Forging Friendships

What a fun get-together this morning! Thanks to the Richmond students for coming to visit us, and thanks to all of you all for your contributions of tea, coffee, treats and fabulous singing talent. Let's plan another activity together soon. In the meantime, here's the Adele song, so you can practise listening to it and singing it too!


Video Quiz - Someone Like You

Time Clauses

Quiz : Until, as soon as, while, before.

Directions

Listening to Directions

Here are some listening exercises to practise understanding directions:


Directions Around Town (easy)
Directions Around Town (difficult)
Where's the Movie Theatre?




Giving Directions

Directions
Go along...   until you get to....
Turn right/left on....
Hang a right / Hang a left
Go down...
Make a U-turn
Cross the street.

Landmarks
You'll see a Tim Horton's on your right.
You'll pass a gas station.
There's a 7-11 on the corner.

Location
It's across from...
It's opposite...
It's on your left / right
It's on the corner of .... and ....
It's the first / second building on the left / right.
It's the brick building on the left-hand side.
You can't miss it.

Skytrain directions
Take the Canada Line / Skytrain to...
Get off at ..... station.


My Favourite Restaurant

From the school, go along Terminal Avenue towards Science World. Hang a left on Main, and go up a few blocks to 2nd Avenue. Turn right. You'll see Maple Leaf Storage on your left. The restaurant is also on the left, just across the street from Maple Leaf Storage. It's in an old brick building, at the corner of 2nd and Quebec. The entrance is hard to spot, so look for the sign: Organic Lives.  

What's your favourite Vancouver restaurant? How do you get there? Please leave a comment.

Writing a Cover Letter

How would you describe yourself?

Tips for Writing a Cover Letter

- Keep it short - one page

- Write in paragraphs so it's easy to read

- Address your letter to the appropriate person

- Mention where you heard about the job

- Highlight your skills, abilities and experience and how they relate to the job

- Provide your phone number

- Proofread your letter

Click here to LISTEN - more advice on how to write a cover letter

Now, write a cover letter for a volunteer job that you're interested in.

Click here to browse some volunteer opportunities at www.govolunteer.ca 

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is one of the busiest
times of year for a florist.

A clueless guy. He has no idea
what to get his wife for Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day!

This Sunday is Mother’s Day. In Canada, Mother’s day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. It’s a day to express love and gratitude to mothers by giving them a card, flowers or a thoughtful gift. Some other Canadian Mother’s Day traditions are taking Mom out for brunch or sharing a special family meal to let her know that she's special.

Men often have a hard time remembering Mother’s day or knowing what to give their wife or mother. For guys, it’s often a “mad dash” as they run to the flower shop to buy a last-minute Mother’s Day bouquet.

Click this link to watch a report on last-minute Mother’s Day shopping, then answer the questions below.

Many Men Clueless on Mother's Day Flowers

Idioms

to not have a clue, to be clueless = not have any idea

 Men are completely clueless at buying Mother’s Day gifts. They have no idea what to buy.

to stink = to not be very good at doing something

I stink at tennis. I’m really not very good at it.

It’s the thought that counts.

It doesn’t matter how much a gift costs. What’s important is the feeling it expresses. It’s the thought that counts.

Questions

1. What is the most appropriate gift to give Mom on Mother’s Day? ______________________

2. What percentage of men completely forget about  Mothers day? _________ %

    What percentage of women forget? ______%

3. “Florists have a trained eye for the clueless guy.” What do you think this means?

______________________________________________________________________________

4. How many men need the florist’s help in choosing flowers?

a) almost all        b) some                               c) not many

5. What questions does the florist ask the customer?

a) ___________________________________

b) ___________________________________

6. What simple advice does florist Callie Craumer’s offer?

(2:24 – 2:35)

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

7. What is the purpose of this report?

a) request           b) advice              c) information

Writing

When is Mother’s Day celebrated in your country? What are your Mother’s day traditions? Post your answer in the comments box below.

Employment




Penguin at a desk job

  Here are a few listening exercises related to employment.
Listen without the script first.

Job Options
Slide Quiz.

Bad Jobs
Vocabulary Quiz, Comprehension Quiz

Talking about Jobs
Listen to the speaker talk about various jobs he has had.
Answer the questions after each segment.

Volunteering

Are you interested in volunteering? Check out the go volunteer website to browse volunteering opportunities in Vancouver.

 To get an idea of what's available, leave the "Search by Keyword" field blank, and choose "Vancouver" in the city field. Check "Special Events" for one-time volunteering opportunities. These are usually festivals and fund-raising events such as the Dragon Boat Festival. They're usually a lot of fun! Many organizations encourage people with ESL (English as a Second Language) to apply.

I've printed out some of the volunteer jobs that looked interesting, so you can check them out in class.

Listening

Here's a podcast about volunteering. Volunteer Work. You'll hear the slow version first. Then, the idioms and special expressions are explained. Finally, it's read at a normal speed.

News - Motorcycle Washed up on Beach

 

Watch this newscast video :Harley found washed up on beach

Now, listen without the video and answer the questions.

1. Ikuo Yokoyama never expected to see his motorcycle again. a) True  b)  False

2. What brand of motorcycle is it?
a) Yamaha    b) Harley Davidson    c) Kawasaki

3. The bike was found on a beach
a) near Vancouver     b) on Haida Gwaii      c) in Japan

4. The bike was found by an amateur beachcomber. What do you think "beachcomber" means?
a) a person who searches for things on a shore  b) a person who lives near a beach
c) a person who is paid to clean a beach

5. How was the owner found?
a) by the bike's license plate number  b) by the bin number of the container  c) we don't know

6. Ikuo lost his bike in the tsunami. What else did he lose? _____________ and ___________________.

7. The bike will be shipped back to Japan and repaired by
a) the owner         b) the motorcycle manufacturer    c) the government

8. Ikuo feels
a) grateful    b) excited    c) depressed

9. Will he ride his motorcycle again? a) Probably    b) Probably not

10. How do you feel about this story? Please leave a comment below.

Idioms - A Drop in the Ocean

Learning idioms isn't easy, because there are thousands and thousands of them. Here are 20 idioms about nature. It's only a drop in the ocean, I know, but it's a start!

Idioms based on nature Click on the idiom to read the full explanation.
Quiz 1
Quiz 2
Now, make your own sentences with five new idioms that you have learned.

Weekend Events

What are you up to this weekend? Here are some ideas...

Book Sale

The Vancouver Public library is holding their spring book sale at the Central Branch. Books range in price from $0.75 to $2.00. There are  lots of children's books too. Click here for more information VPL

Thursday, Apr. 26  10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Friday, Apr. 27      10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, Apr. 28   10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday, Apr. 29     12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Plant Sale

Van Dusen's annual plant sale is this Sunday. It's a great opportunity to buy plants, or to visit the gardens. Admission is free on this day. The gardens open at 10 a.m., but avid gardeners will probably start lining up by 6 a.m. to get the first choice of the 40,000 plants that are for sale. If you are just going to tour the gardens, it might be best to take the bus, otherwise it may be difficult to find parking.

5251 Oak Street (37th & Oak St.)

Click here for more details VanDusen 

OWL Open House

OWL is an organization that rescues and rehabilitates birds of prey, such as eagles, hawks and owls. This weekend is their free open house, where you can get a behind-the-scenes tour of the bird hospital.

Where: 3800 72 Avenue

Date: Saturday April 29th & Sunday April 29th, 2012

Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information visit OWL

Field Trip to Stanley Park

Although the weather doesn't look promising, I'm still really looking forward to our field trip to Stanley Park. Julie, our naturalist guide from the Stanley Park Ecology Society is going to talk about:

-   the importance of Stanley Park to people and to the environment

-   the forest and wetland ecosystems in Stanley Park

-   historical presence of native peoples in the Park

-   examples of how native people used the resources of nature

-   the beavers at Beaver Lake

-   spring birds

-   trees - how to identify the three main conifer species

-   whatever else may come up

 What to wear

-  Wear comfortable shoes or boots that you feel comfortable walking in for an hour.
-  Be prepared to walk on uneven ground and to step into mud and puddles.
-  Do not wear sandals.
-  Wear warm clothing, as it is cooler in the forest.
-  Bring an umbrella
-  You do not need to bring pen or paper

Have fun!

So or such?

Review quizzes for SO and SUCH  Quiz 1  Quiz 2

Invitations

Level 4 AM class

A summer get-together with friends

Review the language we use for extending, accepting and declining invitations.
 Would you like to come over?

Unfortunately, the website for the invitations doesn't seem to be working on some computers. Please leave a comment below to let me know if you were able to do the exercises.

Here are some useful expressions you can use for making, accepting and refusing invitations. I copied these from the lists you made in class, and I added a few more.

Making Invitations

- We're having a few people over. We'd like you to join us.
- I was wondering if you'd like to come over.
- We're holding a small get-together. Would you like to come?
- Would you like to come over?
- I'd like to invite you to my house.
- I hope you can make it.
- I'd like to invite you over for coffee.

Accepting Invitations

- We'd love to come.
- That's really nice. I'm sure my husband would like that. We'd love to come.
- I appreciate the invitation. What can I bring?
- That sounds great! Thanks for inviting me.
- I'm looking forward to it.
- Can I bring anything?
- What time should I be there?
- Let me know if I can bring anything.

Declining Invitations

- Sorry, I'd love to come, but I'm busy.
- I'd love to come, but I can't make it.
- I'd like to, but I have a meeting that day.
- I wish I could come, but I have an appointment.
- Thanks for thinking of me, but I'm afraid I have other plans that day.

Hesitating

- Thanks, but I have to check my calendar. Can I get back to you?
- I'm not sure what my plans are. Can I let you know?

Avoiding Jet Lag

Watch the video.

Questions:

1. What is the purpose of this video?

a) request

b) advice

c) invitation

2. Who is this video for?

a) travellers

b) students

c) hamsters

Watch the video again. This time, number the steps in the order you hear them:

a)  _____ Fly west instead of east.

b)  __1__  Adjust your schedule by an hour or two a few days before your trip.

c)  _____  Put on your sunglasses near the end of your flight, and for the first few hours after you arrive.

d)  _____ Wear loose, comfortable clothing.

e)  _____ Cut down on fat, salt, sugar and coffee, and eat more fruits and vegetables before your trip.

f)  _____  Set your watch to the new time zone as soon as you get on the plane. Pretend it’s already that time.

g)  _____  Avoid caffeine and alcohol while you’re flying.

h)  _____ Don’t nap. Try to exercise and get out into the sun instead.

Airplane Travel

Vocabulary Practise:  Airplane Travel

Listening: Airport Announcements
- Listening Exercises
-Quiz.

Listening: Travel Arrangements
- Listening Exercises
- Mixed-Up Sentence
- Sentence and Vocabulary Matching
- Test Completion Quiz

Here's one more: Airport Information

Travelling Experiences

Review: Listen again to the conversation about travelling experiences we heard in class today. Do exercises 1-4.

Travelling Experiences

Up time America! Watch this YouTube video.  How many idioms are there with "UP"? Write down a few of them and bring them to class on Monday.

Here is the transcript of the video Up Time America transcript

Intersection Safety




a T-bone steak

 

A T-bone collision



How are these similar?

Vocabulary

Crackdown - strict enforcement of a law

Red light runner - driver who goes through red lights

T-bone collision - a collision in which the side of one vehicle is hit by the front end of another

Watch this YouTube video about Intersection Safety

Copy these sentences and fill in the blanks as you listen:

1. Soon there will be __________ red light cameras throughout BC.

2. If you run a red light, you could be fined $______.

3. Running a red light  causing a  T-bone  collision is one of the most ___________ collisions that can cause _________ or _________ injuries to people in a vehicle.

4. More than _______ of all pedestrian-involved collisions occur at _________________.

Why is it important to be cautious at intersections? _____________________________________________________________

Driving Idioms

Watch on YouTube Driving Idioms
1. in the driver's seat
2. a back seat driver
3. a Sunday driver

Listening: Getting pulled over  Traffic Ticket

Crime vocabulary review: Phrasal Verbs - Crime

Quiz: Tag Questions