Month: September 2013

Meet ECLA’s Intern from Germany!!

Category: EC Los Angeles / Tags: , , , ,

My name’s Alex and I am 23 years old. I was born and raised not far away from Munich. I am studying BA International Business Communication in Munich and like it very much because it provides me with the best combined knowledge of languages, a wide range of business subjects from economics to marketing, HR or tourism and last but not least international communication studies. This internship at ECLA is part of my studies, it is my 5th semester. Although I have been traveling a lot through Europe- from Western- and Central to Eastern Europe this is my very first time in the US and it is sooooo exciting for me. It is a dream coming true and I really enjoy every single day I live here! The last time when I was abroad I’ve been in Russia and Turkey to visit friends of me. My languages are German (native), English and French and I am still about to improve my spoken Russian and Spanish. I enjoy listening to music and dancing. Reading is also one of my favorite hobbies; I really love “The Alchemist” from Paulo Coelho for example. But mostly I prefer spending time with persons I like and having a good time! My message for future students: You’ve made a great choice choosing ECLA for learning English! You are surrounded by a nice environment and very friendly stuff that will help you in any belongings. I am looking forward to see you and will be happy to help you whenever you need some help!

Meet Samantha! ECLA’s Homestay Coordinator!!

Category: EC Los Angeles

I was born and raised right here in the beautiful city of Santa Monica, California. In college I studied Linguistics with emphasis in the Romantic Languages at the University of California Santa Barbara. I spent my year studying abroad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where I fell in love with the city and the Portuguese language, and returned to live there several times after graduation. While in Brazil I began a career in translation from Portuguese to English, and from there I transitioned to the travel industry specializing in the Brazilian market. Language and travel have always been my passions, and working at EC Los Angeles I get the opportunity to participate in both worlds. I speak fluent English, Portuguese and Spanish and am conversational in Italian. My favorite hobbies are singing jazz, cooking vegetarian food, and going to the beach. Those who study at EC Los Angeles are lucky enough to get the opportunity to learn English in one of the most picturesque and exciting cities in California!

All Access Studio Tour Event!

Category: EC Los Angeles / Tags: , , ,

One of our great partner schools, the Los Angeles Film School, kindly invited our EC Los Angeles students and staff to join their monthly open house, the All Access Studio Tour Event. This event takes place once a month and provides the opportunity for perspective students and their families to come out and see their campus. This is a behind-the-scenes tour of the Los Angeles Film School where students have a chance to not only see the facility, but also learn more about their career focused, accredited degree programs in Film, Game Production, Computer Animation, Recording Arts and Entertainment Business. This was an opportunity to meet their team of award-winning faculty and participate in program demos using industry-grade equipment and technology in the heart of Hollywood. If you’re interested in the entertainment industry and you would like to learn from experienced professionals, then check out their website at www.lafilm.edu  

Coastal Cleanup Day

Category: EC Los Angeles / Tags: , , ,

EC Los Angeles students and staff members participated in the largest volunteer event in the world! People from across the globe spent their Saturday September 21st, 2013 dedicating time to cleaning coastlines, marshes, diving spots, and more.  In particular, ECLA volunteered with Heal the Bay to cleanup Santa Monica Beach.  Four students, two teachers, and one administrative staff member put on their gloves, got their bags ready, and trekked through the sands in search of trash! With over 11,000 volunteers in the Los Angeles County, 24,055 pounds of trash found their way to the appropriate place. As a school located in the Santa Monica community, EC students and staff recognized the importance of contributing back to the local community and maintaining a clean environment.  EC Los Angeles would like to thank the students and staff who came out so early in the morning (9AM) to volunteer! Encourage more students and staff to attend our upcoming volunteer events.   Also, volunteering has its perks because volunteers for the Coastal Cleanup Day received free admission to the Santa Monica Aquarium for a day and received a free food voucher from a restaurant called Chipotle! Stay tuned for future volunteering events with EC Los Angeles!  

Pun Intended!

Category: Academic / Tags: , , , ,

Do you know what a pun is? Have you ever heard the phrase, “no pun intended”? Well, puns are a form of word play that suggest two or more meanings of a sentence/saying. It uses multiple meanings of words or similar-sounding words to create humor! There are four different types of puns: homophonic pun, homographic pun, homonymic pun, and compound pun. 1. Homophonic pun is the most common type. The word homophonic, or homphones, means words that sound alike, but do not have the same meaning. Source: http://imgur.com/account/favorites/HtcS9I0 Check out this pun from the upcoming movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2! This is a movie about foods that have come alive. In this scene the main character screams, “there’s a leek in the boat!” …A leek is a vegetable, but a leAk (pronounced the same way) is a crack or a hole. This is an example of a homophonic pun because the two words sound exactly the same, but have different spellings and two very different meanings. 2. A homographic pun can be created in two ways. One, by using a word that has two different meanings; two, by substituting a word with the exact same spelling as the word for which it was substituted Corduroy pillows are making headlines. This pun/joke uses the word headlines in two different ways. The corduroy could be extremely popular and is being talked about in a newspaper or magazine. Or the corduroy is creating creases or lines on your forehead after you have slept on it! 3. Homonymic pun exploits both homophones and homographs!   Souce: http://imgur.com/account/favorites/3uwKFI6 The two meanings of the word plus as “mathematical symbol of addition” and as “an advantage” are being used to create humor. 4. Compound puns are made by using a string of two or more words that … Read more

Downtown Art Walk

Category: EC Los Angeles / Tags: , , , ,

Do you love art? Do you love food? Then join us every 2nd Thursday of the month to visit the Art Walk in Downtown LA! Downtown Art Walk is a monthly showcase and celebration of galleries, artists, restaurants, shops and small businesses. It is a self-guided tour located between intersections of 4th and 7th Street and Spring and Main Street in Downtown Los Angeles. The tour started in 2004 and now has over 50 galleries with over 25,000 people visiting every month! In comparison to Museums, the Downtown Art Walk is much more interactive and allows visitors to view art and art exhibits at their own pace while exploring the heart of LA. But wait! There’s more! The Downtown Art Walk also has FOOD TRUCKS! Food trucks are restaurants-on-wheels! It is a great way to explore the variety of ethnic food that LA offers with Angelinos’ flare and style! Sign up at the front desk today to visit this exciting event! Check out this picture from the Downtown Art Walk website!   http://downtownartwalk.org/downtown-artwalk/