#Effective Language Learning Strategies

[theenglishnook]

The Role of Motivation and Attitude in Language Learning

Understanding motivation and attitude is crucial for successful language learning. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, positive attitudes towards the language and its culture, and supportive learning environments significantly impact learners' progress.

Motivation in Language Learning Language learning is a complex process that presents various challenges, such as mastering grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural nuances. Understanding motivation and attitude is crucial because they can significantly influence a learner’s success in overcoming these challenges and achieving proficiency. Types of Motivation in More Detail Motivation…

[macrafff]

Meaningful Learning in Malay Language: Primary School Remedial Education

INTRODUCTION In this age of globalization, the world community has received various changes influenced by the development of technology. Industry and education in a country will be affected because the services provided are for the improvement and change of a community or society that now receives technological skills. All information or info is shared with various technology mediums that can be…

[matrix-fairy]

Divine Talent

In the Matrix Destiny chart, I will be sharing a thread about the talent arcana energies, which is the position you most frequently ask about. The spot marked with X on the map is what we call divine talent, which represents the talents your soul is inherently born with in this life.

1 - You have many ideas and can generate ideas easily. When activated positively, you have the potential to succeed in whatever you touch.

2 - You can understand other people's motivations, that is, you can grasp why they do what they do at a glance. This gives you esoteric abilities.

3 - You have a good taste and a high sense of aesthetics. You have the ability to expand; you can turn a small task into big projects.

4 - You excel in team management and establishing authority. You have a strong talent for attracting money. If money isn’t coming to you, it means you are activating this area negatively.

5 - You have a talent for learning and teaching. You can master anything and explain everything you know in a way the other side can understand.

6 - Your communication skills and sincerity stand out. You are someone people come to for advice, trust what you say, and listen to your words.

7 - You have the ability to progress quickly in any job, reach your desired goals, and inspire change in both yourself and those around you.

8 - It's hard, if not impossible, for others to lie to you. You can approach everything objectively. You can achieve balance and harmony.

9 - You are more mature than your age, and this grants you wisdom. You have the ability to achieve your inner goals (knowing yourself, realizing your dreams and desires) on your own.

10 - This is a placement that brings luck. You have the talent to manage finances easily and spot profitable opportunities. You can easily attract people to yourself.

11 - Your physical and spiritual endurance is strong. You can do everything at once. You know your strengths and can use them in the most accurate way.

12 - Spiritual practices (like meditation, breathing, reiki) work well for you and have healing effects when applied to others. You have a different perspective and can solve seemingly unsolvable problems.

13 - You can make the necessary changes in every area of life and are not afraid to take risks. You can learn multiple things at once. You have the ability to easily absorb deep and detailed information.

14 - You have diplomacy and mediation skills. You can calm conflicts and maintain your composure during these processes.

15 - By opening yourself to others, you can show them what they cannot see in themselves. You can easily identify others' weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and talents.

16 - You are talented in directing people, organizing, and creating strategies. You can foresee events and chart your course accordingly.

17 - Your ability to express yourself is unique and creative. You can be the center of attention in any field you wish, shine, and stand out from the crowd.

18 - Your subconscious is very powerful. You may receive information through dreams, and your dreams may come true. Your manifesting ability is strong; everything you visualize can come into your life.

19 - You have leadership qualities and can inspire/give strength to others for success. You have the ability to not give up no matter what.

20 - You have good speaking skills and can influence masses. You can create systems from nothing and have excellent analytical skills. It's hard to confuse you.

21 - You have an aptitude for foreign languages and cultures. You can adapt to any environment. You can produce knowledge and content for a wide audience or listener base.

22 - Your decisions and thoughts may be unpredictable by those around you. You influence people with your positive energy. You can turn every tough task into fun and achieve results that will surprise everyone.

Book a reading with me 🎀

[quietdeparturesarchive]

Glow Up from the Inside: Habits and Skills

Glowing up isn’t just about what’s on the outside—it’s about sharpening your mind, expanding your skills, and becoming someone who moves through life with purpose.

Here are some Skills and Habits that can help you glow up from within 💚

✨ Emotional Intelligence – Learn to manage your emotions, set boundaries, and communicate effectively.

🗞 Self-Discipline – Do what needs to be done even when you don’t feel like it. Build consistency over motivation.

💻 Mindful Consumption – Be intentional with what you read, watch, and listen to. Your inputs shape your mindset.

🎧 Confidence through Action – Stop waiting to feel ready—confidence comes from doing.

🕯 Resilience & Adaptability – Learn to pivot instead of break when life changes. Growth > Perfection.

☀️ The Power of Being Present – Reduce overthinking by focusing on the now. Mindfulness is a game changer.

📋 Learn a New Language – Expanding your vocabulary expands your mindset. Speaking multiple languages changes how you see the world.

♟ Strategic Thinking – Get into chess, puzzles, or strategy-based games. It sharpens problem-solving and decision-making skills.

✉️ Express Yourself Through Writing – Journaling, storytelling, or poetry—writing helps you understand yourself and process emotions.

📚 Read to Expand Your Mind – Fiction for imagination, non-fiction for growth. What you read shapes your thoughts.

xoxo, sally

pic1 | pic2 | pic3

[unsolicited-opinions]

how long do you give it for the Free Palestine movement, as it stands right now, to self-implode?

I'm not going to make predictions about the Western "Free Palestine" movement, but I'll try to put it in some context.

How Long Until the Western "Free Palestine" Movement Implodes?

Pattern Recognition: Comrades Eat Comrades

Western leftist movements are uniquely good at destroying themselves from within. I don't mean in a vague "movements always change" kind of way. I mean they start off energized, decentralized, idealistic…and then flame out in spectacular fashion after turning on their own organizers for being insufficiently pure.

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) collapsed in the 1970s when it split into warring factions…some of whom literally became terrorists.

Occupy Wall Street No hierarchy, no demands, no outcomes. Just a long, slow descent into incoherence as activists argued over process, language, identity, and whose trauma deserved the most microphone time.

The problem wasn't the cause.

It was the belief that moral clarity must always mean moral absolutism. Absolutism inevitably leads to internal purges. The only real suspense is how fast it happens. Ideological rigidity eventually leads to doom.

Say what you want about the political far right (and I do because they suck), but they do understand how to rally behind a single message and follow a demagogue without asking whether he centers each of their specific sub-groups and sub-interests.

We saw in the 2024 election how many leftist purists were willing to help sabotage an imperfect candidate generally aligned with their values...and help elect Trump.

Why? Because the candidate who agreed with 65%-70% of their positions was more offensive to them than someone who has openly expressed admiration for Hitler. (How's that been working out for you, leftist purists?) These parts of the far left have their heads firmly up their own pure asses. They can’t/won't see the forest for the trees.

They subvert the goals they claim to care about because they're too busy performing their purity and moral absolutism for each other and clout instead of trying to effect changes to policy.

An Aesthetic of Resistance

The Western "Free Palestine" movement, especially since October 7th, has exploded in scale and visibility.

While some people are genuinely driven by concern for Palestinian civilians, a whole lot of others are clearly in it for the aesthetic, the vibes, the social belonging, or the drama.

It's a chance to cosplay 1968 without reading anything published before 2010.

What the Western "Free Palestine" movement offers isn't a roadmap to peace, justice, or statehood. It offers an identity. It's a moral fashion statement. You wear the scarf, you learn the slogans, you change your bio, and…congratulations! You're part of something Righteous and you didn't have to sacrifice or even learn anything!

An aesthetic of resistance, however, is not a strategy. It doesn't change policy. It doesn't build power. It doesn't endure.

Worse, it doesn't tolerate any nuance. In a coalition built on branding, anyone who doesn't fit the brand becomes a threat.

It can't permit any introspection or growth, so while might grow in size, extremism, or tactics, it's intellectually sterile, and that can make it ineffective and/or brittle.

Pattern Recognition: Factions and Purges

Leftist movements which base their legitimacy on moral purity almost always eventually turn inward.

First they identify the oppressor, then then identify the collaborators, then they start purging anyone insufficiently zealous. Eventually, everyone's a collaborator.

That’s already happening.

Mainstream ceasefire activists have been smeared as traitors by more radical circles for not calling explicitly for the abolition of Israel. Members of groups like JVP or IfNotNow (who for years were considered the "edgy" left flank) are now sometimes labeled as gatekeepers, liberals, or even crypto-Zionists for refusing to call October 7 a legitimate form of resistance…and JVP and INN keep shifting with the overton window of their movement to greater degrees of extremism.

Arab and Palestinian organizers who speak about nonviolence, coexistence, or long-term political strategy are being pushed out of leadership roles and branded as traitors...by white cultural Christians who know far less about the matter than they do. If they suggest anything other than total victory for Hamas and the destruction of Israel "by any means necessary," they're branded a sellout or a Westernized Zionist. The movement increasingly rewards people who sound revolutionary...not people who organize effectively.

Jewish allies to their movement, even the extremely anti-Zionist ones, are walking on eggshells. Support is conditional. They're expected to show up, shut up, and definitely not talk about antisemitism unless they want to be accused of derailing and supporting genocide. The number of Jews who've been publicly smeared or privately frozen out by movements they supported is growing fast, and most of them aren't saying anything. They just walk away. I don't know what their numbers are, but I've spoken with a handful like this. In each case, it was the privately unrestrained antisemitism which broke the spell and helped them realize what was happening.

Internal discourse policing is relentless. Want to talk about the complexity of Hamas's role in Palestinian suffering? You're platforming Zionist narratives. Want to discuss how sexual violence on October 7 has been minimized? That's "white feminism." Want to clarify that Jewish self-determination doesn’t inherently mean colonialism? You've committed the cardinal sin of nuance and must be purged.

None of this is new. It’s the same bullshit which took down SDS, tore apart the anti-Iraq war movement, and gutted Occupy from the inside. When your movement decides internal deviation is a bigger threat than external opposition, it stops building anything and just chases ideological purity.

Social Media May Accelerate the Cannibalism

In the past, movements have sometimes eaten themselves slowly. SDS took years. The anti-globalization movement unraveled over the better part of a decade. 

That was all before social media. Now what used to take five years can happen in five weeks.

Every far left movement now has an online wing and an IRL wing. The online wing is where purity spirals metastasize because virality rewards outrage, not organization.

Calling someone a colonial apologist gets more engagement than helping to register voters.

But Engagement ≠ Change.

So what does that mean for the Free Palestine movement? It might just undergo a slow, chaotic unraveling. Callouts, splintering, people walking away in frustration or disgust because they're too tired of it to say much about it as they just…stop showing up.

"Free Palestine" means..?

One of the biggest warning signs here is that no one consistently agrees on what the endgame is. We know that to Hamas it means the end of Israel, but it's much more vague for many "Free Palestine" activists. It can mean:

End the occupation of the West Bank!

Ceasefire!

One-state solution!

Two-state solution!

Third intifada, globalized!

Dismantle the state of Israel!

Ask 10 of them, get 12 answers. In normal movements, that's no big deal, because people are allowed to disagree. In this movement, though, disagreement is treated like betrayal.

If you say you support a two-state solution, you're a filthy Zionist.

If you mention Hamas's role in civilian suffering, you're a genocide denier.

If you're Jewish and support Palestinian rights (that describes most Jews), you'd better not talk about antisemitism lest you be accused of centering yourself, weaponizing antisemitism/trauma, and supporting genocide.

And if you try to discuss actual policy? That's imperialist behavior!

This isn't just ideological incoherence, it's a refusal to tolerate difference...which can make organizing unsustainable.

So will it implode soon?

I very much doubt it.

Will it unravel soon? 

Almost certainly not. The slogans, at the very least, will stick around and the hashtags aren't going anywhere because they've become identity signifiers.

A lot of the disinformation fed to Gen Z has been sticky and I'm concerned what the US will be like when they reach the peak of their political power.

There will always be a core of people pushing for Palestinian liberation (whatever that means to them), and some of them will have good intentions and/or good strategy. Some of today's antizionist zealots will eventually come around and start hearing Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib.

The count of antizionist social media accounts and posts will continue to be high - much higher than the number of actual belly buttons in the movement IRL, due to bots and agents controlled by those seeking to destabilize the West. Those probably won't go away any time soon and are likely to get much more sophisticated, effective, and difficult to screen out...because AI.

But as a mass movement? As a unifying force with real impact on politics? Something which puts people on streets in huge numbers? I'm less sure about that. From here, it looks like it's already fraying around the edges. The internal fights, the factionalism, the paranoia about bad-faith actors, the purity tests, the bizarre rituals of performance...that looks to me like the start of a collapse by attrition.

What if it just hangs out in the ideological natural reservoir of academia?

It's already been absorbed into academic discourse and nonprofit branding, right? It may just live there in a natural reservoir while continuing to do nothing material to improve Palestinian lives.

I'm not sure if/how it can be dislodged from academia. I can't support Trump's methods, but the absence of ideological diversity is both alarming and predictable.

From graduate admissions to peer-reviewed publishing, career advancement in the humanities often depends not on the originality or rigor of an argument, but on how well it aligns with prevailing orthodoxies. Scholars are trained to cite the right theorists, frame questions within accepted ideological paradigms, and signal moral allegiance to dominant narratives, particularly around identity, power, and oppression.

You pass your dissertation defense if your committee LIKES YOUR VIEWS. If your dissertation shows excellent scholarship which disputes their preferred narrative, you've wasted years and tens of thousands of dollars...and there are already more degreed scholars than faculty positions in these disciplines. So they're highly motivated to conform.

So dissent is pathologized instead of being debated. The result isn’t a community seeking truth, but a faculty enforcing consensus. Challenging the orthodoxy ends friendships and careers.

That's how you end up with an entire Middle Eastern Studies department which only knows and only teaches one narrative. It's not just a political problem, it's an intellectual ans social problem.

(On a personal level, this makes me very sad. When I was an undergrad in the 90s, I learned so much from the disagreements between professors I respected. I also admired the civility and intellectual honesty they offered each other.)

So...it seems like academia is going to be an ideological natural reservoir for the movement until that's addressed somehow without resorting to fascist tactics.

Maybe it'll splinter out into competing groups with varying flavors and intensities of dogmatism.

There are groups and individuals within the movement who think Amnesty International is a Zionist PSYOP.

There are self-styled anarchists and communists who want violence. They want chaos. When these people chant "by any means necessary," I have no problem believing they're willing to resort to domestic political violence to globalize the intifada.

Maybe some violent factions will splinter off like the Weather Underground splintered from SDS.

The revolutionary left has been recycling these dynamics for over a century.

The rhetoric tends to be more lasting than the movements which use it, because movements built on purity or aesthetics rarely build lasting institutions or effect meaningful positive change.

The Party Dynamics

Forget "Free Palestine" for a moment and look at the bigger picture.

It may be hard to believe right now because the Free Palestine people are so loud, but most Congressional Democrats continue to support Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. Party leadership has repeatedly affirmed this position, and recent bipartisan resolutions backing Israel's legitimacy passed overwhelmingly, with only a small group of "progressive" dissenters. While a vocal minority on the far left calls for conditions on aid and proposes condemnations of Israel, they don't represent today's Democratic party. Voting records, public statements, and primary outcomes all show that the Democratic caucus remains broadly pro-Israel, even as internal debates have grown louder.

But:

Since Clinton, Democrats have largely hugged the center, while polarization on the Right exploded...culminating in the MAGA takeover of the GOP.

Now the Left has its own hardliners, people whose politics are less democratic and more dogmatic. That's the very vocal minority. That's AOC/Tlaib/Omar.

...and they're driving moderates away from their party.

Trump didn’t surge in 2024 because Americans suddenly loved him. A lot of voters were running from a Democratic Party they see as increasingly dysfunctional and in which the loudest voices are often the most extreme.

The Democratic party's base keeps pulling left, but the candidates the "progressive" wing would nominate for a general election wouldn't do well.

AOC polls better than you might expect and may be beloved in Brooklyn or Berkeley, but she's still deep underwater nationally. If Kamala Harris was successfully cast as "too far left," AOC would be radioactive anywhere but the coasts. AOC may well take Schumer's senate seat in New York, but in a national election she'd likely crash and burn.

The far left isn't going to win the White House or a congressional majority any time soon because it alienates allies and energizes opponents...but a takeover of the Democratic party seems possible. Maybe not likely, but possible.

If you think that's silly, please note that nobody thought Trump would hijack the GOP and remake it in his image so quickly...until he did.

If you oppose the rising political power of the antizionist movement, get involved in Democratic party politics and help move them in more practical, policy-focused directions.

Final answer?

I'm less concerned about how/when the Free Palestine movement will end than I am about how many good people will be hurt by it before it does.

[perpetual-stories]

Eight Strategies for Improving Dialogue in Your Writing

Well, hi! Oh my… wow! It’s been a long time since I’ve posted! I’ve been very busy and I am genuinely sorry to all my followers, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about this account, but here is one final post for the year!

Hopefully next year I become consistent with it again!

Let’s begin!

One of the best ways to help a reader connect with your writing is by crafting excellent dialogue. Use these tips to learn how to write dialogue that showcases character development, defines your characters’ voices, and hooks readers.

Why Use Dialogue?

Good dialogue performs all sorts of functions in fiction writing. It defines your characters’ voices, establishes their speech patterns, exposes the inner emotions, and showcases their character development. Beyond mere characterization, effective dialogue can also establish the setting and time period of your story and reveal information in a way that doesn’t feel overly expository.

Authors use lines of dialogue to reveal a character’s personality and express their point of view. For instance, an archetypal football coach might speak in short, terse sentences peppered with exclamation points and quotations from famous war generals. By contrast, a nebbish lover with a broken heart might drone on endlessly to his therapist or best friend, speaking in run-on sentences that circle around his true motivations. When an author can reveal character traits through dialogue, it cuts down on exposition and makes a story flow briskly.

Eight Writing Tips for Improving Dialogue

The first time you write dialogue, you may find it quite difficult to replicate the patterns of normal speech. This can be compounded by the concurrent challenges of finding your own voice and telling a great story overall. Even bestselling authors can get stuck on how a particular character says a particular line of dialogue. With practice and hard work, however, lackluster dialogue can be elevated to great dialogue.

Here are some strategies for improving the dialogue in your own work:

Mimic the voices of people in your own life. Perhaps you’ve created a physician character with the same vocal inflections as your mother. Perhaps your hero soldier talks just like your old volleyball coach. If you want to ensure that your dialogue sounds the way real people speak, there’s no better resource than the real life people in your everyday world.

Mix dialogue with narration. Long runs of dialogue can dislodge a reader from the action of a scene. As your characters talk, interpolate some descriptions of their physical postures or other activity taking place in the room. This mimics the real-world experience of listening to someone speaking while simultaneously taking in visual and olfactory stimuli.

Give your main character a secret. Sometimes a line of dialogue is most notable for what it withholds. Even if your audience doesn’t realize it, you can build dynamic three-dimensionality by having your character withhold a key bit of information from their speech. For instance, you may draft a scene in which a museum curator speaks to an artist about how she wants her work displayed—but what the curator isn’t saying out loud is that she’s in love with the artist. You can use that secret to embed layers of tension into the character’s spoken phrases.

Use a layperson character to clarify technical language. When you need dialogue to convey technical information in approachable terms, split the conversation between two people. Have one character be an expert and one character be uninformed. The expert character can speak at a technical level, and the uninformed one can stop them, asking questions for clarification. Your readers will appreciate it.

Use authentic shorthand. Does your character call a gun a “piece” or a “Glock”? Whatever it is, be authentic and consistent in how your characters speak. If they all sound the same, your dialogue needs another pass.

Look to great examples of dialogue for inspiration. If you're looking for a dialogue example in the realm of novels or short stories, consider reading the great books written by Mark Twain, Judy Blume, or Toni Morrison. Within the world of screenwriting, Aaron Sorkin is renowned for his use of dialogue.

Ensure that you’re punctuating your dialogue properly. Remember that question marks and exclamation points go inside quotation marks. Enclose dialogue in double quotation marks and use single quotation marks when a character quotes another character within their dialogue. Knowing how to punctuate dialogue properly can ensure that your reader stays immersed in the story.

Use dialogue tags that are evocative. Repeating the word “said” over and over can make for dull writing and miss out on opportunities for added expressiveness. Consider replacing the word “said” with a more descriptive verb.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

When your Characters Miscommunicate

Miscommunication - the inability to accurately send or receive a message, emotion, or idea.

Factors that Contribute to Miscommunication

Learn to identify and avoid these common causes of miscommunication:

Ambiguity: Communication barriers can muddle a message's intent, but if the statement is vague from the beginning, it is unlikely the message will reach its target in the way you intend. Instead use clear and concise language.

Passive listening: Sometimes poor listening habits cause information to fall through the cracks. Good communication requires active listening. In face-to-face interactions, a good listener uses solid eye contact, welcoming facial expressions, and open body language. These nonverbal cues communicate mindful openness and a willingness to receive the message from the sender.

Poor body language: Closed arms, averted eye contact, or poor posture can all communicate a resistance or disregard for the message or the sender. Humans rely on nonverbal communication in one-on-one conversations to deduce the tone and intent of a message. Be mindful of how you are holding your body and what unspoken message it might be sending to the other person.

Tips to Avoid Miscommunication

Here are 5 effective communication strategies from renowned psychotherapist Esther Perel when it comes to handling misunderstandings:

Avoid blaming others. A natural response to a miscommunication is to investigate responsibility, but if curiosity devolves into casting blame, it can lead to reduced trust between the speaker and receiver. A defensive emotional response could set the foundation for future miscommunications. "Communication is the expressiveness of a host of other feelings that drive it,” Esther explains. “Sometimes positive, sometimes negative anticipation of the other person." Rather than spend energy on casting blame, focus on resolving the situation at hand and determining what you can do differently next time.

Consider the context. Esther argues speakers often underestimate the importance of cultural differences that could broaden the communication gap between the speaker and receiver. "Every culture can map communication between direct and indirect,” Esther says. “Those are major cultural differences that apply directly to communication and how we speak." Carefully consider the context of your conversation before jumping to any conclusions and always be respectful.

Don’t punish yourself. Communication can be a minefield of missed intent, shallow context, and crossed signals that might lead to arguments and confrontation. Take responsibility when you fail to broadcast your message concisely, but forgive yourself for instances of poor communication and commit to learning from your mistakes. "Miscommunication is a part of communication like missing a tone or a note is a part of learning to play music,” Esther says. “It's normal. It's natural. There's nothing wrong with us because we miscommunicate."

Pick up the phone. "Research is quite unanimous at this moment that the proliferation of written forms of communication and short, abbreviated forms of communication has lent itself to massive amounts of miscommunications and misunderstandings," Esther asserts. While concise written communication is invaluable in today's romantic relationships and hybrid work environments, senders must ensure they account for the tone of voice in their messaging. A private phone call or video call can do a lot to ensure you and your partner are on the same page. At work, in-person meetings or large team video conferences can be effective business communication strategies and will do much to eliminate misalignments.

Think before you speak. The best way to avoid an instance of miscommunication is to tailor your message and communication style to the recipient. Develop a concise message in your own words, choose a delivery method with the fewest communication barriers possible, and follow up to ensure the other person received your message well. Esther explains how to be more aware when considering the recipient of your communication. "If you know that you have someone who's highly sensitive to criticism,” she says, “you're going to speak differently than if you talk to someone who you know tends to take the message at face value.”

Although clear communication strategies can help reduce miscommunications from occurring in the first place, several factors can contribute to a broken connection between the sender and receiver.

As an example of miscommunication, consider a person who sends an SMS containing an emoji (a symbol for objects or concepts in electronic communication).

If the recipient is not familiar with the underlying meaning of that particular symbol, the emoji ends up being an insufficient communication tool to transfer the message and opens the door for a misunderstanding.

Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[fivveweeks]

twitter holds me back from writing essays but here are my list of Dante HCs and their reasonings:

1) I vaguely portray Dante with top/bottom surgery scars alongside their neck scars. Not because they're trans (trans Dante hcs are great btw) but it's more so to imply that either Limbus Company or their past self deliberately did the surgery to their body in order to keep their post-clock identity a secret. A second layer to the dehumanisation and loneliness Dante feels with regards to their current self. I'm keeping it vague on who made the decision for them because it adds to the mystery:

If Limbus Company management did this to them, it adds to the horror of capitalism and loss of bodily autonomy.

If pre-clock Dante chose to do this to themselves, it's intriguing as it implies that their past self does not care about such minor things such as gender as they pursue their goals. The end ultimately justifies the means.

I feel Dante is comfortable in their current skin however! The scars itches sometimes but it doesn't bother them much, though they do wonder where they come from.

2) Dante with androgynous, black skin as a side effect of the Golden Bough, or even the head replacement surgery. It is to also add to the dehumanisation and separation they feel after taking the bough into themselves. It doesn't hugely bothers them, but they sometimes subconsciously compare their appearance to the sinner's regular human appearances

3) Relating to the above, Dante prefers covering themselves up tightly with almost zero to no skin showing. I also like to think clothes are one of the ways they use to feel a sense of control over their identity, since they can style and experiment however they like.

4) Has severe chronic pain and incredible pain tolerance, due to the rewinds. They're pretty much used to it at this point and the level of which they can tolerate amounts to them not reacting when getting a hole punched out through their guts.

They wear gloves because they're very touch sensitive due to the chronic pain.

I also considered that they get seizures occasionally. Turns out the constant feeling of phantom pain stemming from fatal incidents WILL still fuck up your nervous system and brain.

5) Relating to Verdante - funny thing is that I don't actually see them having sex often. Not with Dante's chronic pain and workaholic tendencies vs Vergilius' undiagnosed depression, passive suicidal thoughts and his incredible guilt. They're both often than not exhausted and I like to think of them just napping together in bed.

6) I ping pong between Dante having intake holes on their clock so they can take in liquid via straws, or they go the more serious route of having a feeding port via enteral nutrition.

7) Workaholic, workaholic, workaholic. I very much enjoy portraying Dante giving their all into being the manager of Limbus Company Bus. Part of it is because it's the only identity they ever know post memory lost so they subconsciously cling to it, another part is that they just get dopamine from being productive. They can and WILL give you a 3 hours essay for every Mirror Dungeon team and strategy they cooked up

8) It's not concrete but I like portraying Dante as mostly greysexual (sex and romance isn't a priority or need to them, but they're not disgusted by the idea. It fascinates them somewhat) and sort of demisexual (they like people who respects their humanity and not just a mute object...)

They have a Competency Kink. They enjoy seeing people being confident and good at what they do.

Totally was not ogling at Vergilius when he wiped out the monsters in canto 6 like nothing. Heh.

9) Learning Sign language in their downtime to increase efficiency in communication, but they're still a beginner. Vergilius is way better in this over them but he indulges in their sloppy attempts with nothing but an amused sigh.

10) They wear their sleep cap as they can't turn off their fire, so at least it blocks out the light. Also wears socks to bed like to a loser. They have a collection of socks that they accidentally collected over the course of the cantos.

[moniquill]

Just wanted to say that I greatly admire your ability to just keep calmly reiterating your position in the face of someone who really really wishes you were holding a different one and has decided that the best way to accomplish that is to insist that you already espouse that other position. An excellent non-escalation tactic that I hope to one day be able to apply as gracefully as you are.

Yeah, I've worked with teenagers before - like, professionally. I've taken classes about this exact thing! Gonna quote myself from another post I made back in 2018 that's mostly unrelated except for this part:

I went into a career where a lot of very specific knowledge is required.

I had to learn about verbal crisis intervention and crisis co-regulation. I had to learn about helpful vs. unhelpful language:

“I can only imagine how that must feel.” or “Do you want to tell me how that feels?”

vs

“I know how you feel.”

and about being cognizant of my own emotional state and my nonverbal communication and how they effect a situation.

(What am I feeling right now? What does this person think, feel, want, or need? What am I communicating to this person? How is the environment effecting the situation? What’s the best thing for me to say? What’s the best thing for me to do?)

I had to learn about active listening, about reflective statements and summarizing content and emotions:

“I can see that you’re [overwhelming emotion, usually angry or sad but sometimes bored or frustrated] right now, and I want to help, can you tell me about it so we can figure out what to do?”

vs

“Stop doing [inappropriate behavior]!”

(extra least-helpful-thing-ever points for bullshit like ‘You know better’ or ‘We already went over this’ or ‘You’re too old for [behavior or coping skill]’ or other such boderline-to-flagrantly abusive language that I’ve seen other people say in response to maladaptive coping, including shitty and/or inexperienced staff)

I’ve had to learn about offering validation and support. I had to learn about how to talk to others to help them connect emotions with behaviors so that they can learn to be self-cognizant and learn more effective coping strategies [than harming self/others] for managing emotional crisis.

I was taught whole units on the subjects of ‘Don’t make it about you’ 'Don’t get caught in a power struggle’ 'Don’t get defensive’ 'Don’t focus too tightly on details; understand the larger situation’ 'Understand the other person’s point of view and motivations’

These are specific strategies for dealing with human beings (oneself and others), and they’re super effective.

I mean, these classes I’ve taken boil down to 'how to not be a super shitty human being’.

And none of them are taught as requisite curriculum in public schools, or even college. All of them have been entirely optional and tied to this specific career path. Math majors don’t have to take these classes.

Why is that?

How have we arrived at a place, in education, where we espouse that it will be more important to literally any human being that they be able to solve a quadratic equation than be able to analyse one’s own anxiety and manage overwhelming emotions (and help others do the same)?

One of the problems on my homework tonight was:

“The deck on this house is a triangle. The distance from the base to the apex is nine feet longer than the base is wide. If the area of the deck is 68 square feet, how wide is the base?”

(This requires me to know that the area of a triangle is ½ Base(Height) and to parse the equation as 2(68) = B(B+9), therefor B^2 + 9B – 136 = 0 oh look there’s my solvable quadratic equation)

But in the real world, if I need to know how wide the deck is, I’m going to use a tape measure. If I don’t have a tape measure, how the fuck did I work out the area of the deck or the proportions of base to height in the first place?

This is not a task that will be asked of many people in their lives, and yet proficiency in this task is required if you ever want to have a non-minimum wage job.

Meanwhile, most people will at some point in their lives be called upon to comfort someone who is experiencing an overwhelming emotion. Many people will be placed in a position of authority over children. Some will be placed in a position of authority over people who are neuroatypical, or who have experienced trauma, or who have learned maladaptive coping skills, or who for some other reason may display behavior which is not immediately comprehensible to an outside observer who doesn’t seek understanding.

We live in a world where cops and doctors were certainly required to be able to solve quadratic equations at some point to be allowed to progress in their education and credentialing, but where they probably/demonstrably weren’t taught how to deescalate a person who is emotionally flooded to the point of violence (see this post: TW for gif of police violence on a minor). Where they weren’t taught about helpful vs. unhelpful language, or what constitutes instigating and triggering.

We live in a world where empathy and emotional cognizance are electives, but higher math is required.

Why is that?

I think these kids who are frothing-at-the-mouth angry would really benefit from Conflict Co-Regulation being a mandatory part of public school curricula.

[writers-potion]

I have a character that is more of an entity than a human being, so he doesn’t have a heart, nor can he sweat or have any organs

It’s hard for me to describe things like “he felt his heart sink” or other expressions like that, since in the back of my mind I’m thinking “he doesn’t have a heart” ya know? Even if it’s figurative speech

My ask is: any tips on how I can describe his feelings in more impactful ways, working around the fact he’s not human? (Detail, he wants to be human)

Human Feelings for the Non-Human Character

So, I take it that you have a character who:

Lacks physiological features usually associated with expressing emotions,

But is overall humanoid, which means he doesn't have other special body features (like a tail that he can wag) that allows him to convey his feelings.

Limit the Range of Emotions

Does the fact that your character lacks organs mean that he cannot feel the full range of human emotions?

If yes, broadly categorize the emotion groups into: (1) Feelings he understands, and (2) Feelings he doesn't understand.

For Feelings Understood by Him:

Use body language

Use quirky habits

Use other body features

For Feelings NOT Understood by Him:

Describing shock, surprise and confusion

Borrow other characters' expressions

Use Body Language

Body language is a great indicator of emotion. Even if your character cannot truly feel the bodily effects of an emotion, he may exhibit the same body language displayed by normal humans. This is especially if he lives around other, "normal" people.

Instead of his "heart sinking", he may "start shaking", "feel his throat clench", "find himself wordless", "go completely still", etc. to express shock.

Use Quirky Habits

Describe a few quirky things that your reader can rely on to see how your character is doing. This is a good place to describe how he's different, or wants to be human, too.

Shredding tissue/paper to bits and eating it (I mean, he doesn't have organs, so I'm supposing he can't get sick from this) when he's nervous.

Listening to heartbeat sounds on YouTube when he's happy, imagining the sound coming from his chest.

Running non-stop for hours and hours when he's worried and want to clear his mind

Use Other Body Features

Even if he doesn't have typical body parts, we must make do with what he does have. Since he has fewer organs, all of his senses would be highly concentrated on those:

Feeling the fluids in his abdominal cavity churning when he's nervous (no organs, but I'm assuming his middle is filled with something?)

Feeling all the specific bones ache/creaking when he is angry

All of his hairs standing up, etc.

Describing shock, surprise and confusion

All other feelings that's not fully understood, or one that is being felt by him for the first time will just be shock and confusion.

In addition to the three strategies above, focus more on the mental panic that he will feel, being confronted with a situation where he doesn't know himself.

If he's in a situation where he desperately wants to feel what the others are feeling, make him try his best to mimic them, observing them in detail.

Borrow other characters' expressions

Just because someone doesn't feel something doesn't mean he cannot understand it logically. We humans "know" that we should be feeling a particular way in given situations even without sympathizing with the other fully.

Thus, let your character use stock phrases like "my heart sank" by borrowing the words of someone he spends a lot of time with. Perhaps his mother, who was afraid he'd get bullied as a child, actually taught him to express himself like others, memorizing the "right" emotional reactions like how you'd learn vocabulary.

Hope this helps! :)

[theenglishnook]

Stress Management and Language Learning

How Stress Affects Language Learning Stress management and language learning are intricately connected, with each influencing the other in significant ways. Understanding how stress affects language acquisition and implementing strategies to manage it can enhance the learning experience and lead to more successful outcomes. Stress can have a profound impact on language learning by increasing…

[macrafff]

Meaningful Learning in Malay Language: Primary School Remedial Education

INTRODUCTION In this age of globalization, the world community has received various changes influenced by the development of technology. Industry and education in a country will be affected because the services provided are for the improvement and change of a community or society that now receives technological skills. All information or info is shared with various technology mediums that can be…

[jacobwren]

"The collective body of progressivism as we have known it in the Global North is experiencing a contraction. We are seeing the surge towards social change that ignited in 2020 being both counterattacked by conservatives and abandoned/walked back by liberals. The particular brand of ultra identity politics-based political thinking that dominated liberal culture through the 2010s has been revealed to have severe flaws in its capacity to shape effective coalition building and movement towards change. Many people found themselves suddenly radicalized but lacking adequate tools or structure to create a lasting impact in their own contexts. The Left needs a new strategy. The tools we have been using have served some important purposes, but we are fragmented. We need a way to create stronger connections and powerful alliances across different demographics - we need to appeal more strongly to people who are being crushed and exploited by capitalism but are being pulled down the rabbit hole of libertarianism and fascism instead of towards collectivism. We must learn to speak their language and connect with their concerns while inviting them into ours. We need a clear focus on the levers of material change - labor organizing, governance, healthcare policy, migration law, education reform and environmental law. The Left also needs clear targets: The billionaire class. Crony politicians. The corporations that are systematically destroying the air, water, and land that we need to live, starting with the homelands of Indigenous and racialized people, as well as the overall Global South. We need a strategy that is clear enough for everyone to understand and compelling enough for everyone to get on board with. We need cultural workers and narrative-makers who are willing to amplify and translate the message. And we must win." - Kai Cheng Thom

[sphinx-n-friends]

△◬▲ I’m Excited to Shift For... ▲◬△ 

Here’s part 2 of what I’m excited to shift for, specifically, in my MCU DR! This was all I could think of for now, unfortunately.

△◬▲◬△ 

△ Going on runs with some of the others and being athletic enough to enjoy it lol 

△ Having a perfect memory (of events that happen after I become the Sphinx; I still won’t remember my life in my DR before that nor my CR life) 

△ Helping Bucky with his mission reports (I’ll gladly do all the typing for him if he asks; I can’t imagine it’s as easy with metal fingers) 

△ Exploring the wilderness around the Compound 

△ Being able to easily learn any skill I want to and being naturally good at it 

△ Being able to eat whatever I want without worrying about the effects 

△ Getting high with Wanda and Pietro 🤭 

△ Seeing Bucky get drunk during one of Thor’s visits 

△ Learning more about the wonderful Maria 💚 

△ Seeing Tony’s hologram technology in person (I’m not a big science person, but holograms are a whole different story) 

△ Enjoying every food I eat, no matter the flavor or texture because I hate being a picky eater here 

△ Getting an allowance from SHIELD so that I have money to do whatever I want 

△ Never getting sick ever again, not even a headache 

△ Celebrating everyone’s birthday and picking out presents that I know they’ll love for them 

△ Watching my favorite shows with Bucky and hearing his judgmental remarks about “unrealistic modern entertainment” 

△ Learning more about literally everything from all the geniuses around me (in all fields, not just educationally, but things like strategy from Nat) 

△ Being able to communicate with anyone in any language 

△ Hearing all the cat jokes made about me, even though it’ll probably drive me insane sometimes 

△ Meeting @julianasversee in person and getting to know her better! 💚

[maziijapanese]

JLPT Tips and Tricks: Conquer the Exam with Confidence

The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is a standardized assessment of Japanese language proficiency for non-native speakers. Whether you're aiming for N5, the introductory level, or N1, the most challenging one, thorough preparation is crucial for success. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you ace your JLPT exam:

1. Understand the Test Format

Familiarize yourself with the JLPT's structure and scoring system. The test consists of three main sections: Vocabulary, Grammar & Reading, and Listening. Each section has a specific number of questions and allotted time. Knowing the format will help you manage your time effectively during the exam.

2. Set Realistic Goals and Create a Study Plan

Establish achievable goals based on your current Japanese language proficiency and the JLPT level you're targeting. Develop a realistic study plan that incorporates daily or weekly study sessions. Allocate sufficient time to cover all the necessary grammar points, vocabulary, and Kanji.

3. Gather High-Quality Learning Resources

Utilize a variety of effective learning resources to enhance your preparation, such as textbooks, online courses, language learning apps, and practice tests, choosing those that align with your learning style and preferences.

4. Practice Regularly and Consistently

Regular practice is essential for success in the JLPT. Take practice tests frequently to familiarize yourself with the question formats, timing, and scoring system. Consistent practice will help you identify areas for improvement and build your confidence. Focus on Active Learning Techniques

Active learning techniques, such as flashcards, mnemonics, and summarizing key concepts, can significantly enhance your memorization and retention of Kanji, vocabulary, and grammar rules.

Besides, immerse yourself in Japanese, surround yourself with as much Japanese as possible. Listen to Japanese music, watch Japanese movies and TV shows, and read Japanese books and articles. This exposure will improve your listening comprehension, reading skills, and overall language proficiency.

5. Stay Positive and Believe in Yourself

Maintain a positive mindset and believe in your ability to succeed in the JLPT. Your confidence and determination will play a significant role in achieving your goals.

Remember, the JLPT is a challenging but rewarding exam. With dedication, perseverance, and the right strategies, you can conquer the test and achieve your Japanese language proficiency goals.

Goodluck for guys!

[robinsarm]

Riconti Headcanons? In this economy?

Ace is somehow really observant and completely oblivious at the same time. Felix only figures this out when he comes back to camp in his new Techwear outfit. Ace didn't give Felix any time to prepare before he ripped him into the forest to have him and that gorgeous look to himself. It was there, pressing him up against a tree, that Ace finally realized that Felix's ears are pierced. "They've always been pierced," Felix insists, but Ace doesn't believe him. It's when Felix shows Ace the holes of his Daith piercings that he got for migraines years ago that Ace finally believes him.

Ace was given 'Unc' status by Renato and Thalita when the siblings were fairly new to the realm. After learning what that meant, Ace dove head first into the title. He taught the siblings questionable strategies at first but quickly moved into how to survive in trials, Renato picking up on his tips and tricks faster than his sister. Learning from the champion of running the killer for several gens at a time while also having the perk 'Background Player,' Renato has become a true menace to the killers, all thanks to Ace. Felix was also given 'Unc' status from Renato when the kid found out he and Ace were partners, but he politely shut him down before it could stick. (Damn you Renato mains, stop running me when I play killer like I'm brand new to the game ):<)

Felix's love language is Quality Time. He LOVES spending time with partners, but his anxiety really likes to get in the way of that. His overactive mind plagues him with thoughts of, 'They look tired, leave them alone,' or, 'You like your personal space unviolated, don't go ruining their's.' In a way to circumvent these worrying thoughts in the realm, Felix will stand awkwardly about 10 feet (~3 meters) away from the person he wants to spend time with, usually out of their line of sight, give them five minutes to enjoy their alone time or conversation with others before sitting down next to them without a word. Of course, Ace figured out Felix's MO really quick and actively searches for Felix when he sits down after a trial. He'll invite him to join the moment he catches the man waiting. In return, and as a small thank you, Felix will scratch Ace's back in slow movements for as long as Ace wants or the Entity allows. (Ace's love language is Physical Touch, so he goes NUTS for these quiet moments together.)

When the survivors are allowed to sleep, Felix wears Ace's jackets like a blanket, even if the man is cuddled up sleeping beside him.

Their favorite activity to do when they're around the fire in between trials is to people watch. The two are old enough that they find watching the other survivors argue, chit chat, sleep, and fond over each other to be a really fun way to pass the time. Sometimes they'll eavesdrop so effectively on conversations, when one of them gets pulled into a trial, they'll come back asking, "What did I miss?" and the other will give the whole rundown like the people they're listening in on are characters in a sitcom. They constantly make bets on who is going to win arguments, who is going to kiss who first, and so on between two or more people. Sometimes Élodie gets involved in betting and usually smokes the boys with her intuition.