5 Hard Songs to Sing - and the Exercises to Master Them

5 Hard Songs to Sing - and the Exercises to Master Them Megan L. Ask any experienced vocalist for a list of what they consider to be hard songs to sing, and they can probably provide you with five or six examples without much thought.  However, there are as many examples as there are different voices, and every individual singer will have individual vocal hurdles to overcome with their repertoire. On the other hand, it is possible to identify a few examples across a few genres where a majority will agree that, yes, those are hard songs to sing. Here are five of them, along with a few suggestions for exercises that will help you master them for yourself. Opera â€" Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro â€" Porgi amor (Countess Almaviva) This beautiful aria is the soprano’s first appearance at the beginning of Act II. It looks incredibly simple on the page; a clear melody in 2/4 time, with no difficult passages. However, that very simplicity is what places it high on any operatic soprano’s hard songs to sing list â€" with no ensemble or recitative to warm up with, and no colleagues with you on stage, it’s a nerve-wracking experience even for a seasoned professional. How to improve: An adequate physical and vocal warm up will help you.  Make sure that you open your ribcage by stretching gently from side to side, and touching your toes a few times.  A gentle walk will also set you up well, as you’ll clear your head and warm up your muscles. Vocally, gentle humming through intervals up to the fifth and back to the tonic each time will warm your voice up. Easy Listening â€" Brodsky: Be My Love Made popular by Mario Lanza, this is a song requiring an open sound and intelligent negotiation of register breaks. What really adds this to the list of hard songs to sing, however, is the necessity of being absolutely certain of where to place the notes. How to improve: Learn the pitches first without the words; use a good open vowel sound, and check the pitches against a keyboard. Next, practice on the vowels of the words only, and make sure you’re singing a smooth line. When you add the words as a third step, imagine that each phrase is one long word, and think of joining your final consonants to the beginning of the next word. Popular/Film â€" Harold Arlen: Somewhere Over The Rainbow Everyone knows this classic from The Wizard of Oz, made famous by a young Judy Garland! So what is it that makes what appears to be such a simple song on a list of hard songs to sing? Think again about where youve heard it â€" not only does it appear at a particularly poignant point in the film, it’s common fare at weddings, parties, and other events. The emotional control required is considerable. How to improve: Learning how to show passion and emotions, while at the same time not letting it distract you, is an important skill. To help with this, make sure youre practiced any emotionally-charged songs a ton before performing in front of others. With enough practice, youll get to a comfortable level with the song, so that you feel more in control. Musical Theater â€" Schonberg: I Dreamed a Dream (Les Miserables) Five years ago, an unlikely looking Scottish woman stepped on stage in a national talent show and silenced the audience’s laughter with vocal power that astonished the judges as well as the viewers at home. Following that, this wistful anthem to missed chances immediately became a popular choice with singers everywhere. However, it too requires the same level of emotional control as the Somewhere Over the Rainbow, as well as considerable vocal power. How to improve: You cannot “make” a big voice; all you can do is hone the one you have until you’re using it properly. Although opening your mouth unnaturally wide can encourage your voice to spread, make sure you are actually giving it space to escape! Stand up straight, and make sure that your weight is distributed evening on both feet. Imagine that your audience is at the other end of a playing field, and that your voice has to carry there â€" don’t be tempted to shout or oversing, as a good, projected power will be enough. Singing long phrases to open vowels will encourage you to make economic use of your breath and also help your voice open up. Classical song â€" Frank Bridge:  Een as a lovely flower This beautiful example of an early twentieth-century English song is full of the post-Victorian harmonies and pastoral key changes that color not only the likes of Vaughan Williams and Walton, but are also apparent in the work of Bridge’s famous student, Benjamin Britten. This one joins the list of hard songs to sing because of its gently shifting tonality and therefore tricky pitching issues but once you learn how to fix that, it is absolutely rewarding for its simple beauty. How to improve: Take each page as a single unit, and work out which notes you need. Fix them in your head, and learn the “map” between them. Finding security over the intervals will help you. When tackling any difficult piece of music, there will likely be some technical demand that you can’t cope with on your own, or that your stage of vocal development can’t tackle even with relevant exercises. Keep in mind that finding a good teacher is always the best way to help you tackle hard songs to sing and become a better singer!  Good luck, and keep on singing! Need help with your technique? Check out other ideas for songs to sing  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 U.S. Army

Unmissable Russian TV Shows

Unmissable Russian TV Shows The Russian TV Series that You Have to See ChaptersMasha and the Bear, the Classic Russian CartoonInterns, the Russian Equivalent of HouseKitchen, Delicious Russian ComedyDostoevsky, Historic Russian MiniseriesFizruk, an Unmissable Russian SitcomNasha Russia, Little RussiaThe Americans, an American Series about Relations with Russia“Women are like cRussian dolls. Each time you think you’ve found the right one, you discover another.” - Russian Dolls (2005).If you’re ready to immerse yourself in the best Russian culture, don’t expect remakes of High School Musical when you’re watching Russian television. It’s nothing like western cinema, for one, the humour is far from similar. You need to know that Russian cinema is very dynamic, but TV not so much. There was only one new series in 2019 against 15 new films.You can discover the best Russian TV shows on Netflix and other streaming services, too.In this article, we're going to look at some of the Russian TV shows with the best ratings, comedies that everybody will love. While these shows mightn't be starring your favourite actors or have the production value of primetime American TV shows produced by ABC, NBC, or CBS, this is some of the best TV shows from the other side of the Iron Curtain. LavaRussian Teacher 5.00 (8) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LarisaRussian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors InaRussian Teacher 4.88 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors IrynaRussian Teacher 5.00 (8) £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EvgeniaRussian Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AnastassiaRussian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NikolaRussian Teacher 5.00 (4) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MargaritaRussian Teacher 5.00 (3) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsMasha and the Bear, the Classic Russian CartoonIt’s true that at first glance, you’ll think this show is just for kids. However, for anyone wantin g to learn how to speak Russian, Masha and the Bear is a great place to start. Each episode follows a typical aspect of Russian life, from celebrating the Russian Orthodox New Year or going back to school.Check for a Russian language course London here.Masha and the Bear is one of Russia's most popular exports. (Source: Yevhen1971)Masha is a young girl who loves messing about and making the most of life and she also knows how to do tonnes of thing. Her bear friend protects her although he’s as wild as Masha. You could sort of think of this show as a Russian “Dora the Explorer”. Get ready to fall in love with the different characters!With 75 episodes across 3 seasons, there’s plenty of content to sink your teeth into and practise your Russian. It’s also a useful source of everyday Russian expressions that anyone can watch.There’s also the English version, but that won’t help your language skills!Learn more about Russian music.Interns, the Russian Equivalent of HouseIn t he world of TV series, doctors are almost always respected figures. This isn’t the case in the Russian series “Interns” (???????). The main character, Andrey Yevgenyevich Bykov, played by the Russian Orthodox priest Ivan Ivanovich Okhlobystin (he’s suspended his priestly duties temporarily), is the cynical head of a therapy department whose character will remind English-speaking viewers of either Dr. House from House or Dr Cox from Scrubs.He is constantly plagued by his interns' ineptitude.  It should be noted that in Russian, the word refers to a medical intern and not just any type of intern.The sitcom was produced by NTV-Kino and covers the daily lives of medical interns preparing for their futures in medicine. These novices struggle with both their professional and personal lives. Between romantic relationships and squabbling at work, this far-fetched series is worth a watch.The pilot first aired on March 31, 2010, and this comedic show ran for 4 seasons before it came t o an end.While this series is quite goofy at time, it does push the envelope as it breaks many Russian taboos about the medical practice. This is nothing like Grey’s Anatomy, which tells the stories of medical interns as they grow, but rather focuses on the funny aspects of the characters’ lives, like in Scrubs. While you probably won't be familiar with a single cast member, it's still a treat for anyone who likes comedy series.Kitchen, Delicious Russian ComedyThe series Kitchen or ????? in Russian is a comedy show and also one of the best series on Russian TV. With a likeable cast, there’s a reason it’s the “comedy of the year”.Russians also like a workplace comedy. (Source: Pexels)In Russian, the term ????? means both kitchen and cuisine.This show covers the story of a Russian chef working in his French restaurant in Moscow. The twist comes when a young chef looking to conquer the world of cooking comes from his rural hometown to work in the restaurant. Let’s just sa y that not everything goes to plan...This is an easy-to-watch TV series. The actions on screen are enough to make you laugh and you won’t need to be a master of Russian to get what’s going on. There are also six seasons to get stuck into. LavaRussian Teacher 5.00 (8) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LarisaRussian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors InaRussian Teacher 4.88 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors IrynaRussian Teacher 5.00 (8) £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EvgeniaRussian Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AnastassiaRussian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NikolaRussian Teacher 5.00 (4) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MargaritaRussian Teacher 5.00 (3) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsDostoevsky, Historic Russian MiniseriesThe miniseries Dostoevsky (???????????) is a scripted drama that covers the life of the historical f igure himself over the course of 8 hour-long episodes. Yevgeny Vitalevich Mironov plays the nationalist and tsarist character.The show covers the life of Fyodor Dostoevsky in the 1950s in Russia as the emblematic writer is on the tipping point and the moments in his life that inspired him to create “The Brothers Karamazov”.It’s a good series if you like biopics. While it’s quite a short series with just 8 episodes and you won’t really into every aspect of the writer’s life, it does offer a good look into Russia at the time.Discover the most famous Russian figures and celebrities.Fizruk, an Unmissable Russian SitcomFizruk is considered to be one of the most popular series for Russian teenagers and has a good mix of situation comedy and non-sequitur comedy. The show has been said to “bring all of Russia together each episode”. You’ve got to give it a go!Check here for Russian lessons you can take on Superprof.There are plenty of shows for younger viewers, too. (Sourc e: mojzagrebinfo)In Fizruk, a gangster is trying to get close to his former boss. To do this, he’s become a PE teacher in a secondary school. While the plot is pretty predictable in some episodes, in others you’ll never see what’s coming.This series is Russian through and through. This is also a really accessible series. It’s funny and original and everyone (Russian or otherwise), will enjoy it.Nasha Russia, Little RussiaIf you want a good laugh or learn about Russian life, there are few shows better than Nasha Russia (???? Russia), which means “Our Russia”. Despite the patriotic title, comedy is at the heart of this show, which was based on Little Britain.It might be worth watching this series with English subtitles at first as there are a lot of subtleties. There were 96 episodes made between 2006 and 2011 that covered various aspects of life in Russia. They covered society (communism, socialism, relations with the Caucuses), the economy (the value of the Ruble), inter national relations (foreign policy, etc.), culture, sports, etc.Even the Russian president is the butt of jokes! In fact, there are recurring jokes that target Georgia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, too.While you’ll need a good level of Russian to enjoy it, it’s well worth watching, especially if you want to learn more about Russian culture.Discover the best radio stations in Russia.The Americans, an American Series about Relations with RussiaThis American TV show has been popular since coming out in 2013. There are no heroes or murderers in this show, just a couple of KGB agents deep undercover in the US in the 1980s. The show takes place in the heat of the Cold War and lasted for six seasons.There are also lots of shows about Russian. (Source: 3dman_eu)Right from the first episode, the tone is set.Are you ready to learn more about Soviet and American espionage?This is one of the best recent American series.From Saint Petersburg to Siberia, you can travel around Russian culture thanks t o these series. Of course, these aren’t the only Russian series about!Since Russian culture is a world apart from our own, you won't find comedies like Seinfeld or Everybody Loves Raymond or anything you'd find on American television shows.  Of course, there's always a new show to discover and you can always watch Russian comedians, Russian dubs of other shows like the Simpsons, for example.Did you know that there's a Russian version of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia?If you're interested in learning how to speak Russian, you should consider getting the help of a private tutor. Unfortunately, Russian isn't widely taught in British schools. However, thanks to private tutors, anyone in the UK can learn Russian.With Superprof, there are three main types of tutorials on offer: one on one private tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials. One on one tutorials cost the most but also offer the best service. Online tutorials are cheaper since the tutor has fewer expenses. Finally , group tutorials are the cheapest as the cost is divided between the students but you can't expect the bespoke service you'll get in private tutorials.If you speak Russian, it's very easy to set up a profile and start offering private tutorials on the platform. Many tutors offer the first hour of tutoring for free to entice potential students to their lessons.

Learn To Boost English Skills With Online English Tutor

Learn To Boost English Skills With Online English Tutor English is a global language which has world wide popularity for its multiple applications in different fields. It is a communication tool for business transactions, studying abroad, local communication and is regarded high as a mark of elegance in learned circles. Without English skills, one’s career prospects are at indeed low and prove to be limited. Learning English with academic standards is a tough job and needs concentration. In today’s complex learning atmosphere, mastering English skills without external support is an impossible matter. Many areas in English learning prove subtle as in the case of proper pronunciation, trendy writing style, proper grammar usage and perfect choice of vocabulary. Online tutors in English with their knowledge and experience in handling various aspects of English are the best help for students who find English difficult to learn. Why You Need To Focus On Your #English Skills For Success In Your Career And Life http://t.co/12FhIlOcaG pic.twitter.com/LN2gHMd1zl â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) September 20, 2015 Benefits of Online English Tutoring Online English tutors are subject experts who know the nuances and subtleties of English topics and lead one throughout the difficult phases in English learning with their expert knowledge. Further, they present the following benefits for students. Personalized treatment for students of different levels Customized solutions for the hiccups in English learning Standard patterns and examples of English speaking and writing Useful suggestion and tips for essay writing and spoken language Teaching grammar for flawless writings 24/7 availability with cost effective rates English homework help-the way to excel in English English assignments and homework can trigger doubts and lack of understanding for students if they lack in proficient reading habits and comprehension capabilities. Online tutors in English offer English homework help for putting down all the struggles of students with their samples, solutions and suggestion and thus enable students to do their best in English homework. Prose, poetry and fiction assignments with their intricate questions demand explanations and analysis which need a creative intelligence, imagination and high perspectives. Students who skip English classes might have missed lecture notes and thus find the topics difficult. Online tutors with their subject knowledge and exposure to tricky questions are able to beat out the tough and subtle questions in English literature and provide the best homework solutions for students. Why students need English assignment help for better scores? English essay writing and projects demands higher level of writing skills and may bring down the grades if he is unaware of the format of essays and the way to approach them. Online English assignment help is the right destination for attempting an essay in English with its typical guidelines. Likewise grammar questions and fiction assignments also need good knowledge in the subject areas to provide awesome write ups and this is possible through online English tutors with their expertise in language areas. @TutorPace Offers 10% Discount on Online #Assignment Help for Improved Grades http://t.co/P1NO7BttIg #backtoschool pic.twitter.com/vJs9iihJwUâ€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) September 10, 2015 Some intriguing topics in English learning: Grammar parts like subject-verb agreement Speech patterns Classical literature topics Principles of literary criticism with concepts of various authors Thus, learning English with the help of online tutors is the surest way to success with stunning scores and easy solutions.

Angle of Incidence

Angle of Incidence When a ray of light strikes a reflecting surface, then the angle of incidence is the angle formed when the light ray touches the reflecting surface. Angle of incidence is always taken as the measure between the light ray and the normal drawn to the reflecting surface. According to the Laws of reflection, this angle of incidence is equal to the angle of the reflection as well. Example 1: Light ray strikes a reflecting surface making an angle of 20 with the surface. Find the angle of incidence, the angle of reflection and sketch the path of the light ray. Angle of incidence is the angle formed by the light ray with respect to the perpendicular or normal drawn to the reflecting surface. Hence, angle of incidence = 90 - 20 = 70 According to the laws of reflection, angle of incidence = angle of reflection Hence, angle of reflection = 70 Example 2: A ray of light strikes a reflecting surface making an angle of 60 with the surface. Find the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection of the light ray. Given the angle of the light ray made with respect to the reflecting surface = 60 Angle of incidence is the angle formed by the light ray with respect to the normal drawn to the reflecting surface. Hence, angle of incidence = 90 - 60 = 30 According to the laws of reflection, angle of incidence = angle of reflection Hence, angle of reflection = 30

How Tension Affects Your Voice (And What to Do About It!)

How Tension Affects Your Voice (And What to Do About It!) Suzy S. As a beginner singer, its important to understand how unnecessary tension affects your tone and your breath support. Here, NY teacher  Nadia B.  shares what to keep in mind and how to combat that tension Singing is, in many ways, a very natural activity. We all have a voice, and it is meant to be used to communicate in speech and in music. However, when one delves more into the art of singing through voice lessons, practice, and performance, tension sometimes creeps in. It can seem uncontrollable and the source unidentifiable. The reasons for tension are many, but with the following tips you should be able to better identify how to sing without tension and enjoy a singing practice that is full of expression and requires much less effort. Understanding the Common Causes of Tension To combat tension, the first step is to understand some of the common causes for tension while singing. The most common ones I encounter are a mix of psychological and physical. Trying to be right and using too much effort are two of the biggest factors in tension. To identify whether these apply to you, notice as you’re singing if you’re always trying to fix something. Are you set on singing each passage perfectly, no matter what it takes? You might especially notice this in your singing lessons, when your teacher is observing you. While the intention is good, trying to sing something perfectly can lead to excess mental and physical tension. Using too much effort goes along with this idea. Although singing is a very natural activity, sometimes singers use too much effort in an attempt to sing loudly, more expressively, or faster. So, What Can You Do? Pay attention to your physical reaction and your thoughts as you approach a passage that calls for one of the above qualities. Do you notice an increase in tension, or of negative or panicky thoughts? If so, simply noticing these trends and taking steps to reduce your engagement with these unproductive methods can greatly reduce the amount of tension you’re using. Instead of placing your mental and physical energy in these methods, focus on staying open as you allow the expression to come up and out of you, connecting with the ground to sing louder, and using the breath as a means to propel a fast passage instead of muscular effort or unhelpful thoughts. What Else Causes Tension? Two additional mindsets that lead to excess tension are over-focusing and anxiousness. As you sing, are you overly focused on the voice and the vocal mechanism? While the vocal mechanism is undoubtedly important, singers can forget the rest of the body, which is an important part of resonance, power, and connection. If you are fixated on the vocal mechanism, try to bring your awareness to the whole torso, and then include the legs, arms, head, and feet as well. Similarly, feeling anxious or nervous while performing can create tension. To work with nerves while practicing or before a performance, give yourself a few breaths to notice what areas of your body are responding to the feelings of nerves, and see if you can mentally connect those areas to the whole of you. For example, while your neck might feel tight and tense, remembering that it is part of your whole spine and supported by all the buoyant connections within the spine and the ribcage can help you release the tension. Dont Let Tension Take Over! Whatever the cause of tension, it always has a physical manifestation that can be very uncomfortable and can interfere greatly with singing naturally and beautifully. As you become more in tune with how to sing without tension, use your awareness of your body to release tension in the following areas: The root of the tongue (it should be soft, not tight and hard) The jaw (release the muscles of the jaw to free the whole vocal mechanism, including the throat, the back of the neck, the head and mask and the tops of the shoulders) The soft palette (allowing it to rise up, or releasing any depression in the soft palette, can create more room for resonance) The throat (not tightening or constricting the throat allows the air to move easily) The mask (releasing any deadening in the sinuses, contraction in the eyes and forehead, and allowing the nose to be wide can create much more space for the sound) The intercostal muscles (in between the ribs; allowing these muscles to release allows the breath to move easily in and out without excess effort) The diaphragm and the back (the diaphragm’s connection to the ribs and back makes it essential for ease in singing, and the back is a wide and long swath of musculature that you can allow to expand to create more flexibility and freedom in your singing) The back line (think of this as a line that extends from your sacrum down through the buttocks and legs and into your heels; allowing it to lengthen into the ground ensures that you are not over-contracting the buttocks, legs, and ankles) With these tips, you can easily discover how to sing without tension! And in the process, you may also find even greater delight and enjoyment in exploring the craft of singing. Use these tips as a jumping off point for your own exploration of how your whole self â€" body, mind, and soul â€" acts as an open vessel for expressing everything a rich, meaningful voice has to offer. Nadia B. teaches flute and piano in New York, NY, as well as through online lessons. She  acted as principal flutist of the orchestra and wind ensemble at  California State University, Sacramento, and then went on to receive her degree in Music Performance from New York University.  Learn more about Nadia 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  Armando G Alonso

Building Childrens Confidence in School

Building Children’s Confidence in School School doesnt come easy for every child. It can be a challenging experience, and one that requires persistence and patience. Unfortunately, however, when school work becomes overly difficult, many children lose faith in themselves as students. Left uncorrected, this can have a lasting detrimental effect on a childs performance in school and overall attitude and demeanor. To pave the way for school success, parents should work to build their childrens self-confidence. Confident children do not shy away from hard work and will generally see failure as an opportunity to make changes and try again. How can you develop your childs confidence? Here are several tips: Be supportive. Children typically trust what their parents say as the truth, so its essential that parents regularly let them know that they believe in their abilities. To grow into capable, confident students, children need to feel supported by parents, not controlled. Let your child take the reins on homework and school and be on hand for help. Work together on goal setting. The process of goal setting helps children take control of their success, resulting in a greater willingness to attempt hard things and increased confidence that their efforts will yield good results. Encourage your child to lay out what he or she wants to achieve and the barriers standing in the way, as well as a plan to work around those obstacles. Foster independence. Whenever possible, parents should offer their children the chance to make decisions for themselves. Set high but achievable expectations, then put trust in your child to tackle tasks on his or her ownfrom homework to household chores. This will cultivate your childs sense of responsibility. Every accomplishment, however small or routine, gives your child the assurance that he or she is capable. Encourage doing new things. Parents who nudge their children to put themselves out there to try thingsfrom joining a new club to taking challenging classesare helping them grow and adapt to new situations. Always support your childs attempts to acquire new skills and learn from challenging endeavors. While parents cannot simply make their children confident, they can take note of their childrens strengths and encourage them to work hard, take initiative, persevere, and learn from their mistakes. These types of actions inspire children to go for what they want and strive to improve themselves as students and people, taking calculated risks along the way. Confidence, after all, is one of the building blocks for academic achievement. By making your child feel empowered and skilled, you are equipping him or her with the tools for lifelong school and career success. About Huntington Huntington 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 succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntingtons mission is to give every student the best education possible. Learn how Huntington can help at www.huntingtonhelps.com. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. 2018 Huntington Mark, LLC. Huntington Learning Center, the three-leaf logo, and 1 800 CAN LEARN are registered trademarks of Huntington Mark, LLC. Each franchised Huntington Learning Center is operated under a franchise agreement with Huntington Learning Centers, Inc.

What Motivates People - Private Tutoring

What Motivates People BobbiM Mar 31, 2014 Read this wonderful section from the book , You may not realize it but you are always motivated. No matter where you are or what you are doing, you are always motivated to do something even if its just sleeping. Focusing your motivation on learning, however, may be challenging sometimes. Its important to understand right from the beginning that you are responsible for your own motivation, even in courses that you dont like. Although an interesting instructor makes it easier for you do stay motivated, no one can directly motivate you to learn. But given that you are always motivated to do something and that you are primarily responsible for your motivation, there are some differences between students who are motivated to learn and students who are not. You may have heard the terms INTRINSIC and EXTRINSIC, especially as they relate to motivation. Intrinsic motivation occurs when the activity is its own reward. For example, some people read for the sheer enjoyment, others like to calculate numbers for the pleasure of it. Still others like to conduct experiments for the thrill of discovery. Think of intrinsic privation as being curious about something or doing something you choose to do. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, occurs when your incentive is a reward, such as grades or praise. Think of extrinsic motivation as trying to get it done rather than for the sake of learning. For example, you may be failing organic chemistry, but when the professor offers an extra credit assignment, you decide to do it even though you are not motivated to learn in the course. In this case, you are extrinsically motivated to earn extra credit points that can boost your course grade rather than by learning organic chemistry for the sheer pleasure of it. The more you are intrinsically motivated to learn, the easier learning will be for you. The key to becoming intrinsically motivated, even in classes you dont particularly like, is to find SOMETHING about the course that you find motivating and try to focus on the positives about the course rather than the negatives. It also helps to focus more in understanding the concepts to be learned rather than focusing solely on grades. Excerpt from  College Success Strategies  by Sherrie L. Nist and Jodi Patrick Holschuh.

The Scene Approach How to Really Learn Language Through Movies

The Scene Approach How to Really Learn Language Through Movies The Scene Approach: How to Really Learn Language Through Movies That little skeptic in your head is getting to you.Its telling you that you cant learn a language through movies.It sounds like a myth, like Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy.Well, let me give it to you straight: It can be done!Yes, its totally possible to learn your target language  just by watching movies. And in this post, Im going to tell you exactly how.But first, let’s talk about some common reasons why people have a hard time learning language through movies. 4 Reasons Language Learners Have a Hard Time with Movies1. They watch the movie once, then move on.When a language learner sits down to pick up lessons from a movie, they dont fare as well when they treat it just like any other movie.Meaning, when they watch it only for the story and its twists and turns. When they know the plot, how it ends or how the bad guy was thwarted from his evil plans, they move on to the next foreign feature. Often, theyll just watch the movie one single time.This is a case of close, but no ciga r.”Repetition, and lots of it, is the name of the game. You don’t have to watch a dozen different films to learn language lessons. You only need to watch just one or two, but you have to really focus on them. You have to go deep instead of going wide. As youll see later, there’s a very specific way of doing this so you can maximize every minute of the film.2. They study the movie as one big chunk.A 90-minute film is too long to be properly absorbed by language learners, especially at lower skill levels.You not only have the language to contend with, but the culture as well. Theres a ton of nuance in the spoken words, gestures, expressions, behaviors, customsâ€"even the dress and chosen sceneryâ€"and youll miss out on these rich lessons if you watch the movie once and only focus on understanding the words.Watching a movie just once, its no wonder that even well-intentioned students only scratch the surface.To use a movie as a learning tool, you have to use the pause, replay and loop buttons strategically throughout the movie, and not just pause when you need a bathroom break or a popcorn refill.A movie isnt one single language lesson. It’s actually packed with so much content that it can yield dozens, even hundreds, of language lessons for you. Watching it from start to finish, in a single stretch, wont release all its language secrets.3. They dont take advantage of the subtitles.You know subtitles are there to let you know whats happening in the movie. Even non-learners benefit from the subtitles, when all they really want to do is enjoy the film that their friend recommended.As a language learner, you need to do more with subtitles. You need to mine them for linguistic gems like grammar lessons and vocabulary insights.There are two things needed for this to happen:1. Accurate subtitles. These can be harder to find than you might think. Sometimes, youll be watching a French movie and notice that the French subtitles are off, using different vocabulary or phrasing things differently than whats spoken. If youre a beginner, you might not realize whats going on and end up confused.2. You need to have a copy of whats being said. You need to print it up and be holding that thing in your hand! But how many language learners actually do this? To get your own copies of scripts, you can try looking on the Internet Movie Script Database  or SimplyScripts.You have to believe me when I say that the movie will be a whole different animal when you have an accurate copy of its dialogue in your hands.4. They let the dialogues go by too fast.One of the most common reasons language learners don’t get as much as they can from watching movies? The dialogues are simply too fast for easy comprehension. The lines are hard to follow, the individual words almost possible to tease apartâ€"the native speakers blur words together, drop syllables, play with tone and rhythm, use slang.Its hard to follow all of this when youre still learning. Especially at th e beginner and intermediate levels, this can be discouraging.Of course, the movie was made for native speakers, not language learners. Native speakers eat, sleep and drink with the language so there’s really no need to artificially slow things down. They may even know what a character is naturally going to say before the line is delivered.But for the noble and well-intentioned language learner, the lines whiz by too fast. Even if they have the subtitles printed up and know what was said, its still hard to catch the words or to repeat the line.I bet at least one of the above situations sounds familiar.It might be exactly the reason why your inner skeptic is telling you its not possible to learn language through movies.After all, remember that time you tried and it was way too hard? Or you just didnt learn anything new?Now, to combat these problems, Im going to share  an effective strategy called the Scene Approach.The Scene Approach: How to Really Learn Language Through MoviesThe A dvantages of the Scene ApproachAt its core, the Scene Approach is simply the strategic splitting of a film into its component scenes.A scene is a segment in the movie where events happen in a single sequence. A scene in the movie Titanic, for example, is Jack successfully intervening before Rose jumps off the ship into the water.In the Scene Approach, scenes that are fat with language content are studied relentlessly, repeated over and over till the cows come home. Other, less linguistically valuable scenes, like the movies big car chase, are skipped.The approach comes with hefty benefits.1. It makes the whole movie manageable.Who has the time to watch the same 90-minute foreign language movie 200 times, anyway? Imagine how much that would eat into your dayâ€"or into your life!And, as said before, not all scenes are created equal. There are scenes, like the training montages of all Rocky films, that could otherwise be skipped. They have no serious value for the language learnerâ€"as ide from being entertaining.Splitting the movie into component scenes is altogether a different proposition. It’s more manageable this way. A single scene fits nicely into the length of an average, everyday study session.Dividing the whole movie into manageable chunks means you can now focus on learning fewer lines and fewer vocabulary words in each viewing session. And youll have fewer fast-paced, back-and-forth dialogues to contend with.Plus, you don’t have wait for the whole movie to end before you hit replay. When you’re dealing with scenes, if some linguistic confusion happens in the third  minute, you dont have to suffer through the whole thing and wait for the final credits to roll before you seek clarification.Divide and conquer!2. It gives you the necessary context.But why scenes? Why not split the movie into discrete five-minute segments instead?Scenes are natural cut-off points. They contain continuous action that happens in a single place and without a break in tim e (usually, though more experimental films may skip around a bit).By their very nature, scenes are more palatable to the mindâ€"unlike a random five-minute segment where two characters are talking one minute, followed by a different set of characters talking about a totally different thing the next.Now consider that language and meaning never happen in a vacuum. Its not just about the words. Each scene really gives you the context for everything the characters are talking about. A scene is a world unto itself. It has its own purpose, characters, character motivations, scenery, costumes, background sounds and outcomes.Movies help language learners because they give all the necessary context for understanding language. The Scene Approach just amplifies this advantage by dividing the whole movie into its scenes.3. It slows things down.In this approach, you don’t move on to the next scene until you’ve mastered the one you’re currently on.So, instead of watching the movie as one lo ng stream, feeling helpless with the speed and flood of information, you deal with individual scenes. You can pause and rewind any time to replay it over and over. You now deal with the thing line-by-line, so even if the dialogue goes very fast, you can always play it back.Speaking of playbacks, our new technology allows us to replay a clip without losing quality. It used to be that, in the era of VHS tapes and DVDs, you would get diminishing audio and video quality for every replay. Can you imagine?Today, because everything is digital, you get the same quality no matter how many times you replay a clip. Its also easier to click and drag back to the beginning of the sceneâ€"just jot down the time at which the scene starts.Things still going too fast? Theres now video functionality that literally helps you slow things down to 75%, 50% or 25% of the normal speedâ€"even YouTube videos offer this.Language learners are really running out of excuses not to learn from movies.Now, were goin g to talk about how to implement the Scene Approach, step by step.How to Learn Language with the Scene Approach1. Watch it like any other movie the first few times.Go ahead. Watch the movie like any other movie.Get it out of your system. Watch the movie with popcorn and soda while stretched out on your couch. You can even invite some friends over and view it on a Friday night. Ogle the good-looking actors, laugh at the jokes, be surprised by the unexpected twists. Focus on the story and get the big picture.So, are you done?Now let’s really heat things up.2. When you dive into the scene, stop treating it like a movie.After watching the film as a moviegoer at least once, its the perfect time to put on your language learning cap.Go to the first scene and take out a notebook. Jot down the timestamp of when it starts and when it ends.Focus on this one scene and nothing else.Understand the specific context. What’s happening in this scene? Is the villain interrogating and torturing the hero in some dark dungeon? Listen to the back-and-forth volley of dialogue. Only this scene exists!This is very important. When you’re working with scenes and you know in the back of your head that its part of something bigger, the temptation to proceed to next scenes is very real. Movies are designed to be that way, to take you from scene to scene in a frictionless fashion. A director might prick your heart early so you feel for the main character later. And as for the villain? You cant wait for the satisfying revenge where you get to see the jerk get his just desserts and fall off a cliff.It’s cathartic to go through the entire journey of the film, I know. But then you would still be treating the whole thing as a movie.You’ve donned your language learning cap now, and it shouldn’t matter if the hero gets his revenge or not. Think instead of the language learning opportunities in the scene. Is the bad guy asking questions? “Who stole the computer chip?” “Where is the gold hidden?” Then take them as lessons in question construction!Yes, theres high drama happening in the scene, but you should rather be interested in more earthly matters. That’s why you already watched the whole movie like any other blockbuster. So,  when you end a day’s session, you won’t be left hanging on the scene where  Liam Neeson  is  threatening his daughter’s kidnappers over the phone by touting a very particular set of skills. That would be too much a cliffhanger to stop at!3. Go from English subtitles, to foreign language subtitles, to no subtitles at all.Master the scene starting with English subtitles first, then foreign language subtitles second, then no subtitles at all.This seems to be the subtitle study sequence that yields maximum learning.The English subtitles will ensure that you fully understand whats happening in the scene.After a few tries with English, you then use subtitles in the target language. You now begin to follow the mouth, the movements and the lines that are being delivered. Your eyes are trained on the scene, your ears are listening to the sounds. You listen more closely this time, even pushing the headphones closer to your ears.If you forget whats happening, switch back to English subtitles. You can actually ping back and forth as often as you like. Or, if it’s at all possible, display both English and target language subtitles at the same time, like you can with your  FluentU videos. This visual gives you unprecedented comparison of vocabulary.Finally, watch and comprehend the scene without crutches, without subtitles, just like native speakers do. Watch the scene, without the subs, several more times. More than you think you need to.4. Write the subtitles down.It pays to have the scenes transcript in your hand, instead of trying to catch them on your screen where they quickly disappear.Whether or not youve already printed the transcript out, take the time to write down the text of the particular scene.  By hand, if possible.This shows not only commitment, but writing the subtitles down will help you remember the words better. Research has shown that the act of writing makes it easier for the brain to store and retrieve information from memory.Instead of thinking of subtitles as aids for films, think of them as language materials in and of themselves. Or better yet, think of it the other way around. Think of the scene as an aid for the subtitlesâ€"a video clip to help language learners understand whats written on the page.This is the principle thats put into practice by FluentU, a unique language learning program that transforms short, authentic video clips into full language lessons. Its basically an entire program that operates on the Scene Approach.FluentU takes authentic videosâ€"like news segments, short interviews, movie clips and music videosâ€"and makes them approachable and valuable for language learners of any skill level. This is done through accurate, interactive subtitles that appear on screen. You can click on any word or phrase to get a definition, in-context usage examples and pronunciation.5. Memorize the lines and talk along.Believe it or not, you have to memorize some lines. Not because youll be blurting them out in real life. Well, maybe you will, maybe you won’t.Memorizing the lines is really just a way for you to improve your memory, open your mouth and indeed say the words used in the scene. The speaking practice mattersâ€"language isnt just in your head.Speaking is a physical act, and like any physical activity, you reach mastery when you actually do it over and over.A movie, even if you take it one scene at a time, can only do so much. You better be talking, yelling, mumbling, gesturing and generally acting in front of the TV or your computer screen if you want to get the most out of it. Say the lines as the actors say them, talk back to the actors, shout comments out loud, get involved.So, there you go! You now know how to really learn a language through movies.The Scene Approach lets you do a deep dive into a 90-minute feature film so you come away with a wealth of lessons.Good luck, and happy watching!