7 Tips to learn a foreign language

Have you always wanted to learn a new language but just never managed to pick it up? Some of us take language classes, but just end up forgetting half of what we learned in the first place. Unfortunately, language classes tend to focus on grammar and vocabulary rather than the practical use of a language. No worries, there are still plenty of ways you can teach yourself to speak a language and the key is : practice, practice, practice...and keeping yourself motivated to do so.

1) Give yourself a reason to study the language
You may be interested in visiting the country where the language is spoken, or using the language as a skill in the future, for your career. Whatever the reason may be, this will keep you motivated to learn the language. If you are learning without giving yourself an incentive to do so, chances are you won't take it seriously. Therefore, you might not end up learning the language as well as you could have.

2) Learning can be fun
You don't have to learn just through memorization and reading textbooks. You can also learn through entertainment. Why don't you read a book in Spanish?Or watch a French film? It will help to learn to listen and read things that a native speaker of the language would. This way learning won't seem boring and just something you have to force yourself to do. I would suggest watching with English subtitles first and try to write down any word you don't understand. You can also re-watch films several times in order for your listening ability to improve. As for reading in another language, you can look up words you don't understand and write it down. This will help to improve your vocabulary of the new language.

3) Learn with other people
Learning with people is always more fun than learning alone. Find a friend who is also interested in learning the new language, and spend time trying to pick up the language together. If you or your friend don't understand a new concept, you can help each other out by trying to explain it to one another. You friend might be better at pronunciation than you, while you may be better at grammar. The both of you can help each other out, while at the same time work towards improving your language skills.


4) Talk to yourself
If you do not have anyone to learn with, it's okay. You can spend time talking with yourself in the new language. It might be strange at first, however, try not to be so self-conscious. You can practice different words and phrases by repeating them to yourself again and again. Your mind tends to remember things better this way and you will be able to recall the vocabulary faster when you need to use it.

5) Learn online
Thanks to the development of technology, there are a ton of ways to learn online. You can download various apps, join language groups online, or try to find a native speaker of the language online  and practice conversing with him or her. You can also listen to podcasts or read e-books in order to learn a language online.

6) Get ready to leave your comfort zone
When you learn a new language, you have to challenge yourself. You will make mistakes and that is okay. The important thing is that you are willing to put yourself out there and learn from your mistakes. Try speaking to strangers in the language.You can start from the basics, such as ordering food, asking how much it cost, or asking for directions. Don't be embarrassed if a native speaker corrects your pronunciation or the grammar, instead think of it as a learning opportunity. The next time you use the phrase, you won't make the same mistake again.

7) Travel....if possible
When you travel to the country where the language you want to learn is spoken, you are putting yourself in an environment full of endless possibilities. You should utilize this opportunity to speak to as many locals in the new language as possible. This is a great chance to use what you have learned and to learn much more.

12 Tips to Live a More Eco-Friendly Life

We all know that Earth is the our home we should cherish it. As climate change is impacting our world faster than ever(check out my blog post Thoughts on Climate Change for more information), it is crucial that we do our part to conserve our planet and reduce our carbon footprint on Earth.

"But I'm just one person, what difference will it make?"  I hear you say. Well, imagine if millions of people worked together to be more eco-friendly, won't it make a difference then?  It actually isn't as difficult as it sounds.

Here are twelve simple tips for you to move towards living a more eco-friendly life.


1) Save Water
Water is one of the most precious resource on earth. We need fresh water to survive, because there is not an abundance of it.  You can work to save water by turning off the tap while your brush. Time yourself when you are taking a shower. Five to fifteen minutes is more than enough time to shower. Do not waste water by taking long showers. Do the laundry only when you know you have a full load of clothes. Some countries are already taking action to preserve water as there is an ongoing drought in their country. We should do our part for planet earth by trying to conserve as much water as we can. Oh and by the way, did I mention that your water bill will be reduced in the process?

2) Turn off the lights
Whenever you leave a room, make it a habit to turn off all the lights in the room. It helps to save money and energy. Turning off lights in the room will also help to keep the room cooler as light bulbs tend to radiate heat. You can also look to purchase energy-efficient household appliances.

3) Use LED light bulbs
I would suggest using LED light bulbs instead of regular incandescent lights. Incandescent lights tend to be the least expensive types of lights to purchase however, they also are expensive to use. I would suggest investing in LED lights instead. LED lights convert 95% of energy into light while only 5% of energy is otherwise wasted as heat. In comparison, incandescent lights only convert 5-10% of energy into light while the rest is wasted as heat. It also has a better quality of light distribution and a longer lifespan compared to other lights. LED lights are more expensive at first,  however it will pay off in the long run by reducing your electricity bill.

4) Bring your own Utensils
Try to use your own utensils instead of taking the disposable plastic utensils whenever you order food outside. Some restaurants will just put in the disposable utensils in the bag. You can always tell them in advance that you do not need them as you have your own utensils. I developed this habit in college as I had to eat out often, but  did not want to keep throwing out plastic spoons, forks etc unnecessarily. I decided to go out and buy a set of utensils. After using them, I would just wash them at the sink and voilà, it was good to go.

5) Bring your own Bag
Instead of getting a new plastic bag every time you shop and contributing to the ever-increasing number of plastic waste in the world, why not use a tote bag which you can reuse again and again every time you shop? It helps to cut down on plastic pollution and besides it is really convenient. You can just fold it up and use it anytime you want.

6) Turn off your Electronic Devices 
This is something that needs to be practiced more often. When you are done using your laptop, turn it off! Especially at night before you go to bed. As long as long as your device is still turned on it is consuming electricity.

7) Use Public Transportation
Instead of driving the car or riding a scooter to work everyday, why not try to take the public bus or the metro to work? As a large number of people are travelling together, it helps to cut down on the number of carbon emissions released into the air and therefore resulting in improved air quality in the long run. If you don't like using public transportation, you can always choose to carpool to work or anywhere in general.

8) Stop shopping compulsively
When you shop compulsively, you usually end up with a lot of stuff you don't end up using. Try to make a list of things you actually need and only shop for them. Remember, your goal is to try to reduce the amount of waste you create!

9) Recycle and Reuse
When you recycle and reuse products, it helps to reduce energy use which would otherwise be used to manufacture new products. Other than that, it also helps to reduce waste in the world. For instance, you can reuse plastic bags instead of just tossing them away. Instead of just throwing out your old pair of denims, why not recycle it instead? There are a ton of creative ideas online on how your can reuse your old clothing and upgrade it to something new and different.

10) Donate items you no longer need
Instead of tossing away a product you no longer need, why not give it to someone in need? You can choose to donate to shelters, to the salvation army, to a children's hospital near you etc. 

11) Decrease your consumption of meat
Do you know how much water is used in order to produce one kilogram of meat? Not only that, did you know that the meat industry produces more climate gasses than the transport industry? It is appalling what goes around in the meat industry, therefore you can do your part by decreasing your meat intake. Instead of eating meat four times a week, try to eat meat only once a week. You can instead shift to a plant-based diet. Add fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. There are a ton of healthy and delicious recipes online. If you are really committed, you can even consider going vegan or becoming a vegetarian.

12) Purchase locally grown products
This way you can support your local farms, instead of purchasing products that are shipped from far away and contributes to carbon emission from shipping. I try to visit the local farmers' market every weekend in order to purchase fruits and vegetables in bulk. It is convenient and also helps you to save some money at the same time.