Learning The Alphabet And Language Of Spain By Peter Wilson

The Spanish alphabet only has three more letters than the English alphabet, ch (che), ll (elle) and n (ene). All three letters simply follow the letter from the English alphabet which starts with the same or similar letter. The Spanish alphabet is as follows: a,b,c,ch,d,e,f,g,h,I,j,k,l,ll,m,n,o,p,q,r,s,t,u,v,w,x,y,z.

However, there is some controversy over the letters “w” and “k” due to their similar language origin. No Spanish words contain the letters “w” and “k” unless added through translation. Also, the letter “rr” is used in some versions of the Spanish alphabet when the “r” is rolled.

A Spanish dictionary may add to the confusion regarding the inclusion or exclusion of certain letters. For example, older dictionaries may list all words containing “ch” after all words beginning with “c” while new versions list the “ch” words in alphabetical order as with the English language. On the contrary, this is opposite when referring to the letter “n.” This change occurred in 1994.

To add more confusion, some letters may not be part of the official alphabet but are created by adding accents to the letters. For example, adding accents to the vowels o, e or u alter their pronunciation and, consequently, their meaning. These accented vowels are not included in the alphabet separately. Though other languages may add these accented vowels separately, when learning the Spanish language you must simply remember the variants of these vowels when accented.

If you speak English, you already know some Spanish words since these languages are both based on the Romance language. Though the spelling may be different, the pronunciation is almost identical with only the accent differing the words. For example, the word “baby” in English is pronounced similar to the Spanish word “bebe.” As you see, though, the spellings are different.

Once you have a good grasp on the Spanish alphabet, you will be ready to begin learning the language for your next trip. The residents of Spain welcome travelers and will be flattered at your attempts to communicate with them in their language. Also take some time to learn about the Spanish culture. This will make your trip even more enjoyable. You will find, though, that in the larger more tourism-based areas, everyone also speaks English. But, do not let that discourage you from improving your Spanish speaking skills. Keep practicing and be prepare for your next trip to Spain!

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=154748&ca=Education

Learn Japanese Fast And Effortlessly By IPRWire Staff Writer

It is not an impossible task to learn Japanese fast. First, enthusiasm, commitment, and focus can go a long way. Second, it helps to know certain basics. Written Japanese uses three different scripts:

* Kanji
* Hiragana
* Katakana

Kanji is composed of Chinese characters. Hiragana and katakana are syllabic scripts based on Chinese characters. A combination of kanji and hiragana are used in modern Japanese. Katakana is usually used to depict loaned foreign words in addition to sounds.

The characters are written from top to bottom, or vertically, and from right to left. This method is standard, although scientific journals and computers use the horizontal method, read from left to right.

There is a variety of politeness levels, depending on the social standings of the speaker and listener. Also, the language includes speech that males or females tend to use that is specific to their gender, which can mean differences in the use of vocabulary, grammar, and even pitch.

Many teaching sources promise quick learning of a foreign language. Choose a course wisely, one that is most suitable for you. Bear in mind your budget, level of interest, and the amount of time you are willing to invest.

To learn Japanese fast, pay close attention to the manner of study offered by different courses. This depends primarily on your need. Do you want to improve on your reading and writing skills? Do you only need to be able to get around while you travel, speaking to native speakers? If you expect you only need to know how to speak proficiently enough, you do not need to concentrate on learning characters as much as mastering conversations on everyday topics.

If you want to learn Japanese fast when you are focusing on speaking the language, speaking is easier to pick up than the writing part. Listening to audio files, such as listening to the language being spoken by a native speaker, is the quickest method to pick up proper pronunciation and wording. (If you do plan on learning how to read and write, lots of books have CD-ROMs that include audio.)

Listen carefully to the tones and then imitate them as best as possible. The only other things needed are patience and perseverance. There are no textbooks, teachers, or drill exercises involved here. When you study by yourself, you benefit from the convenience of learning any time, anywhere, at your own pace.

Another thing to consider in order to learn Japanese fast is the amount of grammar and vocabulary you need to study. For sake of time, you can focus on words you know you would use the most often, which also helps in remembering them. For grammar, you can save time by becoming familiar with the basic forms of sentences and words, just enough to help with constructing sentences and talking.

For practical and simple courses that are based on a step-by-step method of learning Japanese, try http://Pimsleur-language.com. The lessons provided are audio based and focus on improving comprehension and communication skills. For more information, visit http://www.pimsleur-language.com.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=155270&ca=Education

To Memorize And Not Force Memorization By Shareen Aguilar

When we have something to memorize or at least to remember for the day, we tend to forget all about it although we have been thinking not to forget since we got out of bed. But the wonder of the human brain doesn’t work like that. The more we force for it to work, in this case, absorb as many important information necessary, the harder it becomes to retain information.

We have been used to living in comfort but what we neglect to think about is the purpose of possessing intelligence above every other living thing in this earth. We are given the knowledge of wisdom and comprehension but it seems we are just putting this privilege to waste. What we’re not aware of is that our brain is meant to work. And the work it is capable of doing is to think and to store memory.

What’s the use if we continue to depend on organizers, auto reminders etc.? We have many things in our midst that we can use for our own comfort, that’s why when we do a few portion of remembering, we squirm and complain and say that it’s all too difficult to do these things. It’s actually one point why our memory fails us sometimes. Failure to keep our minds active to what it can see, smell, hear and sense weakens our natural ability to remember.

In light of this, its not recommended to work against our mind’s will because the more we force it to remember a particular name, number, event or any piece of information, it just won’t. A good alternative to help our memory maintain its keen sense is to exercise memorization methods. A simple memorization method is all you need. Check the example below.

Picture a large grocery cart full of fruits, vegetables and grocery items. Try to associate each item in the basket with one another. Imagine the grocery cart complaining about the heaviness of the items, while the sausage whips the grocery cart to the fullest…then the lettuces tugs the sausage back and forth…then the box of cheese nibble on the lettuce’ head as the sliced bread tries to place the box of cheese in between its loaves. There are also a dozen of eggs sliding down the back of the sliced bread as they land on the tray while the ketchup vandalizes the egg’s shell with faces…and so on.

It’s chaos but a fun situation to think about. And the point of the exercise is that the brain responds to the brain’s imagination quicker, without any effort, making memorization a lot easier.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=107054&ca=Education

The Long And Short Of Long Island Schools By Patricia Hawke

Want to know more about Long Island Schools? Long Island Schools consist of 125 public school districts, 416,093 students and 29,901 teachers. About 88.4 percent of high school students on Long Island go on to enter post-secondary education.

The biggest issue as a whole for Long Island Schools is determining the budget. A recent challenge to the state school funding system, by the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, led the New York State Court of Appeals to require the state to adopt a special funding plan to make sure that all students are given access to a proper high school education within the public school system. The Court appears to be in conflict with Governor Pataki, who is trying to push through a $400 million voucher plan. Under this proposal, parents of 1.8 million school children throughout the state would be eligible for the new credit. State aid has increased 65 percent since 1995. Pataki believes that this education tax credit will give parents new resources and flexibility to meet the educational needs of their children, including the students of Long Island Schools.

Pataki has many detractors, who don’t feel that vouchers are the way to go. Danny Donohue, president of the Civil Service Employees Association says that public schools still have too many unmet needs to spend $400 million on a voucher plan. Timothy G. Kremer, executive director of the NYS School Boards Association, says that the tax break is “a $400 million gift from taxpayers to families who don’t need it.”

“The NYS PTA believes that every child deserves equal access to the same outcome, that is, an excellent education,” Donohue adds, “That means using our government’s resources to close gaps, not create them; to raise student achievement of all and not just for some; and to prepare students for a democratic society for which public schools remain the best forum.”

How does all of this impact Long Island Schools as a whole? All the Long Island Schools reap benefits from additional funding, so help from the state would not be unwelcome. However, what each of the Long Island Schools spends their money on and what they need money for varies greatly.

In the Baldwin District of Long Island Schools, taxpayers are actually getting a break, after representatives netted an additional $23.6 million in state aid. Since this district’s budget didn’t change this year, the extra state aid the district received lowers the amount that homeowners have to pay.

Not every district in Long Island Schools is mired down in a budget quagmire. Consider these Long Island Schools. East Rockaway’s High School class of 2006 had one of the highest Regents diploma rates ever (91%), and 96% of students went on to college. The dropout rate at the school is ZERO, and students excel not only academically but in drama, music, and sports as well.

Also seeing fantastic success within Long Island Schools is the Lynbrook School District. They have scored consistently high grades on the NY State Assessment tests: 100% of fifth graders passed the 2006 social studies exam. Nearly 90% of this Long Island Schools’ middle school students passed the English Language Arts test. Last year, just like the seniors at East Rockaway, 96% of Lynbrook High School seniors went to college. The district’s diverse academic programs have won many awards, and its Long Island Schools’ athletic teams continue to excel.

In short, Long Island Schools have a lot to offer students and their families. Concern and involvement from families, community and political leaders over budget spending, and an impressive roster of successful schools are the tip of the iceberg in this area of our nation.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=155226&ca=Education