Upcoming Changes to the LINC Home Study site

Tiger Moms--A Lesson on Lessonwriter.com

As recommended by the TCET office, here's my first foray into lessonwriter.com! Try it, and post your comments below!

Why Chinese Moms are Superior

     By: Amy Chua
     Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111504576059713528698754.html

1 Pronunciation

The sound of AE as in bAt, crAb

Pronounce these words in pairs:

bat-bet, cat-pet, sad-said, rack-wreck, mat-met

That cat spat at Matt.

2 Vocabulary

1. academic-(adj) - Related to school.*
2. excellence-(n) - Having very good qualities.*
3. mastery-(n) - The complete learning of something.
4. qualify-(v) - To be good enough.
5. regimen-(n) - A system for doing something, including food, clothing and personal habits.
6. successful-(adj) - Accomplished at what one set out to do.*
7. practice-(n) - Usual ways of doing things.
8. raise-(v) - To be looked after while growing up.
9. qualify -(v) - To have what is needed.
10. instrument-(n) - An object used to make music; an object used in the production or achievement of something.

3 Reading

Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior

Can a regimen of no playdates, no TV, no computer games and hours of music practice create happy kids? And what happens when they fight back?

A lot of people wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful kids. They wonder what these parents do to produce so many math whizzes and music prodigies, what it is like inside the family, and whether they could do it too. Well, I can tell them, because I have done it. Here are some things my daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were never allowed to do: View Full Image



• attend a sleepover

• have a playdate

• be in a school play

• complain about not being in a school play

• watch TV or play computer games

• choose their own extracurricular activities

• get any grade less than an A

• not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama

• play any instrument other than the piano or violin

• not play the piano or violin.

I'm using the term "Chinese mother" loosely. I know some Korean, Indian, Jamaican, Irish and Ghanaian parents who qualify too. Conversely, I know some mothers of Chinese heritage, almost always born in the West, who are not Chinese mothers, by choice or otherwise. I'm also using the term "Western parents" loosely. Western parents come in all varieties.
Ms. Chua answers questions from Journal readers who wrote in to the Ideas Market blog.

All the same, even when Western parents think they're being strict, they usually don't come close to being Chinese mothers. For example, my Western friends who consider themselves strict make their children practice their instruments 30 minutes every day. An hour at most. For a Chinese mother, the first hour is the easy part. It is hours two and three that get tough.

When it comes to parenting, the Chinese seem to produce children who display academic excellence, musical mastery and professional success - or so the stereotype goes. WSJ's Christina Tsuei speaks to two moms raised by Chinese immigrants who share what it was like growing up and how they hope to raise their children.

4 Comprehension Questions

1. Do you think sacrificing some fun as a child is a good or a bad thing?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Name three things her daughters were not allowed to do.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. How many children does the author have?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Judge the value of obedience by children to their parents.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 Vocabulary

1. It is the company's _______________________ to hire local workers.
2. Robert Louis Stevenson's most _______________________ story was The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
3. After my parents died, I was _______________________ by my uncle and aunt.
4. The bread was an _______________________ in the making of the sandwich.
5. The hotel does not have enough rooms so it does not _______________________for our meeting.
6. The company's _______________________ can be seen in their products and the happiness of their workers.
7. She loved school and wanted an _______________________ job.
8. Playing golf is easy but _______________________ is difficult.
9. He runs five miles a day as part of his health _______________________.
10. The hotel is not enough to _______________________ for our meeting.

6 Focus on Grammar

A Identify

We use adverbs of frequency to show how often something happens or it is done. The sentence "Bob always eats eggs for breakfast." describes how often Bob eats eggs. What words show how often something happens in the sentence(s) below?

1. Here are some things my daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were never allowed to do:
2. All the same, even when Western parents think they're being strict, they usually don't come close to being Chinese mothers.
3. Conversely, I know some mothers of Chinese heritage, almost always born in the West, who are not Chinese mothers, by choice or otherwise.

B Practice - Sentence Writing

Write original sentences using the grammar in this exercise.

1. ________________________________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________________________

4. ________________________________________________________________________________

5. ________________________________________________________________________________

adverbs_of_frequency

Cit Test Stuff

As some of you might already know, our LINC school is about to trial a Citizenship Test Module. A couple of you have been nominated to try it out in advance.
Of course, this doesn't mean that the rest are excluded. Here are a few useful resources from Toronto Public Library's blog:

• Canadian Citizenship Test: Personal Experiences and Practical Tips

• Canadian Citizenship: the test

Other resources include:



And other Youtube videos and these free online goodies.

In contrast, little states like Singapore are also on the citizenship test bandwagon, although with their own special methods.

If you have any comment or suggestions, do share the information by clicking on Comments, below.

Congratulations, Justyna!

Well, this picture from the February issue of NewsLINC is worth a thousand words:

Yay, well done! Keep up the good work.

I look forward to submitting more great student articles next week for the March issue! Keep them coming!

Good Stuff Online from Toronto Public Library--Free!

If you live in the big city, you can check out Toronto Public Library's Core Skills for Business Writing, by Clarity.

Learn:

1. How to structure the text
2. Resumes--the basics
3. Useful phrases for business letters
4. How to correct an email
5. To put sentences into paragraphs
6. How to link ideas
7. To create an executive summary
8. To proofread grammar mistakes

And lots more. Plus additional downloads from Clarity's website.

More goodies from our public library:

	IELTS - Prepare for the International English Language Testing System.
	Learning Express Library - Practice tests and tutorial courses in math, science, reading, standard tests and entrance exams such as TOEFL, SAT, GRE, LSAT.
	Mango Languages - Learn a new language or improve your English.
	My Canada - Lessons about Canada's history, geography, government and culture. Prepare for the Canadian Citizenship Test.
	Study Skills Success - Practical advice on studying and test preparation.
	TenseBuster - Grammar lessons and practice tests.

All you need is your Toronto library card!