NYLC, Four-Time Winner of NY State TESOL Essay Contest!

By Isabel Solano and Cassandra Wong. 

NYLC proudly announced in September that Milena Alexandra Martinez Reyes of NYLC Jackson Heights won first place in the New York State TESOL Contest. 

Milena started at NYLC as an Advanced student and studied with us for 24 weeks. Her instructor Briony Bristow commented that at first, Milena was nervous about completing the essay, but winning the contest has helped her gain confidence in her English abilities and validated all that she has learned during her time at NYLC. Milena has since returned to her home country in the Dominican Republic.

Briony Bristow, Faculty & Academic Coordinator

Milena Alexandra Martinez Reyes,
First Place winner

This marks the 4th consecutive win for NYLC, and it is a true testament to the dedication and hard work of our students and teachers. We want to both thank and congratulate NYLC's Director of Studies, Ania Necakov, for being the force that motivates and promotes this contest. She took some time to answer some of our questions as we wanted to get a better insight into what it takes to participate annually in this contest and what it means for the school.


I: Why is participating in the TESOL essay contest important to our school?

Ania, Necakov, Director of Studies at NYLC

A.N: Participating in the Annual NYS TESOL Students' Projects contest allows our students to put their English skills into practice and compete against other ESL learners within NY State. This opportunity also validates our teachers' efforts to nurture creativity in our students, in addition to supporting them in the development of English language skills.

I: In your opinion, what is the main goal of the contest?

A.N: The contest looks to provide English language learners with a platform to express themselves in writing and compete against other English learners in one of three age/proficiency groups. NYLC students compete in a university/adult education category, which includes students enrolled in intensive English programs, community colleges, and degree-based programs or ESOL programs.

I:  Why is it important to you to motivate teachers and students to participate?

A.N: Outside school, students often find it challenging to successfully function in situations where they need to communicate with native English speakers. Some welcome the challenge, others feel too insecure about their "imperfect" English. Therefore, by motivating them to compete in the contest, I express my belief in their competence and worthiness. I give them a gentle push that encourages them to take the first step. And then another. Being able to inspire our students and support them in taking the risk and sharing their writing within the ESL community and beyond means a lot to all of us at NYLC. We are proud of all of them. Our pride and appreciation go out to our faculty as well. Year after year, they provide student support on a multitude of levels inside and outside the classroom. Without their dedication and commitment, NYLC would not be the place that it is.

NYLC has truly made it a goal to participate annually. Under Ania's direction, the Academic Coordinators make sure students and teachers are informed about the contest and do their best to motivate them along the process to submit their work. It is a team-effort that always pays off! 

Ania will be attending the awards ceremony in White Plains on November 15th to accept the award on behalf of the student and school. We are filled with pride for our students and honored to be recognized by others in the field. 

FAQ's by NYLC Students: Part 2, Applying for the F-1 Student Visa

1) Do I need to apply for an F-1 student visa?

If your main purpose of coming to the U.S. is to study, then you should obtain an F-1 student visa prior to entering. To get an I-20 from our school in order to apply for the visa, you should enroll in at least 8 weeks of our full-time Intensive Language Program (20 hours per week) at one of our three main school locations: Midtown, Manhattan; Uptown, Manhattan; or Jackson Heights, Queens.

If you are visiting as a tourist, you are also welcome to engage in part-time, short-term study that is incidental to your main purpose (just “for fun”). We recommend our Semi-Intensive Program (16 hours per week, Mon - Thurs) for this purpose, which is below full-time hours.

A U.S. visa can only be obtained at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad. If you are unsure about which visa you should obtain, you can contact your local U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

2)  How long does it take to get the I-20, and when should I apply?

Once we have all of your documents and Initial Fees payment, we will issue your I-20 within 2-3 business days, then it will take about 3 more days for it to arrive if sent by express mail. We recommend applying at least 2 months before you wish to start, in order to give yourself enough time.

3)  What documents do I need to submit to get an I-20?

You will need to submit copies of your:

Signed Application for Enrollment or online application

Passport biographical page, valid at least 6 months into the future

Proof of financial support (recent bank statement) and Affidavit of Support form, if sponsored

$180 Schools Fees + $95 Optional Express Mail fee for I-20 ($275 total)

These documents can be scanned and sent by email to your NYLC advisor, who can create a quote for you for the cost.

4)  How long is the program/ F-1 visa?

Our minimum enrollment is 8 weeks (1 session), and it takes about 1.5 years to complete all of our levels from beginner to advanced. We also have “Post-Advanced” levels including TOEFL Prep and Business English.

F-1 students can stay for “Duration of Status”, which means you can stay in the U.S. as long as you have a valid I-20 and are maintaining your full-time F-1 status. The length of your I-20 depends on how many weeks you enroll, and how much proof of financial support you provide, but can be up to 1 year. You can extend the I-20 1 more year for up to 2 years total study, as long as you can benefit from more English training.

The length of the visa is up to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you apply, and could be up to 5 years. Your visa however is only for travel (to enter the U.S.) and does not determine how long you can stay inside the U.S.

Get to know the latest changes to the TOEFL

by Joe Yu

You've probably heard that the Educational Testing Service (ETS) has recently made some changes to the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) which are supposed to improve your experience as a test taker and increase your chances of meeting university admission requirements. This new version of the test took effect on August 1, 2019, and is now only three hours long, which is 30 minutes less than the old test. It has fewer questions in the Reading and Speaking sections, and fewer lectures in the Listening section. One benefit according to ETS is a reduction in test-taking fatigue which is likely to lead to better test performance. ETS maintains that while the new version has less testing material it retains its quality and its ability to assess how prepared you are for academic coursework. Here is a breakdown of the changes.

CHANGES TO THE FOUR SECTIONS:

The READING SECTION now only has 10 questions per passage, while keeping the same number of passages for both short and long versions of the test. Plan to spend 18 minutes per passage and pace yourself appropriately. Because the question types are the same, you may continue using old study materials to practice for the test. 

The LISTENING SECTION now has one less lecture while keeping the same number of conversations and number of questions for each listening. The short version will only have 3 lectures, instead of the 4 in the old test; the long version will have 4 lectures, instead of the 6 in the old test. As in the reading section, you may continue to use old study materials as question types on the listening section remain the same.

The SPEAKING SECTION now only has 4 tasks. Questions 1 and 5 from the old version were the ones eliminated, leaving the new test with 1 independent question and 3 integrated questions. Preparation and speaking times stay the same.

Another change in the SPEAKING SECTION is in how ETS scores your recorded answers. Now your answers will be assessed by both human evaluators and a SpeechRater scoring engine. ETS had been using their scoring engine for their practice tests online since 2006 and have been analyzing its capabilities. You can find more information about the SpeechRater engine at the ETS website here: https://www.ets.org/research/topics/as_nlp/speech/

There were no changes made to the WRITING SECTION, so you will continue responding to the integrated task for 20 minutes and to the independent task for 30 minutes.

CHANGES TO SCORE REPORTING: 

In addition to the reduction in test material and test length, ETS is also now reporting your "superscores," which they are calling "MyBest Scores." This new feature shows both your scores for the test you just took as well as the best scores that you’ve received in each section in the last two years. ETS reports that 70% of universities wanted this feature, and this gives you better chances of meeting program admission requirements as your superscores for each section will also add up to a higher total score. However, as not all universities accept MyBest Scores, ETS recommends checking your school’s website to check their policy on accepting superscores.

CHANGES TO PREPARATION, REGISTRATION, & TESTING:

In addition, ETS says they are adding more testing slots at participating testing centers and for those of you who are not morning people, afternoon testing schedules are also now available. If you have taken the test before, you are supposed to notice a better registration experience online with easy access to test prep and testing resources. Last, the TOEFL Official App will be available in a number of countries starting September 2019 and in the U.S. in October 2019. The app is said to provide even greater convenience with everything that you need to register and prepare for the TOEFL in the palm of your hand.

For more information on the new version of the TOEFL, visit ETS at https://www.ets.org/toefl/better_test_experience