There is a reason they put the word “happy” in “happy hour”: grabbing a drink (for a discounted price) while the sun is still out is a great thing! Have you checked out some of the best happy hours in San Diego and San Francisco? The key to a good happy hour is, of course,...
February is the month of love . . . but love isn’t something we celebrate for just these 28 days. Whether you are single or taken, you will find ways to use these love-related phrasal verbs! Love-related phrasal verbs Hit on someone Definition: to flirt with someone; to make it obvious that you like them. Example:...
Life is a beach . . . but pronouncing the word “beach” can be difficult! Click “play” to listen to the audio for this post! Do you have a problem understanding different vowel sounds in English? This is a common concern of English students. In particular, students have trouble with the “i” and “e” sounds. It can...
For February’s Grammar Lesson of the Month, CISL is asking our students to identify some mistakes with collocations. Some of the following sentences have errors; others are correct. Can you identify the mistakes, and correct them? The answers are at the bottom of this post. Good luck! Find the Collocation Mistakes 1. Can you please...
CISL’s Premier English Program is an excellent way to improve your business English skills, but even non-business students can take advantage of these business-related idioms and phrasal verbs. Do you use these terms in your speech? As you can see from the articles that are linked after each word or phrase, these are expressions that...
Did you know that there are three ways to pronounce the “ed” ending in English? Mispronouncing the ending of words with “ed” is a common mistake that English learners make. Below is a short lesson on the pronunciations of “ed.” Listen to the recording as you read (click here to listen to the recording, or...
Are you taking the Cambridge CAE or FCE test soon? Enjoy our tips and practice tests for Part 2 of the Reading and Use of English. CAE Reading and Use of English: Part 2 Tips and Practice Tests Format of Reading and Use of English Part 2 You will read a paragraph, but the paragraph...
The words “phrasal verbs” might be the two most disliked words for English language students, but as we say at CISL: it doesn’t have to be this way! Phrasal verbs are a great way to make your English sound “real” because they are the phrases that native speakers use. To practice, we are offering some sentences...
Happy 2015! The beginning of the year is all about making changes. Many choose to alter their eating habits, their exercise routine, or their attitude towards life. Others vow to change jobs, or cities, or make other significant changes. These changes, called resolutions, are a tradition for the beginning of January. But how do we...
CISL San Diego students often take field trips* around SD in order to experience real-life English practice. A common activity is for students to attend a court hearing at the San Diego County Courthouse, which is located just a few streets from CISL in Downtown San Diego. The Courthouse provides an opportunity to learn many...
