2011
03.30
Chisato Hagiwara is a 20 year old student from Japan. She has just completed her course with EC and is sad to leave us! Here is what she had to say:
What do you like most about EC San Diego? I like the atmosphere in the class. I also liked that the class size was small.
What are your plans after EC? I will go back to Japan and my university. But I want to come back and visit soon!
What is your favorite thing to do after school? I like to go to the beach – it’s so close. I can go on my lunch break and relax.
What do you like most about your classes? My teacher and my friends make it very fun! I like that there are not so many Japanese students and I get to meet people from all over the world. And I like the atmosphere at the school because everyone is so nice.
Chisato with her certificate on the student lounge balcony.
2011
03.29
On any given day, summer or winter, rain or shine, you can find people out enjoying the San Diego surf. For many locals surfing is a way of life, and many of our students try it out during their English courses in San Diego. Learning to surf is a challenging process, but it is a fun journey! San Diego is lucky to have all different types of waves, including plenty of easy places to try it out!
Some EC San Diego students after a day of surfing in Pacific Beach!
2011
03.10
We are very excited for our most recent group of Cambridge graduates! They were awesome in class and we’re sure they’ll do great on the test! We wish them the best of luck!
In honor of all their hard and diligent work, we had a ceremony and reception at the school yesterday…
EC San Diego English language school
All smiles!
Our center director, Martha, congratulating studentsona job well done!
Mario with his teachers: Jen B, Jerrod and Jeni O
Evelyn congratulating Linus
Jeni O and Jen B with their students
So proud of their certificates!
Good luck to all of you from the EC San Diego staff!
2011
03.03
Meet this month’s featured teacher: Mai Lee! Mai has been teaching our San Diego Cambridge ESOL course for the past two years and has been with EC since 2007. After studying Liberal Arts at San Diego State University, Mai earned her TESOL Certificate and taught English in Japan. She then worked for UROK Learning Institute, a literary program for underprivileged youth, before joining the EC team! Some of her favorite hobbies are spending time with family and friends, playing poker and going fishing. We asked Mai a few questions and here is what she had to say:
Why would you recommend English courses in EC San Diego?
Obviously the location can’t be beat! Having a fantastic view of the Pacific Ocean greet us every morning is amazing. The staff gets along very well, which makes coming to work something to look forward to every day. I think this positive atmosphere produces a great learning environment for our students. We all also have varying backgrounds and experience in the field of education, which gives us the chance to come up with all different ideas to use in class. Additionally, our students are often seeing the U.S. for the first time. It’s a pleasure to have their first impressions come from this great city!
What advice would give to students on how to most improve their English skills?
My advice is simple: use it or lose it!I tell my students there are two ways to study a language. The first is passively learning, which results in a temporary understanding of the language. The other way is to actively absorb the environment, speak before you are spoken to, listen in on other’s conversations and ask as many questions as possible. The second way will produce results that last long after students return home. English is ever-changing, which is why I love it. It’s expressive and vast. Students must enthusiastically hold on and stay on to achieve fluency.
