I Like Feeling Important in what I Do- Now What - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / I Like Feeling Important in what I Do- Now What - Introvert Whisperer I Like Feeling Important in what I Do- Now What? I hate to admit this, but I like feeling important in my job.  How can I feel that way if I retire or change jobs? We really don’t like admit that we have an ego to feed: a lot of us have one. We keep it undercover most of the time because it can be kind of an ugly thing that no one, including ourselves, likes to see.  A number of us who have been in the workforce for a while have developed expertise and deep knowledge that people seek us out for.  Sometimes this is an informal situation but real all the same. In other work, settings can even be part of a job title.  Whichever it is, it is a source of power and deep personal gratification.  It isn’t something that you are awarded simply by passing tests or being licensed.  You have earned this because of the person you are.  You dig into details, you learn how things work, and you ask questions.  You do what other people don’t. It’s okay to admit that this situation has provided you with great satisfaction.  It’s also good to acknowledge that this same level of admiration most likely won’t be repeated if you change jobs or quit altogether.  It’s a hard thing to deliberately walk away from and can be a big part of your anxiety in making a change in your life.  This is when you must make “values-based decisions” about what’s important in your life.   This calls for a writing exercise.   You need to write down what you like, what you dislike and what’s missing about your current job.  If you really are on the brink of a life change, self-examination is always called for.  The exercise is also not a 5-minute meal.  You will set down and write these things out, think about them, walk away from them, and pick them up a few more times before you have really captured what’s important and what’s MOST important in your life.  You have to ask yourself the tough questions or have someone ask them of you.   Questions like:  What is important in your life going forward? Let’s also examine this term “values-based decisions”.  A value is something you personally value in yourself, your life, and probably people you like and respect.  One example of a value is honesty.  I personally can’t function or interact with someone I don’t trust.  We all have a lengthy list of values.  Sometimes we don’t even realize what all of our values are, yet they are the basis for much of our behavior.  It is also important to understand that in this lengthy list of values we possess,  some can be in conflict with each other.  I know it seems incongruous but it is true.  You can value being in nature and city life at the same time.  You can value being sought after and even admired for your deep knowledge and background in your field and yet not want to do it anymore.  When you make a “values-based decision” such as this it will be hard work.  It will require thought, examination, and consideration for what is important in your life.  It is al so possible that what is important to you today will change next week or next year.  If you go through this exercise and decide to stay where you just know that there will come a day when the list starts shifting.  It’s a natural process that goes on in our life.  If you decide to move forward and leave the job you have today, you also have to face the fact that this important aspect of your life will be something that you will miss and maybe even grieve for a while.  But, as a member of the human race, you will adjust and your life going forward will be great. Personal Branding starts with how well you speak about YOU.   I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook â€" The Definitive Guide to Creating and Using an Elevator Speech.   In this guide, I give you simple to follow instructions for creating a “wardrobe” of ways to talk about you â€" to leave a lasting impression.   Get your copy now: CLICK HERE Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleash your professional potential.

Tips for Parents 9 Ways to Teach Spanish to Your Toddler

Tips for Parents 9 Ways to Teach Spanish to Your Toddler Sign up successful 3. Watch Spanish TV and Movies Kids learn a lot of language through watching children’s TV shows and movies, and watching television in Spanish provides the exact same benefits. If you dont get Spanish language channels on your TV, you can select Spanish audio on DVDs, use YouTube videos, or find movies in Spanish for kids on Netflix. 4. Play Outdoor Counting Games Teach your toddler numbers in Spanish by playing any outdoor games that involves counting, such as catch, jump rope, hopscotch, or soccer. 5. Expressions in the Mirror Sit in front of a mirror and ask your child to make a face to represent an emotion. You can try happy (feliz), sad (triste), angry (enojado/enojada), and confused (confundido/confundida). 6. Play I Spy A great activity for long car rides, play I Spy in Spanish to help your child learn both the alphabet and more vocabulary. 7. Sing Along to Music Another good option for livening up car rides is singing songs in Spanish. This is one of the best ways to practice speaking in full sentences, and at the same time your toddler will hear a native speaker singing the language to help with proper pronunciation. 8. Play Simon Says (Simón  Dice) The imperative is a little more complex in Spanish than in English, but even toddlers can learn to respond and produce commands with this game. Simon Says (or  Simón  Dice) is also an ideal opportunity to practice words for body parts and movement. 9. Celebrate a Tradition from a Spanish-Speaking Country Even if you dont have a connection to a particular Spanish-speaking country, you can celebrate a festival in your home. There are plenty to choose from, including  Día  de los  Muertos  from Mexico, Fiesta de la  Candelaria  from Peru, and Las  Fallas  from Spain. Just remember: keeping up with your child’s level of Spanish may soon become difficult if you are relying on the vocabulary and basic grammar you learned in high school. Consider brushing up on your own knowledge by booking Spanish lessons with a private tutor or, as your child gets older, find a language tutor for him or her. Speaking a second language is a lifelong skill that will open up tons of opportunities for your child academically, personally, and professionally. 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 National Museum of American History Smithsonian Institution

How To Set Your Expectations With A Professional Coach

How To Set Your Expectations With A Professional Coach All Our Tips To Identify Your Professional Needs And Goals! ChaptersCustomers Expectations  Of Their Professional CoachKnow Your Own Case Before Hiring A CoachProfessional Coaching: Identify Achievable GoalsProfessional Coaching: Success Coming TogetherThe mission of a professional coach is sometimes delicate: coaching is about helping others to achieve concrete results in the realisation of their professional objectives, providing personal support to achieve well-being at work.According to an ICF Global Coaching Study 2016, conducted in 137 countries around the world, there are approximately 53,300 people who practise as professional coaches worldwide.Whether it is to enhance your professional knowledge, prepare for professional development, regain self-confidence, prepare for a new job, manage stress, manage emotions, learn a new profession, etc., many people use a professional life coach.However, before being coached through an individual coaching program, you must take a single step: identify your expectations!Here are our tips to identif y your goals before calling a certified professional coach.Establish your coaching goals before contacting any coach. (by  geralt)

In Defense of the Introvert Personality - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / In Defense of the Introvert Personality - Introvert Whisperer In Defense of the Introvert Personality Last week I posted a rant on Facebook in defense of the Introvert Person(ality). What had set me off was an article someone had submitted that profiled Introverts wrong, negatively and with bias. It’s not the first time I’ve seen or heard inaccuracies because I hear it conveyed in the news and other places. Since I could have it edited before publishing, I asked for the corrections but it also fired me up to do what I could to set the records straight. In that vein, I hope this is information that you will find useful to you personally. Feel free to pass it along. Of all the personality types that have ever been defined, I’m dismayed that the Introvert personality gets so much negative baggage coupled with it. It’s the only personality type that is used when a shooter goes crazy and kills others in a massacre to analyze what went wrong with the person doing the ugly deed. Certainly, when law enforcement apprehends a serial killer, they use the term to describe the person’s behavior. Our media often refers to a grouping of characteristics like: introvert, shy and anti-social as if they are all ways of describing the same thing. Little wonder why the collective of people think all of this is true. We’ve been fed bad information enough that we think it’s true. In fact, just today I read something that referred to the personality as flawed. Flawed? We’re about as flawed as someone with brown eyes or is left-handed. Here is what you need to know: Introvert is a personality type. It’s inherent to you. It’s also neutral which means its not good and it’s not bad. It simply is. It’s not something for you to “get over” like a cold or even a mental health issue. Also, it’s not everything that goes into the complex mix of what drives behavior in people. Being shy or anti-social is not a  personality and is not Introvert. Those issues are part of anxiety disorder. They can be present in an introvert or an extrovert. Yes, you can be shy AND an extrovert. You don’t change personality type, you change behaviors. As we go through life, we figure out behaviors that will serve us in some way. Those behaviors may or may not be “introvert-like” or “extrovert-like”. Those behaviors may make you think your personality has changed, when in fact, it is the same. I.e.: One thing doesn’t equal the other when it comes to personality. (I know it confused me too) We do live in an extroverted culture. That means the yardstick of goodness and success is measured by tendencies extroverts display. That also means introverts are at a cultural disadvantage. Oh well. That’s how life works â€" it isn’t always fair. A well-informed mind is a powerful thing and hopefully, on this topic you are. While there are many more facts I could share about Introverts, these are the ones that tend to be incorrect out there in the mainstream media. Don’t believe everything you hear. Go to top Personal Branding starts with how well you speak about YOU.  I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook â€" The Definitive Guide to Creating and Using an Elevator Speech.  In this guide, I give you simple to follow instructions for creating a “wardrobe” of ways to talk about you â€" to leave a lasting impression. Get your copy now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

How Do Introverts Benefit From Volunteering - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / How Do Introverts Benefit From Volunteering - Introvert Whisperer How Do Introverts Benefit From Volunteering? Kayla Matthews April 24, 2018 Adaptability, Career Development, Communication No responses Go to top No matter your age, you will at some point in your life likely hear that you should sign up for volunteer opportunities. The reason will usually vary depending on the age group, but the benefits might look similar. High schoolers learn that volunteer experience looks great on college applications, and college students are informed that volunteering can buff out a resume if they don’t have a lot of job experience. The benefits of volunteering go beyond how you can use it to impress people on an application or a resume, but they’re especially hard for introverts to grasp. For those who struggle with talking to strangers or making new friends, the idea of volunteering can seem like a terrifying experience. It’s why so many introverts hold back and don’t volunteer at all, or they do it once and decide never to try it again. In reality, there are so many great things that introverts can get out of volunteering. Once you give yourself that last little push, you’ll find yourself in a position where you can make a real difference in the world. No matter how much anxiety you get before or during the process of volunteering, you’ll love seeing yourself grow every time you try. Read about some of the benefits you can receive from volunteering and then find a way to give back to your local community. 1. Challenge Yourself Introverts typically have a routine down to help them get through each day. Not every introvert can spend all their time alone, so at the end of a long day of school or work, you might like to recharge by curling up with a movie or book. You may not feel comfortable raising your hand in class or speaking up in a meeting, but you might find you feel different when you’re a part of a volunteer group. The dynamics are different and present a new challenge to introverts used to knowing what to expect. 2. Increase Communication Skills A big part of making a volunteer opportunity a success revolves around making sure the group of people you volunteer with all know how to communicate. Each volunteer works as an equally important piece to getting a project done, so if communication isn’t good, the whole operation could fall apart. Introverts in volunteer environments improve their communication skills each time they volunteer because of how vital it is for every volunteer to remain on the same page to accomplish a goal. 3. Boost Confidence When you see someone who needs help and you aid them, it’s a major confidence boost to know you were capable enough to improve someone’s quality of life. This is especially true when you volunteer with animals since they can’t help themselves. Once you see a dog or cats face light up from a little extra love and attention, your confidence will shoot through the roof! Try to volunteer at a local animal shelter and start from there, since it’s a good middle ground for introverts. 4. Create New Passions Without volunteering, you might never get to try something that ends up becoming a passion of yours. Without serving food to the homeless or helping animals get adopted, you may never know a part of yourself. Even volunteering just one time will show you if you like to serve others and give back, which could potentially change how you chart your life. Find a philanthropic platform to support local communities and discover new interests. It’s worth giving it a try a couple times to see what you could learn about yourself. 5. Make Personal Connections Another reason why volunteering helps introverts is that you can meet people and hear their stories without the added pressure that comes from feeling like you’re forced to make friends. When you give your time to a local homeless shelter, you’ll bond with people with the most incredible stories. They’ll draw out your curiosity and you’ll strike up conversations without even realizing it. Those personal connections will help you grow as a person and continue volunteering in the future. 6. Bloom New Friendships Of course, you’ll also make friends with whoever is in your volunteer group. Not that everyone you meet has to become your next best friend, but you’ll bond over the work you do and get to see everyone regularly. These kinds of friendships are the opposite of the forced bonding that happens in the classroom or work setting, so you’ll warm up to the idea of making friends and end up looking forward to seeing them every time you head back to volunteer. 7. Introduce Leadership Opportunities Some businesses in your community will offer volunteer positions that introduce leadership opportunities. You get to learn something, meet new people and have leadership opportunities that might impress the right people. Showing that you can lead even one or two people to accomplish something could land you an interview or provide connections to further those skills. 8. Open up Stepping Stones Many people will tell you how volunteering will help your career, but it can lead you to other places too. As an introvert, you might not picture yourself taking any big trips, but the character development you’ll receive from volunteering could lead you to volunteer while you travel abroad. You’ll continue building on those same skills while adventuring in a new place. Volunteering could lead you almost anywhere, so why not step outside your comfort zone and try it? Volunteering and being an introvert may not sound like they go together, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Spending your time volunteering can help develop you as a person, even if you consider yourself a major introvert. Communication and leadership skills will develop while you have fun, and it won’t take long before you can feel the changes in yourself. The key is to try different types of volunteering to see which one is right for you, and then make it a routine so you continually grow. Go to top Bottom-line â€" I want to help you accelerate your career â€" to achieve what you want by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my 4 Building Blocks to Relationships eBookâ€" the backbone to your Networking success and fantastic work relationships.  Grab yours by visiting here right now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

English Expressions about LIFE and DEATH Halloween Related Idioms

English Expressions about LIFE and DEATH Halloween Related Idioms Hi Students! It is still nearly 7 weeks to go until Halloween and its way to early to talk about English expressions about life and death just yet. The idea came up to me as we some times take things far too seriously and everything becomes a matter of life and death. A little dramatic I know! So here I have some English expressions about life and death for you. English Expressions about Life and Death Over my dead body: Usually used to express our insistence that we are not going to agree to something or allow something to happen whilst we are still living and breathing.ex. Johnathan wanted to borrow his fathers car to go with his friends to the coast. The last time he borrowed the car he hit a lamp post and caused a lot of damage. His father was not happy and shouted Over my dead body, ask your friend to pick you up!From the cradle to the grave: This suggests that we take care of someone or something for a very long time. Usually, the responsibility of parents is to look after their children from the day they are born until they die. A cradle is where a child sleeps in the first few years and a grave, alas, is where we are buried when we die.ex. The bank were advertising for new customers and offered them, mortgages savings accounts for them and their family and life assurance. The advertised that literally they would take care of all your financial affairs from the cradle to the grave.Dead in the water: This expression is used to describe the situation when an idea is not going to work or it is not going to be approved by someone we report to. We can say it is not going to float also.ex. Declan spent several months planning the new launch. He had worked out the budget. He knew what it costs to produce and how many items he would have to sell to make a reasonable profit. He had checked it many times. However, 2 weeks before launch his competitors came out with a similar cheaper model. He was heart broken his plan was dead in the water. Back to the drawing board (back to the beginning). English Idioms related to Halloween Enjoyed this infographic? Here’s what you can do next: Death warmed up: When people die they usually lose the colour in their face as the blood stops circulating. They also go cold for the same reason. This expression is used to describe how some one looks when they are ill (not seriously) but still come to the office to work.ex. Betty had a heavy cold or flu and a high temperature. However, she had to go to work as her boss was relying on her to finish the project before he left for his annual leave. When she arrived in the office the boss looked at her and said Oh my God Betty, you look terrible you look like death warmed up. You need to go home immediately and call the doctor.Lead a double life: Someone is said to lead a double life when perhaps they have a dark secret that they keep hidden from everybody.ex. Daniel married Kate when he was quite young and they split up a few years later. They never got divorced. Several years ago he married for the 2nd  time but this was against the law as he was not divorced. In this situation he co uld be said to be leading a double life!Shelf Life: This expression refers to the length of time something will last, often used when referring to food but also used when referring to the life of a product once it is released. Sometimes products have a limited shelf life  as they are very specific (product launched to celebrate a particular event) or a long shelf life for a product that may never go out of date or need to be replaced (Coca Cola). We can also use it to refer to someone who is getting a little old for getting married and we might jokingly say he/she is past their shelf life.ex. Damien was 45 and single. Then he met the girl of his dreams and fell in love and they got married the following year. He joked with his friends that he thought he was past his shelf life. Vocabulary Words mortgage a long term finance usually used to purchase a home, often for terms of 10 to 30 yearslife assurance financial protection in case a family member diesto float to stay on the top of the water, antonym to sink Complete your English expressions about life and death with my English Vocabulary for Halloween. You can also practice English idioms understanding with games here.

Study More Effectively Using Deliberate Practice - PART 2

Study More Effectively Using Deliberate Practice - PART 2 Improving Academic Performance In a previous blog post on deliberate practice, we learned that it takes focus, motivation, feedback, and a desire to uncover the underlying elements of the big concepts. More importantly, we learned that it is the way to build new skills, be they academic, athletic, musical, or anything else. Let's now look at a few different examples of the concept in action, as well as explore what deliberate practice, in an academic context, involves in a bit more detail. Deliberate Practice in a Low Performing Charter School There is a charter school system called Knowledge is Powerthat is located in low-achieving, urban areas Students were tested in math proficiency before the beginning of the KIP program, and only 17% scored proficient. After changing to a curriculum based on the ideals of deliberate practice, 84% achieved proficiency. When a student enters the program, called KIPP, he or she must sign a contract that promises to persevere and follow through when the going gets tough. All students attend school from 7:30am to 5:00pm, and even have to be in attendance on some Saturdays and a few weeks throughout the summer. This is a big commitment. But the leaders of the program say that it is not just about putting in extra time. It is placing motivation, passion, and focus at the forefront of education and making sure that the teachers are instilling these ideals into the students at all points in the educational process. The staff creates a culture of discipline. The students learn, through training, a dedication to hard work and perseverance. And, they learn how to study the right way, with intense focus, effort, and a passion for improvement. So far, this method of teaching by deliberate practice has seen positive results in low achieving schools. These studies (and others) demonstrate to us that focus, determination, and motivation go a very long way in achieving academic success. How Important is Deliberate Practice? The term ‘deliberate practice’ was created by a man named Anders Eriksson, who studied people that had acquired expert performance in a subject and had excelled. He found that the main thing separating these geniuses from ‘normal’ people was the amount of time spent doing deliberate practice. Yes, of course natural ability helps a person excel, but Anderson found thatpracticing more and differently, more deliberately, than others was much more important than natural ability in the development of skill. Geoff Colvin, a past editor for Fortune Magazine, wrote about the properties of deliberate practice. They are as follows: Deliberate Practice is designed to improve performance. This means that the right type of practice is not, for example, just going out on a golf course and hitting as many balls as possible every day for 10 hours a day to become a professional golfer. It involves careful study and review of your shots, tweaking your form, and repeating. The practice needs to be repeated frequently. Your talent, skill, sport, academic subject, etc. needs to be treated as a priority when it comes to daily time management. A feedback loop, some sort of assessment based on whether or not you did things correctly and how you should adjust your technique and practice style based on the results, needs to exist. A popular quote outlines the reason beside the necessity for a feedback loop quite nicely: “The definition of insanity is to repeat the same thing over and over again and expect different results.” Time spent in practice needs to be mentally demanding. The brain should be fully engaged in order for deliberate practice to have its full effect. It should be very difficult to sustain this type of focused practice for more than a few hours. The tasks that are being practiced need to be difficult. If you are not constantly testing yourself and trying harder problems or skills, just coasting through the material, you will not reach your full potential. Finding things that are particularly challenging and working through them gives room for growth and allows progress to be made towards reaching ‘expert’ status. When you start to do things that push you out of your comfort zone, that is when you will truly excel and get better â€" that’s how skill is built in the brain. You might see how these properties of deliberate practice can be applied to improving your ACT or SAT score or getting better grades in school, but it can be helpful to use these rules in any area of life where you’d like to improve your performance and build your skills. As we’ve said a few times in this article, if you’re willing to put in the time, the focus, the motivation, and practice in the right ways, you can be well on your way to becoming an expert. Even if you aren’t looking to be the next Einstein, deliberate practice can get you that A in Calculus, or that higher standardized exam score, or better scores on tests in general. Deliberate practice gives you the tools you need to drastically improve your academic (and other types of) performance.

10 Facebook Language Learning Ideas Youll Like or Love

10 Facebook Language Learning Ideas Youll Like or Love 10 Facebook Language Learning Ideas Youll Like or Love Did you know that Bob Dylan is a visual artist?Or that Vladimir Putin can play Russian classics on the piano?Or that Angelina Jolie is a licensed pilot?And hey, did you also know that Facebook is a language learning powerhouse?Yep, you just need to approach it with the right mindset  to fully harness its educational potential.In this post, were going to show you how to master a language through strategic Likes, friendly Follows and other Facebook-based tricks.Below are 10 ways to make your Facebook account burst with language lessons and insights that get a big thumbs-up from us. Learning a Language Through Facebook? For Reals?!We all know Facebook as a social networking site. In fact, its the biggest of them all, surpassing Twitter, Instagram and other social media, with more than 2 billion active monthly users.Despite the funky press its received over the years, many find it hard to imagine life before Facebook. The social network has practically embedded itself in almost all asp ects of life. But all this success aside, Facebook is still often an untapped resource when it comes to learning a new language. When our idea of Facebook is primarily a place to tag our friends, post cryptic I hate somebody, guess who updates and watch viral videos, we miss out on huge learning potential staring us right in the face.The thing about Facebook is, youre already there, and you already know how it works!So you might as well make it count.Think about it. The world is on Facebook: the native speakers you seek, the language content youve been looking for. All the big language content producers are there. And in a place like Facebook, unlike with standalone websites, you get to talk to everyone. You get to comment. You get to ask questions. You have a say in things. Its very democratic.But people have not yet woken up to the idea of Facebook as a major language learning resource. The language learning taking place, if it happens at all, happens tangentially, or by chance. T his shouldnt be the case, however, because if you think about it, Facebook is practically designed for the language learner. (It has translation capabilities, for goodness sakes!)Its time we take this platform by the horns and milk it for all its worth.So here are 10 things you can do today to re-discover Facebook as the awesome language learning platform its always been.10 Facebook Language Learning Ideas Youll Like or Love1) Join language learning groups.Facebook is a very good platform for people with similar interests to find each other, interact and, ultimately, become a community. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of groups that cater to language learners. You can join general purpose language groups that welcome learners of all tongues into their fold. You also have language-specific groups like those interested in Korean, Arabic  or  German.To find these learning communities, simply go to the search bar and use search terms like [French, Spanish, etc.] language learning groups. This will bring up relevant results for groups you can instantly join.To maximize these communities, be an active member of your groups. This goes from the very day you join. Give everyone a hearty, Hello! Newbie here! The people who wave back will likely be the ones who are the most active in the group, and you should take the opportunity to strike up a conversation with them.Language learning groups can be wellsprings of information and opinion. You can ask for reviews for certain language products, you can be pointed to resources you would otherwise have never heard of and you can make friends along the way!2) Like pages that deal with your target language.Want your FB feed to be an automatic learning machine, continually serving you up language learning opportunities? Like those pages and posts that relate to the language youre studying. Smashing the thumbs-up button on these babies will let Facebook know that youre interested in topics related to your target language an d will prioritize displaying them on your feed. Facebook goes, Oh, so you like that, huh? Well, heres moreSo how do you find out about content to Like and Follow in the first place? Well, its best to step out of Facebook and use Google for this. For example, lets say you want to get to the major Italian newspapers. Type in Italian newspapers in Italian on Google and youll get the names of their major dailies. Pick one newspaper, say, Corriere della Sera  (Evening Courier). Copy and paste its name into the Facebook search bar to see if the publication has a FB presence. When you see they do, dont hesitate to smash Like on their page. Do this for several newspapers, and soon, your feed will be populated with updates and news in Italian.Try this method for any type of content youd like to have on your feedâ€"for example, foreign language TV shows, like the German Der Tatortreiniger  (The Crime Scene Cleaner), or foreign language magazines, like the French Le Point.Now your feed might b e populated with friends or acquaintances whose love life or daily lunch pics dont interest you that much. You can tell Facebook not to show things like this on your feed so your language-related content doesnt get buried under the rest of the noise by choosing to Unfollow people or groups (you can still remain friends with them, but just not see their content).This way, your timeline will show language learning content thats worth a real look.To really have more control over what shows up on your timeline, click the downward pointing triangle found at the top right corner of your screen. Click on News Feed Preferences. Youll then be shown options like Prioritize who to see first, and Unfollow people to hide their posts.3) Watch viral videos from people that speak your language of interest.Youre already watching videos on Facebook, right? Might as well watch those that have something to do with your target language. Viral videos are highly memorable, and so they make the language th ey come in memorable as well. Maybe one shows a Chinese couple arguing about some silly thing, or a French boyfriend explaining an oncoming prank or even a Spanish sketch about the lovely differences between being single and attachedâ€"milk these visual contexts for language lessons.To find these viral videos, its again best to search through Google. Type in Spanish viral videos Facebook, for example, and you’ll see an assortment of hits. You can also add search terms like funny, inspirational, top, amazing, etc.This method can lead you to whole pages of videos and images. For example, Spanish learners can get to pages like Mexican Funny Videos, which curates humor content. There, youll find videos like La Jefa (The Boss), which shows a mother telling a son to clean the house, or else face terrible consequences.Dont forget to Like the pages or accounts containing the videos so their updates get locked into your Facebook feed.If you enjoy learning with videos on Facebook, youll def initely want to check out FluentU, which curates the best of YouTube in your target language for you. FluentU tracks down real-world videosâ€"like movie trailers, music videos, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language lessons.4) Add native speakers to your Friends list.Native speakers are your ultimate language insiders. They can teach you their language in a way a textbook never can.And the cool thing about native speakers is that you basically just have to find one. And that one will be connected to loads of others.One way of finding native speakers is through the language learning groups we talked about earlier. Be on the lookout for native speakers who simply joined a group because they want to help everybody else. When somebody in the group asks a question and somebody else addresses the query with something like, Im a native speaker, and the answer to your question is, thats a green light for you to add that person as a friend. Theyve already signal ed willingness to help, and are therefore a high-quality friend add.And like I said, you just need one connection, and this will likely open up a whole network of native speakers for you.5) Study status updates and posts by your newfound friends, and write your own.Lets say you already have several native speakers added to your list. Milk their profiles by following them and studying their updates and posts. (What an easy way of learning with authentic content!)They wrote something? Theres a language lesson for you! Find out what its all about. Like social media posts in your native language, it may be short, silly and mundane. Heck, they might just say that they just finished a good cup of coffee, but thats a gold nugget right there for a language learner like you.They posted pictures? Read those captions and learn the fastest ways of describing things!As long as were on the topic of posts and updates, did you know that you can write your own posts in your target language? Just act ivate Multilingual Posts in the Language section of Settings, and every time you send out a post, you can choose to write it in French, Spanish, etc. This is an excellent way to practice writing in your target language.Dont worry that your friends might think you weird when their feed shows inscrutable French from you. Facebook will automatically translate your blurbs into English and your friends will be none the wiser.6) Read (and write) comments.Comments sections are a treasure trove of language gems waiting to be discovered. They can get even longer and more detailed than posts and updates, so theyre perfect for intermediate learners wishing to flex those linguistic muscles.Whether youre on a language learning page or a native speakers account, reading replies to updates will teach you things like vocabulary, common phrases, common expressions, sentence construction and idiomatic expressions. When youve got native speakers chatting back and forth, their language on full display, oh, thats simply a masterclass in the language.Just make sure that Facebook doesnt automatically translate your target language into English. To do this, go to Settings and click Language. Under News Feed Translation Preferences, edit Which languages do you not want automatically translated? Type in your target language and save those changes.This will allow you to view the comments and post in the original language that it was written. And dont worry, if you need it rendered in English, you can always click the ubiquitous See Translation.7) Check out pages for language learners.Earlier, we talked about language learning groups, right? Lo and behold, there are also pages and accounts run by polyglots, language bloggers, language content producers and institutions that give you heaps and heaps of free material.Youll find pages like polyglot Luca Lampariellos The Polyglot Dream  or, for Spanish learners, Señor Jordans Spanish Videos.Every Tom, Dick and Harry who produces language le arning content is probably on Facebook. And guess what, you often get richer information from their FB pages or profiles than their websites. With standalone .com websites, you have a one-sided flow of information. Its the company presenting their stuff. On Facebook, theres a lot more interaction happening. People get to comment and write in their reviews, suggestions and queries.So do check these out. Follow FluentU on Facebook and well keep you updated on our latest posts with language learning tips and resources.8) Pursue your hobbies and interests but in the target language.You have hobbies and subjects that grab your attention, right? What if I told you that you can pursue those wide-ranging interests and your love for languages at the same time?Because Facebook is such an international brand, people all over the world are using it. And guess what, theyre Facebooking in their own tongue, posting content in a variety of languages.Say youre passionate about food and scouting for great recipes. Instead of hobnobbing with the FB accounts of your favorite cooking shows in your native language or your go-to native-speaking chefs, search for chefs and shows in the language youre interested in. Youll not only get to see a different set of fare from an authentic perspective, youll also learn a new language along the way. Even a one-minute video that time-lapses the process of making a simple dish, flashing the different ingredients on the screen, can be a great vocabulary lesson.So whether you have an unmatched affinity for DIY projects, gardening, stamps or cars, Facebook can help you learn a language and engage your other passions at the same time.9) Watch some live streams in your target language.Facebook has launched live streaming capabilities on its platform, which means real-time language learning opportunities for those who know how to properly look and listen.You can find videos that are currently playing live by scrolling down to the Explore section loca ted on the left-hand side of your screen and clicking on Live Video. Follow enough language-related pages and youll have more opportunities to catch an interesting live feed in your target language.However, the live streams you watch dont necessarily have to have anything to do with language learning, as long as theyre in the target language. Hey, one could be about a French lady selling the contents of her closet online, or a German knife manufacturer exhibiting the virtues of his productâ€"the smart language learner uses these events as learning opportunities.They listen to whats being said. They listen to the tone and inflection of words. They watch for the most commonly repeated phrases and expressions. They have a dictionary or translator app ready just in case.Because live streaming doesnt come with subtitles or transcriptions, its best suited to intermediate and advanced learners out to hone their listening and comprehension skills.And if youre bold enough, you can test your writing chops by joining the live chat and asking a question or two of the host, all in the target language. Theres no guarantee that your comment or question will be answered (much less read), but its still good practice for communicating your thoughts in written form.10) Unleash the beast: Set your Facebook language to your target language.And last but not least, you can simply go all the way and immerse in the target language by changing the language FB comes in. Go to Settings and click on Language. Edit the section What language do you want to use Facebook in by choosing your target language.Click Save changes. (It will change your world.)So for example, if you change the language settings from English to French, the whole Facebook interface now is in French. The Like button becomes J’aime  and See translation becomes Voir la traduction. (And you will never be the same.)Youll feel like a fish out of water initially, maybe even thinking, This isnt Facebook! But resist the urge to navigate back to the settings and change back to English. Stop yourself, because very soon, youll get the hang of it. Soon, youll be breezing through the French interface without even missing a beat.So there are 10 things you can do to your Facebook to turn it into a language learning site. Each is powerful in and of itself, but use three or four in unison and youll really be beginning to harness the platforms language-enriching capabilities.But of course, dont forget to Like that picture of your friends cat. Itll make her day!Hope this post made yours. And One More ThingIf youre looking for even more ways to fully immerse yourself in a second language, then youre going to love learning with FluentU!FluentU takes real-world videosâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.With FluentU, you hear languages in real-world contextsâ€"the way that native speakers actually use them.Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of FluentU videos on offer:FluentU really takes the grunt work out of learning languages, leaving you with nothing but engaging, effective and efficient learning. It’s already hand-picked the best videos for you and organized them by level and topic. All you have to do is choose any video that strikes your fancy to get started!Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under Vocab.You can use FluentU’s unique adaptive quizzes to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions and exercises. Just swipe left or right to see more examples of the word youre studying.The program even keeps track of what you’re learning and tells you exactly when it’s time for review, giving you a 100% personalized experience.Start using FluentU on the web site  with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the  iTunes store  or  Google Play store.