August Field Trips: ROM Aug 8 and Cherry Beach Aug 19

Thank you, everybody who voted! Our field trips this month are as follows:

Friday August 19: Cherry Beach

One of the most secluded yet accessible beaches in our city is Cherry Beach, located at the base of the Don Valley Parkway. The TTC takes you all the way from Union Station to the sandy beach. Let's aim to arrive by 10 a.m.
Make sure to dress appropriately and bring a great sense of humour and adventure!

Comment below on what else to bring along.

Thursday's Assignment

What do you need to find partners or investors in your new business?

What's the answer?

Enough clues?

Here are your tasks:

1. Vocabulary: Business Plan and this Vocabulary List (the latter for this afternoon)
2. CLB6L View an instructional video in a workplace training session to respond with appropriate actions in the follow-up training activities.
1. Watch this video.
2. Write notes on the answers from 3:25 - 5:12, including monetization methods, commission rates, revenues, amount invested, projected revenues, and company goal.
3. Discuss a business product or service with a partner, and use your notes to create an outline for a business plan.

Wednesday's Assignment

Do you think most successful businesses would tailor their products and services to suit their customers.

What would happen if they did this instead?

Here are your tasks:

1. Role play: Buying Electronics
2. CLB6R Read product specifications to determine suitability (such as an appliance’s specifications and its suitability for the size of your family).
1. Check out the table comparing 5 smartphones.
2. If all adult members of your household were to get the same phone, which phone would that be?
3. Identify the phone, and provide 5 reasons, e.g. RAM, fingerprint sensor,.

Tuesday's Assignment

In business, you want to make sure your customers feel like they got a good deal.  There are different ways to say that you want maximum profit for minimum investment, to get the most out of something, to get the best value for money. Can you figure out another way of saying this?

Did you get the clue? Tell a partner your guess.

Here are your tasks:

1. If you're not returning in September, be sure to write your testimonial here first.
2. Pick any 3 exercises to do with a partner. As the site seems blocked on your computers, check out the content below.
3. CLB6W Write a comparison of a company’s services with those of a leading competitor.
1. Read the first page of this review and identify comparison phrases, e.g. “more Scotiabanks,” “better interest rate.”
2. Give a name to your imaginary online banking service, and write an advertisement of 5 sentences using the comparison phrases.
3. Add an appropriate picture.

Content from site in No. 2:

Monday's Assignment

Have you thought of starting a new business? How do you get the word out? Check out the following video.

What do you call online networking tools like Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, and Youtube? How many social media accounts do you have?

Here are your tasks:

1. Role play with a partner: Delegating Work
2. CLB6S Give instructions to a friend on how to set up an account on a social networking site.
1. Count the number of times you hear this on the video above: “You are going to,” “What we are going to do,” “So just go ahead and.” ... "So I'll just put my name here," "So we'll try a few things," "See if we can actually squeeze a few more," "Yeah, that's fine, so let's just go ahead and create an account," "So right off the bat we can add," "Ok, here we go, five more," "So what we're gonna do is to start off," "So we're gonna use the," "And, still loading," "Let's open that up, confirm accounts," "So what you'll mainly wanna do now is to open," "So let's just go ahead and pull that in," "And let's just apply that," "For location, let's go with ... oops," "For the tagline, let's go with ..." "Here's where we can actually change the," "Oops, once again we're gonna need to space the," "And the last thing I'd like to do is to remove the Twitter background," "Let's choose an existing," etc.
2. Feel free to add more useful phrases.
3. Using those phrases, record on chirbit.com 10 sentences giving instructions on creating a blog for business.
4. Leave a comment below when you have published your answer.
1. How do you feel about the exercise?
2. What did you learn?
3. How could you improve your work?

Friday's Assignment II

"Welcome back," for the third time this week! Hope you enjoyed the break away from your instructor.

So, to get back on track of our theme this week, can you guess what the following two cartoons are about?

Here are your tasks:

1. Role play: Carpooling
1. Listen and practise by yourself.
2. Write a 30-word paragraph showing agreement/disagreement with: "People should not join car pools because they risk dying from a stranger's driving mistakes."
2. Role play: Trash and Recycling
1. Practise aloud with a partner.
2. Record on chirbit.com the following:
1. Your role-play dialogue.
2. A 15-second word of instruction to a family member on the topic of recycling.
3. Interview at least 2 classmates about yesterday's field trip.
1. Write a brief report of about 40 words.
2. Mention the mode of transport getting there and back.
3. Use a direct quote (using "quote marks").
4. Include an appropriate picture.

Friday's Assignment I

Complete the blank world map and include the five top and five bottom countries on the 2014 EPI ranking.

URGENT: Please Note Change of Plans Wednesday and Thursday, August 10-11

Hello All,
Due to an emergency involving indoor fumes, MicroSkills LINC is closed at 200 Consumers Rd on Wednesday and Thursday.



On Thursday, August 11, please meet at the Ontario Science Centre at 10 a.m. Those leaving from Don Mills Station should meet at the Bus 25 bay by 9:30 a.m.
Once there, you will receive instructions and join a group photo!
See you there!

Wednesday's Assignment

Welcome back! Did you comment on your classmates' Voki messages yesterday? If not, please do that now.

Today, we continue learning about the environment, a global issue. What do you think the following the crossword puzzle on the right is about? 

Here are your tasks:

1. Select your 10 hardest words from this Vocabulary List
2. Create a crossword puzzle using those words.
3. Read this article, highlighting sentences using your vocabulary words.

Tuesday's Assignment

Welcome back! There's an urgent message for you this morning. Check it out here!

Can you interview a partner, and then create a brief, 60-second trip report at Voki.com? You can talk about what, which, or even whom you liked or didn't like! Have fun!

Here are your tasks:

1. Role play: Pollution
1. Listen to the podcast and take notes of any idioms and unexpected pronunciations.
2. Practise speaking it aloud, first by yourself and then with a partner!
3. Both of you can then produce a chirbit.com recording.
2. Read this article silently, then work on vocabulary.

Friday's Assignment

What are five nearest funeral homes to your home? Check out the website of the nearest of the nearest one. Discuss it with a partner.

What music comes to mind when you think of a funeral?

Here are your tasks:

1. Vocab--words in bold: Getting Older
2. Things you can do in the event of a death: the Canadian Government guide
3. Role play 1:Funeral--expressing condolences
4. Role play 2: Making Funeral and Burial Arrangements

Thursday's Assignment

What two kinds of residences are represented in this retirement community? Check the website out for 5 minutes and then enjoy the video below. What's happening there? Which kind of residence does it look like? Why? Tell a partner.

Here are your tasks:

1. Discuss and find 5 facts on LTC homes.
2. Then discuss the costs.
3. Compare LTC and Retirement Homes. 
1. Discuss the differences.
2. Publish your notes, and comment on your classmates’ notes.

Late morning activity:

1. Write a dialogue with a partner using the following as a guide:

A: (need to) (besides my OHIP card?)
B: (clothes) (smartphone) (candies)
A: (aromatherapy?) (pet poodle)
B: (restrictions) (allergy)
A: (single-bedder) (room?) (triple-bedder)
B: (private insurance) (It all depends)

2. Check with another pair of classmates, practise aloud, and record it on chirbit.com.
3. Publish, and visit your classmates' blogs to enjoy their conversation and leave a nice comment.

Wednesday's Assignment

First, please complete the Field Trip Polls on the right.

One of the unhappy effects of aging is that of physical disability. Take a look at the following charts from this article, make sentences about each of them using the helping words highlighted in yellow, and tell a partner your sentences. Help each other in terms of grammar and pronunciation.

Helping words: "By 20??, the percentage of Canadians between the age of/older than ??, will be ?? percent." "Since 19??, the percentage of seniors ("rise" tense?) steadily, from ??% in 19?? to ??% in 20??." "By 2041, the percentage ... ("reach" tense?) over ??%).

Helping words: "The greatest/least waiting period is ?? days in the case of ??." "The median waiting period is ?? days in ??." "I am most concerned that ... (full clause) in the future."

Helping Words: "Compared to ??year/??residence, wait times for long-term care homes is ??times more/less." "Wait times from home rocketed from ?? days in 20??. They peaked at ?? days in 20?? when the ??? program was introduced. Since then, wait times have steadily declined from the highs to ?? days in 20??" "Wait times from hospital, on the other hand, have seen a steady ... from ?? days in 20?? to ?? days in 20??"

Here are your tasks:

1. Practise and record in less than 60 seconds your sentences about the 3 graphs above on chirbit.com.
2. Read Jenny’s story, with TTS, support, and practise reading to/with a partner.
3. Role play: Retiring from a Job. How would you Canadianize the article?
4. Check and comment on your classmates' posts.

Tuesday's Assignment

Welcome back! This week, we turn our attention from short-term to long-term things. As somebody once said, "You're not ready to live until you're ready to die." What could they have meant?

Whatever you think about it, and even if you don't, certain things will catch up on you.

Can you think of three words you'd like to characterized yourself with when you retire? Tell a partner!

Here are your tasks:

1. Listening & Vocab: Our Aging Society
2. Role play: Planning for Retirement
1. How would you Canadianize the article?
2. Compare the article's retirement benefits with these.
3. Try this Canadian Retirement Income Calculator: Post your results and comment on others'.