Listen I Ended Up Regretting Saying Anything About This On My Old Blog Because People Will Interpret

Conversation topics for incoming college freshman

(Here’s a link to my tips for college freshman worried about how to make friends)

Hey! I’m Em, a socially awkward person who has yet to master the art of conversation. To help all you people who might feel the same, here are some questions to ask beyond the basic ‘where are you from?’ and ‘what’s your major?’ I hope you find it helpful and I hope you kill it at college!

1. What dorm are you in? Do you like it so far? 2. Did you know your roommate before you came to college? 3. Are there any clubs you’re looking to join? 4. What is the farthest place you’ve heard someone here is from? 5. Why did you choose your major? 6. Which dining hall is your favorite so far? 7. Do you have any pets at home? 8. What other colleges where you looking at before you chose this one? 9. Which class are you most excited for? 10. Have you gotten lost yet? 11. Do you know of any haunted buildings on campus? 12. Do you know any upperclassmen? 13. Are you interested in rushing/do you have any family involved in Greek life? 14. Opinions on astrology? (For some reason, college peeps are big on zodiac signs) 15. Biggest fear for the upcoming semester? 16. Do you have a car on campus? 17. Have you climbed the rock wall yet? 18. Are you looking to get a job this first semester? 19. Whats your favorite thing that you bought specifically for college? 20. Do you have a favorite meme?

Now, these are all pretty basic starting points, so remember that after they answer, give them a two part response. First, react to what they said. Then, add onto it to provide the other person with something to respond to. Good luck!

to the anon struggling with the kanji memrise course, there is also some just in kana, such as course 29267 which is for Genki 1 or 258569 which is N5 grammar for beginners. (I can't link the courses in an ask, but you can put 'course/258569' in the memrise URL, hope this helps ^^

for the anon ^

thanks for the tip 💖

How to practice speaking in a foreign language

Hi! I’m learning many languages, including French and Spanish, and I wanted to perhaps share some advice for practicing speaking, because it can be a very daunting task.

Listen! I know I sound like a broken record saying this, but input is everything. Listen to podcasts and watch TV shows and youtube videos. Listen as often as you can, and if you have a conversation coming up with a native speaker, then try and listen to your target language for half an hour or so before.

Shadow! This means listen to a recording of a native speaker, and repeat what they say after they say it. You could try using Easy Languages videos, as they usually have subtitles.

Keep on working on your vocabulary and grammar! For this, an extra tip would be to focus on your weak areas. For vocabulary, immerse, and look up words that you don’t understand, and maybe put it in a flashcard app if you think that it would be useful. Grammar-wise, just drill the rules into your head, and say correct sentences out loud. Try to understand them rather than just memorise them.

Make a native speaker friend! This is the best advice I can give. You can find a buddy on language discords, or apps like HelloTalk and Tandem. If you are a beginner to intermediate student, then just talk about whatever comes up. If you’re an upper intermediate or advanced student, then make an active choice to speak about difficult subjects like literature, music or politics. Make sure to look words up as you go!

Speak to yourself all the time! Narrate your actions, and try describing what is going on around you. You can also just talk about your thoughts and feelings about things.

Keep a notebook of words you don’t know when practicing, and look them up later! This is pretty self-explanatory. If you are speaking and forget the word for ‘toaster’, then write it down and look up the meaning later on.

Learn set phrases and fillers! This is very important if you are learning a language for an exam, because then you can find ways to use advanced phrases above your level. Try lifting them out of books, conversations, podcasts and TV shows, and put them in a flashcard app like Quizlet or Anki to memorise.

Avoid your native language! Using your native language as a crutch won’t serve you, as much as it will make things easier in the short term. Try to speak around words, using the words that you already know. You could say “a place where you do exercise” instead of “gym” if you forgot the word for it. Try doing stuff like that and eventually your speaking will become more fluid.

Be brave! People aren’t as judgmental as you might think, so put yourself out there!

Thank you for reading this post! I hope it was useful to you!

d e c e m b e r ✨

april weekly spread

types of study breaks for every situation

if you realize you’ve been studying for hours: grab a snack to refuel your body and watch a sitcom to refuel your brain. then back to the books.

if you’re feeling stressed out: take some deep breaths, text your friends, maybe stare at a wall for a few minutes. gather yourself.

if you can’t seem to focus: get moving and get outside. take out the garbage, check your mail box, maybe walk your dog. just get moving and get fresh air. it’ll help bring you back.

if there’s something else going on in your life and you can’t get it off your mind: write down what’s going through your head, sort of like a diary entry. it’ll help you work things out.

if you’re just mentally and physically exhausted: set a timer for 25-30 minutes and take a nap. any longer and you’ll hit REM and you’ll wake up feeling just as tired. once you wake up, get some caffeine in you.

if the material is boring as hell: find another way to study. see if there’s a crash course video online about it or draw out what you’re trying to learn in diagrams and pictures to make it fun.

if people around you won’t shut up: listen to some music. soundtrack and classical music is always good because they won’t absorb you as much as music with lyrics. white noise (like ocean waves, rain sounds, etc.) also works.

if you only half understand a concept: call/message a friend who’s not in the class and try to teach the material to them. this will help you mentally work through the material and will help you remember it as well.

[8.11.19] very chilly in glasgow but very warm inside my fave café

ig: chavareads

Watch "EASY SPANISH LISTENING PRACTICE, Spanish Book Reading | Spanish After Hours" on YouTube

"But you came over me like some holy rite

And although I was burning, you're the only light

Only if for a night "

Art journal spread inspired by Joan of Arc and Florence Welch 🥀✨

july week uno! what do y’all think of this spread?