Should I Use Monitorial Tutoring For My Child?

Should I Use Monitorial Tutoring For My Child?Having your children earn their college degree at the same time as you are having them managed in the home is not always an easy task. It is critical that your child's academic and personal needs are taken into consideration when making this decision.Monitorial tutoring allows you to meet these needs without you having to sacrifice your own, and in some cases, without having to miss school. You can still give your child a strong foundation in the subjects they need to excel at while also giving them a teaching opportunity while on the clock. This is a great benefit for working parents.Monitorial tutoring is a kind of pre-college preparation course which takes your child from the very start of their education to where they are now. It is there that they are introduced to important subjects like algebra, calculus, and physics and all the other academic subjects that will form the basis of their future career plans.Monitorial tutoring can be a class they do at home or at a community college or even a college. This type of study is designed to help your child prepare for college admissions test and in many cases they may receive credit. With monitoring tutoring, there is more than just an educational benefit for your child; there is a sense of accomplishment as well.Because the programs are designed to make your child feel better about themselves, they often work with the student's family. The program may send a letter home with your child for the letters page. They offer up some useful hints or show the parent how to write their own letters that will fit the student's needs and help them prepare.Monitoring your child is really a great idea. After all, you have been paying their tuition and have probably bought them a lot of necessary books, so why not make sure that they receive the care they need in their studies?How you handle this type of situation depends on how you and your child fit together. If you really can't afford this option, or if it is simply too hard for you to commit, there are alternatives to monitoring tutoring. Some students attend community colleges, vocational schools, or even correspondence schools.

Tips on Creating Pen Drawings

Tips on Creating Pen Drawings Pen Drawing Techniques ChaptersFelt Tip DrawingDrawing With Marker PensRolling It Out With Rollerball PensBiro SketchesA Final Note On Pen ArtUnlike charcoal, pastels and graphite pencils, pens often have a narrow, inflexible nib  and don’t always flow as easily as those other drawing mediums. This means that, if you are already accustomed to  softer mediums, you may need to adjust your drawing style to suit. New artists, however, might take to this art form easily.For instance, if you are using a marker pen or felt tip pen, you may quickly find that the amount of ink on your paper decreases with extended use, creating inconsistent lines or that applying strong pressure causes a build up of ink on the paper.As a child, you may remember making holes in paper due to holding your felt tip pen down for too long? If so, you’ll understand just how hard it is to create a masterpiece using ink as a medium. And, with no way of erasing such mistakes, this makes pen art all the more challenging.With pens, you are forced to be much more deliberate with your marks than if you were drawing in pencils or crayons. You can't just rub out the marks that you don't like, so you are naturally more careful and considerate of the lines that make it onto your surface. Learning how to draw using a pen or ink in general is not easy, precision is necessary. Using various pen types, for example, ballpoint and fountain pens can produce very different results. there are a huge variety of pen sets to test versatility  but also consider how pens feel in your hand; the grip is often the deciding factor.Find a drawing class London here.Drawing With Marker PensWhile drawing with marker pens is similar in a way to using a smaller felt tip pen, there is one big obvious difference - the size. As such, marker pens are better used in larger scale, perhaps looser or rougher sketches than those requiring delicate or precise lines.One positive to marker pens is that, depending on which brand you opt for, you can use it on far more surfaces. This means that, instead of being restricted to just paper or card, you could create pieces of art on wood, metal and many more materials.Grab whatever pen you can find in the pot, almost anything can be used to make art with! Photo credit: my little red suitcase on Visualhunt.Biro SketchesLast but not least, biro sketches are a fantastic way of learning to draw, but can also allow you to produce some very attractive drawings.A very talented artist as well as DJ, presenter, and novelist, Fearne Cotton illustrates her recent book release with various small biro sketches.The multitalented celebrity mum often posts similar sketches on her Instagram account which she confirms help her to get the ideas out of her head and onto paper quickly.A lot of artists would only use a biro if that was all they had at reach when an idea came to mind, but Cotton seems to take lots of enjoyment from the medium and clearly places value on the rawness it offers.This artist has used a biro to create a detailed and imaginative drawing. Photo credit: joncandy on Visualhunt.A Final Note On Pen ArtDon't be intimidated by pens; even though they leave more or less a permanent mark, it doesn't mean that you can't start over if you really want to. Despite being unworkable after application, at least it is a low-cost form of art enabling you to just reach for another sheet of paper in the pad when you have had enough of one drawing.If you were working with oil paints on a canvas, for example, you might not be so quick to start on a new, expensive canvas or board (remember that oil paints take a long time to dry so it wouldn't be as simple as painting over the top of your existing work!)Pens are generally associated with the world of writing and literature, and less so with the visual arts. Just think of it like this, by  using any type of pen in art, you are merely substituting the written word for a visual representation.Start drawing classes with a private tutor from S uperprof.

3 Ways Struggling B-School Students Can Re-Focus This Semester

3 Ways Struggling B-School Students Can Re-Focus This Semester This post is part of a month-long series to help you start 2018 on the right foot. Throughout January, visit the Varsity Tutors blog for advice, tips, and tricks on how to reignite your passion for learning this winter. The first semester of business school can be challenging. In your second semester, however, you have a better understanding of what to expect in your MBA program. Starting the semester on the right foot is important, and re-focusing your priorities can help you achieve this. If you find yourself struggling in business school, or you simply want to improve your grades, re-focus this semester by keeping a planner, getting to know your professors, and outlining your short-term and long-term goals. Re-focus on business school this semester by developing a schedule The day-to-day schedule of an MBA student can be busy. Therefore, a calendareither physical or virtualcan help you keep track of your obligations. Write down class periods, exam dates, and study sessions. Also include special events, like company presentations, club activities, and MBA conferences. Note appointments with friends and family members, as well. This can help you monitor your commitments outside of business school. Finally, make sure to schedule downtime for yourself. To be successful in your MBA program, it is important to find time to recharge. [RELATED: The 2 Soft Skills You Need for Business School] Speak with your business school professors and administrators The faculty and staff in your program want you to succeed. At the beginning of the semester, visit your professors during office hours, introduce yourself, and ask for any advice that they may have regarding success in b-school. You can also schedule an appointment at your schools career center to make a plan for achieving your goals in your field. Think of your success as a team effort, with you as the captain. You can go farther as an MBA student with a good support system behind you. [RELATED: 3 Tips for Networking in Business School] Outline your business school goals when re-focusing In business school, its important to remind yourself that you cant do everything: you cant run every organization, attend every company visit, apply to every internship, or participate in every case competition. You will have to make difficult choices at times, and establish where your goals fall. During your second semester of business school, your main priorities should include: Maintaining the GPA necessary to stay in your program. Pursuing the career opportunities that will benefit you after graduation. When considering how to spend the remainder of your time, think about what your goals were when you started the program, as well as what your goals are now. It is normal for your goals to have changed since you began your MBA program. Examine these changes, and re-establish your semester and long-term goals. In addition to these strategies for re-focusing this semester, b-school students can also reflect on the previous semester and remember the things that went well. Plan ahead, communicate with your professors, and prioritize your goals, so that you can have a successful second semester of business school. [RELATED: 5 Tips to Ease the Transition from Business School to the Business World] Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

The Joy of Speed Learning to Play Guitar Quickly

The Joy of Speed Learning to Play Guitar Quickly How Do You Play the Guitar Quickly? ChaptersControl Your Tension to Play the Guitar FasterPlay Guitar Slowly at First Then Build Up SpeedPractice Guitar With a MetronomeLearn More Techniques for Playing GuitarPractice Regularly: Play Guitar Every day!The more progress you make with your guitar, the more you will learn about new techniques, and the more you will want to progress and play faster.Often, even when you think you have all the techniques down, you may become frustrated that you are not able to play fast enough. (How do you tune your guitar?).While speed is only one of many aspects of playing guitar, it is part of the knowledge acquired by any accomplished and creative musician or guitar player. If you are interested in knowing how to play guitar to the best of your ability, you are going to have to work on building up your speed.It takes time to learn to play the guitar rapidlyA guitarist who feels that their speed is stopping their progress risked losing motivation and giving up on guitar lessons london.  Th is phase of discouragement is normal; all guitarists go through it - and you, as a guitar player, will go through it too.All learning follows a curve, and learning guitar is no different: a period of rapid learning (everything is new, you learn more every day) followed by a plateau where you may feel stagnant and like you are learning nothing new, then the curve rises again when you get over this obstacle.Playing guitar fast is not only to impress your friends, but reaching a certain speed means that you gain flexibility, learn to relax your fingers, and feel a greater freedom in your movements.  It also means that you can nail those lines from jazz guitar and rock guitar - those guitar licks and guitar solos that inspire everyone to play - and play songs with complex guitar lines.Today we're not going to talk about music theory, the details of tablature, vibrato, or chord shapes. We're talking only speed.How do you play the guitar fast? Are there tricks you can learn? Can any guita rist do it? Do you need a guitar teacher?  Start by playing your range or your riff as slowly as possible, without the help of the metronome.You should pay close attention to any tension you feel in your fingers or arms.Play each note carefully and get a feel for the sequence. Set your metronome at a fairly slow pace, about 30 beats per minute, and start playing in time.Once you can play perfectly like this without pain or tension, you can increase the tempo and play faster. It is a time consuming process, but it is extremely effective and long-lasting. Investing all this time in your practice and playing will iron out any mistakes. Your guitar instructor will suggest that you do this too - but whilst you might not find it so much in guitar lessons for beginners, you will definitely have to use these guitar techniques for practicing in a guitar lesson at a later date.This is how you learn to play better and faster. You can also sing while playing the guitar!Learn More Techniques for Playing GuitarIt's no secret that the greatest guitarists who are able to play fast have one thing in common: they master most guitar skills.Whether swapping, tapping, back and forth, picking, pull-off, legato or hammer-on, playing the guitar with his fingers, they know them by heart and how to use them.You too should learn as many techniques as possible in order to play fast - everything from fingerstyle guitar to chord shapes. You should develop a solid foundation in all techniques. This will enrich your playing and will help you to learn different movements and increase your dexterity.You will improve your lightness and fluidity and therefore your speed.Learn how to alternate your playing rhythm with the guitar.Begin with a simple exercise like the legato for 20 minutes daily and once you master this technique, try something more complex like the pull-off.  Working like this will give you new techniques for your solos and improvisations.Alternatively, pick a scale - a major scal e, minor scale, or blue scale. You could even just use chromatic lines. Develop your speed by merely playing these scales over and over and over - and you'll definitely see the benefit.Watch an online guitar videos by Michael Angelo Batio, whose guitar songs are not hugely interesting musically, but they are fantastic for guitar instruction.You will strengthen your body and your fingers, train your brain to new habits and new instrumental practices and your playing will become more natural and less robotic.Practice Regularly: Play Guitar Every day!This is the other secret to playing the guitar: the more regularly you play, the more confidence you will gain confidence and the better, smoother and faster your playing will be. You can learn improvisation on guitar.You will play in a more flexible, effortless way and your playing will sound more natural.Playing the guitar properly takes months or even years depending on the level you want to reach.The most important thing is not how muc h time you spend learning to play fast, but the method you use to learn to do it. If you have the right one, you are on the right path to progress.While you are practicing you can spend 15-20 minutes each day to practice playing at speed.It is always better to practice a little every day consistently rather than a few hours on one day of the week only.Work intelligently, organize and apply the various tricks mentioned, and you will reach your target speed on the guitar before you even realize it.Once you can play the guitar quickly you can try playing with one hand :)

Beginning Guitar How to Build Up Calluses

Beginning Guitar How to Build Up Calluses Megan L. Theres no way around it, learning to play guitar is sometimes a painful process. If youre feeling like your guitar strings bit your finger, take this advice from guitar teacher  Joe H. Struggling to hold down the strings of your guitar without feeling like you are going to cut your finger wide open? Do you put your guitar away after just a few minutes of practicing with your fingertips gleaming red and feeling raw? Don’t worry! This is a common problem for the first few weeks or so of playing until you start developing guitar calluses. What’s a callus? A callus is “A thickened and hardened part of the skin or soft tissue, especially in an area that has been subjected to friction.” Plain English? The more you play guitar the harder the tips of your fingers will become, allowing you to play more and more comfortably without any pain. Today we are going to talk about a few things you can do right now to make things a little easier on your fingers until you build up this protective layer. Finger Placement Make sure you are pushing down on the string just behind the fret you are trying to. When we are pushing down a string, our goal is to make the string touch the fret firmly to make a solid connection so we can get a clear sound. If our finger is too far away from the fret we are trying to hold down, we have to push down all that much harder to get a clear sound. By holding right next to the fret we get can get that solid connection with much less pressure being necessary. In this case less pressure=less discomfort! Try Lighter Strings Many guitars come strung with thicker strings than might be appropriate. Thicker strings require more tension on the strings to be tuned appropriately. By putting lighter strings, this tension will be lessened, and this will allow us to push down on the strings with less pressure to get that solid connection we discussed in tip #1! Make sure you have someone who knows what they are doing (i.e. a more experienced guitar player or a guitar store tech) set up the guitar to make sure it is still in good playing shape after the change. Have The Action Adjusted The “action” of a guitar is how we refer to the distance between the strings and the frets. All guitars need to have this adjusted from time to time. Many beginner guitars come with very high actions that make playing very uncomfortable and painful. To make a guitar easier and more comfortable to play, the action should be lowered until just before any of frets start buzzing when played. Again, make sure you have someone who knows what they are doing do this for you. Practice, Practice, Practice! Make sure you are picking up the guitar almost every day if possible. Your practice sessions don’t need to be long, just a few minutes each day should suffice to help promote the building of guitar calluses. Find some good exercises to help build finger strength and play them at least once each time you pick up the guitar. All of these tips should help make playing guitar comfortably more attainable for anyone who is just starting out, or picking the guitar back up. Now, there are no more excuses, get back to practicing! Beginning guitar is easier when you have a guide. Your guitar teacher can help you along the way and show you the best way to learn to play the guitar. Search for your guitar teacher now!   Joe H. is a guitar and music theory instructor in White Plains, NY. Teaching since 2009, he received a degree in Jazz Studies from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music and can help students specialize in blues or country guitar. Learn more about Joe here! 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 Photo by Codayy

How to Graduate On Time in College

How to Graduate On Time in College It is widely assumed that the college experience is only a four-year one. Many students embark on this journey believing four years is all theyll have, as if college will automatically end once that proclaimed time period has passed. However, college doesnt necessarily wrap up in four years so easily. In fact, the amount of time you spend there is very much in your control. Unlike in high school when teachers and various meetings helped you map out your schedule every semester along the way, no one will be closely overseeing that aspect of your college classes. If you dont keep track of what subjects and how many hours you need to take in order to graduate on time or graduate at all you may not be finding this installment of higher education to be completed so easily in just four years. From the very beginning, you are the one who needs to be aware of what classes you have been, are, and will be taking. Yes, you will have an advisor assigned to you by your major who will be able to help you scope these things out, but even then, you must set up your own meetings with them at the right times. Especially if you end up attending a larger school, it will take a lot more effort to schedule some time between you and your advisor to make sure you degree requirements are correctly on track. If you are planning on going to grad school you may want to check out some of the best classes for grad school admissions. This is clearly an important process to be aware of if you want to be sure to successfully graduate in general, but it is absolutely crucial that you are on top of these things if you want to guarantee yourself a timely graduation ceremony with the rest of your class. There are several things to keep track of and you need to have a personally helpful system in place in order to keep this information organized. It isnt the most fun thing to do and it may not feel necessary right away, but youll be thankful that you did it once senior year rolls around and the degree application process isnt giving you red flags of rejection. It may seem overwhelming, but there are just a few areas you really need to make sure you look at: General Education Requirements: Your freshman orientation will probably encourage you to sign up for most of these anyway, but it is a good idea to check out exactly what you need to take in this section of classes. Among the selection of English, math, and science related courses, there will be a specific amount of general education courses that you must complete. Dont just assume you only need one of each and then think youve gotten them out of the way. There are sub-categories in each of these subjects that you must pay attention to. For instance, you may need to take a certain number of science labs in addition to lectures, or fictional literature classes in addition to non-fiction ones. Throw in the endless variety of mathematics and you are facing quite the handful of possible Gen Eds. A very useful tip in this area is to get as much of these taken care of as early as possible. Although they may not be the exciting courses you wanted to start your college experience with, youll be a lot more content sitting in these classes as a freshman than as the only upper-classman in the bunch later on. Requirements for Your Major: Needless to say, every major is different and therefore demands vastly different selections of classes for you to take. If you are an Engineering major, you should not converse about registration decisions with your Psychology major roommate. This is particularly where advisors come in handy because they are informed most specifically on your field of study. There are going to be a certain amount of hours you need to take of classes related to your major, and a specific list of the types of classes related to your major. Make sure you understand which specific subjects you need to take, how many hours of each of them, and how many hours overall. Additionally, you may be required to take a certain amount of classes/hours in the particular school you belong to (i.e. School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Business, etc.) that are specifically not related to your major. Universities like you to be well-rounded even within your major, so be prepared to continue looking at the wide span of things even under this umbrella. If you are still unsure about your major you may want to check out this information on college majors. Semester Hours: This is the big one. Graduation requirements will typically state that you need to have X amount of hours total to graduate but it never stays that simple. There will be semester hour requirements within those total hours. For instance, no more than X amount of hours can come from your major, or at least X amount of hours must come from general education classes, etc.. If youve paid attention to the aforementioned course requirements, these hours should ideally fall into place relatively easily. However, it is still very important to keep track of, since one small mistake with your hours could throw off everything and cancel out many hours of hard work. Bottom line: these requirements are tricky, and these requirements are final. Make a list or chart early on to map out these demands perfectly so you dont get lost as time flies by. If you get this process started before it begins, you will be far more likely to stay on top of it throughout the entire duration of your college experience. Whereas if you try to catch up on it in the middle of your junior year, there will be much more of a challenge to get your schedule straightened out and ensure you are set to graduate on time. Get this information put together immediately and you will have a great item of guidance every semester when it comes time to register for classes. You may also want to check out this information on how to network as a recent college graduate!

Free AP exam prep seminars

Free AP exam prep seminars Its already March, which means that AP exam season will soon be upon us!  Most teachers are  finishing up new material in AP classes this month, and exam preparation will start in April.  If youre  worried about that tough US History or Calculus exam, you should check out our AP exam preparation  seminars!New for 2012, our AP seminars are free for current AJ Tutoring students and only $50 for non-AJ  Tutoring students.  Each seminar is two hours long and will consist of a review of major topics, hard concepts, and typical problems, as well as a question and answer session.  All seminars will take place at our Palo Alto office at 430 Cambridge Avenue, Suite 110.AP Seminar Schedule:AP Calculus (AB/BC) Seminar: Date: April   23rd @ 6-8pm (Instructor: William Cesarotti)AP Chemistry Seminar:  Date: May 3rd @ 6:30-8:30pm (Instructor: Robert Jonas)AP Physics B Seminar: Date: May 7th @ 4:30-6:30pm (Instructors: William Cesarotti Andrew Dreyfuss)AP US History Seminar: Date: May 7th @ 6:30-8:30pm (Instructors: Jean Liao Jared Greene)AP English (Language) Seminar: Date: May 12th @ 3-5pm (Instructor: Jared Greene)Click here  to register for a seminar.  Space is limited, so register today!    If youd like more comprehensive review for your AP exams with one of our experienced tutors, email info@ajtutoring.com and well get you set up.

7 Things High School Students Should Know About College

7 Things High School Students Should Know About College 7 Things High School Students Need to Know About College With college around the corner, your teen might feel excited about this big life change. College is indeed a transformative experience and a journey that will change your teen forever, but is she ready for whats to come? Here are seven things your teen needs to know about college: Professors expect that their students are independent. Theres no hand-holding in college. Teens need to understand that professors are certainly willing to help them, but they expect their students to take the initiative to ask for help. That means attending study sessions and visiting professors during office hours. It means taking responsibility for staying on top of all assignments and due dates. Grades really do matter. In college, there are big consequences of bad grades. Any scholarships awarded could be at risk if the recipients GPA falls below a certain threshold. The college also could put students with a low GPA on academic probation, and some colleges have an automatic drop policy. College offers a lot of freedom, but its essential that students go to class, do their homework and ask for help as soon as they start to struggle. Good communication is important. Students will write, speak and present frequently in college. They must be adaptable in their communication styles and adjust depending on the purpose, audience and task. Teens who arent great writers or speakers in high school should focus on building these skills before they go to college. Critical thinking is critical. Youve heard it before, parents, but it bears repeating: critical thinking is absolutely essential for todays college students. Students must be able to analyze new information and make connections. When reading, professors will expect students to critique every authors reasoning and assumptions. Time management is a requirement. College classes require a significant amount of effort. Students who have never mastered the concepts of good time management will run into trouble. Parents should make sure their teens are good at maintaining a planner or other homework-tracking system, prioritizing assignments and planning ahead for big projects or tests. It can be stressful. Though parents shouldnt aim to make their teens nervous, it is important to have frank conversations about the challenges that they might face as college students. College is a big life change and there is pressure to do well in school. Teens need to be comfortable seeking help and adaptable in high-pressure or high-stress situations. Waste too much time exploring, and its easy to fall behind. While many go to college without knowing exactly what they want to study, teens who want to graduate in four years should quickly start thinking about possible majors. The college career center is worth a visit early on. There, students can research career possibilities, take career interest surveys, learn more about salaries and demand for different jobs, and much more. One daymaybe in the near futureyour teen will embark on the college journey. Make sure he or she is mentally prepared! Armed with as much information as possible, your teen is likely to make the most of the experience and learn a lot. If you need support along the way, contact Huntington Learning Center. Well help your teen prepare for college and make sure he or she is ready to do well.

Learn a Language Through Songs Rockin Tools and Tips

Learn a Language Through Songs Rockin Tools and Tips Learn a Language Through Songs: Rockin Tools and Tips Madonna once sang, Music makes the people come together.Theres a lot of truth to that.Music is a cornerstone of culture, and so songs have been written in every language since the birth of speech itself.What might once have been people gathered round the fire now has a 21st-century feel, as individuals the world over get their aural fix over the worldwide web.As you may already suspect, this is great for your language learning.But how exactly can you use this modern musical phenomenon to your advantage?And why should songs form part of your journey to fluency? How Can Songs Help You Learn a Language?Theyre catchy!Theres a reason that annoying song you heard on the radio is stuck so firmly in your head. Melodies are excellent memory tools. Whether its Pachelbels Canon in D or Taylor Swifts Blank Space,  a good, simple melody can be paired with words and make them a lot easier to keep in mind. In fact, many experts even recommend language learners put words theyre trying to learn to simple tunes.Whats more, modern music tends to have a set, repetitive structure. Verses and choruses repeat phrases and words, so listening to them helps to drill vocabulary into your mind. Meanwhile, rhyme patterns help you remember pronunciation and memorize groups of words that fit together. (A very well-used example for Spanish learners is Manu Chaos  Me gustas túâ€"a Peruvian friend calls it the vocabulary song.)Finally, if you find songs you like, you can listen to them again and again, learning a little more each time.They provide contextWhether its a love song, a political anthem or a dance tune, songs have themes. They give  crucial context  to the language youre learning. Unlike lists of vocabulary, which are hard to absorb into your language usage, once you get the gist of a song, you know that all the words you learn from it will be related to it. This hugely increases your chances of being able to use that language in the future.Theyre a cultural adventureMusic is a cr ucial part of any culture, and cultural understanding is a hugely important element of language learning. This insight can help give meaning to your language studyâ€"as well as give you something to talk about!We all love to discover new musicâ€"why not kill two birds with one stone?Learn a Language Through Songs: Rockin Tools and TipsGetting Going: Finding Target-language SongsOn board? Great! Heres how to get startedChoose your songs wiselyThe key tip is this: Pick music that you like. This might sound obvious, but its tempting to just pick the first songs in your target language you come across. However, theres no point in forcing yourself to listen to thrash metal or soporific ballads if they arent your thingâ€"you wont enjoy them and you wont be motivated to keep listening. If you like rap or rock n roll in your native tongue, start with these in your target language!(A personal tip: I really like listening to rap music in foreign languages. Its rhythmicâ€"which helps you to le arn about stress patternsâ€"a mix of spoken and sung words and incredibly varied in theme. Check out  La vuelta al mundo  by Calle 13 if youre a Spanish learner, or  Goldfisch  by Fiva if youre trying to pick up German.)Just like with any listening material you would use to support your language study, make sure to pitch it right for your level. If youre an advanced learner, a childrens lullaby is unlikely to teach you much; however, if there are no words you understand at all in the songs you pick, youll struggle to make progress.Get your resources rightMusic is everywhere, but in a digital world its important to be savvy in what you use to find your optimal tunes. Here are some recommendations:The best source of song recommendations is native speakers of the language. Ask friends or people online what they listen to and try it out. If you dont yet have any connections with native speakers, its really easy to find them. For online connections, try Speaky; if youd rather meet people face-to-face, Meetup often has groups that do language exchanges or gatherings for specific language and culture groups. Theres nothing like listening to some tunes over a drink or a meal!FluentU is an ideal resource for finding and learning through target-language music. Its built on the idea that authentic video content is a fantastic way to learn a languageâ€"and this includes lots of music videos complete with optional interactive captions and built-in learning tools. You can also follow FluentUs language blogs for some great song and additional resource recommendations like these:15 Free Sites for Downloading Chinese Songs7 Hit Spanish Songs Youve Gotta Download8 Catchy French Songs Youve Gotta Download ASAP8 German Rap Songs for Mastering the Language Like a Boss  Invest in an account with a music streaming service like Spotify. I use it to create playlists of music for each language Im learning; this means I can always find my tracks and add to it as I get new recommendation s. The other great thing about Spotify is that you can use the Radio feature to get recommendations based on individual songs or artists. Find something you like, listen to related songs and populate your playlist!Go onto YouTube and search for playlists in your target language. In the modern world, people share all sorts of curated content. For example, you could listen to a list of Disney songs in French, a collection of Swahili music or a playlist filled with Russian rock. These are easy to find! Simply:Search for what you want to find, e.g., Spanish rock songs.Click Filter.Under Type, choose Playlist.Listen and enjoy!Prefer to listen in person? Depending on where you live this could be tricky, but planning a trip to a festival in a target language country is a great motivatorâ€"and will give you a chance to hear loads of different artists as well as give you ideas for music to look up ahead of time, all while meeting people with a shared interest. Time Out has a huge list to sta rt with.Making the Most of It: How to Learn with SongsGot your playlist ready? Already on your way to being a musical multilinguist? Great! Heres some advice to help you make the most of it.Sing out loud!As youre starting to get the words of the songs, sing them out loud! This will fix them in your mind and improve your speaking as well as your listening.If you play a little piano or guitar, look up the chords online and learn to play them, impressing your friends as you go.If not, what could be better than a little karaoke? YouTube is the place to go againâ€"simply search the name of your song of choice and karaoke and theres a good chance someone has created a voiceless version with all the lyrics on the screen. Invite your study buddies round and have a foreign-language karaoke party!Write out lyricsAs youre listening, try writing out the lyrics as you understand them. This will help you remember the words and also help you to build an understanding of the meaning of tricky phras es. Once youve got most of a song but there are a few gaps, you can look them up onlineâ€"although remember that lyric sites like AZLyrics are user-created, so do make mistakes!Do your dialect researchThe biggest drawback (or exciting challenge!) of using pop music can be that, in a medium designed for native speakers, specific slang, dialects or strong accents can slip in. For example, I was bemused about not being able to understand a single word in a specific verse of Articolo 31s  Gente che spera until a native Italian speaker told me it was in the Neapolitan dialectâ€"essentially a different language!The upside of this is that, once you get used to what youre listening to, youll hear a much broader and richer range of language than you might find in a textbook.The best thing to do is a little background researchâ€"Wikipedia, anyone?â€"to find out both where a target language singer or band is from and what the dialectic differences to expect in your target languages are. For ex ample, if youre learning English from a Scottish band, you know its possible that some Scots dialect might slip inâ€"very different from Standard English!Join fan forumsRemember, every great band has great fans. Participate in fan forums onlineâ€"nowadays mostly found on social media, like Twitter or Facebook. (One example is Japanese duo  Ego-Wrappins Facebook page.) Use these resources to connect with other fans, allowing your newfound hobby to expand your language horizons yet further. This may also give you a few new songs to listen toIs there a more fun way to study than to learn a language through songs? Happy singing, dancingâ€"and learning!