2009 Showbook Berkeley

8/14/2019 2009 Showbook Berkeley

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Language Studies International, Berkeley Showbook 2009

Learn and livethe language


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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

INTRODUCTION TO LSIBERKELEY

Experience BerkeleyIn and Around BerkeleyInside LSI BerkeleyReasons for Choosing LSI BerkeleyFacilities and Neighborhood

LSICOURSES

Most Popular Courses at LSI:

LSI Intensive 30LSI Standard 20International School YearEnglish for BusinessLSI Executive Courses:

Mini GroupOne to One9-Day CompactLSI Exam Preparation Courses:Cambridge Exam PreparationTOEFL and TOEIC

STUDENTSARRIVAL

Orientation DayWelcomeFirst Day Schedule

LSISOCIAL ACTIVITIES

ARRIVAL AND AIRPORT TRANSFER

San Francisco International Airport Airport Transfer Bart Fares

GENERAL TRANSPORTATION

Public Transit Amtrak Bus Bicycle Car

ACCOMMODATION

Homestay Program, Student Residences, Hotels.


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Berkeley, home of the firstUniversity of California campus, is acolorful and friendly student-oriented city that lies justacrossthebayfrom San Francisco. Located in Northern California, the SanFrancisco Bay Area affords a wealth of famous attractions and touristsites.

Berkeley itself has beautiful parks, great restaurants and shopping,and the attractions of San Francisco are just a short bus or train rideaway. To the Northand West is the Gold Country, where gold wasdiscovered in 1849, and the Yosemite and Sequoia National Parksare just a few hours drive away.

INTRODUCTIONScenic overlooks include the

view of the San Francisco Bayand the hills of Grizzly Peak.Acres of regional parks arealso available for hiking, biking,and horseback riding.

As a college town, Berkeleyhas everything to meet yourneeds when you need to studyor take a break for some R&R!


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There are plenty of adventures tobe had in Berkeley. Locals areknown for their open self-expression and diverse approach tohaving a good time!

Downtown hosts a variety oftheatrical performances,demonstrations, and studentactivities.

As you explore, visit one of themany wonderful restaurants orcafes sprawled throughout the city.You are sure to find something thatmatches your taste.

Berkeley residents support awide variety of eclectic tastesand opinions. This PeaceWall is a product of locals

efforts to promote harmonyboth at home and abroad.

With the University of California-Berkeley among the UnitedStates most liberal universities, the city is not short of diversityand freethinking minds! Berkeley is historically known forrespecting diversity and challenging close-minded people tobroaden their opinions.

Activists maintain a strong presence in the city. Their causesrange, as do their forms of self-expression. Exposure to avariety of cultures and ways of thinking will give you insightinto how much of a melting pot Berkeley truly is .


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IN AND AROUNDBERKELEYCafes and restaurantsoffer cuisines andatmospheres to serve therange of tastes thatgather in this city.

With venues for quietstudy, a caffeine jolt, orget together with friends,local eateries cater to allof your student needs.

The Daily Californian, the local student-run newspaper,connects the public to local happenings and news, relevant tothe community. Published Monday through Friday, thenewspaper retains its importance both for its media coverageand history as the first independent campus paper in thecountry. The Best of Berkeley is an extension of this paper andserves as a city guide and local arts website.

In the immediate area one can enjoy such attractions as theGolden Gate Bridge, Fishermans Wharf, Golden Gate Park,Muir Woods, the artist community of Sausalito and AlcatrazIsland. The Bay Area is also the home of Silicon Valley, heart of

the computer industry as well as many biomedical companies.Within a few hours drive there is also the famous CaliforniaWine Country, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Pebble Beach as wellas Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park.

From Berkeley, youcan take the BART

(Bay Area RapidTransit) to SanFrancisco. In lessthan 30 minutes,you will arrive in theheart of San

Traveling is made easy by thevariety of public transportationavailable in the city.

Once there, the citys famouscable cars will handle all the hillsfor you as you do yoursightseeing!


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INSIDE LSIBERKELEY

Confidence building: Weuse a variety of tools to help the students

practice everyday language.

Location: We are in thecenter of town.

REASONS FOR CHOOSING LSIBERKELEY

Flexibility: LSI is large enough to offer program options andsmall enough to care for each student.

Multi-cultural: In 2008 we welcomed students from 30countries across Asia, Europe, South and North Americas and theMiddle East. This benefits every student.

QUALITY

The curriculum, weeklyschedules and expert teachingare all focused on meeting the

needs of students andexecutives.

Value for money: The goal of LSI is simply to providestudents with the best value possible. We do this bytailoring programs to our students needs.

Progress: We help students to identify their weaker skillsand support their improvement.


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MULTIPLE ACCOMMODATION OPTIONSLSI has many different accommodation options available tostudents. Students may choose between homestay, studentresidences or hotels. All accommodation options are carefully

selected to ensure their quality and safety.

ACTIVITIESThe LSI program includes a busy calendar of social activities

for students to enjoy in their free time. The city abounds withrestaurants, cinemas, cafes, and bookshops, thanks to itslarge student population from UC-Berkeley and the BARTprovides easy access to many Bay Area attractions. Visits toplaces such as the Wine Country and the Monterey Peninsulaare easily arranged. Students will find many chances to meetnew friends and practice their English skills at the same time.

CERTIFICATEUpon the successful completion of their course, studentsreceive our Certificate of Completion. Signed by the SchoolDirector and the Director of Studies, it indicates the studentsEnglish level, as well as the duration of their program.

INTERACTIVE CLASSROOMTECHNIQUESLSIs goal in our general English

classes is to give students theopportunity to practice their English.To make the learning processenjoyable, we use a range of multi-media tools with a variety of teachingtechniques. LSI wants to givestudents the chance to learn Englishin the practical way so that they canconfidently use these skills in thefuture.

FACILITIES ANDNEIGHBORHOOD

LSI Berkeley is only a short walkfrom the UC-Berkeley campus.There is a range of activities in thedowntown area. Localestablishments include manycomfortable and unique restaurants,cafes, pubs, and boutiques. One oftwo downtown stops on the BART,

Downtown Berkeley is a 2-minutewalk from LSI. Busses stop alongShattuck Avenue, the main street indowntown. For access to the BayArea, the BART is available.

LSIs main office can be found onthe second floor of a modern two-story office building on CenterStreet. We offer free Internetservice to students and are Wi-Ficapable. 14 computers are in our

Student Computer Labs.


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Students have access to a microwave, refrigerator, and toasteroven in our kitchen and can bring food to the atrium to eat.Up-to-date audio/visual equipment, software, and learningmaterials all help our teachers to deliver lessons that are

challenging, creative, and practical for the future.

Please note that, as is true of all public buildings in California,there is no smoking allowed in the building. As of 2008 there isno smoking allowed in downtown Berkeley.

LSICOURSES

FLEXIBLE AND TAILORED

LSI offers a range of quality programsfor any need and any schedule.

For example:

We offer both intensive and semi-intensive programs.

We provide courses from one week to48 weeks.

Whether students need GeneralEnglish, Business English, orpreparation programs for TOEFL orTOEIC exams, we offer it.

Executives looking for tailoredEnglish for Business classes shouldlook no further than LSI.


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MOST POPULAR PROGRAMS AT LSIBERKELEY

LSIINTENSIVE 30LSI invites students to select as many weeks as they needfrom 1 to 48 weeks. As a result, this 30 lesson per weekprogram is perfect for students who want the sameafternoon options as the ISY 30 but need less than 24weeks study.

LSISTANDARD 20This 20 lesson per week program follows the samemorning schedule as the ISY 30 and Intensive 30. As asemi-intensive course, this is perfect for students whoneed integrated skill without afternoon classes.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL YEAR (ISY)PROGRAMSElementary to Intermediate Levels.

Designed to meet the needs of tomorrow's internationalprofessionals, this course lasts 24, 30, 36 or 48 weeks.This course is comprised of 20 or 30 lessons per weekand gives students the chance to build a very solidfoundation in English. It also provides the opportunity tostudy a variety of electives, including our preparation

courses for Cambridge, TOEFL and TOEIC exams, or theEnglish for Business course. The key word in this programis flexibility, accomplished by creating students PersonalStudy Plans.

ENGLISH FOR BUSINESSIntermediate to Advanced Levels.

This class can be the afternoon portion of either anIntensive 30 course, or the ISY 30 program. 10 lessonsper week following a cycle of 12 weeks, each one dealing

with a specific area of business (e.g. leadership,marketing, negotiating, team building, etc.). Each of thesebusiness areas will be practiced with special focus onspeaking and listening skills.

MULTI-CENTRE COURSE:Studentsare welcome to share their time between LSISan Diego, LSI Berkeley, LSI Boston, and/orLSI New York (where additional costs apply).

EXECUTIVE COURSES

MINI GROUPIntermediate to Advanced Levels.

English for Business or Professional People.This Intensive seminar includes generalgrammar and skills with a focus onnegotiations, presentations and meetingsrelevant in business and non-businesssituations. This program is 30 lessons perweek and is limited to 5 students.

ONE-TO-ONEThis is ideal for students who have veryspecific needs that they would like LSI toconcentrate on.

9-DAY COMPACTThis executive program is for all those withexacting language needs that must be metquickly.


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TABLE OF APPROXIMATE EQUIVALENCYBETWEEN ENGLISH LANGUAGEEXAMINATIONS:

LSIEXAM PREPARATION COURSES

CAMBRIDGE EXAM PREPARATION

10 lessons per week - Intermediate to Advanced Levels

The Cambridge programs cover a wide range of academicand vocational topics, including examinations speciallydesigned for the international market.

LSI Berkeley offers preparatory courses for the CambridgeFCE, CAE, which are internationally recognized asstandards of competency in English.

The programs last up to twelve weeks and combine theorywith practical skills.

TOEIC(TEST OF ENGLISH FORINTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION)

10 lessons per week - Intermediate to Advanced Levels.

TOEIC measures the everyday English skills of peopleworking in an international environment. It may be usedwhen applying for jobs or for entry into certain internationalstudy programs.

In this course, students join morning classes for integratedskills and attend afternoon electives chosen in consultation

with the Director of Studies.

LSI Level / Exam Equivalency ChartClassLevel Skill Level IELTS

CambridgeLevel TOEFL TOEIC

PBT CBT iBT

106 Advanced 9+ CPE

105 Post-Inter. 9 CPE 670 293 120 920

104 Upper-Inter. 8.5 - 8 CAE 635 272 110 905

104 Upper-Inter. 7.5 - 7 CAE 600 250 100 810

103 Inter. 6.5 - 6 FCE 530 197 71 660

103 Inter. 5.5 - 5 FCE 460 140 48 520

102 Pre-Inter. 4.5 - 4 PET 400 97 32 380

102 Pre-Inter. 3.5 - 3 PET 220

101 Elem. 2.5 - 2 KET

100 Beginner 1.5 - 1 KET

TOEFL(TEST OF ENGLISH ASA FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

10 lessons per week - Intermediate to

Advanced LevelsThis class can be the afternoon portion ofeither an Intensive 30 course, or the ISY30 program.

TOEFL is a standard test for entry tocolleges and universities throughout theUnited States and Canada.

The class prepares students for fourcomponents of the examination. Studentsentering this course will join morningclasses for integrated skills, and thenattend classes each afternoon (Mondaythrough Thursday) specifically for TOEFLiBT instruction.


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ORIENTATION DAY

Welcome!

On the first day of school, new students will beevaluated for level placement and given an overview ofour programs.From the results of the placement test and oralevaluation given before the orientation, students areplaced into the appropriate level for them.In the classroom, teachers use a communicativeapproach to teach English. The students developlanguage skills, which they can use in the situationsthey find themselves in while living in Berkeley.

The entire curriculum is structured to follow aprogression from level to level. New skills areintroduced, while existing skills are reinforced throughlistening, speaking, reading, and writing.

SCHEDULE FOR THE FIRST DAY

9:10 am: Welcome, introduction of staff andregistration takes place.

9:30 am 10:50 am: Placement test

10:50 am 11:10 am: Break

11:10 am 12:50 pm: Orientation

12:50 pm 1:50 pm: Lunch

1:50 pm 4:00 pm: Standard 20 students are free toexplore the city.

1:50 pm 4:00 pm: Intensive 30 students will beginthe afternoon portion of their course.

LSISOCIAL ACTIVITIES

LSI organizes social events during the week aswell as many weekend tours and excursions.

These activities give students the chance toappreciate other cultures within the LSI family.In 2008, we welcomed 30 nationalities.

Activities include trips to museums, concerts,dance festivals, world music festivals, baseballgames, soccer, other sporting events, andseasonal activities for holidays such asChristmas, Easter, and Halloween. Additionally,there are party nights and dinners, pub crawls,walks, visits to markets, and wine tastingslocally.


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ARRIVAL AND AIRPORT TRANSFER

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONALAIRPORT (SFO)

After exiting the plane, students should simply proceed tothe Baggage Claim Area to pick up their bags from thebaggage carousel corresponding to their flight number. Iftheir flight had a connection, they will have already gonethrough customs and immigration at the airport in the UScity.From the airport, there are three ways for students toreach their host family, residence hotel, or hotel.

AIRPORT TRANSFERIf the student has booked an airport transfer, and LSI hasreceived accurate flight arrival information with the name

of the airline, flight number, and arrival time at least oneweek prior to arrival, LSI will arrange for the student to bemet at the Baggage Claim by an LSI representative.

Please advise students to look carefully for a sign withhis/her name on it. If for some reason the student doesnot see our representative, he/she should wait in theBaggage Claim area until the representative is located.Additional fees may apply for early/late arrival & out ofcounty destinations.

BART(BAY AREA RAPID TRANSIT)The BART has a bus available for transport from theSFO to the nearest BART station. Students can ride theBART from San Francisco to the Downtown Berkeleystop, one block away from LSI-Berkeley. The cost isminimal and the location is convenient for easy transfer.

FARESBART tickets are like debit cards and deductbased on mileage traveled. Therefore,weekly or monthly passes are not available.All BART stations sell tickets through

automatic ticket machines that accept nickels,dimes and quarters as well as $1, $5, $10and $20 bills. Credit cards may be used at allstations in select machines. The BARTcovers the entire Bay Area and bothaffordable and accommodating. TripPlanners and Fare Calculators are available

at http://www.bart.gov/, the BARTwebsite.

GENERAL TRANSPORTATION

PUBLIC TRANSITBerkeleys transit system includes city busesand the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit).

AMTRAKAmtrak is a national train service companythat offers transportation across the UnitedStates. Its Capitol Corridor route runs fromSan Jose to Auburn with many stops inbetween, Berkeley among them. The trainsrun daily and prices vary depending on whereyou are traveling. For accessibilityinformation, call 1-800-USA-RAIL.


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ACCOMMODATION

All of LSI Berkeleys accommodations arecarefully selected to ensure that they meet ourquality standards.

HOMESTAY

The majority of students who attend classes atLSI Berkeley choose to live with American hostfamilies during their stay. The greatestadvantage of a homestay experience is theopportunity to communicate and interact withAmericans outside of the classroom.

Our hosts provide a comfortable private room,

completely furnished with all the amenities of ahome. We offer two types of homestay to ourstudents: a half-board program that includesbreakfast and dinner and a bed and breakfastprogram that includes breakfast only.

Hosts are within 50 minutes commute of LSIBerkeley by public transportation. OurHomestay Coordinator carefully selects all hostfamilies to ensure that eachstudents stay willbecomfortable, enjoyable and that students willbe made to feel at home and safe. Our families

homes range in size from condominiums tolarger homes.

Americans are very good about welcomingstudents in as a part of their family, so studentsshould not be surprised if their host encouragesthem to join them in the kitchen to prepare ameal.

BUSThe Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District is thelargest bus-only transportation agency in the UnitedStates.

AC Transit buses connect with nine other public andprivate bus systems, 21 BART stations, six Amtrakstations, and three ferry terminals. With a 364 squaremile service area, AC Transit includes service toBerkeley/Richmond and downtown San Franciscovia the Bay Bridge, among other Bay Area cities.

BICYCLEMany people, including some of our teachers and

students, commute to school by bike. It iseconomical and sometimes faster than any othermeans of transportation. You can even bike part ofthe way and then take the bus and/or BART part ofthe way. Bicycles can be purchased either new orused throughout the city.Many people love to ride their bikes downtown afterschool in order to relax and keep fit.

CAR

There are many car rental agencies in Berkeleywhere short or long-term economy rentals areavailable.

Renters must be at least 25 years old (21 at someagencies) and have a valid driver's license and majorcredit card.Remember that driving laws in California may differfrom the ones in your home country. Please beaware of these differences and make sure that youfeel comfortable with them before renting a car.


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Most hosts will involve students in menu selection andsome hosts are able to accommodate special dietaryrequirements.

STUDENT RESIDENCESStudent Residences are more suitable for anindependent student, who is looking for clean, basicaccommodation at an economic price.

All students must be 18+ unless otherwise noted. Formost options students can book through LSI or directlywith the residence.

The best advantage of that option is to live with otherstudents from all over the world and share yourexperience and culture, as well as practice language.

HOTELSWe also have a selection of hotels available. Pleasecontact LSI Berkeley for more information.

Thank you for choosingLSI Berkeley!

LANGUAGE STUDIESINTERNATIONAL

LSIBERKELEY

2015 Center StreetBerkeley, CA 94704

Tel: 510 841-4695Fax: 510 841-3015

Email: [email protected] site:www.LSI-America.com

orwww.LSI.edu

--- Accredited ---

--- Member ---

We hope to see you soon!

2009 Showbook Berkeley

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