New Career - Developing Skills in Semiconductors Chemistry

New Career - Developing Skills in Semiconductors ChemistryIf you are looking for a new job, there are several things that you should consider first. It can be tough to take the time and care to think about things when the economy is going bad. Luckily, there are many industries that are seeing an upswing in job opportunities in the semiconductor field.The semiconductor industry is growing at a tremendous rate and many companies are paying handsomely for engineers and technicians. These industries are worth millions of dollars in profits every year. If you want to make a good living in this industry, you need to take care of your skills and knowledge.The need for the semiconductor industry is definitely increasing, so it is not hard to see why many people want to join this great and good profession. There are plenty of college programs that offer students a chance to enter this field of study. Many universities offer degree programs that can lead to great benefits in the future.If you have already taken your bachelor's degree or even if you are just starting your career, you will need to take the time to complete education. There are many companies that offer good starting salaries, especially if you have taken the right courses at a good university. This can lead to a great career and opportunities.You can take advantage of the rising demand for the semiconductor industry by learning more about how to perform your job. There are many websites that allow you to learn everything you need to know about semiconductors. You can even access to this information with a computer.One of the most common skills you will need to understand when working in the semiconductor industry is using proper lab equipment. The proper equipment makes it easier to perform experiments and analyze results. It is not necessary for you to worry about whether you have the proper equipment or not, as they are easily accessible at most research facilities.As you know, you will need to have ade quate knowledge of chemistry and physics to be able to do your job. In the semiconductor industry, you will be doing a lot of testing on materials, equipment and processes that will need to pass rigorous standards. You will need to have a good understanding of how to operate this equipment and systems.

Creating Your Brand as a Singer - Part 2

Creating Your Brand as a Singer - Part 2 Suzy S. Back in December, we featured an article by Antioch, TN teacher Erica S. on creating your brand as a singer. Now that you have your business cards printed up and your resume completed, what do you do with them? Heres part two of the article Marketing is defined as “the action or business of promoting and selling products or services.” Now that you have your branded promotional materials (headshot, resume, website, business card and reel), you need to get people to see it. There are many ways as a performer that you can promote yourself, but there are a few common ways to get started. First, you can submit your information when it is asked for. You may be asking yourself, “When is this asked for?” The answer is in an audition posting. Lately, there has been a trend where the casting director will sift through submissions of headshots, resumes, and/or reels, before he or she even offers a singer/actor an audition appointment. Your headshot should be sized appropriately so that the file is not too big in your web submission or email. You can talk to your photographer about getting your headshots in both higher pixels and lower pixels for different uses. Next question you are probably wondering is, “Where are these audition postings?” Each city will have different websites where theater and opera companies post auditions. Also, backstage.com is a great resource for finding auditions in your state or around the country. Second, you can unobtrusively hand your information to industry professionals. Business Cards: If you happen to meet someone in the industry, and they want to see something you’ve done or tell you that you should keep in touch, this is a great time to whip out your business card and have all your information neatly presented on the card. Postcards/Thank You Notes: If you attend an audition and have a great experience, it is common for performers to send a thank you note or a postcard thanking the casting director and personnel for their time. Now, you may be thinking: “Postcard?” This is a good thing for you to question because it is not just any postcard. This particular postcard should have your headshot and information on the front, and a blank postcard form with lines on the back. You can buy these at most photo printing stores or online at reproductions.com or vistaprint.com Mailings: Many performers mail their headshot and resume with a short cover letter to casting directors or agents. You never know when they are looking to cast someone like you, and your mailing may come at just the right time. Lastly, the best marketing comes from word-of-mouth. The best promotion you can obtain is someone who highly recommends you and wants to work with you again. To secure these kinds of recommendations, consider these tips: Always be a professional: arrive early, have all your materials (pencil, paper, music, script, etc.), and look over the scenes or songs you will work on before the rehearsal. Maintain the relationships you develop with the creative team and peers:  Sometimes it is easy to be catty and critical, however, try to see the good in everyone and foster your relationships.  You never know who you will work with next or what opportunity may arise from your peers. Like this post? Dont miss out on any of our tips, tricks and advice! Sign up for a free email subscription and get updates right to your inbox! You might also like Battling Your Inner Critic During Performances Bridging the Gap Between Amateur and Professional Musician The Shy Singers Survival Guide Erica S. teaches singing, Broadway singing, music performance and acting lessons to students of all ages in Antioch, TN. Erica earned her Bachelors degree in Music from Samford University, and her specialties include rock, pop, country, belting and legit styles. She joined the TakeLessons team in October 2012. Learn more about Erica, or search for a teacher near you! Photo by FaceMePLS

LSAT Tip of the Week How to Read an Argument

LSAT Tip of the Week How to Read an Argument LSAT Law School Blog The Argument Section of the LSAT, also known as the logical reasoning section, is made up of 24 to 26 arguments. Helpful LSAT course sites like 7Sageusually include an entire section devoted to logical reasoning and arguments. The first step to answering a logical reasoning question is, surprise, surprise, thinking critically. Usually when we think of arguments, we think of heated or emotional exchanges between people. For the purposes of the LSAT, it is very important that you do not respond to the information presented in an emotional way. Your goal is not to agree or disagree with the content, but rather to analyze the strengths or flaws of the argument itself. You want to make sure that you understand the author’s conclusion and how they used evidence to form their argument. If you are able to understand HOW the author argues, you will be better prepared to answer the question at hand. As you try to understand the HOW, it is crucial to remember that it is usually pretty difficu lt to make a nuanced and full argument within the span of three or four sentences. This means, that usually there will be some gap in the author’s argument. As you read, train your brain to be on the lookout for flaws in the argument. Stay on the lookout for what the author is attempting to convince you of, how the author is using evidence to support their point, and where in the argument the author has failed in that effort.

Top 10 Christmas Picks

Top 10 Christmas Picks Top 10 Christmas Picks by KidRated Exclusively for Tutorfair KidRated  is a website where all the reviews are done by kids to help families make more informed choices. Here’s their Top 10 Christmas Picks exclusively chosen for TutorFair. For more ideas from Kid Rated CLICK HERE. 1.  Christmas at Kew Younger kids will love Kew’s famous Christmas ‘after-dark’ experience and even older kids will pull themselves away from their camera phones and immerse themselves in this fantastic experience. Kids Will Love: The food stalls and fairground Adults will love: The mile long illuminated path. Until 2nd Jan 2.  Pan Goes Wrong With their Olivier award-winning ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ The Mischief Theatre Company delivered an instant West End Classic. This Christmas, they’re putting on the classic panto Peter Pan with predictably disastrous but hilarious results. Kids Will Love: The wonderfully orchestrated slapstick and quick fire jokes. Adults Will Love: Remembering the time they did a bit of am-dram and how horribly familiar this all is! Until 31st January â€" Apollo Theatre Shaftesbury Avenue. 3.  Ripley’s Believe It or Not â€" Christmas Trail To add to their collection of the weird and wonderful, Ripley’s have added a multi-sensory trail. Yup, a trail you can touch, smell, hear and see It’s free with your entry ticket for visitors to fill in as they go round. And if you hand it in at the end you’ll be rewarded with a festive treat. Kids Will Love: The Black Hole, The Mirror Maze and posing with the exhibits. Adults will love: All the wonderful family photo opportunities. Christmas Trail Until Jan 6th 4.  Slava’s Snow Show The legendary Russian Clown Master never fails to disappoint. The show may start off slowly at first but it bursts into life just before the interval making you eager to return. And your patience will be rewarded with some brilliant visual surprises. Our KidRaters loved it. Kids Will Love: Slava’s friends who wander round the audience. Adults will love: Combining the trip with a visit to the South Bank. 17th Dec â€" 5th Jan â€" Royal Festival Hall 5. Star Wars Unless you’ve been living in a galaxy far, far away for the last year, you’ll know Star Wars is back with a brand new trilogy. The first of these new films, The Force Awakens, hits UK cinemas (and the BFI IMAX) on December 18th. Book tickets NOW as screens will be packed and you and, more importantly your kids, don’t want to miss out. Kids Will Love: New cute droid BB8. Adults will love: The return of Han, Leia and Luke and of course the Millenium Falcon. 6.  Hyde Park Winter Wonderland Whether it’s a ride, ice-skating, live music, Christmas Markets, a circus or a Magical Ice Kingdom, there’s something for everyone at Winter Wonderland. Allow at least 3 â€" 4 hours to see everything and make sure you’ve been to a cashpoint. Great fun for kids of all ages. Kids Will Love: Zippos Circus and the Magic ice Kingdom. Adults Will Love: Hiding in a pop-up bar while older kids entertain themselves. Until 3rd Jan 7.  The Golden Hinde This full size replica of Sir Francis Drake’s famous ship The Golden Hinde is pretty much open all year round. Onboard they do stories, parties and even family sleepovers. In their Santa’s Wonderland, activities include a storytelling elf, sing-a-longs and an appearance from Mr Claus himself. Kids Will Love: The ‘pirate elves’ Adults Will Love: The free hot drink and mince pie Book Now! 19th - 23rd December 8.  Ice Skating There are so many outdoor Ice Rinks around the capital it’s hard to know where to start. Our favourites are Somerset House and the Natural History Museum for the views. Westfield White City, if you want to stay warm. And, Hampton Court for that extra special experience. For more details check our page. Kids Will Love: Falling over. Adults Will Love: Showing off 9.  Go Ape in Battersea Park The new Go Ape park down in Battersea Park boasts zip-wires, walkways and wobbly bridges. What’s more, as they cater for kids as young as six and over-12s can do the adult courses, you can really make your visit a family affair . Kids Will Love: The Zip wires of course Adults Will Love: The ease of getting there. 10.  Hogwarts in the Snow at Warner Bros Studio Tour (The Making of Harry Potter) Just like travelling to Mecca, at some point every Potterhead must make the pilgrimage to the Warner Bros Studios This festive season, you can discover how special effects experts make snow that never melts, how set dressers transform locations for Christmas scenes, and how flames are created without fire. Plus the iconic set will be decorated with a dusting of snow Kids Will Love: The Goblet of Fire on display Adults Will Love: making a day trip of it. We have been KidRated

5 Ways to Connect with your Online Classmates

5 Ways to Connect with your Online Classmates Image via Isorepublic.com Introduce yourself at the beginning of the semester Online classes usually start with a “get to know you” session that will allow you to introduce yourself to your new classmates. It is pretty much the online class equivalent of when professors go around the room on the first day asking everyone their name and major. Take advantage of this! Introduce yourself to your classmates by telling them your name, major, and your interests. You should definitely include your interests in your introduction, as it will make it easier to find friends in your online class. You never know if one of your online classmates loves the same band or TV show that you do! You should also respond to your classmates’ introduction posts if they mention something you are interested in. They will be glad to know they have something in common with you. If you want to connect with your online classmates, introduce yourself at the beginning of the semester, and respond to others’ introduction posts. Use the class discussion boards Class discussions can be an important part of a traditional class. Unfortunately, online classes don’t allow for this format of class discussion. For this reason, class discussion boards are important for discussions in an online forum. Participating in these discussions is good for your grade, because some classes will require discussion forum posts as assignments, and you might also be expected to respond to your classmates’ posts. These discussion forums are not only important for your grade, but also for your connections with your classmates. If you made friends during the introductions at the beginning of the semester, you can respond to their discussion forum posts, and they might even respond to yours! The class discussion boards are important for making friends in online classes, since online classes don’t allow for traditional classroom discussions. Follow each other on social media You might think it’s weird to follow people you don’t really know on social media, but if you have introduced yourself to a classmate during the introductions at the beginning of the semester and you have common interests, it won’t be weird! Communicating outside of the online classroom will help you form a stronger connection with these people. You can talk about things other than schoolwork, which will be quite a relief. So don’t be afraid to follow them on Instagram or add them as a friend on Facebook. (Later on, when you know them better, you can even exchange phone numbers and start texting.) You never know if these people will become your close friends! Have virtual study sessions Online classes can be very lonely, since it is not like a traditional class where you see your classmates three times every week. In a traditional class, you can easily ask your classmate if she wants to study in the library with you after class; but you can’t do this if you are an online student. There is something else you can do, though. You can hold virtual study sessions over Skype or FaceTime! It will be just like a traditional study session, where you and your classmates can work out problems or discuss the class material together. You will have the benefits of a group study session without physically meeting together. It will also, of course, help you connect even more with your online classmates. Schedule Skype study sessions before big tests, as it will help you not only prepare for the test, but also to make friends in your class. Meet up face to face If the online class is based in your local university, you might even be able to meet your online classmates in person! See if you can meet them for a study session (or even for lunch) on campus, especially if they physically take classes on campus (since they are likely to be there anyway). If possible, meeting one of your online classmates in person on campus will definitely help you connect with them. Online classes are convenient and great for many reasons, but they can get lonely because you don’t physically see your classmates. It doesn’t have to be that way, though! If you follow the tips I mentioned, you will make great connections with your online classmates.

Read the World! 8 Fruitful Sources for Foreign Language E-books

Read the World! 8 Fruitful Sources for Foreign Language E-books Read the World! 8 Fruitful Sources for Foreign Language E-books If youve ever struggled in your language studies, then youve got something in common with Thomas Jefferson.The third president of the U.S. managed to learn four languages, but he kept books in several moreâ€"and ultimately had trouble achieving fluency in some of the languages he studied.Maybe it was because he had to spend so much time trying to figure out where he put all those dang books.Okay, okay, maybe not.He probably had plenty of other stuff on his mind, what with helping to create a country and all.But its true that learning a language by reading books, though valuable, isnt always the easiest or most convenient method.Fortunately, there have been some advances since Jeffersons day.This is where e-books come in.They have all the target-language content to help you Jefferson it up, but theyre conveniently packed into one handy device. This means you always have an opportunity to read and learn, even when youre away from your bookshelf. Plus, youll never have to worry about wh ether the floor boards can sustain the growing weight of your extensive collection.And e-books offer a full array of genresâ€"from textbooks to novels. Chances are if you can find them in hard copy, you can find them in e-book form.So its time to write your Declaration of Independence from hard copy books and check out these great sources for foreign language e-books! Why Read Foreign Language E-books?Foreign language e-books are more convenient than conventional books. Since you can upload them to your phone, tablet or whatever you carry around, you can have them with you wherever you go.Whats that mean for language learners? You can fit in reading practice anytime, anywhere. Plus, the more convenient it is to do some reading, the more likely you are to do it (and, naturally, the more your skills will improve).These e-books are also often easier to find than hard copies of foreign language books. After all, e-books are entirely digital, so retailers dont need a warehouse storing a wide array of foreign language books in hopes that someone might purchase them. Retailers are a lot more eager to sell something that takes up literally no room.Finally, foreign language e-books offer super-charged  reading practice. Not only will you be boosting your comprehension skills just by reading, youll also have easy access to language tools on your device. You can quickly look up unfamiliar words or switch to your translator app without losing the train of the story youre reading.Its much easier than juggling a reference book along with your hard copyâ€"which means more motivation to read and learn.Read the World! 8 Fruitful Sources for Foreign Language E-booksProject GutenbergProject Gutenburg is a dream come true for language learners.It offers a huge assortment of free e-books in dozens of foreign languages. All these books are in the public domain, so most of the offerings are older books, but this also means that many of them are classics.There are several languages with more than 50 offerings each. These are mostly more common languages like Spanish, French, German and Chinese. However, there are also e-books in many languages that are less commonly served by learning resources/stores, such as Scottish Gaelic, Yiddish, Slovenian and much more.With so many options, chances are theres a free e-book (or a few dozen) in your target language.AmazonAmazon is one of the best places to find foreign language e-books because it offers plenty of books and is easy to browse. Of any website, Amazon does the best job categorizing different types of foreign language e-books.You can browse authentic  foreign language e-books, which were written for a native-speaking audienceâ€"like novels, nonfiction or self-help books. On Amazon, these offerings include the most common languages like Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Japanese, but you can also find works in less common languages like Danish and Afrikaans.For the more common languages, you can even select a genre, making it easy to find the ideal e-book for you, whether its a popular Spanish YA novel or a Chinese cookbook for the most authentic recipes possible.If youre looking for foreign language e-books written specifically for language learners, Amazon also has your back. You can browse e-books on  language instruction, phrasebooks and dictionaries. These offerings cover dozens of languages, so theres something for virtually any learner.eBooksThe eBooks website offers two convenient browsing options to help you find the best foreign language e-book for you. You can browse the  foreign language books category  or the  foreign language study category, depending on whether you want authentic content or focused language study.The foreign language books include everything from crime to religion to health and fitness. A few books on language analysis and/or language education also sneak in. Just go to the lefthand sidebar to filter the results by language or subject. You can choose fr om  Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Portuguese and Swedish.The foreign language study category focuses more squarely on materials exclusively for language learners such as textbooks, phrasebooks and dictionaries. Language categories for language study include Spanish, French, German, Italian, Latin, Russian and Scandinavian languages.VitalSourceIf youre looking for that perfect foreign language textbook (but dont want to lug a heavy brick around all day), then check out VitalSources collection of digital textbooks. VitalSource caters to many disciplines but there are thousands of texts to choose from in the World Languages category.You can filter by language (Spanish, German, Portuguese, Greek and more are offered). To access the VitalSource texts, youll use an app called Bookshelf that works on iOS and Android devices as well as Kindles. Cool features include the ability to easily mark up your texts digitally, and the option to change your default language so your entire reading experience is in the target language. Its a great way to get some focused, formal language study anytime, anywhere.Plus, VitalSource lets you rent textbooks so you can see how one works with your learning style before putting a chunk of money down.KoboKobo offers thousands of foreign language e-books in a wide range of languages, including some less common ones.This site emphasizes instructional foreign language e-books. They arent organized by theme,  so finding your ideal e-book will require a little browsing. However, you can filter by language so that at least you arent browsing through too many languages at once.You might also try searching the name of your target language in that language to see more offerings.Language offerings include Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Russian, Chinese and Japanese. Other language groups include Indic and South Asian languages, Scandinavian languages, Slavic languages and Southeast Asian languages.iTunesiTunes offers a convenient (if somewhat limited) selection of foreign language e-books.Unfortunately, licensing laws prevent users from downloading authentic content directly from abroad. In a cruel twist, even if you search in a foreign iTunes store and try to download a book, you may very well be blocked. However, you can find foreign language learning books and a handful of authentic offerings by browsing.Perhaps the easiest way to do this is paging through the foreign language reference section (linked above) until you spot a title in your target language. There are thousands of different titles, including learning books and authentic content. Not only are these convenient, there are also a good number of free options.If youre looking for more authentic e-books to read on your Apple device, you might also download the free iBooks app. It offers essentially the same options from iTunes, although the browsing experience is nicer and you may see a specific Books in Spanish category depending on where youre located.Google PlayLike iTunes, Google Play is somewhat limited by licensing laws, so you cant always download foreign content.However, Google Play still has some offerings that are worth a look. Google Plays book options are convenient and come in a wide variety of price points, so you can go all out or find budget options.Google Play offers easy access to plenty of  Spanish language books  in particular. Other languages are more limited, but there are a few out there if you search the name of the language. You may also find a couple if you search your target languages name in that language.While youre more likely to find learning books than authentic content, there is definitely some authentic content mixed in, so look carefully to find your ideal match.Your Local LibraryMost libraries offer some digital content, including foreign language offerings. Your library may even be more likely to have e-books in your target language if you happen to live in a region with a lot of native speakers.To get access to all these free e-books, all you need is a library card. You typically dont even need to visit the library itself. You can just enter your  library card number into the librarys online catalogue to browse e-books and download to your device.Of course, the specific process will differ depending on your library, but you can just call or visit to get a librarians guidance if necessary.If you have a Kindle, you can directly access public library e-books by following this procedure.Youll never accomplish all Thomas Jefferson did in his life. Youll probably never be on money. Your home may never be a tourist attraction. But at the same time, Thomas Jefferson would probably be jealous of all the foreign language e-books you can carry around with you, so give these resources a try and do what Jefferson never could! And One More ThingIf you love the idea of learning with the engaging material in e-books, youll love using FluentU even more. FluentU makes it possible t o learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that real people speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse ScreenFluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive TranscriptsYou can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.

How to Learn Any Language for Absolutely Free, Gratis, Gratuit, Besplatno, Kostenlos...

How to Learn Any Language for Absolutely Free, Gratis, Gratuit, Besplatno, Kostenlos... How to Learn Any Language for Absolutely Free, Gratis, Gratuit, Besplatno, Kostenlos I know, there are wastrels  out there who will drop cash  on university Spanish  classes, or a Portuguese language school on a tropical island.Ive, ahem, done both, and  in terms of linguistic bang for your buck, they arent the most cost-effective  ways Ive  learned languages. Often, theyre not even the most effective in terms of learning outcomes or time spent.So while there are fantastic, cheap ways to learn a language that are much better,  this post is particularly  for  the extreme cheapskates. Yes, you can become perfectly fluent in a language without traveling anywhere, and without  spending  a dime.Ill cover the best ways to do that hereâ€"but  Ill also discuss  a few methods for learning that are almost free but really, really worth it if you can scrape a few pennies together. How to Learn Any Language for Absolutely Free, Gratis, Gratuit, Besplatno, KostenlosFirst, well take a look at the options you have online for more structure, formal learning. There are tons of lesso ns available out there to teach you the key grammar lessons you need to advance.1.  Libraries stock language guidesIf youre lucky, your local library may have a small selection of books published in your target language. In terms of language guides, look for self-teaching books, ideally with an audio component, such as Assimil  or the Teach Yourself series, rather than  classroom-oriented texts.If youre prepared to spend any money on your language learning adventure at all, though, buying at least one good book is worth the investment (you can try out options at the library before you buy). Youre going to need it for more than the several-week lending period. And printed paper is a lovely thingâ€"I  almost exclusively own  e-books now, but my language guides are of the paper sort, allowing me to  mark them up, flip through their worn pages and manhandle them with all of the love and anguish that language learning inspires.Use your local library to take potential learning books you m ay want to purchase for a test run. This will ensure that you end up with a book that youll actually use, and that works for you.Be sure to ask your librarian if there are more books covering more languages available offsite, as they can usually request what you need from other libraries in the area, or from a nearby college or university.2. Youve probably heard about the internetSearches can provide you with free and approachable articles on specialized subjects, from evil  German cases  to  delightful lessons on  talking with Spanish animals.  (And yes, there are also non-FluentU blogs floating around in lesser parts of the Internet.)There are also online reference works that are language-specific, two options that cover a lot of languages are wordreference.com (and its lovely forums where you can pose questions to seemingly out-of-work translators) and wiktionary.org. I got rid of my paper dictionaries a decade  ago.3. YouTubeOh yeah, YouTube is a great source of free,  native la nguage videos and songs.Of course, if  youre prepared to pay just a little, you can learn anything from beginner to advanced language lessons with videos by joining FluentU. Take it for a spin with their free trial.Youll be able to choose from a wide variety of authentic, real-world videos  specifically targeted to your skill level and personal interests, and use an integrated learning program that helps you review and use the vocabulary and constructions that you learn by watching the videos.Now, if youre dying to learn in an actual classroom, with a solid four walls and a real, live person teaching, then there are free and cheap options out there for you in the real world too. Lets take a look at those!4. Take advantage of your employer or schoolCheck with community, university  and employer programs for scholarships and language learning programs. Youre likely not the only one who wants your language skills to improve!Check in with the human resources office, your supervisor, you r universitys study abroad programs office or office of global affairs. Let them know your interests and goals, and I bet theyll come up with something for you.5. See whats available for people learning your target languageMinority and even not-so-minority languages in many parts of the world have government and non-profit programs that support their diffusion.It can be free or very cheap to learn languages like Catalan, Breton, Navajo, Serbian, etc.If youre a true cheapskate, you might even choose to tackle one of those languages for this very reason. Just to give an  example, the government of Catalonia offers heavily subsidized courses as part of its effort towards linguistic normalization. The more a language has the support of a government that fears for its disappearance, the more likely it is to financially support learning materials and classes.Now, were going to move on to less structured learning. This is great for anyone who learns well through immersion, and for learners who are reaching fluency.Self-directed, online learning  can be  the most efficient way to learn.Its also the cheapest and, if you do it right, its free.6. Online language  exchangesThese are completely free.Youre just paying with the  time that it takes for you to help your language partner with their goals. Examples of how to start finding partners include free websites like Polyglot Club, italki (under the community menu), forums and programs specific to your target language. If youre a native English speaker, youre in demand.The entire world always wants to practice its  English.And if you pay just a little bit on italki, you can also schedule private online lessons with professional tutors from around the world. Youre paying so as not to spend any time speaking your native language, which is what youll have to do with a free language exchange partner. Rather, youre only spending time on the language youre learningâ€"and your time might very well be worth that cost.Paying for c lasses can also be worthwhile since theres always a risk of language exchange partners being a bit less serious and flaking out on scheduled sessions.There are both professional teachers on italki as well as students and others who are simply willing to rent their time to have a chat with you in their native language, slowly, and correct your language use. Choose whatever is best for you!You can always do mostly free language exchanges, and then pay for a private, professional session every couple of months to give yourself an extra boost.7. Offline language exchangesThese can be even more motivating and fun.  Couchsurfing, InterNations  and Meetup meetings can be a good way to meet people in your area who speak your target language, or you can post a message in those forums about what youre looking for.Also look for community events and volunteer work in your target language if possible. For example, Ive practiced my  Portuguese a lot by  taking Samba de Gafieira classes. If youre in an area with a community that speaks your target language, what are ways that you can make yourself useful to native speakers while practicing? Can you volunteer with children or old people, or do  community activism?8. DatingYup, this is also great (I plead guilty to using Tinder for my language goals!).Pillow talk is inevitably both more motivating and more memorable than a grammar text. Of course, to avoid bad feelings you should be honest about your intentions from the start, whether romantic, platonic, sexual or linguisticthough any of these can easily get confused once passion kicks in.Ill leave you to decide if youre cheapskate enough to make dating into a truly free activity.9. Find a PenpalFor most learners, writing is  a goal  or at least a major support of learning, and you can exchange writing help with native speakers the same way that you do oral language exchanges.A good, focused  way to do this  is through the site Lang-8.com. Users of the site exchange correction s of each others texts. Its a great, highly organized  and free way to get native speakers reactions to your writing.You can also look for local people to exchange help with. Translators in particular are always looking for help unraveling tricky phrases, and willing to trade for help correcting your texts. If youre a native English speaker with friends from different lands, youll be hit up countless times for help correcting CVs, letters, etc. Partly to reduce the number of requests, but also for my learning benefit, I always ask these friends for help in return with correcting a text that Ive written in their languages.If your previous excuse for not getting going on your language goals was a faulty budget, I hope Ive blown that out of the water with this post. In general, with free options, youre spending a little bit more of your own time and you have to be more self-motivated and self-directed. But these tend to be quite positive tendencies  in other ways  and will favor  your ultimate success in language learning.Dont forget: You can save any extra cash  for a trip to a tropical island with your library book, or your Portuguese language exchange partner.Mose Hayward is a polyglot and language learning addict who, for the good of humanity, has collected and  translated every single one of the  53 Catalan expressions involving poop.