Saturday, September 21, 2013

Two Cool Articles in the Telegraph

One doesn't always come across good articles on learning a second language in a newspaper. But here are two that come from the British newspaper The Telegraph:

The tongue, lips, teeth and breath all contribute to the way a sound comes out of the mouth.
  1. Are children really better at foreign language learning?
  2. How to pronounce foreign languages
Check out the articles and think about:
  1. What you agree with
  2. What you disagree with
  3. What you are surprised to read
  4. What you plan to:
    • Start doing with regard to learning English
    • Stop doing with regard to learning English
    • Continue doing with regard to learning English
Share those ideas--and a link back to this blog post--on your blog.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Is It More Mouthwatering or Tongue Twisting?

Ever walk into a restaurant and wonder how order the bruschetta or bowl of pho?

Or that package of quinoa or gnocchi on the supermarket shelf?

Here's a guide to help you with the iconic Canadian dish poutine and more:


As the original website disappeared ere a link could be created, here's a cheat sheet from some place else.

Welcome to a new spread of multiculturalism!

How do you say Jiaozi and Guotie?

Friday, August 30, 2013

Thank Heaven for Seven


Helpful neighbours, fresh air and clean water, a decent income, crime-free streets, time for leisure, good health, and toilets that work--some of the features of your dream country.

But how does Canada rank among the countries of the OECD? What is it like to live here compared to living in Australia, the U.S., the U.K., Japan, etc.?


Well, we might not be number one in everything, but here's an article listing seven things we can be thankful for, living here in Canada.

And while we're on the topic of "seven," here's a page on "seven things you can't say in Canada." But it lists only one and doesn't allow you to click beyond (tried it in Chrome and IE!). How appropriate!

Saturday, August 10, 2013

A Tale of True Cities

 
From Town of Merchants the order came to audit the LINC schools in Meeting Place. Or was it Place Where Trees Stand in the Water? This caused a bit of concern in nearby Rugged Land Farm, Unfordable River Town, and Cape of Strangers. Beyond Boar's Head Lake, the news was met at St. Contumacy Falls, Battle Cry, Honouring God, and Goblin with less concern. They didn't think their dependence on LINC Home Study would be as greatly affected by federal concerns.

Check out these funny-sounding towns and their modern names in this article. Put your answers in the Comments below. Who'll be the first?

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Congratulations, Adelfa, Luanne, and Min!



Three of our classmates got published in the latest NewsLINC, the summer edition, and I'd invite everybody to join me in congratulating them.
You guys don't have this problem.

Even more, let's all work hard and hurry up to submit our stories for the fall edition of the magazine. Check out the post below for details and instructions.

Adelfa (Maria C.), Luanne, and Min, you've done us proud. Yay, keep up the good work!

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Calling All Writers for the Next NewsLINC

Fancy getting published in English?

Some of your classmates already have! And you've been invited to submit an article for the fall edition of our NewsLINC magazine.

Check out the ideas below for a topic and post your first draft on your blog by August 10, 2013.

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.
Bios
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
Occasions or events that result in celebration!
·     Share a personal success story (big or small)
·     Write about a special/milestone 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. Some ideas for the fall:
·     Thanksgiving
·     Halloween
·     Remembrance Day
·     Back to school
·     Fall colours
·     Fall fairs
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

Monday, July 1, 2013

Between Safety and Festival ... Tough Decision

So I'd just bought this wonderful Bluetooth speaker at an even more wonderful price whdna salesperson put it into a beautiful red bag th...