Your lessons

Our classes are designed to help you learn and improve your ability to communicate successfully in the real world.  LAL Fort Lauderdale provides students with a communicative, immersion-approached language learning experience focusing on the four skills of language: listening, reading, speaking and writing.  The more listening you do, the better speaker you become and the more reading you do, the better writer you become.  The skills are practiced on a daily basis during class time, but should also be practiced as much as possible during the rest of the day and on weekends.  It is extremely important for all students to immerse themselves in English. Take advantage of this golden opportunity as research has proved that students, who speak English as much as possible during their stay, improve their knowledge and communication skills by up to 30 percent.  While it is very easy to speak your native language with other students, we ask that you make a commitment to yourself to practice English as much as possible.

All students have a first and second lesson and some have an additional third lesson as follows:

First lesson

A new point of grammar or topic of discussion is introduced and practiced. This includes Test Preparation courses that specifically prepare our students for taking TOEFL, TOEIC and Cambridge Exams.

Second lesson

This new point or topic is reinforced through active practice with a focus on communication and includes Test Preparation courses that specifically prepare our students for taking TOEFL, TOEIC and Cambridge Exams.

Third lesson

This includes Private Tuition classes that address your personal needs profile, conversation classes that provide a fun, speaking centered atmosphere Test Preparation courses that specifically prepare our students for taking TOEFL, TOEIC and Cambridge Exams.

Books at LAL Fort Lauderdale are not included. You can buy them from Reception on your first day at school.

You are expected to show respect for your teachers, LAL Fort Lauderdale staff and other students.  You should arrive on time and attend all your classes in order to maintain your status in school.  Students who arrive more than 10 minutes late to class may be refused entry and asked to wait for the second class.  This will be recorded as one absence.  If you are aware you are going to be late to a class, please advise your teacher in advance.

Placement Tests

Upon arrival at LAL Fort Lauderdale, you will be given a placement test to evaluate your reading, writing, speaking and listening skills so that you can be placed in the appropriate level (0 to 6).  If you feel you have been placed in the incorrect level, please discuss this with the Academic Manager, Ferdinand Estuniga, or in his absence with the Assistant Academic Manager, Cyd Anthony.

Progress Tests

Progress tests are taken every Thursday to help both students and teachers measure the students’ progress.  Test scores of less than 70% may result in a change to a lower level class.

Exit Tests

After completing all 8 weeks at one level, you will be given an exit test allowing us to determine if you are ready to move onto the next level.

Final Certificate

After successfully completing your studies, LAL Fort Lauderdale will present you with a Certificate of Attendance.  The certificate states your name, dates of attendance, course taken and the number of lessons taken weekly and is signed by the Academic Manager, Ferdinand Estuniga.

All students are expected to dress in a way that respects the rights of others and we ask that you dress appropriately when at school:

• Footwear is required at all times.  
• Revealing clothing or clothing that exposes the torso is not allowed.  
• Garments including, but not limited to, pajamas and boxer shorts, which were traditionally designed as undergarments, sleepwear, or beachwear, may not be worn as outer garments.

If you are a student with an F-1 Student Visa, please hand in the following documents to the front desk on your first Monday at school:

• I-20 Student Visa
• Passport
• Airline Ticket
• I-94
• Proof of health insurance for healthcare in the USA.

We will make photocopies of your documents and return the originals to you.

Any changes to your stay may require changes to your I-20.  If you travel outside and return to the US during your stay with us, you must request that your I-20 form be signed in advance by Yvonne Hanis, Welfare Manager (PDSO) or Margaret Kiernan, Office Manager (DSO).

Depending upon your nationality, an additional visa for another country or island (for example Mexico or the Bahamas) may be required.  Please contact the appropriate consulate for further information.

Holding a US Visa in your passport is a serious responsibility.  Please fully inform yourself of this responsibility and the requirements of staying in this country.

Although we prefer that you look after your own passport while you are here at LAL Fort Lauderdale, we can keep some passports in our safe for short periods of time.  However, it is your responsibility to pick up your passport from us before returning home or going away to the Bahamas for the weekend, for example.