American English Language School

  Going to class and studying your weekly vocabulary is a very important part of learning English. However, in order to really learn a language to the best of your ability, you need to have other ways of incorporating English into your daily life. Podcasts are a wonderful way for students to learn English because it improves listening skills and gives students more inexperience with conversational English and American culture. Here is a list of three podcasts you should incorporate into your day!   1.     Stuff You Missed in History Class   For many people, history can be a boring subject; however, Holly Frey and Tracy Wilson are two history enthusiasts who discuss major events of the past in such an interesting and engaging way. They introduce a variety of historical events that they might skip or glaze over in a normal history class with each episode.   This podcast is a wonderful way for students to learn about American and World Histo...

  It is Easter season in the United States! Here are some idioms that center around all the animals and things that we associate with Easter!   1.     Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed   This English idiom is used when to refer to someone that is alert and awake or they are eager to do or finish something.   For example: She had her coffee in the morning and was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for the day!   2.     Pull a rabbit out of the hat   When we say someone pulls a rabbit out of the hat it means they have come up with an unpredictable solution to an issue or a problem. The history of this idiom is from the old magician's trick of actually pulling a rabbit out of a hat.   For example: He pulled a rabbit out of his hat and finished his project right at the deadline.   3.     Empty Nester   This English idiom describes a person whose children have all grown up and lef...

The vocabulary section of the TOEFL can be seen by some test takers as the most challenging. As you take the test, you may realize that there are many words that you do not know, and that can seem unnerving. There will be words that you do not know, but do not spend too much time trying to figure out what each word means. For the words that you will need to know to understand the text, the test will give you the definition. However, it is a good idea to keep expanding your vocabulary to help you do better on the test. Here are some common words that you might see while taking the TOEFL test.   1.         Corrode: To be slowly weakened by chemical reactions 2.         Simulation: An imitation or representation 3.         Discretely: Separately; distinctly 4.         Antipathy: A strong, long-lasting negative feeling 5.         Capricio...

  Traveling to the United States to learn English can be very exciting. However, the process can seem stressful. First, you need to find the right location and school that you want to apply to. After you have chosen your school, you will need to gather the required documents to apply and be accepted into your chosen language school. After you have been accepted into your language school, you will need to pay your F-1 visa application fees and set up your visa interview. The process may seem difficult, but if you really want to improve your English, you can get through it.   When all of the steps for your application are complete, you will need to make your travel plans, and you’re all set. You arrive at your new school to begin your classes. But what happens when you find your school is not everything that you had thought it would be? If you are unhappy with your current language school, do you have to stay anyway? No! If you are not happy with your current school, you h...

  Our next quarter starts on the first Monday in April. During the first week of our ESL classes, teachers and students do ice breaker activities and work on getting to know each other. Since we have smaller class sizes, it is easy for students to talk and get to know each other well. At American English Language School, we emphasize conversations. The best way to start a conversation with a stranger is to greet them. Are you not sure how to greet others? Here are the most common greetings to use in a conversation.   Hello! / Hi! This is the most common and simplest way to greet someone new. It can be followed by asking how someone is doing. You can say hello to greet anyone.   Good morning / Good afternoon / Good evening This greeting depends on the time of the day. You can use morning between 6:00 am to 12:00 pm, afternoon between 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm, and evening after 6:00 pm. It is another greeting to use with someone and they will typically respond with...