October marks the beginning of Fall holiday festivities, including the “scariest” holiday of them all: Halloween! To celebrate, we have a list of synonyms for the word “scary.” Use this vocabulary to describe the costumes you see around Halloween, and you will be known as a master of words! Synonyms for “scary” terrifying frightening alarming...
Converse International School of Languages is proud to offer an intensive TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) test preparation course. Are you planning on taking the test soon? The following are a few tips from a CISL San Diego instructor who specializes in the TOEFL course. Good luck to our students taking the...
The Hillcrest Farmer’s Market in San Diego was voted the best market in San Diego. But what makes this market so special? Discover what makes this market so unique, and you just might make it a Sunday tradition while you are studying English in San Diego! What makes the Hillcrest market so special? Of course,...
Students often ask what the differences are between British and American English. Simply put, there are numerous differences between British and American English: so many, in fact, that there are different dictionaries for each language! In addition to different vocabularies, there are different pronunciations and even different grammar for British and American English. To give...
There’s fast food . . . and then there is In-N-Out. Californians will go on and on about how delicious In-N-Out is: the freshness of the burger, the soft bread, the delicious cheese, the “animal style” grilled onions, the special sauce: the ingredients come together to make one very delicious burger! In-N-Out was founded in...
The Past Progressive (also called the Past Continuous) is one of the 12 English tenses, and one that is used very often. Today we are looking at this tense and talking about one of the coolest neighborhoods in San Diego: Ocean Beach! Called “OB” by most, Ocean Beach is an area between Point Loma and...
The CISL Blog has featured articles on the top tips for Part 1 and Part 2 of the Cambridge CAE and FCE Speaking Tests. Today we are taking a look at the final section of the test, Part 3. Before we begin, lets take a look back at Parts 1 and 2. Overview of Cambridge CAE...
Standing on its dramatic cliffs, palm trees overhead and waves crashing in the blue-green waters below, it becomes very clear why La Jolla (from the Spanish word joya, meaning “jewel”) got its name. The beach is one of the most stunning in San Diego and is a favorite of CISL San Diego students and locals....
If there is one thing San Diego does not lack, it is beaches. The city has over 70 miles of beaches for students who study English in San Diego to enjoy, and with such temperate weather, these beaches can be enjoyed year-round! But with so many beaches to choose from, how do you pick where...
Our 12-part series on all of the tenses in the English language continues with the Simple Past. If you missed them, be sure to check out lessons one and two! The Simple Past The Simple Past is one of the first things that English students learn. It is also one of the aspects of the...
