Can I Survive Language School?

By CISL SD student, Dianne Kuijs (The Netherlands)

Do you like adventure? Do you like getting in touch with people from many different countries and cultures? Have you always wanted to learn English or wanted to improve your English? If you answered yes to any of these questions then I have the golden tip for you: English courses at the Converse International School of Language (CISL) in San Diego or San Francisco, California.

Personally, improving my English has always been a dream of mine not only because it is a “must have” when you are in business but also it can allow you to feel more confident when communicating in English.

When I spoke of this dream with my supervisor during my last internship, she told me about CISL, so I visited the site (www.cisl.edu). What struck me first about the site was that the classes have a maximum of only eight people, so you can get plenty of personal attention, a big plus in my opinion. Also I was happy to learn that students from other countries will be in the class with me. This will give me a opportunity to discover other cultures. As I continued to read the site and as I found out more and more about the CISL language school, the more excited I became.

However, before I decided to join CISL, I thought about it a lot and also discussed it with my parents. They said that if I really wanted to do this, I should go for it because it is definitely a great experience and I’ll learn a lot.

Finally, I decided to do it, so what’s the first step I took to begin my trip? Well, making a trip to America as a Dutch student is a big journey and there are many things to consider and arrange.
First I went back to the site, downloaded a form, printed it and filled it out. After doing that, I scanned the forms and emailed it to CISL. Surprisingly, this process turned out to be really easy. I was even able to book my housing on the website where I could specify exactly what kind (alone or shared) of room I wanted. CISL responded very quickly to my application; after sending the email I received a confirmation within only 2 days. I also had some questions about the residence, and, again, they replied very quickly. After I prepared everything right down to the last detail, I could finally relax especially because CISL arranged a driver to pick me up when I arrive at the San Diego airport. The only thing I had to arrange separately was my ticket, but booking that online was also very easy.

My trip includes 3 weeks in San Diego where I’ll complete a Standard English course at CISL. I’ll stay at the student residence on Vantaggio State Street for 5 weeks, so I can explore San Diego. I can’t wait to not only walk across the Broadway, enjoy the many beaches, swim in the Pacific Ocean, watch San Diego’s famous baseball team, the Padres, and go on a trip to LA where I can walk around the huge shopping malls, but, also, to finally fulfill my dream to improve my English!

Does this wonderful trip sound great to you? Do you have a similar dream to improve your English? If so, let CISL help you plan your trip and survive language school, just visit the site www.cisl.edu!

© Dianne Kuijs