Tuesday's Listening Assignment

What mosquito-borne diseases can you think of?

Do you consider them modern? Why or why not?

How about Zika, eh?

1. Listen to this recording in Medium (N. American English) and one more.
2. Do this spelling exercise and this dictation exercise.
3. Listen to the Medium (N. American English) reading again.
4. On a blank world map, include details about Zika virus in three different areas/countries mentioned in the audio. Include three different areas/countries NOT mentioned in the audio, and mark them differently.

Monday's Reading Assignment

Welcome back! How has your Black Friday and Cyber Monday long weekend gone?

Our theme this week is on Modern Diseases. Can you explain the following picture?

Here are your tasks:

1. Role play: Flexible and Mobile
2. Read your cutout, and publish three T/F statements based on it.
   
1. Indicate which cutout was yours: A, B, C, or D?
2. Go answer your classmates’ T/F statements on their blogs under comments. 
3. Then copy their statements with your answers to your blog.
3. Work with a partner to create a 60-second video or poster on Sitting Disease.

Thursday's Speaking Assignment

What are some things you talk about in a professional relationship?

What can you say about your colleagues and friends?

What can you say about your day in the office?

Here are your tasks:

1. Role play: Socializing at a Reception
2. Vocabulary: Types of People at Work
3. Discuss with a partner how best to answer the question at a reception, “So how was your day today?”
1. Make a 2-minute chirbit recording of your answer.
2. Listen to your classmates’ stories and leave a nice response for each.

Wednesday's Reading Assignment

What are some places you could start at for building a professional relationship?

Here are your tasks:

1. Role play: Having a Business Mentor
2. Check out these associations: 1, 2, 3, 4
1. What are their histories, features, and opportunities? Use Google and take notes for each of them.
2. As a member of one association, write a brief email requesting services equivalent to another association’s, providing the relevant URL evidence.

Tuesday's Listening Assignment

Have you ever met a bully at work? What was it like? Tell a partner.

Here are your tasks:

1. Role play: A Bully at Work
2. Listen to this audio.
1. Write down a list of Dos and Don’ts, and compare your list with at least three partners’.
1. Publish this list, and then watch this video (using CC: and adjusting the speed). 
2. Add more points to the first on a second list, and publish.
2. Write down the first 10 or so words at 0:50, 1:04, 1:38, 1:50. Discuss your transcript with a partner before publishing.

Monday's Writing Assignment

If you manage to land a job in your chosen profession, chances are that you would develop some professional relationships.

In the ESL teaching profession, professionals will be meeting this Thursday and Friday at Sheraton Centre downtown.

Do people in other countries go to meetings to develop professional relationships?

Here are your tasks:

1. From this list of meetups, make a list of 3 you would be interested in and 3 you would not.
1. For each meetup, list the group name, cost, number of members, frequency of meetings, and one or two more details.
2. Write a short text message to a classmate to recommend a group, stating key details and reasons for your recommendation.
2. Learn the key vocabulary in this podcast: Not Getting Walked All Over
1. Select a Text-to-Speech website to read it aloud.
2. Finish the paragraph: "In professional relationships, my best experience was when ..."
3. Use vocabulary words you learnt from the podcast, publish, and read your classmates' paragraphs!

Friday's Listening Assignment

If you want to know certain tips and details before applying to any job or industry, try to get it from the horse's mouth.

Watch this video and take notes, first with CC (close captioning) off and then later with CC on.

If you want to hear about such interviews at a slower rate, try this video.

Have you ever conducted an informational interview in your life? Discuss with 2 - 3 partners what you learnt.

Here are your tasks:

1. Listen to this phone call and write down 3 questions about it in full sentences.
2. Compare them with a partner, and write out the answers.
3. Complete the following exercises on Interviews: 1, 2, 3.

Thursday's Speaking Assignment

So far, have you noticed any differences in work habits between Canadians and workers in other countries?

Do Canadian workers speak up more? Do they show up on time? Do they keep their promises? Do they keep their desks clean? Do they take courses to upgrade their skills? Tell a partner your thoughts!

Can you say these words in your L1?

Here are your tasks:

1. Do these exercises on Work Habits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
1. Practise with a partner how you would tell a work colleague to improve their work habits.
2. Record both ways on Chirbit.
2. Write your self-assessment and reflection under Comment.
3. Then write your constructive comments on 5 of your classmates’ chirbits.

Tuesday's Reading Assignment

How long does it take for a newcomer to find a job in another country? What kind of jobs are on offer--full-time, part-time, contract?

What series of questions and answers do you think led to this answer?

Here are your tasks:

1. Read this article.
1. Identify and share with a partner 10 new words/expressions.
2. Listen to your partner and check for meaning and pronunciation.
2. Ask 3 questions based on the article, and answer them on your blog.

Monday's Writing Assignment

Welcome back! What a great time we had on our feet at last Friday's Remembrance Day Ceremony. For pictures, be sure to check them out here.

Today, we start out on a new weekly theme! Can you guess from the picture below? Tell a partner:

For more job-search cartoons, check here. Tell your partner which three are your most favourite.

Here are your tasks:

1. Learn the vocabulary here.
1. Complete this online exercise.
2. Follow-up with this task.
3. Help this baker.
2. Search for 3 possible jobs you could qualify for in Canada. Publish the job titles, URLs, and relevant reasons/qualifications.

Thursday's Assignment

What happens if you fall or fall sick on a trip overseas? Have you ever bought travel insurance?

Here are your tasks:

1. Role play: Travel Insurance
2. Read the first 3 questions and answers of this FAQ.
1. Then watch this short video. How much does travel insurance cost for a two-week jaunt?
2. Discuss with a partner how this compares with another country’s health care system.
3. Without revealing true details, fill in this form and publish a picture of it.

Wednesday's Assignment

So, as America begins to cut out their "Obamacare," we continue this morning at looking at our health care coverage in Canada.

What can you do when you have dental pain? Or when you just need some dental cleaning? What about your kids?

Here are your tasks:

1. Role play: Seeing a dentist
1. Practise out loud.
2. Practise and record with a partner.
2. Make a phone call to a dental clinic to see if you are eligible for free cleaning or another service (e.g. a root canal or a filling).
3. Publish your findings, including name and contact of clinic, prices, and other details.

Tuesday's Assignment

Who is responsible for starting Canada's universal healthcare system?

Here are your tasks:

1. Take dictation from 1:29 to1:50 of this video.
1. Listen all the way through first.
2. See if you can hear the words: ugliest, prairie, vulnerable.
3. Feel free to slow the video to half speed if need be.
2. Leave a 60-second chirbit on what you think about Canada’s healthcare system and how you feel about Tommy Douglas.

Monday's Assignment

Welcome back from Homework Day and the weekend! Did you get a lot of homework done?

Can you guess our theme for the week?

Here are your tasks:

1. Listen and role play: US Health Insurance Plans
2. Watch this video.
1. Who is covered by OHIP?
2. Who are not covered?
3. What can they do?
4. Discuss with a partner, and propose a solution.
3. Publish a list or a cartoon of your points.

Thursday's Announcement

Please go to Workplace English class for a talk this morning.

1. Elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education options in the area of Consumers Road location
2. Recreation programs available for children and adults in the area of Consumers Road location.

Friday's Assignment

For your long weekend with homework, we consider the topic of retirement planning.

Tell a partner some things you have done already and what you are planning to do.

Did you laugh? Why?

Here are your tasks:

1. Please take this opportunity to review our work for this week. If you have not posted your writing or chirbits in your e-portfolio, please do that first.
1. Make sure you copy the question related to your writing or chirbit.
2. For each day's assignment, add: 
1. your self-assessment (how did you perform--very well? struggling? hard? easy?)
2. a reflection (how do you feel about doing the task? did you learn anything? how is it useful to your life in Canada?)
3. some encouraging comments on a couple of classmates' blogs
2. Role play: Retirement planning
1. Work on vocabulary and pronunciation.
2. Practise speaking out loud, and record a chirbit to compare with the original.
3. Listen to this boring presentation, and identify 5 things new immigrants should take note of. 
1. Create a checklist.
2. Visit 5 classmates' blogs to see if they have the same 5 things.

Wednesday's Assignment

Today is Pizza Day to raise money for United Way.

Can you pay less taxes if you give your money to a charity?

How was it in your country of birth?

Here are your tasks:

1. Role play: Donations
2. Read about donating to MicroSkills.
1. Plan to write an email to future donors to raise funds for MicroSkills, identifying what to include and what not to include.
2. Discuss your list with a partner, and publish your email.

Tuesday's Assignment

Where do some people hide their money? Look at the following cartoon and tell a partner what you think of it.

For more such cartoons, click here.

Here are your tasks:

1. Role play: Offshore tax havens
2. Read this article on tax avoidance.
1. Write down 5 facts involving $ or % amounts in point form.
2. Identify geographic places mentioned in the article on a world map.
3. Publish your findings.