Resources: Notes on Life and Language in the United States

English immersion is the best way or perhaps the only way to learn English.

Today's blog topic is NYC English! What do you know about the New York City subway? If you are thinking about coming to NYC to learn English, this post is a great way for you to get an idea of what it's like to ride the subway in New York. If you are already in New York and you ride the subway every day, you can learn new vocabulary expressions and idioms that New Yorkers use every day! Do you know what it means to be "in the red" or to "get the hang of it" ? If not, listen to the conversation about the subway in New York. Don't forget to take the quiz at the end to test your listening comprehension!

Today we have a New York English lesson. In this lesson, you can practice your listening and learn how to find an apartment in New York.  Finding an apartment in New York can be daunting! There are many things to think about! Which neighborhood is right for you? What kind of apartment do you want? And most importantly, what is your budget? I remember apartment hunting during the summer of 2006. After viewing twelve different apartments, I finally found the perfect place and I had an hour to get to the broker's office to sign the lease before someone else took the apartment. Apartment hunting is done a little bit differently in New York than in other cities. There is a lot of competition and prices are high so if you are learning English, you need to be prepared and know the correct phrases and vocabulary words to use when you start your search. In this New York English lesson series, we will give you some ideas about great neighborhoods to check out and the vocabulary words and phrases that you need to get the apartment you want.

If you are a busy professional and you can't spend hours in a classroom improving your English, I have good news for you. You don't have to spend hours in an English class. If you are living in the United States, you can practice English anywhere and at anytime.  In an earlier post, I talked about how to improve your English by taking risks. But today I will talk about another strategy that a lot of students and English tutors don't consider. Engaging in English conversation is important but sometimes it's just not possible. In that case, you can improve your English just by listening! Through listening, you can practice English on your way to work, during your lunch break or even while waiting at the hair salon. Your life is busy but you can still improve your English every day!  Keep reading to learn more.