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! Student Writing Sample: “Do We Have Free...
Category: <span>Living & Traveling in San Francisco</span>
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Saeed’s Post TOEFL Exam Skydive!
I have been studying at CISL San Francisco for 2 months. I want to improve my writing and reading skills for the TOEFL Exam. My listening skills are okay because I watch T.V. in English. My goal for the TOEFL is 102 because I want to get my MBA in Marketing in California. This was...
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Exploring San Francisco: Union Square
Is Union Square really a square? Actually, it is! Union Square is created by Geary, Powell, Stockton, and Post streets. The square became a public space in 1849, when San Francisco’s first mayor, John White Geary, designated the area for public use. How did Union Square get its name? During the Civil War, (when...
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From CISL student to San Francisco restaurateur!
I studied in the Premier English Program in 2010. I studied at CISL San Francisco while in process of setting up my business. I was preparing to live and work in a different language. I improved my vocabulary, my writing, and my spoken English skills and the classes at CISL San Francisco absolutely helped. I...
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Martin & Milos: What are they doing now?
Exciting updates from CISL SF Alumni Martin I always wanted a job in aviation. I come from an aviation family and my parents flew a glider when I was a child. Now I am completing job training for aircraft maintenance. The aviation language is English and I needed to improve my English because I will...
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SF’s Harmony by the Bay Music Festival
San Francisco is full of culinary, music, art, theater, and social events, but here is one more suggested student activity that our music-loving English Language students will enjoy: San Francisco’s Harmony by the Bay Music Festival. The event will take place at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA on Saturday, September 29th, 2012. The lineup is...
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San Francisco’s Oktoberfest by the Bay: Sept. 28-30
Germany is famous for Oktoberfest, but the tradition has carried over to the U.S., and many California cities host Oktoberfest festivals as well. San Francisco’s Oktoberfest by the Bay, held from at Pier 48 from September 28 to September 30, 2012, is known as one of the nation’s most popular Oktoberfests. Are you in the...
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San Francisco night market, August 17, 2012
Are you looking for a new and unique dining experience in San Francisco? Picture this: “You are walking through vibrant streets with the smells of food and the sounds of people making that food. Everywhere around you are people, sitting, talking, sharing over steaming bowls of lhaksa, or pozole or ramen. A couple on a...
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Tips for preparing for the Cambridge CAE and FCE speaking tests
Many CISL San Diego and CISL San Francisco students are preparing for the Cambridge University Certificate of Advanced English or First Certificate of English tests. CISL has some tips to help our students prepare for this part of the exam. CISL San Diego and CISL San Francisco are both official Cambridge Exam Centers. Elements of...
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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...