Tag: conversation

EC San Diego Presents: “S’up Bro?” An Intro to Slang

Category: Academic, Around San Diego, Student Services / Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Slang is a way to express your thoughts in an informal way. Listed below are some trendy American Phrases and their meaning. “Catch some rays”:    Definition: Getting some sunshine. Example: I’m going to the beach to catch some rays. “You’re the real MVP.” (Most Valuable Player):  Definition: A way to congratulate someone. Example: You forgot your wallet at home and you’re out to dinner. Your friend Kevin pays. “Kevin, you’re the real MVP.” “Bae”: Definition: Acronym for ‘before anyone else’ (used interchangeably with babe). Example: “Bae, I love you so much” “That escalated quickly”: Definition: Describes a situation that goes from calm to crazy in a matter of seconds. Example: You’re relaxing on the beach, and all the sudden a huge wave comes and drags you into the water. “Well, that escalated quickly.” “Turnt”: Definition: Under the influence of alcohol; hype for a party. Example: “Bassmnt got so turnt last night” “Killin’ it!”  Definition: When you do something extremely well. Example: “I was killin’ it during that exam – thanks to my courses at EC San Diego!” “Awkward turtle”:  Definition: A way to describe an uncomfortable situation. Example: “I met that girl last night at a party, but I didn’t remember her name. Awkward turtle.” “Keep it 100”:  Definition: To be true to yourself no matter the circumstance. Example: You don’t have to like my life choices. I’m going to keep it 100, no matter what. “Selfie”:  Definition: A photo taken of one’s self. This term became very popular because of a song by The Chainsmokers. Example: “….but first let me take a selfie.” “Sup”:  Definition: Slang for “What’s up?” another way to ask what is new with someone. Example: Bob: “Hey, sup?” Sally: “Not much, just hanging out.”  “Bro”:  Definition: A friend, commonly used in greetings. Example: “What’s up bro?” These … Read more

November Activity Calendar, 2014

Category: Activities, Around San Diego, Student Services / Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Remember, Remember: It Now is November! EC San Diego’s NEW November Activity Calendar is now available! Check out the following activities and events that will take your full immersion English course to the next level: 1. November 5th: “Girl Talk” Activity & Class with Teacher Gina! “Venting” in English can be really fun, so sign up at the front desk ladies!! 2. November 8th: 18+ Concert “Audien” at the House of Blues!  This 18+ concert will be held in one of San Diego’s BEST venues, the House of Blues! Tickets are $20 – please go to front desk for more information. 3. November 11th: No School – EC Closed for National Veteran’s Day Holiday! Tuesday’s an off day, everyone! 4. November 12th: “Guy Talk” Activity with Teacher JJ! Meet JJ outside EC at 6:15PM. Please bring money — the “talk” will take place at a local restaurant of JJ’s choosing! Sign up in the white binder at the Front Desk! 5. November 13th: Start Celebrating Thanksgiving By (you guessed it) Giving Thanks! Come to the front desk to fill your thankful feather: “I am thankful for _______”… 6. November 20th: EC Soccer Game At The Cove — Team E vs. Team C! Go the front desk to sign your name and choose a team letter. Everyone will meet Student Counselor Ell at the front desk at 1:15pm. All are welcome to join when they can! 7. November 23rd: EC Trip to the San Diego Zoo! Sign up and pay at the front desk – $20, cash only. Remember to ask for directions!! 8. November 25th: Pajama Day at EC! Wear your comfiest nighttime attire to school in celebration of Fall – and sleeping! 9. November 26th: Pumpkin Pie Social at EC! Free pie and whipped cream for all from 12:45 – 1:30pm in the … Read more

Greetings from around the World!

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Upon meeting someone in the United States, most individuals will greet each other with a smile and a hand shake, while saying something along the lines of, “Hello. Nice to meet you!” Have you ever wondered about the difference in cultural greetings around the world? We’ve spoken to some of our students to gain a better perspective on how they greet other individuals in their country! Italy Verbal Greeting Biongiorno! Salve! Ciao! Physical Greeting Formal: hand shake Informal: hug and kiss on each cheek (woman and woman or man and woman); hand shake and kiss on each cheek (man and man) Saudi Arabia Verbal Greeting Hala Wallah! Physical Greeting One kiss on left cheek and two to three kisses on right cheek (man and man or woman and woman). *It is not common for men and women to greet each other physically in public. Brazil Verbal Greeting Oi! Tudo bem? (Everything well?) Physical Greeting One kiss on right cheek; one kiss on right cheek and one kiss on left cheek (women and women or women and men). Hand-shake and occasional hug (men and men). Korea and Japan Verbal Greeting Ahn nyung ha sae yo! (Korea) Konichiwa! (Japan) Physical Greeting Formal: slight bow and nod of the head Informal: hug (woman and woman) Mexico Physical Greeting Hola! Mucho Gusto! (Nice to meet you!) Verbal Greeting Formal: hand-shake Informal: kiss on right cheek Switzerland Verbal Greeting Guten tag! Grütsie  Physical Greeting Formal: hand-shake Informal: three kisses, right-left-right (woman and woman); hand-shake or hug, no kisses (man and man) ~ For the students and staff members of EC San Diego, understanding these social customs will create more cross-cultural sensitivity within our schools!

English Elective Courses at EC San Diego

Category: Academic, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Elective courses are offered to those students who have enrolled in an semi-intensive or intensive program. An elective course focuses one fewer aspects of English learning, compared to those covered in the core classes. The EC English Language Center in San Diego offers many different electives that are based upon level. For Beginners the courses we offer are: Survival English: Survival English is focused on learning enough basic English to be able to communicate with Americans and express ones basic needs. In this elective students will learn community rules, regulations and costumes. This course is taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:35 and 1:05 by teachers: Danica, Gina, JJ, Karen and Andrea. Basic Writing: In this course students will learn how to create basic paragraphs, topic sentences, compound sentences, and pronouns. They will do assignments such as writing letters, creating poems, and writing a dialogue out of a scene that a classmate has acted out. Pre-Intermediate: World of words: This course is focused on getting students to expand their vocabulary, and learn words that will help enhance their conversations. This class is mostly for students who are only here for a short period of time. This course is taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:35 and 1:05 by teachers: Adolf, John V, and Bill. Living in English: Living in English is a more advanced class of Survival English. This class is focused on a lot of vocabulary and conversation. This class was created to help students feel comfortable expressing themselves while here in America. Intermediate: Academic Skills: This course focuses on practicing different techniques to improve skills and strengthen writing. This class is also taught for Upper Intermediate students, and teaches them how to write at the University level. Academic Skills is taught on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 11:35 … Read more

Spend September in San Diego!!

Category: Activities, Around San Diego, Student Services / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

September is another great month of the year to be at EC San Diego! Our new September Activity & Tour Calendar is OUT! Get your copy at school to discover fun Fall 2014 events, activities, and trips – these will only add to students’ ESL learning in our full immersion English courses! **Please note that on Monday, September 1st, EC San Diego will be closed for the US Labor Day Holiday  Every Tuesday AND Thursday in September: We added another Conversation Class to our calendar! Learn new words in English & practice your conversation skills every Tuesday and Thursday at 1:30pm! Sign up for Free Conversation Classes at the front desk. Every Wednesday at 12:15 and 1:30pm – Free ESL Pronunciation classes! Sign up now at EC San Diego’s front desk. September 3rd: Join our partner company American Host Tours for a Padres Game in Downtown San Diego! Tickets are $19 – get your ticket by completing the BLUE form at the front desk! September 7th: Join EC San Diego Teachers and Staff on Mission Beach for an “End-of-Summer” beach party and BBQ! All are welcome to attend this free event with EC! (Please bring food/drink to share, and if you want to grill please bring your own meat and/or vegetables.) September 20th: Our Volunteer opportunity this month is “Clean Up Mission Bay”! Everyone is invited to help clean our local beaches from 9am to 12pm. Please sign up to attend! Go to the meeting spot, Crowne Pointe Park, at 8:40am the day of this event. September 23rd, 24th, & 25th: AY Lecture Series on the “Peace Corps”. Please see Autumn in Room 7 for more information. September 28th: EC School Trip to the San Diego Zoo! Tickets are only $20 – get yours & directions at the front desk starting the week of September 8th! September’s almost here … Read more

Our August Activity Calendar is Here!!

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Spending your summer with EC San Diego? Check out EC San Diego’s new August 2014 activity calendar! Discover events, activities, and trips that will only add to learning English in San Diego! Read below to get ready for more summertime fun in San Diego! Every Tuesday at 1:30pm: Free English Conversation classes! Sign up now at EC San Diego’s front desk. Every Wednesday at 12:15 and 1:30pm: Free ESL Pronunciation classes! Sign up now at EC San Diego’s front desk. August 7th: Join our partner company American Host Tours for a Kayak Tour off the coast of La Jolla! August 10th: Hit the streets of local neighborhood Hillcrest, CA, for “City Fest 2014”, an all-day street fair with live music, shopping, beer gardens, and amazing food! August 14th: “Talk & Tacos” with Student Counselor Sophie! Join other EC students for some lively English conversation – and a plate of delicious tacos – at local cantina Jose’s Courtroom! August 16th: EC school trip to the San Diego Zoo! Spend the day hanging with monkeys, chilling with polar bears, & watching adorable pandas! Sign up now at the front desk.  August 29th to September 1st: Happy Labor Day weekend! No school on Monday, September 1st. Enjoy long weekend tours to San Francisco, Yosemite, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Are you ready?          

Words of Wisdom from Andrew Yossef

Category: Academic, EC San Diego Profiles / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Most students of EC San Diego are unaware that our very own Academic Assistant, Andrew Yossef, was born and raised in Egypt! At the age of 18, he moved to the United States with his parents and younger sister. Upon arrival, Andrew was excited to immerse himself in American culture; however,  transitioning into this new life brought about many challenges.  Eight years later, Andrew has gained much insight from his journey thus far. Andrew offers encouraging words to EC students who may be having a difficult time adjusting to life in America: “With any new experience comes feelings of unease. You have one of two options: avoid the obstacle or face the obstacle. You can’t figure out everything on your own. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or be vulnerable. Accept the process rather than rushing to the finish line.” Andrew also gives advice for students on how to improve their English speaking abilities. Although his native language is Arabic, Andrew took English classes growing up. “Understanding grammar is one thing, but using it in conversation is another.” Andrew encourages students to first and foremost speak with locals. Learning the art of conversation is essential to enhancing your understanding of the English language. Andrew also encourages students to read lots of books. When coming across a word that you don’t understand, look it up in the dictionary or on the internet. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us, Andrew! EC loves having you as Academic Assistant!

EC San Diego Teacher Profile: John Kim!

Category: EC San Diego Profiles, Student Services / Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Teacher John Kim (right) loves fishing off the San Diego coastline with his sons! A little about me: Hi! My name is John Kim. I’m originally from Honolulu, Hawaii, but I’ve been living here in San Diego, California since 2003. I am a retired veteran from a great American institution called the United States Army, and now, I am again actively involved in another great institution called EC San Diego English Language Center! I am proud and honored to have been involved with public service for over 20 years and I am now  just as proud and honored to be involved with the international group of students who come to EC to experience a full immersion English course in San Diego. Life for me is about leadership, being present, and having a balance of education, work, and good citizenship. I manage to do that and more as a Teacher at EC. John teaches EC San Diego’s FREE Conversation classes every Tuesday and Friday! My Classes at EC: I teach Business and Academic English courses at EC San Diego. I want my classes to be as fun and interactive as possible. I love creating a buzz in class with cool vocabulary activities and conversation exercises. I also teach the Free Conversation courses offered on Tuesdays and Fridays! I like to use everything I have learned from all my life experiences to create interesting, challenging, and fun lessons for my students. My Professional Experience: I am a native English speaker and have been working as an ESL teacher at EC’s San Diego English Language Center since March of last year. Before I started teaching, I worked in various military and diplomatic positions worldwide for over 24 years. During that time I studied and taught leadership, language, business, and management courses abroad. Because of this … Read more

Summer Is Here, And So Is Our June 2014 Calendar!!

Category: Academic, Activities, Around San Diego, Student Services / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Check out EC San Diego’s new June 2014 Activity Calendar! Highlights include: Still Going Strong: Free Classes Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday!! Remember to sign up at the front desk! NEW: Exit Test on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 3pm! All General English Course students must take the Exit Test if they are at EC for 8 weeks or more. June 5th: World Environment Day! Wear Green to school on Thursday, June 5th, to show your support of our environment! June 4th to 6th: “Going Green” guessing game! Help us raise funds for World Environment Day. EC San Diego will match all funds raised by this event! June 7th: the Del Mar Fair Begins! Get your tickets to this amazing cultural event at the San Diego Fair website June 11th: “Talk and Tapas” with Teacher Maddy! Enjoy incredible tapas & incredible conversation with fellow EC San Diego students at Whisk-n-ladle in La Jolla! Meet Maddy at the front desk at 6pm. June 12 & 13th – World Cup Events! $10 admission to the game at Typhoon Saloon in Pacific Beach and 1 drink ticket. June 13th & 27th: TGIF Class, Free! “Thank Goodness It’s Friday” Conversation Class at La Jolla Cove – meet Teacher John K. in Room 2 at 1:30pm. June 28th: Ocean Beach Summer Street Fair! Get out with the local San Diego crowd to enjoy the best food, shopping, beer, and entertainment San Diego has to offer EC San Diego knows that learning English in San Diego also means getting to know the lifestyle, culture, and language of San Diego and of California. Now we are ready to study English in San Diego this summer – so let’s go!!

Speaking English Is What We Do! How to Pronounce ‘TH’ Sounds

Category: Academic, Student Services / Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

“Thankful” is a word that comes to mind when you study at EC San Diego! Students who learn English at EC San Diego – and at every ESL school around the world –  have trouble pronouncing English words with the common “TH” sound. Do you get tongue-twisted over “the”, “thing”, “although”, and “thorough”? Well, not to worry! EC San Diego English teachers have a couple of tips for you to follow so that you can improve your pronunciation! First thing to know: The TH sound can be made by sticking out your tongue, placing the tip of your tongue between your upper and lower teeth, and blowing out. Say “ttthh”! Now you have the basics of how to use your mouth to actually produce ‘this’ sound! To continue, there are two kinds of TH sounds: voiced and voiceless.  To make a voiced TH sounds as in “the” and “although”, make sure that when you blow out, that sound is also made. You know you are making a voiced TH sound because when you touch your throat, you can feel a vibration! To make a voiceless TH sounds as in “something” and “thorough”, make sure that when you blow out, no sound is made. You know you are making a voiceless TH sound because when you touch your throat, you cannot feel a vibration. After practicing these two sounds as directed above, it’s time for some fun pronunciation practice with EC San Diego! The following tongue-twisters are a favorite way EC General English Course students practice speaking English out loud! 1. King Thistle stuck a thousand thistles in the thistle of his thumb. A thousand thistles King Thistle stuck in the thistle of his thumb. If King Thistle stuck a thousand thistles in the thistle of his thumb, How many thistles did King … Read more