Student Spotlight: Ivana Minoska, TOEFL Star

We are very proud of New York Language Center student, Ivana, for her excellent score of 106 on the TOEFL exam!

Ivana is visiting from her home country of Macedonia and has studied with NYLC since October of 2015. She is currently pursuing a Master in International Relations and Law. She is almost finished with her degree and is waiting to submit her Master’s thesis upon her return home.

After a cultural exchange program in Minnesota, Ivana decided that she wanted to allocate some of her time to improve her English further.  She loved her Mid-Western summer and decided then that she wanted to study in an American university—but first needed a great TOEFL score! Her goal is to complete her next educational endeavor at an American university. She is looking at law and masters programs at a few universities throughout the tri-state area. Her TOEFL score has given her more opportunities to the types of programs she will apply to, as well as her eligibility for scholarships. Ivana advises other TOEFL students to read newspapers (she reads both national and local papers) and to resist the temptation to use subtitles when watching TV. 

  

American Presidential Primaries 101

Today is the New York presidential primary! We put together a basic guide for NYLC students about America’s rather complex presidential nomination process.

In order to become a presidential nominee, candidates have to win a majority of delegates. Delegates are won by winning either the majority of votes in the entire state or in specific districts. A Republican needs to win 1,237 delegates to become the Republican nominee, while a Democratic candidate needs to win 2,383. Superdelegates (unelected delegates free to support a candidate of their choice) are an important factor in the Democratic presidential primary. On the other hand, the Republican Party does not utilize superdelegates.

These are the types of primaries depending on the state where you live.
 

Closed Primary:

New York is one of 11 states that have a closed presidential primary. A closed primary means that voters can only cast ballots for candidates running in the parties that they are registered in. So only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary and only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican primary. Registered Independents and those registered with third-parties (i.g. Green or Libertarian) will not be able to vote for either Republican or Democratic Presidential Candidates. Closed primaries are adverse to candidates who have crossover appeal (i.e. candidates who could get a large number of votes from members of other parties).

Have a blast this Fourth of July weekend!

What ARE you UP TO this Fourth of July?

(What are you doing this Fourth of July?)

 

Americans love celebrating this holiday. Not only is it patriotic, it is also a fun-filled, summertime holiday with tons of options for outdoor activities!

 

These are some of the things we do on July 4:

1. We have get-togethers!

A get-together is another way to say a party with friends.

 

2. We have barbecues!

Barbecues can be in someone's backyard, at the park, or at the beach!

 

3. We go on a picnic!

We pack a picnic basket with munchies & summer dishes. We then head to the park or the beach, lay our blanket on the sand or the grass, and enjoy our food!

• MUNCHIES - chips, crackers, & other finger foods