ELC BLOG

Mohammed Al-Shamrani is from Jeddah, a city in Saudi Arabia and has been studying in the United States for 5 months. He is very close to his family, and has three sisters and one brother. All his siblings are still home in Saudi Arabia, only Mohammed is here to study English.

In terms of your experience at ELC in particular and Boston in general, what do you feel most proud of?

Just for my English. I came here and have improved my level a lot. So I’m proud now of my English skills. Also, my friends I have met here are the best. They have inspired me to work harder so that I can visit them in their countries.

What has been the best activity you participated in and why?

I have more than just one favorite activity! The State House was very good. I really like learning about Massachusetts history and Boston is so old.

What teacher at ELC made the most impact on you and why?

Robert and Nycholas were both my first teachers. They helped me improve my language skills the most.

Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without?

My friends. Hanging out, meeting up with friends after class. Enjoying a meal together and listening to each others’ lives. Just casual. But my friends have been the most important part of my Boston experience. I want to keep all the memories and I know I couldn’t do a lot of things without them.

What is your favorite English word?

Lol. Text talk is much faster.

What is your favorite American food/place?

Definitely American burgers are my favorite. I like Five Guys burger restaurant.

What would your advice be to an incoming ELC student?

First I would say, always speak in English. I was in a different school before and there were too many Saudi guys so everyone just spoke Arabic and didn’t practice English. Also, with your friends you should point out the mistakes when speaking. Some of my international friends have higher English levels, but I wasn’t happy that they never helped me when I made mistakes. I appreciate when my classmates and peers help correct my mistakes.

More advice I have for someone studying at ELC is to learn the city. It’s funny because I’ve lived so many places since coming to Boston, so I had to learn many different neighborhoods. I traveled on the Blue, Red, and Green train lines and so many buses as well. But now I know a lot of places all over Boston and the city feels more like another home.

What does the future look like for you?

I think I want to study university here in the United States but I’m not sure. My interest is business. Business so I can make a lot of money. lol