Words of wisdom from ELC students

Jackie Lund has been teaching at ELC for over 9 years.  Although she can speak both French and Spanish, what draws students to her class is her down to Earth approach to rapid English improvement. 

Down the street from the ELC LA campus , I had a chance to chat with Jackie about her life and career as an educator. 

“The most important part of studying English is continuing language learning once students return to their home countries.”  Jackie recommends practicing English every day by using simple techniques such as watching BBC (or another English based television station), making friends with a native English speakers, listening to music with English lyrics (I recommend the band Wilco) and finding new ways to make speaking English a daily practice. 

Although it is a challenge to teach English in any setting, Jackie relishes the challenge of using non-verbal, visually oriented teaching methods.  “I make sure to speak slowly and clearly and use visual cues to communicate directly to students.” 

We’re glad to have Jackie on our team here in Los Angeles and so are our students!

Bridget’s Reading & Writing class wrote advice for other students in the form of haikus. Here are some of their suggestions about studying at ELC and living in Boston during the winter.

Open your whole mind,

experience E.L.C.

and all of the world

-Sergio from Guatemala

Warm coat, scarf and boots

are the necessary clothes

to survive winter.

-Laura from Switzerland

Bring warm clothes to class,

do have the mood to study,

have a great journey.

-Valeria from Venezuela

Hard work everyday

choose what’s right, not what is easy

you can get it all

-Fahad from Saudi Arabia

The best school ever

better than expectation

unforgettable!!!

-Minchang from Korea

Don’t be shy to them.

Say hello when you see them

through windows, workers

-Minseon from Korea

(about the construction workers working on the facade of the building)

Thanksgiving was quite the holiday at ELC Boston. Pilgrims and Natives Americans alike broke bread together making the day something for which both students and staff were grateful. With turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and all the fixings on the menu, the majority of students happily enjoyed the traditional meal for the first time. It became abundantly clear which students had never experienced the massive amount of consumption that happens here as they were visibly shocked when they were later expected to choose from pumpkin, pecan or apple pie to top it all off. Few students had trouble accepting dessert once they caught sight of the whipped cream.

Everyone partook in the typical fun and games that accompany the holiday, including the drawing of hand turkeys as well as coming up with what everyone was most thankful for; some answers, “indoor plumbing”, for example, really made everyone laugh and others, “I’m thankful for my family and all the friends that supported me in my idea to come here,” definitely showed that students understood what Thanksgiving is all about. There was also the opportunity to participate in a rousing game of Thanksgiving Jeopardy as well as arts and crafts like constructing headdresses or Pilgrim hats complete with construction paper buckles.

All in all it was a highly successful Thanksgiving. Everyone left absolutely stuffed and ready for the long weekend. Everybody was thankful for the wonderful meal as well as the opportunity to share the holiday with the friends they have made here. Please see more pictures on ELC’s Facebook page.

Welcome to ELC Boston at 11 Beacon Street! We hope you like the new school. I’m sure everyone is exploring the new food options in the area. The list below provides some nearby options.

High Spot Deli (HSD)
This deli is directly across the street. They serve breakfast and lunch!
10 Beacon Street
highspotdeli.com

Café Quattro (CQ)
This café is popular with Suffolk University students for its affordable prices.
4 Somerset Street
cafequattroboston.com

 
Zo
This Greek lunch spot is so popular that it often has a line out the door. Don’t worry. The lines move quickly!
3 Center Plaza (Upstairs in the plaza area)
zoboston.com

Zoup! (Z!)
Their soups are the perfect lunch option to warm up on a chilly day.
3 Center Plaza (Downstairs from the plaza area)
zoup.com

Dore Creperie (DC)
Savory and sweet crepes are available! Hello Nutella Crepe!
1 Beacon Street (It is on the left down Cambridge St.)
dorecreperie.com

Café Delicato (CD)
This café is a local favorite for breakfast and lunch.
8 City Hall Avenue (Down the alley next to Starbucks)
delicatocafe.com

Viga
This was a favorite lunch spot at our previous location. Lucky for us there is another one nearby.
275 Washington Street (Turn left down the alley in front Starbucks on School Street. Then turn right down Pi Alley. Viga is on the right.)
vigaeatery.com

Boloco (BLC)
If you are in the mood for a burrito, you can go to Boloco.
27 School Street
boloco.com

 
Falafel King (FK)
This Middle Eastern take-out food joint does not look much, but it has good reviews online.
48 Winter Street
falafelkingwinterstreet.com

Sam La Grassa’s (SLG)
This sandwich shop boasts that it makes the best sandwiches in town.
44 Province Street
samlagrassas.com

 
Bruegger’s Bagel Bakery (BBB)
This places goes beyond the basic bagel with their breakfast and lunch options on fresh baked breads.
7 School Street
brueggers.com

B.good (BG)
Their tag line is “real food fast.” They have burgers, sandwiches, and shakes.
255 Washington Street
bgood.com

 
Dunkin Donuts (DD)
Multiple locations:
22 Beacon Street
127 Tremont Street

Starbucks (SB)
Multiple locations
27 School Street
63 Court Street
12 Winter Street

Whole Foods Market
Alternative you can buy a healthy lunch at the nearby supermarket.
181 Cambridge Street

In morning you often see the students with coffee from Au Bon Pain. Students often get lunch at the near-by food court City Place, because there is something for everyone! If the weather is nice you will see groups of students eating outside in the Boston Public Garden. Every week you can meet other students and play sports on the Boston Common.

On Fridays you might see students hanging out at the Sweetwater Café or the Rock Bottom Brewery. The best happy hour deals on food are at McCormick & Schmick’s. Do you love Italian food? Go to the North End! You can be the judge of which bakery has the best cannoli: Modern Pastry or Mike’s Pastry?  When you are in the mood for Japanese food, go to Shabu Zen in Chinatown! It has a great atmosphere and shabu-shabu is always fun group dining experience!

Have you heard of the Prudential Center? This iconic Boston skyscraper has the best views of Boston from the bar/restaurant the Top of the Hub!  The Prudential Center is also one of the main shopping hubs in Boston. You can continue your shopping excursion on the famous Newbury Street! You can stop for a refreshing snack at Pink Berry.

Do you like art museums, but it is not part of your budget? Not a problem! The Museum of Fine Arts is free on Wednesday afternoons after 4pm and the Institute of Contemporary Art is free on Thursday afternoons after 5pm. The unique Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is $5 with your student ID!

On weekends you can head across the Charles River and check out Harvard and MIT. We recommend going on the unofficial “Hahvahd Tour” to hear all the stories that admissions will not tell you! It you want to learn about Boston and see the sights, go on the Beantown Trolley Tour! It is hop on-hop off, so you can explore the areas that interest you the most.

Bostonians loves their sports teams. Cheer from the home team at the Red Sox baseball games, the Celtics basketball games, and the Bruins ice hockey games! The Bleacher Bar overlooks Fenway Park! Across the street, you can see some of the most exciting musicians play at the House of Blues. Other fun music venues are the Paradise Rock Club, the Middle East, and the Brighton Music Hall.