ELC BLOG

Lucas Prosman, from Liege, Belgium, has been our student for eighteen weeks! When he finishes his course here in Los Angeles, he will head down to Costa Rica to do some volunteer work. Lucas learned a lot about the American way of life while living with an ELC host family, and of course, he improved his English. Read the rest of the interview to learn about Lucas’s experience at ELC.

Where are you from?

I’m from a city called Liege, which is in the French part of Belgium.

Why did you choose to study in the US?

I wanted to see another country and I wanted to go far away. I wasn’t very interested in Canada or Australia, and they can be very expensive. I also wanted to study Spanish in Costa Rica after my English classes at ELC.

What are some of your hobbies?

Staying active. I took up boxing during the month of December. I also do a lot of running. Mostly I run in the neighborhood of my host family and climb the Culver City stairs.

What is your favorite part of LA?

I love to chill and hang out in Venice Beach. It has an abundance of different colors and people. There is nothing like that in Belgium.

Where are you living now?

I live with a host family in Baldwin Hills. It has been a very good experience. I’ve seen how Americans live and learned a lot about the culture. I was surprised to see so many big stores in the U.S. like Target! You can buy anything there.

What is your favorite food?

Here, Mexican food! I love Mexican food. I had it before in Belgium, but here it is everywhere.

What are your plans after ELC?

After ELC, I’m going to Costa Rica for 13 weeks. I will do 4 weeks of studying Spanish and 9 weeks of volunteering doing social work and natural work. I will be placed in a village and can choose between several programs once I arrive.

What are your plans when you return to Belgium?

First, I will arrive just in time to celebrate my dad’s 50th birthday. I’m surprising him 🙂 Then I plan to study law or business.

What are your tips for learning English?

Even if you see a native speaker, speak in English! If you want to see a movie, see it in its original language and if you need subtitles, use English subtitles. Try to study by yourself sometimes. Take vocabulary and write words, use dictionary when you don’t know a word. Also practice grammar.

Best moment at ELC?

We had some funny class moments when we all couldn’t stop laughing. I think my last three weeks have been the best because my English has been the best. I really enjoyed it on Halloween when teacher Mimi read my tarot cards.

Advice for future students?

If you are a good speaker, take the Cambridge course and when you finish, spend one or two weeks more in LA just to chill.