Tag: students

Desiree: Why I Love to Learn English at EC San Diego

Category: Student Testimonial, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , ,

My experience at EC was amazing! I met a lot of people from different countries and cultures and I learned a lot from them. But the best part of this experience is my host family- now they are my family. I love them with all my heart and I will miss them a lot. They are so special to me. If I could bring them with me I would. They helped me every time I needed. They cared about me and they treated me like family. They are the best people I’ve ever met. They are sweet, friendly, kind and fantastic! I chose this destination because my agent in Venezuela recommended San Diego to me and it was the best choice I’ve ever made. I would recommend EC as a great place to learn English to all my friends. All the teachers I had were great. Thank you EC for giving me the best months of my life!

EC Business English: Gain Career Success!

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The ability to communicate confidently and effectively is a major factor in anyone’s career. What you say and how you say it can make or break an interview, business deal or networking relationship. EC knows the importance of learning General English as well as Business English; mastering both can help you further your career goals in today’s global market. Our business courses are the right choice when you study English in the USA! EC San Diego’s Business English courses are open to any student looking to learn business English while experiencing American culture.Our Business Year program is for ESL students who want to improve their English skills quickly and effectively within 6 to12 months. If you want to add ‘English-speaking’ to your CV, support your job at home, or take the next step in your career, EC San Diego’s Business English is for you. The Business Semester/Year also provides free tutoring, business mentoring, community volunteer opportunities and free one-to-one sessions where you can work on what you want to learn. Our business English teachers have real-world experience that they weave into daily group and individual lessons. At the end of a course, we want our students to know how to write a resume, interview with potential employers, give business presentations, and use accurate business English with diplomacy and tact. Whether you want to enhance future career possibilities, provide additional skills to your CV, or further your current career path, Business English with EC San Diego can help you gain career success!              

EC San Diego Student Highlight – Yuki Murata

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

Article by Student: Jaemaro Choi Let me introduce Yuki Murata, one of EC San Diego’s students. Yuki is from Japan and has been taking ESL classes in San Diego for 6 months. Here, he has shown us how to make sushi. First of all, to make sushi, he went to a Japanese & Korean supermarket on Convoy Street with EC San Diego friends to buy the needed ingredients. Then, at his home our chef makes the sushi.  Here are the steps: First, he thinly slices the fish professionally. Then, he mixes rice with white wine vinegar. Next, he prepares the seaweed. Finally, we eat sushi all together.   The sushi was so delicious that we couldn’t stop eating it. We cleaned everything off our plates. Thank you so much Yuki for giving us such a wonderful experience at EC. At EC, we are happy, studying English and having variety activities. Learning how to make sushi was a one-of-a kind opportunity to learn about another culture while speaking English!   Learn more about ESL in San Diego

Experiencing ESL San Diego: Student Kazuma Dan

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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 students listen to their peers' presentations and take notes in English

EC San Diego: English Immersion and Community Outreach

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

At EC San Diego, we take pride in our ability to seamlessly merge learning English via the classroom with cultural immersion and community outreach. This philosophy and practice make our EC center the best English language school in San Diego! Every month, EC San Diego students have two fantastic opportunities to practice their English and give back to the local La Jolla community by sharing their lives with senior citizens at Casa de Mañana, a nearby retirement community.  On the third Wednesday of every month, students are invited to dinner at Casa de Mañana for a “Dinner & Conversation” event. During this event, Casa de Mañana residents host tables for EC students who enjoy a free, delicious meal while getting to know the residents and each other. The hosts at Casa enjoy the opportunity to learn about other countries and cultures, and the students get great experience talking to native English speakers and the opportunity to hear many fascinating stories.  A former student, Edilene Storti, who attended Casa in January said, “Being at Casa de Mañana was the most surprising and delightful experience I’ve had in San Diego. In my country, when it comes to visiting a retirement house, it’s usually sad to see that people who live there were, most of times, abandoned by their families. Casa de Mañana was different from my expectations; I could meet English speakers who were extremely interesting people full of joy and of life!” The day after the “Dinner and Conversation” event, students chosen by EC San Diego teachers and staff give presentations at Casa de Mañana about their home countries! Each month, more and more Casa residents come to listen to the presentations and learn about EC students’ home countries.  Giving a presentation is a great way for EC San Diego students to practice their presentation skills (in English, of course!) and … Read more

Super Bowl Sunday, EC San Diego Style!

Category: Activities, Student Services / Tags: , , , , ,

It’s not called the “Super” Bowl for nothing! On Sunday, February 1st, the Seattle Seahawks football team will take on the New England Patriots in Glendale Arizona for Super Bowl 49! Super Bowl Sunday is one of the most popular events in the United States, a day-long celebration filled with family and friends, eating and drinking, cheering, hanging out and – most importantly! – watching some fantastic American football! There are several things you can do to make sure you get the full experience this Sunday: Watch the commercials: Ads can cost upwards of $2-3 million per 30 seconds, and as such they are some of the most entertaining and innovative TV advertisements of the year. EAT: Throw out all of your new year’s resolutions! Enjoy some of the most popular foods for game day including hot wings, potato skins, 7-layer dip, hot dogs, burgers, and any type of BBQ! Catch the Puppy Bowl: If you’re around friends that aren’t huge fans of football and have easy access to another television, the Puppy Bowl is a great alternative. You can catch adorable puppies playing their own game of football, and if the cuteness becomes too much, you can always switch back to the real game. Pre-Game:The SB festivities start 2 hours before Kick-off, so be sure to grab enough beer for you and your friends!  Some popular brands in the US include Corona, Coors and Bud-light. Watch the Half-time Show: Be sure to catch what is always a great concert that you can enjoy from your living room.  Some of the biggest performers in the world have performed during the half-time show, including Bruno Mars, Beyoncé, and The Red Hot Chili peppers.  This year’s performer will be Katy Perry! Read below to see what EC San Diego staff members will be doing on the … Read more

It’s Officially (US) Football Season!

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

      (Left) Teacher Wes giving his AY Presentation, (right) Wes takes an American Football player photo! Last week EC San Diego Teacher Wes gave a presentation about the game of American Football to our Academic Year students! In the US, football is not only a sport but also a tradition. Teacher Wes’ presentation focused on how “football” is common throughout the US, and for all age groups. There are teams for young children all the way to the NFL. It is played at every school, every college, and every university. A large part of our students’ full immersion US English program in the US is to learn about these types of tradition, and also to become part of them! So – not really certain how the game of “American Football” works? Then read the following introduction to the game, courtesy of Teacher Wes! RULES:  11 players from each team play at one time The offense has 4 downs (plays) to move the ball forward 10 yards The team must throw or run the ball from the ball from the line of scrimmage The line of scrimmage extends the width of the field from the location the ball is placed The defense can not go past the line of scrimmage until the offense begins the play At each end, there is an ‘End Zone’ and Field Goal Post – this is where you score points SCORING SYSTEM (POINTS) A touchdown is worth 6 points After a touchdown, the team can either kick a very short field goal worth 1 point or try and score again from 2 yards away for 2 points A field goal is worth 3 points regardless of the distance Ready to watch a Football game!?  

EC San Diego: October Activities!

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

October is a great month to be enrolled in one of EC’s full immersion English courses at EC San Diego! Why? Because EC has amazing English programs for every student (of course) but also because there are many fun and exciting events happening in San Diego all month long! What’s Up This Month: 1. October 5th: (American) Football Game, San Diego Chargers vs. New York Jets! $95, transportation to Qualcomm stadium included! 2. October 9th: Drum Lesson & Circle at La Jolla Cove! Sign up at the front desk & get ready to get your rhythm on next Thursday at 6:15pm 3. October 13th: EC San Diego Closed for Veteran’s Day Holiday – school resumes as usual on Tuesday, October 14th 4. October 16th: Visit the Haunted Trail in Balboa Park. The trail is an SD Halloween tradition…that will scare your socks off. “The Haunted Trail will be the scariest stroll of your life. Walk carefully along the mile long Trail through twisted groves and gnarled oaks… Visitors watch your back, you’ll never know which way the terror will hit you.” 5. October 21-23: AY Lecture “Thinking in English” with Teacher JJ – it’s harder than you “think” to think in a second language!! This lecture is open to all students and is great way to get free, additional English practice on top of current English course lessons. 6. October 29th: Halloween Bash at FLUXX SD. Attend the Halloween party of a lifetime at one of the most exclusive clubs in Downtown San Diego! This is event is 18+, must be 21+ to drink ($20) 7. October 31st: Happy Halloween! Annual EC Halloween Party & Costume Contest!! Our annual Halloween party & costume contest will be held at school during the elective hours. Make sure to come dressed in your finest Halloween gear! We will be judging you… Food tickets … Read more

English Practice: Prefixes & Suffixes!

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

Inspired by our current FCE Cambridge English class, here is a “pre-weekend” lesson on English prefixes and suffixes. Why study English prefixes and suffixes? It helps you broaden your English vocabulary! A good knowledge of English prefixes and suffixes will help you learn & understand more English vocabulary without the need to always check your ESL dictionary. Our FCE class uses blocks to learn prefixes and suffixes! So, what is a prefix? A prefix is a letter or group of letters added to the beginning of a word to make a new word. In the word ‘UNPLEASANT’ (def: causing unhappiness, displeasure) ‘UN-‘ is a prefix added to the word “PLEASANT”.  Why? Because ‘UN’ is the a Latin word for NOT. What is a suffix? A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to make another word. The suffix ‘FUL’ added to the end of the word ‘WONDER’ creates another word ‘WONDERFUL’ (def: having great qualities, amazing). Why? Because ‘FUL’ is one of the many suffixes that change a noun into an adjective! Practice: Finding Combinations How many combinations can make find below, using the “foundation” words + a prefix and/or a suffix.

Student Nurlan Sermagambetov wins Silver Medal @ National Jiu-Jitsu Championship!

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

Nurlan showing off his silver medal! EC San Diego student, Nurlan Sermagambetov, participated in last week’s 2014 American National Jiu-Jitsu No-GI Championship in Los Angeles. As an athlete under the Brazilian training academy, ATOS JIU-JITSU, Nurlan participated in the blue belt, super heavy category. His training and hard work paid off, as Nurlan came in 2nd place for his competition category! Nurlan coming in 2nd place! Nurlan leaves EC today, as he graduates from his Semi-Intensive English course at the Pre-Intermediate level. Although Nurlan was only a student with us for one month, we are so proud of all he has accomplished within his short time in America! Not only has he improved his English, he will also be returning home as a Jiu-Jitsu champion! Keep up the hard work, Nurlan!