Happy Boxing Day!

Here's something light and Canadian, from Glenn Gould, one of Canada's most extraordinary musicians ever!



Did you like it?

Now listen to the same music without the lyrics!

Check out these old articles from Christmases past.

Then read the original Christmas story in different languages here.

Finally, post your comments below. Merry Christmas!

Preposition Chart

So, how did I arrive to/at this preposition chart? Would you like to copy it down/up? What can you do for/with it? Do prepositions drive you over/up the wall?

Here are some basic meanings of/for prepositions that you need to know in/for starters:


Were there any prepositions that were new against/to you?

Answers to the seven prepositional pairs in this post:

Okay, time for another silly dictation test

Ready with a half-sheet of paper?

Here goes ... listen to the following question as many times as you wish, and write out what it says.

Then post your dictated question under Comments below.

Canadawide Jobs with Target

Target stores are taking over what used to be Zellers in Canada.

Those of you interested in retail and supply-chain management jobs should definitely check out Target's entry to Canada.


According to a Facebook ad, they're hiring!


Click here to look at the jobs offered.

Should my new password be 24awtewLNCSTDY3?

Or, should my password be "password"?

If your password is iloveyou, trustno1, letmein, monkey, dragon, or jesus, you've got one of the 25 worst passwords of this year! Passwords are important, especially for online banking, email, and blogging, and it's frightening to know that someone might be able to get into your data and mess with it.

It's also embarrassing to find out your password is on that list. But what's worse is when you forget your lousy password.

So you really want to make sure that your password is a good one and that you have good security habits to keep yourself and your messaging safe.

Following is a list of secrets to create a strong yet manageable password. Please comment on their ideas. Then enjoy the following video:

Where's the language going in Canada?

The National Post has an interesting article today tracing where language is going in Canada.

Can you answer the following questions?

1. Which of the 25 top immigrant languages most spoken at home is growing the fastest in Canada?
1. Arabic
2. Hindi
3. Mandarin
4. Tagalog
2. Which are the top 5 immigrant languages spoken at home in Toronto?
1. Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, Spanish, and Russian
2. Arabic, Farsi, Russian, Chinese, and Vietnamese
3. Cantonese, Punjabi, Chinese, Urdu, and Tamil
4. Italian, Portuguese, Cantonese, Tamil, and Tagalog

Answers below:

Congratulations, Mister Felix Baumgartner!

One small step, one giant leap for mankind--you Armstronged it for us, literally!

What an exciting Sunday afternoon it was, watching Felix Baumgartner rising in his balloon-borne capsule, stepping out of it, and jumping down through the sound barrier on his way home!

What went through his mind when he was about to jump? He must have been terrified. I would have been, as most people would. That was the question a reporter posed in the news conference that followed.

Check out the video (below) and see if you can write out the transcript for 14:49 - 15:02, beginning with "What went through your head ...."

Post your transcript on your blog and check it with a partner or with the words below.

Really? That's a Rejoinder?

Mahshallah!

Moming qimiao!

Good grief!

Vous plaisantez!

Itu bagus sekali!

Hē im.

Here are some words in different languages used to show emotions--sometimes indicating surprise, sometimes following, or sometimes happiness or sorrow--depending on the situation.

If you watch a movie and see a car crash, what do you say? "Really?" "That's great!" "Oh no!" or "Uh huh." Most people may think the answer is "Oh no!" but the expression you use--called a rejoinder--really depends on what one sees and feels before the car crash. What might you have said if the car crash happened after a building collapsed, a bomb went off, a truck plowed into a busy sidewalk, and a hundred other mishaps?


Check out the this Liveleak Freaks website and see if you can find any rejoinders. A number of those spectacular video clips have gone viral; so enjoy them. Feel free to respond by posting your Comments there, whether you agree, disagree, or have something to say!

God Keep Our Land

As crazy things happen around the world this week--riots, lynchings, assassinations, etc.--it's a blessing that we in Canada have not been affected by the violence instigated in the name of religion or politics.
But this freedom comes at a price, that of our men and women in the Canadian Forces protecting our values and our liberties half a world away.

This post salutes the good work they're doing and wishes them every success in keeping our enemies at bay.

Trrrrrrrrrrrrue Norrrrrrrrth Strrrrrrong n Frrrrrrreee

How about this for a venue to sing our national anthem, eh?



If you'd like to comment on these young hearts standing "on guard for thee," click on the link below.

Don't Play Around with Plagiarism

In some countries, claiming ideas and words from others as your own on academic papers and publications is considered a common, acceptable, or even smart thing to do. Students would cut and paste paragraphs from Wikipedia, "borrow" outlines or phrases from sources, or share their notes with one another--all this without acknowledging where they got it from--just to get a better mark, which they sometimes do.

What seems a clever way to academic and career success is viewed in North American culture as plagiarism (say PLAY-jer-Riz-zem), a form of stealing or cheating. This wasn't always the case. One very American religion is based on a blatant work of plagiarism. Their 19th-century holy book consists of wholesale copying from an old translation of the Bible dated 200 years before, but followers of that religion are told their holy book was given by an angel and translated by their final prophet by looking at stones placed in his hat.

A side-by-side comparison between the Book of Mormon (1830) and the King James Bible (1611)

Harvard Professor Platt

More recently, Harvard professor Matthew B. Platt caught a number of his students cheating in this way. Instead of typing the number 22,500 without any space after the comma, those students all typed 22, 500 instead--with a space after the comma. 22, 500 vs. 22,500! Good catch! Obviously, mistakes like this are likely to occur and multiply when people simply cut and paste text rather than type out the number.

But there were other clues as well, just like what happens after any burglary.

So what's the result?

The Daily Mail's headline screams, "Harvard cheating scandal which could see over 100 students thrown out." Uh oh.

Interestingly, the Harvard course where this all happened was Introduction to Congress. One wonders how many former students in that course got away with their cheating and are now "successful" members of the American Congress.

As bloggers and ESL learners, let's not plagiarize. We can put quotations in quotation marks and indicate where we got the quotes from. Then it will be clear which words and thoughts are ours and which are borrowed. And we'll be safe!

Do You Play English?

A.J. Hoge (above) says that he can teach you his "Effortless English System."

His focus is on spoken language. In his newsletter, he says:

Play English with
other people. English is a way of
communicating. You need two
people for that at least. So play
with others, conversation
partners, other learners, friends,
people on the Internet with
Skype. It doesn’t matter. They
can be native speakers from the
United States or they could be
other people learning in different
countries, just play with English.
Have fun with it. Enjoy it. Play
with it every day, listening,
listening, listening and, also,
just talking and playing and
conversing with other people,
communicating with other
people. Find other English
players. So play English
and have fun.

Do you agree? Write your Comments below.

"Is that woman speaking English?" - Danny777

Watch this video and see if this person was speaking in English:


If you have a question about it, so do two of the comment writers at the website.

According to the reader:

Firebody, too, is debedet to eraser lives of the disabled persons. It consists of an active EPSL hessette, A. Ahjone at a computer. The computer can receive the EEG singles via Bluetooth and convert them to specific mosques to control Ahjone's silver fye barrio tem fook gram.
We can single left to heart to take off to land, left lay to flank cocklewise, single red to flag forward, single pull to flare up, flanch to flag down and blink, to take pictures.
Firebody, too, can be a good assistant, with Firebody two's abity to navgate in seedy's space. The disabled persons can sink to play boxing game, can seem to take pictures, and sink to sea.

Write your suggestions on how to improve one's pronunciation skill under Comments below.

Which Credit Card's Right for You?

Ideally, some people would say, we should not have to carry any credit cards. Just pay with cash and stay away from debt. Going by the cases on reality TV, this is probably a good principle for a large number of households in North America, especially those who have racked up many years' worth of debt.

However, there are others who have the discipline to pay off their balances on time and avoid paying interest altogether. In some cases, these cards come with purchase protection, rental insurance, reward points, roadside assistance, membership privileges, or even an annual cash rebate. If you fall into this category of card user, which one is best for you?

That's where the trouble is. It depends on how much you spend on groceries, gas, entertainment, etc. It also depends on how many cards you're willing to carry and how long you're willing to wait to redeem the bonus points. There are simply too many parameters to think about to come up with a quick answer. But the good news is, there's this wonderful website called Can I Pay Less that does the number crunching for you.

For more information and a fun and easy test drive, check out their website.

Canada's and Others' Olympic Houses

Watch this video and list all the Olympic houses featured.



Which is your favourite?

Now enjoy the following articles on London's Olympic houses:

1. Global Party
2. Dutch House
3. Addresses and Costs
4. Top Five
5. A Special Visitor

Save $20 for a Lifetime Boating Licence

Google around, and you know that it usually costs about $50 or more to get a licence to drive a powered boat (motor boat, jetski, motorized yacht, etc.) in Canada. Now with this deal from DealTicker, you can get the same licence for $29.

HIGHLIGHTS

THE FINE PRINT

Get your boating license for multiple water pleasure crafts Complete this anywhere in Canada, anytime Simple process done efficiently - work at the speed and pace you're comfortable with Transport Canada accredited Once the exam is passed, you can immediately print a temporary boating license (valid for 60 days) to use until you receive your official license within 30 days Perfect for boats, jet ski's, yachts, catamarans & more! Makes a great gift!

MAY BUY ONE VOUCHER FOR PERSONAL USE AND UNLIMITED AS GIFTS Voucher entitles holder to a Course, Exam and Pleasure Craft Operator Card at BoatWiseExam.ca Voucher is valid for 1 year (Expires: August 11, 2013) MAXIMUM 1 VOUCHER PER PERSON To redeem voucher:  Please visit http://boatwiseexam.ca Click "GET CERTIFIED TODAY"  Enter email address and DealTicker voucher code Voucher codes will be activated daily Taxes are included No cash value/cash back Cannot be combined with any other offers or promotions

By clicking on this DealTicker link, you not only get to save money, you'll also be helping me |(I get $2.90 per purchase, ha!) buy my dream cottage by the lake!  :D  Just remember to give me a joy ride when you pass!

That important little space between words

How would you like your business to be called Teacher Stalking, Children Swear, or Chooses Pain?*

Or even worse names? Much, much worse names!

Witness how important it is to avoid the possibility of misunderstanding through a misplaced space or a poorly worded URL in this article. Then post your comments below.


* Instead of Teachers Talking, Children's Wear, and Choose Spain

What do you think happened?

A strange sight was seen at the Art Gallery of Ontario today, looking out of the glass walls of the building:



Any idea what it was all about?

Write your thoughts in the Comment section below!

Après Canada Day

How was Canada Day for you? Do update your blogs on your thoughts and activities this long weekend.

The newspapers have certainly not been quiet!

1. There's this poll trying to identify what Canadians are like today: 15 things you should know about Canadian identity.
2. And then there are a couple of quizzes: a mock citizenship quiz and a brutally difficult Canada Day Quiz.
3. Once you've survived the above, kick back and enjoy Jared Pot singing our national anthem.

Singalong the Canadian CANthem and Take a Quiz

O CANada ...



Write your Comments below!

Then, how Canadian are you--or, how Ontarian are you? Take this fun Canada Day quiz and tell us your identity!

NewsLINC Topics for the Fall Issue

Good news, folks. The topics for our seasonal NewsLINC magazine are now available. Please send me the first draft by mid-August! And best wishes on getting published!

Category

Description / Idea Prompts

Activity

Submissions reflecting sports and leisure activities.

Arts

Submissions related to the arts (visual arts, crafts, design, dance, film, literature, music, theatre).

·     Write a short story or poem.

·     Share your artistic talent/hobby.

·     Provide a review of your favourite book / movie / artist / etc.

Bio

Student profiles that exclude information about birth date or age.

Canada

Submissions which highlight Canada.

·     How do you describe Canada to your friends or family living abroad?

·     What do you like about living in Canada?

·     Write about a famous Canadian personality, landmark, historical event, etc.

·     Recommend places to visit or day trips in Ontario / Canada

Celebration

Student success stories or special life events.

·     Share a personal success story (big or small)

·     Write about a special life event (wedding, birth, anniversary, etc.)

·     Write about a traditional celebration

General

If the submission does not fit with any of the other categories.

Heritage

Student reflections about their homeland or ethnic origins.

·     What do you miss the most about your homeland?

·     Describe a custom from your homeland

·     Write about where you came from

Recipe

Special recipes that have not been reproduced from the web or a book.

Seasonal

Submissions related to seasonal themes.  Suggestions for the fall edition:

·     Thanksgiving

·     Halloween

·     Remembrance Day

·     Back to school

·     Fall colours

·     Fall harvest

Settlement

Student settlement stories.

·     Share a funny story about settling in Canada

·     What has surprised you the most?

·     What are some of the challenges you have faced?

·     What or who has helped you to adjust?

Skills

Tips, challenges and experiences related to finding work, working or learning in Canada.

·     Workplace culture

·     Looking for work / networking / volunteering

·     Studying / learning new skills

Help! I'm in Starbucks!

Toronto seems to have endless choices for coffee places: Tim Hortons, Second Cup, Country Style, Starbucks, Lettieri, Timothy World's, you name it!

Sometimes, ordering at a coffee shop can be scarier than being in a fine restaurant--at least there you don't have a crowd behind you snickering at your ignorance, and the server has incentive to be nice to earn the tip. But trying to order at a Starbucks can be a nightmare.

Here are some resources to help you out:

• How to Order Coffee (Basic)
• 10 Tips on How to Order at Starbucks
• How to Order a Regular Coffee
• How to Order and Behave at Tim Hortons
• Video (Transcription Exercise): Tim Hortons

Did you have fun?

Here are some conversations that you might like to practise at a fast-food restaurant:

1. http://www.eslfast.com/robot/topics/restaurant/restaurant16.htm--I like this one because you can say everything 3 ways!
2. learning videos:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12epxkmKhrI&feature=relmfu, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG9ISJYAsvE&feature=fvwrel, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIXPSykQ5fk&feature=related, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZDD5IjPhak&feature=fvwrel, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFuGw6IMIRU&feature=fvwrel
3. Podcast--listening:  http://www.eslpod.com/website/show_podcast.php?issue_id=1342507, http://www.eslpod.com/website/show_podcast.php?issue_id=3967459, http://www.eslpod.com/website/show_podcast.php?issue_id=5071132

1812 and Why Canadians Are Not Americans

A Canadian view of the War

An American view of the War

This year is the bicentennial (200th anniversary) of the War of 1812, one of Canada's most formative events that "helped establish our path toward becoming an independent and free country, united under the Crown with a respect for linguistic and ethnic diversity." And the summer months are the most celebrated in memory of this war. Why do you think this is?
 
The War of 1812 also shows why Canada is different and separate from its neighbour to the south. Here are some resources and exercises that you may enjoy doing and learning from:

1. Listening: Find all the VOA lessons on the War of 1812 from the American point of view.
2. Reading Comprehension: American Invasion Repulsed 
3. Research and take the Quiz: Causes of the War 
4. Map Reading: American, British, and Native Troops
5. Watch these documentaries on the War of 1812 from the American and the Canadian perspective.

Tongue Twisters to Test Your Consonant Production

If you just wanted to look at more cartoons and forget about the exercise below, click here.

Here are some fun pairs from ABC Tongue Twisters (just google for more!):

Ricky Rabbit gives Ruthy Raccoon red roses.

Happy Henry happily hugged Hilda and Hank.

Willy the wild wolf went west for the winter.

Vera has violets, vegetables, a vacuum, and a van.

Boo Boo Bear has a brown bow and a blue balloon.

Pretty Peggy plants pumpkins in a path.

Silly Sally sings songs about her senses.

Thelma Thigpen thinks up things that thicken her throat.

Jolly Jimmy jumps for joy in January.

Yolanda yelled, "Yikes, get that yak out of my yard!"

Noisy Nora nibbles on nutritious nuts.

Little Lucy likes lots of lollipops to lick.

300? 400? 1,000? How fast can you read ... in English?

Source: Staples eReader Department

Did you break the record of 4,700 words a minute?

Who knew? Rags to Rideau ...

Like many rags-to-riches stories, these work histories in the National Post newspaper trace what jobs several Members of Parliament worked at before they became MPs in Ottawa. These politicians include NDP leader Thomas Mulcair, Liberal MP and son of a former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and the Minister in charge of Immigration and our LINC program Jason Kenney. What were some of the poorly paying jobs before they got to Ottawa and very close to the Governor-General's residence at Rideau Hall?

Read this report titled "From Rags to Rideau: Politicians share stories of their lousiest jobs."

Then, under Comments, list five of the lousiest jobs mentioned and any thoughts you have about the story.

Great Reads for the Victoria Day Long Weekend

To improve one's reading skill, it's important to read not just utilitarian texts, those that have an obvious use, such as phone messages, hydro bills, and elevator messages. The reading of beautiful and moving texts is important, too, such as poetry, novels, and short stories. The Toronto Star recently ran a contest for short stories, and the results were published today.

The top three winners were announced as follows:

• 

  Toronto Star short story contest winner

  Tom McMillan takes top prize in Star short story contest with "Survivors"
• 

  Toronto Star Short Story Contest second-place winner

  "After Red" by Olivia Anastasia Arnaud won second place in the 2012 Toronto Star Short Story Contest.

• Third place winner: The Rabbit

If you're looking for an inspiring and not-too-long read this long weekend, how about picking one or more of these short stories, making a big mug of hot chocolate, and curling up on the sofa for a good time? You may be surprised how little you need to consult a dictionary!

A Chili Cookout! A Great Pre-Summer Listening Challenge!

Summer will be here soon!

Listen to the following video on a North American outdoor cultural tradition:

1. Pick any 60-second segment to transcribe, e.g. 00:00 - 01:00 or 9:00 - 10:00.
2. Place the transcription on your blog to let your classmates to check it.
3. Feel free to highlight any words you can't really understand so that your classmates can help you out.
4. Include your thoughts about the event.
5. What's the name of the person going around and taking the video (he introduced himself many times)?

Congrats, Damaris, Sergio, Anjin, and Dalin!

Hello everybody,

I hope you're all enjoying the spring weather. I've just been informed the good news that Damaris, Sergio, and Anjin have just been published in the LINC Home Study Canada Forum:

1. Damaris: Life is short and Honour to My Mother
2. Sergio:  How to Enjoy the Winter: A Colombian's Advice
3. Anjin:  Kimchi Recipe

I was also told that Dalin's article was selected for publication in the summer issue of NewsLINC! Look out for it when it's published!

Congratulations, and keep up the good work! If you read your classmates' articles, please feel free to leave a comment!

Summer Issue of NewsLINC

Hard to believe, but summer will soon be upon us, and it's time once again to submit articles to our NewsLINC newsletter. The last two issues can be read at the following links:

Winter

Spring

The topics for the summer issue are as follows:

Category	Description / Idea Prompts
Activity	Submissions reflecting sports and leisure activities.
Arts	Submissions related to the arts (visual arts, crafts, design, dance, film, literature, music, theatre). · Write a short story or poem. · Share your artistic talent/hobby. · Provide a review of your favourite book / movie / artist / etc.
Bio	Student profiles that exclude information about birth date or age.
Canada	Submissions which highlight Canada. · How do you describe Canada to your friends or family living abroad? · What do you like about living in Canada? · Write about a famous Canadian personality, landmark, historical event, etc. · Recommend places to visit or day trips in Ontario / Canada
Celebration	Student success stories or special life events. · Share a personal success story (big or small) · Write about a special life event (wedding, birth, anniversary, etc.) · Write about a traditional celebration
General	If the submission does not fit with any of the other categories.
Heritage	Student reflections about their homeland or ethnic origins. · What do you miss the most about your homeland? · Describe a custom from your homeland · Write about where you came from
Recipe	Special recipes that have not been reproduced from the web or a book.
Seasonal	Submissions related to seasonal themes. Suggestions for the summer edition: · Mother’s Day · Father’s Day · Canada Day · Summer Olympics · What are your favourite summer foods? · What do you think about camping? · How do you stay cool in the heat? · What was your best summer vacation? · What do you look forward to this summer?
Settlement	Student settlement stories. · Share a funny story about settling in Canada · What has surprised you the most? · What are some of the challenges you have faced? · What or who has helped you to adjust?
Skills	Tips, challenges and experiences related to finding work, working or learning in Canada. · Workplace culture · Looking for work / networking / volunteering · Studying / learning new skills

Please submit your entries to me by the end of April 2012, which should give us tie to polish up your work for publication.