English Courses - Schools in the USA: Learn English in the USA
Enrol at one of our English courses in the USA and you will learn English in a land of huge size, vast contrasts, great monuments, huge cities, life, energy and vitality. The United States is a country defined by open spaces and amazing breadth of diversity. From vast deserts to lush emerald forests, from snow-capped mountains to glistening fields of grain, the American landscape boasts new colourful sights in every region. Learn English at our English schools in the USA, a vibrant and colossal land of imagination and intrigue.
Experience first hand the American culture which is now shared and familiar all over the globe. Revel in both the familiar and the unknown as you get to know the country; yellow taxis roaming through busy city streets; streets lined with mailboxes, appearing to be straight out of Peanuts cartoons; wooden porches overlooking cotton fields; the first glimpse of the Grand Canyon or the Manhattan skyline on the horizon.
The USA has been a “land of dreams” for five centuries and for people the world over. Here is the chance to discover your own dreams, there is no better place to make them happen. The United States has expanded to fill the continent, and something extraordinary and refreshing has been created: a vast country that takes pride in defining itself in the eyes of the world, and a land of opportunity to learn English in the USA.
USA History
 America was once populated by peoples who migrated here from northeast Asia. In the United States those that remain are known as Native Americans, or American Indians. With populations once in the tens of millions, most led tribal, hunter-gatherer lifestyles, although some developed political enclaves based on agriculture, such as the Five Nations of the Northeast and the Pueblo peoples of the Southwest.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, several European nations and/or their religious missionaries, including Spain, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Russia, colonized various parts of the region. The British colonies in Virginia and Massachusetts were the kernel of what we now know as the United States of America. By the early 18th century, 13 colonies ranged along the Atlantic coast from Georgia to present-day Maine. Their growth drove the displacement the Native American population westward and the extinction of many others, as well as the end of the embryonic Dutch and Swedish footholds.
Colonial revolutionaries declared independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776, after a bloody Revolutionary War. The colonies formed a federal government, with its Constitution inspired by Enlightenment-era ideas about government and human rights. Later on in the 18 th century, and continuing into the 19th century, the government continued to established itself and began expanding westward under the "Manifest Destiny" for the nation to expand to the Pacific Ocean.
By the mid-19th century, the differences between North and South had become severe. Particularly the decision on whether to make the new states in the west “slave” or “free” became a critical issue. By the 1860s, the Southern states decided to secede from the Union and civil war broke out. It was one of the bloodiest conflicts in history, costing hundreds of thousands of lives. With the North emerging victorious, a single country remained intact.
While slavery was abolished, the former slaves largely remained an economic and social underclass in the South.
The late 19th century saw the U.S. cementing its power on the continent and making tentative expansions abroad. Alaska was purchased from the Russians in 1867, and Hawaii was annexed in 1898. The Spanish-American War, fought for Cuba's independence (as the official story goes), gained the first "colonial" territories: the Philippines (later granted independence) and Puerto Rico (which remains by choice a US territory).
With its entrance into World War I near the end of the conflict, the United States established itself as a world power. Real wealth grew rapidly in this period. In the Roaring 20s, stock speculation created an immense "bubble" which burst in October of 1929. This created immense economic havoc across the country and around the world, becoming known as the Great Depression. This crisis exacerbated the disaffection among the working classes in the United States and around the world and led to a rise in socialist thinking that was to have a large effect on the rest of the century.
 In late 1941, the United States entered World War II, which had begun in Europe in 1939. In Alliance with the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, the U.S. assisted in defeating the fascist regimes in Germany, Italy, and Japan. By the end of this war, the United States, due to its relative isolation and power, became the dominant economic power in the world, and responsible for nearly half of the world's production. The Soviet Union, a former ally that had now become devastated from the war, still possessed a great deal of military power. It became a United States rival, which then gave rise to what is now known as the Cold War.
Also at the end of WWII, African Americans, who had long suffered de facto disenfranchisement, demanded equal rights, with widespread demonstrations. This, along with the status of women and other societal changes that had been contained by the efforts of the war, flowered into a revolution. The unpopular war in Vietnam, a by-product of the Cold War, added to the social strife. Taken together these changes led to significant change in the country: the economic and political conditions for African Americans substantially improved; a majority of women entered the workplace, and this had a powerful effect on home life, the workplace and the economy.
English Schools USA - Geography
The U.S. is one of the largest countries in the world in terms of area (at roughly 9.6 million sq km, it's about half the size of Russia and around the same size as China ) and population (though, even with 300 million residents, it's far behind China and India).
The mainland United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) are bound by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, with much of the country's population living on these two coasts. Its only borders are shared with Canada to the north, and Mexico to the south.
 The country has three major mountain ranges. The Appalachians extend from Canada to the state of Alabama, a few hundred miles west of the Atlantic Ocean. They are the oldest of the three mountain ranges, and are not particularly high, but offer spectacular sightseeing and excellent camping spots. The Rockies are the highest in North America, extending from Alaska to New Mexico, with many areas protected as national parks. Their natural wonders offer impressive hiking, camping, and sightseeing opportunities. The Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges combined are the youngest. The Sierras extend across the "backbone" of California, with sites such as Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park, and then give way to the even younger volcanic Cascade Range, with some of the highest points in the country.
The Great Lakes define much of the border between the United States and Canada, also known as the North Coast. Formed by the pressure of glaciers retreating north at the end of the last Ice Age, the five lakes touch the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. They span hundreds of miles, and their shores vary from industrial "rust belt" cities to pristine wilderness areas. They are the second-largest source of freshwater in the world, after the shrinking polar ice caps.
English Courses USA - Economy
The US has the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $42,000. In this market-oriented economy, private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions, and the federal and state governments buy needed goods and services predominantly in the private marketplace. US business firms enjoy greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, to lay off surplus workers, and to develop new products. At the same time, they face higher barriers to enter their rivals' home markets than foreign firms face entering US markets. US firms are at or near the forefront in technological advances, especially in computers and in medical, aerospace, and military equipment; their advantage has narrowed since the end of World War II. The onrush of technology largely explains the gradual development of a "two-tier labor market" in which those at the bottom lack the education and the professional/technical skills of those at the top and, more and more, fail to get comparable pay raises, health insurance coverage, and other benefits. Since 1975, practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top 20% of households.
The response to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 showed the remarkable resilience of the economy. The war in March-April 2003 between a US-led coalition and Iraq, and the subsequent occupation of Iraq, required major shifts in national resources to the military. The rise in GDP in 2004 and 2005 was undergirded by substantial gains in labor productivity. Hurricane Katrina caused extensive damage in the Gulf Coast region in August 2005, but had a small impact on overall GDP growth for the year. Soaring oil prices in 2005 and 2006 threatened inflation and unemployment, yet the economy continued to grow through mid-2006. Imported oil accounts for about two-thirds of US consumption. Long-term problems include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an aging population, sizable trade and budget deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower economic groups.
English Schools USA - Food
Barbeque, BBQ, or barbecue is uniquely U.S. At its best, it's beef brisket, ribs, or pork shoulder wood smoked slowly for hours as the cooking method. The brisket and ribs are usually sliced thin, and the pork shoulder can be shredded into a dish known as pulled pork. Sauces in a variety of spiciness may be served on the dish, or provided on the side. Different parts of the US have unique styles of barbeque. The best known regions are Kansas City, Texas, Tennessee, and North Carolina, but barbeque of some variety is generally available throughout the country. Barbeque restaurants are different from most other restaurants because the best food is often served at very casual establishments. A typical barbeque restaurant may have plastic dinnerware, and picnic tables. And serve the food in baskets. Barbeque food found on the menu at a fancy or non-specialty restaurant is less likely to be authentic.
Chinese food is also widely available, but keep in mind that a traveler from China might find it quite "Americanized". Japanese, Vietnamese, and Thai foods have also been popping up into the American market recently. Fusion cuisine combines Asian ingredients and techniques with more traditional American presentation. Indian food is also readily available in most US cities and towns.
 Mexican food is very popular among most age groups. As with other cooking traditions, Americans have given it their own twist. Combining in various ways beans, rice, cheese, and spiced beef or chicken with round flatbread loaves called tortillas, dishes are usually topped with spicy salsa, sour cream, and an avocado mix called guacamole. Small shops called taquerias can be found in the Southwest of the U.S. (and in recent years increasingly in cities throughout the country), where a good meal can be put together for $5-$10. The North and East tend to have more pricey establishments, where the average main course runs about $10-15. Multiple (sometimes dozens of) Mexican restaurants can be found in almost every US city.
With a rich tradition of immigration, America has a wide variety of ethnic foods ; everything from Ethiopian cuisine to Laotian food is available in major cities with large immigrant populations.
Vegetarian food is quite easy to come by in larger urban areas. Most big cities and college towns have vegetarian restaurants serving exclusively or primarily vegetarian dishes. Meat-free breakfast foods such as pancakes or eggs can also be found at most diners.
People on low-fat or low-calorie diets should be well served in the U.S., as there has been a continuing trend in calorie consciousness since the 1970s. Even fast-food restaurants offer "lite" specials, and provide charts of calorie and fat counts on request.
For the backpacker or those on very restricted budgets, American supermarkets offer an almost infinite variety of pre-packaged / pre-processed foods that are either ready or almost ready for consumption, e.g. breakfast cereal, ramen noodles, canned soups / "meals", etc.
English Courses USA - Climate
The overall climate is temperate, with notable exceptions. Alaska is in an Arctic tundra climate, while both Hawaii and Florida are tropical. The Great Plains are dry, flat and grassy, turning into arid desert in the far West.
Seasons vary in the northern and mid-western cities. In a single winter storm, as much as 2 feet (61 cm) of snow can fall, with bitterly cold temperatures. Summers are usually mild but very humid. However, temperatures over 100°F (38°C) sometimes invade the entire Midwest and Great Plains region now. Some areas in the northern plains can experience dangerously cold temperatures of -30°F (-34°C) during the winter. Temperatures below 0°F (-18°C) sometimes reach as far south as Kansas or even Oklahoma.
The climate of the South varies as well, but the extremes here consist of "the long, hot summer". Humidity and high temperatures make warmer months in these states good for little but sipping iced tea and plunging into cool bodies of water. However, from October through April the weather is glorious, and nuisance insects subside.
The Great Plains & Midwestern states also experience tornadoes from the late spring to the early fall, earlier in the south and later in the north. States along the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico, may experience hurricanes. These monster storms frequently miss the mainland, but if one is forecast to touch down, do not take the situation lightly. Evacuations are often ordered for areas in the path of the storm and should be heeded.
The Rockies are cold and snowy. Some of the world's most famous ski resorts are located in Colorado and Utah. Even during the summer, temperatures are cool in the mountains, and snow can fall nearly year-round.
 The Southwestern deserts are extremely arid and hot during the summer, with summer temperatures exceeding 100°F (38°C) through most of the summer. This includes cities such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Albuquerque. Thunderstorms can be expected in the southwest frequently from July through September due to the summer monsoon that rises from Mexico. Winters in this region are generally mild. The average annual precipitation is below 10 inches (25 cm).
Cool and damp weather is common in the northwest in areas such as in Seattle or Portland. Rain is most frequent in winter, and snow is rare along the coastal regions. The Pacific coast rarely sees snow and extremes in temperature are uncommon. Rain falls almost exclusively from late fall through early spring along the coast, except in Washington, where rain falls year-round.
USA - Interesting facts
Despite New York's status as the cultural and economic center of the US, the federal capital is in Washington, DC, which doesn't even rank among the top twenty cities in terms of population (though officially, it is a “district," rather than a city).
The population of the US (some 281 million) owns 200 million cars and trucks (roughly 1 vehicle for every 1.4 people), with more than 5.7 million miles of paved highway on which to drive them.
With an area of 9.6 million square kilometers, the US is the third-largest country in the world (ranking behind Russia and Canada ).
The US remains the only country in the world that contains all six major climate zones: tropical humid, dry, mild mid-latitude, severe mid-latitude, polar, and highland.
Alaska is technically home to both the easternmost and westernmost points in the US, with its Aleutian Islands crossing the Greenwich Meridian. Alaska also has the highest point in the US, Mount McKinley (20,320ft), and is the largest state by area ( Rhode Island being the smallest).
The pre-Columbian settlement of Cahokia (700-1400 AD), near St Louis, had a population of twenty thousand people.
Colombus' voyages of discovery to the New World took place between the years 1492 and 1504.
America was named for the explorer Amerigo Vespucci.
Pocahontas (1595-1617), an Indian Princess, was a friend to the colonists of Jamestown at a time when they were finding life difficult. For a period, she was captured and held prisoner in order that she could be exchanged for the colonial prisoners. During this time, Pocahontas met and married the colonist John Rolfe.
The State of Nevada's name comes from the Spanish meaning "snow-capped".
Louisiana is named after the French King Louis XIV.
George Washington was the first President of the United States.
In January 2002 while watching an NFL football game, U.S. President George W. Bush famously choked on a pretzel losing consciousness momentarily.
The 16 th President, Abraham Lincoln, was shot and killed while attending the theatre with his wife.
From 1927 until 1941, busts of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln were sculpted by Gutzon Borglum on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.
The United States bought the state of Alaska (to the west of Canada ) from Russia in 1867.
New York's Empire State Building, a National Historic Landmark, is one of the world's tallest buildings.
Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty and Gustave Eiffel its structural engineer. The statue was presented to the American people by the people of France on 4th July 1884 and shipped to the US in early 1885.
Al Capone, one of America's most famous gangsters, made his money selling alcohol during Prohibition (anti-alcohol laws).
Born in Alabama in 1880, Helen Keller lost her sight and hearing at a very early age. She grew up to become a famous speaker and helped to set up the American Foundation for the Blind.
The Wright brothers, Orville (August 19, 1871-January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867-May 30, 1912), are Americans generally credited with making the first controlled, powered, heavier-than-air human flight on December 17, 1903. In the two years following, they developed their flying machine into the world's first practical fixed-wing aircraft.
In 1927 Charles Lindburgh completed the first non-stop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris.
Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly the Atlantic (1931)
Malcolm X, the black militant leader, was shot and killed in 1965.
1968 saw the death of Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King. He had been a Civil Rights leader and had made a great impact on the movement.
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon.
Tiger Woods - one of the most successful golfers of all time - began learning golf at 18 months old.
George Washington - the first president of the United States
Born: 2/22/1732
Birthplace: Westmoreland County, Va.
He was inaugurated on April 30, 1789, in New York, the first national capital.
Thomas Edison - inventor of the lightbulb amongst many other things. One of the most famous inventors in the history of technology, Edison also created the first industrial research laboratory, in Menlo Park, New Jersey, in 1876
Mark Twain - real name Samuel Langhorne Clemens - Twain was a traveling journalist, humorist, writer, and lecturer whose most famous novels are The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Learn English in the USA - Advice
At our English schools and courses in the USA our advice can really be summed up with one simple word - practice! What kind of study materials you use is not quite as important as how or how often you use them. Your hard work and determination will be one of the biggest factors in successful language learning.
The English school and course you choose in the USA is going to be the core of your English study, so make sure you choose an English language course that gives you structured lessons and lots of opportunity to practice your new language skills. Our English courses at our English schools in the USA, will give you the perfect opportunity to study, learn, and practice English in a supportive, well planned and friendly environments.
You must work at your new English language skills every day. Ideally, you should study English an extra hour or more every day. If you can get at least an extra half-hour of study time, that's pretty good too. Try to at least get a little review and study, learn and practice English every single day.
If you attend one of our English courses in the USA and you learn English everyday, you will have a good basic knowledge of the English language in a reasonable amount of time. Your knowledge and ability will increase and improve depending upon what other tools you use and what kind of experiences you have using the English language.
Grammar book. A good old-fashioned grammar book may be boring but they are a great way to really get to grips with the details of the language.
Phrase Book
These are extremely helpful books that you can carry with you. They can be useful for practicing pronunciation, or for quickly finding a lot of more commonly used phrases, words and idioms. Phrase books are always a nice supplement to learn English and they are convenient and cheap.
Dictionary. Absolutely necessary in the long run. You must have a dictionary if you wish to expand your vocabulary, and you will need one in order to take full advantage of many of the English language learning tips set out here. Make sure you get one that translates both ways e.g. Spanish to English AND English to Spanish. It is also helpful to find a dictionary that contains idioms - the phrases particular to the language which you are studying - as well as phrases that are commonly used in the English language, but may be difficult to translate.
Flashcards
 A simple English language learning tip, but a very effective way to review, refresh your memory and expand your vocabulary. There are pre-made flashcards that can be purchased, or for extra help, you can create your own. Keep them with you at all times, in your pocket or in your car, and look at them for a quick review or language lesson at every opportunity. They are very convenient.
Talk to yourself
It may be obvious, but the best way to learn English in the USA is to speak English in the USA! This convenient method can be use at all times, as you can even talk to yourself. Even if you are in public and don't feel comfortable talking to yourself out loud, you can make it your habit to practice English by thinking English. Throughout the day, think of the English words for everything you pass - objects in your house, things you pass when you are travelling, things you use at work or school, etc. Learn basic English phrases like - ‘it is cold today' or ‘it is sunny today' and use whichever is appropriate when you first look out the window. By putting this tip into use on a regular basis, the vocabulary and phrases will become more routine and automatic.
Practice with friends
Taking it even further than talking to yourself, you can practice with your friends. Even if they don't speak English, talk to the people you know by using your new language. Warn them in advance that you are practicing your new knowledge and they'll know what's coming. Even a simple 'good morning' or'see you later' in English will make those phrases more natural to you. Your friends may even begin to learn a few words and join in the fun too!
Listen to music
Listen to English music. You'll hear the English language used in a real context and this will help you pick out the rhythm and pronunciation even better. This method will also give you a further understanding of, and appreciation for, the culture and customs of the people. Music in English might be easier to find than others, but Amazon or eBay and many other global websites will enable you to find music in English and many different languages.
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