LRNGO ESL EFL User Posts

US Citizenship 101 for International Students

Sofia Munoz

2015-06-19

If there’s a word every international student abhors, it’s ‘visa’. There’s something about this innocent looking, four lettered entity that just sends my kind into stress-induced sweats and breakouts. You think I'm exaggerating? Alright then, next time my friends take a sprint in the opposite direction of the visa office, I’ll videotape it just for you.

It’s not that we’re scared or nervous or anything of the sort, no. Our visa-repelling nature is rooted in the fact that, honestly, the process of getting it and keeping it alive and well is a pain. The thing is though, it’s only a pain if you don’t know what you’re getting into, which is why US Citizenship 101 was developed by me, yours truly, to alleviate the visa allergies that all international students, including myself, contract at some point.

First thing is first: you have to know your visas. As with all creatures, there’s not just one type of visa out there- there are tons. Of course, many of...

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Is there a US Driver’s License for International Students?

Amanda Beard

2015-06-12

Just landed in The United States of America? What seemed like an impossible venture, a meager hope residing in the innermost corner of your being, has sprouted into a vivid reality. Now the only thing left to do is get off the plane, step outside, and breathe in the fresh air of freedom! – Yeah, if only it were that simple.

As an international student paving your way into the U.S., there are numerous forms and applications to fill out before assuaging the beast, also known as the Department of Homeland Security rules and regulations. Although it is not usually part of the optimistic reverie when thinking about a new life with educational freedom and prosperous degree plans, remaining in compliance with these regulations assures becoming a U.S. student, maintaining that student status, and your ability to receive benefits.

Obtaining a driver’s license, a token of independence, also comes with certain roadblocks that may detour completion. Although the steps vary ...

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Teaching English Online: Working in Your Pajamas

Clarence Walker

2015-06-15

Hands up, stretch them high toward the ceiling as your mouth opens wide to release the last remnants of sleep. Getting up and out of bed, you take a leisurely walk toward the kitchen. First cup of coffee awakens the busy body residing underneath a fog-filled layer of sleep- today is going to be a big day. As you become more focused, a list of today's tasks shuffle around in your mind begging to be completed. Scampering back to your room to prepare for today you suddenly remember, no need for an outfit selection, you don’t even have to brush your teeth, you’re working from home today.

The home office- the only place where pajama pants are on-trend, you can put your feet on the desk, checking your cell phone doesn’t come with any sideways glances, and coffee and snacks are endlessly at your fingertip. Working from home does seem to have its perks when compared to the time spent on the road stuck in traffic to arrive at work only to be greeted by the mundane office humdrum and ...

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Which Ivy League Schools are Most Friendly to International Students

Judy Chen

2015-06-07

With applications readily available on Common App and a system set up that allows for easy money transfers for all applications on the website, it’s easy to treat the application process like a machine gun, shooting out as many applications as possible and hoping one of the bullets hits the target and gets you admitted. The application process should be treated like a sniper, narrowing in on a limited number of targets so you can focus on the chosen applications. With a window of time that instills pressure and a finite number of schools you can apply to, well, it is important to know what highly rated schools give you a better chance of admittance.

The majority of the Ivy League schools report that they hold the same standard for those students who submit applications domestically and those who submit their applications internationally. Most also report that they offer the same financial aid for admitted students regardless of where they currently live. Although I can’t fi...

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How I Got Help Translating My Resume to English

Dominique Montiel

2015-06-03

As a native Spanish speaker, crafting my resume turned out to be harder than expected. With numerous internship and social work experiences that originated in Nicaragua, my home country, naming and describing them in English simply became a tedious job that consisted of attempting to translate bits and pieces of their mission and incorporating them into my final product. Needless to say, finding a service that would professionally translate my resume/CV was something that I was craving.

Some quick Google searches and website visits later, I found that there were not few, but numerous companies and professional translators that offered their talents online. Up to that day, I had never really explored the idea, and finding out that there was a gold mine of options when it comes to translating one’s resume also became a fastidious ordeal.

Now, after going through the majority of resources, I concluded that the best fit for me was to search through a website l...

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Is the ISIC Card for International Students in the USA Worth It?

Dominique Montiel

2015-06-08

Is it? Not really. I mean sure, you can disagree, but the bottom line is that in the coupon-filled, bargain-hollering, student discount friendly world we live in, there’s no need for a special rebate card that costs 25 dollars you could be using for a pizza. All harshness aside, there really is no use for the ISIC card and here’s why.

Most places that offer discounts to ISIC card holders still offer them if you show your regular student ID. It’s true. Take it from me, ISIC card holder and all. You think the Zoo refused to let me in after buying tickets online and forgetting to present my card at the entrance? Nope. As I nervously fumbled through my purse and thought I’d be losing the money I spent on the tickets, the kind cashier simply asked if I had any other form of student identification- which of course, every student receives from their university, so I simply flashed it and was let inside to enjoy the smells ...

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TESOL/TEFL Certification Course Training

Quin Arthurson

2014-07-23

Imagine endless opportunities to travel the world, while getting paid. Visit Santiago. Learn French. Hike the Himalayas.

If you are a native or native-equivalent English speaker, these and many other doors can be opened for you by getting a TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) or TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification. The courses give you an introduction to the specifics of teaching EFL and help you develop important skills that will turn your ability to speak English into your ability to teach it.

Getting your TESOL/TEFL certification makes you eligible for more TEFL jobs, significantly broadening your TEFL options. No prior teaching experience is necessary for the certification, though additional requirements are job-specific and often (though certainly not always) include a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.

There are numerous ways to get certified, and it’s important to do some research on the organizatio...

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The Advantage of a Bilingual Brain

Pavlo Chubinskiy

2014-09-19

You might be familiar with usual tales of the social and professional benefits of bilingualism. For instance: you will better notice aspects of your culture and others’, you will find more people to speak to, and maybe even have more potential travel destinations, etc. But did you know that learning another language, especially during childhood development, could improve your brainpower?

New research shows that a child’s learning a second language is less like adding foreign letters into alphabet soup for a bowl of gibberish, and more like feeding new code into a computer that develops software in order to process it. Research has already shown the opposite of old myths. Bilinguals tend to show better organizational skills, and bilinguals also tend to read at a higher grade-level than their monolingual peers.

In addition, ...

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