A New Year means New Year’s Resolutions: do you have any for 2016? When you are studying English in San Diego or San Francisco, there are so many fun resolutions to make! For January’s Grammar Lesson of the Month, we are looking at the modal MUST and 5 things you simply MUST do while living...
Happy New Year to our CISL students! Do you have a resolution for 2016 to improve your English skills? If so, we have the perfect lesson to implement your new resolution: practice CAE and FCE Use of English Part II with these quotes about the New Year! Before you begin, make sure that you understand...
“One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.” -Arthur Ashe If you are planning to take the TOEFL exam, it is important that you understand the test format and its many question types. Today we are focusing on the Writing Section of the TOEFL exam and looking at the...
We all work hard, but do you know how to express this in English? The following expressions are incredibly helpful for the ESL classroom and the English-speaking workplace. These are useful expressions to know if you are going to interview in English, but also great to use when talking about how much you study! Expressions...
Hosting parties, buying gifts, attending holiday events: there are many fun things we have to do during the holidays. This makes December the perfect month to discuss Modals of Obligation. Do you know what they are and how to use them? Modals of Obligation in English Some modals are stronger than others. For example, look...
From surgeons to CEOs, we have had the pleasure of teaching students from many professional backgrounds in our CISL Intensive, Business, and Premier classes! Today on the CISL Blog we are looking at Marketing Vocabulary, which is something our business, advertising, and sales students need. As you can see, however, you don’t necessarily need to be...
“By the way, I’m wearing the smile that you gave me.” -Unknown It is important to be thankful, especially for those of us who are lucky enough to study abroad, make lifelong friends from other countries, and have the experience of a lifetime in California. As a reminder, we are looking at a classic American...
Good friends, a loving family, a stable job, what you learned from the challenges of the year . . . for some, there is much to be thankful for! November is the month of “thanks” in the United States: it began with the idea of Thanksgiving, the holiday designed to celebrate the harvest. Centuries later,...
At CISL San Diego and San Francisco, we are proud of how well we prepare our Cambridge ESOL (FCE & CAE) students: our wonderful teachers make sure that students have the language skills necessary to excel, and the numerous practice exams in our test preparation classes ensure that students completely understand the test requirements and format. Today we are looking...
Many languages have a formal and informal way of expressing oneself. Do you know how to formally and politely ask for something? People who use English in business settings must do this often. Let’s take a look at some useful phrases to help you get your way.* Making Formal Requests in Business English Would it...
