10 Famous French People

10 Famous French People 10 of the Most Famous French Celebrities Chapters1. Brigitte Bardot2. Catherine Deneuve3. Gérard Depardieu4. Jean Reno5. Luc Besson6. Jacques-Yves Cousteau7. Serge Gainsbourg8. Edith Piaf9. Coco Chanel10. AstérixFrance is known for its croissants, the Eiffel Tower, the Marseillaise and the palace of Versailles. But who are the people who have formed our view of France, the celebrity ambassadors of the tricolore? Who are the actors, actresses, the singers and fashionistas who make everyone want to visit France? Here are ten of the most famous French men and women.The young girls of Rochefort in 1967 further cemented her careerTristana (1970)Donkey Skin in 1970The April Fools starring alongside Jack Lemmon in 1969, an American filmThe Slightly Pregnant Man, another American film with Marcello Mastroianni, the father of her second child, daughter Chiara MastroianniDeneuve won the César for Best Actress for her role in François Truffaut’s The Last Metro in 1980 and was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of plantatio n owner Éliane Devries in the 1992 film Indochine. More recently, she has starred in Dancer in the Dark, which was nominated in Cannes for a Palme d’Or in 2000, Potiche in 2010 and Bonne Pomme in 2017.She, too, was the face of the Marianne for a time.3. Gérard DepardieuAfter two female sex symbol actresses, a French actor who, though perhaps not a heartthrob, has made the headlines more than once, whether with his name on a marquee or, in defiance of French etiquette (or indeed etiquette anywhere) his bare buttocks on a plane.Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu was born in 1948 in Châteauroux. He left school at thirteen to work in a printworks, but after some run-ins with the law for petty crime went to Paris at sixteen, where he landed a job as an actor in the Café de la Gare, a comedy theatre.His first film was Betrand Blié’s les Valseuses in 1947 (Going Places). He became known on the French film circuit and won a César for Best Actor for his work in Truffaut’s The Last M etro in 1980 where he starred alongside Catherine Deneuve.He became known internationally for the title role in Jean de Fleurette in 1986, where he played a hunchback who found love. His portrayal of another physically deformed man in Cyrano de Bergerac, an adaptation of the play by famous French writer Edmond Rostand, won him international acclaim in 1990, earning him a second César, an award at the Cannes Film Festival and a nomination for the Oscars.Most recently, he is best known for his roles as Porthos in The Man in the Iron Mask and as Obelix in the live-action Asterix films.4. Jean RenoBorn in Morocco of Spanish parents while Morocco was still a French protectorate in 1948, Juan Moreno y Herrera-Jiménez grew up trilingual, speaking Arabic, Spanish and French.His family moved to France in 1970 and he acquired French citizenship. Upon deciding to become an actor, he adopted the French version of his name, shorter and easier to remember.His first film was in 1978, as a charac ter in a painting in The Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting. He first truly became noticed for his role as the Drummer in Subway (1985), directed by Luc Besson who first noticed him on the set of  Le Dernier Combat and who would give him his greatest successes. He cast Jean Reno again in Le Grand Bleu (The Big Blue), for which he was nominated for a César as best actor. He truly became famous in France for his role as the Count Godefroy in Jean-Marie Poiré’s time-travel comedy Les Visiteurs (1993) (earning him yet another César nomination), which was remade for Hollywood in 2001 under the title Just visiting, with Reno once more in the main role.However, it was Luc Besson’s 1994 classic Léon: the Professional starring alongside Nathalie Portman that cemented his international success (and a third César nomination), landing him roles in movies such as Godzilla (1998), Ronin (1998) and the DaVinci Code (2006).French actor Jean Reno was born in Morocco to Andalusian parents. Ph oto credit: david_shankbone on VisualHunt.comHe is the father of six children from three different marriages. He has never forgotten his Andalusian roots.District 13 (2004), and all the Taken (2008-2014) films with Liam Neeson.6. Jacques-Yves CousteauA whole generation grew up with Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s underwater documentaries.Born in 1910 in Saint-André de Cubzac. He studied at the École Navale to become a gunnery officer in the French navy. He broke both his arms in an automobile accident, cutting short his dreams of becoming a naval pilot but allowing him to indulge in his passion for underwater exploration.He had started some underwater experiments while still serving in the navy. In 1943, he won a prize for the first ever French underwater documentary, produced with alpinist Marcel Ichac: Par dix-huit mètres de fond, made entirely without breathing apparatus. In the same year, he and Ichac tested the first prototypes of the Aqua-Lung to make another documentary, Épaves (Shipwrecks). Cousteau had first used Fernez goggles (a breathing tube with a pump to equalise pressure), then the LePrieur apparatus with a portable air supply. Unhappy with the amount of time these systems let him stay underwater, he improved the LePrieur apparatus with the help of Émile Gagnan. With the aqua-lung, he was able to fulfill numerous scientific and military missions for the French navy.He left the navy in 1949, founding the French Oceanographic Campaigns a year later. He leased his famous research ship the Calypso from British philanthropist for a symbolic franc a year, refitting it into a mobile laboratory. One of his missions was accompanied in 1954 by filmmaker Louis Malle; The Silent World won at Cannes in 1956.Even models of Cousteau's ship the Calypso bring a nostalgic tear to many an eye. Photo credit: Tilemahos Efthimiadis on VisualHuntHe created and perfected various versions of deep-sea submarines, manned and automated, and in the 1960s and 1970s produced documentary series for American television.He was a vocal advocate for environmental issues, work continued by the Cousteau Foundation. All in all, he produced more than 120 television documentaries. In 1988 he was elected to the Académie Française, which he held until his death in 1997.Among other things, he was a Commander of the Legion of Honour, earned the Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.7. Serge GainsbourgSerge Gainsbourg is a famous French musician. Born as Lucien Ginsburg in Paris in 1928, he changed his name to Serge in honour of his Ukrainian ancestry. He was a remarkably multitalented artist. Singer, pianist, composer, songwriter, painter, actor and director, he is best known for his music that runs the gamut of styles from chanson to disco to reggae to funk.He is known for his affair with Brigitte Bardot in 1967, to whom he dedicated an album with the titular song Initiales BB.He worked with such influential sing ers and artists as Michèle Arnaud, Jacques Brel, Minouche Barelli and longtime partner Jane Birkin. He also wrote several songs for the Eurovision Song Contest, for various countries including Luxembourg and Monaco.Gainsbourg was known for his often sexual and provocative lyrics and frequent drunkenness during public appearances.His daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg is a singer and actress.8. Edith PiafVocally the best known French singer, Edith Piaf was born Édith Giovanna Gassion in 1915 and specialised in chanson and love ballads.  When her mother walked out after she was born, she was raised in a brothel run by her paternal grandmother in Bernay.As a teenager, Edith worked as a street singer first with her father, then with her (possibly) half-sister Simone Berteaut. She had her first daughter at 17 by a man called Louis Dupont, who died from meningitis at the age of two.In 1935, she was discovered by Louis Leplée, owner of the club Le Gerny near the Champs Elysées. She performe d under the name “La Môme Piaf”, “the urchin sparrow” in historical French slang. She first donned her signature black dress in the Le Gerny. The nightclub attracted people and artists from every walk of life, and she produced her first two records in the same year.A year later Leplée was murdered by gangsters with ties to Piaf from her street-singing days. To rehabilitate her image, she teamed up with Raymond Asso, who gave her the stage name Édith Piaf and had Monnot write songs mentioning her life on the streets. During the German occupation she continued to flourish, writing the lyrics to many of her songs herself.After the war, she became known internationally. Her most famous song is La Vie en Rose, written in 1945 and covered numerous times.She struggled with alcohol addiction, exacerbated by an opiate addiction after several car accidents, and died of liver cancer in 1962.9. Coco ChanelGabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born in 1883. Her father was an itinerant peddler, and after her mother’s death when she was 12 he sent her and her sisters to the convent orphanage of Aubazine, where she learned to sew.When she left the orphanage at 18, she earned her living as a seamstress and cabaret singer in Moulins, where she earned the nickname Coco. There she met Étienne Balsan, heir to a firm that made military uniforms and became his mistress. In 1908 she became the mistress of his friend Arthur “Boy” Capel, who payed for an apartment in Paris and kept up their relationship even after his marriage and to his death in 1919. He would help her set up her first shops.Coco had started designing hats as a hobby but became a licensed milliner in 1910. Her hats became popular after a famous French actress Gabrielle Dorziat modeled them onstage and for the magazine Les Modes. In 1913 she opened her first clothing shop in Deauville with sports and leisure attire in cheap fabrics such as jersey and tricot. Another shop in Biarritz, a popular seaside resort c atering to the wealthy, became so popular that she was able to purchase an entire house in 1921 to offer the full range of Paris fashion: clothing, hats, accessories and later also jewellery and perfume, including the now-iconic Chanel N °5. Her designs freed women from the corseted silhouette, ushering the more airy, shorter styles popular after the Great War.Famous French fashion designer Coco Chanel with photographer Cecil Beaton. Photo credit: Dovima-2010 on VisualHuntFrom 1923-1937, she designed the costumes for the prestigious Ballet Russe; in the 1930s she dressed several Hollywood stars for their on-screen roles, then for French films such as Jean Renoir’s La règle du jeu. However, her design aesthetic was slowly going out of style. With the occupation of France, she closed her fashion houses, only  re-opening them in 1954. Her once avant-garde designs were now conservative, but she remained in business until her death in 1971.Coco Chanel was a known anti-semite and her r ole during the Second World War has been the subject of much controversy, but her legacy to the world of French fashion lives on.Next to Louis Vuitton’s iconic bags, Coco’s Chanel N °5 (ironically now in the hands of a Jewish firm) remains the epitome of Haute Couture.10. AstérixAnd finally, let’s not forget the French ambassador among children and the young-at-heart. The well-known Gaul, small and clever, and his large, strong friend Obélix were first created by the author-artist team René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo for the French-Belgium comic magazine Pilote in 1959. Since then, their adventures have taken them to Egypt, England, India and even the Americas. After Goscinny’s death in 1977, Uderzo continued to produce on his own before selling the rights to the publishing firm Hachette in 2009.Comic book celebrities from France, Asterix and Obelix are ambassadors of French culture to children all over the world. Photo credit: dolanh on VisualHunt.comThe series is known for its caricatures of famous politicians and personalities as the “guest villain”, its puns and hidden jokes and its sense of fun. A fine way to learn French! Search for French course London to find the most face to face tutors on Superprof, or why not search for french lessons online?

Learn to Sew With Embroidery Patterns

Learn to Sew With Embroidery Patterns Using Embroidery Patterns and Projects for to Improve Your Sewing Skills ChaptersWhy Learn With Embroidery Patterns and Projects?Find Free Embroidery Patterns OnlineFree Cross-Stitch Patterns OnlineSo you’ve learned all the basic of stitching, taken online  sewing classes and hand embroidery lessons and you now know how to embroider - but don’t know where to start?You want to make some hand made home decor to brighten the place up? Or maybe you want to revamp some of your old clothes but you just need a little help to get you on the right track. This is why embroidery projects can be a good guide to help you get started. Here are some good sources for embroidery projects and patterns.Do you have all of the supplies you need to embroider with in your sewing kit?Your projects might be easier if you know how to do basic embroidery stitches...Buying Cross-Stitch Kits and ChartsEmbrodiery kits have everything you need to complete a project - so you don't need to think about your embroidery supplies when starting out. Photo credit: merwing?little dear on Vi sual huntCross-stitch is by far the most common type of embroidery practised in Britain today. When learning to embroider, this is often the first stitch you learn; most children’s beginner embroidery kits are cross-stitch. Don’t hesitate to browse embroidery magazines for nice patterns, but of course you will be slave to what the editors want to print. But you can pick and choose the colour yarn you want to work with. Fortunately, you can also order embroidery kits and charts online and find just what you want to suit your style and your sewing skills:Cross-Stitch UK has a great selection in a variety of styles, from naive to painting, from charts to kits, from a large selection of designers. They even have some tapestry and needlepoint offers.Cross-stitch Cottage doesn’t have many project kits, but a mind-boggling selection of charts and design kits (you only have a design, and have to complete the project - cushion or napkin or footstool cover. They also have long stitch an d free embroidery patterns.MouseLoft has adorable little miniature cross-stitch kits. They also sell miniature embroidery hoops sized to fit their patterns. Perfect for ornaments and gifts.Bobo Stitch has contemporary cross-stitch designs and craft patterns, some of which you can download directly.For those who like the special elegance of French design, SoCreaStitch  offers French cross-stitch patterns in a wide range of styles with cheap delivery to the UK. If you love samplers, needle-books and huswifs (and are willing to wait for overseas shipping), With My Needle has a charming selection of kits and patterns, some based on vintage examples, some simply designed in a vintage style.General Embroidery Kits at Your Haberdasher'sNext to cross-stitch, the easiest patterns to find are tapestry and needlepoint - most online haberdasheries will stock some kits for making pillows or handbags. If you want to venture into the more eclectic embroidery styles but still want an embroidery kit to try them out, here are some shops where you can find kits and patterns for things other than cross-stitch:Marie’s Cross Stitch despite its name, Marie’s Cross Stitch also offers embroidery kits in a variety of embroidery styles including blackwork, satin stitch and even some Jacobean designs. They are mostly panels that you can sew into whatever project you want, whether it be as upholstery for a footstool or a greeting card.Past Impressions has a series of embroidery kits in freestyle and crewel embroidery, including cushions and clutch bags.Rowandean Embroidery has ribbon embroidery patterns and kits for those who love the feel of silk ribbons and the way ribbon embroidery just jumps out of the frame.And of course, the RSN also offers embroidery kits for blackwork, metalwork and crewel (and even one whitework kit). Lorna Bateman Embroidery has lovely surface work kits with three-dimensional stitches. Threads and Patches stocks hardanger embroidery kits for cushions and bis cornu pincushions; as well as blackwork kits and patterns. If you are up to doing whitework with nothing but charts, try out Col's Creations for hardanger projects.Some haberdasheries offer redwork kits if you want a change of pace. Photo credit: Idlepines on VisualhuntBerlin Embroidery designs is one of only a few places you can find shadow embroidery kits. They also have Jacobean crewel, mountmellick, whitework, needle painting… A go-to site for the less usual embroidery styles. With this site, your bags and totes will never look the same again.Shisha embroidery kits can be found at Kathleen Laurel Sage for that special Indian flair. Japan Crafts has Shashiko embroidery patterns to spruce up your patching. You will soon be buying pre-torn trousers just to patch them up with these decorative Japanese darning stitches. Crewelwork delivers what its name suggests: crewelwork kits for various levels, to make cushions and throw pillows and totes, screens and bedspreads. And yes, there are goldwork patterns and kits out there: Carolyn Gayton has a range for various skill levels, with raised work and gilded leather, too.Discover our tips for learning how to embroider...Find Free Embroidery Patterns OnlineOf course, you may not want to spend money on an embroidery kit. Either you feel confident enough in your sewing skills and creativity that you want to transfer a motif yourself and just go for it, combining designs with your own colour scheme, or you simply do not have the money. That’s all right! The Web is chock-full of resources ready to download, either as jpgs or pdfs. Some offer only the design, others a tutorial on a specific project with all the graphics available for free. This is only the tip of the iceberg in free embroidery patterns.Free Cross-Stitch Patterns OnlineWhen looking for free cross-stitch patterns, remember that DCM, the embroidery thread manufacturer, regularly offers free patterns on their website. Don’t forget to check with your favo urite online haberdasher’s either, as many of them offer free goodies on a regular basis. With embroidery these are usually cross-stitch charts, often seasonal. So if you are looking for a nice motif to sew your Christmas stocking or Easter tablecloth, don’t forget to check out The Village Haberdashery, Sewandso and their competitors.Cross-Stitching.com has a huge selection of cross-stitch charts for every imaginable occasion.Subversive Cross-Stitch has sampler charts with rather unusual texts. No “Home Sweet Home” here; instead, decorate your home with sayings such as “Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves” and “Hell is Other People.”If you’re willing to brave Google-translate, the French site Les Chroniques de Frimousse has a variety of absolutely adorable cross-stitch charts for little gnomes, animals and other single images to combine into your own inimitable designs. If you want to brave her blog, she also has tutorials on making biscornus, little pouch es and bags and cross-stitch ornaments.Learn all of our best tips for the beginner embroiderer...Other Free Embroidery PatternsThe Internet is teeming with cute embroidery patterns ready to download. Photo credit: Adair733 on VisualhuntThe Web is kinder than the shops for unusual embroidery styles. Bloggers and embroidery enthusiasts are eager to share designs and patterns they have come across or let you sew along with their current project, whether it be redwork, stumpwork or smocking. Here is a short list of some interesting websites offering free patterns and projects:The Spruce offers a wide selection of downloadable patterns for free embroidery and for certain specific styles such as Shashiko and Hungarian redwork.Needlework Tips and Techniques has a section with free patterns for stumpwork, blackwork, hardanger and needlepoint.Vintage Transfer Finds has a large collection of vintage transfer designs for free embroidery, organised by motif (dogs, mexicana…)Needle ‘n Thread , that inimitable embroidery blog, also has a series of downloadable patterns for different kinds of embroidery - blackwork, cross-stitch, Jacobean and Hungarian redwork, among others - and monograms for handkerchiefs, bedspreads, and napkins.Needlecrafter has a nice pattern library, mostly fairly traditional, but with some modern patterns as well.And then there is Embroidery Pattern Central, the Holy Grail of free patterns. It collects links to free embroidery patterns at various blogs and categorises them for you. There are a lot of mediocre patterns among them, but a lot of true gems as well to beautify your dress hems, trouser legs and shirt collars. If you like antique patterns, the Antique Pattern Library has pdf scans of old pattern books - mostly embroidery, but if you like crochet you will also find some old crochet patterns, as well as paper dolls to dress up little paper ladies in skirts and stockings.If you like antique embroidery, you can find a lot of scans of vintage patterns online. Photo credit: Littlelixie on VisualHuntDo you want actual Elizabethan blackwork patterns? Look to Sidney Eileen, all patterns transcribed from period paintings and surviving smocks, coifs and other apparel. Wild Olive not only has embroidery patterns free to download, but also various projects with their sewing patterns. If you like short, crafty projects that are fairly quick to sew and embroider, her blog and archive are perfect for you.Hopefully you will have found just the right project or design for your beginner sewing project or first embroidery sampler. Still unsure of how to get started? Why not try a private tutor from Superprof to help you out when your stitches get tangled?Discover also the history of embroidery... here or ask an expert. If searching for sewing classes come directly to Superprof and find your sewing classes Edinburgh, to sewing classes Glasgow, to  sewing classes London.

Ways a Tutor Can Help a Student De-Stress about Calculus

Ways a Tutor Can Help a Student De-Stress about Calculus Ways a Tutor Can Help a Student De-Stress about Calculus Just mention the word calculus and you might notice that your high school student will quickly want to change the subject. The truth is that pre-calculus and calculus can be quite intimidating for students. Some might find it too difficult, and as the concepts become more complicated, they'll begin to retreat before they even try to understand them. Others might just find math of any kind boring and prefer other subjects. If pre-calculus and calculus are overwhelming for your child, he or she might be a good candidate for calculus help from a tutor. Here are some ways a tutor can help your student see calculus in a new light: Adapt to a Particular Learning Style: Conceptualizing complex subjects can be difficult when they are being taught to a large group of students. Some students are auditory learners and can learn just by listening to a lecture; others are technical learners and need to practice in order to make sense of a concept. A teacher might not be able to reach each and every single student, and will only know if someone is having trouble after a couple of less-than-stellar quizzes or tests. Using one-on-one communication and lessons tailored to a students learning style, a tutor might be able to reach a student in a way that's just not possible in the classroom. Show Where Calculus Is Used in Everyday Life and Careers: If algebra deals with how numbers relate to each other, it could be said that calculus is defined by the relationships of equations. With that in mind, concepts of pre-calculus and calculus can be used in a variety of careers and everyday life, especially if a student aspires to an engineering or science career. When a tutor points out ways calculus concepts can be used outside of the classroom, it can help to improve a students motivation and understanding. Organization: One-on-one tutoring sessions help create regularity in a student's schedule, enabling them to devote more time to their calculus studies. Pre-calculus and calculus build on concepts and require a strong foundation. A student that falls behind early in their studies will not be able to move on to new concepts. With regular sessions, students can focus on their homework and prepare for tests, so they can stay on top of what is going on in the classroom. For more information about how a tutor can help your child fret less about calculus, please contact a Huntington representative today!

What Is the Difference Between ADD and ADHD

What Is the Difference Between ADD and ADHD As an ADHD expert one of the questions that Im asked most often is, What is the difference between ADD and ADHD? Sometimes people share with me that they were diagnosed with ADD is as a kid and wonder how the ADHD that they hear about today is different from the diagnosis they received in childhood. With both terms being so prevalent, people are often surprised to learn that ADD is actually an outdated term. Today healthcare providers only refer to ADHD and no longer use ADD as a diagnostic label. Labels like ADD and ADHD originate from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the DSM), which is the healthcare manual for all recognized mental disorders. The DSM is used by healthcare professionals as a reference guide for the symptoms, impairments, and diagnostic criteria associated with ADHD as well as other disorders, like depression and anxiety. In 1980, the term Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) was included in the DSM for the first time. Two types of ADD were described: ADD with hyperactivity and ADD without hyperactivity. Overtime, healthcare professions became concerned that the term ADD didnt place enough emphasis on hyperactive and impulsive symptoms that so many people with the disorder experience. So, in 1987 the name was changed to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and has stayed the same ever since. Today ADHD is described in the DSM-5 as having 3 possible presentations (or subtypes): Predominantly Inattentive Presentation: This presentation is assigned to children and adults who experience challenges that are solely related to inattention symptoms. These symptoms reflect difficulty sustaining attention, persisting at tasks or play activities, following through on instructions, giving close attention to details, organizing tasks and activities, and keeping track of belongings. Predominantly Hyperactive Impulsive Presentation: This presentation is assigned to children, and occasionally to adults, who experience challenges solely related to the hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. These symptoms reflect excessive movement, including difficulty remaining seated, often fidgeting, and constantly being on-the-go as if driven by a motor, as well as excessive talkativeness, and impulsive behavior such as blurting out answers, difficulty waiting, and frequently interrupting others. Combined Presentation: This presentation is assigned to children and adults who experience symptoms in both the inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive clusters. Its the most common presentation diagnosed in children and adolescents. Often, when someone has received a diagnosis of the Predominantly Inattentive Presentation of ADHD, they will refer to themselves as having ADD rather than ADHD. Its an easy way to describe the fact that they struggle with focus and concentration, but arent necessarily hyperactive or impulsive. It is much easier to day ADD than it is to say ADHD-Predominantly Inattentive Presentation whenever youre talking about your diagnosis! And these patients arent alone. There is discussion among many clinicians and researchers about whether the term ADHD should be changed to better reflect the symptoms and challenges that come with the disorder. For example, the majority of children and adults with ADHD struggle with organization, time management and following multi-step instructions. None of these challenges are clearly captured by the ADHD label. In addition, for children and adults who have the inattentive presentation of ADHD, it doesnt necessarily make sense to have the term hyperactivity included the diagnosis. Some psychologists have suggested that Executive Function Deficit Disorder may be a better term for ADHD, especially for the inattentive presentation. Over the next decade, as scientists learn more about ADHD and the biological underpinnings of the disorder, we can expect to see changes in the way healthcare professionals think about and label the disorder. With so many possible presentations and combinations of ADHD symptoms, clear descriptions and labels will make it easier for people with ADHD to communicate about their experiences and will create pathways for the development of more targeted and personalized treatments. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

How to Fail Epically at Self-teaching Any Language

How to Fail Epically at Self-teaching Any Language How to Fail at Self-teaching Any Language: 6 Tips for the Modern Bore Have you heard the crazy idea that learning a language should be  fun?I’m writing this post because Im greatly concerned.This whole fun learning business is really  an epidemic that’s catching like wildfire among language learners.Learning is fun?What a preposterous and nonsensical claim!No, learning is a serious endeavor and the word “fun” has absolutely no place in it.My hope is that I’m not too late and you haven’t bought into this “fun” movement.Ill give you 6 tips to save yourself from all this nonsense. Please take them to heart and follow my admonitions to the letter. They’re your keys to fun-free language learningâ€"the keys to the salvation of your very soul. How to Fail at Self-teaching Any Language: 6 Tips for the Modern Bore1. Only Read Thick, Musty Books Printed Before the 1840sEver heard of these things called e-books and apps?They tempt you by claiming that they’re effective, engaging, cheap, portableâ€"which, in fairness, they really areâ€"but th ey’re still  no match for those printed before the 1840s.E-books are literally everywhere, and they’re often free!Apps are language learning fun-meisters that make language acquisition as painless and as smooth as possible. One  of the most effective ones is  Duolingo.One look at Duolingo’s green owl logo and you know things are gonna be light. Well, surprise, surpriseâ€"the site claims exactly that its “fun” and “addicting.” That is, gamification is integrated into every lesson and every page and, before you know it, you’re already learning and having fun at the same time.FluentU  is another major player in the fun movement.Imagine, they take real-life videos of, say, two friends having dinner, and they turn it into a language lesson! And not only that, FluentU even goes above and beyond to make things fun by providing cool videos like Guardians of the Galaxy Clips, The Hunger Games trailers, wildlife documentaries, cartoons and more. Theres something that could tem pt any of the most seriously language learners.Watch out for these landmines. Your safest bet is the fun-free books printed before the 1840s. Don’t worry that they’re super huge, heavy and bad for your back. Chicks dig a crooked spine!2. Just Say No to VideosIn addition to FluentU, other types of video learning methods can breed this brand of educational entertainment.Whether they’re in the form of movies, telenovelas or a YouTube clip, these videos mean only one thing: engaged learning. So be on the look out. You’ll never know that you’re already both learning and having fun.We bores need to protect our reputations, you know.So say “no” to videos. Don’t ever believe the stacks of peered-reviewed and scientific journal and experiments that prove that using technology can make for more effective language acquisition. Don’t be swayed simply because  theyre peddled by PhD holders and scientists from the most reputable universities and institutions in the world.Go for real books printed before the 1840s.3. Remember: Music Is for PansiesCan you believe the language courses these days? They actually incorporate music into the lessons!Just because some scientists studying the human brain says music underlies language acquisition doesnt mean you should believe it.Music is really just a distraction. Instead of force feeding the lessons into your head, your mood gets elevated and you feel a little giddy. Your fingers start tapping to the sound. Your head begins bobbing too! And not long after that, your body is swaying to the beat.So instead of being a totally respectable and stuck up language learner, you become this happy weirdo gyrating his/her body to some music, shouting  out catchy song lyrics in your target language.Well, if you really want to be that lame, go ahead. Learn Spanish with music. Learn French as well. Enjoy at your own risk. In fact, if you want to learn more about music and language acquisition, check out this post.4. Incubate Insi de Your RoomLearning is a marathon. It’s supposed to be hard. And it’s meant to be done alone.Being alone in your room and going through heavy books builds your character. You become stronger, you become self-sufficient. So don’t be a sissy and ask for the help of anyone. You’re a big boy (or girl), so why ask for help?Others who arent as strong-willed as you go on sites like: italki, Livemocha, Busuu and The Mixxer.These are all community sites for language learners. When you get on these sites, you might find someone you can chat with, Skype with or even learn with. Eventually you’ll get friends who will, in turn, encourage you and, God forbid, even make the lessons fun.Who would ever want that?Learning is best when youre in the comforts of a room, alone. So go at it by yourself. Don’t look for language learning partners. They’re really only interested in your snacks.5. Force Yourself to Fluency in 3 HoursHow long does it take to learn a new language?Some say 3 month s, others 6 months.Others have even put forward the idea that it takes a total of 10,000 hours for a person to be really good at anything. But for me? Three hours. That’s all it really takes to master a language.(If youre a little a slow, maybe add another 30 minutes.)Nothing to it. Don’t believe the studies that highlight the importance of pacing and sequencing in effective learning.  Don’t believe what scientists have found: supposedly that cramming doesnt work.Oh well, if you really insist on doing the opposite of everything I’m telling you here, this is what you need to do: don’t cram for language acquisition. Immerse yourself in the lessons and get into situations where you can naturally practice what youve learned. Don’t be a hero and try to do everything in one sitting.Pace yourself. Have ample time for breaks during your learning sessions.Sequence your lessons properly. That means starting with the easiest language tasks and progressing to lessons that are only m arginally more difficult than the previous one. Think: challenging but doable. Don’t skip directly to intermediate lessons, thinking you’ll learn the basics along the way. Nope, it doesn’t work that way, Jose. Unless youve laid a strong foundation, all your future learnings will be shifting sand.If you do these, you’ll start having fun(don’t say you’ve never been warned) and may God have mercy on your linguistic soul.6. Shun the Help of Intrusive Native SpeakersOhhhhh, native speakers.They’re all so stuck up with their sexy Spanish accents and their seductive French pronunciations. They’re all like, “You want to learn my language? Let me help you, mademoiselle.”They’re all so full of themselves.Run away from the native speakers and avoid sites like conversationexchange.com  at all costs.God forbid you might meet the natives and they might teach you something more than your textbooks, tainting your learning experience. They might share their culture  with you, o r tell you funny or interesting events in their nation’s history. They might give you local knowledge that could lead you to the best restaurants and the most interesting sites  in their home city.And the result of all of this?Fun, of course!So avoid sites like openculture.com. You might really begin to appreciate the culture and ultimately fall in love with the language. And itll be the end of you.Speaking of the end, those are the 6 powerful tips to squeeze all the fun out of self-teaching any language. I know theyll serve you well in the future. So spread the word, tell everybody you know and spare them this “fun” disease that’s spreading all over.But in the end, the choice is still yours. If, however, in spite of all my admonitions, you still want to have fun (ooooh, that gives me the shivers), then do the exact opposite of what I told you here. It’s your choice. I just did my part, the rest is up to you!So, what’s it gonna be? And One More ThingIf youd rather keep fun in your language learning, youll love using FluentU. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that natives  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 Screen.FluentU 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 your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.Interactive transcript for Carlos Baute song.You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs learn mode. Swipe left or right to 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.Start using FluentU on the website  with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the  iTunes  or  Google Play  store.

The 6 Reasons You Need To Download Picpal Today

The 6 Reasons You Need To Download Picpal Today Photo Via: http://a4.mzstatic.com If you’re like most of the population, selfies are a staple in your everyday life that you have no interest in getting rid of. And you shouldn’t: selfies make the world go ‘round. Well, not really, but they do make Picpal go ‘round. Picpal is the perfect place to share your selfies, and the best part is that you can share them in real-time with a photo collage of selfies of you and all your closest friends. All it takes is a selfie from you, and a request sent to the friends you want to share it with. It really is that simple. 3. It keeps you in touch. Probably the biggest draw to the app is its ability to keep people in touch. Unlike other apps, Picpal’s focus is on being in the now â€" it invites you and your friends to share your adventures with each other immediately, making it the best app for instantaneous contact. Send a photo that says you miss them and they’ll be able to respond to you immediately with a photo that says “wish you were here.” Whether you’re trying to stay in touch with college friends, high school friends or even your family, Picpal has you covered. Picpal is all about missing someone and reaching out to them in the moment: whatever loved one is on your mind right now is just fingertips away, even if they aren’t. 4. It’s a creative outlet. Photo Via: http://i.ytimg.com Picpal allows you to do with it what you will. Basically, this means that whatever collage you feel like creating is possible at the touch of a button. Picpal is all about living in the moment: you can take a photo doing whatever it is you do and invite your friends to do the same â€" all simultaneously. So rather than letting a picture sit around and wait to be opened, Picpal gives a photo its voice immediately, letting your means of self-expression shine. Whatever your interests, Picpal allows you to take them and let them soar through an outlet that speaks directly to you. You won’t find an app more personalized to your (and your friend’s) interests. 5. College campuses can’t get enough of it. Photo Via: https://pbs.twimg.com Picpal has been introduced to select college campuses with a very positive response. While the app is still in beta form, it is doing well on the ground and very much impressing its college student demographic. So it’s time to hop on the bandwagon and see why your college peers have taken such a strong liking to this new app. 6. It does the work for you. Photo Via: https://pbs.twimg.com As stated earlier, Picpal’s argument for expressiveness and convenience are greatly driven by the fact that the app creates photo collages for you; you no longer have to wait until after the fact to create a collage â€" everything is done for you (aside for taking the selfie, of course). You can sign into your Picpal account through Facebook, which not only saves you time, but is also an automatic means of finding your friends that are already on Picpal, saving you the difficulty of doing so yourself. Picpal is the next big app, so take these reasons into consideration, because I promise you’re going to want to download Picpal ASAP. So stand aside Instagram and Snapchat, because Picpal is making a name for itself, and it’s coming in hot!

How to Land Your Dream Internship Advice on How to Best Prepare

How to Land Your Dream Internship Advice on How to Best Prepare Image via. https://pixabay.com/vectors/application-job-work-workplace-2076445/ Cover Letter Most of you may be shocked that I’m starting off with talking about cover letters and no resumes, but you will see why in a second. Often times, people make one cover letter template and use it for every internship that they apply to. DO NOT DO THIS! I know it takes more time and effort, but if you individualize each cover letter to the company you are sending it to, it will show the company that they aren’t just one on a list of 50; it will show them that you want to get hired because you put in the extra effort. Another cover letter tip has to do with optional cover letters. Some companies don’t ask you to submit such a document; even if this is the case, still write and submit one along with your resume. It will show that you went the extra mile and that you aren’t just taking the easy route (it shows a strong worth ethic and diligence) Interview Process If you make it to the interview process, make an appointment at a career center to set up a mock interview with a counselor. Career centers not only have a background in the field and will help you be your best self in the interview, but they will also help with your interview outfit. In addition, as the saying goes, practice makes perfect. The more that you practice your interview, the less likely you are to use silly filler words (i.e. “like,” “um,” and “so”). Another way to prepare for your interview is to go on websites, such as Glass Door, in which people who interview at that same company will post the questions that they were asked, along with the position he/she was applying for. If you don’t want to go to the career center, practice in front of the mirror, practice in front of friends and family, and type out or handwrite questions and responses so that they are forever engrained in your head. An additional note: have a strong, firm, confident handshake. A hand shake says a lot about a person. Image via. https://pixabay.com/photos/handshake-hand-give-business-man-2056021/ Resume If you have a friend who offers to help you with your resume, that’s really nice, but take into consideration the job he/she is going into. I say this because a friend of mine offered to help me with my resume, but she was going into finance and I was originally going into creative writing. Potential creative writing employers are going to want to see a more creative-looking resume, while finance employers will want to see something business-formal and extremely direct. You want your resume to highlight who you are, your accomplishments, your educations, your honors and awards, etc., but that doesn’t mean it needs to look or be boring. Go on Etsy and look up cool resume and cover letter templates that will make you stand out on paper since it’s impossible to get to know each applicant on a personal level. Microsoft Word also has some free resume templates if you don’t want to pay. Just remember to include the following, regardless of what your template is: Name Description (who you are and what you’re looking to do) Contact information (e-mail, phone number, address, LinkedIn profile link, website/portfolio link, etc.) Academics from the past 4 years Jobs/internships/extracurricular positions from the past for years Award and honors held from the last 4 years (National Honor’s Society can be mentioned since you are inducted for life, even if you were inducted more than 4 years ago) Leadership and activities from the last 4 years Skills and strengths In addition, don’t just list everything; provide a brief description (it can be bullet-pointed) under each thing you mention. Image via. https://pixabay.com/photos/cv-resume-job-employment-business-3726428/ Landing a great internship won’t take the same pathway for everyone, but what is talked about above are most of the common denominators that have to be considered in most internship application processes. I’m warning you now: there are going to be a lot of ups and downs throughout the application journey, but don’t get discouraged and please don’t give up. Remember that everything happens for a reason and you will find a great internship as long as you work hard and smart! Good luck!