EC Boston English Language School

EC Boston students getting to know new parts of the city by exploring and trying new restaurants!! Speaking lots of English too of course!!

In response to student requests, EC Boston is launching an exciting new Conversation Partners program!  In this program, an EC student will be paired with a native English speaker.  Partners will meet once a week to chat about interests, including hobbies, music, movies, culture, language, or anything else that comes up.

EC students can apply for the program by completing an application and submitting it at the front desk.

Community volunteers can apply for the program by e-mailing boston@ecenglish.com and requesting an application.

This weekend is the return of the St. Anthony’s Feast to Boston’s North End.   This feast is the largest Italian religious festival in the United States.

The feast was first celebrated in Boston in 1919 by a group of immigrants from Montefalcione, Italy.  They established a society dedicated to honoring the patron saint of their village, Saint Anthony of Padua.  The feast has been celebrated here ever since.

Not only is the feast rich in history, but its also full of fun and exciting things to see and do!  The feast lasts all weekend starting Friday night and features parades, food stands, concerts and shopping!

It is an event that shouldn’t be missed and is even nationally recognized as the “Feast of all Feasts”!  So be sure to stop by the North End this weekend to check it out!

Looking for things to do this weekend?

Summer is winding down but the fun doesn’t have to stop yet!

On Sunday August 22 visit the SoWa Open Market with Nick.  It’s located in the South End, which is a well-known artist’s community.  The Market features many vendors, including artists and farmers, and you can browse and shop for things such as art, clothing, jewelry, sculptures, house wares, flowers, produce, bread, and more!

It’s a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon and check out some unique and interesting art and food!

Have a great weekend!

On august 11th, I went to “Bistro du Midi”,which is a French restaurant,with Liz. The restaurant is located on Boylston. When I arrived there, I could see a lot of mirrors. All of the mirrors had different shapes. I thought the idea that uses mirrors to decorate the store was creative, but I thought they weren’t in harmony with the restaurant because it was small and there were a lot of other decorations. When they decorated, maybe they focused on brown colors.

After I looked around the restaurant, the waiter gave some bread with olive oil and drinks to us. I ordered lemonade and Liz ordered ice tea. The lemonade wasn’t sour nor too sweet, so it was really delicious. Liz and said ice tea was also nice. It wasn’t too strong. We tried the bread. The bread and olive oil were simple, but I thought it was better than eating bread with butter. It wasn’t strong so I could enjoy my main dish more.

My main dish was the Croque Monsieur which is a kind of sandwich. The sandwitch was cut into four pieces and come with salad. In the sandwich, there were ham slices and cheese. It looked simple, but the taste was strong. When I ate only one piece of it, I felt sick to my stomach although the salad made my feel better, so I couldn’t eat anymore. I thought the sandwich balanced well with the salad, because the sandwich was oily and otherwise the salad was a little bit acidic.

Liz ordered Pan Bagnat Mozarella that was on a bun. She said the sandwich had too much bread even though there was egg salad and mozarella on it.

Before I ate the desert “Fruit crumble with Sweet corn ice cream”, I didn’t want to recommend this restaurant. The desert was really, really nice however. The fruit crumble was warm and tangy combined with cool, sweet corn ice cream. I want to recommend “Bistro du Midi” to some people who want to eat dessert. I think this restaurant is a good place to talk with friends or family after eating meals in Boston.

This weekend is Tax Free Weekend in Massachusetts! All day Saturday August 14 and Sunday August 15, any purchases made that total less than $2500 will not be subject to state tax.  While there are some exemptions, such as meals and tobacco products, most items are eligible.

Take advantage of the great savings that are possible and check out some of Boston’s best shopping areas!

Fanuel Hall Marketplace is full of restaurants and tourist attractions, but it also has many great shops and carts featuring clothing as well as specialty items.

The Prudential Center and and Copley Place malls are located right across from EC Boston and have some of the best shopping in the city.  While Copley Place has mostly upscale designer stores, Prudential has more affordable options, as well as great restaurants such as Legal Sea Foods and L’Espalier.

Newbury Street also features great shops and tons of delicious restaurants! Its also a beautiful street to stroll while popping into the many boutiques and trendy stores. 

For more information about rules and regulations regarding the Tax Free Weekend visit www.mass.gov!

Happy shopping!

Students Enjoying Some Lobster by the Sea!!

Everyone knows about the Duck Tours and Freedom Trail, but there are plenty of other unique and interesting tours of the city!

Do you love movies? Ever wonder where the scenes in some of your favorite films took place? The Movie Mile Walking Tour takes you on a tour of locations of over 30 Boston movies and TV shows such as Good Will Hunting, The Departed, and Boston Legal.  The tour meets at 2 p.m. Wednesday through Monday at the Boston Common Visitor Center.  Visit www.bostonmovietours.net for tickets!

Are you a fan of adventure and spooky ghost stories? The Boston Ghosts and Gravestones Tour gives a chance to see the darker side of Boston and tour cemetaries and notable haunts of some of Boston’s most frightening characters. Visit http://www.ghostsandgravestones.com/boston/gravestones-ghost-tour.htm to make reservations and get more information!

More interested in the view from the open seas than the city streets? Go on a whale watch in Boston harbor on a high-speed catamaran with 3 indoor and outdoor decks.  Professional researchers are on board every trip to offer information.  The tour departs from Long Wharf in Boston.  For more information about schedules and tickets visit http://www.bostonharborcruises.com/boston-whale-watch/!

There are only a few more weeks left of summer but there are still plenty of summer concerts to see!

Here are some upcoming concerts coming to the Bank of America Pavilion in Boston:

August 10 7:30 p.m. - MGMT

August 17 7 p.m. - Ray Lamontagne and David Gray with Serena Ryder

August 19 7:30 p.m. - Sublime with Rome

August 27 7:30 p.m. - Donna Summer

September 1 7 p.m. - Stone Temple Pilots with TAB the Band

September 12 7:30 p.m. - Vampire Weekend

Here are some concerts at the House of Blues in Boston:

August 13 7 p.m. - Willie Nelson and Family

August 15 7 p.m. - B.o.B. w/ Yelawolf, Playboy Trey

August 28 6 p.m. - Scissor Sisters

September 14 7 p.m. - Billy Idol

Here are some concerts at the Comcast Center in Mansfield:

August 14 7 p.m. - Zac Brown Band

August 16 7 p.m. - Green Day with special guest AFI

August 19 7 p.m. - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Visit livenation.com for details, tickets, and more concert listings!

There are some great events scheduled for the month of August! 

On Thursday August 12, see the movie Arabia in IMAX with Jen.  This hour long documentary is both informational and beautiful, featuring breathtaking views of Saudi Arabia in the large screen IMAX theater located at the Musuem of Science Mugar Omni Theater.

On Sunday August 15, visit Newport, Rhode Island for the day.  Newport is a beautiful city on the coast of Rhode Island.  It’s a great place for sightseeing, shopping, eating, or just enjoying a nice summer afternoon by the beach!

On Thursday August 19, see Justin Nozuka in concert at the Royale in Boston.  Nozuka is a Canadian singer-songwriter who plays folk, acoustic rock and soul music.

Every Friday in August you can see a free movie at the Hatch Shell at 8 p.m. 

August 13: How to Train a Dragon

August 20: The Princess and the Frog

August 27: Up

Be sure to keep checking the activity calendar to sign up for activities and find out about more fun things to do!