojbans name is formed from the roots of its own words for logical languageâ€"so you can see why it might get a place on this li st! Its an obvious contender for the most logical language.Primarily built for the purpose of linguistic research, Lojbans unambiguous grammar is based on the principles of formal logic. There are no exceptions to any of its rules, and its culturally neutral, meaning there should be no difference in difficulty of learning and speaking regardless of where you come from (although it does use the Latin alphabet.)You can find resources to learn Lojban on its website.4 of the Most Logical Natural LanguagesConlangs are fascinating and definitely an adventure for an experienced polyglot. However, other speakers can be hard to find so their utility is limited. In terms of natural languages, then, what are the most logical ones?Basque: Complex but StraightforwardRemember we said earlier that  logical  and  easy are not the same thing?Basque, the language of the Basque Country which straddles northern Spain and southern France, is regularly listed as one of the most difficult languages to lea rn. It has complex grammar and, although it has some loanwords from Spanish, its considered a language isolateâ€"meaning that its unrelated to any other known language.But despite its complexity and isolation, Basque speakers will still say that its a logical language. Once you get your head around its many rules, theres very little irregularity in verbs and syntax compared with other European languages. This means you can predict  much more consistently how sentences ought to be created as long as youve studied the basics.One word of caution: Despite the small size of the Basque Country, there are several different dialects. However logical the standard language might be, there are still a number of idiomatic tendencies that youll have to learn. Check out Euskal Kultura to get started.German: Efficient and LogicalCould you have guessed this one? The stereotype of the German people is that theyre efficient and logical, so its no surprise that the language spoken mainly hereâ€"as wel l as in Switzerland, Austria and parts of Namibia and the north of Italyâ€"lives up to the stereotype.Like other European languages, German does have some irregularities in verb and plural forms, so it might not get as many logic points as other languages. However, the syntax is fairly rigid, meaning German sentences are extremely consistently structured.Meanwhile, although some very long German compound words can appear intimidating, theyre constructed in a satisfyingly logical wayâ€"helping hugely with comprehension. Consider the daunting  Naturwissenschaftenlehrer. A 25-letter monster. But break it up:  Natur means nature;  Wissenschaften is knowledge;  Lehrer is teacher. The word means science teacher!German is widely taught and learned, and you could even start with FluentU to pick it up! Take a look at our German-learning blog for lots of tips, or visit the German-learning section of the FluentU videos to get started.Turkish: Phonetic and ConsistentLike with Basque, the Turkic languages might be a language family you havent come across before. Nevertheless, time and time again you will hear that Turkish is a very logical language.Despite its  diacritics, which can make it look alien to English speakersâ€"consider the consonants in a word like  açigiâ€"the language is phonetically written. Once you know how to read each character out loud, youll have  no problem reading words and sentences.There are also suffixes that change the meanings of words and can appear confusing, but theyre very consistent. With Turkey being an important country on the global scene as well as a great tourist destination, it would be a great language to pick up.The Fluent in 3 Months blog recommends  Colloquial as a great resource for beginners.Chinese: Daunting but StraightforwardScary, right? Another one of those languages which is notoriously hard to learn, at least for speakers of English and other European languages.Having said that, I cant help but get the feeling that a lo t of this is because people are put off by the script. Sure, the vocabulary is tough, but isnt that true in any language?Chinese has a lot going for it from a logical perspective. Words dont change their forms, and meaning is assigned simply by combining different words together. For example, a sign you see everywhere in China is  ??, meaning exit. This is created by combining the character  ? (out) with ? (opening or mouth). Its literally an opening you go out of. Straightforward, right?It does have a disadvantage compared to some of the others on this list since the characters bear no phonetic resemblance to the wordsâ€"exacerbated by the fact that many Chinese characters have multiple pronunciations, especially when dialectical variations are factored in. But once you start building sentences in Chinese, you see how logical this widely spoken language can be.BBC Languages is a great place to start learning Chinese if youre interested!Which of these is  the most logical? Well, tha ts hard to say: Ultimately theyre all natural languages and millennia of development have left them with illogical quirks. Try one out and see how you find it. And, if you cant master it, theres always Lojban!And One More ThingSince youve read this far, youre obviously serious about learning languages, so you may just love FluentU.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that real people speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse ScreenFluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive TranscriptsYou can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right t o see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.

Ultimate Guide How to Learn Multiple Languages to a High Level of Fluency

Ultimate Guide How to Learn Multiple Languages to a High Level of Fluency So you want to be a polyglot?Its not exceptionally difficult to learn how to ask for the bathroom or say I love you in 20 different languages.But learning multiple languages to a high level of fluencyâ€"such that you would be comfortable at a job interview or speaking in publicâ€"requires a whole different level of commitment and strategy.Want to know what that strategy looks like? Keep reading. Why Level of Fluency Matters When Learning Multiple LanguagesDifferent goals require different levels of fluencyIts always a good idea to have a goal in mind when you start learning a new skillâ€"and languages are no exception. Do  your language ambitions end with the ability to chat with people in bars in Moscow, Beijing and Paris? If so, you probably dont need to worry too much about understanding cultural nuances and avoiding glaring grammatical mistakesâ€"as long as your pronunciation is passable, youll be fine.What if youd actually like to become a journalist who reports stories in the Middle East and the Middle Kingdom, without using a translator or fixer? How about closing international business deals on multiple continents? Perhaps youd like to attend a foreign university?Those goals all require you to have a much higher level of fluencyâ€"because a lot is at stake if you make a mistake. Once you get out of informal barroom chats, youll start encountering more complicated and nuanced vocabulary and grammatical structures. You need to be able to both understand them and use them yourself to function appropriately in professional situations.The higher your level of fluency, the fuller your experience with the languageWhen it comes to language learning, speaking a little is not necessarily just as good as speaking a lot. Even if you dont plan to use the language professionally, it will be easier to take advantage of opportunities if you know the the language well. Lets say, for example, that youd like to take a course in Chinese cooking in Chengdu. Youll need to understand the instructors oral instructions as well as written handouts and information scribbled on the blackboard. Youll also get more out of the class if youre able to banter with classmates and ask questions confidently. Those are not beginner tasks.The ability to discuss current events, movies and even complex philosophy  also allows you to become more of an active participant in any interaction with native speakersâ€"including in barroom conversation. When you speak a language well, youre able to interact with native speakers on the same level that they would speak with other native speakers. If your language skills are more limited, youll still be able to communicate. But a huge amount of potential conversation topics with native speakers will be outside of your grasp.Higher levels of fluency are harder to achieve, but easier (and more fun!) to maintainTheres no doubt that reaching a high level of fluency takes a lot of time and effort. On the other hand, as using your targe t languages becomes easier, it becomes more fun to use them and continue to improve your ability. At lower levels of fluency, an activity like watching a movie is an intellectual stretchâ€"and its not relaxing at all.Once your level improves, however, its fun and easy to watch a movie in your target languageâ€"and youre able to do so without taxing your mental capacity. Its also more likely that youll be using your languages as part of your career, which is important for language maintenance, especially if youre maintaining more than one language.How Learn  Multiple  Languages to FluencySo if your goal is to reach fluency in multiple languages, here are some tips for you:If youre starting from zero, study two languages at a timeYoull reach fluency in multiple languages faster if you start by  learning two languages rather than proceeding one at a time. You can make a substantial amount of progress in a language with half an hour of study time per day, and most people find an hour to tal (half an hour for each language) a reasonable amount of time to dedicate to languages every day.You wont get mentally overwhelmed from two new languages at a timeâ€"but any more than that is more likely to lead to confusion, overload and burnout. Pace yourself. Reaching fluency in many languages takes time, and youll get better long-term mileage if you dont take it too fast at the beginning.Study new languages in your stronger language(s)Once youve reached a certain level of comfort in one of your target languages, you can  learn subsequent languages through it, solidifying both your knowledge of the stronger language and helping you get ahead in the new language. As an example, you might listen to a podcast for French speakers learning Chinese, or get a French-Chinese dictionary instead of an English-Chinese one.If you happen to be living abroad, this is easier. When I lived in France, for example, I took both a Chinese class and an Arabic class. I learned some  French in both classes. In my Chinese class, we read a story that involved magpies (pie  in French,  que ?  in Chinese). My French was pretty good, but my vocabulary did not include magpie, so I had to look up the word when I got home from class. I suspect if it hadnt been for the Chinese class, Id never have learned how to say magpie in French.A quick note about laddering, or using one foreign language to learn another: It is usually only possible if both of your target languages are relatively common. Dont expect to use Finnish to learn Bengali, for exampleâ€"there just wont be enough language material out there.Live abroadIts easier to use the laddering technique if youre living abroadâ€"taking a class full of French speakers learning Chinese is not really possible unless youre in a French-speaking country. Living abroad also makes practicing at least one language easier. If youre surrounded by one of your target languages all the time, youll have a lot more mental energy available to focus on another two foreign languages youre trying to improve.Of course, the idea of living abroad can be daunting. How will you support yourself? Where will you live? How will you meet people? Here are a couple ideas for making a move abroad  more manageable.Connect with other people from your home country who have lived/are living in the place youd like to move to.Take a short-term trip before making a permanent move abroad. Even a week spent in the city youd like to move to will give you an idea of how you actually like the place, what neighborhoods you might like to live in and what sorts of jobs would be open to you.Figure out how youll make money. Maybe  youll have saved up enough money to not work for several months or a year, in which case you dont have to worry about this at all. Otherwise, figure out if you can teach your native language, work remotely or get a job in your field in the new country.Cultivate equally strong relationships with each target languageYour goal should nev er be to become a polyglot. Instead, it should be to become bilingual in each individual language you intend to learn. If fluency is your goal, dont start learning a new language just to bump up your numbers.Instead, you should have a concrete reason for learning each language, such as:Learning Spanish so that you can understand Flamenco lyricsLearning Russian to communicate with your in-lawsLearning French because youd like to study French cuisine in FranceHaving a connection to a language means a strong, emotional desire to be able to use the language. It also means that your reasons for learning the language should be constants in your life, rather than motivations that are likely to dry up after a year or two.Create an immersion environmentAn immersion environment is important for  learning any language, but even more important if your goal is to learn two or more to fluency. Youll need to maximize your time, and that means creating ways to expose yourself to your target languag e constantly.  When learning multiple languages, its best to do immersion in one language at a time.Immersion can be either physical (such as living abroad) or virtual/digital, such as watching movies, reading newspapers and listening to music exclusively in your target language. When creating a virtual immersion environment, virtual private networks (VPNs) allow you to access content like television and movies that are geoblockedâ€"meaning that theyre restricted in certain countries.Essentially, a VPN makes it appear as if you’re using the internet in another country rather than the United States (or wherever you currently are).  By using a VPN, you can access online content as if you were in Germany, France, Japan or any other country of your choice.  An easy way to set up a VPN and magically change your location is by installing HideMyAss! VPN on any of your devicesâ€"it works on your computer, smartphone and internet-enabled TVs and game systems.FluentU is also a great way to get both language immersion and  language instruction, since it turns real-world videos into personalized language lessons.How to Take Your Fluency in Many Languages to the Next LevelOnce youre fluent in many languages, heres how you can take it to the next level:Live in a multilingual cityIs it possible to have immersion in more than one language at a time? If you plan correctly, yes. There are several cities where multiple language coexistâ€"Strasbourg, France and Fribourg, Switzerland both speak French and German, and would be ideal spots for someone looking for an immersion in both languages, for example.Alternatively, living in a multilingual city like Brussels or New York City will make opportunities to practice unrelated languages easier to come by.Maintain a multilingual social networkPracticing your language skills should not just be about flashcards and exercisesâ€"you need to be able to have fun with the language! If you are trying to improve and maintain various language s, its essential to make friends who speak your target languages. This allows you to practice languages while socializing, and provides the emotional connection to the language that will make it more likely for you to continue making progress over the long haul.Heres some ideas for meeting (and befriending) speakers of other languages:Go to language-related events organized on Meetup.com. In my experience, a fair number of native speakers attend these events.Attend events at local cultural organizations like the Cervantes Institute, Confucius Institute or the Alliance Française. Ive been to holiday celebrations at the Confucius Institute and to several events for French-speaking business people at the Alliance Française, and both have had lots of native speakers.Seek out immigrant communities who speak your target languages. This might mean attending religious services in one of your target languages, doing your grocery shopping at ethnic stores and/or living in a neighborhood wit h a lot of people who speak your target language.Use your languages at workWe spend a lot of time at work, and if youre able to make your work time do double duty as language practice, youll have that much more time to practice. Making time for all your languages is the biggest challenge for polyglots, which is why its so important to multitask and use work time as yet another opportunity for language practice. Using your languages at work is generally only possible if you speak your target languages quite well.I think its possible to use your target language as part of most professions, but here are some industries where youll be especially likely to use foreign languages:Tourism. I used to work as a tour guide in New York City, and easily used all of my languages as part of work.Translation and interpreting. For obvious reasons, working as a translator or interpreter requires a high level of fluency and can also let you use many languages  on the job.Journalism. You dont need to s peak a foreign language to work as a journalist, but writing about immigrant communities and/or foreign countries will give you a chance to practice your target languages!There are many, many more ways to use your language skills on the job. Although being a real estate agent isnt necessarily a language-heavy career, you could easily build a reputation as the Spanish-and-Chinese-speaking real estate agent in your area and work with immigrant communities who speak those languages.The same goes for a lot of professions. Using languages at work requires a little creativity, but can often work with any career!Build a multilingual familyAside from work, though, we tend to spend a lot of time with our families. Ideally, polyglots will be able to use family time as language time, too. If you happen to marry someone who speaks one of your target languages (or all of them!), good for you. It will make it a little easier to practice that language. But its certainly not a requirement for multi lingualism.However, spouses are an important part of your family, and ideally polyglots are going to want a spouse that at least appreciates multilingualism. Even if your spouse speaks the same native language as you, its great if he or she speaks at least one other language.Children also represent both challenges and opportunities for polyglots, and using your children to help advance your language goals doesnt require restricting who you can marry. To take advantage of the language potential of raising children, make teaching them your target languages a priority. Here are a couple ways to do so:Hire nannies who speak one of your target languages, and instruct him or her to use that language with your child(ren).Read childrens books in your target languages with your kids.Enroll your kids in an immersion programâ€"they will probably be teaching you new words within a couple of years and parent-teacher conferences will suddenly become language practice opportunities.If you live in a reasonably multilingual city, try to find families who speak you target languages who also have kids around the same age as yours. Encourage playdates. Chat with the parents while the kids play.Have at least one hobby related to each languageGranted, that might add up to a lot of hobbies if you speak six or seven languages! However, a hobby related to your target language provides a crucial part of your emotional connection to the language. They are also a potent reminder that learning a language isnt always an end in and of itself, it is a means of connecting with another culture and communicating with people.Whats a language-related hobby? Lets say you practice tai chi and speak Chinese. The fact that you speak Chinese opens up new opportunities for studying tai chi.  The reverse is also trueâ€"attending a tai chi course in China will give you more opportunities for studying Chinese, since studying tai chi with Chinese classmates opens up otherwise inaccessible opportunities for friendship.Here are some examples of hobbies that can be enhanced by language learning:Cooking. Perhaps I think of it because I love to cook, but a love of cuisine is the perfect match for polyglots, because it can be synergistic with  all  of your languages. Watch cooking shows in French, study cooking in Chinese, read Russian cookbooks. All languages have a matching cuisine, and if you know the language youll have a lot more resources available to you when it comes to learning about the cuisine.Music. Music is another relatively versatile hobby when it comes to language learning, because most cultural have some kind of musical tradition. I knew a Japanese woman in China who took  erhu  lessons (an  erhu is a two-stringed Chinese instrument), whereas I took guitar lessons in Spain and knew several American students who took voice lessons in Russia.Dance.  Most serious students of Flamenco speak at least some Spanish, because Flamenco teachers in Spain almost never speak English. A rabic-speaking bellydancers will have a lot more success finding a teacher in the Middle East or just connecting with visiting teachers in their home country. Like Samba? Wouldnt dance lessons in Brazil be greatâ€"and that much greater if the classes are in Portuguese?Consume mediaâ€"books, movies, news, musicâ€"in all your languagesMedia is your best friend for maintaining and even improving your language skills! Heres the good news about reaching a high level of fluency: Once youre there, watching a movie or reading a book in your target language is fun, not work.This is another time when VPNs come in handy, because many television shows are only available in the country they are produced in (but can be a source of fun and language learning!). News sites are also a fabulous way to stay current on whats happening in countries where your target language is spoken and practice your language skills. If youre on a budget, libraries often have a surprisingly wide selection of books in f oreign languages.When it comes to learning multiple languages, your level of fluency matters. The more fluent you get, the more fun you are going to have with the languages and the more likely it is that youll be able to stay fluent over the long haul. There are plenty of ways to both get to a high level of fluency and stay thereâ€"and you dont need to do all of them for any one language.If youre learning and maintaining multiple languages, its best if you can do at least one of the above techniques for each of your languagesâ€"maybe use one of your target languages at work, another with your spouse and children, and go to religious services in a third language.Before you know it, youll be on your way to total fluency in many languages.Emily Liedel  is a writer and polyglot. She speaks French, Spanish, Russian, German and Mandarin Chineseâ€"her goal is to speak all of the official UN languages fluently (HINT: Arabic is the language left on her list). She writes about language learni ng and living abroad at www.thebabeltimes.com.