10 Rules for Positive Parenting

1.  Know your child. Parents fall short when they try to make their children more intelligent, assertive, and graceful or accomplished than they are naturally disposed to be. They fail them just as much when they ignore or deny their real talents and temperament. 

2.  Know yourself. Examine your motives in wanting more from your child. Parents may have their own shame or unmet needs that they project onto their children.

     Do you want our child to take dance lessons because your parents forced them on you? Were you a mediocre athlete but hope for trophy in the next generation?

3.  Educate yourself. Talk to other parents and your pediatrician, and read child-development books to learn what you can reasonably except from your child at each stage of his life.

4.  Empathize. Take time to see yourself through your child’s eyes. Do you act embarrassed by him? Do you point out only his mistakes? Would you want to be treated that way?

5.  Make adjustments. “No one responds well to someone who is accusatory or judgemental. If you find yourself harping on what your child can’t do, refocus on her strengths. Once you change your attitude, you may find that she changes too.

6.  Collaborate. Create a partnership with your child in which he can participate in setting appropriate goals and solving problems.

7.  Read how your child feels. Your child’s behavior- anger, fidgeting, procrastination- says a lot about whether she is being asked to do more than she can manage.

8.  Explore possibilities. A good way to encourage I to expose your children to a variety of environments, including sports, the arts, nature and science.

9.  Keep your eye on the end goal. A parent’s main objective should be to raise a child who loves well and takes pleasure in life. You don’t want to stifle curiosity, initiative and confidence.

10.   Avoid comparisons. A style of parenting that works for one child may backfire for his sibling. Every child has his own personality.

Tips for Speaking English Better

Language study requires hard work and careful effort. Some ways have proven themselves more successful than others. Ten such ways are given here for your improvement.

 1. Find a Partner.

 Communication in any language is really practical when there are two agents. Therefore, at the beginning you have to find a partner for making English conversation and it is better to find a partner from your peers with whom you are really comfortable to communicate may be with all your mistakes

           

2. Start thinking everything in English and use chunks.

 Don’t try to speak sentences translated from other languages. Always think in English and speak spontaneously. Talk to yourself. Play back in your mind the language what you just heard, mimicking (to copy the way somebody speaks) intonation, stress (an extra force used when pronouncing a particular word), etc. This will help you to improve your fluency.

 This helps the beginners particularly. Chunks are phrases or groups of words which can be learnt as a unit by one who is learning a language. Examples of chunks are ‘Can I have the bill, please?’ and ‘Pleased to meet you’, etc. This is another way to improve your fluency. It is because, while learning English, it is very important to notice how words are often heard together.

             

3.Don’t worry too much about Making Mistakes.

  Get over your shyness and hesitation. Use the language as often as you can; may be with a lot of mistakes at the beginning. Slowly, you will be all right. The more you speak the faster you will learn. Also don't try to avoid the “illers’ /noises’, “repetition of words’, ‘pauses’ etc.

Even the native speakers use “filler’ phrases to varying degrees. These are phrases like “What I’m trying to say is ...”, “If you know what I mean . . . “, “Let me think a minute here...”etc., which give speakers a small space to think before they express their next idea.

4. Don’t worry about starting trouble

  Even native speakers of English find it difficult to get started. So, don’t let the starting trouble disturb you. Using discourse markers (a word or phrase that organizes spoken language into different parts, for example ‘Well …’ or ‘On the other hand …’) is a good idea in handling starting trouble.

 Okay, all right, right then, well, hmm’, you know, like, etc., are all examples of discourse markers used in conversation. They are employed to give the speaker a second to think about what he wants to say. At the beginning don’t speak fast. Being fluent does NOT mean speaking quickly. It is better to speak slowly and clearly at the beginning than quickly and incoherently. People will not understand you if you speak too quickly with the wrong intonation (the rise and fall of the voice in speaking, especially as this affects the meaning of what is being said).

5. Don’t follow written English Style and don’t learn by heart.

 Don’t try to follow a formal written English style or don’t make deliberate attempts to speak full and complete sentences as in written English. Also don’t try to connect your sentences through logical connectors like ’Above all’, ‘in addition to’ etc.

                                             

6. Hear English Everywhere.

 Have you ever asked yourself: “How did I learn my own language?” In fact, you never really “learned” it at all - you just started speaking it. One day, when you were about two or three years old, you started speaking your language. A few words at first, not full sentences. But you spoke. And very soon you made progress without even thinking about it.

It was like magic ! But it wasn’t magic. It was the result of hearing. For two to three years before you spoke, you heard people speaking your language all day and may be all night. You heard people speaking your language. May be you listened to people, but more importantly you heard them. For two to three years, words went IN to your head.

Then words came OUT of your head! That is why hearing (and listening to) English as much as possible is so important to you now. The more English you put in, the more you’ll get out! There are many ways of hearing English:

Radio:

Two of the best international networks are the BBC World Service and Voice of America. Both of them have special programmes for learners of English. In addition to this you can make it a habit to listen to News broadcast by All India Radio.

Television:

TV helps both in hearing and listening to English. The pictures help you understand what is being said. Again BBC, CNN, DD News, NDTV24/7, Star News etc, are the good choices to serve our purpose. When you are watching TV, observe the mouth movements of the speakers. Repeat what they are saying, imitating the intonation and rhythm of their speech.

Cinema:

Make it a habit to watch to English films. If you need to read the sub-titles, at least you’ll be hearing English even if you don’t understand it.

CD Player / Computer:

CD player has one really great advantage. You can hear/watch repeatedly by replaying them. If there are sub-titles, you can cover them with paper (which you can remove if you really don’t understand after listening several times).

Friends:

 Try to make friendship with English-speaking people so that you can practice your English through conversation. This will serve as an exercise for your speaking as well as listening. At least you can chat a little by telephone. Thus, if you want to speak English better in the future, speak it as much as, possible NOW! Finally, don’t worry if you don’t understand everything you hear. Hearing comes first! Understanding comes next!

 Record your own voice (if possible) and listen for pronunciation mistakes.

7. Develop your Active Vocabulary.

 Active vocabulary consists of the words you use frequently and comfortably in speaking and writing, while passive vocabulary consists of the words you recognize when you read and listen. So one has to increase his Active Vocabulary to be good speaker.

Learn new words every day. If you add 5 words a day, to your vocabulary, you will learn about 150 new words a month. As you are searching for words that you want to know, it will be easier to remember them. Do it this way

 a) Keep a small notebook handy: Think of a word you know in your mother tongue. As you read, study, listen to TV or talk with other people, note down words and expressions that you think would be helpful for you. 

b) Look it up in your dictionary. Refer only an English - English dictionary. Get into the habit of looking up words which you don't know and their phonetic symbols (for correct pronunciation of words when you are not sure).

 c) Write the English definition of every thing.

d) Copy a sentence from the dictionary. This will help you learn how to use the word correctly. Do not yet write your own sentence. Practice reading this sentence until it becomes natural for you.

8. Make Substututions.

 If you learn some basic sentences in English, you will be able to make unlimited number of sentences based on this basic structure. This process is called substitution. Let us see how it works : Basic sentence  : Do you speak English?

Substitutions:

 I. Do you speak Hindi / Do you speak Spanish? / Do you speak Tamil ? / Do you speak Greek? / Do you speak Italian ? (Just imagine how many sentences you can make substituting English).

II. Do your sisters speak English (Just imagine how many sentences you can make substituting you into your...

 III.Do you speak English fluently?  (Just imagine how many sentences you can make adding one more word )    

 9. Read aloud (the books that are not too difficult).

Read aloud in English for one to two hours each day. This will help you strengthen the mouth muscles that you use when you speak English. It will also help you to Listen, Speak and learn new words.

Find a book that is not too difficult - don’t be embarrassed to start with a children’s storybook with pictures! Once you feel comfortable with these kinds of books, you can start reading simple short stories and then graduate to novels

 10. Make a promise.

It is said that zeal without action is fire without heat. So be active from today. Even make a promise to follow all the above tips. On one fine day you will be speaking fluent English. It is true like law of gravitation. Follow the AIM CARD that will be given to you at the beginning of the course. So this is a new day in your life. Look forward. Success will be yours.

Remember for speaking better in English you have to listen and read a lot.

Homophones I Words having same pronunciation but different meanings

English is full of words that sound similar or identical, but that mean different things. Only in English can you “stare at the stair,” “sail to the sale,” “break the brake,” or “brush the hare’s hair.” Such words are called HOMOPHONES.

HOMOPHONES - Each of two or more words having the same pronunciation but different meanings, origins, or spelling.

 It can be hard to remember which spelling refers to which meaning. As a result, sound-alike words are often used incorrectly in writing. (In spoken English, of course, sound-alikes are not an issue. Spelling doesn’t matter when you talk!)

 This post includes fourteen sound-alike word groups that tend to give writers fits. Read the definitions, and memorize the helpful hints. You’ll be on your way to better written grammar in no time at all!

1. Don’t confuse “except” and “accept.”

In its most common usage, “except” is a preposition. It means with the exception of: Everyone except Hector went to the circus. “Accept” is a verb. It means to receive, approve, or believe: Denise accepted the award. I was accepted to the gifted program. I accept what you’re telling me. To keep “except” and “accept” straight, remember that “a” is the first letter of the word “action.” “Accept,” which is a verb and therefore an action word, also starts with “a”.

 2. Don’t confuse “affect” and “effect.”

“Affect “is a verb. It means to influence something: His hard work will affect his grade in that course. “Effect” is usually a noun, and it means the result of something: His hard work will have a good effect on his grade in that course.

         The word “effect” is also sometimes (though not often) used a verb. As a verb, the word means to make something happen: That new law will certainly effect change.

          To keep “affect” and “effect” straight, apply the same rule you learned in the Tip 1. “Affect” is an action word “effect” usually isn’t.

3. Don’t confuse “capitol” and “capital.”

A “capitol” is a building where a state’s or country’s government meets: The officials gathered in the capitol.

         The noun “capital” has several meanings. A capital may be the city that contains the capitol: Pierre is the capital of South Dakota. It can refer to wealth: She will need a lot of capital to start her own business. It can mean an uppercase letter: Always use a capital at the beginning of a sentence. And finally, it can refer to the main or most famous city in a certain respect: Philadelphia is sometimes called cheesesteak capital of the world.

          If you get mixed up, just remember that “capitol” only means a government building. For every other usage, “capital” is the correct word.

 4. Don’t confuse the words “compliment” and “complement.”

 “Compliment” can be a noun or a verb. As a noun, it means a flattering remark: She always receives lots of compliments when she wears that beautiful dress.  As a verb, it means to give a compliment: John complimented Lara on her new hairdo.

“Complement” can also be a noun or a verb. As a noun, it means something that completes or improves something else: Gravy is the perfect complement to mashed potatoes. As a verb , it means to complete or to improve: The players’ styles complemented each other nicely.

 It may help to picture the word “complement” as “comple(te)ment.”

 5. Don’t confuse “stationary” and “stationery.”

 “Stationary” is an adjective. It means staying in one place: Judy exercised by riding the stationary bicycle.

“Stationary” is a noun. It means writing materials: Lisa’s stationery is covered with pictures of teddy bears.

To tell the difference between these words, remember that “stationary”, which is an adjective, is the word that contains the “a” instead of the “e” – and “a” stands for adjective.

6. Don’t confuse “principle” and “principal.”

“Principle” is a noun. It means a basic rule or assumption: He struggled to learn the principles of geometry. “Principal” can be a noun or an adjective. As a noun, it usually means the leader of a school or business: The principal gave me detention. The executives wrote a report for the principals. As an adjective, it means most important: Lester has the principal role in the play.

 Here’s a memory shortcut for you. Remember this phrase: “The principal is your pal.” That takes care of the noun version of the word. As for the rest…. Well, once again, the “a” in “principal” stands for “adjective.”

7. Don’t confuse “then” and “than.”

“Then” is an adverb. It indicates a time sequence: Carrie sneezed, and then blew her nose. “Than” is usually a conjunction. It indicates a comparison: My brother is two years older than I am. That’s easier said than done.

8. Don’t confuse “further” and “farther.”

 “Further” can be an adverb or an adjective. As an adverb, it means to a greater degree: The disobedient child further annoyed her tired mother. As an adjective, it means additional: Eddie needed further help.

 “Farther” can also be an adverb or an adjective. As an adverb, it means to a greater distance: The library is a little farther down this road. As an adjective, it means more distant: There are more coconuts on the farther side of the island.

Remember that in either form, the word “farther” always involves measurable distance. If you could use a ruler on something, “farther” is correct. If not, “further” is the word you’re looking for.

9. Don’t confuse “lie” and “lay.”

         
In their verb forms, “lie” and “lay” are two of the, most commonly confused words in the English language. So if you have a trouble in this area, you are not alone!

The word “lie” has many definitions. Its most often confused one is to rest in a horizontal position:  The cat lies on its cushion. The word “lay,” too, has many definitions, but its most often confused one is to put in positions: Lay your coat on the couch.

It Might help you to remember that “lay” always requires an object. That is, you must always say what you’re laying for this word to be correct. You can “lay down the law” (lay what? The law) but you can’t “lay on the bed” (lay what? A pillow)

There is no simple solution to this grammar challenge. Practice until you get it right!

 10. Don’t confuse “sit” and “set.”

The difference between “sit” and “set” is very similar to the difference between “lie” and “lay.” In its most common definition, “sit” means to rest on the haunches: The elephant will sit on that little stool. The most often confused meaning of “set” is to place: Rosie set the apple on the table.

“Sit” is not often used in place of “set.” “Set,” however, is commonly misused. You might hear someone saying, “I think I’ll just set here awhile.” Wrong!

Here’s a hint. Like “lay,” “set” requires an object. If the object is missing, you know the word “set” is wrong.

11. Don’t confuse “it’s” and “its.”

 A lot of people make this mistake, but it’s actually an easy one to avoid if you remember that “it’s” is always a contraction for either “it is” or “it has.” In every other circumstance, “its” is correct

Right: It’s a bad idea.

Right: The bird carries worms to its babies.

When in doubt, substitute the words “it is” for “its” or “it’s.” It is a bad idea sounds right, so you know the contraction “it’s” is appropriate. The bird carries worms to it is babies, however, is obviously wrong, so you must go with “its.”

 12. Don’t confuse “you’re” and “your.”

      
These words, too, are easy to tell apart if you remember that “you’re” is always a contraction for “you are.” In most other circumstances, “your” is correct. (There is another sound-alike word, “yore,” which means long ago. But most people don’t use this word too much. “You’re” and “your” are much more common.)

In these examples, “you’re” and “your” are used correctly:

                   You’re my best friend.

                 Can I borrow your book?

Use the same substitution trick you learned in Tip 10 if you are not sure which word to use. You’ll see very quickly that You are my best friend is correct while Can I borrow you are book is not correct.

3. Don’t confuse “they’re” and “there” and “their.”

      
 Once again, contraction can help you. Start by remembering that “they’re” is always a contraction for “they are”: They’re going to spend the day at the beach.

       The next two are a little trickier, but still not too tough. “There” is usually an adverb, and it indicates a place or position: Stand over there. There he is. “Their” is an adjective, and it indicates possession: The rock pile blocked their path. (Whose path? Theirs)

       Here’s a memory trick to help you. “There” is spelled like “where.” If you can ask the question “where” about a sentence (Stand where? There. He is where? There.), then sound0-alike word “there” is the right choice.

 14. Don’t confuse “too,” "two" and “to.” 

   
“Too” is an adverb. It can mean either in addition. Give me some cookies, too! or overly: There are too many mosquitoes out tonight.

     “Two” is usually an adjective, and it indicates a number: Take two aspirin and call me in the morning.

     “To” is usually a preposition. In its most common usage, it indicates movement toward a person, place, or thing: I biked to school. I gave the gum to Pete.

     For most people, the word “two” isn’t the problem. “To” and “too,” however, are often confused. Unfortunately, there is no easy trick to remembering how these words are used. This is one more area where practice makes perfect.

 ******

 

Apps for Women's Safety

The status of women has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. Violence against women is increasing day by day and some android applications have been developed for their safety. Here, I am providing you the detailed information of some useful applications 

1.Circle Of 6

>>Introduction

With Circle of 6, you can connect with your friends to stay close, stay safe and prevent violence before it happens.

The Circle of 6 app for iPhone and Android makes it quick and easy to reach the 6 friends you choose.

Need help getting home? Need an interruption? Two touches lets your circle know where you are and how they can help.

Icons represent actions; so that no one can tell what you’re up to.

Designed for college students, it’s fast, easy-to-use and private.

It’s the mobile way to look out for your friends, on campus or when you’re out for the night.

>>What it does

You're out late and you lose track of your friends. Use Circle of 6 to send your circle a “come and get me” message- with a map using GPS to show your precise location.

You're on a date that starts to get uncomfortable. You need a polite way to excuse yourself. Use Circle of 6 to alert your circle to call you and interrupt the situation.

You're seeing someone new, but you have some doubts about how things are going. Use Circle of 6 to access a wealth of online information about healthy relationships.

In critical situations, use Circle of 6 to call two pre-programmed national hotlines or a local emergency number of your choice.

2.Nirbhaya

This app is made by a software company of Pune. An app that gives you an opportunity to become a Socially Responsible Citizen of India. This app provides you the facility to call the emergency helpline numbers when needed. If you want help, then press the ‘Nirbhaya’ button given in this app and the message will be sent to the contact group that you have created. It also gives the information of your location.

3.Life360 Family Locator

More than an app, it notifies close and dear ones about the trouble. It provides useful information; for instance, about the criminals in the neighbourhood, tracking the most visited locations and so on. It also keeps connected with the family members on a daily basis and with the aid of GPS, it informs others about the exact location though messages, calls and emails with the press of a button. Its usage can be beyond safety issues. The app is available for free and can be used in iPhone, Android and Blackberry phones.


4.b Safe

>>Introduction

bSafe is a personal safety app designed to keep you and your friends safer 24/7. It’s packed with features for both everyday safety and real emergencies, making it the ultimate safety tool for you and everyone you love. bSafe puts safety in YOUR hand - for FREE! Set up your own personal social safety network today.

Have you ever felt unsafe when walking alone at night, or jogging on a running trail? Have you ever needed an excuse to get out of a bad date or long meeting, or simply been looking for an easier way to hook up with your closest friends? Have you ever worried about how you actually would get help in case of an emergency?

>>bSafe can help in all situations:

• Set up your own social personal safety network of friends, family and coworkers

• Share locations to find each other more easily (optional)

• Ask friends to walk you home with Follow Me’s live GPS trace, or help friends stay safer by walking them home from wherever you are

• Use Timer Mode to program an automatic alarm that will trigger if you have not checked in in time

• Use I’m Here to tell selected people where you are right now

• Use Fake Call to make the phone ring when you want it to. You can even define who the call should be from

• And in case you are ever in trouble, the Guardian Alert button will immediately notify your friends and family members that you need help, and let them know where you are (GPS) and what’s happening (video). It will even set off a siren (optional)

5.SOS Whistle

>> Introduction

This app play a whistle sound in a high volume. If your phone is at silent mode and you are in any hurdle, even then whistle sound will be played.

The whistle sound is played when a button given in this app is pressed. It will stop if you press the button again. 

6.Vith U

>>Introduction

“Vith U App” can help you in any emergency or danger. This app was introduced by Channel V and Gumrah Team. Vith U app is just an awesome app, not for girls but it is helpful for everyone.

>>How To Use

First of all download this app, now open this app and add your few contacts on it, generally your guardians, brother or close friends. Now whenever you found yourself in trouble, just open the Vith U App and click on activate button twice. After tapping activate button, this app automatically start sending out alert messages to all the contacts you saved into this app. And this automated alert message states: “I am in danger. I need help. Please follow my location.” This automated message gets delivered to the all contacts you saved in this app along with the link of your current location. This automated message keeps delivering again and again after the gap of 2 minutes.

7.Guardly

It is a personal safety application designed for women which connects with all of the safety network connections. It differs from the other apps as it places phone calls to those listed contacts along with the name, real-time location and the type of emergencies- “Stroke” or “Walking Home Alone” and also enables to identify different locations. It has a profile page where the user can includes personal information like birth date, eye’ hair color, weight, height, blood type and so on. The subscribed version enables responders to connect to conference calls. The paid version includes tracking of real-time location. It is available for iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7 phones.



8.FightBack

FightBack, developed by the Mahindra group firm, is an application that ensures women safety as it works across various range of phones. Earlier, the application was charged as per the usage, but recently after the Delhi gang rape case, the company has started giving free access to the app. It uses GPS, GPRS, SMS, emails and even Facebook to inform friends in need of help. It also shows location on Google Maps and sends SOS emergency text messages to close and dear ones. The app is available for Android and Nokia phones and for phones which support Java apps.

Kalidasa – the country’s ageless poet- laureate

Kalidasa is the all time national poet of India, and the country’s ageless poet- laureate. He is looked upon as Kavikulaguru, the Poet of Poets. He has written two long poems, the Ritusamhara and Meghaduta, two epics, the Kumarasambhava and the Raghuvamsa and three plays the Malvikagnimitra, Vikramorvasiya and the Saakuntalam.

         Ritusamhara (Collection of Seasons) and Meghaduta (The Cloud Messenger) are called Kalidasa’s lyric-poems expressing the poet’s own thoughts. Both are basically love poems and in the form of a lover addressing his beloved. In the ‘Seasons’, the poet himself assumes the role of a lover and in the first person, speaks to women he is in love with. He describes the six seasons into which the year is divided in India, in their proper sequence, and invites her to share with him the delights of each season. The seasons are greeshma (summer), varsha (rainy season), sharad (autumn), hemanta (the season of dew or early winter), sisira (mid-winter) and vasantha (spring). The poem is a celebration of life. In fact Kalidasa, more than any other world poet, celebrated life through all his works.

         ‘The Cloud Messenger’ is about the pain of separation a husband feels on being separated from his wife. The hero is a Yaksha, a semi-celestial being who has his home in Alaka, a city of unequalled beauty in the upper Himalayas. He is the service of his king, the king of Yakshas.

         The Yaksha is now living in exile, having been banished by his king for some lapse in the performance of his duty. He is exiled by the king for one year to Ramagiri, a distant place somewhere in central India. Fortunately for him it is a place of serene beauty with ‘abodes of sages among shady trees and sacred streams’.

         A few months of the exile are already over and now the rainy season is quite near. The thought of his wife has never for a moment left him with its attendant pain of separation. He sees a rain cloud high up in the sky. Monsoon clouds in India generally go northward in the direction of the Himalayas, where Alaka is situated. So he beseeches the cloud to carry his message of love and solace to his distraught wife. Kalidasa uses his Cloud Messenger to present a fleeting view of the India of his times. Its mythology, rivers and mountains, countryside and cities, people in their various moods like wives anxious for the return of their husbands from distant lands, maidens gathering flowers, courtesans, men given to drinking, evening worship in temples, are all focused momentarily.

         The epics Kumarasambhava (The birth of Kumara) and Raghuvamsa (The dynasty of Raghu) have their themes taken from Indian mythology. So also is the theme of the play Saakuntalam, which is the poet’s most celebrated work. All the three plays are centered in love like ‘Romeo and Juliet’, but unlike Shakespeare’s great tragedy, Kalidasa plays have happy endings.

         Kalidasa is the supreme nature poet. “Rarely has a man walked our earth who observed the phenomena of living nature as accurately as he, though his accuracy was of course that of the poet, not of the scientist,” says the great critic A.W. Ryder. “Much is lost to us who grow among other plants and animals; yet we can appreciate his ‘bee-black hair’, his ahoka tree ‘that sheds its blossoms in a rain of tears’, his river ‘wearing somber veil of mist’.”

         Though he is India’s icon of poetry, even his date and place of birth are still subjects of scholarly debate and research. The dates proposed vary from the second century BC to the third century AD. Claims for his place of birth also vary widely from Kashmir and Bengal to Kerala. His works suggest he has travelled widely and has a firsthand knowledge of the India of his time.

         His parentage is also shrouded in mystery. According to the most popular legend he was born a goatherd in the Malwa country. He was an unlettered boy tending goats, when he providentially received the gift of learning from Goddess Kali, fierce as well as compassionate. Judging by the knowledge of scriptures he displays in his works, some scholars hold the view that he was born of Brahmin parents. There is yet another school, who consider him of Greek origin. They base their argument from the bold freedom of his poetry in Ritusamhara.

         Kalidasa was, by all accounts, a legend in his own lifetime. He was one of the nine gems – navaratnas – in the court of an equally legendary ruler, King Vikramaditya of Ujjain. The many legends about him popular across India depict him a happy-go-lucky type of man, but a great scholar, living the luxurious life of a court-poet, respected and cherished by the king himself.