More on Perfume Chemistry

More on Perfume ChemistryAre you curious about how perfume molecules come to life? Do you want to learn the different components of a common perfume and why each of these components matters so much? When you are going to explore the science behind perfumes, you will also discover how to be an expert in your own perfume.What makes perfume popular today is not only its classic essence but also in its packaging. This makes up an aspect of perfume chemistry that has been largely ignored. For example, did you know that the perfume is made by adding water to a formula of perfume? A molecule that comprises an ordinary perfume is made up of four elements: a molecule that is more sensitive than another, an acid, a carbonyl, and a carboxylic acid.What happens next is that these elements combine and react with one another to make the fragrance or aroma that the user desires. However, the actual formulation of the formula is more complicated than this, as it includes several other components tha t not mentioned above.For example, you should realize that your perfume can be made of such chemicals as benzaldehyde, phenol, and propane. These are not really pleasant smells, but they are essential oils. They are added to the perfume for their aphrodisiac, or sedative, properties. That is why when you smell the perfume, you feel sleepy or relaxed.The aromatic components are also found in scents that some people may not like. One of these is called menthol. This is because the word menthol comes from the Greek word 'mentos' which means tooth.What happens here is that the aromatic components that are naturally occurring in some plants in your region may be mixed in with perfume when it is made. The smell of this oil is just as strong as the chemical component it was designed to imitate. This is why a number of menthol will balance out the 'something artificial' fragrance of the perfume.If you do not have any idea about how perfume is made, then you might think that there is no poin t in studying it. However, if you learn how perfume is made, you will also learn what perfume has to offer and the importance of understanding it.

ACT Science Sifting Out What Matters (and what doesnt)

ACT Science Sifting Out What Matters (and what doesn’t) ACT SAT Prep and College Admissions Blog The ACT Science section has a rather misleading name. Perhaps a better name would be the ACT Reading Section Part 2: Science Concepts. The exam requires no prior knowledge of scientific content or concepts. Instead, students are required to interpret data graphs, what the scientific method is and how scientific theories disagree from each other. These are concepts taught in every high school in the country. The ACT is a standardized exam that must provide a level playing field for all applicants, from all demographics across the United States. As such, it may be comforting to know that advanced science concepts such as DNA transcription and translation or the Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium won’t be tested. To succeed on this portion of the exam, exposure to ACT Science questions and practice solving them is critical. The following is an important tip to succeeding on the ACT science section: Do NOT try to read and understand the entire passage and all its figures! The ACT purposely fills the passage and the figures with a lot of useless information that will not be tested. You should be skimming both with only two questions in mind: What is their point in writing this? What is this figure showing? Let’s look at a sample ACT Science Passage and try to extract the main idea while tossing out all the details that don’t matter. What do you think the main idea is here and how can you paraphrase this simply? Paraphrased Version: There is a really old lake. It was formed from glaciers. Trapped water and sediments tells us about the climate when they were deposited. Figure 2 shows a cross section (will cover below). Figure 3 deals with ratios and has a funny symbol before 18O. We don’t need to worry about that. Just know that the smaller values correspond to colder temperatures. Now let’s look at Figure 2 and make sense of it. Figure 2 below shows a cross section of the lake. Imagine, literally cutting out a rectangular piece of the lake to study. The top of it is the surface and as you move down in elevation, you experience the different types of sediment/rock. Do not worry about what “glacial till” is, since it’s very unlikely the ACT will ask you to define or understand it. We can see there are 3 different sites between the 2 locations of Winnipeg and Grand Forks. There are different sediment types and different elevations for all 3. For instance, at site 1, there is lake/clay at 200 m above sea level. However, at site 2, there is glacial till at that elevation. These are some simple takeaways from this sample passage and figure to better understand how to effectively maneuver through the ACT Science section. Remember not to get caught up in details or spend too much time trying to understand the entire passage and all the figures. Search for the main idea, check the graph axis and try to extract the bigger picture. This will both save time and set you up for success instead of bogging you down with confusing, unnecessary details!

Healthcare Communication Problems with Linguistic Minorities

Healthcare Communication Problems with Linguistic Minorities Dissatisfaction with Healthcare Communication in the Second Language By Gabriel Émile Édouard Nicolet (Swiss, 1856-1921) [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsEffective communication between healthcare providers and their patients is an important factor in patient satisfaction. Global patient satisfaction with healthcare has been found to be lower among patients who have more provider-patient communication problems (Charles, Goldsmith, Chambers, Haynes, Gauld, 1996). The most commonly reported problems involve failures on the part of providers to communicate when communication is expected, such as failing to explain what the provider is intending to do while examining a patient, keeping the patient in the dark about daily routines, and failing to communicate adequately during discharge planning. Dissatisfaction with Healthcare Communication in the Second Language Global dissatisfaction with healthcare becomes more acute, however, when the provider and patient cannot effectively communicate in each other’s language. In a study of 26 international medical graduates enrolled in an Internal Medicine residency program at Wayne State University, a significant correlation was found between language proficiency and patient satisfaction (Eggly, Musial, Smulowitz, 1999). In another study, Spanish-speaking patients in San Francisco were also found to be less satisfied with the care they received from non-Spanish speaking physicians (Fernandez et al., 2004), and in the North-eastern United States, a variety of non-English speaking patients reported less satisfaction than their English-speaking counterparts with emergency room care, courtesy and respect, and with discharge instructions (Carrasquillo, Orav, Brennan, Burstin, 1999). Comparisons made between members of the same linguistic minority group also showed a correlation between language proficie ncy and satisfaction levels. For example, low-English-proficiency Korean patients over the age of 60 in the U.S. were less likely to be satisfied with the healthcare service they received than Koreans with higher levels of proficiency (Jang, Kim, Chiriboga, 2005). Indeed, not speaking the language of the patient adds to a patient’s suffering. One emergency department study found that Spanish-speaking Hispanic patients were half as likely to receive analgesia in the treatment of their long bone fractures as their English-speaking counterparts (Todd, Samaroo, Hoffman, 1993). Worse still, a failure to anticipate communication problems and accommodate low-language proficiency clientele can turn fatal, as was recently illustrated in a news story of an Albanian immigrant who killed himself, thinking his wife had been diagnosed with AIDS when hospital staff told him his wifes blood type was A-positive (The Canadian Press, 2007). Improving Healthcare Access for Linguistic Minorities One obvious solution to increasing healthcare access to linguistic minorities is to use interpreters. Whereas the use of hospital-trained interpreters in pediatric emergency departments was found to increase parents’ satisfaction with their physicians and nurses (Garcia, Roy et al., 2006), in primary care medical interviews a reliance upon interpreters is somewhat more problematic. Aranguri, Davidson, and Ramirez (2006) observed that during regular doctors’ appointments with Hispanic patients about half of the words exchanged between doctor and patient were missing from interpreters’ translations. All small talk, known to increase patients’ emotional engagement in their treatments and their doctors’ ability to get a comprehensive patient history, was eliminated. Patients’ questions, an important indication of patients’ engagement with their own care, were also significantly reduced when an interpreter was used. To reduce the heavy reliance on interpreters in healthcare, Zambrana et al. (2004) recommend hiring more minority, linguistically competent, and culturally competent healthcare providers in managed care networks. They argue that having healthcare providers that speak the same language as their patients will lead to lowered costs, greater healthcare access, better health outcomes, patient satisfaction, and patient compliance. There is evidence to support this claim. One study investigating patient outcomes found that asthma patients cared for by doctors who spoke their language were more likely to take their medication and less likely to miss office appointments or make resource-intensive emergency room visits than patients with doctors who did not speak their language (Manson, 1988). Another study found that patients whose doctors spoke their language asked more questions and had a better recall of their doctor’s recommendations (Seijo, Girmez, Freidenberg, 1991). A Resource Medical Professionals Learning English The Virtual Writing Tutor grammar checker is equipped with a number of pronunciation tools, including a text-to-speech engine that can help medical professionals refine their pronunciation in English. To practice the questions needed to perform a  medical history interview, the Virtual Writing Tutor provides a Flash-based simulation of a medical history interview with an English-speaking diabetic man. To help medical professionals become better aware of their medical English and to develop their medical vocabulary, the Virtual Writing Tutor also has a vocabulary checker. References Aranguri, C., Davidson, B., Ramirez, R. (2006). Patterns of Communication through Interpreters:   A Detailed Sociolinguistic Analysis.  Journal of General Internal Medicine,  21(6), 623â€"629. Carrasquillo, O., Orav, E. J., Brennan, T. A., Burstin, H. R. (1999). Impact of language barriers on patient satisfaction in an emergency department.  Journal of General Internal Medicine,  14(2),   82â€"87. Charles, C., Goldsmith, L. J., Chambers, L., Haynes, R. B., Gauld, M. (1996). Provider-Patient Communication Among Elderly and Nonelderly Patients in Canadian Hospitals: A National Survey.  Health Communication,  8(3), 281. Eggly, S., Musial, J., Smulowitz, J. (1999). Research and Discussion Note The Relationship between English Language Proficiency and Success as a Medical Resident.  English for Specific  Purposes,  18(2), 201â€"208. Fernandez, A., Schillinger, D., Grumbach, K., Rosenthal, A., Stewart, A. L., Wang, F., Perez-Stable, E. J. (2004). Physician language ability and cultural competence an exploratory study of communication with Spanish-speaking patients.  Journal of General Internal Medicine,  19(2), 167â€"174. Jang, Y., Kim, G., Chiriboga, D. A. (2005). Health, healthcare utilization, and satisfaction with service: barriers and facilitators for older Korean Americans.  J Am Geriatr Soc,  53(9), 1613â€"7. Manson, A. (1988). Language Concordance as a Determinant of Patient Compliance and Emergency Room Use in Patients with Asthma.  Medical Care,  26(12), 1119â€"1128. Seijo, R., Girmez, H., Freidenberg, J. (1991). Language as a communication barrier in medical care for Latino patients.  Hisp J Behav Sci,  13(363). The Canadian Press. (2007, December 11). Caregivers must be open to cultural differences,  commission told. Retrieved January 2, 2008, from http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/12/11/qc-bouchardtaylor.html Todd, K. H., Samaroo, N., Hoffman, J. R. (1993). Ethnicity as a risk factor for inadequate emergency department analgesia.  JAMA,  269(12), 1537â€"1539. Zambrana, R. E., Molnar, C., Munoz, H. B., Lopez, D. S. (2004). Cultural competency as it intersects with racial/ethnic, linguistic, and class disparities in managed healthcare organizations.  Am J Manag Care,  10 Spec No, SP37â€"44. Please follow and like us:

Can I get a job teaching in Japan if I dont have a college degree

Can I get a job teaching in Japan if I don’t have a college degree With college tuition costs soaring worldwide, many people don’t have the time (or money) to earn a college or university degree. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean your lack of a degree is an automatic barrier to teaching English abroad. In fact, we wrote a blog post listing countries that don’t require a degree to teach English - many of which offer a ton of well-paying English teaching jobs. With the good news out the way, let's break the bad news to you. Japanis not one of those countries. Cue sad violin music. By and large, your college major is unlikely to have any bearing on whether you land an English teaching job in Japan. Your degree doesn’t have to be in English, education or linguistics, for example.But an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in any field is still a hard requirement for English teaching jobs in Japan.. Can I get accepted into theJET Program without a degree? We’ll keep this short and sweet. You can’t land a job as an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) with the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programwithout a degree. Bummer! Is there any way to find teaching work in Japan without a degree? As a rule of thumb, reputable private ESL schools and language centers in Japan do require, along with native-equivalent English proficiency, an undergraduate degree. The same goes for international schools in Japan (except the requirements are even higher here, and typically include a teaching license and classroom experience). Why’s this? Well, it comes down to visa eligibility requirements. The Specialist in Humanities visa for English teachers in Japan require applicants to hold, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree. Exceptions to this rule are incredibly rare and are usually reserved for highly experienced ESL instructors. So if you have the experience but not the degree, all is not lost - and an ESL certification like a TEFL will certainly help bolster your application. So, what are your options if you’re dead set on Japan as your teaching destination of choice? 1. Try teaching English to Japanese students online. How does the life of a digital nomad, traveling the length and breadth of beautiful Japan, sound to you? If exploring the world of remote work is something you’re down for, then select online English teaching companies catering to Japanese students will hire online ESL teachers without a degree. 2. Try volunteer teaching in Japan. There is some demand for volunteer English teachers in Japan, not least in some of the bigger cities like Tokyo and Osaka. Numerous non-profits are in operation across the country, that will offer free accommodation, a modest stipend and a flexible teaching schedule to international volunteers. You in? Go Abroad is our go-to source for great volunteer teaching opportunities in Japan. Sign up to Teach Away today for access to the latest teaching jobs around the world. 3. Try a working holiday in Japan. Are you aged between 18 - 30? How about being a citizen of one of the following countries: UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Germany or Austria? Then you’re in luck - your country has a reciprocal visa relationship with Japan! This means you could be eligible for something called a Working Holiday Visa, which lets you stay and work in Japan anywhere from six to 18 months. This way, you could start your job hunt for a full or part-time English teaching position in Japan, either in advance or when you arrive. Again, check out Go Abroad for more info on working holidays in Japan. Note:This isn’t an option that’s open to US citizens, but you could still be eligible for a student work permit for Japan if you’re currently enrolled in an undergraduate program. Word of warning re. getting a teaching job in Japan while on a tourist visa: This one almost goes without saying, but it’s also illegal to teach in Japan while you’re on a tourist visa. Commenters on online teach abroad forums and subreddits could encourage you to enter Japan on a 90-day tourist visa, start your job hunt from there and transition to a work visa later on. Aside from the obvious risks (not finding an employer willing to sponsor you, being unable to rent an apartment, needing to return home when your three-month tourist is up without a whole lot less money in your bank account), heading to Japan on a tourist visa with the intention of looking for a job is actually illegal. The Japanese government are increasingly looking to crack down on these sketchy job-hunting tactics so we strongly advise you not to go down this route.

6 Reasons Why Your Kid Should Love Science - TutorNerds

6 Reasons Why Your Kid Should Love Science - TutorNerds Orange County Science Tutor Tips: 6 Reasons Why Your Kid Should Love Science Science is such a great subject that encourages analytical thought and imagination at the same time. Kids who get into science at an early age will learn how to question things they dont understand, investigate, research, and so much more. Science helps kids look at the world in a new light and helps them understand things from all five senses. Whether a kid is collecting samples out in nature or doing research in a lab, science will help them improve their overall academic success and keep them curious about the world around them. 1.   Research skills Science can help young learners improve their research skills and understand what type of research is effective and how to do it. Most people think of science when they think about doing research but this skill is actually applicable to pretty much every subject kids study in school. Older students will complete research papers for English, history, and economics and students of all ages can use research to think about the world around them and determine fact versus fiction. 2. The scientific method Kids who get into science will also learn about the specifics of the scientific method. This is a really important aspect of education because it leads to new technology, new medical care, and other important scientific discoveries. Its an important lesson for kids to understand that their research, where appropriate, must adhere to the scientific method and that other people’s experiments need to as well. 3.   A creative perspective Although we dont immediately think of creativity and imagination when we think about science, this subject can actually broaden the perspective of any student. It helps them think about things outside of the textbook and imagine all five senses when doing experiments or completing research. Kids who are creative learn how to problem solve, deal with difficult situations, discover new ways of being successful, and tend to have a more well-rounded education (READ: 5 Ways to Study for Science Class). 4.   Questions and answers One of the most important skills young students can learn is how to ask a question and how to answer it. Whether theyre answering their own question or another person’s, this simple skill is at the heart of all education and learning. Asking the right questions, the ones that lead to a concrete answer or perhaps an infinite number of answers can be really difficult for a young child who is just beginning their academic career. Science encourages students to ask a ton of questions and come up with different answers that can lead to a solution. 5.   Thinking outside the box Science also encourages students to think outside the box. If an experiment fails, students will have to look for a new solution or create an entirely new experiment. If one thing doesnt work, they have to figure out another way to be successful. Of course, this train of thought is helpful in science, but its also helpful in all aspects of life both academic and personal. Much of education encourages students to think inside the box, so its essential for them to be able to step back, take a moment and think about all the possibilities available to them. 6. Details Studying science also helps students develop a detail-oriented way of thinking. Whether doing research, conducting an experiment, or learning about scientists from the past, students will have to look at every minute detail to discover a solution to whatever problem theyve been given. Many careers require people to be extremely detail oriented, so its a great idea for students to develop the skill early on. Want to improve your grade in science class? Call us today and well match you with one of our experienced Orange County science tutors. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

What to do if you havent got the grades you want

What to do if you haven’t got the grades you want With results day impending, nerves are high. Much of your time will have been spent in lectures, revising,preparing for and sitting your exams. Results day is just around the corner and you are probably hoping for your expected grades for your long awaited place at university. But what do you do if you haven't got the grades you expected? CHECK YOUR UCAS ACCOUNT No matter what grades you open on results day, there will be options open to you. Firstly, do not panic! Login and check the status of your application on your UCAS account here. You may still be accepted to your preferred option even with your lower grades. If you weren't as successful as planned, get a head start and learn more about about the other universities you applied to. Read the prospectus, visit an open day and consider accepting another university offer. UCAS EXTRA UCAS extra enables you to view courses you can apply for based on your results in the UCAS Course Search. UCAS Extra runs from 25 February to 4 July for applicants who made five initial choices, but have either been unsuccessful in all cases or have declined any offers they received. If you're eligible for UCAS Extra, an 'Add an Extra choice' option will appear on your screen which you can use to apply for a course. CLEARING Clearing allows universities to fill up any vacant spots on their course. This year, Results Day is on the 17 August 2017 so this is when Clearing 2017 will begin for the majority of students. You can use UCAS's search tool to find university courses that still have places available. Make a list of courses you're interested in, do some research on them, then call them up to discuss. You'll need your Clearing number available so the uni can access your UCAS application - you can find this on Track. REMARKING If you believe your grades are wrong, you can ask for them to be checked, Only schools or private candidates can appeal an A-level result.. This can be done as a priority re-mark if your university application is at stake. You'll need to do this through your school or college, and you'll pay a fee which you'll only get back if your grades are changed. Discuss this option with your tutor or year head as soon as you get your results. RESITTING Most, not all, universities accept resit grades and recognise the benefits, so your degree plans are generally not compromised by retaking papers. If you don't want to enter clearing (or haven't found anything suitable) and are committed to going to university, re-taking your A Levels could be an option. Speak to your college first to see if you are able to join A2 lessons for the year. ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION If your intention was to go to uni in order to pursue a specific career, then why not consider looking into alternative routes. You could work in an entry-level position and still gain first-hand experience of working in the industry and have the opportunity to apply for promotions as your career progresses. You could also apply for apprenticeships or school leaver programmes, which allow you to train for a high-skilled job as you earn. You may also like to consider Foundation degrees which may be offered by further education colleges.

Speak Up! How to Improve Your Foreign Language Confidence

Speak Up! How to Improve Your Foreign Language Confidence Speak Up! How to Improve Your Foreign Language Confidence When many of us start speaking a new foreign language, it can seem like our favorite new words are  um, er and uh.After all, we say them all the time, so they must be our favorites, right?Its exciting and fun to start learning a new language, but it can be a bit disappointing when, after studying a little while, you find yourself saying filler words like um and uh more than any of the new words youve learned.Much of the time, though, you struggle not because you dont know the word, but because you doubt yourself.When youre learning any new skill, youre more than likely to feel uncomfortable with actually using it in the beginning, and thats OK. Its natural to be unsure of what youre doing at the start.Of course, youll also experience those same feelings of discomfort when youre learning a new language.It doesnt matter if youre learning that new language in a class or by yourself at home. Either way, those first conversations with native or fluent speakers can be nerve-racking.You mig ht stumble through your sentences worrying about where to place the negation in Japanese, whether or not youve chosen to use the right prefixes in German or if the idea youre trying to communicate is getting lost because of your accent when speaking French.Striking up conversation with a stranger is difficult enough for a lot of people. But doing it in another language? Forget about it!The fact of the matter is, youre never going to master that language without using it in conversation, but youre not going to get through a conversation (if youre even able to begin one) if you dont stop doubting yourself. So how do you push yourself toward speaking without hesitation in a foreign language? Speak Up! How to Improve Your Foreign Language ConfidenceIts easy to give advice like Be confident! or Dont worry! However, thats much easier said than done, since being confident (or worried) are basically uncontrollable reactions we have to a situation.In this post Ill try to give you some acti onable tips that you can follow, as well as a bit of good, old-fashioned motivational pep talk speech thrown in for good measure.Well start with things you should (and shouldnt) do with your body, since a lot of your emotions are manifested through body language.Then well look at how to deal with your accent and actually begin speaking in a foreign language, since a lot of language learners lack confidence because they struggle with those areas.So dont worry: Confidently keep reading and well get you all ready to talk in a foreign language!Work That Body!Lets start with body language.I know youre probably wondering, What the heck does my body language have to do with speaking  a foreign language?Body language is strongly linked to behavior. Studies have shown that one greatly affects the other. Ergo, working on your body language will impact your confidence when speaking another language.Body language: Fake it till you make itWhat do we do when we dont feel confident? We give away m uch more through  our body language than we do with our faces.We slouch, we speak softly, we dont occupy as much space as we usually would and we start breaking eye contact. You might even stop smiling or get an uncomfortable look on your face, which tends to make everyone feel a little bit uneasy!Observe your own behavior the next time you have a conversation. Are you maintaining eye contact? Are you speaking loudly and clearly? Are you standing up straight? These are just some things to think about the next time you approach someone with the intention of speaking in a foreign language.Make a habit out of ensuring that you maintain eye contact (unless thats frowned upon in the cultural context in which you find yourself), and be sure that you dont start fidgeting or trying to shrink down with your body.You tend to do these kinds of things when you feel that youre not in control of a situation. All those doubts you have about what youre saying will start to really show and, as weve said before, itll make conversing with people that much more difficult.You need to counteract all of those instinctive physical expressions of doubt.Be Golden with Your Eye ContactWhen it comes to appropriate eye contact, its all about achieving a balance between too much and not enough. You want to be the Goldilocks of eye contact and get things  just right.The golden rule for making eye contact is to do it about a third of the time for a comfortable conversation, and you can do even more once youve mastered it.Try not to have that shifty, uncertain gaze. Its acceptable if you break eye contact every now and then in conversation. Take a moment to look into the other persons eyes, then switch to something else, then back again; just be sure not to do so too often.Other Handy TipsDont stuff your hands into your pockets or fidget with your hands. If youre that nervous, try interlocking your fingers (behind your back, if necessary!) to keep yourself from doing these things.You can also try holding somethingâ€"anything that wont cause a distractionâ€"in your hands. Youll often find that public speakers do this to avoid that awkward, I dont know what to do with my hands look. If all else fails, try using your hands to clarify what youre trying to say (obviously, without going overboardunless youre a mime and thats your thing).And remember to smile!These might seem obvious but theyre good things to pay attention to regardless. It may not be that extreme for you, but no matter how confident you are when speaking your native tongue, youre going to change slightly when you switch to a foreign language. Keep that in mind.Word UpNow lets talk about actually speaking a foreign language.No matter how incorrect you think your use or pronunciation of a word or sentence is, remember the most important point of all: You should do everything you can to speak clearly and loudly.A Moment of ClaritySince youll be speaking to someone, its important that you dont start mumbling when you get nervous. Its difficult at times to know for sure when youre being too quiet, so remember to enunciate when you speak. This is especially important since youre trying to learn a new language.Try to fill the room (or your immediate area) with your voice. If it helps, pretend youre talking to your grandmother whos hard of hearing! Itll feel strange at first, but youll quickly grow accustomed to it.Even if you dont feel confident, you have to act like you are, at least for a while. The feelings of confidence while speaking will follow naturally, regardless of how well you actually speak. Thats what I mean by fake it till you make it.Youll find that most people are more than accommodating and, more often than not, theyll have fun helping you while youre trying to learn. Well get into that in just a bit.Now that youve pretty much mastered the basics of confident body language and how you should speak, the next thing were going to talk about is the batch of exaggerations and fabri cations you might have concocted in your head.Dont Worry: Most People Love an AccentAccentuate the PositivePeople are generally most afraid of being teased or mocked when they speak a new language. They cant stand the thought of native speakers laughing at their accents or their misuse of a word, even if they do it behind their backs.The thing is, people dont generally do that. In fact, accents can be attractive! And the people who mock or make fun of you in a mean-spirited way simply arent worth worrying about.People all over the world adore it when you try to speak their language, no matter how bad you are at it. Its worth it just to try. You dont have to be afraid of making yourself sound stupid. And even if you do sound a bit stupid, just enjoy it! Laugh it off with everyone else, and realize that some people might be surprised and even nervously chuckle a bit when you speak at first. Usually, they dont mean to.When that happens, its not something you should take personally even if it kind of feels personal at times.The truth is, its often hilarious when unexpected things happen, and people dont usually expect to hear their own language being spoken with a thick foreign accent. That doesnt mean people are laughing at you, theyre just laughing at the sound of your words.So laugh with them! Speak more! If its really that bad, most people will gladly help you, as long as youre genuinely trying to learn. Youre putting in effort and people love that, especially these days when its so easy to just switch to English when things get too tough.Know that there will definitely be times when you say the wrong thing in the right way or the right thing in the wrong way. It happens. But youre still learning.In fact, oftentimes youll discover that you actually know more than you think you do, but youre just too full of self-doubt to speak. So dont pause so much to think, just speak!No more umms and errs as you try to fill the silence, just so you can struggle to recall so me silly  grammatical structure or the correct placement of a preposition. Just speak, and let those beautiful new words you learned flow.Youll have fun, theyll have fun and you might find that through learning and being unafraid to speak, youll have made some new friends.The Takeaway: Just Speak!The next time you start talking to someone in a new language, remember what you learned here. Take a breath, stand up straight, approach the person youre going to converse with, start speaking and laughing and then, when all that is done, youll come back and thank me.Mastering your confidence, like mastering a language, comes with time, patience and practice. But controlling one will impact your control over the other.When you stop being afraid of speaking and really start mastering that language, new countries and experiences will unlock for you in completely new ways, and youll  encounter all kind of new people. Youll find opportunities you would have never been given otherwise.Thats all worth being the butt of a joke a couple of times, isnt it? So dont be afraid to be the fool: make those mistakes with confidence, and youll find that you actually make fewer mistakes than you thought you did.And slowly but surely, youll become more and more confident.Narayan Liu is a writer based in Sweden who has contributed to several websites, all of which revolve around his fascination with culture, both old and new. Its a passion hes cultivated by growing up in the bustling city of Hong Kong. You can discover more about him on his website.   And One More ThingFluentU does wonders for your confidence by exposing you to authentic material that lets you get a feel for real-world situations. FluentU makes it possible to 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.