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Old 05-30-2010, 02:36 PM
 
4 posts, read 6,391 times
Reputation: 11

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[SIZE=3]I´m a PhD student from Spain. I arrived New Orleans four months ago and I really need to improve my english. I would like to know if there are opportunities in New Orleans to improve English with native people. Are there social centers with courses, classes, etc? I need contact with native people, it´s really important for my job. Can someone help me and give me information? [/SIZE]
Thank you very much
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Old 05-30-2010, 02:48 PM
 
1,392 posts, read 2,845,579 times
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Oh yea, we got 100's of local establishments like that here in the New Orleans area, ther called BAR ROOMS, they are conviently located on just about every corner in town. Just buy the locals a few rounds and you'd be surprised at all the coversation yall get with plenty local flavor.
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Old 05-30-2010, 07:26 PM
 
Location: Destrehan, Louisiana
2,189 posts, read 7,032,511 times
Reputation: 3636
Quote:
Originally Posted by waitingtundra View Post
Oh yea, we got 100's of local establishments like that here in the New Orleans area, ther called BAR ROOMS, they are conviently located on just about every corner in town. Just buy the locals a few rounds and you'd be surprised at all the coversation yall get with plenty local flavor.

Yep, but learning yat talk is completely different then learning English.


busta
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Old 05-30-2010, 08:04 PM
 
Location: New Orleans, LA
310 posts, read 851,615 times
Reputation: 260
Even if you don't drink, find out where students on your campus go. Or, find other local graduate students or faculty to go out with. Just hanging around a bar in New Orleans is enough to give you what you need! If you're at Tulane or Loyola, head up to the Columns Hotel on a Friday or Saturday night. Maybe Superior Grill on a Wednesday night (both of these are on St. Charles). I'm not so familiar with the area around UNO with the exception of Grits and F & M's, which are pretty much underage, undergrad bars. If you're studying at LSUHSC, find your way into the French Quarter - you'll hear every American dialect there is to hear!

All you have to do is sit at the bar and get the courage to start up a conversation! I had someone from the Republic of Georgia do that with me at Cooter Brown's and it ended up being a ton of fun: I got to learn about his country and he got practice speaking English!

No matter what school you're at, all of these options are open to you.
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Old 05-30-2010, 08:12 PM
 
Location: Destrehan, Louisiana
2,189 posts, read 7,032,511 times
Reputation: 3636
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pook77 View Post
Even if you don't drink, find out where students on your campus go. Or, find other local graduate students or faculty to go out with. Just hanging around a bar in New Orleans is enough to give you what you need! If you're at Tulane or Loyola, head up to the Columns Hotel on a Friday or Saturday night. Maybe Superior Grill on a Wednesday night (both of these are on St. Charles). I'm not so familiar with the area around UNO with the exception of Grits and F & M's, which are pretty much underage, undergrad bars. If you're studying at LSUHSC, find your way into the French Quarter - you'll hear every American dialect there is to hear!

All you have to do is sit at the bar and get the courage to start up a conversation! I had someone from the Republic of Georgia do that with me at Cooter Brown's and it ended up being a ton of fun: I got to learn about his country and he got practice speaking English!

No matter what school you're at, all of these options are open to you.

And don't forget to try the margaritas at Superior Grill.


busta
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Old 05-30-2010, 08:17 PM
 
Location: New Orleans, LA
310 posts, read 851,615 times
Reputation: 260
LOL! Of course not! Or a Pimm's cup at the Columns, or one of the 100's of beers at Cooter's, or whatever in the Quarter, or... mmmm... margarita. Dang you, I have class in the morning! Ha!
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Old 05-30-2010, 10:45 PM
 
4 posts, read 6,391 times
Reputation: 11
Thank you guys for your answers, I really appreciate them.
I think going to a bar and trying to start a conversation is a good idea, but I think I´m too shy to do that! hehe.
I was thinking in classes or courses where native people were enrolled. I´m working in the research center near the lake and I practice english in my working hours, but I see that I need more practice after work and weekends.
In Spain there are cultural centers with plenty of activities (computers classes, handicraft classes...) where spanish people are involved. But here I´ve only heard about Delgado Community College, and some courses seem expensive there.
Are there here this kind of centers? activities for young or retired people?

Thank you all for your help, this forum is really good.
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Old 05-31-2010, 12:29 PM
 
152 posts, read 478,042 times
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Sorry lol new orleans is devoid of cultural centers like that... Well unless you consider bars cultural centers. The USA hates free usefull education. Now from the little spanish I do speak in conversation with some guys at work who speak noo english, I found out some churches around have english lessons for these guys. The problem is its like elementary english, something you have shown to completely master and surpass, but I wonder if you volunteering your services to help teach english to these guys at one of these churches would help? Spanish is your native language and I'm sure you know enough english to handle the lessons. Tulane has several clubs that you may be able to sit in on for different languages, I'm sure a spanish club would benifit from your knowledge and hopefully provide you with some time to practice english in a casual environment. What gets me about this thread is how the immediate solution to a seemingly acedemic problem is "to go to bars" give it up for the NO to solve everything by drinking. There are social clubs like elks, lions, etc but they are kinda exclusive I think so I'd assume their doors aren't open. Now keep in mind NO people are totally friendly and open for random conversations at any time so really you could go to the grocery store and strike up conversations for practice. However it may be a poison in disguise because there are several idioms ( I think that's the right word) maybe dialects in this one area, so you may find it confusing and it may also be why you feel your english needs improvements. Actually I'd bet you speak english better than 50% of the population here. Between yat, cajun, metairie/kenner accent (you know it best from "wobert wamsey diamownd djewlaz"), and ebonics I'm surprised anyone can communicate here at all!
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Old 05-31-2010, 01:30 PM
 
4,857 posts, read 7,570,386 times
Reputation: 6389
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beatriz_CM View Post
[SIZE=3]I´m a PhD student from Spain. I arrived New Orleans four months ago and I really need to improve my english. I would like to know if there are opportunities in New Orleans to improve English with native people. Are there social centers with courses, classes, etc? I need contact with native people, it´s really important for my job. Can someone help me and give me information? [/SIZE]
Thank you very much
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beatriz_CM View Post
Thank you guys for your answers, I really appreciate them.
I think going to a bar and trying to start a conversation is a good idea, but I think I´m too shy to do that! hehe.
I was thinking in classes or courses where native people were enrolled. I´m working in the research center near the lake and I practice english in my working hours, but I see that I need more practice after work and weekends.
In Spain there are cultural centers with plenty of activities (computers classes, handicraft classes...) where spanish people are involved. But here I´ve only heard about Delgado Community College, and some courses seem expensive there.
Are there here this kind of centers? activities for young or retired people?

Thank you all for your help, this forum is really good.

If you speak english half as well as you type it, you're well on your way to being a fluent english speaker.

Maybe you could volunteer at an old folks home.
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Old 05-31-2010, 03:36 PM
 
Location: Knoxville, TN
2,171 posts, read 7,634,819 times
Reputation: 1536
Try the library. There are often free classes and book discussion groups. Those would help you a lot.
New Orleans Public Library
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