English Language Skills For Au Pairs
IN-PERSON WEEKENDS NEW YORK CITY
JUNE 9 - 11, 2023
Do you want to improve your communication skills with your host family, or feel more comfortable speaking with Americans and making new friends? Then our exciting English Language Skills for Au Pairs courses are for you!
Practice your listening and speaking skills with interesting classroom discussions and workshops, and strengthen your reading and writing skills with written assignments. Learning American expressions and idioms will help you speak like a native!
And best of all, you'll get to practice everything you learn during the weekend in the heart of New York City!
Need 72 hours (equivalent to 6 credits)? In our Combo English Language Skills for Au Pairs courses, you'll get to know your classmates in online Zoom classes, then meet them for an intensive in-person weekend course in New York City. This is a great opportunity to build relationships with other au pairs as you improve your English skills in a format that sets you up for success.
Choose the level that best suits your English level.
Don't wait! Many courses sell out before registration closes.
WHAT ARE SINGLE WEEKEND COURSES LIKE?
These English courses use the research based Communicative Language Teaching method to give you an opportunity to learn language skills and then practice them in real-world settings.
Weekend lecture classes and pre-weekend assignments will teach you English skills and vocabulary that will help you get the most out of your time in America. During the weekend, you will also have multiple opportunities to practice these skills in discussions, workshops, and activities out in the community.
You will spend the weekend with experts in the field, who have years of experience teaching and are certified in ESL. This is a perfect chance to ask any questions you might have about American English! Classes are held at Berkeley College, the same location where we currently hold our New York Arts and Entertainment classes.
More information about our New York City Location is below!
SINGLE WEEKEND INTERMEDIATE TRACK
This course will help you:
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Develop your fluency and confidence during our immersive weekend experience in New York City’s vibrant Midtown Manhattan.
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Learn to understand different American accents, common phrases and idioms, and use expressions that will help you speak like a native.
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Grow your understanding of American culture, and practice using past, present, and future tenses when speaking about traveling throughout NYC and the U.S.
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Better express your thoughts and opinions so you can more easily connect with your host family and local community.
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Practice your new language skills while exploring the rich cultural and historical opportunities that New York City offers! City excursions will take you outside the classroom and give you real-world experience speaking and interacting with diverse New York locals.
To take this course, you should be able to:
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Communicate using frequently used expressions and vocabulary with others when doing tasks related to your job as an au pair.
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Use the past, present and future tenses when speaking about yourself.
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Understand some written English and be able to write in English yourself.
Costs and Educational Hours
This 3-day weekend course offers 36 hours (equivalent to 3 credits) for an all-inclusive price of $399, which includes tuition and registration, course materials, activities and transportation during class hours.
Note: Hours include pre-weekend assignments and course evaluation. Check with your au pair agency regarding hours and credits, as requirements vary.
Class times
Fridays: (Check-in is at 1 p.m.) 1:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Sundays: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
On March 17th, you will get a link to complete an English Placement test, which will help us determine if the level you signed up for best suits your language learning needs. Students who register after March 17th will be added to Canvas every Monday.
*Attendance is mandatory beginning on Friday, with check-in at 1 p.m. and does not end until Sunday at 4:30 pm. Students are expected to attend the full weekend and complete all assignments to receive their Completion Letter. We understand emergencies and important scheduling conflicts can occur, so please contact the program coordinator as soon as possible if there is a situation that prevents you from meeting any of these requirements.
SINGLE WEEKEND ADVANCED TRACK
This course will help you:
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Advance your fluency and confidence during our immersive weekend experience in New York City’s vibrant Midtown Manhattan, including learning about New York City’s accents and dialects.
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Understand and use idioms, unusual phrases, and expressions appropriately when having conversations.
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Grow your understanding of American culture around food and U.S. traditions, while practicing making comparisons to your home country.
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Better express your thoughts in conversation and written form, by practicing the use of modal verbs, persuasive language and formal and informal English.
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Practice your new language skills while exploring the rich cultural and historical opportunities that New York City offers! City excursions will take you outside the classroom and give you real-world experience speaking and interacting with diverse New York locals.
To take this course, you should be able to:
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Use descriptive language to discuss a wide range of subjects. This includes matters related to working as an au pair, your experience living in the U.S, and areas of immediate need (like emergencies).
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Use past, present, and future tenses to explain your feelings, opinions, and make comparisons on various issues.
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Understand written English with relative ease and summarize and express your opinion about the text in written form.
Costs and Educational Hours
This 3-day weekend course offers 36 hours (equivalent to 3 credits) for an all-inclusive price of $399, which includes tuition and registration, course materials, activities, and transportation during class hours.
Note: Hours include pre-weekend assignments and course evaluation. Check with your au pair agency regarding hours and credits, as requirements vary.
Course Times
Fridays: (Check-in is at 1 p.m.) 1:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Sundays: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
On March 17th, you will get a link to complete an English Placement test, which will help us determine if the level you signed up for best suits your language learning needs. Students who register after March 17th will be added to Canvas every Monday.
*Attendance is mandatory beginning on Friday, with check-in at 1 p.m. and does not end until Sunday at 4:30 pm. Students are expected to attend the full weekend and complete all assignments to receive their Completion Letter. We understand emergencies and important scheduling conflicts can occur, so please contact the program coordinator as soon as possible if there is a situation that prevents you from meeting any of these requirements.
WHAT ARE COMBO COURSES LIKE?
In the Zoom classes, High Beginner & Intermediate students will discuss daily routine, collocations and phrasal verbs, expressing opinions and preferences, and practice speaking and writing in past, present, and future tense.
Students in the Intermediate & Advanced course will discuss comparatives and superlatives, storytelling, and will practice using more complex tenses, such as present perfect, past progressive, and future progressive.
Whichever level you choose, you'll be able to get the most out of your upcoming weekend by spending your final Zoom lesson learning fun facts and helpful travel tips about New York City!
During the in-person weekend, all students will study regional accents and dialects in the United States (with a focus on NYC), and practice using idioms and connected speech. Students will also learn about culture shock, and U.S. culture and traditions.
High Beginner & Intermediate students will focus on using past, present, and future tenses in interactive activities, practice making recommendations based on spots you have visited while exploring the city, and have the opportunity to practice storytelling while talking about your home country.
Intermediate & Advanced students will participate in workshops that allow you to practice present perfect, conditional tenses, and modal verbs. You will have opportunities to discuss food from your home country, have conversations about your preferences, and dig further into English grammar.
Best of all, both courses offer the chance to practice your new language skills while exploring the rich cultural and historical opportunities that New York City offers! City excursions will take you outside the classroom and give you real world experience speaking and interacting with diverse New York locals. Excursions include: Times Square and Midtown Manhattan, the 9/11 memorial, and the High Line.
More information about our New York City Location is below!
COMBO HIGH BEGINNER & INTERMEDIATE
This 72 hour course focuses on helping au pairs with a high beginner level of English improve their conversational and language "survival" skills. In it, you will begin by meeting with your classmates and learning over Zoom before joining them for an intensive in-person weekend course in New York City. Curriculum will focus on speaking and listening as you build the everyday communication skills that you’ll need to successfully interact with your host family and with your community. You will be able to practice your skills in a safe, encouraging environment with other au pairs who are also interested in improving their English. And what better way to reward all the hard work you’ve done together than with a trip to New York City?
This course will help you:
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Communicate comfortably about au pair daily routines.
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Have a casual conversation about a wide range of subjects related to living in the United States as an au pair, such as childcare, living in a foreign country, food, and travel.
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Use descriptive vocabulary with past, present, and future tenses.
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Explain your feelings, share your opinions, and make comparisons on various issues such as U.S. culture, information about your home country, and your work as an au pair.
To take this course, you should be able to:
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Understand simple spoken sentences and some frequently used expressions used in American English.
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Use present tense to verbally communicate basic personal information (name, home country, and where you live in the USA) with others.
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Verbally communicate with others regarding areas of immediate need, including emergencies.
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Understand and produce basic written communication, including a text message and simple sequential instructions, as well as write a 3-4 sentence paragraph consisting of simple sentences.
Costs and Educational Hours
This course offers 72 hours (equivalent to 6 credits) for an all-inclusive price of $649, which includes tuition and registration, course materials, activities, and transportation during class hours.
Note: Hours include weekly assignments during the online Zoom classes, pre-weekend assignments, and a course evaluation. Check with your au pair agency regarding hours and credits, as requirements vary.
Online Zoom Classes:
Mondays & Wednesdays for 3 weeks (6 classes)
4:30 p.m. Pacific Time/7:30 p.m. Eastern Time (There is only one class per day. Be sure to check your time zone!)
Zoom Classes last 2 hours (120 minutes)
June Zoom Classes Meet:
May 15
May 17
May 22
May 24
Note: there will be no class on Monday May 29th in observance of Memorial Day
May 31
June 5
New York City Weekend Classes:
Fridays: (Check-in is at 1 p.m.) 1:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Sundays: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
June In-Person Classes Meet:
June 9
June 10
June 11
On March 17th, you will get a link to complete an English Placement test, which will help us determine if the level you signed up for best suits your language learning needs. Students who register after March 17th will be added to Canvas every Monday.
After registering for this course, you’ll get a link to join Canvas the day that your pre-assignments become available.
*Attendance is mandatory for online Zoom classes and all in-person hours. Students are expected to attend all classes and complete all assignments to receive their Completion Letter. We understand emergencies and important scheduling conflicts can occur, so please contact the program coordinator as soon as possible if there is a situation that prevents you from attending a class. If you have any questions or concerns about the live session times please contact us!
COMBO INTERMEDIATE & ADVANCED
Ready to take your English skills to the next level? This course is designed to improve the conversational English of au pairs who already speak at an intermediate level. You’ll discuss comparatives and superlatives, practice active listening and storytelling, and learn to use more advanced phrases and expressions. This course is perfect for those looking to make friends with au pairs while deepening their understanding of American English and culture. You’ll make the most of your weekend in New York by getting to know your classmates ahead of time in online classes, and by expanding on the online lessons through in-person excursions and classroom time. This is a great opportunity to learn and improve from one another while rewarding all of your hard work with a trip to New York City!
This course will help you:
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Comfortably and confidently interact with native English speakers.
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Use persuasive language to express your feelings and share your opinions on various topics such as regional accents, food, and culture.
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Correctly use simple and progressive tenses in conversation and in writing.
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Grow your understanding of American culture, expressions, and idiomatic phrases.
If you already feel comfortable with all these skills for both levels mentioned above, we highly recommend enrolling in our other courses.
To take this course, you should be able to:
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Easily understand frequently used expressions and vocabulary related to being an au pair.
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Communicate comfortably regarding areas of immediate need, including emergencies, as well as in most routine tasks for an au pair.
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Adequately use the past and present tenses when speaking and writing.
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Read intermediate level texts in English with relative ease (for example, information on the internet or short stories) and write a paragraph in response to them.
Costs and Educational Hours
This course offers 72 hours (equivalent to 6 credits) for an all-inclusive price of $649, which includes tuition and registration, course materials, activities and transportation during class hours.
Note: Hours include weekly assignments during the online Zoom classes, pre-weekend assignments, and a course evaluation. Check with your au pair agency regarding hours and credits, as requirements vary.
Online Zoom Classes:
Tuesdays & Thursdays for 3 weeks (6 classes)
4:30 p.m. Pacific Time/7:30 p.m. Eastern Time (There is only one class per day. Be sure to check your time zone!)
Zoom Classes last 2 hours (120 minutes)
June Zoom Classes Meet:
May 16
May 18
May 23
May 25
May 20
June 1
New York City Weekend Classes:
Fridays: (Check-in is at 1 p.m.) 1:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Sundays: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
June In-Person Classes Meet:
June 9
June 10
June 11
On March 17th, you will get a link to complete an English Placement test, which will help us determine if the level you signed up for best suits your language learning needs. Students who register after March 17th will be added to Canvas every Monday.
*Attendance is mandatory for online Zoom classes and all in-person hours. Students are expected to attend all classes and complete all assignments to receive their Completion Letter. We understand emergencies and important scheduling conflicts can occur, so please contact the program coordinator as soon as possible if there is a situation that prevents you from attending a class.
If you have any questions or concerns about the live session times please contact us!
NEW YORK CITY LOCATION
Courses are offered in collaboration with the University of California, Los Angeles, Extension
Get the most out of your time in the United States by improving your English skills! Learn about American accents, cultural traditions, and travel tips - all while getting to explore the sights and history of New York City!
Address
Courses are held at Berkeley College
12 East 41st Street
New York, NY 10017
In general, classes will begin and end here. Arts & Entertainment: Performing Arts students may end at a different location on Saturday night, and both tracks will begin off-campus on Sunday morning.
Note: There is also a Berkeley College building on 43rd Street. Make sure to come to the 41st St. location!
Housing & Transportation
Housing IS NOT provided or arranged for students who attend a weekend course. However, we do have a partnership with Hostelling International NYC. If you would like to book with them for a discounted price, use code AUPA10 for 10% off plus waived membership fees. The link above gives a list of nearby hotels and housing options, as well as suggestions for transportation between the airport and our NYC campus.
