How do you wish someone an enjoyable holiday season? There is a debate in the United States about whether to say “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas.” Why such a debate? Today we are looking at the idea of being “politically correct” in language. “Politically correct” means that you choose language that does not offend anyone...
The trees are trimmed, the lights are hung, Starbucks is selling eggnog lattes . . . Christmas season is here! To get into the holiday spirit, why not do what so many other American families do: watch Christmas movies. The following are some of our favorites. Happy Holidays to our CISL students and staff! Hilarious...
Today on the CISL Blog, we continue our look at each of the tenses in the English language by learning the Simple Future. To practice, we will take a look at the Gaslamp Quarter’s plans for 2014. There are two ways to express the Simple Future, which makes it unique (the Simple Present and Simple...
Tipping. It is a dreaded word for many international students! Tipping can cause more stress, confusion, and emotion than should ever be experienced when paying for a service, and all of these things occur simply because the rules for tipping seem unclear. Do not worry: follow these guidelines and you will understand why and how...
Need an idea for a day trip while you are studying English in San Francisco? We have you covered. Taking the ferry from San Francisco and spending the day in Sausalito is the perfect day trip! The Golden Gate Ferry is San Francisco’s water transportation system. The ferry takes travelers from the city to Larkspur...
Balboa Park is one of the largest parks in the United States, so it comes as no surprise that there are so many fun things to do there! We have already looked at some of the major attractions at Balboa Park, but today we are exploring the park with an insider’s perspective. Along with being...
San Francisco is a blend of so many cultures and traditions . . . it only makes sense that the city has so many delicious fusion restaurants! Fusion restaurants blend ingredients, cooking styles, and flavors from different cultures: it is like taking the best aspects of two cuisines, and combining them to create delicious dishes....
November marks the halfway point in our monthly lessons covering all 12 of the English tenses. Remember to look back at our previous lessons if you need a refresher on the Simple Present, Simple Past, Present Progressive, Past Progressive, or Present Perfect! This month we are focusing on the Present Perfect Progressive. If you have...
If you are studying English at CISL San Francisco, you are in luck: not only do you get to live and study in one of the coolest cities in the world, you are also a short road trip away from the nation’s most popular wine region. Napa is known for its beautiful rolling hills, impressive...
You’ve got your travel book, you’ve read the websites, you’ve researched all the restaurants to try, places to visit, and things to do while studying English in San Diego or San Francisco. But perhaps you’ve forgotten one very important thing: what are you going to eat when you’re not trying tasty fish tacos, or burritos,...
