American English Language School

  If you are preparing for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), the more time you give yourself to prepare, the better. This isn’t a test you can study for overnight. Between the reading, listening, speaking, and writing sections, you will need as much time as possible to prepare.   Another one of the challenges students face when taking the TOEFL is the difficult vocabulary. There may be many new words you haven’t seen, and although it might seem impossible to conquer, there are some things you can do to help you feel more confident when taking the exam. There will be various new words throughout the reading passages and multiple vocabulary questions that will ask you to identify the definitions of words used throughout the text.   In our previous blogs, we went over some common vocabulary words you may find on the test. In order to help you to succeed, here are 15 more common words you will find on the TOEFL.   1.    ...

  One problem some students face is participating in the class. Shy students tend to hide in the back of the classroom, not participate in class discussions, or ask questions. This may work for some students, but how can you improve your English skills when you never practice? Yes, talking in front of others may seem like a nightmare to some students. However, you decrease your chances of improving.   Class engagement helps you to learn. While some students cower in the classroom and dread being called on by their teachers, it will ultimately help you. If you enrolled in a large classroom, yes, it is easy for you to not take part in various activities, but what are you gaining from the class? At American English Language School in Los Angeles, our ESL classes are small, which may sound horrifying for some. However, it allows our teachers to give students more attention and every student a chance to answer questions. When the teacher calls on you, it will force you to exp...

  American English Language School wants our students to succeed in every possible venture that they set their minds on. At AELS, we also want our students to want to be as serious and hardworking about their English education as we are there.   When students come to class prepared and well rested, they will have a better chance of becoming a better English speaker. If students come to class every day, they will be able to speak more in class, learn new words, and be more comfortable in a class environment. Our class small group ratio encourages our students to have a more individualized experience with our teachers. They will be able to have their sentences corrected and have a more intimate relationship with their teacher and their classmates. This closeness allows our students to feel more comfortable about using English instead of worrying about making mistakes in front of others. In order for this experience to take place, students need to be present in class. ...

  You will hear acronyms and abbreviations every day in conversations with others (through talking, texts, email, etc.). Abbreviations are shortened words that typically end with a period, while acronyms are abbreviations formed from the first letters of multiple words or phrases. Acronyms are considered abbreviations. However, not every abbreviation is an acronym. An abbreviation example would be using “Mon.” instead of “Monday.” An example of an acronym would be using “AELS” for American English Language School.   Our society likes to talk or text in abbreviations and acronyms to make communication faster, especially when texting. Why type out “I need to study at American English Language School as soon as possible.” Instead, you can write, “I need to study at AELS ASAP.” Want to know more? Keep reading for 10 common acronyms and abbreviations you can use in everyday conversations.   1.       ASAP (As Soon As Possible): If you see or h...

  American English Language School knows that our students want to receive the highest quality education with qualified and energetic English teachers. However, it is hard to get that kind of experience at most other language schools because they pack as many students as possible in one class to save money on teachers and to obtain more money from their students. At AELS, we want our students to have the best language experience that we can possibly offer so we only allow our classes to have a maximum of eight students per class. We are unlike other language schools because we value our students’ needs and wants over how much money we can make from them. AELS wants our students to feel like we care and are serious about their education; therefore, we limit how many students are in each class.   One of the benefits for having a small class ratio is that our students will definitely receive individualized attention from our teachers. Since the class size is small, our teac...