Good ... Or Really Bad ... Friday?

If someone captured your leader, beat him up brutally, stripped and shamed him publicly, and then nailed him on a cross to wait for him to die, how could such a day be a good day?

Yet Christians all over the world call this day Good Friday. That leader they honour is Jesus Christ, whom they receive as the Son of God and Saviour, who was helplessly killed before the Jewish and Roman authorities. So, are Christians crazy, seriously crazy, to call such a day good?

Here's a video (among others) that explains it from a Christian perspective.



There is also another explanation of why it's call Good Friday, from an etymological viewpoint. The word Good comes from a form of the word for Holy.

Perhaps there's some truth in either approach. What do you think? And what are you going to do this Good Friday?

E-Portfolio Artefacts: CLB 7

So, for those ready to try some higher-end tasks, here are 4 for CLB7:

1. CLB7L Follow detailed directions on how to get a job interview. Listen to this video, and write briefly your answers to the following:
1. What should women who have not been working do to get back on their career tracks?
2. What is the best way to get into contact with employers--face to face or by phone?
3. Why are alumni networks or associations important?
2. CLB7S Participate in a small, informal meeting of a movie club and express opinions and feelings about the movie being discussed, which is 6:02 - 6:43 of this video. Susan thinks the scenes are realistic and helpful, but Heidi disagrees because she feels it is disrespectful to the person Christians worship as God. Record your advice to Susan and Heidi in 60 to 90 seconds on Chirbit.
3. CLB7R Read a letter or email from a co-worker conveying feelings about some bad news or expressing disappointment about not getting a promotion: "Thank you for your patience while the tenure committee considered your possible promotion to associate professor. We all agree that you have made significant contributions to the Biology Department in your teaching, and we congratulate you on being voted "Teacher of the Year." After reviewing your curriculum vitae, however, we have decided to withhold the promotion to Associate Professor until a later date.While you have several promising research projects in progress, the committee would like to see more refereed publications before granting Associate Professor status. We will be happy to reconsider your request for advancement next year, if the number and quality of your publications increase. Again, we salute your contributions to our department and wish you continued success in your professional endeavors" (Source: Sample Letter 2). Based on the above letter, list briefly the following:

1. Recommended actions for the future
2. Positive commendations
3. Objections to promotion
4. CLB7W Take notes while listening to tenant rights information from a pre-recorded public information line. Based on the recording, draft a short email to a friend who is a landlord sharing with her 2 tips on building a good relationship with her tenant.

Copy the question with the CLB code (e.g. CLB5L) and paste it with your answer on your blog.

LINC Home Study and You

As you know, LINC Home Study is a program that helps learners who can't attend a local classroom master English and settle successfully across Canada via distance education.

The program is generously funded by the federal government, and it is good to let them know how and if it has been helpful to you.

Write 5-6 sentences under comments below to share your thoughts and feelings about your experience so far!

What do you know of our third largest visible minority?

Do you know who are the visible minorities in Canada? Do you know anyone who might be one?

What are the biggest groups among the visible minorities?

February is Black History Month to celebrate the identity and accomplishments of one of Canada's largest ethnic groups. Be sure to check out some of the resources here:

1. CIC's Comprehensive Information Site, including Quizzes
2. The Black History in Canada Education Guide (PDF) and other items
3. Thirteen Films that Inspire
4. Ten Interesting Facts about African Americans

When you have done the above, write or tell about your reflections on Black History Month on your blog. Use Chirbit.com to do your audio recording.

Congratulations to Our Classmates for Getting Featured in NewsLINC and LHS Forum!

Here's the latest edition of NewsLINC (older editions of the magazine here).

Hint: What do Venura, Silvia, Wazira, and Inna have in common?

ALSO, Congratulations to Emad, whose trip report was featured on our Forum!

YAYYY!!! Amazing work, you all! Let's craft our next draft for the next round!

Calling for NewsLINC Submissions

Here we go again! It's that season of the year to not only ski but also to let your words and thoughts spring forth. Complete your drafts on your blog by February 15, and we'll work on them together to submit before the official March 6 deadline.

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 spring: ·         Write a poem about rain. ·         Express your feelings about spring. ·         Compare spring in Canada with your homeland. ·         How do you celebrate Women’s Day or Mother’s Day? ·         Take notes from a website about climate change and summarize your findings.
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

Four Skills for Your E-Portfolio CLB4LSRW

The following are four Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) Level 4 tasks in the four skills (Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing).

1. CLB4L Listen to a short, simple commercial about a product or service to get the gist and enough information to decide whether the product is worth purchasing. Watch this TV commercial, from 1:28 through 1:58. In no more than 30 seconds, record what the message is and state your decision, with reasons, why you would or wouldn't buy the product.
2. CLB4S Introduce a teacher or employer to a family member. Imagine that you left your USB key in school, and--surprise!--your teacher came to your door at 7 p.m.--how would you introduce your teacher to your family? Record your words, in less than a minute, on chirbit.com.
3. CLB4R Find an advertisement to match a list of apartment rental requirements. In Kijiji.ca, find three apartments for rent for less than $2,000 a month, including parking and locker, that are within 1 km to Don Mills Station in Toronto. On your blog, list the information on rental, parking, and locker, with the totals, and identify which apartment is the most expensive and which is the cheapest.
4. CLB4W Write a short personal note to thank a host, friend, or supervisor for lunch. You have just attended classmate Jordan's lunch at D'Mays Trident Restaurant, 1205 Forest Valley Rd, off Hwy 401, Tel. 416 225 5553, from 12 - 2 p.m., and enjoyed a feast of lobsters, roasted seaweed, Pepsi, and apple pie. In 140 characters or less, write a text message to thank Jordan for the meal. Make sure to publish this question together with your answer on your blog.