American English Language School

  This month marks the start of the spring season! Spring is typically in March, April, and May. This year, it began on Monday, March 23. It is a mostly warm season full of altering weather, varying from bright sunny days to heavy rain. To help commemorate the season, here are 8 common English phrases related to springtime.   1.       A ray of sunshine: Calling someone or something a ‘ray of sunshine’ means you are describing someone as a happy or enthusiastic person. 2.       Head in the clouds: If you have your head in the clouds, this means you are distracted or unrealistic.   3.       Take a rain check: What do you do when someone tries to invite you to an event, but you are too busy to make it? You take a rain check. This means that you cannot make a plan for the moment but would like to reschedule for another time. 4.       Storm in a teacup: This phrase i...

  Idioms are phrases that English speakers use in everyday conversation, but don’t always make sense if they are pulled apart, word by word. This week is culture week and our classes will get to explore other cultures and foods!   Here are some common idioms that are associated with things involving food to add to your conversational vocabulary.   1.     Walk on eggshells   This idiom is used when someone has   to act very sensitively to avoid offending someone else.   For example: We have to walk on eggshells around our daughter about her lost dog.   2.     Spill the beans   This idiom is used when you want to say or reveal your secrets or someone else’s secrets.   For example: I hope she will spill the beans about where she gets her recipes from.   3.     Bad egg     This idiom describes a person who does bad things or cannot be trusted.   ...

  At American English Language School, our ESL program follows a quarter system. Each quarter of our ESL program is 12 weeks. During these 12 weeks, students will complete many reading, listening, writing, grammar, and speaking challenges. While students will complete various activities to improve their English speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills, the most enjoyable learning experience students have is our Culture Week which takes place during the last week of each quarter. After a long 11 weeks of intense studying, we want to give our students a little break to enjoy themselves while also letting them use the English skills they have been working on improving the entire quarter.   While the 11th week of our ESL program is all about reviewing previous material and studying for the final, the 12th week is all about fun. During this week, students will get together and go to various places and do fun activities inside and outside of the classroom. Typically, t...

  Many students struggle while taking the TOEFL exam because of their lack of vocabulary. While it may seem easy to increase your vocabulary for the TOEFL, it is hard for students to study vocabulary when they try to do so without enough time in advance to prepare. It becomes difficult and stressful for students when they try to cram new vocabulary in their brains right before the test. Remember, while vocabulary may be important and useful taking the test (and outside of taking the test), do not stop too long to try to figure out the definitions of words you do not know. The words you will need to know the definitions of to understand the main ideas of the text will have their definitions underneath the passages.   In order to reduce the stress of preparing for the TOEFL, we always suggest students give themselves enough time to prepare. To start preparing, here are 10 common words you may find when taking the TOEFL to help to ease the pressure of not knowing what to ex...

  Are you thinking about studying in the United States to improve your English? If you plan to travel to the U.S. to study English, an F-1 visa is required. This visa will allow you to travel to your destination in the U.S. state of your choice and begin your educational journey. So how do you start the process of obtaining an F-1 visa? Keep reading to find the steps to apply.   First, you should think about the location where you want to begin your studies. After you have selected your desired spot, you will need to consider your school. There are various language schools throughout the U.S. We suggest conducting some research in order to find the school that you think is right for you.   You must fulfill the school’s requirements to be accepted. Each school will have different requirements, so you should contact the school to find out what is necessary to apply. F-1 visas can be issued up to 120 days in advance of your course of study start date. We recommend ...