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Institutional Member of
The College of Teachers
London, UK
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Advanced TEFL Course: San Diego, USA
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About The USA | | |
The US claims to be the greatest success story of the modern world - a nation fashioned from an incredibly disparate population who, with little in common apart from a desire to choose their own paths to wealth or heaven, rallied around the ennobling ideals of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence to forge the richest, most inventive and most powerful country on earth.
Despite polemicists who justly cite the destruction of Native American cultures, racism and imperialism at the top of a long list of wrongdoings, half the world remains in love with the idea of America. This is, after all, the country that introduced the world to the right to the pursuit of happiness, free speech, electric light, airplanes, assembly-line automobiles, the space shuttle, computers, blues, jazz, rock & roll and movies that climax at the high-school prom.
On a short trip, it can be hard work dismantling your preconceptions. So much of the country has been filmed, photographed, painted and written about that you need to peel back layers of representation to stop it from looking like a stage setting. This worldwide representation can make the country seem strangely familiar when you first encounter novelties like 24-hour shopping, bottomless cups of coffee, 'Have a nice day,' drive-thru banks, TV evangelists, cheap gasoline and newspapers tossed onto lawns. But you'd be foolish to read too much into this surface familiarity, since you only have to watch Oprah for half an hour to realize that the rituals and currents of American life are as complex, seductive and bewildering as the most alien of cultures.
Come prepared to explore the USA's unique brand of 'foreignness' rather than stay in the comfort zone of the familiar. You'll discover several of the world's most exciting cities, some truly mind-blowing landscapes, a strong sense of regionalism, a trenchant mythology, more history than the country gives itself credit for and, arguably, some of the most approachable natives in the world.
| | | About San Diego | | |
San Diego's superb coastline, near-perfect climate and Mediterranean facade make it the quintessential Southern California beach city. Forget the pace and pollution of LA - if you want to wet your feet in the So-Cal beach scene, pull on your kneebangers and start styling with the boardheads or shopping for rugs and real estate in affluent, conservative, blessed-by-nature, merging-with-Mexico San Diego.
Orientation
San Diego is a coastal city in the southwestern corner of California, close to the border with Mexico. It's an easy place to find your way around. Downtown is a compact grid east of San Diego Bay. The main drag is Broadway, which runs east from the waterfront right through the middle of town. The massive Horton Plaza shopping mall, just south of Broadway, is the centerpiece of San Diego's urban redevelopment, while the renovated Gaslamp Quarter, a few blocks to the south, is the place to go for ambiance and some R'n'R.
The waterfront attractions along the Embarcadero are just west of the downtown grid, while the vast expanse of Balboa Park is in the northeastern corner of the city. Coronado is west of the city, across San Diego Bay, and is accessible by a long bridge or by ferry. The city's main string of beaches begin 5 miles (8km) northwest of the city center and run north 6 miles (10km) to the upmarket town of La Jolla.
| | | The TEFL School | | |
Moderating Body: University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES)
Certificate: Cambridge CELTA
Affiliations: International House, University of Cambridge, The World TEFL School
International House San Diego is located in the historic Old Town district of the city, a safe and friendly area, filled with a colorful array of shops, restaurants, gardens and picnic areas.
Old Town Transit Center, just fifty meters from the school, is served by buses, trains and the overland metro (trolley) that take you to downtown in five minutes or to fashionable La Jolla in thirty minutes.
The main beaches of San Diego are all easily accessible by public transport from the school. The school offers free parking for those students who rent or buy a car.
The school is housed in comfortable, air-conditioned premises fully equipped with multimedia center, library and student common room. Computer access is provided for free. We also offer wireless (WI-FI) internet connection.
A varied mix of social, cultural and sporting activities are organized weekly. Our highly experienced and trained teachers and our truly international mix of students will help you achieve the most from your stay.
Candidates should normally have, as a minimum entry requirement, a standard of education equivalent to that required for entry into higher education. However, candidates who do not have formal qualifications at this level who can demonstrate their ability to complete the course successfully may be eligible for entry.
Click Here For Course Summary and Overview
| | | | Accommodation | | | Following acceptance of your enrolment application, staff at the San Diego school can assist you in arranging suitable accommodation that is within your budget. You are assured that accommodation booked through the school will be clean, comfortable and secure. Alternatively, you are free to arrange your own accommodation for the duration of your course. Once you have confirmed your place on the course, your school will be happy to advise you about suitable local areas.
Convenient reach and the travel time to and from school varies between twenty and fifty minutes.
International House San Diego works closely with Foreign Student Homestay, an excellent private agency which places our students with American families. The families are carefully chosen for their friendliness and hospitality and regularly inspected. Different homestay options are available - single or shared room, half board or room only.
For those students who prefer more independence, apartment rooms or hotels are available at varying prices and locations. There is a choice of studios, one and two bedroom apartments, including some with maid service.
Accommodation costs are around $550 -600 USD per month. Exchange Rates
| | | Getting Here & Visas | | | Air
There are some direct international flights to San Diego's Lindbergh Field (SAN) airport, but it's not a major gateway. If you're flying in from abroad, you will most likely come via Los Angeles. A connecting flight to San Diego takes about 35 minutes, but it's only about two hours to drive down and it's just as cheap to rent a car in LA as it is in San Diego.
The Greyhound bus station in the heart of downtown has luggage lockers and phones and is generally user friendly. Buses run north to Los Angeles (2½ hours), south to the Mexican border (half an hour) and east to Phoenix, Tucson and El Paso.
The colonnaded Santa Fe train depot - one of the Spanish Colonial-style structures built at the time of the 1915 exposition - is the locus of Amtrak's only services to and from the city, all of which run along the coast. The San Diegan goes to LA (3 hours) several times daily, with some LA trains continuing to Santa Barbara.
Visas: Most visitors to the US require a visa. However, Canadians need only proof of citizenship. A reciprocal visa-waiver program allows citizens of the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland to stay up to 90 days without a visa if they have an onward ticket.
The SEVIS Fee
The new SEVIS fee is required of all foreign nationals who are applying for an F1 student visa with the intention of coming to the US to pursue a full time course of study. The fee goes into effect on September 1, 2004. Fee payments will be used by the US Department of Homeland Security to fund the Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
Who Pays The SEVIS Fee?
Prospective students with 'initial attendance' I-20s dated on or after September 1, 2004, who are applying for an 'initial' F1 visa from outside the US.
Prospective students with 'initial attendance' I-20s dated on or after September 1, 2004, who are applying for a change to F1 status from another visa category.
Current F1 students in the US filing for reinstatement after being out of status more than 5 months, and who are issued an I-20 for reinstatement dated on or after September 1, 2004.
Please contact your closest US, Embassy or High Commission to obtain application forms.
| | | Basic Living Costs | | |
If you camp or stay in hostels, catch buses and self-cater, you could feasibly explore the country on around US$50 a day. Staying in motels and eating at modest cafes will mean you'll hit the US$100 mark, and enjoying the convenience of a rental car will push your daily budget up to US$150. If you want to do the US in style, welcome to the world of credit and consumerism.
You'll save yourself hassle and expense if your traveler's checks are in US dollars. Restaurants, hotels and most stores accept US dollar traveler's checks as if they were cash. Major credit cards are widely accepted; you'll find it hard to perform certain transactions (such as renting a car or reserving tickets over the phone) without one. You may also be able to access your bank account using US ATMs.
Tipping is expected in restaurants and better hotels. The going rate in restaurants is 15% or more of the bill; never tip in a fast-food or self service environment. Taxi drivers, bartenders and hairdressers depend on similar-sized gratuities. Sales taxes vary from state to state but are typically 5-8%, though some states have no sales taxes at all. Top-end accommodation also often attracts a bed tax, which can be as high as 15%. It's worth checking whether quoted prices for lodging include all relevant taxes.
Budget: US$3-5
Mid-range: US$5-20
Top-end: US$20 and upward
Budget: US$12-25
Mid-range: US$25-60
Top-end: US$60 and upward
| | | Health & Safety | | |
Since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington, DC, followed with a highly publicized spate of anthrax-laced mailings that exposed government workers, media personel and mail carriers to the deadly disease, the entire USA has been on a heightened state of alert. Add to this rampant rumours of repercussions for the bombing of Afghanistan, and you're dealing with one nervous country.
While your chances of falling victim to shady terrorist plots are probably pretty slim , you are very likely to experience a variety of potentially annoying security protocols, particularly surrounding airline travel. Make sure all your identification and other documents are up-to-date, confirm reservations and bag-checking procedures ahead of time, and arrive at the airport at least an hour before your flight departs.
No matter what form of transportation you're using to navigate the USA, however, it behooves the careful traveler to keep an eye on current events during these very interesting times. Non-emergency treatment must be paid for immediately, so you should always take out travel insurance.
| Top | | General | | |
Health risks: None, apart from the high cost of medical care
Time: Eastern (GMT/UTC minus 5 hours), Central (-6), Mountain (-7), and Pacific Standard (-8)
Electricity: 110V
Weights & Measures: Imperial
Tourism: 45 million visitors per year | | | Prices & Dates | | | | |
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Disclaimer: |
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We've tried to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety, customs and transportation) with the relevant authorities before you travel.
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