MSI Press Blog

In How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately , Shekhtman suggests 7 tools that can take your language today to a much higher level tomorrow and the day after, without learning any new words or grammar. These tools teach you to make the most of what you have -- immediately. Here are the 7 tools: Show your stuff. Build your islands. Shift gears. Simplify. Embellish.  Break awar. Say what? Thousands of students around the world have proved that these tools work. Just Google them and see where all they have been used. (And Google contains only the tip of the iceberg.) Luca Lompiero says that this is a little book with a big bang. Are you learning a language? Try this book, recommended by leaders in the field, and see your language improve overnight -- then share your experiences with us! For more posts about Boris and his books, click HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter.

  When Doah was in elementary school, he had a wonderful teacher, or so we thought. She disappeared near the end of the year, however. We learned she had moved to another state. How we learned it was a shock. Why she moved to another state was a shock. The same shock. The principal called together the parents of the kids in that teacher's special education class. He told us that there had been allegations of sexual abuse of one or more of the children by the teacher. Modest abuse: voyeurism, but abuse nonetheless. She had fled out of state to avoid prosecution, it seemed.  Doah never said anything to us. We never knew who figured it out, if it were even true. But we were told that she had told each child that it was a secret. So, since Doah, being linguistically impaired, was definitely open to input, we taught him that the meaning of the word, secret, was "something really important to tell Mom or Dad right away."  He never forgot that definition. Many secrets over the y...

  This is a series of Caturday posts on the topic of taking in  feral cats .  General information (from pervious posts): For a few decades, we have rescued feral cats. In fact, with only one exception, our "domestic" cats have been ferals that we brought inside to join other ferals, already domesticated, as part of a bonded cat family. Right now, we have five cats (alas,  Murjan , the single non-feral cat we had, died from cancer last fall), all of whom get along pretty fabulously. Of course, all of that is easier said than done, and the bonding took time -- lots of it. Here are some of the things we did to create our cat family, some of which is not at all typical of what others have done, but it has worked for us. We don't trap the feral cats at all; we win them over and invite them in. We do this by feeding them a distance from the house and walking away, then moving the dish closer and closer to the house and walking less and less far away, until they are eating ...

Dr. Haim Omer, advocate of non-violent resistance and parenting expert, provides the following information about how to develop self-control in children. With everyone home these days, it seems like a good time to work on this -- and perhaps a necessary thing to do. Many parents said this is the best tip they received on how to develop self-control. The meaning is that the parent does not have to react immediately when the child provokes them or makes demands. On the contrary, reacting later is usually much better. The reasons are many: reacting later allows the parent to weigh their response, allows the parent to cool down and not act under pressure, and conveys a special kind of strength. It is not that you don't react immediately in some way. You do, but a central part of your reaction comes later. Of course you act immediately in order to protect your children. For instance, if there is violence between siblings, you step in between them! Some mothers say, "but ...

  What separates a good language learner from a truly impressive communicator? It’s not always grammar drills or endless vocabulary lists. Often, it’s the ability to hold  dynamic conversations —those fluid, engaging, and responsive interactions that feel alive, purposeful, and even fun. In fact, dynamic conversation is where a language learner can truly shine. In the newly released fifth edition of  How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately , you’ll discover a powerful collection of tools specifically designed to help you do just that. These aren’t abstract theories or gimmicks. They’re practical, tested techniques that can elevate your spoken language on the spot—so much so that listeners may believe your fluency has taken a quantum leap overnight. What Makes a Conversation “Dynamic”? Dynamic conversations are not simply about speaking quickly or with perfect accuracy. They are marked by: Responsiveness : Adapting to your conversation partner’s tone, body languag...

  What separates a good language learner from a truly impressive communicator? It’s not always grammar drills or endless vocabulary lists. Often, it’s the ability to hold  dynamic conversations —those fluid, engaging, and responsive interactions that feel alive, purposeful, and even fun. In fact, dynamic conversation is where a language learner can truly shine. In the newly released fifth edition of  How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately , you’ll discover a powerful collection of tools specifically designed to help you do just that. These aren’t abstract theories or gimmicks. They’re practical, tested techniques that can elevate your spoken language on the spot—so much so that listeners may believe your fluency has taken a quantum leap overnight. What Makes a Conversation “Dynamic”? Dynamic conversations are not simply about speaking quickly or with perfect accuracy. They are marked by: Responsiveness : Adapting to your conversation partner’s tone, body languag...