Are We There Yet? 3 Easy Tips To Keep You Motivated To Learn German Fluently

Are you the kind of foreign language student that starts out with guns-a-blazing but a few weeks later have run out of steam? Sadly, I cannot offer you Gatorade to keep you going but you can re-charge yourself with these 3 simple tips to learn German fluently.

Move me momma! Just to jump right in and say it like it is. We all know that there are many different types of motivation, but the type that we are concerned with is intrinsic verses extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation refers to the desire to do something that pleases you and makes you pat yourself on the back. Most studies have shown it to be much more effective in long-term language learning than extrinsic motivation (for an external reward such as impressing the boss or your peers). Unfortunately, most of us are not lucky enough to hire a personal pep squad or self-improvement coach to keep us motivated. Yes, you are going to have to find the power within yourself. It seems that to become fluent in German will take time and perseverance, so how can you stay motivated?

1. Fraternal Twins Separated At Birth

Yes, the process of learning German can be very stressful but keep in mind the cool thing about German is that modern German and modern English both originated from the common Germanic ancestor language and despite their distinct differences, the two languages share many similarities in both vocabulary and grammar. Also, German is spelled phonetically. This means that once you learn the system of sounds, it is easy to predict how the spoken word is written and how the written word is pronounced. Know your German ABCs.

2. Oktoberfest Anyone?

If your ultimate goal is to learn to speak German fluently, then it is important to know that you will become more fluent quickly if you maximize your language exposure. You can start by simply practicing the language with a classmate outside of class. You can befriend native speakers in your community or attend a local foreign language conversation hour, if one exists. Rent a German DVD, or listen to authentic German audio or video online. Or you could attend your local Oktoberfest or plan a trip to attend the world famous Munich Oktoberfest. The first the first Oktoberfest was held on October 12, 1810 and lasted 6 days. The festivities were in honor of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. In Munich the “die Wiesen” (as the locals call it) starts around late September and lasts for sixteen days up to the first Sunday in October. The festival is a vibrant venue where you can eat sauerkraut, drink German beer, practice your German and expose yourself to Bavarian culture.

3. The Gift Of The Gab

Whenever possible, speak German aloud rather than reciting it silently to yourself. As you learn German vocabulary, say the vocabulary words out loud, read passages in the text aloud, and do pronunciation activities orally. Transferring language from your mind to your mouth is a skill that requires a great deal of practice. And you should practice German actively frequently.

The process of learning German can be very stressful, and the impact of your own positive or negative attitudes can be critical to your learning. Self-motivation is the key to staying on track and achieving fluency. Because German and English have similarities, you have a head start when learning German. Ultimately, to learn how to speak German online or otherwise is all about you. Therefore, you must play an active role in your learning by jumping at the opportunities to speak, listen and comprehend German. You'll meet new people, make new friends and most importantly, learn German fluently.

Wake Up And Smell The Coffee! It Is Time To Learn To Speak Spanish Fluently

With an unstable and uncertain economic situation, learning to speak fluent Spanish can be a blessing in disguise if you are looking to improve your quality of life.

In today’s unpredictable job market and economy, as Forest Gump said, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get." With the merging of companies and out-sourcing of jobs, gone are the days when we felt secure in our jobs and when we could take our employment for granted and go on cruise-control until retirement. We can no longer be in denial about the fact that our world is becoming more global and contact with people of other countries is increasing exponentially. How can you improve and expand your employment options and security nowadays? The answer is one in which few of us really give serious thought to because it seems too simple. The answer is this: if you learn fluent Spanish, you will increase your marketability, job position, job options, salary and security.

Increased Marketability:

Why should you invest your time and energy to know a second language? More and more jobs today require a minimum of basic proficiency in another language. If you have proven yourself to be a competent employee with the required job skills and you speak a foreign language such as Spanish, you are much more likely to snap up that dream job of yours than if you are monolingual. Even only having a basic knowledge of Spanish may be the deciding factor that puts you in a class above the rest of the applicants for the job you are pursuing.

Increased Job/Career Options:

In the US, with the rapidly increasing Hispanic population, there are many different career fields such as nurses, social workers, teachers, drug enforcement agents, investment analysts and many more , that need Spanish speakers. On the international platform, people who speak Spanish often have opportunities to work in trade or business fields. Other more high profile options include diplomacy, interpretation, and security applications, which all require proficiency of another language.

Increased Salary:

Money talks. Did you know that bilingual highly skilled employees often receive a larger salary than their non-Spanish speaking counterparts? Having an extra language skill that few people have will give you a marketable advantage over your competitors. The fact that companies are willing to pay you more for speaking Spanish is especially seen in the more senior/managerial positions. Thus to secure a senior management position in a large company, a knowledge of languages such as Spanish and the experience of other Spanish countries and cultures which that allows, are now essential. An employer will see you as a bridge to new clients if you know their language. More clients equal more money and profits for the company.

Increased Career Security:

Nowadays government agencies are in search of recruiting professionals with competency in a foreign language such as Spanish. Why? Because when you learn to speak fluent Spanish you will also improve your problem solving skills and this is a skill that is highly regarded in all professions. This in turn will better equip you with the necessary skills required to accommodate, understand and handle the cultural nuances when dealing with US trading and economic partners such as Mexico, Argentina, Columbia, etc. Because of our global economy, this trend of employers of multinational companies seeking employees with foreign language proficiency will continue to increase. Professionals with such a skill are in growing demand and being able to speak fluent Spanish (especially in the US) will be in increasing demand due to the fact that the US and Canada have many Spanish-speaking geographic neighbors who are also important economic/trading partners such as Mexico (through NAFTA) and the countries of Central and South America.

Nothing in life is guaranteed but what we can do is to improve the odds with regards to our job security and overall financial well being by learning Spanish. Spanish could play a unique role in improving your professional portfolio, security and salary. What are you waiting for? Now is the time to learn Spanish rapidly online (for the convenience, student-centered teaching tools and excellent resources available). There is no time like the present to get started and get ahead of the game before it's over.

Before making any decision research all options thoroughly and decide which loan is best for your personal situation.

Many people choose not to attend college not because they are dumb but simply cannot afford the education. Many individuals believe that they do not qualify of scholarships and simply give up the dream of attending college. There are numerous misconceptions about college loans as well. College loans are an excellent way to pay for school without having to added stress while in school of how to pay for it.

A lot of individuals think that they do not qualify for loans. The fact is that banks, companies, private entities and even the government all give out loans for educational purposes. Anything related to education is considered an expense such as tuition, books, housing, lab fees, food and many other factors. The question remains as to how and where can someone receive access to these loans?

The best option is to talk to a college or high school admissions counselor as to what specific loans are best for your personal needs. Once you have found the school you wish to attend talk to a financial or admissions counselor about the specific requirements that the school has concerning tuition and financial obligations. Although rare, some institutions allow individuals to pay for tuition on a payment plan instead of lump sum payments. If you do decide to do a payment plan then you will need a smaller loan over a longer period of time from the loan provider.

Take the time to apply for grants and scholarships. There are thousands of hidden organizations willing to give away money to eager students. Do online research to locate scholarship opportunities. Fill out the FAFSA and SAR government aid options to further augment your monetary situation. After you have applied for financial aid and received any scholarships from the college of your choice, factor in the bottom line total of how much money you are going to need to cover all costs of a college education.

Check with your local bank first before reaching out to a specific college loan provider. Banks will usually offer more reasonable interest rates than other private loan providers. Banks will have college loan options tailored to your specific degree and major. Some banks will also have access to many different types of private and sometimes government loans such as the Stafford Loan, PLUS loans, School Certified Private Loans, which are dependant upon your school’s participation in the program, and Non-Certified Private Loans. The greatest plus banks have is that your loan can be repaid in a timeframe that is comfortable with your schedule. Many private loan providers want students to repay loans starting within 6 months of graduation.

Private loan companies such as Astrive Loans, eStudent Loans and American Educational Services make college loans their top priority. Each company is different but mostly offers more information than banks on the student loan process. Students can easily search and apply for thousands of loans, research financial aid options and gain quick access to money. The downside of private loan companies is the structured repayment schedule, high interest rates and the impersonal feeling of not having a private banker at your disposal.