Tweet yourself to a new language

"yǒuyìsi: adjective meaning "interesting" in Mandarin Chinese."
This was the tweet I got today from 'Chineselanguage' on Twitter.

The creators of the daily tweets in Chinese send a new word each day as well as other useful language learning resources and info relevant to people interested in learning Mandarin.

The links from each new word go to their home page where an audio file of the new word can be heard, as well as a sample sentence and the Chinese writing of the word... This is a potentially great way for anyone to easily build up their vocabulary...

But the tweets aren't limited to Chinese... Whether you're interested in French, Spanish, German, Hindi, Korean, Arabic, Polish, Finnish.... Whatever. These guys, Transparent Language, seem to have a tweet and blog for loads of of them. Simply type in the language in the search section of twitter followed by the word 'language', for example for french type in "frenchlanguage", then follow the user that appears.

If you don't know what twitter is, simply click here to find out...

A list of blogs these guys have, and of which I also follow a few as they go more into detail and have loads of other free language learning resource links can be found here

And if you're interested in practicing the language by speaking it with others I suggest some kind of group of people with this same aim in mind...

In Paris there's a group called the POLYGLOT club that come together a few times each week in a bar to just speak different languages. There are people from all over, it's free and loads of fun. Check it out here.

You could look for a similar group wherever you live or even consider to create one yourself if you don't have any luck finding any...

So you say you want to buy a camel huh? One hump or two?

Just finished reading Conor Woodman's "Around the World in 80 trades".

Sudanses camels, Botswanan coffee, horses in Kyrgyzstan, blow-up bodyboards and jade from China, to Mexican Tequila or sustainably grown Brazilian Teak, Woodman's travels lead to trades of both the mundane and the bizarre, often with unexpeted results.

The book is a fine mix of entertainment, humour and education in the basic principles of economics and negotiation, and one I would definitely recommend. It is also a reminder of the many opportunities there really are if we just open our eyes and take a risk or two...

The British Channel 4 also ran series with the same title in which the author is filmed as he undertakes his above-mentioned adventures. The series is also really good and can be found on DVD.

You can find out more on the book in an interview from Channel 4 here, or get the book, audiobook or DVDs from Amazon here...

Ring.. Ring... your future job is on the line

Found some really good pointers on www.jobsearchjournal.com and I thought I'd share a summary of the article: "Five ways to prepare for a phone interview", for those fellow job seekers out there who, like me, may find their careers "on hold" at the moment...

1. Know the company - seemingly apparent, and yet it is true that thourough analysis online (for news about the company, info on the website, etc...) can make all the difference.
2. Know the position - get a job description, highlight it, note why you qualify for the post, and keep it close for when you pick up the phone.
3. Know the interviewer - Google, linkedIn, etc... The more familiar you are with the person you're speaking with, the better prepared you are to know which subjects may be interesting to talk about.
4. Prepare questions - interviewers will usually ask if you have questions at the end of the call and this allows you to get answers to reduce your own uncertainty, eg: "What are the next steps?", "When will I hear back from you?". Keep your questions ready.
5. Review your resume - cross-examining yourself in advance leaves you better prepared to mention the relevant skills, experiences and qualities, and why they qualify you for the position. It also allows you to anticipate resume-related questions that may be asked and answer them.
   

Land lines also beat cells/mobiles, they cut out less, and as with most things in life, better to be overly prepared than to get a nasty surprise...

Socialnomics?

Saw this video and thought I'd share it...




What are your thoughts? Socialnomics - another fad, or just a preview of the future?

Learn Spanish

Saw some great sites for Spanish learners.

Text, video, audio, translations/subtitles. The only thing that's missing is a chance to speak the language, but then that's what Spanish speaking friends and countries are for...

Buen aproveche !

http://ssl4you.blogspot.com pods, text, translations
http://lomastv.com videos

Where did all the good people go?

We speak a lot about social media and collaboration tools, but in the end these are only ways of collaborating and networking. The core has never changed, and he/she may be sitting right next to you. It's all about People !

Here are some points taken from one of the best-selling and most successful books on building relationships and selling ideas ever written: Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People"... Written almost a century ago, and still selling well today...

If it worked for Warren Buffet in earning his billions, maybe it may help you a little too...

• Never criticize, condemn or complain.

Self-criticism is extremely rare. Your criticism won't be welcome. Criticism makes others defensive and resentful. Positive Reinforcement works better.

• Become genuinely interested in other people.

People are most interested in themselves. Remember people's birthdays and other important details.

• Talk in terms of the other person's interests.

Find the interests of others and talk about those things. If you know nothing of their interests, ask intelligent questions.

• Be a good listener.

Give your exclusive attention to others. Urge others to talk about themselves. Ask pointed questions.

• Make the other person feel important.

People yearn to feel important and appreciated. Praise others' strengths and they'll strive to reinforce your opinion.

• Use Names whenever possible.

A person's name is their favourite word in any language

• Smile.

Greet others with smiles and enthusiasm. Smiling comes through even over the phone.

• If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.

Demonstrate your willingness to rationally examine the facts. If another is about to criticize you, don't let them start! A harsh self-rebuke may prompt the others to soften their critiques. Admitting errors clears guilt and everyone to move forward quickly.

• Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.

This is the most important point, and key to get what you want through others...

More points can be found at www.notesofintelligence.com, but I recommend the book or an audiobook for a more in depth view...

If you have any other tips of your own, or something to say about those above or the book itself, please feel free to comment here...

Facebook

Saw this on CNN recently...

Interesting developments: