America was founded on July 4, 1876. Its capital is Washington DC. The White House is also located in this state.  America is a federal country and referred to as the “United States of America” with the unification of 50 separate states. America is one of the countries that receives the most immigrants in the world. Its approximate population is over 300 million. Spanish is the most spoken language in America after English. The biggest factor in this, as you can imagine, is that many people of Latin origin prefer America to realize the “American Dream” because it is close to South American countries. After the collapse of the USSR during the cold war, it became the only superpower in the world. Geographically, America has an area of approximately 4500 square kilometers. It is located between the Atlantic Ocean in the east and the Pacific Ocean in the west.

ECONOMY

America has the largest economy in the world. This economic size corresponds to a gross national product of approximately 20 trillion dollars. The gross national product constitutes about 22% of the world income. This economic size has enabled America to be in the top 10 in terms of per capita income in the world. Behind this economic size of the USA, there are well-established industries. America has an economic structure that dominates the world in economic fields such as oil, natural gas, precious metal production, space industry, technology, telecommunications, chemistry, electronics and agriculture. In addition to these, the USA has a serious production and sales network in the world by using high technology in agriculture. Soybean, tobacco, cotton, citrus fruits, wheat and sugar beet are the main agricultural products exported by the United States.

Tourism is one of America’s other important sources of income. Millions of visitors coming to see the country from different parts of the world every year provide a serious income to tourism sector. Besides, the cinema has had a large impact on the global film industry.

The American dollar is the most widely used currency in the world because it is a convertible currency all over the world. The American dollars printed by the American central bank are widely accepted and used outside the United States.

CLIMATE

Due to the large area of America, regional climate is very diverse. It means that as the temperature differences among the north, south, east and west of the country are not the same, the climate varies from region to region. Especially in coastal areas, since the mountains are not parallel to the coast, the temperate climate does not affect the interior areas too much. The northern regions are generally colder than the southern regions and the continental climate mostly occur there.

As regions located in the south, such as Florida, are warmer, they receive abundant rainfall. It sometimes leads to flood disasters. On the east and west coasts of America, winters are harsher and wetter.

The regions where the continental climate have a significant annual variation in temperature are the central parts of the country. Climate have a greater effect on plant diversity.

GOVERNMENT

America has a federal government system. There are 50 states in the federative structure. The federal legislative power belongs to the Congress. The Congress consists of the 435-member House of Representatives, elected on the basis of population, and the 100-member Senate, in which each state is represented by two people. The House of Representatives’ members are elected for 2 years and Senators for 6 years. A constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress. The states are generally subordinate to the federal government. The checks and balances mechanism, which ensures a balanced power and authority sharing among the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, ensures the effective functioning of the system.

ACCOMODATION

Many of our students always have the following questions in their minds: “Where will I stay in the city where I go ? , How will it be ? , Is my host family safe ?” The families selected for accommodation are those that are accredited by the country’s ministry of education and have been carefully selected by a school and have certain conditions. Therefore, you do not need to worry about the safety of the host families. Since the host families have been doing this job professionally for many years, they attach importance to student satisfaction and sensitivity. Our student’s expectations will be met at a high rate since we inform the school about the situations that are important to him during his stay (not wanting the host family with children, not having a pet, etc.) before he leaves

Our students generally prefer homestay accommodation for the first 4 weeks. It is a great opportunity to meet American families and get used to the culture and life of the country where they will be staying for a long time. In the homestay option, the family offers breakfast and dinner to the student. After the end of their accommodation, our students can arrange a room in shared houses. Average room rates will be between 150-250 USD per week. The distance to schools is between 15-55 minutes. There is a minimum age limit of 16 years.

Dormitory

Dormitory is another accommodation option. Staying in a dormitory can be in a single or a double room. There is usually a bathroom and toilet in the room. Unlike homestay, meals are not included in dormitory accommodation. Students can cook their own meals in the dormitory kitchen. In the dormitory room, the student can share the room with someone else or stay alone. Average dormitory prices are 250-360 USD per week. It varies according to the location of the dormitory, the student’s choice of stay and the length of stay.

WORKING IN AMERICA

While studying English in America, there is no legal right to work due to visa requirements.

LANGUAGE SCHOOLS

America has been one of the leading destinations for students to learn English for many years. Geography, lifestyle, the presence of many technology companies in the world, climate, beaches and providing a quality education have been the motivation for students to live a beautiful dream in America. In addition to these, the fact that it has a multicultural social structure has also been attractive for students.

Another reason for students to choose America for language training is the “American accent”. English training in the Turkish education system is “American English”. The fact that the American accent is more understandable than other English-speaking countries’ accents can also be another reason for preference.

Students can attend day or evening classes. It can vary according to the school’s curriculum. On average, you receive 20-24 hours of language training per week. However, students can take intensive courses. Intensive courses are usually 30 hours per week.

In addition, if a student has an American Tourist Visa, he will have the opportunity to have education under certain conditions and class hours.

One of the most frequently asked questions is; “What level should I start at?’’ or, ‘’How will my level be determined?” Let’s take a look at how this process works. On the first day you attend language school, you will take a placement test. In this case, the schools will also subject you to an orientation due to the start day. In this orientation, you will be given detailed information about education and the city. After your level is determined in the placement test, you will be placed in a suitable class.

One of the situations that students are most dissatisfied with is that they cannot start from the level determined in their own country. For example, a student’s level is Intermadiate, and this student can be at elementary or pre-intermadiate level as a result of the placement test. During the exam, your level is determined by taking into account your speaking, writing, grammar and vocabulary.  Nevertheless do not let this demotivate you.  If you start training with your real level and also your performance is good, you will have the opportunity to move to the next level earlier, since your teachers are already observing you. You can think of it as an average of 6-8 weeks for each level. English language schools offer you other English course opportunities besides General English. For example, Business English, IELTS, EAP, Cambridge, TOFEL. You need to be at certain levels for these courses.

HEALTH AND HOSPITALS

America has the most expensive healthcare system in the world. Since the social state structure in America is very weak, the healthcare system has turned into a very high-paying service, especially for foreigners living in the country. It has become a very serious problem not only for foreigners in the country, but also for its own citizens. The USA allocates a budget of approximately 15% of the gross national product to the health system. The health system can be said to be very good in general, but not everyone living in the country has the same chance to reach this system.

Due to the fact that the health system is so troubled, a health insurance should definitely be made before going to America. The average weekly wages of health insurances can usually be around 15-30 USD. If you go without insurance and you encounter an unexpected health problem, it can bring you economic destruction.

You should keep in mind that even a simple medical examination is very likely to cost you 300-500 USD.

If you have a dental or eye problem, we recommend that you to treat these health problems before going to the United States.

CULTURE, LIFE AND ENGLISH

America has a population of over 300 million. A very cosmopolitan cultural structure has emerged due to the fact that immigrants have built a new life here and brought their cultures with them when they came to the USA. Since the country is approximately 4500 square kilometers, you will always be ready for surprises. Do not be surprised to see that the country has a high level of welfare in general and a very serious poverty at the same time. The USA is a capitalist country. You can see lots of homeless people on the streets and especially in some areas. In short, America is a country that exists with contradictions in every sense.

The United States of America consists of 50 states. The social life, legal rules and laws of these states differ from each other in certain points. The fact that the country is located in a large area has brought the social life differences between the states. In fact, the USA does not have a legal language, but 80% of the population speaks English. Spanish is the most spoken language after English.

If we define an average American person in general; we can describe him as a friendly, sincere and very comfortable person to communicate with. It should be noted that learning English depends on how social you are. As a general rule, it can be said that people living in coastal areas are friendlier due to climatic conditions.

Social life in the big cities is very fast. You will have a very high chance of encountering an activity at any moment. You will find an activity to do almost at any time of the day.

Due to the fact that the country has a very large geographical location, there are also differences in the accents of spoken English. Spanish is widely used in the southern parts and states close to Mexico owing to the large number of Latin immigrants.

Finally, it is necessary to give information about the tip issue in America. If you eat in a place like a restaurant, culturally you should leave a tip of about 15% of the bill. If you do not leave a tip, the person serving you may ask why you do not like the service. 😊 Because salaries are low in the service sector. That’s why employees get tip.