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This Sliding Bar can be switched on or off in theme options, and can take any widget you throw at it or even fill it with your custom HTML Code. Its perfect for grabbing the attention of your viewers. Choose between 1, 2, 3 or 4 columns, set the background color, widget divider color, activate transparency, a top border or fully disable it on desktop and mobile.
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5 Easy Ways to learn a Foreign Language at Home – Part 4

December 21st, 2010|Tags: , , , , |

How to save time and money learning a foreign language Buying the right language product is like buying a diamond - you need to know what to look for. I recently walked into a jewellery shop to buy a ring for my wife. As the door swung shut behind me and I realised I was the only customer – trapped between rows of twinkling gems and several very gimlet eyed sales people. Beads of sweat broke out on my forehead. It is not so much the high cost of some very small things [...]

5 Easy Ways to learn a Foreign Language at Home – Part 3

November 29th, 2010|Tags: , , , |

The bird brain approach to learning a foreign language Stress of finding language resources? Researchers - with far too much time on their hands - recently assessed the pressure that men are under when they go shopping. They wired them up to sensors and were astonished to find that when shopping, many men are under the same stress as a fighter pilot going into battle. This would be hilarious, except I have a strong suspicion that I am one of these panic stricken men. At Christmas time, I can be seen darting around department [...]

5 Easy Ways to learn a Foreign Language at Home – Part 2

November 23rd, 2010|Tags: |

What can hammering in a nail with a screwdriver teach us about language? Use the right resources to learn a language Have you ever tried to bang a nail in with the handle of a screwdriver. I have. While building a playhouse for my daughter at the bottom of the garden, I realised I had left the hammer in the garage. "What the hell", I thought, "I'll bang it in with the handle of the screwdriver." There were two outcomes. Firstly, I hurt my hand and, secondly, the nail did not budge. In [...]

5 Easy Ways to learn a Foreign Language at Home – Part 1

November 11th, 2010|Tags: , , |

Best way to acquire a second language - Part 1 Use foreign words to label household items Research has shown that the level of language “input” is an important factor in how well you learn your new language. On the other hand, setting aside daily dedicated study time can be difficult. One trick, therefore, is to make your second language a part of everyday life – so that learning becomes automatic and easy. Over the coming days Language Pie will post 5 methods to get everyday exposure to your new language and power [...]

Monolingualism can seriously damage your career propsects

November 3rd, 2010|Tags: |

Or bilingualism can seriously improve your career prospects! Who needs a second language? The English are bad (and maybe a little lazy) when it comes to learning a second language. What is the point when so many people abroad have taken the trouble to learn our language?  And let’s face it, modern languages are not the easiest of subjects at school. Children see foreign language as tough and often choose to drop it as a subject at secondary school.  Since 2004 the number of children taking languages in the UK has dropped by [...]

Foreign Language Resource No. 5: Make it Generative, Mr Spock

October 28th, 2010|Tags: , , , |

Putting foreign words in sentences helps them stick! Use foreign words as building blocks to make sentences The final part to my learning a foreign language tips is to make it "generative!". It sounds technical but essentially it means that you should use words as building blocks to create sentences rather than learn them as discreet words that don't connect. Many language learning systems encourage you learn words by rote or in blocks. This leads to a horrible phenomenon called Systematic Forgetting. You may have experienced it. You can remember the words for [...]

Foreign Language Resource No. 4: Don’t Learn – Discover!

October 20th, 2010|Tags: , , |

Don't learn a foreign language - Discover It! Here's an odd thing. Discovery is the most powerful way to learn. When we were small our parents did not give us lists of foreign words for us to learn for tomorrow morning . That would have been be ridiculous, right? What actually happened was that we pointed at things we wanted to know the word for (such as a ball), our parents told us what is was and we repeated it. It seemed easy and natural and we all went on to be fluent [...]

Foreign Language Resource No. 3: Make Learning Fun

October 13th, 2010|Tags: , , , |

Fun Foreign Language Resources make the difference Have fun together and learn together A time for honesty. Learning a foreign language can be difficult and, well, tedious. You shouldn't say it - but for many people it is. Learning vocabulary by rote has to be one of the world's most mind numbing activities - right up there with ironing shirts. Technical grammar can make your brain hurt. By the time you get to conjugations you are screaming "is this absolutely necessary!". Luckily, the answer is no! This is not necessary! If you are experiencing all [...]

Foreign Language Resource No. 2: Make it “Meaningful”

October 4th, 2010|Tags: , , |

Foreign Language Resource: The importance of context As discussed in this blog, learning a foreign language depends much more on the tools you use that your innate "language ability". Use the wrong tools and you can easily start believing that you don’t have the necessary talent to learn a language (when you absolutely do). Use the right tools and methods and you’re natural language ability kicks in. Here I outline the second language method that is independently researched and proven to work.  Foreign Language Method - Make it meaningful Research shows that words and phrases [...]

Foreign Language Resources No. 1 – Another Human Being!

September 26th, 2010|Tags: , , , , |

Use the wrong language resources and you can easily start believing that you don't have the necessary talent to learn a language (when you absolutely do). Use the right resources and you're natural language ability kicks in.

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