It’s December; all the leaves are brown and the sky is grey. Sounds like the perfect time to plan an English course on the USA’s West Coast! The Golden State is huge and spectacularly diverse, from the hippie communes of Berkeley to the velvet ropes of Hollywood, there is something for everyone.
We have a superb selection of destinations for an English course in California including the big cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as many smaller but equally enthralling destinations. In total, we work with over a dozen language schools in California, all of which are fully accredited and have years of experience of teaching English to speakers of other languages, so you will be in safe hands.
Here’s a list of our top destinations where you can learn English in California:
Berkeley
photo: Kai Schreiber
Just a short drive from San Francisco, Berkeley is home to around 110,000 people and is best known for its world-famous university. The institution is the oldest part of the University of California and came to international cultural prominence in the 1960s as one of the focal points of the hippie world (although it had long been one of the world’s top academic institutions).
The “peace and love” spirit of the 1960s remains prominent in a city known within the USA for being left-leaning and liberal. Our partner school is located downtown, near the university campus… it’s a welcoming and exciting place to learn English and looks great on the CV!
Find out about our English courses in Berkeley
Los Angeles
Lalaland, the city of Angels… whatever you want to call it, Los Angeles is iconic. Home to rock stars and movie stars, has-beens and wannabes, there is nowhere else like it on the planet. It’s a sprawling beast of a city with superb beaches, incredible shopping opportunities and a generous sprinkling of stardust that will make your English course unforgettable.
Just remember, if someone asks you what you are doing there, an authentic local response would be “I’m learning English… and I’m an actor/singer” (delete as appropriate).
Find out about our English courses in Los Angeles
San Diego
photo: coralmoore
At the southern end of California’s long, glorious coastline, San Diego is a laid-back student city of around a million people. The beaches are superb and offer plenty for water sports enthusiasts, the city itself is rapidly growing as people arrive in search of a good life and never leave.
The local zoo is known as one of the best in the world and a trip to SeaWorld is a great way to spend a day. Take an English course in San Diego and find out why Ron Burgundy called it “the greatest city in the history of mankind”!
Find out about our English courses in San Diego
San Francisco
photo: Frank Kovalchek
As one of the great international cities, San Francisco is a massively popular destination for US and international visitors. The Golden Gate Bridge is iconic, Haight-Ashbury is a legendary hippie hub and Chinatown is the place to go for late night food. Laid back in the extreme, people travel from all over the USA to be among like-minded liberals on the West Coast. And to recreate the chase scenes from Bullitt. Just don’t call it ‘Frisco.
Find out about our English courses in San Francisco
Santa Barbara
photo: Juan Carlos Sánchez
100km north of Malibu on the coast of California, Santa Barbara is a treat for the senses. Famous for its superb beaches and surfing, this popular university city offers a welcome change of pace from the big Californian cities. That’s not to say it’s quiet… a city that was founded by Spanish settlers maintains a certain cultural buzz that creates a lovely contrast with the serene mountainous surroundings.
Find out about our English courses in Santa Barbara
Santa Monica
photo: Laura Padgett
One of the “cities within a city” that make up Los Angeles, Santa Monica is one of the most pleasant parts of Los Angeles County. The weather is great, the beaches are clean and the thrills and spills of the big city lie within easy reach. But Santa Monica doesn’t feel like the big city: the streets are lined with lo-rise, art deco houses (inhabited by celebrities and the well-to-do) and the air is much fresher than downtown.
Find out about our English courses in Santa Monica
If California is a bit too “far out” for you, how about Chicago, Boston or New York? They are among our wide range of destinations for English courses in the USA.
What do you think?