Tag: ec english

Student Testimonial-Sujin Jo

Category: EC San Diego Profiles, Student Testimonial, Uncategorized / Tags: , , ,

Read below to find out why EC student Sujin Jo loves San Diego!   I chose to study at EC San Diego because it is a smaller city and I wanted live in a more peaceful and natural city. I also chose to study here because the weather is amazing.  I am an international law student in Korea and am in my final year of University, so it is very important that I improve my English.  I have been studying here for over 5 months and I think that I have improved a lot. I started at the pre intermediate level and I am currently in the upper intermediate, and I know that I will continue to improve.  So far, my favorite EC activity was volunteering at the beach clean- up because I met a lot of new friends and also got to volunteer. We got to play a lot of games as well as clean the beach!  I also like studying in San Diego because it is easy to visit other cities, and I can go to Los Angeles to visit friends, travel to Las Vegas, and go to the beach! While I am here I would also like to learn how to surf.   My new friends are from Brazil, Switzerland and Japan. I still keep in touch with all of the people who have met. I will visit my friends in Brazil for Carnival in February!  My favorite teacher is Mike because I have learned a lot from him and whenever I need help he is all willing to help and is very friendly and I feel like he is my friend. I also like Sylvia because she reminds me of my mother and I have learned a lot of writing skills from her!   I would advise students coming to San Diego to try to make friends … Read more

Opening Season In San Diego!

Category: Activities, Around San Diego, Uncategorized / Tags: , , ,

San Diego horse racing takes place where the “turf meets the surf” at the Del Mar Racetrack. Fans flock to the track each summer to wager on their favorite horses during the popular, annual Del Mar Thoroughbred Club racing season, mid-July – early-September. Be part of the magic and nostalgia of this long-time horse race tradition dating back to 1937 when Bing Crosby greeted the first guests, and Seabiscuit won by a nose in the infamous race in 1938. This season features the nation’s top race horses, trainers and jockeys, and plenty of fun in the sun. The races run five days weekly, except Monday and Tuesday. Horse racing at Del Mar happens Wednesday through Sunday, with post time for the first race on most days at 2:00 PM. On Fridays first post is at 4:00 PM. Thursday, July 16 marks the Opening Day for the Del Mar horse races. Celebrating its 76th season, the Del Mar race tracks run for 40 days ending on September 7th. Spectators come from all over California to watch the horse races and participate in the numerous events throughout the day. On Opening Day, fans will wear their biggest, most spectacular hats to enter in the Hat’s Contest for a chance to win up to $5,000 in prizes. Make your way down to the Del Mar race tracks to enjoy the horse races, beautiful scenery and fine dining. Below is a list of a few favorite restaurants among the locals: Jimmy O’s Sports Bar 225 W. 15th St. Del Mar, CA Bully’s Del Mar 1404 Camino Del Mar Del Mar, CA Searsucker Del Mar 12995 El Camino Real #21 Racing fans will return to the improved Seaside Stage, located at the west end of the Grandstand with the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop and … Read more

EC San Diego Student Presentations

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

This past week, students were able to give presentations about their home country in order to inform others about their culture and lifestyle. The students also gave detailed explanations of the popular tourist attractions and what you can expect to see when you visit their country.   Student Luis Vargas, is from Venezuela and said that he really enjoyed speaking to other students about what it is like to live in his country. “Venezuela is a very diverse country because we have many different biomes such as the desert, beaches, jungle and mountains. Depending on where you are staying can influence the type of food you will eat. For example, if you are on the coast, you can find some of the freshest foods to eat. Alto, is a restaurant located in the country’s capital of Caracas, and is a favorite among the locals because they serve gourmet meals there. A traditional meal in Venezuela would be Arepa’s, which are similar to hamburgers in the United States. Arepa’s, however, are made with a type of cornbread and you can stuff different foods in it such as chicken or cheese. In Venezuela, a very popular sport is baseball. In the United States, players like Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Lions and former San Francisco Giants player Pablo Sandoval, are natives to Venezuela. My country is also known for Miss Venezuela winning the title of Miss Universe seven times. Venezuela is home to the tallest waterfall in the world: Angel Falls.” Student Julianna Correal Velez, presented on her home country of Colombia: “Colombia is a Spanish country and we Colombians are dreamers. One of our country’s motto is, “Colombia is patient”. There are many tourist attractions in Colombia. A few of the main cities are Bogota, Cartagena, and Medellin. Bogota is Colombia’s … Read more

EC San Diego experience-Hyunsoo Bae

Category: Academic, EC San Diego Profiles, Student Testimonial, Uncategorized / Tags: , , ,

 EC San Diego student Hans shares his experience! I chose to study ESL in San Diego because my cousin told me that the weather is nice and the people are kind. Also, I like that it is not crowded like other cities. I have learned so many things since studying here like how to deal with people from other cultures and all about the great night life, but most importantly I learned ENGLISH!!! My English improved a lot, I started in pre intermediate and received my certificate in advanced. I learned not only to speak English, but to live with people who come from different nationalities and cultures. I have been exposed to a lot of native speakers so my English has improved a lot! If you want to speak English very well just come to EC San Diego! My favorite EC activity was going to see the San Diego Padres games at Petco Park. On weekends there are laser shows and fireworks at the end of the games. Volunteering was also very nice because I like to help others. I participated in the Beach clean-up and it was a lot of fun, and after cleaning we had a party with teachers and students. It is very nice when everyone gets together. All of the teachers at EC San Diego are good, but Kevin and Jenny are the best! Kevin always makes students participate and is like a bridge between students and other students so that everyone gets to know one another. Jenny is very good at teaching grammar. JJ forces us to read books, which makes us better at learning English. Every day in San Diego is special because the environment is very warm and welcoming and the staff is great. The waves at the beach are amazing, so I can go surfing … Read more

EC San Diego Student Testimonial – Kento

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

22 year old Japanese student Kento Higa shares his experience studying ESL at EC San Diego! I chose to study at EC San Diego because the weather is nice and because the school is near the ocean. I really love the ocean so, I decided to study here.I improved my English a lot. When I came my weakness was speaking. I had studied a little before, but I could not say anything except hello and how are you but now I’m getting much better and more confident. I even gave two presentations one at EC and one at Casa de Manana in front of about 20 to 30 students. My favorite EC activity was the GSS class and AY tutoring because my pronunciation was really bad, but now I am getting better since AY tutoring with teacher Karen. Karen was very helpful because she didn’t make me nervous, and she is always smiling and telling jokes and is very energetic. I really like my accommodation at the apartments. There was a pool, jacuzzi and I can play table tennis and shoot pool and it’s very safe. I would recommend EC to a friend because you will have many opportunities, for example to do student presentations and be a student ambassador. I made many new friends from Saudi Arabia, Korea, American, and Brazilian. I became very good friends with Korean and Brazilian students because we went on many trips together like San Francisco and Las Vegas and we have meals together, so we became very close. I will remember my presentations because doing them gave me so much confidence in speaking English. Also, I had a lot of fun being a student ambassador because I learned a lot of things such as leadership, responsibility and I had a lot of chances … Read more

EC San Diego Welcomes Back Lauren!

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

Lauren worked as a summer intern at EC last year and we are excited to have her back full time as a Student Services Coordinator! How did you decide to work at EC? I came to EC because I am interested in traveling and studying different cultures. Where are you from? I am born and raised in San Diego California. What countries have you visited? Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, France, Tanzania! What do you like to do when you’re not working? I like to hang out with friends at the beach and try new foods. What’s your favorite place to eat in San Diego? Roberto’s taco shop! What advice can you give to students who are thinking of coming to San Diego? Become friends with locals because they can show you all the cool things to do! Don’t expect it to always be sunny! Bring clothes for all types of weather! Have you ever studied another language? Yes, I went to German school when I was younger! I also studied Spanish and French! What’s the most difficult thing about learning another language? Being able to speak confidently! I would always doubt myself, so my best advice to students would be to be confident and to always ask for help. What do you like about working at EC so far? Meeting all the cool new people from all over the world and hearing different accents every day! Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I see myself graduating college with a degree in nursing and traveling the world to visit all the new friends I am making here at EC! If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? I would go to Morocco because it’s a very exotic place, and I have always wanted … Read more

EC San Diego Host of the Month

Category: Accommodation, Student Services, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , ,

 [This spotlight of the host of the month section outlines the philosophies and experiences of our different hosts, who all bring something special to the table. We hope that this will provide inspiration and advice to other host families, so that we can continue to develop a support system together.]   Hello, my name is Pamela, and I have been a resident of San Diego for 25 years, and a Host Mother for E.C. San Diego for almost 2 years. I am Originally from Washington State. I have been an in home Licensed Childcare Provider for 19 years. I have a wonderful son, Garrett, who is attending College with a baseball scholarship.      Almost two years ago I decided that while my son was away at College, why not utilize the extra bedroom with another student. I couldn’t be happier with that decision. My choice has made such a positive difference in my every day routine.         Being a Host Mother for these amazing students at EC San Diego is one of the most pleasurable and rewarding challenges I have ever endured. Actually interacting personally and verbally, helping them with their homework, and being able to share our warm and friendly home is necessary for them to feel secure while so far away from their own home studying English in the USA. Our conversations, and daily laughs helps me reach my goal of providing a pleasant and gratifying home-stay while they enjoy our beautiful city of San Diego. We are all Facebook friends, and continue to connect with one another on a regular basis.      If you are a Host Family…..Congratulations to you all! Helping these students to feel comfortable, and cared for everyday with a warm smile will only ensure their perception of enjoyment and security while trying to … Read more

Student Testimonial- Victoria Almada

Category: EC San Diego Profiles, Student Testimonial, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , ,

Seventeen year old Brazilian student Victoria Almada shares her amazing experience while studying at ESL in San Diego. Victoria studied at EC for 8 weeks and was also apart of our home stay program! Why did you choose this destination? I chose San Diego because the weather is amazing and it’s beautiful.I believe that my English has improved a lot! What did you like most about the school? I think EC San Diego is a good school if you want to meet people from all around the world. Would you recommend EC to your friends? It was a great experience and I’m going to advise my friends from Brazil to come to study! What will you remember from your stay? People here are very kind and polite and I really love my host family!  Thanks EC!

Experiencing ESL San Diego: Student Kazuma Dan

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

What was your EC experience, Kazuma?  Kazuma: “I could make many foreigner friends and I could improve my English skill.  I gained a lot of confidence with my speaking. My dream is to have my own business in the USA! I met many new friends from Saudi Arabia and local people. I love to learn English in San Diego!  I’m indebted to all EC teachers (Faye, David, Bill, Joey, Silvia and Karen).  You were all wonderful.  The academic staff (Nick and Karen) were also great and very helpful. I will miss EC San Diego and all of my new friends!” “I am sure to come back to EC to take ESL San Diego again!”

EC San Diego Student Testimonial: Seo Youn Choi (Selena)

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

“Hello, this is Seo Youn Choi from Korea, but please, call me Selena! I’ve been here at San Diego EC for over 11 months and I would like to share my wonderful experiences at EC! Since I’ve been with EC, my English has been much improved. My first class was Intermediate and now I’m in TOEFL class which is one of the highest level[s] in EC. Since EC has various levels, not only does it evaluate students effectively, but also it makes us motivated! Moreover, EC has a wonderful location and the kindest staff including the teachers. EC San Diego is located near La Jolla Cove, which has the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. All of the EC staff welcome[s] students with bright smiles, so I also treat them as my famil[y].” “Lastly, I’ve met so many different people, made hundreds of good friends and learned [about] a lot of cultures through EC. Before I came to EC, I didn’t know anything about other cultures, but EC made me more confident in trying new things and making new friends. During the time that I’ve spent with EC, I became [a] more mature person. I extremely appreciate all of EC’s kindness and efforts – I won’t be able to forget my EC San Diego life. Truly, I hope [for] us [all to] be together again someday. Thank you, EC!” Thank you, Selena, for your incredible review of our center! We are so happy to know that you enjoyed your experience at the best English language school in San Diego, EC San Diego!