by CISL SF student, Cornelia Ineichen Most of our world’s big metropolises have some kind of a nickname – e.g. “The Big Apple“, “The Windy City“ or “Sin City“. What about San Francisco? PARIS OF THE WEST Sales Promoters used this nickname around the late nineteenth century to attract tourists to visit San Francisco. But...
By Cornelia Ineichen, CISL SF Student Usually, as a student in a foreign country, you don’t own a car there. Of course, San Francisco offers a lot of possibilities with public transport, taxis etc. But what about the freedom of driving pleasure? This is where Getaround comes into play. This online service allows you to...
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...
Today on the CISL Blog, we are answering a question we often receive from our students: “What should I buy my host family for Christmas?” Giving gifts can be rewarding and fun, but it can also be stressful to find the “perfect” present! This is even more stressful when buying a gift for your host...
Hang the lights, start baking cookies, decorate the tree, and pull out your wallet: the Christmas season is here! For many, this means that we will spend a lot of time shopping for Christmas presents. To help you with shopping in English, here are some useful phrasal verbs related to shopping. Make sure to also...
Piled high, covered in berries, dripping with syrup, finished with chocolate . . . there are a million recipes for this breakfast favorite. While you are studying English in San Diego or San Francisco, be sure to check out some of the cities’ delicious pancake houses. The best pancakes in San Diego Richard Walker’s Pancake...
When you think of the word “museum,” what is the first thing you think of? Did you think of the word “art,” like the art museums in San Diego’s Balboa Park? Did you think of “history,” like the Museum of Man San Diego? Or did you think “science,” like the Roger Fleet Science Center in...
CISL students receive hours of English conversation practice while in the classroom Monday through Friday, but the learning does not end once classtime does! The following list includes some of the many ways CISL students can practice English while studying in SF and SD. How many of these things have you tried? Fun ways to...
Fall is often associated with pumpkins and apples, but there is another fruit and flavor that Americans love during this time of year: cranberries! Cranberries are the staple of any Thanksgiving dinner. But how do Americans eat them? Read on to find out . . . and look for how many times the Simple Passive...
San Diego is known for a lot more than its beautiful beaches and great weather: the city also has great shopping! Use our guide to shopping in San Diego to help you enjoy your shopping excursions. Enjoy! Guide to Shopping in San Diego Horton Plaza (Downtown San Diego) Located just down the street from campus,...
