Are you preparing for the IELTS test? The best way to prepare for the IELTS test is to familiarize yourself with the test format and then practice, practice, practice . . . particularly with the Reading portion of the test, which many students find difficult. Before you begin studying for the IELTS Reading test, make sure...
Many international students consider attending a baseball game to be a “must” while studying English in California, and we agree that this is indeed an activity that students should try! If you are a student at CISL San Diego or CISL San Francisco, you have many options for attending a classic American baseball game: San...
CISL students preparing for the Cambridge FCE Exam are aware that the Reading and Use of English Module begins with Part 1, which is a paragraph with missing words and multiple choice options for the correct answer. What is the best way to prepare for this section of the test? Familiarize yourself with as many collocations, expressions,...
The verbs WIN, EARN, and GAIN are often confused by English learners, and for good reason: they have very similar meanings! They are also incredibly important words for Business English, and CISL teachers are often asked to clarify the words and their meanings. To test your knowledge of the differences between these words, take a look...
In a previous article, we looked at the types of questions that students can encounter in the TOEFL Reading Section 1. Today we are applying this information to a practice test on an article about the history of one of the most famous California icons: The Hollywood Sign. This practice test contains all of the...
California’s history is rich: literally! The state’s past is closely tied to the Gold Rush of 1849, which began after James Sutter found a large piece of gold in the foothills of Northern California. Shortly after, many people came to mine for gold, and the population of California skyrocketed. Today you can still visit these mining towns,...
By CISL SF student, Cornelia The back door on Muni only opens if you step down. You can smell Marijuana almost all the times. Don’t try to understand the trash bin rules. There is no simple explanation. The people who like being naked in public aren’t always good looking. Hugs, no handshakes. Perfumed garbage...
An interview is the first impression you make on a company, so it is understandably very important to enter the interview with confidence. With these interview tips for English learners, you will learn how to prepare for an interview so that you can navigate the questions (in English!) with ease. Interview Tips for ESL Students...
Most picture Napa when they think of California’s world-famous, award-winning wines, but the entire state’s coast is filled with wineries that students living in both San Diego and San Francisco have the opportunity to visit. When you go wine tasting, you will hear specific wine-related words: here is some wine vocabulary you need to know before your next trip to one...
Why would ANYONE want to visit the hottest place in North America . . . especially when it has the name “Death” in it? Death Valley’s name might sound a little morbid, but the scenery certainly is not: in fact, Death Valley is a place commonly visited by CISL students. But how do you get there?...
