Top 5 Japanese Restaurants in Indianapolis

Take a look at Restaurant Review’s article lisiting the top 5 Japanese restaurants in Indianapolis!

https://original.newsbreak.com/@restaurant-review-1453573/2584541954498-top-5-most-popular-japanese-restaurants-in-indianapolis-indiana

Discover a New City: Columbus, Indiana [EN-FR]

It doesn’t come as a surprise that in Indiana, Indianapolis is a fairly touristy destination. Welcoming over 29 million tourists each year, Indianapolis is one of the most popular destinations in the Midwest. However, just under an hour south of Indianapolis is a small city known as Columbus, Indiana, a small town full of surprises.

In fact, Columbus is one of the best cities in the world for those interested in architecture. If you are a fan, you’ll love the bus tour, “Architectural Highlights.” This two-hour tour details how Columbus came to be the architectural hotspot that it is today. Some of the artwork comes from designers such as I.M. Pei, the architect who designed the Louvre and Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art.

Additionally, you can take a tour of the beautiful Miller House and Garden, a National Historic Landmark owned by the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. The Miller House was designed by Eero Saarienen, a Finnish-American architect, with the help of Dan Kiley, with whom he helped create the St. Louis Gateway Arch. With its modern design, glass walls, skylights, and vibrant colors, it is really a sight to see.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a calmer day, you can always take a stroll through Downtown Columbus. From shops and boutiques to different dining options to all sorts of other activities, there’s no shortage of things to do while you’re there!

Finally, you can take a glance at the Columbus Community Calendar, available on the city’s website: columbus.in.gov. There are always interesting events occurring that you won’t want to miss!

Take a couple of days to explore a new city and see what Columbus has to offer!

Découvrir une nouvelle ville : Columbus, Indiana

Ce n’est pas surprenant que dans l’Indiana, la ville d’Indianapolis soit une destination assez touristique. Accueillant plus de 29 millions de touristes tous les ans, la ville d’Indianapolis est l’une des destinations les plus appréciée dans la région du Midwest des États-Unis. Cependant, à une heure au sud d’Indianapolis se trouve une petite ville qui s’appelle, Columbus, une ville pleine de surprises.

En fait, Columbus est l’une des meilleures villes du monde pour les passionnés d’architecture. Si vous aimez l’architecture, vous adorerez le bus touristique, « Les moments marquants d’architecture ». Ce voyage en bus de deux heures vous expliquera comment la ville de Columbus est devenue le haut lieu touristique d’architecture aujourd’hui. Certaines d’œuvres d’art viennent même de I.M. Pei, l’architecte qui a conçu le Louvre et le Musée d’Art Islamique de Doha.

Par ailleurs, vous pouvez faire un tour à la Miller House, un site national historique géré par le Musée d’Art d’Indianapolis, Newfields. La Miller House a été conçue par Eero SAARINEN, architecte finnois-américain, à l’aide de Dan KILEY, avec lequel il a conçu la « Gateway Arch » ou « Arche Passerelle » à Saint Louis dans le Missouri. La conception moderne, les murs-rideaux vitrés, les fenêtres de toit et finalement les couleurs vives de la Miller House sont un spectacle à voir.

En revanche, si vous cherchez des activités plus calmes, vous pouvez simplement vous balader au centre-ville de Columbus. Au centre vous trouverez des magasins et boutiques, des restaurants et plein d’autres activités, il ne manquera pas de choses à faire pendant votre visite.

Enfin, vous pouvez jeter un œil au calendrier de communauté de Columbus, disponible sur le site de la ville : columbus.in.gov. Il y a toujours des évènements intéressants qui se passent qu’il ne faut pas manquer !

Prenez quelques jours et découvrez une nouvelle ville et voir ce que Columbus vous propose !

Moving Abroad and Dealing with Homesickness

Homesickness is something we all experience at some point in our lives; however, it can be quite intense if you decide you want to live in another country, and you’re not prepared. In all honesty, it’s inevitable, but there are things you can do to help yourself feel closer to home when you are hundreds – or even thousands – of miles away from your family.

Take items that remind you of home

 When you finally move, make sure to take small items that remind you of your hometown and your family with you, so that you’ll always have a piece of home with you, no matter where you go. Some small things you can take could be photos or small gifts that you have gotten from your family such as a keychain, or other tiny trinkets.

Stay in touch 

This may sound obvious, but for some people it can be hard depending on where you move. You can run into different problems such as time differences or lack of communication services. If you move to a different country, you’ll need to get a new phone number, and the price of international calls and texts can add up very quickly. Luckily, there are quite a few apps out there that can help. WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and even the messaging features on Instagram and Twitter can help you connect with your friends and family from a distance.

Send each other postcards

You live in a new and exciting city; your family will surely want to see what it’s like. In return, your family can send you postcards as well, reminding you of your hometown. Even better is adding a short, personalized message with your postcard to show them that you’re thinking of them.

Make new friends

 Nobody can replace your friends back home but making new friends and exploring your new city with them can help you deal with the feeling of loneliness that you may experience when moving abroad.

Homesickness is normal, but hopefully these suggestions can help you adjust to life in your new city or country. Don’t feel bad about missing home – it’s normal. Just do your best to stay connected to those from your hometown and don’t forget to visit them from time to time as well!

Reverse Culture Shock

Culture shock is a term that a lot of people are familiar with, but there is also a less familiar phenomenon, known as reverse culture shock. Most know that when we travel abroad, we need to be prepared to see and do things that may be considered strange in our home country. However, what may not think about is how staying abroad for long periods of time can affect our view of our home country.

 What is Reverse Culture Shock?

Reverse culture shock is a term used to describe the feeling of disorientation that one experiences upon returning to their home country after months, or even years, abroad. It’s something I’ve experienced, and it’s definitely strange. I’ve lived in France for the past three years and coming home has been quite an interesting experience. There are so many little things that I’d never thought of as weird or different, but now I do. It’s like seeing the world again through a brand-new set of eyes, it’s a feeling that almost can’t be described – it has to be experienced.

The way I’m talking about it makes it seem like a bad thing, but it’s not at all. It’s just different. One of the major differences for me was, of course, the language since I didn’t go to an anglophone country. After speaking exclusively French for the past few years, I had to readjust to speaking my native language. Even though I’ve been back for a few weeks, I still draw a blank every now and then. However, the longer I stay here, the easier it will get.

Another adjustment was the way of life. In France, it seems much calmer, whereas in the United States, I’m under the impression that I’m constantly running around trying to do ten things at once. The two countries have a very different pace as well as a different outlook on life and readjusting to it has been a challenge. Neither one is good nor bad, they are just two very distinct cultures.

The last change that I’ve noticed are the changes to my daily routine. I had started to adapt to the French lifestyle while I was over there and coming back and so trying to fall back into my old routine after returning has been a struggle, in fact.

 How Do You Deal with it?

It is possible to reduce the effects of reverse culture shock upon returning to your home country. The more you communicate with people back home, the more of a connection you have to that culture and the less likely you are to be disoriented when you return. Additionally, if you frequently travel between both countries and adapt to both cultures, the differences will ultimately become less shocking over time.

Just remember that reverse culture shock is an adjustment, neither good nor bad, and you just need to take the time to fall back into your old routine.

English and French Conversation Lessons

Are you interested in improving your English or French conversation skills? Do you want to learn to interact more naturally with native speakers?

We are hosting two new conversation courses for both English and French to help you reach your language speaking goals!

The English language conversation course will be taught by Lauren on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:30-11:30am EST, starting Monday, May 2nd. This course is aimed at intermediate to advanced (B1-C2) English speakers. Topics covered may include:

• American food and culture

• American traditions and holiday customs

• Hobbies

• American Schools

• American news media

• Making small talk

• Politely sharing opinions

• Idioms and sayings

To sign up for English conversation classes, click on the following link! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/english-conversation-for-intermediate-and-advanced-students-b1-c2-tickets-324251844997

*The English conversation class is $10

The French conversation course will be held by Alexa on Friday, April 29th from 3:00-4:00pm EST. This class is aimed towards intermediate speakers (B1-B2). We will cover topics such as:

• French culture and traditions

• Common French phrases

• Discussing how we are feeling

• Politely sharing opinions

• Descriptive vocabulary

To sign up for the French conversation course, click on this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-introduction-to-french-conversation-b1b2-tickets-324118325637

*The French conversation class is FREE

Transcription, Captioning, and Subtitling: What's the difference?

What are transcription, captioning, and subtitling and why are they important?

These three terms tend to be confusing, and are often mixed up. All of them involve changing spoken words into written words; however, it is important not to confuse them! So what is the difference between transcription, captioning, and subtitling?

Transcription refers to the conversion of spoken words into written words in the form of a text document. The two main types of transcription are verbatim and clean read transcription. Verbatim transcriptions contain information from all sounds in an audio, including sound effects and filler words like, "um." Verbatim transcription is used for scripted events such as TV shows or movies. Clean read transcription, on the other hand, does not include these sounds, only the words that are spoken. Clean read transcription is better suited for unscripted events, like conferences or interviews.

Similarly, captioning is also a form of conversion of spoken words to written words, though contrary to transcription, captions are not formatted into a text document. Rather, captions are designed to follow along with a video, allowing the viewer to read what is being said as the video progresses. They indicate everything that is happening, from who is speaking, to sound effects. Captioning is also an important factor in making videos more accessible to deaf or hard of hearing people and English language learners.

Finally, there is subtitling. Much like captions, subtitles appear on a video and follow along with the speech as the video continues. Though, unlike captions, subtitles are written in a different language than the one being spoken in the video. This allows for viewers who speak other languages to watch and understand what is happening without necessarily having any knowledge of the source language.

Transcription, captioning, and subtitling are all uniquely useful in their own way when it comes to improving language accessibility, but it is important to make sure that these terms are used correctly!

Join us for the Teach Indy Educators Conference!

Join us on Saturday, April 30th from 9am-3pm for the Teach Indy Educators Conference! You'll have the opportunity to meet different professionals in the educational field and learn all about the different opportunities and possibilities to create a nurturing environment for students.

Tanya Hoover, President of Midwest Language Services, LLC, and English language instructor, will be giving a presentation from 1-1:20pm about the rights of parents with limited English proficiency in schools. Many educators are not aware of the requirements of these services. Tanya is here to explain them and how we are able to help!

This event is free to attend, register here: https://teachindynow.org/events/teach-indy-educators-conference-2022/

Look forward to seeing you there!

How to Save Time & Money on Your Next Translation Project

Check out the latest article from Tanya Hoover (Owner & President) featured in the Indy Chamber Monday Morning Memo! Link: https://indychamber.com/news/member-news/how-to-save-time-money-on-your-next-translation-project/

Subtitles for Short Film

Midwest Language Services, LLC has accepted its first assignment to translate English into Spanish for subtitles to be included in a film. We are able to help translate subtitles as long as our clients are able to insert the subtitles into the film themselves. We may be able to also insert the subtitles ourselves at sometime in the future, but for now, we can provide you with a side-by-side translation in a Word document for you to be able to know where the translated text should be inserted into your film or video.

How Important is Good Grammar?

As someone who owns a company that provides translation and interpretation services, I feel the need to give a disclaimer here. The following article is about language learning for adult students of English. This is not for professional interpreters or translators.

Good grammar helps people communicate more clearly - until it doesn’t. I am a word nerd and think grammar is important. The essence of what we do it to teach people English to help facilitate clear communication. Most of the people we work with have studied English in their native country and can write quite well. Speaking is another story. I have learned that people hold others to different standards than they do to themselves. When reading an email, article, blog post, etc. from an American, I expect impeccable grammar. I also hope for perfect English (but don’t often hear it). When reading or listening to non-native speakers of English, or as we in the language industry call LEPs (Limited English Proficient), I expect to hear errors. I don’t think I am the only one.

There are those who find it difficult to speak to people who have thick accents - whether they be native English speakers from other parts of the United States, other countries, or LEPs. Many people can understand what someone is trying to say with thick accents and imperfect grammar. We fill in the blanks with words that make sense within the given context of the situation.

If one’s goal is to speak with perfect grammar, then the road is long and lots of practice is going to have to take place. Living in the country where the language is spoken every day is helpful if one takes the opportunity to interact with people and not hole themselves up in their new house or apartment for weeks on end. If one wants to communicate, which should be the goal of taking language classes of any kind, perfection is not necessary. I don’t know if it is a cultural difference or a difference among individual students, but I have noticed that adult students from Japan often try to formulate perfect sentences in their heads before uttering them aloud. Thinking before speaking is generally considered a virtue, but in some cases, it’s a hindrance to communication. On a sentence per minute basis, I once taught a woman from China who worked in the automotive industry. She could speak multiple imperfect sentences per minute, yet was able to communicate very quickly and effectively.

There must be a fine line between speaking with fewer grammatical errors and daring to speak imperfectly.

How Long Does it Take to Learn a Language?

How long does it take to learn a language? It depends on what you want to learn to do with the language and how fluent you want to be. People often say that children pick up languages very easily; however, although children might be able to communicate on a playground or in a classroom, they are not able to read or write complex text or give formal speeches in perfect English. They also don’t have the same responsibilities that adults do. People often have higher expectations of what passes for fluency of adults than they do of children. People forget that adults have study skills that can help them learn a language to help them reach their goals.. Fluency is, in part, a matter of frequent practice over time.

Learning a language is different from speaking it. Most adult Japanese people I know learned English in junior high school, but prefer to use email than talk on the phone. (This also seems to be a trend with young people in the United States, but that is a different matter.) Many Japanese did not have much practice speaking the English language, but can write quite well and can understand much of the written word. In this case, they have learned the English language, but need more speaking practice.

Tests of English proficiency can give instructors a general idea of the ability levels of their student. No one assessment can give a 100% accurate picture of what a student can or cannot do. Our free English assessment includes, grammar, reading, writing, listening, and speaking. We also provide the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) that has more of a focus on business English. Contact us about your goals for learning English and we can help you.

Art Break Day

Title: Japanese Junior High School Girl

Description: “She is enjoying her school life.”

Artist: “Summer” - Japan

International Art Break Day takes place every year on the first Friday in September. It was only in the past few years that Midwest Language Services, LLC has taken part in the event. This year, we invited our students and their families to participate. We only got a few entries, but are thankful for the participation.

Art is Moving is the organization that encourages people of all ability levels to take a break to make art and make it a part of their daily life. “When you take an art break, you reduce stress and anxiety while increasing understanding and connection with not only yourself, but the world around you.”

Title: Opposites

Description: While not specifically submitted for Art Break Day, Riku learned about opposites and illustrated them to help him remember them better.

Artist: Riku - Japan

11 Cultural Destinations in Indiana

11 Cultural Destinations in Indiana

Looking for something to do in Indiana? You might want to think about a cultural outing.

While Indiana is not set to host a UNESCO World Heritage site any time soon, it is not a cultural desert. Far from it! Many out of state visitors (and even some native Hoosiers) would be surprised to know just how many interesting cultural destinations there are to visit here in Indiana.

Here are twelve of our favorite picks!

Global Village Welcome Center

Located on the northwest side of Indianapolis, near Lafayette Square Mall, this cultural and community center features dozens of cultural exhibits containing artifacts and artwork from all over the world, as well as common space available for community events and conferences.

The Global Village Welcome Center is a close affiliate of the International Marketplace Coalition—an organization dedicated to revitalizing the highly diverse northwest side of the city, which is home to more than 100 ethnic restaurants, 40 markets and 900 businesses, and where community members collectively speak and represent more than 80 languages.

Events hosted by the International Marketplace Coalition such as Taste the Difference Festival & Sister Cities Fest, International Women’s Gathering and World Arts Expo will be held at the Global Village Welcome Center in coming years.

Eiteljorg Museum

Home to an astounding array of indigenous and western art, this is one of the most interesting museums in Indianapolis.

The Eiteljorg was founded by famous Indianapolis philanthropist Harrison Eiteljorg in 1989, with the intent of educating people on the culture of Indigenous North Americans and the American West more broadly.

Today the museum contains a huge number of art exhibits from Indigenous artists past and present, including displays of traditionally manufactured clothing and accessories, paintings, sculpture, and more. Additionally, visitors sometimes have the opportunity to meet resident Native artists, purchase artwork at shows, or attend the Western Book Club.

Mounds State Park

Mounds State Park, located in Anderson, IN, gets its name from the ~2000 year old earthen mounds that lie at the center of the park. These earthworks, built by the prehistoric midwestern Adena-Hopewell people, were likely used for ceremonial purposes, and as a site for viewing astronomical phenomena.

The park is also home to a number of hiking trails, as well as an open-to-the-public Nature Center. Other activities include camping and fishing on the banks of the White River.

Corydon Capitol State Historic Site

Many people are unaware that before Indianapolis—a planned city—was founded, Indiana had a different capital city. Corydon, IN was the official capital city of Indiana from the time it became a state in December 1816 until the year 1825.

Nowadays, although the town has a population of just over 3000, it is an important tourist destination due to its historic legacy as Indiana’s first capital, and its listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Prophetstown State Park

Another culturally significant state park, located in West Lafayette, is the historic site of Prophetstown, a Native American village founded in 1808 by the revered Indigenous leader Tecumseh.

Tecumpseh, having formed an alliance with 14 tribes across the region in order build an army to fight off the encroaching American settlers, used Prophetstown as the base of operations for his military project, as well as a spiritual home for his brother, Tenskwatawa, known as The Prophet.

In November 1811, William Henry Harrison, then governor of Indiana Territory, sent an army of 1200 to the site while Tecumseh was travelling and gathering support. Despite ferocious resistance from its inhabitants, Prophetstown was eventually overrun and burned to the ground.

Today, Prophetstown State Park encompasses both the site of the razed town, as well as the nearby battlefield where Tenskwatawa’s men were defeated.

Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site

Built in the 1870s, this house on Indianapolis’s near northside was once the home of President Benjamin Harrison and family. It is now preserved as a museum, with nearly all of the original architecture—and some historic furniture—fully intact.

Visitors can book a tour and intimately explore the historic home every day of the week, including weekends. Additionally, the site hosts cultural events on a regular basis, including candlelight theatre performances.

Indiana Medical History Museum

Once a part of the Central State Hospital, the Indiana Medical History Museum, located on Indianapolis’s west side, is housed in the Old Pathology Building, which is the oldest surviving pathology facility in the nation.

Guided tours are available on a regular basis (although capacity is limited to groups of 5 at a time for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic). Guides will introduce visitors to the variety of instruments and methodologies used by pathologists during the turn of the 20th century, as well as specimens collected from the Central State Hospital during the same time period.

Crispus Attucks Museum

This eclectic museum, tucked away near the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis on the near westside, hosts a wide variety of memorabilia from the Crispus Attucks School—the first all African American school in Indiana. It also contains displays featuring Black artwork, and jazz memorabilia from the golden age of jazz on Indiana Avenue.

New Harmony State Historic Site

A classic example of 19th century utopian communities, the New Harmony State Historic Site is a well-preserved monument to a famous attempt to create paradise on earth.

Founded by German immigrants in the 1810s, Welsh industrialist Robert Owen took the helm in 1825, with the goal of turning the town into a utopian community similar to that of the Shakers or Oneida in upstate New York.

Unfortunately, the experiment only lasted two years before succumbing to internal conflicts, food shortages, a lack of housing, and other problems.

However, several historic buildings remain to this day, and are open for visits and guided tours.

General Lew Wallace Museum

Lew Wallace was already famous throughout the United States in the second half of the 19th century due to his leadership as a general in the Union Army during the civil war, where he served as a Major General during several decisive battles.

However, he remains famous to this day for his literary genius. Wallace was the author of the religious novel Ben-Hur: A tale of the Christ, which was a bestselling novel in its time and remains popular to this day due to the subsequent 1959 film Ben-Hur starring Charlton Heston.

The General Lew Wallace Museum is located on the site where the novel was originally written, and contains a great deal of Wallace’s personal affects and memorabilia.

Spring Mill State Park

Spring Mill State Park sits on the site of a historic pioneer village, where a year-round natural spring was first used by settlers to power a sawmill, gristmills, and a wool mill (thus the name Spring Mill)

In addition to 20 restored buildings from a time when Indiana was part of the frontier, the park also is home to a series of natural caves, which are open for guided tours from May through July.

Finally, consider visiting the memorial site of Gus Grissom, a native Hoosier and astronaut who became America’s second person to visit space.

Interpreting via Zoom – Tips and Etiquette

Interpreting via Zoom – Tips and Etiquette

Even with the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic slowly receding in the rearview mirror, Zoom is here to stay. Even when they are no longer necessary for public health purposes, remote meetings will continue to play a role in our daily work and social lives, given their time and energy-saving capabilities.

This is particularly true of video remote interpreting, or VRI. VRI was common prior to the pandemic but is now one of the main ways that clients connect to language interpreters.

As such, it may be well worth your time to brush up on the basics of Zoom interpreting etiquette, as well as the technical knowledge necessary to make a Zoom interpreting appointment run smoothly.

Here are our top pieces of advice for those new to the world of Zoom interpretation:

Have Access a Licensed Zoom Account with the Proper Features

An unpaid trial account does not have the features necessary for successful Zoom interpretation. As such, the host of the call should be using a licensed account, such as the Pro, Education, or Business version. This will allow for the implementation of features such as simultaneous interpreting and different sound channels for different language users.

Conduct a Test Run Prior to your First Zoom Interpreting Meeting

Once you have familiarized yourself with the basic features available to Zoom users, it may be in your best interest to run a short test meeting and work out any kinks well in advance.

Additionally, make sure to log into the meeting several minutes before it is scheduled to begin, since setup can take a bit of time.

Speak Slowly and Clearly

Articulating, avoiding rushed speech, and taking turns in an orderly fashion are all simple but effective ways to make sure that your interpreting session goes smoothly.

Even the best simultaneous interpreter can struggle when participants speak hurriedly or overlap one another, so try your best to maintain a deliberate pace throughout the meeting.

Follow up with Interpreters and Clients to Improve Future Appointments

Unsurprisingly, most people are not willing to speak up or criticize the meeting host’s practices unless there is a serious problem. This means that you may find it helpful to follow up with everyone who attended an appointment in order to make sure that they had the best possible experience.

Be willing to accept constructive criticism and change your approach if it is not working for interpreters or clients.

7 Simple Tips on Learning a New Language

7 Simple Tips on Learning a New Language

By Eli Morey

If you are like most people, you have dreamt about learning to speak another language fluently. You imagine impressing friends and family with your skills, travelling the world, meeting new people and learning about new cultures.

However, most people never take action to realize this dream. The main reason is that learning a new language is a long-term project and can seem like a daunting task. It is easy to get overwhelmed and give up, particularly in the early stages of learning, when even formulating and understanding simple phrases can feel like pulling teeth.

If any of this sounds relevant to your experience, then the following tips are for you. Mastering a new language will never be easy, but anyone who has done it will tell you that it is worth the pain. Here are our tips to help you power through the most difficult parts of your language learning journey.

1.      Practice with other people!

As much as the introverts among us might beg to differ, humans are social creatures, and we learn socially. This is particularly true of language. Keep in mind that our first language is always learned via socialization and is constantly being changed and redefined in different social contexts.

Ideally, we would all like to meet fluent or native speakers of our target language to socialize with. However, this is not always possible, nor is it always the most productive way to start learning a language.

Even practicing with other novices has its benefits, as it allows you to work through questions and difficulties as a group and provides you with much needed encouragement to keep practicing even when you aren’t feeling 100% up to the task. Consider starting a study group with friends or peers and meeting once or twice a week.

2.      Don’t obsess about the “right” order of operations

One common way to get overwhelmed when learning a new language is to try to plot out your entire language learning curriculum from the start. You might find yourself googling syllabuses from courses or making a list of which things you want to learn in which order.

The problem with this approach is that it fails to take into account the fluidity of our human brains, which have evolved to learn and solve problems in a myriad of ways and in different orders.

It also fails to consider that we all have different interests and needs. For example, someone who plays music might find it beneficial to learn vocabulary related to instruments and music theory long before learning vocabulary related to healthcare or government.

Here is an easy piece of advice to follow: learn about what you are passionate about first, then fill in the gaps!

3.      Speak and listen

If you have studied languages in a school setting, you may have noticed that there is an extremely strong emphasis on reading and writing skills, with little attention paid to speaking or listening.

However, as we noted in tip #1, we all learned our first language by speaking and listening to parents, family members, schoolmates, etc. In fact, our brains are hardwired to learn everything about a language just by hearing and speaking language, making small recalibrations every time we take in new data.

Instead of spending hours poring over lists of vocabulary or flashcards, try watching a television show in another language, or chatting with a friend who is also learning.

4.      Take it slow but steady

Impatience can be a great motivator to help you push yourself, but it can also be an obstacle to healthy learning habits. Instead of random, occasional heroic study marathons, try to spend a few minutes every single day practicing a new language.

Make a small goal for yourself each day or week, such as learning 5 new vocabulary words and how to use them in context or spending 30 minutes listening to a Spanish language podcast.

Small, achievable goals serve as milestones that help you feel that you are making progress, and prevent burnout.

5.      Review on a regular basis

As a now fluent speaker of Spanish, I sometimes find myself embarrassed to have forgotten a very basic word. For example, the other day I was speaking to an Argentinian friend, and I forgot the Spanish word for spoon.

This is a great example of why review is important. Even once we achieve a high level of language proficiency, it is always helpful to go back and review things that we think we know.

This is particularly true for new learners, whose brains haven’t yet started to form patterns that help them to recall words and phrases in milliseconds.

6.      Don’t be afraid to sound silly

This advice falls under the general category of not being afraid to make mistakes. However, it is particularly applicable to features of language such as phonetics (that is to say, differences in sounds and pronunciation).

When starting a new language, people often feel embarrassed to even attempt to make new sounds because they feel so unnatural. Regardless, you should keep in mind that by not even attempting to pronounce new sounds correctly, you probably sound even sillier to native speakers. Making a good attempt and failing over and over will eventually help you get it right.

7.      Find a teacher

For all of the hype these days about internet autodidacts, there is a reason why formal education always involves instructors. There is no replacement for learning from someone who has already gone through the process of learning a language and understands from experience how to help you through common pitfalls and obstacles.

If you are looking for a teacher to help you with English, Spanish, French, or Arabic, don’t hesitate to reach out to Midwest Language Services.

Click here to browse our language classes and tutoring options!

Spanish Language Mini-Lesson 2

Eli explains the pronunciation of many hard-to-learn consonants in Spanish.

NASA Adds ASL Interpretation to Exploration Science Forum

We have an exciting announcement to share with you about an upcoming historic event. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) will be hosting the 2021 NASA Exploration Science Forum & European Lunar Symposium July 20-23, 2021 as a virtual meeting.

According to their website, “This conference will bring together scientists from around the world to focus on science which enables human and robotic exploration, and science enabled by human exploration as relates to the target bodies of the Moon, Near Earth Asteroids, and moons of Mars.”

This will be the first time that the organizers have made this accessible to the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing communities by adding ASL interpreters to this virtual event. Midwest Language Services, LLC, in cooperation with its network of interpreters, will provide interpretation for this event.

The meeting is open to the pubic and the talks can get a bit technical. All are welcome. Please be sure to turn off your video and microphone if you decide to attend. Questions may be asked using the chat feature.

To register, visit https://lunarscience.arc.nasa.gov/nesfels2021/

Spanish Language Mini-Lessons #1

Watch the first of many videos providing beginner-level Spanish language instruction! Videos made by Eli, who teaches and tutors in Spanish and Arabic for Midwest Language Services.

Online English Courses for International Business

Do you want to learn English, but you have a busy schedule?

Midwest Language Services, LLC offers several options for busy professionals like you.

Independent English Course Plans that you can take at your own speed from the convenience of your computer. This is ideal for people who want to practice their reading and writing skills.

Video English Lessons are available online on our YouTube channel and we will be adding more in the coming weeks. As we add more videos, the quality will improve. Also, please send us your feedback about what English lessons would be helpful to you. For example, do you want to learn English for the hotel and hospitality industry or do you need English to work for the automotive industry or at a restaurant?

Group English Lessons help students learn from their classmates. We currently offer online group lessons and hope that we can offer more in-person lessons at your place of business! Contact us today about having English lessons at your location whether you are located in Indiana or in another state or country.

Private 1:1 English Lessons are conveniently scheduled at a time that works for you and your instructor. We provide English assessments to check your current level and offer regular homework (if this works for your schedule) and we can retest you every three months, every six months, or once a year. We also offer TOEIC training for business executives and their families who are interested in taking this assessment that is known worldwide. In case you are not familiar, with it, it is the Test of English for International Communication. Although there are options to take the test online, we currently offer training for the listening and reading test, but recommend that everyone also learn speaking and writing skills to improve their ability to communicate.

Indy's Global Village Welcome Center Hosts Free Spanish and Arabic Classes!

Where can you go to see artifacts from around the world in Indy? Did you guess the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis? Perhaps, but did you know that you can also visit a museum on the west side of Indianapolis? Check out the Global Village Welcome Center at 4233 Lafayette Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46254.

During the month of July, Midwest Language Services, LLC, in partnership with the International Marketplace Coalition, will be hosting FREE Spanish and Arabic classes at the Global Village Welcome Center!

If you have always wanted to learn some basic Spanish and Arabic phrases, now is your chance to learn fro free in a beautiful setting with new friends in Indy’s best place to find delicious ethnic food!

The introductory Spanish classes will take place on Tuesdays from 6:00 PM to 7:15 PM and the Arabic classes will take place on Fridays from 6:00 PM to 7:15 PM.

For more information, contact Eli at (317) 296-7997 or at info@midwestlanguageservices.com.