Wednesday, June 19th

Good afternoon LINC 7,

HOORAY, it's summer vacation!!!
This afternoon, I'm going to let you choose what you would like to do.  I have posted a number of links for a variety of different skills.  Please choose the ones you would like to practice.

War of 1812 Documentary:
http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/episode/the-war-of-1812-been-there-won-that.html

http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/episode/the-war-of-1812-been-there-won-that.html?subpage=novel

http://www.historica-dominion.ca/1812/


Canadian Heritage Minutes:
http://www.gotaminute.ca/

101 Things Canadians Should Know About Canada:
http://www.101things.ca/

Grammar:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/grammar_challenge/  (Various grammar topics)

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/quick-grammar (Various grammar topics)

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/grammar.htm (Various grammar topics)

http://www.towson.edu/ows/moduledangling.htm  (Dangling Modifiers)

http://www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca/bien-well/fra-eng/grammaire-grammar/evtmdfnt-avdngmdfr-eng.html  (more on Dangling Modifiers)

Pronunciation:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/activities/phonemic-chart

http://esol.britishcouncil.org/pronunciation/identify-stressed-syllables (Syllable Stress)

Listening:

http://www.cbc.ca/ottawa/esl/lessons.html  (Canadian context listening)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/  (6 Minute podcasts)

Have a happy and healthy summer!
Kim

Wednesday, June 12th

Avoiding Misplaced Modifiers in Writing

Here are some funny examples of misplaced modifiers.  
Hopefully, after all of our practice, you are able to find the mistakes in these pictures.

Today, I would like you to write a five paragraph essay on the following topic.  Please organize your ideas coherently and use specific reasons and examples to support your opinions.  Edit your work carefully for misplaced modifiers.

Topic: 

The federal government is under more pressure to demonstrate the economic benefits of immigration, as 2012 polling suggests attitudes towards immigration are cooling slightly. Internal briefing notes for Citizenship and Immigration Canada released under access to information law say there’s been a 10-percentage-point drop since 2010 – to 56 per cent – in the number of Canadians who feel that immigration has a positive impact on the economy.

On Wednesday, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney will announce that Canada plans to admit from 240,000 to 265,000 new permanent residents in 2013 – the same annual target range it’s set for immigration since 2007. (Source: Globe and Mail, Oct. 30, 2012)

How does immigration benefit Canada, Canadian people, and/or new permanent residents? Should the Canadian government increase or decrease the annual target number of new permanent residents?


Please hand in your writing at the end of the class.

Enjoy!
Kim

Wednesday, June 5th

Good afternoon LINC 7,

This afternoon, I'm going to let you choose what you would like to do.  I have posted a number of links for a variety of different skills.  Please choose the ones you would like to practice.

An interesting info-graphic on the history of English:

http://blog.3plearning.com/history-english-language/

Grammar:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/grammar_challenge/  (Various grammar topics)

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/quick-grammar (Various grammar topics)

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/grammar.htm (Various grammar topics)

http://www.towson.edu/ows/moduledangling.htm  (Dangling Modifiers)

http://www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca/bien-well/fra-eng/grammaire-grammar/evtmdfnt-avdngmdfr-eng.html  (more on Dangling Modifiers)

Pronunciation:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/activities/phonemic-chart

http://esol.britishcouncil.org/pronunciation/identify-stressed-syllables (Syllable Stress)

Listening:

http://www.cbc.ca/ottawa/esl/lessons.html  (Canadian context listening)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/  (6 Minute podcasts)

Enjoy!
Kim

Wednesday, May 29th

Good afternoon LINC 7,

This afternoon, we are going to do some more IELTS listening practice. I will give you an answer sheet, and you should take notes while you're listening.  Remember that if you pause the listening or listen more than once, you results ARE NOT accurate.  When you check you answers and turn in your answer sheet at the end of class, please note whether you listened more than once or paused for more than 2 minutes to complete the answer sheet before moving on to the next part.  Complete all four parts.

http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/prepare-test/free-sample-tests/listening-sample-test-1/listening-section-1

After you have completed the listening, go to the next link and watch some short videos about preparing for IELTS speaking.  Even if you don't take the IELTS or TOEFL test, there are still some useful strategies here for effective speaking. 

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/ielts-interview-skills

Enjoy,
Kim

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013

Good afternoon LINC 7,

This afternoon, we're going to complete a couple of tasks.  First, I would like you to listen to the audio recording that I have emailed to you with the IELTS speaking activity.  Listening to your speaking careful and self-evaluate your speaking using the rubric provided in class.  Once you've evaluated yourself, you will hand in the rubric, and I will add my evaluation of your speaking.  **Remember: this was only the first time we tried this, so your speaking will improve the next time, and even more after that. ;)

After you've listened to and evaluated your speaking, please complete the writing assignment from pg. 143 using adjective clauses and appositives to describe a word/custom/holiday from your culture.  Remember to use correct paragraph structure.

If you finish early, you can listen to another BBC: 6 Minute English podcast.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/


Enjoy,
Kim

Adjective Clauses: Defining (Necessary Information) & Non-Defining (Extra Information)

Here's a chart summarizing the subject and object relative pronouns for defining (necessary information) and non-defining (extra information) clauses.

Practice 5, pg. 136-137

A.  
1. People in Thailand have a festival that/which/X they call the festival of Loy Krathong, "Festival of the Floating Leaf Cups.

2. The Thais float little boats, which they have made out of banana leaves, lotus, or paper, down a river in the evening.

3. The boats, which they have decorated with lighted candles, incense, coins, and flowers, float down the river in the moonlight.


B.

1.  On the first day of Pongal, families gather in the kitchen and boil a pot of new rice that/which/X they cook in milk.

2. Then, they offer some of the sweet rice to the sun god, whom they thank for ripening the rice crop.

3. The second day of Pongal is for the rain, which they thank for helping the rice to grow.

4. A traditional Pongal gift is a clay horse, which they paint in bright colours.

5. On the third day of Pongal, the farmers honour their cattle, which they decorate with flowers and coins.

Wednesday, May 15th, 2013

Good afternoon LINC 7,

This afternoon, we're going to practice some different types of listening.  The first tasks are 

IELTS listening tasks.  When you click on the link, you will notice that you have a choice for 

level of difficulty.  You should all be listening to the 'quick' version.  DO NOT use the 'slow' 

level of difficulty.


http://www.englishonline.org.cn/en/learners/ielts-preparation/listening


Try listening to some of these practice topics, and then, try the comprehension questions.

Next, go the following website, "BBC: 6 Minute English" and choose a podcast that interests 

you.  Once you've listened to it, write a brief summary of what you've heard.  Make sure to 

use your own words. Do not use direct quotes.  Also, don't forget to include the title of the 

podcast that you choose.  Your writing is due at the end of class.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/


Enjoy!
Kim

Wednesday, May 7th, 2013

Good afternoon LINC 7,

Following our discussion of ethical practices by businesses and governments, I would like you to listen to the following TED Talk, and then, write a response to the following questions.

In the age of globalization,:

• what are the responsibilities of a government to its people?
• what are the responsibilities of a government to the people of the world? 
• what are the responsibilities of 'big business'? 
• to whom is 'big business' responsible?
• is it possible to balance business and ethics?

http://www.ted.com/talks/auret_van_heerden_making_global_labor_fair.html

Do not summarize the TED Talk,  write your own opinion on the topic using the five paragraph opinion essay format that we've practiced (if you've forgotten, go back to the post from April 24th).  Use the questions to get you started.  

If you would like some more practice with adjective clauses, try the exercises on this site:

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/adj.htm

Enjoy!
Kim

Appositives and Adjective Clauses

Sir Allan MacNab, a Canadian political leader that lived from 1798 to 1862, was Premier of the province of Canada before Canadian Confederation. 

     Ellen Fairclough, who was the first female member  of the Canadian Cabinet, was born in Hamilton, Ontario. In 1995, she published her memoirs Saturday’s Child: Memoirs of Canada’s First Female Cabinet Minister.

Tommy Douglas, the Scottish-born Canadian democratic socialist politician and Baptist minister, was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1935 as a member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) party. Douglas’s number one concern was the creation of Medicare.

Douglas is the person who has been widely hailed

as the “Father of Medicare” and for taking his cause to the federal stage.

      Susan Aglukark, who is a major recording star in Canada, is an Inuk musician who blends Inuit folk music traditions with country and pop song writing. “This Child”, one of her albums, which was released in 1995, became her breakthrough album. “O Siem”, which was the first single from that album, went to number one on the Canadian adult contemporary and country chart that year which would make Aglukark the first Inuk performer to have a top 40 hit. 

Rick Mercer, the Canadian comedian, first came to national attention in 1990, when he premiered his one man show “Show Me the Button, I’ll Push it” in Ottawa. He is one of the comedians who have been known as a political satirist. One of Mercer’s series “Made in Canada”, which ran for five seasons on CBC Television from 1998 / 2003, was a fast-paced situation comedy, which self-referentially satirized the Canadian TV production industry.

The Avro Arrow, an advanced, twin-engined, all-weather interceptor jet aircraft, was developed by A.V.Roe of Canada from 1949 until the government’s controversial cancellation of the project in 1959.

Dominion Day, which is the name of the holiday commemorating the formation of Canada as a Dominion on 1 July 1867, was renamed to Canada Day by Act of Parliament on 27 October 1982.

•        

The Hudson’s Bay Company, the oldest commercial corporation in North America, has been a trading business for much of its existence. HBC, which is the abbreviation for Hudson’s Bay Company, owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada and the United States including: Hudson’s Bay, Zellers, Home Outfitters, and Lord & Taylor. The company’s head office is in the Simpson Tower                                  in Toronto, Ontario.

     

     The United Empire Loyalists, an honorific given after the fact to those American Loyalists who resettled in British North America as an act of loyalty to King George III, is a movement rejecting the Republican ideals of the American Revolution. 

      49th Parallel?

Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

Hooray, it's May!

Good afternoon LINC 7,     

This afternoon, you're going to practice using the appositives and adjective clauses that we've been practising together in class.

Here are a list of famous Canadian people, places and items.  Please research each of these items and write a brief descriptive paragraph about each using appositives and adjective clauses to provide as much detail as possible.

Sir Allan MacNab

Ellen Fairclough

Tommy Douglas

Susan Aglukark

Rick Mercer

Avro Arrow

Dominion Day

Hudson’s Bay Company

49^th Parallel

United Empire Loyalists

If you finish early, visit the BBC Learning English website page on improving exam skills.  There are podcasts on how to improve your performance in each skills.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1143_exams/index.shtml

Enjoy!
Kim

Wednesday, April 24th, 2013

Good afternoon LINC 7,

This morning, we talked about the 'Boomerang Generation' in Canada.  Now, I would like you to write an opinion essay using the format that we've practised together in class, with a contrasting thesis statement.  What do you think about the 'Boomerang Generation'?  Does this trend seem unusual to you or does this happen in your culture/country too?  Remember to use examples and statistics to support your opinion.  You can refer to the text we discussed in class or the links that we viewed together.  I have included the links below for your reference.  

http://www.cbc.ca/news/interactives/cp-census/index-sept-family-ties.html

http://www.cbc.ca/news/interactives/cp-census/index-sept-highlights.html

http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/episode/generation-boomerang.html

Opinion Essay Format

Enjoy!

Kim

p.s. Here's a link to symbols for the International Phonetic Alphabet.  If you find these helpful, use them.  If not, don't worry about trying to learn them. 

http://www.learnersdictionary.com/help/faq_pron_ipa.htm

Wednesday, April 17th, 2013

Good afternoon LINC 7,

We have been talking about the various generations that make up Canadian society.  This morning, we watched a documentary on the Baby Boomers.  This afternoon, I would like you write about what we've learned. Organize your ideas in essay format with no less than 5 paragraphs.

Considering the texts, videos, and graphs that I have shared with you, describe the influence of the Baby Boomer generation on present day Canada and Canada in 2033.  How will subsequent generations be affected by the Baby Boomers? 

Use specific examples to describe your ideas with in-text citations.  Don't worry about create a reference list this time.  I would like you to focus on using in-text citations after your statistics, quotations, or borrowed ideas.  If you can't remember how to do this, please refer to last Wednesday's blog.  

Here's the link to the documentary that we watched this morning:

http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/episode/boomer-revolution.html

Make sure that you paraphrase or use direct quotations and cite your sources, or you will be plagiarizing. 


Enjoy!
Kim

Wednesday, April 10th, 2013

Good afternoon,

This morning, we had a presentation on using APA style for your references when you do research.  This afternoon, I would like to give you an opportunity to put these skills to work.

Here's the link to the presentation by Cynthia:

http://www.slideshare.net/KimHenrie/library-and-apa-henrie-winter-2013

I would like you to conduct some research on one generation of people in Canada.  To get you started, each of you will be given a handout with some basic information for the Government of Canada (2012).  

You will randomly choose your generation, and then, collect some information from the Internet on your specific generation.  Include information, such as: during what time does your generation occur?; what are some characteristics of your specific generation?; and what are some challenges faced by your generation?

DO NOT use Wikipedia to find your information.  It's not considered a scholarly resource. Try Google Scholar instead, http://scholar.google.ca/ or experiment with the databases on teh Mooahwk library website, http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/search/basic?sid=3f3bab3f-d672-4277-b203-28481b23da6d%40sessionmgr112&vid=1&hid=123.  Remember to keep track of where you collect your information from and try using APA formatting to list your sources.

Once you've collected your information, you make a short oral presentation to the class on the information you've collected. You should also hand in a paper copy of your work in before you leave at the end of the period.  

Here are some online references to help you with APA:

http://mohawkcollege.ca.libguides.com/CiteYourSources

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/

Happy researching!

Kim (Gen X)

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013

Good afternoon LINC 7,

This afternoon, you're going to be listening to a TED Talk on body language, also known as non-verbal discourse.  Please follow the link and listen to the talk.  You may listen again if necessary, but DO NOT enable to the enable the subtitles or look at the transcript unless you are really having difficulty understanding.

http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html?fb_ref=talk

Once you've finished, please write a brief summary of her main points.  Paraphrase her ideas. Do not use direct quotes.  Also, please reflect on what you've heard and consider the following ideas.

Think about your own body language.

Is you body language different when you speak English than when you speak your first (second/third/...) language?

What can you do to change your body language and give people a different impression of you?

Print and hand in or email your work before you leave.  

If you finish early, please go the BBC website for some additional pronunciation practice:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/ 

or for additional grammar practice:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/grammar_challenge/

Enjoy!
Kim

Business Plan Presentations

Here are the links to your presentations on SlideShare:

Mohammed:
http://www.slideshare.net/KimHenrie/business-plan-mohammed-18051800

Mona A.:
http://www.slideshare.net/KimHenrie/business-plan-mona-a

Mohanad:
http://www.slideshare.net/KimHenrie/business-plan-mohanad

Maxim:
http://www.slideshare.net/KimHenrie/business-plan-maxim

TOEFL or IELTS?

TOEFL versus IELTS: Which test is for you?

You should consider which test will suit your particular learning and test taking style best.  Most institutions will accept either test.

TOEFL (http://www.etscanada.ca/toefl)

• cost $240 
• American English
• computer-based test
• integrated skills

IELTS (http://www.ieltscanada.ca/)

• cost $285
• British English
• pen/paper-based
• discreet skills
• face-to-face speaking component
• academic or general skills version 

Presentations for Wednesday, March 27th

Business Plan Presentations

Your presentations will take place during 2nd  or 3rd period on Wednesday, March 27th.

The time limit is 15 minutes.

You should create 10-15 slides using MS PowerPoint, Prezi, Google Presentations, or similar program.

Make sure to make your presentation as clear and interesting as possible.


Remember the steps that we talked about for my 'dream' restaurant:

Kim’s Dumpling Restaurant

1. plan/vision
2. $$$
3. location
4. design/renovate
5. legal matters/ financial plans
6. staffing/ suppliers/equipment/recipes/ menu
7. advertising
8. grand opening

Please email me if you have any questions or problems or if you would like me to proofread your slides.

Have a nice weekend!

Kim

Opening a Small Business

LINC 7,

For those of you who attended the job fair, I hope it was a valuable experience that you can share.

I know that some of you are interested in opening small businesses in Hamilton. Here are some links that will give you useful information about what you need to know before and after you start a business.

Starting a Business:
http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/lifeevents/business.shtml


Writing Your Business Plan:
http://www.canadabusiness.ca/eng/page/2753/

Your Guide to Small Business (Ontario):
http://www.ontariocanada.com/ontcan/1medt/smallbiz/sb_downloads/yrguide_sb_en.pdf

I hope you find these sites useful!

Have a lovely March Break! :)

Kim

TED Talk - Larry Smith 'Why you will fail to have a great career.'

Notes from the talk:

-pursue your passion

-a great job has great problems

-people have an interest but find excuses not accomplish passions

-some people believe a great job comes from luck

-genius = great job

-hard work doesn’t equal great career

-competent is not enough

-20 interests but 1 passion

-you could miss your passion with too many interests

-don’t use personal relationships as an excuse for not following your passions

-child with a dream to become a magician; dream doesn’t match his talent for math

-afraid to fail

-people who follow their passions are obsessive,  weird, and a little strange

-look for opportunities to find your destiny

 =======================================================================

-Unless.  If only I had…