Writing Contest Winner: Travel Tips
Last month, CISL San Diego asked its students to write a travel article that was similar to our Tips for Enjoying Las Vegas post. The results were very impressive! The winner, Emilie Staes, wrote about visiting Valencia, which is on the west coast of Spain. Congratulations, Emilie, and thank you for your submission! Valencia: Where [...]
Celebrating Thanksgiving in the U.S.
Halloween has passed, the daylight hours are getting shorter and shorter, and the weather has turned colder. Every American knows that this means one very important thing: Thanksgiving is coming! Many students are curious about the origins and the traditions of Thanksgiving and we are happy to share this information with them. The Origins of [...]
Student Writing Sample: “Do We Have Free Will?”
Do we have free will? CISL San Francisco students were asked this question last month for our writing contest. The winning entry, from Maxime Bindzi, is a wonderful example of a five-paragraph English essay. Enjoy his musings on free will. Congratulations, Maxime! Your writing skills are truly impressive! DO WE HAVE FREE WILL? By Maxime Bindzi [...]
Writing Contest Winner: Is it Ever OK to Tell a Lie?
To what extent is telling a lie a bad thing? In English we call little lies “white lies.” These are lies that we tell to the people we love because we do not want to hurt their feelings. For example, you might not like your friend’s new shirt, but if your friend asks you your [...]
Tips for Enjoying Las Vegas
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas . . . unless, of course, you travel to Vegas with your CISL classmates! Many CISL students choose a trip to “Sin City” during their time living and studying in San Diego, yet few students arrive with an itinerary. Here are some suggestions for fun activities during a [...]
Writing Contest Winner: What comes to mind when you think of summer?
Just two weeks ago, Americans celebrated Labor Day, which traditionally marks the end of summer. But the weather is still warm and summer is in full-swing here in San Diego! Because we are still enjoying the late summer sun and activities, we thought we would ask our students what they think of summer. The [...]
Book smart vs. street smart? Students weigh in
This month, we asked our students their opinion on the following topic: “Not everything that is learned is contained in books. Do you agree or disagree?” Our CISL San Francisco student Belén Candenas wrote an articulate essay on the subject and we are proud to share it on the CISL Blog. Congratulations, Belen! Knowledge obtained [...]
Writing Contest Winner: Are the Olympics beneficial?
Today marks the beginning of the 2012 Olympics in London, so we thought it would be the perfect time to ask our students their opinion about sporting occasions. We asked our CISL SD and SF students the following question, which is based on a question from a previous IELTS examination: Popular events like soccer’s World [...]
What’s Your Favorite Childhood Memory?
What is your favorite childhood memory? We asked our CISL students if they could recall a special time in their youth and share it with us. Karinne Schazmann’s beautiful entry was a clear winner! Thank you, Karinne, for such a heartfelt story. We enjoyed reading it, and we hope the other students do as well! [...]
Writing Contest Winner: Changing Places for a Day
Earlier this month we asked our CISL students a question: If you could switch places with another person, who would it be? And why? As always, we were amazed by the responses (and by the English abilities of our students!). Our winner, Hélène Dallaire, wrote an incredibly thoughtful answer. We hope you enjoy. Thank you, Hélène, for [...]
