@elp, Issue 8 (September 2017)

@elp MAGAZINE

Issue 8 September 2017

A summary of the academics, activities and accomplishments at the English Language Program

Part of the ELP Community — David Quispe • Why We Volunteer Summer Activities at the ELP • Making the Most of Summer — Visiting Groups

@elp MAGAZINE

Issue 8 September 2017

EDITOR & DESIGN Dan Pinese

STAFF CONTRIBUTORS Sara Bolourchian Christopher Chipman Stephanie Davis Marina Eskander Tiffany He Edith Krohmalnik Rosa Leo Douglas Orme Mio Otsuka Christopher Penaranda Jessica Pinheiro Da Silveira Karen Thomson Effie Touchings Eileen Wu

CONTENTS 6

PART OF THE ELP COMMUNITY Former ELP student, David Quispe, discusses what the ELP has to offer

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SUMMER NUMBERS The figures don’t lie: ELP students took Toronto by storm this summer

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CHANGE OF SCENERY

SUMMER ACTIVITIES AT THE ELP

Yujiro Nakamura found positive change when he stepped outside his comfort zone

The city and the University of Toronto have so much to offer the adventurous student

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ELP Volunteer Organizer and Cultural Assistant, Jessica Pinheiro Da Silveira, explains why she volunteers and why you should too

Though only here for a short time, students from visiting universities pack in the fun as well as the studies

WHY WE VOLUNTEER

MAKING THE MOST OF SUMMER

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ELP students explain what donating their time gives them in return

Academic English students respond to guest lecturers who visited this past summer

BUILDING CONNECTIONS

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE WHILE HAVING FUN Volunteer CIBC Run for the Cure Director, Elizabeth Dempsey, remembers the difference ELP volunteers have made

GUEST SPEAKERS

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GRAFFITI ALLEY English PLUS students pick their favourite piece of Toronto street art

accomplishments

PART

of the ELP

COMMUNITY

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Former student, David Quispe, attributes his success to getting involved.

By: Dan Pinese David Quispe is a former Academic English student at the English Language Program (ELP).

After successfully completing the English requirement for the University of Toronto at the ELP and applying to graduate studies in engineering, he started the Master’s in Mechanical Engineering this fall. He is also a Cultural Assistant at the ELP.

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ince he was a child growing up in Ecuador, David had always wanted to study abroad. So, while working as an engineer in the oil and gas industry, he saved up, thought about his options, and decided to study in Canada with the goal of pursuing graduate studies at the University of Toronto.

His journey to Toronto began with an email to the ELP. Then, during an education fair in Ecuador, he had a face-toface meeting with an ELP Staff member where he learned about the ELP and the University. After being given a visa to study in Canada, a year later, David was

“

I tried to be active and use all the resources available to me at the ELP. I am thankful I used these resources, like volunteering—it got me over the nerves of speaking English and encouraged me to speak with Canadians. in-class, studying Academic English.

While at the ELP, David was very active outside the classroom, accumulating over 60 hours of volunteer work and attending many of the social activities on offer. According to David, this helped him not only in meeting other students but also improving his English.

“I tried to be active and use all the resources available to me at the ELP. I am thankful I used these resources, like volunteering.

They got me over the nerves of speaking English and encouraged me to speak with Canadians. I was nervous at first but I became very comfortable,” he said.

“Also, the excursions and

activities help you make new friends because you meet students from other classes and levels when you go and because you are from different countries, English is the common language.

You share this and become friends and part of a community very fast.”

After his studies, David wants to work in Canada for a few years.

But, the plan has always been to return to Ecuador.

“I want to go back to my country and maybe become a designer or open a factory. I want to give back to my country,” he said.

But in the meantime, he is focussed on his studies, which he is approaching with confidence in his English to which he credits his experience and study at the ELP. “I met all the international students in my program but I feel like I have an advantage because they are nervous speaking because they have just recently arrived. But I’ve been here a year and I am not nervous anymore because I went to the ELP. “

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accomplishments

CHANGE OF SCENERY

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ujiro Nakamura, a former ELP student. After finishing his studies, he decided to stay in Toronto. In this interview, Yujiro discusses his experience at the English Language Program (ELP) and his plans for the future.

Could you briefly describe yourself: your goals, previous education, past work experience, and how you arrived here in Toronto, at the ELP? The life I spent in Japan before I arrived here was mostly similar with a typical Japanese one. After my graduation from university, I started to work in bridal industry where I worked for almost 10 years. After, I felt some kinds of struggles, such as where I was living, what I could do, what I should do and what I want to do in the future. Then I decided to come to Toronto to expand my points of view, have new experiences, see what was happening outside of the place I was used to, and improve my English. The experiences that I have been having in Toronto have surprised me, shocked me and also have given me lots of inspiration for figuring out my future.

Why did you choose the ELP?

Former ELP student, Yujiro Nakamura, found positive change when he stepped outside his comfort zone.

Interview by: Mio Otsuka

I chose to study at the ELP at the University of Toronto because I wanted to study in a high-quality and welleducated academic setting. Now, I am satisfied very much with that decision.

The ELP has passionate teachers, well-structured curriculum and highlymotivated students. Everything encouraged and pushed me up to study hard in challenging environment.

What have you been up to, after studying at ELP? How did the ELP help prepare you for the world outside of school?

I am trying to be as active as possible and enjoy my life in Toronto. I am

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currently working full time as a marketer at an ESL school and counselor for Japanese students. I also work part time at a local-independent coffee shop as a barista on the weekends. I volunteer as a teaching assistant for Japanese language classes at the University of Toronto as well as at other organizations. Finally, I volunteer at Evergreen. This is my favourite place in Toronto.

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The days that I spent at the ELP made me a more interactive person. Now I feel that my way of thinking has changed dramatically and positively. I feel that everything I am interested in doing is a possibility and it deserves to be pursued.

Sometimes I miss the days I spent at the ELP and I think that I should have kept studying, so I am going to take some courses at the School of Continuing Studies, starting in September.

I had already been independent before I came to Toronto. Although, the days that I spent at the ELP made me a more interactive person. Now I feel that my way of thinking has changed dramatically and positively. I feel that everything I am interested in doing is a possibility and it deserves to be pursued.

What does your future hold? What are you going to do 10 years from now?

One of the inspirations I had in Toronto has been encouraging me to continue studying and now I am interested in adult education. Therefore, I am thinking about applying to Master’s degree program at the University of Toronto.

Also I would like to help people who are struggling with their future, like I was. So studying psychology could be helpful for accomplishing what I want to do. Also, I am considering applying for permanent residence status.

What positive experiences or memories from the ELP stand out to you the most?

The days that I spent in Academic English were very intense and challenging for me because I had never studied English in an academic manner before. I stayed at the OISE building every day until around 10:00pm to finish my homework and prepare for the next day. Other classmates were at a higher level than me and I was on the bottom of my class, so I had to keep studying hard. This was a positive experience for me and what I expected to experience outside of Japan. Eventually, I was able to pass and finish my program and, as a result, I am proud of myself.

Do you have any advice for future or current students at the English Language Program?

If I could say something to them, I would tell them to keep focusing on why they came to Toronto and don’t forget what brought you here. You will have essential and ideal experiences for your life while being outside of your comfort zone. Also the things that you want to do will be changing every single day by interacting with others and the world. So that, the most important fact that I think is keeping in mind your goals. Then your life will be more colourful!

Do you have anything else to add?

I just want to give my appreciation to everyone who has been involved my life in Toronto; especially, Steve, Dorothy, Bill, Beverly and the other amazing instructors at the ELP. Also, thanks to Jessica for organizing the volunteering opportunities and to all my classmates and friends who I shared time with at the ELP. 9

WHY WE VOLUNTEER

By: Jessica Pinheiro Da Silveira, ELP Volunteer Organizer & Cultural Assistant

ELP Volunteer Organizer and Cultural Assistant, Jessica Pinheiro Da Silveira, explains why she volunteers and why you should too.

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From left to right: ELP students volunteering at the Toronto Waterfront 10K, the B&O Yokville 5K, Evergreen Brickworks, and Jays Care.

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very year the English Language Program (ELP) welcomes students from all over the world to the great campus and community of the University of Toronto.

Whether you are here for the first time or the fifth time, whether you are here for a month or twelve months, feeling comfortable and welcomed is one of the most important things for a successful experience. ELP provides the students with the opportunity to achieve that sense of belonging both inside and outside the classroom. Although meeting your peers in the classroom is one of the easiest ways to make friends, none of the friends I keep today are the ones I met in the classroom. Being a student in Canada goes beyond the classroom experience; it is about stepping outside of your comfort zone, trying new things, meeting new people and being a part of a community that you help create. For me, the friends I made and the experience I got when I became involved with a community outside of the classroom are what makes this experience so worthwhile. ELP provides social activities every week to ensure that the students can meet other people from different places while doing something fun. When volunteering at the ELP, students participate in activities that provide them with a lot more than the fun of meeting other students. By participating every week in the volunteer meeting, a student gets the chance to meet other fellow volunteers, get to know the volunteer organizers and always be in the loop

about the major events happening across the city.

By joining volunteering activities, students can learn so much about this vibrant and multicultural community we have in Toronto with all the rewarding experience that volunteering offers.

The rewards of volunteering go beyond the hours you work or the reference letter you get, it benefits everybody involved. After the volunteering events, the students always come back to the volunteering community that they themselves have created. A community of like-minded people that get together to help each other not only grow academically but also personally and socially. A community that supports each other in going out there and supporting other communities within Toronto. A community I am proud to be a part of.

When I think of volunteering, I think of the students who come out every Wednesday for the meeting. I think of those who don’t mind waking up at 6:00am for those early morning shifts. Those of you who really make a difference.

I also think of those who I wish were here, who I know would make our small-knit community even better, those who I know sometimes are too scared to come. To those, I say: ELP has made me part of a community and I know that many students feel the same way. Being part of the volunteering at the ELP was one of the best decisions I made while at the ELP and I hope that you too will make that decision and join us.

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BUILDING CONNECTIONS ELP students reflect on what volunteering their time has given them in return.

By: Sara Bolourchian, ELP Volunteer Organizer & Cultural Assistant

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s part of experiential programing, the English Language Program (ELP) offers students the unique opportunity to interact with the community through participating in various engaging volunteering events. Every week, an overwhelmingly large group of interested students gather for a volunteer meeting. During this meeting, students are presented with a variety of upcoming activities which are outlined for them in detail.

Once informed of the responsibilities that each one entails, students are then asked to sign up for events that interest them. Certain events are more appropriate for English PLUS students, while others are more suitable for Academic English students. Our students are so enthusiastic to join in these efforts to give back to the community that often, the number interested in participating in these events exceeds the number of available spots. In such cases, a draw takes place to fairly determine which individuals can participate in the events.

The kind of volunteering events that ELP students participate in can be broadly divided into two categories: regular events and seasonal events. The regular events occur weekly as a part of our successful and lengthy relationship with certain, non-for profit organizations in the city including Evergreen Brickworks, Foodshare and the Scott Mission. These events provide students with hands-on experience in giving back to the community while at the same time providing them with an opportunity to cultivate their knowledge and practice of the English language. At the Evergreen Brickworks, students typically assist with the Garden Circle during all parts of the gardening process, from weeding and planting to taking care of the plants and finally harvesting the produce. At Foodshare, ELP students help with the sorting and packaging of fresh produce, thus helping

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Above: ELP volunteer Kawtar Ayachi at the Scott Mission

From left to right: ELP students volunteering at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Evergreen Brickworks, and Jays Care.

Foodshare achieve its mission of making healthy food accessible and affordable for everyone in the city. At the Scott Mission, students help serve food to the less fortunate, additionally helping out with the clothing bank. During the school year, ELP students also regularly help out with Blakestreet Public School’s breakfast program, and help ensure that these elementary school students have a healthy and nutritious start to their day.

For all of these weekly events, students make the effort to wake up extra early in the morning in order to make time in the day to volunteer before the start of their classes. Now that’s true dedication!

Aside from these weekly events, students also engage in other seasonal volunteering opportunities. In the summer, students have the chance to volunteer at a variety of festivals taking place in the city, like Buskerfest, Jazzfest, Arts in the Park, the Fort York Indigenous Art Festival, Beaches Latin Carnival, Dusk Dances, and etc., where they get to experience and learn about vibrant aspects of Canadian arts and culture. Marathons are also very popular events for our volunteers in the summertime.

This summer ELP students volunteered for the Ride to Conquer Cancer, the United Way Rat Race, the Waterfront 10K, and Chuck’s Run for Dystonia.

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Working as a volunteer has allowed me to build more meaningful connections with my classmates, as well as with the Cultural Assistants.

My best volunteering experience is with Scott mission, because we are in direct contact with people we are there to help. ­—ELP Volunteer, Kawtar Ayachi Our student’s enthusiasm and energy goes a long way in rejuvenating the spirits of runners and supporting them as they make it all the way to the finish line. During the fall and winter, ELP students are presented with opportunities to volunteer by selling 50/50 lottery tickets for sports organizations like Jays Care, Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment and Smilezone; half of all proceeds from these lottery sales go to charitable causes such as supporting recreational sports teams for less fortunate children in the community. These

events are great because not only do students get to practice their English, they also get to witness the city’s sports teams, like the Blue Jays, the Raptors and the Maple Leafs, in action!

Paulina Pernalete, is an ELP student with an outstanding record of more than 70 volunteering hours, who continued to participate in volunteering events even after she finished her course at the ELP. She describes her volunteering experience as follows: “Volunteering at ELP is really what made me feel more extroverted and confident in my speaking abilities. When you volunteer, you get to meet some amazing people who are willing to help you and you help them at the same time. By the end of the day, it is a win-win situation! It also helps you to keep improving your English during and after you finish your studies at ELP, it is a huge opportunity that you cannot miss! You’ll have so much fun!”

Kawtar Ayachi, another one of ELP’s outstanding volunteers, describes her experience volunteering at ELP as follows: “Working as a volunteer has allowed me to build more meaningful connections with my classmates, as well as with the cultural assistants. My best volunteering experience is with Scott mission, because we are in direct contact with people we are there to help.”

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activities

MAKING A DIFFERENCE ...while having fun

Volunteer CIBC Run for the Cure Director, Elizabeth Dempsey, remembers the difference ELP volunteers have made.

By: Elizabeth Dempsey, Volunteer Run Director, CIBC Run for the Cure

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t was only a few hours before our run site opened to over 10,000 participants. Our food tent needed to be set up. ASAP. Thankfully, we had a team of ELP students in charge of the project. Together, they came up with a new system for unpacking supplies that gave us back our most valuable resource that weekend: Time.

On October 2, 2016, The CIBC Run for the Cure was at the University of Toronto’s front 14

The ELP Blue Hat

campus for the seventh time. Before the community came together in their finest pink attire to raise money for breast cancer research and awareness, the Volunteer Logistics Team spent the weekend setting up the run site—from constructing signs, water stations, the food tent and so much more. There was no shortage of tasks to complete in a short window of time.

And we truly couldn’t have done it without the ELP and those blue hats you wear.

In fact, when we need a team of strong volunteers at any particular area around the site, you will hear the CIBC Run for the Cure Committee over the radio system requesting the volunteers with blue hats.

That’s you, ELP! For the past four years, ELP students have sent over 100 volunteers to help build our Run site, which is no small task. Blue Hats, your contribution to the community has made an incredible difference to the overall experience of CIBC Run for the Cure participants. And when I heard that this edition of @ elp is focussed on your interaction in the community, I was excited to share a few examples of how ELP students have made a big impact on the success of our event.

If you’ve been to King’s College Circle, you’ll notice that on the north-east side, there is a turnoff going east to Wellesley Street and one going north

to Hoskin Avenue. It’s at that turnoff where our participants go east to head to the 5-KM start line, or north to the 1-KM start line—one of our most congested areas. To manage traffic flow, we’ve tried many different approaches. We’ve tried barricades.

We’ve tried signs. But by far, our best solution was to have a team of ELP students form a cheer circle in the middle of the intersection. Together, they directed participants to the right start line while keeping them energized. There was dancing and directing happening all at once! It was effective, creative, and best of all, FUN! According to the latest data from Imagine Canada, the primary reason why people volunteer is to contribute to their communities (93%). As a volunteer Run Director for CIBC Run for the Cure, I am certainly motivated by that goal. Volunteering can also open so many other doors. It gives you an opportunity to practice being in a leadership role, to develop a new skill and to expand your circle of colleagues and friends. You can contribute, make new connections, learn and have fun!

So please continue all of your amazing work in Toronto’s community. And, while you’re at it, join us at University of Toronto again on October 1st for this year’s CIBC Run for the Cure—it wouldn’t be the same without you!

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STUDENTS FROM

SUMMER NUMBERS

All figures refer to the months of June, July, and August 2017

DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

enrolled at the ELP

one hundred eightyfour 148 150 in

324 162 ELP students visited Niagara Falls

ELP students cheered on the Toronto Blue Jays

ELP students went up the CN Tower

the number of experiential activities

92 16

171

days

102

ELP students rode the rollercoasters at Canada’s Wonderland

ELP students watched the sunset on the Boat Cruise

ELP students walked the halls of Casa Loma

127

sixtyseven

ELP students participated in volunteering

one thousand two hundred twenty-six

volunteer events attended

51 =

days of continuous volunteering

cumulative hours spent volunteering by ELP students

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the number of organizations ELP volunteered with 17

Summer Activities CASA LOMA Toronto is home to many historic sites and buildings with different architectural styles. Casa Loma is a great example of this. As time progresses, buildings become more and more modern, and the style of the past becomes more and more stark in comparison to the present day. This is why seeing a castle in the middle of the city causes awe and excitement among tourists and Torontonian residents alike.

During ELP’s visit to Casa Loma, we viewed the breathtakingly beautiful rooms that were once home to Sir Henry Mill Pellat, a Canadian financier and soldier. We also got to listen to the orchestra play classical music, which was a nice change from the music we usually listen to today. Seeing the interest and eagerness that the ELP students had for understanding more about the past and experiencing the culture of a different time period was enlivening. Many times, we get caught up in our present-day experiences that we do not take the time to understand the difference in how others experienced the world.

From its stunning architecture, to the sense of community it brings, Casa Loma is a must-see and I’m sure the students of ELP can agree.

—Marina Eskander, ELP Cultural Assistant CN TOWER Whether you’re visiting Toronto for a month, or you’ve lived here your entire life, the thrill that the CN Tower gives its visitors is like no other. The CN Tower is one of the tallest buildings in the world, standing at 553.3 meters high. Toronto is fortunate enough to have this observation building that is a signature characteristic of its city and skyline.

At the CN Tower, you get a view of the city and its vastness. In comparison, looking down at the people and cars that we encounter every day, we catch a glimpse of how small we really are in this big world.

If you’re afraid of heights, standing on the glass floor can get you one step closer to conquering that fear.

There is something to be appreciated even about the hustle and bustle of tourists at the CN Tower: we are all trying to admire the beauty that characterizes the city of Toronto. As we ride through the elevator to get to the top, we get a sense of limitlessness that we carry through with us after we have left the tower. And whenever we see a postcard or another generic photo of Toronto, we will always have the unique experience that we were once within those high tower walls.

—Marina Eskander, ELP Cultural Assistant

SOFTBALL AT FRONT CAMPUS Every Summer here at ELP our students take up gloves and bats as they represent the ELP Beavers in the University of Toronto’s intramural softball league. This is a fantastic experience for our students. They get to play one of Canada’s most popular sports in the heart of the St. George Campus. It’s here where our students display leadership and athletic ability. All our students are welcome to take a go at hitting and fielding. Our team is always a mixture of talent. Sometimes it’s made up of students who play baseball for their University Varsity teams. But we also have students who have never played softball. What’s most important is that our team has fun. As one of the team managers I can recall many times when rival teams have given us accolades, saying we were fun to play with and extremely friendly. We always surprise rival teams with our large team, so large sometimes that we can have a full cheering squad. I can honestly say that any prospective students at ELP should consider coming out to softball. We always have a good time.

— Christopher Penaranda, ELP Cultural Assistant

activities

MAKING THE MOST OF SUMMER

Though only here for a short time, students from visiting universities pack in the fun as well as the studies.

By: Mio Otsuka

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his summer, The English Language Program (ELP) welcomed many university groups from Japan and Hong Kong. Students from Chukyo University, Kobe Shinwa Women’s University, Kwansei Gakuin University, Meiji University, Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, Nihon University, and City University were here to not only study English but to experience many of the exciting activities that summer in Toronto has to offer.

The students had no time to lose and had a very busy month. They visited places like the CN Tower and Casa Loma after class, and, during the weekends, they enjoyed places such as Canada’s Wonderland and the Canadian National Exhibition. One of the students’ favourite activities was their visit to Niagara Falls. ELP went to Niagara Falls three times during the month of August. The trip to Niagara Falls begins with a two-hour bus ride that usually turns into a karaoke tournament, thanks to our energetic and talented Cultural Assistants. The students enjoy exploring Niagara-on-the-Lake before heading to the highlight of their day, sightseeing at Niagara Falls. The photos that were taken show that the students had a great time experiencing the dynamic and massive waterfalls.

Another popular activity at the ELP was going to a Toronto Blue Jays baseball game.

The students were able to see exciting games where the Blue Jays played against the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays. Many of the students wore Blue Jays shirts and caps, and some even had face painting done to show their support. Some of the students got lucky and were able to see Japanese baseball players too. For many students, this was their first time ever seeing a professional baseball game. I am sure that they have now become baseball fans for life.

We have no doubt that all of the students were able to enjoy their summer here in Toronto and make lasting memories and friends and hope that the students will come back and visit us at the ELP and our city again.

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activities

Kwansei Gakuin University T

By Edith Krohmalnik

his summer, ELP had the pleasure of hosting another wonderful group from Kwansei Gakuin University (KGU). We had the privilege of accompanying them on many group activities such as Niagara Falls, Blue Jays games, Casa Loma, the CN Tower, and their graduation dinner. It was amazing getting to know each and every one of them. Niagara Falls was particularly special; we loved seeing the students so impressed by a natural wonder! We enjoyed having them here, and we hope that they loved their experience in Toronto just as much. Here are what some KGU students said about their experience:

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“My best memory is Niagara Falls. They were so beautiful and like a shower. I visited a world heritage site for first time, so it’s a great experience for me.”

—Taichi Ilo

“I really enjoyed my stay in Toronto and especially the tour for Niagara Falls was enjoyable!”

—Eriko Ibi

“Through this study, I watched Niagara Falls for the first time and I was overwhelmed by the power.”

—Kaho Nishioka

“I love Canadian people because they are kind to me. I’ll never forget this experience!”

—Minami Kawamura

“My best memory in Canada is eating ice cream. I ate ice cream more than ten times in Canada. Canada’s ice cream was so delicious!

I wanna have Canada’s ice cream again!”

—Koki Tsukuda

“I played basketball with many Torontonians and became a good player!! Teachers and students of U of T, thank you for everything.”

“This program had class every day. We can always study English with a lot of new friends. It was good point for me. In addition, all ELP members gave us exciting programs.

Niagara day trip was one of the best memories for me.”

—Maki Kanehara

“Niagara Falls was natural wonder and I was moved to see it at very close. I had a lot of wonderful experiences that I couldn’t do in Japan.”

—Naoto Komatsu

—Ryotaro Tochio

“The place that left the biggest impression on me was the CN Tower. It’s a most famous spot in Toronto and the scenery from there was very beautiful.”

—Chihiro Umemura

“My best experience is Canada’s Wonderland.

It was really exciting. I’ve never ridden these roller coasters!”

—Ryota Jikukawa 23

activities

Nagoya University of Foreign Studies

By Jessica Pinheiro Da Silveira

T

his Summer I had the pleasure of accompanying the group from Nagoya University of Foreign Studies to their Niagara Falls and Wonderland Trips. The group that came this summer was very involved with the trips and certainly unique!

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Niagara Falls August 12th, 2017 It was a beautiful Saturday morning when we met the students and chaperones for our Niagara Falls Trip. Our first stop was at Niagara-on-theLake where they were hosting their annual peach festival. The streets were filled with vendors selling various peach products and the whole town was ecstatic! The Hornblower tour is one of the most beautiful things to do in Niagara Falls.

The group stayed together and all enjoyed getting soaked from the strength of the falls!

Later in the day the students had the option to go to the Niagara Outlet Mall for some shopping and unbelievably all of them decided to go! It was great to see them trying to fit all their shopping bags on the bus later. Overall, this was a great trip, with great weather and great people!

Canada’s Wonderland August 20th, 2017 Another beautiful day spent together with this amazing group! We gathered early at the ELP Lobby and together headed to take the Wonderland bus. We played games on the bus and anxiously waited for the first sight of the amusement park. Their anticipation was contagious and the excitement was unmistakable! Many students went prepared for the water park and had a great splash on that hot summer day.

The park was not as full as it usually is for a Sunday which made wait times and walking around a lot more enjoyable! It was a long and fun day spend at the park and I hope the students had as much fun as I did with them at Wonderland!

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Guest Speakers: Life After the ELP By: Academic English (Level 50)

In August, Academic English students in level 50 welcomed three former ELP students to their class. There, they discussed their experiences after they finished their studies at the ELP. After, students were asked to comment.

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This project was very beneficial to me. They’ve had experiences studying at OISE and we are here too. So, I was motivated to study hard after I met them. Also, I had good time with them.

Most interesting is that most of them felt it hard studying English at the beginning same as us.

Thank you so much.

—AIRI SHOZEN Dear Niloufar, your experience encourages me to continue learning English. If I will study a Master’s or Ph.D. program in Canada, I will face a situation that all classmates are native speakers.

I think I will feel panic about the fact that I won’t understand everything. I believe I will be better due to your story. Dear David, thank you for sharing your big challenge in the beginning of the ELP. I do not have family and friends staying in Canada. Because of your experience, I have learned how to live along and enjoy learning life.

It is a process.

—HSIANG-YA SHAO

They gave us some advice on during and after ELP, it was truly useful to us. Their experiences helped us to have confidence, and they exerted efforts to answer our questions.

Especially, it was nice for me to listen to how they overcame their difficulties. I hope to see them again. Thank you very much!

—KAHEE JEONG

Thank David, Paulina and Niloufar for sharing their stories. I was encouraged by those stories very much. I remembered that Niloufar told us that she couldn’t do reading, writing and speaking very well when she came here first time. But when she finished this program, she could do very well. And she always got a grade in her class now. They told us how they practiced and improved their English skills also. Therefore, I can compare with my methods to do more better. I`m looking forward to be more better than now in the future.

—MARCO LIN

I learned many important things as a international student from them. Also, I thought important things like how to overcome my problems and not to be afraid of speaking English. My progress of English speaking skills has slowed down recently, so I really worry about it. However, thanks to them, I got more motivation for this studying abroad. Thank you so much, David, Paulina and Niloufar.

—TAMAMI KOBAYASHI

Hi Steve and Laura, First of all, I would like to thank you for giving us a chance to talk with those who have studied at the ELP. All of them showed us their experiences while studying at the ELP and how they then succeeded in their scientific life.

I was so happy to meet them and hear them share their experiences and the challenges while they studied English.

Actually, that day they were the focus of inspiration and encouragement to us.

Thank you.

—SHAMS GHAZWANI

This experience is very useful for me because I gained confidence after I listened to their stories. I also feel I want to be like them because their English is so good. I think I want to talk in English and improve my English more than before I listened to their story!

—Kohei Ishigaki

This was such a great day.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the discussion.

We learned how to face the challenges with confidence as we heard how others dealt with similar challenges. Also we learned that practice is required to succeed. So, we have to keep practicing until we get what we want.

—BARAKAH ALMUZAYEN I benefited from this project and I was so glad to interview David, Paulina and Niloufar.

They encouraged us and gave us some useful advice to learn and improve our English. I was surprised with Niloufar’s experience because she said when she came to Toronto she could not write any sentence or read anything. However, now she is studying a PhD. at the University of Toronto.

—RUAH AL KHUDAIDY

27

Guest Speakers: Passages Canada By: Academic English (Level 60)

As a part of Academic English (Level 60), the English Language Program invited three guest speakers—Kevin Vuong, Assiatou Diallo, and Henry Agassi— from Passages Canada, a storytelling initiative where volunteers share their personal stories of cultural identity, to discuss Identity, Immigration, Success and the Canadian Experience. As an exercise after the lectures, students were asked to share their thoughts.

How they handled obstacles and change and still achieved their goals in life and became successful was so impressive. Mr. Agassi, in his early age, faced difficulties in identifying his own character or personality, but he did not stop.

He decided to carry on and not let these barriers hold him behind. He became successful and accepted himself. He kept learning and changed his career to one that he loved.

Ms. Diallo was a strong woman and it was fascinating to hear her tell her story and the struggle she went through. And now her son is growing up and she started her own successful business.

As a student who is looking to enhance my personality and the methods of learning and the way of thinking about this life, I believe that nothing is impossible but there is an amount of pain that has to taken to gain what is worth achieving.

—SULAIMAN GHAZWANI

Ms. Diallo and Mr. Agassi’s stories inspired me in a particular way. On the one hand, I am very impressed with the bravery of Ms. Diallo.

Although she went through many struggles, she never gave up. Also, being a single mother did not prevent her from building her own businesses. She is a great example of resilience for me.

On the other hand, Mr. Agassi reminded me of some advice my mom used to give me: “Whenever you are facing hard times or you feel like you are lost, always remember where you come from, what your destination is and what is your purpose.” These three simple questions are very meaningful, regardless of who you are. ­—SARAH SAILA MBENGI

Kevin Vuong

Assiatou Diallo

Henry Agassi After listening to Ms. Diallo and Mr. Agassi’s response, I learned that when I try something new, I cannot give up and need to be confident. Ms. Diallo and Mr. Vuong both had some problems after they came to Canada.

However they are not knocked down by difficulty. Ms. Diallo was a single mother when she came to Canada.

At first, she could not speak English well and it was difficult to find a work. But she never gave up and she started a company by herself. I think it is a good example for me.

On the other hand, Mr. Agassi is graduate on McMaster University. He is a good business man and he reminds me that don’t need to feel nervous when you face problems. He thinks it is your life and you should be proud of yourself.

—RENYU WANG Ms. Diallo and Mr. Agassi gave me marvelous lectures.

I appreciate that they shared their experiences with us even though there were painful ones.

Although they faced fundamental obstacles such as crisis of identity, bullying, depression or poverty, they did not give up and kept challenging themselves to overcome difficulties.

I also empathized with them because I face similar difficulties right now. Ms. Diallo immigrated here without any support to make a living. She needed to survive here by herself. Although Mr. Agassi suffered from his identity because of his background, he did not give up to find the answer who he is. Now I’m preparing for immigration. I have no Japanese relatives in Canada and I don’t have an ability to work here right now. Sometimes I feel loneliness and ask myself about my identity. So their stories encouraged me not to give up and survive here.

Again, I am delighted to meet them. Their existence is a wish for me.

—YUMIKO HAYASHI First of all, I had the opportunity to listen to Mr. Agassi and Ms. Diallo. What I learned about Mr. Agassi is how he never forgot where he came from. He repeated this many times and I think it is truly important.

Something that surprised me is that he never stopped dreaming even when he had difficulties while growing up. Mr. Agassi inspired me when he said that being an immigrant is not a bad thing and that we should be proud of representing our countries and as I said before, never forget where we come from.

As for Ms. Assiatou, her talk was very emotional.

She told us her story about how and why she came here to Canada and in what conditions she was in when she came. It is very inspiring to hear how she kept going, just like Mr. Agassi, and I think that was the most important thing I learned from both of them: how they never gave up on their dreams.

—DIANA CABARCAS

I choose this graffiti because it is very funny. This character is called “TOKYOMON” and similar to “Pikachu”, which is popular character in Japan.

Color of the body is yellow. I think this is funny because the original character “Pikachu” should have strong justice.

However, “TOKYOMON” has no justice but strong desire.

—JO

I chose this photo because it makes me feel that I am in Mexico. It reminds me of soccer because in Mexico the eagle is a symbol. I think the artist worked on their skills for a long time because it is very difficult to paint on a wall.

—RAÚL

Graffiti Alley

English PLUS students pick their favourite piece of Toronto street art

I took this picture that I find interesting.

It describes the world in the sea. The reason I chose it is that it is only picture that uses the entire building wall.

Additionally, it uses many colors and the painting is very delicate. It makes me feel as if I were in the sea.

-UKYO

I chose this photo because it makes me feel energetic. In this graffiti, there is the CN tower, there is a deer, which is symbol of Toronto. And also a dinosaur blowing fire and the aircraft in the graffiti are dynamic. I think the artist loves Toronto so much to create such a cool graffiti.

—NENE 30

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM 252 Bloor Street West, Suite 4-106 Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1V6 e: learn.english@utoronto.ca w: learn.english.utoronto.ca SCHOOL OF CONTINUING STUDIES 158 St. George Street Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2V8 t: 416.978.2400 f: 416.978.6666 e: learn@utoronto.ca w: learn.utoronto.ca

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