18 Comments

1. 

   Angie Vega

   On September 29, 2014 at 4:36 pm Reply

   I decided to learn english after my high school, because all my favorites songs, TV shows and movies were in english, so I really wanted to speak and understand english well. In that moment I started to have interest for this language and I have been practicing english a lot.

   In this year, I was looking for a academy to help me to improve my english, so a friend told me about Discovery Academy. I have been
   studying English since February in Discovery Academy, but I had taken english class in the high school and university too, but I am going to be honest, were a very bad english class because all the years we saw the same!! By the way, in the high school I had learned French too, but in this moment I don´t remember anything!! (Yes, I know is embarrassing!!) I have been thinking to keep learning different languages like portuguese and french too.

   I really think that the best way to learn english is practicing with music, videos and movies because this things really helped me in the past. Also, my sister has been studying in Discovery too, so we can practicing together. Actually we have been practicing all the weekends!

   Obviously the english is very important for found a better job in Costa Rica or another country, so this another important reason to have been learning english.

   I haven´t visited United States yet, but I have been learning english because a really want to go to this country and practicing all that I know!! That make sense right!!

   I hope that in Discovery Academy I could improve my english level, learn to speak with fluency and more natural, good pronunciation and know more vocabulary. I really like all kind of games, songs and presentations because I have thinking that are a great opportunity for us, to participate and speak a lot.
   • 

     Sitzman

     On October 4, 2014 at 1:13 am Reply

     Hi Angie,

     Thanks for your comment! You seem to be doing really well with the different past and perfect tenses, and you can tell you’re paying attention to them.

     There are a few vocabulary problems, but they’re minor (like “all the weekends” –>”every weekend”), and everything is understandable.

     Just a comment: names of languages are proper nouns, so you should always capitalize them, even when used as adjectives. So English, Spanish, Portuguese, etc.

     Thanks again, and see you in class tomorrow!
     Ryan
2. 

   Nataly Guzmán Flores

   On October 2, 2014 at 9:26 pm Reply

   Lately, I have considered necessary resume the study of the English language, I have been thinking is important for my background, so I have decided to be ready when a great opportunity will appear.
   I had studied English in High School and also I had been ina English course in 2002 in TEC, but, I have never felt that I understand the language, untill now. So many times I had thought that I will never can make it, but now I have realized that I can do it!
   My husband and I have been studying in Discovery Academy for four months ago. I have noticed that I have been understanding most of what we talked and studied in class, and that makes me so happy.
   About the methods, since I am in Discovery I have proposed to study on weekdays, but I have not! So, I have thought is really necessary to have homework assignments, because they force me to study.
   I have noticed I prefer to do homework every week, above to make a test. For my it is more useful.
   I have disliked when I had to talk with a partner in class, because I always ask to my self: “Am I doing this well?” So, I prefer the groups dynamics, and when the Professor correct us and all learn together at the same time.
   • 

     Sitzman

     On October 4, 2014 at 1:18 am Reply

     Hey Nataly,

     Nice comment! I’m glad to hear that you’re happy with the classes you’ve been taking lately. I think you’ve found the secret: these homework assignments are mainly just to push you guys to study or at least work a bit more outside of class. I am also in language classes as a student, and I know that it’s hard to find time to study.

     I also like working together as a whole class sometimes, but there will definitely be times in this class when you’ll talk with partners, since it’s of course impossible for all 8 people to talk the whole class, and if you’re working with partners for at least part of the time, it’ll give you a chance to speak a bit more. Hopefully that’s OK.

     As for the English in your post, there are a few times where you are confusing tenses (like “since I am in Discovery”)…can you find any others that might need changing?

     Other than that, good work!
     Ryan
3. 

   Nelson Rodriguez Mora

   On October 2, 2014 at 9:30 pm Reply

   I have studied English since I was a child, my
   parents ever has been interested in my English learning with private teachers
   and them, when I gone to the secundary a went in a bilingual secundary

   In all of those years trying learning English I
   have learned not so well, it is because a have decided to take this course, for
   increase my English level.

   I had been trying to learning Francais in the
   secundary too, but I don´t like it so much and I declined.

   I have been interested in Mandarin learning for a
   third language but have no time.

   I have been in a seventh level with Lidio and in a eighth
   level with Travis and I have taught that
   those teachers are very good. I like
   Lidio´s energy and I like that Travis has been my first US teacher ever. I like
   to listen the US people to try to understand and practice my listening understanding
   • 

     Sitzman

     On October 4, 2014 at 1:32 am Reply

     Hello Nelson,

     Thanks for the comment. Generally you’re writing well, but there are some small problems.

     First of all, be sure to write clearly structured sentences, even if they’re short. In other words, don’t combine two complete ideas with a comma. Instead, just use a period and start a new one to keep things clear.

     There are also a few spelling errors (“secundary,” “taught” instead of “thought,” etc.).

     I think your answer may have gotten cut off at the end–was it?

     Thanks again. See you tomorrow!
     Ryan
4. 

   Luis Adrian Jimenes Lizano

   On October 3, 2014 at 11:54 am Reply

   Well l decided to learned
   English, because l really like languages a lot and also because is really
   important now a day.

   l have been studying English
   in many diferent places. First l started in Boston business school, where l
   took a couple of beginner’s courses, but i really didn’t liked so much.

   Then I got enrolled in a UTN
   branch located in SanRamon .

   I had heard that the academy
   was one of the best places to learn English, but after almost 12 level’s
   course, I realized that i had been wasting my money, because I couldn’t speak
   the language at all. Frustrating right.

   So after that. I decided to
   got enrolled in an academy where one of my friends had been attending and
   had learned so much.

   .to be honest the academy
   resulted to be one of the best academy’s l have ever studied before. And
   actually I could learned so much from there. I really took advantage
   the time in that place.

   l hadn’t finished to study
   English , when ( Mr. LIDIO) the manager of this academy told me , that
   they have opened a new academy “off course” Discovery
   Language Academy. And l decided start to study mandarin there.

   I studied the language with a teacher
   native from Taiwan, was interesting but really difficult by the way.

   Now after finish a 2 year’s
   mandarin course, l decide to learn portugués,in this academy. Where i have
   been studying for one year. As you can see l am a good client, cuz, l have spended
   almost all my salaries in this institution but lm thankful. Because i have
   learned a lot.

   Even
   I have retaken the English course l haven’t finished. Before
   • 

     Sitzman

     On October 4, 2014 at 1:28 am Reply

     Hey Adrian,

     It looks like your reply got cut off, but I can still make some comments.

     You seem like you’re doing very well with most aspects like natural vocabulary and fluency (when you speak), but there are some things you can do to polish your written English. A few suggestions:

     -Always capitalize the word “I”
     -Plurals are almost never made with an apostrophe+s

     Those are more just technical, but for grammar/structure, pay attention to verbs. You’re saying things like “to got” or “to learned,” when you can’t combine “to” with the past.

     Can you see anything else you’d change?

     On the whole, though, nice work! See you in class tomorrow,
     Ryan
     • 

       Luis Adrian Jimenes Lizano

       On October 5, 2014 at 8:14 pm Reply

       thankyou so much for the comment l would like to discuss these points in class to improve my grammar
       • 

         Sitzman

         On October 8, 2014 at 6:38 pm Reply

         Hi Adrian,

         Sure, we can talk about them some in class, like we did last Saturday. I just didn’t know if it would be boring for you guys. And if you want more individual comments, you can always ask me and I can give you more feedback about specific things.

         Thanks,
         Ryan
5. 

   Jose Chaves Vargas

   On October 3, 2014 at 9:34 pm Reply

   Well I think that i can say that i started in my school that is call Federico Salas school.

   I actually been learning english since i was a child in my school and I always been interested in others lenguages.

   The main rason that I decided to learn english is because in any carreer is apsolutly necesary to have another lenguage and if some day I want to be a real threat in the engineering market i need to know more than the other engeeniers.

   As a matter of fact I had take 3 courses in the college but they were kind of useless because they teach really basics things that I already know.
   I actually have been interesting in german, I think that might be another challange to accept.

   I would like a very interactive class, the one that we can all talk and make some comments about it. I hope to learn as much as possible and to be a great student.

   Well I acutally really enjoy the class that we had the last week, the first part was interesting when we all met each other and the second part after the break was even better.
   • 

     Sitzman

     On October 4, 2014 at 1:23 am Reply

     Hi Jose,

     Thanks for posting your comment. I’m glad you liked the class last week, and I’ll try to keep making them interesting for you guys. And if you really want to learn German, you should join the new group on Wednesday evenings!

     About the English use in your comment: You’re having some problems with different tenses in the past. Most of them are actually incorrect, even if they’re small errors.

     For example, “I actually been learning English…”
     In this case, you started in the past but are still doing it now, so you’ll need to include a “have”: “I have been learning English…”

     Can you go over your post again and see if there are any other things you should change?

     Thanks, and see you in class tomorrow!
     Ryan
6. 

   Javier Salazar Pérez

   On October 4, 2014 at 10:39 am Reply

   I have been studying English since I was 6 years old, I started to learn English with a particular teacher in Naranjo, and there I have learned how to read, write and general vocabulary. Later I continue my classes on high school, there I received ten hour per week, and there I reached a good level.

   When I started to study at the university it brought me a big issue cause I haven’t practice to much English since that, sometimes there were assignments that involve reading but it wasn’t too much, that’s why I have been trying to watch TV shows in English with the idea of don’t lost my knowledge at all.

   I had never tried to learn other languages before English, that’s because I haven´t reached the level that I really want, however I’m really interested in learn a third language maybe mandarin.

   Before coming here, I had took English classes in another academy, there I finished the whole course and think that it helps me to maintain my English skills

   I decided to study English at Discovery Academy cause I really want to improve my speaking part. That’s cause all the job opportunities
   for me in the future will have high English requirements. In this class I would like activities that force us to speak cause my principal goal is to have fluency conversations with other people.
   • 

     Sitzman

     On October 8, 2014 at 5:57 pm Reply

     Hello Javier,

     Nice job!

     I think in class we talked about how in English, it’s usually best to have short, clear sentences, and that you can’t connect two complete ideas with just a comma. That’s probably the most prominent problem I noticed in your post, but it still is completely understandable. So just be sure to keep your ideas clear, and do a double check before posting it. Otherwise, nice work!

     Ryan
7. 

   Marcelo Herrera Vargas

   On October 4, 2014 at 11:06 am Reply

   I started to learn english at my school in Naranjo, and then I kept practicing in high school. But when I was at the University I could not practice any english at all because I didnt have enough time.

   I have been working in a transnational company since January, in there I realized the need to improve my english. So I have been practicing english in Discovery Academy for two months.

   Right now I dont have any interest in learning another language, because I’m focus on improving my english.

   I had taken the course of Open English it was great but my main need is to improve my speaking skills, and Open English isn’t focus on that.

   What I expect from this class is practicing my speaking and writting, by doing many speeches and writting about engineering stuff.
   • 

     Sitzman

     On October 8, 2014 at 5:54 pm Reply

     Hi Marcelo,

     Nice work! I think we went over most of the small errors in class. Your writing is very clear, and that’s good. Just be sure to capitalize English (or any other nationality or language), since you said it quite a few times in your post.

     Thanks, and see you in class,
     Ryan
8. 

   Mau Espinoza

   On October 4, 2014 at 12:12 pm Reply

   I have been in touch with the English language since I was in primary school, but in that moment I was pretty young, so I didn’t learn so much during that time. Thus, I think I really started studying English in high school, where I had to wait till the last two years for take a class with a good teacher. Nevertheless, I don’t complain about that, because I don’t feel that I graduate from high school with a bad English level.

   Since I graduate from high school, I had stopped studying English, till now. Maybe because I didn’t feel the pressure that I have started feeling now that I’m close to finish my college career. This pressure appears because of the high English level that my profession demands me, so I decided to resume my English studies and improve my current level.

   I decided to take this course because I have been waiting for around 2 years for a opportunity like this, where I can take classes with a US teacher who is going to catch all of my mistakes in pronunciation and vocabulary, and also who is going to speak to me in a native English, so I’m going to improve my listening. Finally, something that really caught my attention was the fact that the course is focused in the speaking part of the language, so I’m also going to improve my fluency.

   In this moment, I have no intentions of studying another language, but if I had to pick one I think I would choose study Mandarin, because I have heard that it is the language of the future and that its going to be as universal as English.

   Speaking about the course, I really like the methodology you use for the classes, not just because we can only speak in English, but because you make us participate during the class and you plan activities that don’t allow the class becomes boring.
   • 

     Sitzman

     On October 8, 2014 at 5:52 pm Reply

     Hey Mau,

     Thanks for the comment! You seem to have done a really good job of reading through it, and I hardly found any problems. There are a couple of issues with verbs (like “since I graduate” instead of “graduated”), but nothing that makes the meaning of what you said unclear.

     So, keep up the good work and see you on Saturday!
     Ryan