Celine came to our school in Boston from a town near Zurich called Affoltern am Albis, which is the smallest city in Switzerland! She is studying Psychology in Switzerland and came to the US to study English.
Why did you decide to come to Boston?
I knew that I was going to go to the west coast to prepare for and take the Cambridge Proficiency Exam in January. I planned to be here for at least 6 months, so I wanted to be sure I got the most out of my experience here, and I decided to come to the east coast before I took my exam to try it out. I thought about going to New York, but I wanted to try something different. My friend in Switzerland had just come back from a trip to Boston, and she had such great things to say about the city, so I decided to come here!
Now that you’re here, what would you say is your favorite spot in Boston?
I love Modern Pastry in the North End. They say that tourists love Mike’s Pastry and local’s love Modern, so I guess that makes me a local! 😀
Other than eating cannolis, what is your favorite thing to do in the city?
I love to play soccer with the students from Linguaenglish and Janet (an Linguaenglish teacher); I guess I just love everything with Janet – she’s the best. It’s so great to be able to interact with people from all over the world. Plus, usually we get to hang out after and play trivia or have a coffee or something. It’s always fun!
How would you say your English has improved since you came here?
I have been studying English for a while, so I think the thing I learned the most about are different American expressions and idioms that I can use to sound like a native speaker. Spending time with native speakers outside of the classroom, like after school or on activities, has really helped me the most. Speaking with my host family has been helpful, too. I live with a family in Winthrop and speaking with them in English every day has really helped me to learn the kind of things you don’t learn just by sitting in a classroom.
What is the best part about the classes at Linguaenglish?
The teachers. The teachers here are more than just teachers – they are family. They’re so helpful and encouraging and really try their hardest to make sure you are learning as much as you can, whether you’re here for 4 weeks or 4 months. And, I feel like they are also learning from me! I like to share things about my home and my country, and they are able to learn just as much as I do. It’s like we’re learning together; learning from each other. They layout of the school also makes it feel like a family. Everything is on one floor so you get to see everyone all the time.
If you could give students coming to Linguaenglish one piece of advice, what would it be?
Be open! Join as many activities as you can and don’t be shy. Everyone is a student just like you who wants to make new friends, so all you have to do is try!