world of words April 2013, issue 81
“The English Language Program’s student magazine – a compilation of the Winter session’s highlights, student opinions and other features.”
Photo Contest 2013
I Love Canada
Sharing Life
Winter Camping at YMCA Wanakita
world of words
inside this issue
“City Scene” by Faisal Alhebshi, 1st Place Winner (City of Toronto Category) 2013 ELP Photo Contest
Feature Articles Sharing Life 5
How Much Money Did You Spend Today 41
I Love Canada 6
You’ve Got Talent/LapPrint 42
ELP Photo Contest 8
Air Pollution 43
Winter Camping at YMCA Wanakita 14
Student Life Student Opinion
The Sunshine City, Orillia 44
Advanced Academic Skills Students 20
Shared Moments 46
Dongguk University Students 30
The University Application Program 48
Kwansei Gakuin University Students 32
Being a Successful Graduate Student 50
Animal Testing/Diversity 33
The Volunteer Experience Program 52
Dream/Educating Women 34
English Outside the Classroom 54
Different Education Systems 35
Great Canadian Inventors 56
Halal Food 36
Coffee Chat 58
The Worst Traffic Congestion 37
Thoughts on... Awkward Silence 59
The Various Types of Students 38
Awesome Food Trucks in Toronto 60
The Boundaries of Freedom 39
From Rink to Court 62
The Not So Great Dictator 40
Darren’s Music Corner 64 Sharing My Toronto 66 Ask Rosa 67 Disclaimer:
Due to our diverse student population, we receive many opinion-based articles relating to global and current affairs. The views expressed in this magazine are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the English Language Program. The English Language Program does not endorse, represent or warrant the quality of products or companies mentioned within.
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ELP Director’s Message April 2013 Dear all, I am writing to you on the first day of spring and here in Toronto it is still snowing! This year’s Winter seems like it doesn’t want to give up. Over these past months our students have endured one of the longest, coldest, snowiest seasons we have had in recent memory and in this issue of World of Words Magazine (available in hardcopy as well as online) they show that winter in Canada is not something to be afraid of, it’s something to celebrate! In this issue we hear from the adventurous students who braved the Winter Camping trip, taking full advantage of the deep snow found in northern Ontario; snowshoeing and skiing though the countryside. Also our cover shot, taken by Academic English student Faisal Alhabashi, shows one of the most popular extracurricular events this semester: ice skating at the Toronto Harbourfront Centre. This semester we held the first Wintertime ELP Photo Contest and the response from students was amazing. They really showed us the beauty of Canada while it is blanketed in snow. Likewise, Jingyi Wang, a student from ICBC taking Academic English, lures us to explore the winter wonderland in Orillia, Ontario which he visited during the special U of T program “Learn to Love Winter Weekend in Orillia”. While back in Toronto, students in our Volunteer Experience Program offered a little warmth this winter by knitting a quilt to donate to Blankets for Canada. They shared their experiences with WoW. Stay warm and remember that spring is just around the corner, Sherry Yuan Hunter Executive Director, English Language Program University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies
Christopher Chipman, Editors and Layout Design Darren Rigo Bibian Aguirre, Sana Ali, Maxine Bower, Megan Chen, Lily Choi, Staff Contributors Andrea Cuellar-Aleman, Erik Dean, Jennifer Harris, Kimberley Hindy, Rosa Leo, Lily Meshadiyeva, Becky Smith, Victoria Young, Cindy Zhou
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“Untitled” by David Rubio Gomes, Runner Up (Most Canadian Photo) 2013 ELP Photo Contest
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Sharing Life By Mohammed Jabarti of Saudi Arabia Level 60 Academic English
W
hen I first met my classmates in the English Language Program, I thought that we were worlds apart, distant by walls with no means of communication; I thought to myself : “What do I have to offer to others? Would they be interested to know about me? Would they dream the same? Am I going to laugh with them?”. It is really one of the pleasures of life to connect with that much of uniqueness in every single one of us. The labels we hang on others have no meaning, we “think” that we know each other, but do we? Everyday I wake up looking forward to meeting my classmates and I remind myself that I still don’t understand much about life, that maybe I hear a story that would add to my life, a quote can expand my perception, we are a meeting of worlds and civilizations. We share something really deep: our humanity. We love music, we miss our families, we long for love, we suffer for the pain of others, we connect, we all just want to live. By looking at our interactions, I truly feel hope for mankind, because we still have room for each other. The light of humanity shines inside of you, and we must spread the light in the world. As long as we are able to connect and communicate, we can still share. For that, I thank the English language. A bridge I found to meet with those many other consciousness was the English language. With all gratitude: thank you English and thank you Canada. Let us take this shared times with us in our journeys, let us surf our adventurous lives remembering that we once met, we shared a meal, we played a game, we laughed at a joke, we created memories. To all of you, thank you for sharing LIFE.
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I
Love
Canada By Ayumi Nakamura of Japan, Level 50 Academic English
Visiting student from Kobe Shinwa Women’s University
Dear Canada, Finally, it is time to say goodbye to you. But before we become separated, I want to tell you about the reasons why I love you.
confidence to participate in volunteering activities and to perform music in front of an audience. Spending time attaining these memories has become unforgettable.
The first reason why I love you is that you gave me plenty of opportunities to widen my perspective on life. With you, I was able to experience how beautiful nature could be. For example, walking on the red and yellow maple leaves in autumn, or looking at thousands of stars in your endless night sky. I was very impressed by these experiences. Another reason is because you showed me so many different cultures, so that this exposure to culture taught me a different way of learning and different way of thinking. Clearly, this has had enormous benefits for me. Being with you has given me
But most of all, the principal reason why I love you is that you gave me the chance to encounter many great friends. All the friends who I met in Canada are kind and clever. I have found that they are also highly motivated, which in turn influenced me. I respect them. I had never thought that I would get to laugh and smile with people from foreign lands. Thanks to them, I was able to have fun and experience new things with great company. Moreover, they changed me in some ways more than I had imagined possible. They improved me a lot. They guided me in the right direction. They made my life in
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Canada more radiant. I am so lucky and happy to have had spent time together with them. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. Oh Canada, I will miss you so much, but I know we will meet again someday. Thank you for your hand in making me the person I am today. I am proud of myself not only because I have made all these irreplaceable friends and memories, but because I was able to learn so much about you. You are a beautiful, fantastic, and amazing country. All of these reasons are why I love you. See you soon! Love, Ayumi
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English Language Program
Photo Contest
2013
Shota Inoue of Japan 1st Place Winner Fatemah Alhussain of Saudi Arabia 2nd Place Winner “Niagara Falls�
Contest Category: Most Canadian Photo
issue 81, April 2013
Manoel Dias Ribeiro of Brazil 3rd Place Winner
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Contest Category: International Experiences
David Wu of China 1st Place Winner (tied) “Church�
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issue 81, April 2013
Randa Haneef of Saudi Arabia 1st Place Winner (tied)
Amanda Fabrin of Brazil 3rd Place Winner “Campfire”
Atsushi Taniyama of Japan 2nd Place Winner “In Fukui” 11
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Contest Category: City of Toronto
Faisal Alhabashi of Saudi Arabia 1st Place Winner
Shota Inoue of Japan 3rd Place Winner
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Faisal Alhabashi of Saudi Arabia 3rd Place Winner
David Rubio Gomes of Venezuela 2nd Place Winner
Winter Camping
at YMCA Wanakita
By Darren Rigo and Sana Ali, ELP Cultural Assistants
On March 8th, twenty ELP students woke up bright and early to embark on an adventure they would never forget. Sleeping bags were distributed and the luggage loaded as we excitedly piled into the bus. A three and a half hour drive lay ahead, but equipped with lots of sandwiches, juice, playing cards, a guitar, and pillows, we were ready for the scenic route. With a final goodbye to city life, we were off! Our welcome at Camp Wanakita was warm and it set the stage for what would be three fun-filled, actionpacked days. Whether we were indulging in delicious buffet-style meals, challenging ourselves with new winter sports and activities, or building relationships sitting around a campfire telling spooky stories over s’mores, there was always something wonderful and rejuvenating happening at Camp Wanakita. The intensity and pressures of urban life melted away as we lost ourselves in the magic of those moments; reveling in the brilliance of the star-lit sky while lying atop a frozen lake, howling like wolves at a full moon in the inky blackness of the forest, sticking out our tongues to catch a few drops of the precious liquid that oozed from the sugar maple, hurling snowballs and then running wildly for cover as someone came for revenge. How could one feel so warmed on the inside when everything is frozen outside? Little by little, self-consciousness deteriorated, and we felt young and carefree again, continuing our games late into the night. Sleep could wait for another time, for there was too much fun to be had, and it brought with it its own kind of revitalization. On Sunday afternoon, we piled into the bus once more, this time bruised and weary, and as the scattering of barns and snowcapped trees gave way to the cacophony of traffic and city-dwellers, the past days seemed like a faraway dream—a wondrous dream that had filled us all with a new sense of peace and contentment, and for some, the desire to return at the very next opportunity!
Cross-Country Skiing Much more strenuous than its downhill equivalent, cross country skiing is one of the few endurance sports that utilize all of you major muscle groups. This is because when you cross country ski you use both your legs and arms equally to propel yourself forward. The sport originated in Scandinavia as a means of transportation across the snowy landscape that would be impossible on foot. In Canada it is most popular as a recreation sport to get exercise or to take in the winter scenery. Even in deep snow, the long skis spread out your weight so you can move efficiently across the top of the snow. Just remember to stretch all your muscles afterwards or you will be very sore. Just ask some of our campers.
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High Ropes When you think of winter activities, high ropes is one that definitely does not come to mind. However, because it offers a challenge for seasoned and greenhorn campers alike, it is a camp staple in all seasons. High ropes is essentially a vertical obstacle course that challenges your individual climbing ability and your ability to work together as a team. First you strap yourself into a climbing harness and helmet, and then you attach the harness to the safety rope. On the other end of the rope you have a three-person belay team. You must communicate with your belay team before you climb by asking, “On Belay?” and, “May I climb?” The obstacle we were climbing was a teeter-totter. Two people would climb together and balance each other’s weight to hit two buckets at the ends of the teeter-totter. After you hit the bucket, you have to be lowered down to the ground and then join the belay team for the next climber.
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Snow Shoeing Functioning in a similar fashion to cross-country skis, snow shoes were used by Canada’s indigenous peoples to traverse across the top of deep snow. Traditional snow shoes are still made in Canada. They consist of a strip of wood bent into a hoop and sinew or leather woven in the middle with straps for your feet. Some have a tail that drags to help you keep your snowshoe straight. Some are built longer for open tundra and others are short and round for wooded areas. They are not as fast as cross country skis but they are much easier to turn around in and make walking in the dense forest easier.
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issue 81, April 2013
Igloo Building
“Untitled� by Amanda Fabrin, Runner Up (Most Canadian Photo) 2013 ELP Photo Contest
Igloos were traditionally built by the Inuit in the far north of Canada. To build an igloo you need a very particular quality of compact snow that allows you to cut it into blocks. This kind of snow occurs commonly in the Arctic but very rarely in Ontario. This year at Winter Camping we were lucky enough to have this quality of snow and a few students decided to challenge themselves to construct one. Using just our hands and feet we cut enough blocks from the snow to jigsaw together a shelter that could seat nine people inside! Because snow is a great insulator, our bodies heated the inside so warm we could wear t-shirts! It was amazing!
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Maple Syrup To make maple syrup you must tap trees for sap. To tap trees for sap you must have nighttime temperatures well below freezing and daytime temperatures above freezing. March is the ideal time to get these temperatures. This was our first Winter Camping trip that happened in March (due to being snowed out in February) and it was our first time to get to make our own maple syrup! We found maple trees by identifying their bark, drilled holes and added taps and buckets. After a few hours we collected the sap from the buckets; we had about four litres. We boiled the sap on a fire to reduce it to syrup. After about two hours on the fire we had enough maple syrup for everyone to have just one spoonful. With so much work for so little syrup we understood why maple syrup is so expensive‌ but it was so delicious!
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Photos by Amanda, Hillary and Chris
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world of words
Advanced Academic Skills Students Some of the students taking Adanced Academic Skills with Instructor Kimberley Hindy, discuss their academic backgrounds and research interests.
“My ambition is to be a University professor who has a strong influence on her students and community.”
Ohoud Saad Alhammad of Saudi Arabia
O
houd Alhammad is a Saudi scientist who has an honours bachelor degree in Community Health Sciences in the field of Health Education from King Saud University in Riyadh (2008). She completed a one-year internship with competency to practice health education (2009). She also has two and a half years of teaching experience since she worked as a teaching assistant in a Health Education program in the College of Applied Medical Sciences at the same university. As a teaching assistant, she was granted a scholarship to pursue her masters and PhD degrees. Mrs. Alhammad has written many publications that educate society about different health issues such as spina bifida, and breast cancer. Moreover, she organized a considerable number of awareness days and workshops that concentrated on two things: community health education and health education professional empowerment. She volunteered to supervise and coordinate the Health Education Student Club in King Saud University. In addition to that, she has volunteered in different settings such as the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center and the King Khalid Eye Specialist Hospital. “As a teaching assistant in King Saud University, I had a scholarship to complete my further studies in Public Health. Obtaining a degree from a Canadian university will help me fulfil my dream. My ambition is to be a University professor who has a strong influence on her students and community. I hope to empower my students by helping them to develop excellent learning skills and keeping them modernized with current innovations in the health education field. Moreover, I would like to be
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an active partner in improving the current health status of Saudis. In Saudi Arabia, the pattern of diseases has changed as a result of the rapid population growth, urbanization, and the adoption of modern lifestyles. The evidence-based research on behavioral and lifestyle changes that cause chronic diseases emphasizes the significant role of health promotion and public health in prevention, early diagnosis, and helping patients and their families to cope with such diseases. Consequently, my country requires skilled professionals who will have the ability to produce well-qualified health educators to maintain general health standards for the prevention of diseases. Therefore, by studying here, I would like to acquire sufficient qualifications and experiences that will help me conduct research that is beneficial to my community.” “I am interested in conducting research about e-health, or the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for health purposes, since it has proven its efficiency and effectiveness in improving the quality of health care services (Chaudhry et al., 2006; WHO, 2013). This concept is newly emerging in Saudi Arabia, where a lot of sectors are exerting efforts to develop it. Due to the immaturity of the e-health program in this country, few studies have been conducted about health informatics and its role in promoting Saudi health. Unfortunately, most of these efforts have been concentrating on inter-professional communication and education. This ignorance of the significant role of health informatics in public health promotion could generate health-related problems in this society.”
Advanced Academic Skills Students
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“My study will assess the knowledge, attitude, and perceptions of the Saudi population toward e-health public education applications in Saudi Arabia. In terms of health promotion, is the e-health concept being used in an efficient way? What are Saudis’ perceptions of this emerging idea in healthcare? And do they need more education about available e-health sources and services? It is hypothesized that the health professionals will perceive the value of health technology in educating the Saudi public about different health issues. Moreover, it is predicted that there is a huge need for health education campaigns to raise the awareness of this service.” “I started distributing my survey among Saudis, and it was surprising that a lot of people were interested and participated. My sample population reached 150 in only three days! That means that these people really concerned about this topic. I look forward to complete my research and see how Saudis feel about e-health as an educational method in health.”
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Advanced Academic Skills Students
“From the world of language mysteries, I came; and because of it’s wonders, I always find myself astonished!”
“I just got an offer from George Brown College, and I am going to study in a Business Administration Program in September...”
Jun Xie of China
J
un Xie, graduated from the China Academy of Art with a bachelor degree in visual design. Jun studied graphic design for about five years and has one-year of work experience that she gained in her design studio in 2010. “According to the study from the University of California-Berkeley (2012), the quantity of information released in the world grows by about 30% every year. Complex data plays a crucial role in improving quality and credibility in information; therefore, how to make the data easy to be received and how to produce the most efficient
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understanding by audiences has become a challenge for every presenter. My major is graphic design, and info-graphic design is an important part in my field due to the information era. Infographic design defined as visualizing information representation. In other words, it is a further stage of transitional data displays, so increasing numbers of designers and artists involved in this field.” “I have study plans in Canada. I just got an offer from George Brown College, and I am going to study in a Business Administration Program in September, because I want to have more business skills in future.”
Advanced Academic Skills Students
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Fatimah Alhussain of Saudi Arabia
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hen I was young, I enjoyed new technology. My parents bought Vtech teaching computers for my siblings and I; each one of us had a unique version. This passion for machinery surprised my cousins, which gave me a chance to introduce mine to them and teach them all about it. I was so pleased when I had my own Dell laptop in the 6th grade. During the period of my intermediate school, I was the first student who designed PowerPoint presentations for different lessons, which impressed my teachers. Additionally, the students really enjoyed the new change to SmartBoard learning. In high school, I won an award for designing the best website. This is one reason why I am eager to study and learn the new development of this technology. We can use it anywhere and anytime. Once Richard Branson stated about this invention that, “It can keep generating new, innovative technologies that help to make positive social change.”[1] After I completed my high school I studied Graphic Design to strengthen my abilities and incorporate the new media for learning. Therefore, in the future, I would like to see the concept of “new learning” to benefit teachers in integrating this media in classrooms and building students’ design skills. I will enjoy applying this scientific knowledge to make this world joyful, valuable, and adventurous to individuals. References
[1] www.guardian.co.uk/media-network/media-network blog/2012/dec/05/richard-branson-digital-future
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Advanced Academic Skills Students
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“My determination to pursue Laboratory Medicine stemmed from the first time I looked under a microscope. I have always been fascinated with the study and examination of cells.”
Nouf Alluqmani of Saudi Arabia
I
am Nouf Alluqmani, a junior researcher from Saudi Arabia. My determination to pursue Laboratory Medicine stemmed from the first time I looked under a microscope. I have always been fascinated with the study and examination of cells. These early explorations fed my keen interest in many areas of medical science, an interest that lead me to eventually study Laboratory Medicine at Umm Al-Qura University in Saudi Arabia, and I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Laboratory Medicine with honors in 2009. My diverse academic background and work in various labs and under the supervision of excellent doctors helped me to develop a strong appreciation of research and expanded my knowledge of the field. Because immunology is my passion, I did my undergraduate research on a project titled “In the Immune System”. I completed my internship in the Maternity and Children’s Hospital, Mecca, Saudi Arabia in one year. That gave me the opportunity to obtain more practice in all Laboratory Medicine departments. It was there that I realized I enjoy working on teams and communicating with fellow colleagues.
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I feel my excellent interpersonal skills would be utilized best as a lab specialist. Being in a hectic, pressurized hospital environment, I learned to appreciate the importance of our work and the people it affects. Hearing the first cry of babies as they are separated from their mothers and seeing the placenta emerge, I have always been fascinated by the potential power and knowledge this vital organ holds. The stem cells it contains, which are the true beginning of all cells, could hold the key in how we look at the way we repair the entire body. While working, I have met many patients with inspiring stories that have changed my perspective on the profession. Thus, these patients encouraged and motivated me to work hard and research further in order to help reduce their pain. I am sure all of these experiences have made me a strong, confident, rational, inquisitive, and dependable student; my skills include collaboration, time management, organization and research. I am also adept with lab equipment and established, and newly emerging, techniques and advances.
Advanced Academic Skills Students
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My ultimate academic goal is to enroll first in master’s program to obtain a depth understanding of all Immunology concepts which will assist me in future research and developing a potential therapy models for cancer. Once I attain more in-depth research and knowledge experience, I would like to advance and continue my research at the PhD level. As far as long-term plans, I hope to get a position at a university where I can indulge my primary impulse, which is to be involved in scientific research. I am sure that Canadian universities will be the place for me to channel my profound interest and fulfill my dreams because they will allow me to prepare myself to serve my country as a doctor. Furthermore, by studying here I will gain numerous skills, which will make my life rewarding and more exciting, and will allow me to pursue my studies to become a medical field researcher. 25
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Marie Jeanne Diouf of Senegal
M
arie Jeanne Diouf received a Bachelor in Business Administration at the Institut Supérieur de Management (ISM) in Dakar, Senegal. Her first experience was in international bank transfers in a bank in Senegal (Caisse Nationale de Crédit Agricole Sénégalais). In 2004, she joined the Parliamentary Centre, where she organized workshops to strengthen Parliamentarian’s knowledge of budget monitoring. In 2006, Diouf entered the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). She was in charge of both financial and administrative aspects of projects. “I am interested in the monitoring of International Development projects in Africa, especially in West Africa. An International Development project is one of the first mechanisms by which significant economic strides are usually made in developing countries. With funding from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), development banks, the United Nations, and government agencies, development projects are created and implemented to improve the quality of life of communities around the globe (Watkins, West-Meiers and Song, 2013).” “Speaking in numbers and according to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Human Development Report (2010), the total official development assistance (ODA) in 2009 was $136 billion (Klugman and United Nations Development Program, 2010). This is a large investment, and the vast majority of this assistance gets applied at the project level. Given the size of the investment, better monitoring is required to ensure the effectiveness of funded projects.” “I focus on international development funds going to African institutions through approved projects. Where, researchers, depending on their area, try to find solutions that could better communities’
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Advanced Academic Skills Students
“I am applying for an MBA at Canadian Universities in order to achieve a senior financial position in a bank, international organisation, or a large multinational corporation.”
lives. It is important to ensure that the received money is efficiently used to meet the projects’ goals.” My research questions are: 1) Do people involved in project management in Africa have a shared understanding of what the importance of project monitoring is? 2) How could monitoring tools help to achieve effective projects in Africa? 3) What could be the best strategy for effective project monitoring in Africa? “I am applying for an MBA at Canadian Universities in order to achieve a senior financial position in a bank, international organisation, or large multinational corporation. One of my highest aspirations is to be someone who establishes, or significantly advances, such an organisation. I would like to start the MBA courses in September 2013.”
Advanced Academic Skills Students
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“My favorite subject is Coop Management specializing in Human Resources. I think Human Resources is one of the most important components of any organization.”
Yi Zong of China
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i Zong graduated from high school in China in 2012. She came to Canada in July and attended both Comprehensive English and Academic English. The author has volunteered with the Volunteer Experience Program at the English Language Program and gained a certificate for completing over 20 hours of volunteer service. She doesn’t have a particular interest or major for now, but hopes she will find it during her first year at university. The reason why she chose this topic is that she is curious about how Chinese people feel about the fact that Chinese cannot access some foreign websites. The researcher is passionate about this topic and hopes to find something interesting. “I have applied to the University of Toronto Scarborough for Co-op Management and the University of Toronto St George for Commerce. My favorite subject is Co-op Management specializing in Human Resources. I think Human Resources is one of the most important components in any organization. The Co-op Management program is a great combination of academic studies and work experience. I believe that academic knowledge and practical working experience are
equally important. I am waiting for the offer and hope I can work towards my ideal major.” “Because I am not yet accepted by any university and have not started to study my major, my research topic is not related to my field. My research question is what are the existing circumstances of social media in China. Most Chinese do not want foreign people to use stereotypes to think about their country. Also, a number of foreign people would like to learn about Chinese culture. Although it is not connect to my major, as a Chinese person, it is necessary to know more about the situation about China.”
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Advanced Academic Skills Students
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Abeer Mansour Aljuaid of Saudi Arabia
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beer Aljuaid is an international student from Saudi Arabia who has a Bachelor of Computer Science from Taif University in Saudi Arabia. She has cultivated a sincere interest in Human– Computer Interaction and Systems Analysis. The researcher harnessed project-based assignments to precisely analyze and assess the ways in which real-world organizations are impacted and supported by concepts in computer systems, with a focus on the transition from manual to automated systems. In her final year of her undergraduate studies, she was tasked to lead a graduation project on multimedia medical records systems supporting the radiology department of a clinic. As the project lead, she directed the development and rollout of a database management system that led to the allocation of resources and division of workflows, along with the compilation of the project. The effort provided her with valuable exposure to both concepts and applications
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Advanced Academic Skills Students
“I have a study plan to enhance my knowledge at the Master’s level. I am attracted to Master of Computer Science programs at several Canadian universities...”
in project leadership, as well as the challenges and benefits of collaborative teamwork. Upon graduation, she was awarded a national scholarship to further enhance her knowledge at the Master’s level. It is her intention to capitalize on this opportunity by earning a Master’s degree in Computer Science and returning to her native Saudi Arabia to fill a gap in the market for qualified IT personnel and to encourage more women to be involved in the technology field. Specifically, she hopes to work in an IT capacity for sectors including financial services and healthcare. “I have a study plan to enhance my knowledge at the Master’s level. I am attracted to Master of Computer Science programs at several Canadian universities due to their reputation as top-tier institutions, both in Canada and abroad. I might start my program in September 2013 at York University.”
issue 81, April 2013
Advanced Academic Skills Students Prepare for success! Develop and enhance your research and communication skills for academic studies with Advanced Academic Skills at the English Language Program
“Do braille-based text entry methods enhance the usability of touch screen mobile phones in terms of typing tasks for visually impaired users? This research helps me to develop a deep and fruitful knowledge of research skills for academic studies by focusing on my academic field, which is Human-Computer Interaction. The experience is a valuable to me because it gave a chance to interact with such beautiful people like the blind and visually impaired. I am curious to know how blind people interact with their phone and what challenges they face; as well, I hope I can help to enhance the usability of touch screen phones for them. In fact, touch screen typing accessibility for blind and visually impaired mobile phone users is one of the most challenging issues in the HumanComputer Interaction field. Few efforts have been made to address this issue. One of the solutions I propose is to provide blind and visually impaired users with a braille soft keyboard instead of a QWERTY soft keyboard.” 29
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Dongguk University Students
of Korea Reflections on Toronto, Canada and the English Language Program
“The University of Toronto ELP offered me a wonderful experience. The classes were tough, but exciting and fun too. I could learn a lot from its various learning programs. Canada’s diverse culture, arts and beautiful natural environment introduced me a new world, and I will never forget the winter of Canada and the people I was with in Canada. The four-week program was long enough to encourage me to change and develop. I strongly believe we all will meet again as driving forces of global village. I’d like to appreciate all the people organizing this program and helping us during the stay. I wish everyone of you good luck!”
How long have you been studying here and what courses have you studied? “I have been studying here at ELP for one month. I studied english speaking and Canadian culture session.” What has been your favourite social activity? “My favourite social activities has been the hockey game (UofT), basketball game. Because I like sports.”
Seonggyu Park
Cho Hyeon You
“This experience is the second time that learning english in abroad. But, this is more interesting than first one. For example, we met many variety of nation people in our class and did many activity which is that we took part coffee chat, did workshop, went to famous place and saw playing hockey like that. This program is my cherished possession. All of things will remain in my memory forever.”
Nakyung Kim
“‘Just one month?’, somebody asked me, ’yes just one month”. I answered. Everybody surprised when I stay here just one month in Canada. Because one month is too short time for know about Canada. I can’t see everything about Canada. But, I can see many things. This experience helped for my growth.”
Woong Shik Lee 30
How was your ELP Class? “ELP class was very good. Class is mainly progressing through conversation with partner. Conversation subject very closely connected to everyday life. So, I was easily improved my English skill. Furthermore, My class was taught by Lori. she was emphasis the pronunciation everytime. And she taught us that polite and impolite things. consequentially ELP class’s goal is made me that I can speak english like native speaker. Ps. Thank you Lori.” What was you changed your mind in UofT? “I realized that my English skill is very low. It gave to me very big stimulation. So, when I return to Korea. I am going to concentrate all my efforts on improving English speaking skill. And I realized that I was a baby in the woods. Now! I am going to study more hard. I want to work with the whole world.”
Ki Hong Kwon
issue 81, April 2013 “My time in Canada is almost finished. I’m so worried because I’ll miss everyting. This experience was very interesting to me. Everyday I did something new and it felt like I was dreaming. The first day, I was very nervous. So I always said, ‘I don’t know, sorry!’ I didn’t try to say anything. I was shy and afraid to make mistake. But a few days later, I got some confidence. Because, in my class, my teacher says everytime ‘Come out, jump into the cold water!’ so, I gained courage. After that, my English improved very fast. I didn’t understand everything, but I tried to communicate and share feelings. Then, I knew that the most important thing is enthusiasm, not knowledge. When I tried to explain something, people also try to understand. If I have enthusiasm, people will always open their mind. Although mistakes are my best friend, everyone understands my best friend. Thinking this, I started to enjoy English. Recently, I faced another challange, more exactly ‘speaking’. It is very difficult for me. Sometimes I was again afraid when saying something. The reason was that I started thinking a lot before speaking. I hope to pass this step wisely. I believe that after I pass, I’ll improve a lot. So I also expect any challenge, and as time goes by, I’ll have no fear.
“From Jan 14th to Feb 8th, I was extremely excited. Speaking Course and Canadian Culture class at ELP were wonderful and it helps me to develop my English skills.” What did you learn in your Speaking course? “First, I could meet many nice friends and good teacher in my class. The lecture was also very interesting. I learned how to pronounce like native speakers, intonation, some slang words and idioms, etc. Furthermore, I practiced my listening skill by watching sitcom during the class. Of course it was quite difficult to me, but teacher and my friends were always helping me. Therefore, I could get good grade from this course.” What did you learn in Canadian Culture class? “Actually, I’ve already been to Canada twice. When I was 12 years old I went to Vancouver, and I’ve learned about O’ Canada (anthem of Canada) and how many provinces and territories in Canada, etc. from K.G.I.C. in Vancouver. So I feel a little bored during class. However, this class helped me to remind my knowledge of Canada and to study other information which I haven’t learned yet.” How do you feel about this program? “I really like it and I want to recommend this program to my Korean friends. Some people prefer life in Korea but to me, life in Canada is also fantastic and attractive. In addition, there are many advantages to participate this program. First, as I said, you can meet nice friends from different countries. Second, you can practice your listening for different pronunciation. Lastly, you can experience different culture and mind, and you will be open-minded and multicultural person.” “I enjoyed this program very much, and I want to come again to Toronto! Thank you for UofT, ELP, and especially my teacher, Maurilio and Maria.”
Han Sol Shin
I think, one month is too short to learn English, but I achieved a lot and I’m satisfied. I love this country, especially Toronto! I’ll never forget this experience. So I hope to visit again. Thanks a lot, Canada!”
Hye Ryon Jeong
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world of words
Kwansei Gakuin University
of Japan
Students recall their favourite memories of Canada
Tomoko Shintani My favourite part of my trip to Canada is activity of ELP! ELP activity was very interesting and exciting, so I always had fun:) And I could make a lot of friends in activity. I love it!
Sho Tomita My life at U of T was fantastic! Becoming friends with people from different backgrounds is what inspired me while I was abroad. I’m very interested in international cultures and traditions. It was not exactly what I expected. My experience during the stay is my treasure. Next year I will come back!
Takashi Noguchi My favourite part of my trip was the character of the people of Toronto. They’re very friendly so I could make a lot of friends. So I recommend having a good time with them and participating in activities, Coffee Chat and so on. Instructors of ELP are also really, really good!
Chika Makino Canada is so beautiful to view. Winter in Canada can be cold but heavy snow is so beautiful too. Also, Toronto’s people are very kind! Thank you all!
Moritoshi Nakada My favorite trip is visiting New York, especially Times Square. It was a very surprising place because at nearly midnight there are so many people bustling. When my face appeared on the screen at Times Square, I was very excited! I want to go there again!
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issue 81, April 2013
Thoughts on Animal Testing By Eva Svobodova of Czech Republic Level 60 Academic English
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s justification for animal testing, the argument is usually used that testing on animals is a “necessary evil”, which allows scientific progress and development of cures for serious diseases. This argument is, in fact, very problematic from both ethical and scientific standpoints. Humans demand their power over all other living beings and the right to use them for their benefit, but it is essential to ask what causes this way of thinking. As an answer, it is usually asserted that animals are less developed than humans, or, in other words, “lower” creatures. Animals undoubtedly have a less developed level of intelligence than people, but in their ability to feel pain and fear they do not very differ from humans. Furthermore, levels of intelligence vary dramatically in the human population and it is not deduced that less intelligent individuals should be mistreated. Another question is how necessary the suffering of animals is for
scientific and medical progress. When applied to humans, animal test outcomes often show that they are inaccurate or even contradictory because of different reactions of animal organisms; for example, the most important antibiotic penicillin does not work on rabbits and is even lethal for hamsters and guinea pigs. Current levels of technological and scientific progress also allow scientists to partly replace animal testing with alternative methods that are more accurate. The problem is that there is not insufficient financing of these methods because medical and pharmaceutical companies are satisfied with the current situation and do not have an interest in changing it. Based on these considerations, animal testing is not just unethical but also scientifically questionable and does not belong to medicine and science of the 21st century.
Diversity
By Manoel Dias Ribeiro Junior of Brazil, Level 60 Academic English
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ometimes I feel that I’m in the middle of a war. Not a war with guns, weapons and bombs. But a war of ideas; a war of words. Words filled with hate and intolerance. What is more scary: this kind of war could hurt even more than a projectile. My host mother gave me a ride to the OISE building. We were having such a fun conversation, when suddenly everything has changed. We had stopped at the traffic light, and a woman in another car had started a conversation with her. I felt that something wrong was happening, but I didn’t know what it was… and I couldn’t listen what they were talking about. Then the traffic light turned into green. So I asked to her: “What happened?”. She said to me that the other women was wandering if was kidnapped by her. I didn’t understand the reason for this question. She explained to me that it was because I’m white and she’s black. I felt so shocked that I couldn’t believe that it was the reason! I saw the tears coming down her eyes. But she said to me: “You need to be strong and have a tough skin. It happened to me a lot of times, but I’m already used with it”.
But I’ll never be used with this kind of actions. It really hurts people, in a way that hurts deeply in our souls. So, I’d like now to make an exercise with you, reader. Forget who you are, where you are from and your beliefs. Now you are another person. So, imagine that you’re paraplegic and you have to deal with a world that was not shaped for you. Imagine that you were born gay. All you want is to love someone else, but people cannot understand this. Imagine you are a woman, and people think you are inferior just because of your gender. Imagine you are autistic, and people think you are mentally incapacitated. Imagine that you were born in the wrong body; you’re a boy, but you’re in a body of a girl! Imagine that you are schizophrenic; people are afraid of you, and they turn away from you. Imagine that you are homeless; nobody seems to see that you exist. We are so diverse and it turns all the life so much more interesting. But why these differences make people hate each other? For me diversity is one of the most beautiful words around the world!
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Talking About a Dream By Laila Verissimo Mesquita of Brazil, Level 60 Academic English
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would like to start with a saying that has incredibly changed my life: “Never give up on your dreams”. I probably heard that many, many times when I was a child and I simply absorbed it. Now, I am 100% sure that my biggest dream has already come true. And, I give the credits for one simple reason: I truly believed in what I wanted. Since I was 8 (maybe 9) years old and when I had my first contact with English, I had realized that I wanted to study abroad. At that time, I was not really sure about what made me feel so engaged in learning how to speak another language, but things became very clear to me later: I was interested in trying different experiences, cultures, languages, styles of living, tastes, landscapes, smells, colors, species, people… So, my journey to achieve my biggest goal had started. However, I could never imagine that I would be here in Canada, one of the best countries to live in. Canada was my first choice not only because of its high quality of life, but especially because it is home to the University of Toronto, one of the best universities in the world. More than that, being accepted
by the University of Toronto represents all the qualities a student addicted to learning could ever imagine; as an exchange student, I feel that the U of T is an open door to the finest knowledge and the closest way to achieve academic excellence. And to get here, I tried hard and hard and there was a time when things did not turn out the way I had planned, but I still kept on trying. And this is no more than life! And now I am completely sure I have made the right choice. So, I would like to say to everyone who has a dream: simply just BELIEVE it, go for it. Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends in Brazil for their great support and also the English Language Program, especially instructors, classmates and the Volunteer Experience Program, for helping me become a better person and for sharing so many enriching experiences. They are now part of this dream.
Educating Poor Young Women By Reham Howsawi of Saudi Arabia, Level 60 Academic English
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ducation is an essential part of development for cultures and societies. It gives people a wide range of opportunities to become qualified and successful in their lives so that they can promote their countries’ development. By educating people, especially poor young women, their abilities will improve, their lifestyle will be enhanced, and their countries will develop. Obviously, if poor young women attend class early in their lives, they will obtain basic knowledge and skills. This will improve their abilities to make decisions, to take responsibilities, and to be independent so that they can maintain stability in their lives. Another benefit of educating poor young women is that their lifestyle will be enhanced. Their ways of thinking, communication and interaction in public or at the work place will be more mature and advanced enough to handle problems and solve them. For example, they will be better able to distinguish between right and wrong choices; whenever they face new situations, they can manage them correctly. The third benefit of educating poor young women is that they will help to develop their
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countries; in fact, women, who are the most effective member in the families, are the primary source of information. Thus, leaving these women without education will impact negatively on the next generation because they will not be able to pass the knowledge to their children in the future. Clearly, with qualified and educated young women, a renaissance in civilization will develop: as Elisa Shapiro stated in her article ‘’Girl Rising’’, ‘’when you educate girls, good things happen.’’ Women are the same as a seed, if they receive full care, they will give us the best fruit. Thus, it is important to educate poor young women in order to have conscious communities and developed countries.
issue 81, April 2013
Different Education Systems By Mehrnoush Ghobadi of Iran Level 60 Academic English
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ducation is one of the most important programs in any country, and each country has its own education system. In some countries, administrators have developed a schedule in which students do a number of tests and are graded according to their test marks. In contrast, in other countries, students are not graded; they only do class assignments and are evaluated by their teachers. There are many challenges for these two methods of education, but there are two main advantages and one disadvantage in the systems that are based on test results. The first good point of grading children according to their test marks is that students study hard to pass their exams successfully. They know that the results of the tests are important. Consequently, they try their best to achieve good results. In this way, students obtain more information and are confronted with more problems to solve, so this aspect of their education will be developed effectively. The other positive side of using test results to grade students is related to the sense of responsibility. When students know that they are accountable for their marks, they try to improve their marks. If they are weak in some subjects, they work to improve their ability to obtain better results. As a result, these students may become more responsible people in future.
In contrast to these two main benefits of this system, there is one main disadvantage, as a result of which many countries prefer to switch to another educational system in which students are not graded based on test results. Unfortunately, grading students using only tests as a basis presents students with some mental and behavioral disorders. In this system, if students do not meet the requirements for passing the subjects, they will fail and this causes a significant amount of stress on students. In fact, sometimes they cannot pass the exam because of this stress. Furthermore, they cannot redo their tests, which place additional stress on them. Considering the advantages and disadvantages of different methods for evaluating students, educational systems should determine a useful and convenient method in which both educational necessities and the mental effects on students are considered. In this way, students are presented with more benefits and fewer drawbacks. Special thanks from Mehrnoush: “I want to say my thanks to my previous core class teacher ‘Shauna’ who encouraged and helped me in writing this essay.”
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Halal Food By Basmah Shafik Othman of Saudi Arabia, Level 50 Academic English
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eople who are unfamiliar with the Islamic term “Halal”, may wonder what it means. To begin, halal refers to anything that is lawful or permissible: a) According to the Islamic faith, halal food is everything humans can eat, either from seas or land. or b) All types of food are halal, however, exceptions are birds that have claws, animals that have fangs, and the ones mentioned in the following verse of the Holy Qur’an: {Forbidden to you are carrion, blood, the flesh of swine; and the animal slaughtered in any name other than Allah; and that which has been strangled; and which was beaten to death; and that has died by a fall; and that which has been gored to death; and that of which a wild animal has eaten, except the one you have properly slaughtered; and that which has been slaughtered at an altar----} (3) AlMa’ida.
waste, infected animals and even its own dead offspring. Furthermore, its digestive system processes food rapidly and poorly in only four hours, which is not enough time to completely detoxify the flesh, therefore toxins are stored in the animal’s own flesh. Permitted animals, such as cattle, sheep or lamb, that eat fresh and clean vegetation, may take up to twenty-four hours to digest what is eaten. Another halal requirement is the method of slaughter, in which the animal should be directed to the “Qibla-(Kaaba)” which is located in Macca, the Holy city of Muslims, and while the butcher recites “In the name of Allah”, a well-sharpened knife has to be used, in order to accelerate the slaughter and make it painless, for the animal must not suffer, nor see the knife or other animal’s slaughter.
A health advantage for people is that once the carotid artery is cut, blood drains and the meat is then clean. In addition, the food of people of the book, who are in a final issue: if an individual faced a difficult situation with fact Jews “who eat Kosher food” and Christians “who no access to halal food, any of the forbidden meat is then used the same slaughter method and some of them still permitted: {---But who is forced by necessity, without do”, is considered to be halal to Muslims, confirmed in wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits, then, this particular verse: {This day all good things have been Truly, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.}(3) Al-Ma’ida. made lawful for you, and the food of the People of the To conclude, it is crucial for Muslims to trust and obey Book is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them---} what God demands them to do, for he created human (5) Al-Ma’ida. Due to the similarities of slaughter method bodies, and he knows what is good for us. and restrictions. For instance; chapter 14 verse 8 in the Bible says “Thou shall not eat swine nor shall you touch its For more information: www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?id=151400&page=articles carcasses”. One reason why pork is not halal is because its flesh is not clean, for the pig eats anything such as 36
issue 81, April 2013
The Worst Traffic Congestion By Blas Lucci Sanchez of Brazil, Level 60 Academic English
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raffic congestion is a common problem that inhabitants in large cities face almost every day, and the more the cities grow, the greater their problems. The “Paulistanos”, who are those that live in Sao Paulo, have reasons to complain about the time they spend driving: the average daily traffic in Sao Paulo is considered the worst in the world and it is also an important consideration during elections. According to Rede Nossa Sao Paulo’s research (2012), during the year of 2012, Paulistanos spent on average 2 hours and 49 minutes in traffic, which was an increase of 5% compared to the 2 hours and 43 minutes spent in 2009. These numbers indicate that drivers spend approximately 1 month during the year in traffic, which is considered far from ideal and reveals that the problem is becoming worse.
life. The first effect that is easily noticed is the waste of time, which can also be called “cost to opportunity”, which is the time that people could spend working and generating more money for the city. The delays are also an important consequence of the traffic congestion, and they not only affect the quality of life, but also complicate the scheduling of meetings. Two others aspects that are important and connected are the waste of fuel, due to the time that cars remain stopped, and the pollution, since most of this fuel is transformed into carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. As a consequence of all these effects, the city’s economic losses are huge; according to Fundacao Getulio Vargas’ research (2012), they were estimated to be more than 25 billion dollars in 2012, which represents 10% of the economy of Sao Paulo.
The causes of the congestion are many, and each one contributes to intensify the problem. The first reason is related to the number of people in the city, which should be near 12 million, but this number increases during the day, reaching 20 million as a consequence of commuter, which consists of the regular work journey of those who
The proposed solutions to this daily problem are many, but few of them worked well in the last 15 years. The first attempt was to improve the road infrastructure, but the increase of the number of cars exceeded the expectations and now the city does not have enough space for all of them. Since 1997, Sao Paulo has adopted
live far from downtown. The second reason is related to the traffic incidents, such as lane obstructions, accidents including motorcyclists, and problems with traffic lights, among others, which show that the city is very sensitive to its own variations. The effects of the rain are also important, since floods are experienced in many regions during the summer and they interfere the functioning of the traffic lights, public transportation and other systems that control the traffic. Finally, another reason that influences the traffic is the increasing number of cars, which is related to the ease that people have to finance their automobiles. The number of vehicles reached 7 million cars during 2012, as a consequence of more than 1000 new cars bought every day in the city during the last 10 years.
parking restrictions and road space rationing to reduce this problem, but these solutions are not enough and the problem continues to grow. Presently, public opinion agrees that the best strategy to solve these problems is by implementing public transportation and, consequently, the state government plans to invest 2 billion dollars per year in the next decade to expand the Metro (Sao Paulo’s subway). The subway lines that were recently opened and the increasing number of subway passengers demonstrate that these investments are vital to reduce the problem, since the subway lines are operating at a higher capacity than they were designed to; therefore, these investments should be accelerated to provide a better quality of life to Paulistanos, and to reduce the traffic congestion, which affects not only the city, but, as a consequence of higher transportation costs, also Brazil’s competitiveness.
The consequences of the traffic are not restricted to the traffic itself, but also affect other aspects of daily
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The Various Types of Students By Faisal Alhabashi of Saudi Arabia, Level 50 Academic English
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tudents, who attend school and participate in class are facing problems, during study. Mostly, the problems are in the technique they use to understand the lecture; therefore, there are three type of students depending on the method they use to understand their lectures. They are auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. First of all, auditory students, are those who like to study and understand by listening. Those students prefer to listen to lectures rather than reading a book or a handout; they listen to music a lot more than other people. Therefore, these type of students learn languages by participating in activities that force them listening to a lot of conversation. Also shadow native speakers help them to observe the language; furthermore, the auditory learners use some methods to help them, for instance recording lectures or listen to lectures through a CD or listen to video material. Usually those students face difficulties in writing. Meanwhile, visual students are the opposite of auditory students; they like to understand and study by using their vision; as long as they see the lecture materials, they will not face any difficulty. However, visual students prefer to write letters or read books rather listen to a lecture. They prefer to have visual materials, so they understand the lecture. Nevertheless, taking in a lot of information
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in the same moment can cause them a misunderstand, so usually they plan a diagram in their minds that can help them to follow the lecture. Moreover, they have fun learning language by doing jobs that require reading a lot of instructions. Also reading in their case is very important without reading they can’t approach learning any language. On the other hand, students who receive knowledge by action are called kinesthetic students; mostly, those students have problems in school. They like sports or jobs that need physical ability rather than reading. In fact, they start a job or a project without reading the manual or the instructions, and often they don’t read the process steps. Kinesthetic students face problem when they learn a foreigner language, yet they can solve problems through activity. For example, they can learn a new language by doing a volunteer job, working overseas, taking temporary jobs that involves the language or talking to everybody they meet; indeed, kinesthetic students remember things by connecting them with motion or how they felt. Despite there are no particular method for studying, some students use more than one style; however, they show a strong ability in one style over another. Therefore, if the student knows which of the above styles they like to use during studying, they will study with enjoyment.
issue 81, April 2013
The Boundaries of Freedom By Leonardo Gonzaga Carvalho of Brazil Level 60 Academic English
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s it ok to take away children from their mother? If so, when should the government execute such extreme action? In the article “Mom fighting for children defends her ‘white pride’”, Jul. 5, 2008, Joe Friesen from Saturday’s Globe and Mail [1] reports the story of a young mother who lost the custody of her two children. The reason: she considers herself a white nationalist and sympathizes with the Nazi movement. After an incident in which her seven-year-old daughter went twice to school with a swastika drawn in her arm, the authorities removed the guardianship of the girl and her younger brother and placed them in their maternal grandmother’s care. Documents from the court proceedings state that “parent’s conduct endangers the emotional well-being of the children”. This decision may have seemed too harsh, but Nazi ideology and symbols being constitutionally forbidden in Germany and Austria can help enlighten us that this was the correct course of action. According to Globe and Mail article, the infuriated mother claims that she is “victim of a state run amok, persecuted for holding political views that are outside the mainstream,” and that “This is government oppression.” The dilemma in this delicate situation is not about government persecution or depriving individuals of their political views, but rather the accurate definition and breadth of freedom of speech. By asserting that “we have something called freedom of speech in Canada, and we need to stand by it,” she demonstrates her poor concept understanding of the widely accepted and fundamental human right to openly express beliefs. Each country has its own interpretation of Nazism; although it is not illegal to display and preach about it in the United States or most of the European countries – though being considered extremely immoral by the majority of those societies – Nazi symbolism is considered hate propaganda and is forbidden in Canada. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees in section 2(b) that “Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: ... (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication.” [2] At the same time, according to the first section of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, in order to maintain a free and democratic society, rights and freedoms may be subject to restrictions when reasonable limits are exceeded. Section 318 of the Criminal Code of Canada states that it is illegal to advocate genocide – a practice committed and supported by Nazis. [3]
Moreover, Section 319 of the same Criminal Code declares that “Everyone who, by communicating statements in any public place, incites hatred against any identifiable group where such incitement is likely to lead to a breach of the peace is guilty of … (b) an offence punishable on summary conviction.” [3] Such was the case with the swastika drawn in the girls forearm: it is difficult to precisely ascertain the mother’s level of engagement with Nazi values. Albeit claiming that the swastika is just a symbol of white pride for her, it also represents biological racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, and several other odium ideologies at once. As the child cannot know or clearly understand these factors, the mother was likely found guilty of incitement of hatred and would have temporally lost the guardianship of her children. Removing children from their mother is one of the utmost actions any government should take in order to ensure safety and enforcement of laws. Despite the unidentified mother might never have harmed her son and daughter, her ideological values are not accepted in the society where she lives. It is her right to have any political views and moral values, even if they oppose the universal idea of human racial equality. Nevertheless, by publicly demonstrating pride for being a member of a movement that was committed to destroying any group identifiable as not fit, as Nazism did, the young mother overstepped the limits of the same freedom of speech she so much preached. References [1] Friesen, J. (2008, Jul 5). The Globe and Mail. Mom fighting for children defends her ‘white pride’ - The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 15, 2013, from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/ national/mom-fighting-for-children-defends-her-white-pride/ article656149/ [2] Justice Laws Website - Site Web de la legislation (Justice). Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982. Retrieved from http://laws-lois. justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/page-15.html [3] Justice Laws Website - Site Web de la legislation (Justice). Criminal Code. Retrieved from http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/ acts/C-46/page-153.html#h-92
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The Not So Great Dictator By Mateus Xavier de Lima of Brazil, Level 50 Academic English
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enito Mussolini was an Italian politician who became infamous and feared as a powerful fascist dictator, but was ridiculed later by media. First, he is recognized as the key figure of 20th century fascism and remembered for his racist belief that other nations, like Yugoslavia, were barbaric and should be dominated by Italians, stronger people. Mussolini became dictator in 1930 and led Italy into wars and chaos until 1943, when he was overthrown and arrested while trying to flee from Italy. In spite of being a ruthless and terrifying leader, Mussolini was derided after his failed attempt to escape from his country, becoming subject of many movies, such as “The Great Dictator” (1940) from Charlie Chaplin, “Mussolini and I” (1985) and “Benito” (1993). Besides the films, he was also satirized in comic books and political cartoons. The once powerful leader was captured, shot and hung on a meat hook in Milan.
above left: Benito Mussolini
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above right: Jack Oatie plays Benzino Napaloni in Charlie Chaplin’s film, The Great Dictator.
issue 81, April 2013
How Much Money Did You Spend Today? By Christy Fung Cho Kiu of Hong Kong, Level 60 Academic English
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n recent years, the number of international students studying in Canada has increased constantly. The immigrant, multicultural countries such as Canada make an effort to attract international students. Moreover, after international students graduate from universities and colleges, they always work in those countries, which can solve labor shortages caused by an aging population. Most international students’ financial support is from their parents before they find jobs. However, some of them spend “their” money crazily as they lack financial management skills. Here are two cases of my friends who are now studying in Canada. One of my friends, 16 years old, came to Canada in the end of July last year. Before he started school, he had already spent $3,000 on trivial stuffs. He even missed school because he did not have enough money to take the bus! Another story is that a 17-year-old friend who arrived in Canada with me on Christmas Eve last year; this is also a perfect example. Three days after arriving in Toronto, he bought a new mobile phone and abandoned
Some international students may have psychological problems, for missing home and facing a new environment. They feel stressful when they need to focus on their daily lives, studies, as well as their social relationships at the same time! They go shopping frequently and buy a large amount of goods so that they might feel better. Once I saw an interview of an actress who has studied in Vancouver. She said she went to shopping malls every day after class and spent the whole evening wandering around in order to divert her attention from homesickness, and this situation lasted for one year. Unfortunately, those cannot be your excuses for spending money irrationally. Here are several tips to help you take charge of your money. First of all, set up a budget for yourself and keep account every day. After deducting your daily cost (such as transportation fees, meals fees and renting fees), calculate the percentage of other expenses (a new handbag, for instance). If the percentage is higher than 10% to 15%, you must plan to
flickr photo credit: Kevin Dooley
his Nokia Windows phone, which was bought one month before coming to Canada. Few weeks later, I met him in a restaurant, and I noticed that he was playing the latest Sony PSVita. After one week, he posted a new status on Facebook: “My new iPad arrived (iPad Retina)!” This week, he updated his Facebook again: “My new iPhone 5. The functions are perfect, especially the Siri.” Why are these cases always happening? According to a survey, the international students tend to be younger, and incapable of self-control. Without parents’ supervision, they can buy everything they want rashly. Second, the majority of international students are teenagers, who are the big fans of fashion to help them make new friends, get attention and improve their confidence. The examples of my friends are the powerful “evidence” for those reasons.
solve your overspending problem. Second, if you have “symptoms” similar to a psychological problem, you should try to integrate into the society by means of doing sports, and taking part in the parties and clubs in your school. In addition, it is necessary for you to be a smart customer. Before buying goods, think of this question: Do I really need this? Nevertheless, if you want to learn more useful skills of financial management, try to take courses or to ask financial assistants in banks for advice. Financial management is an essential skill in life which can help you succeed in the future. It is also an ability to show you are not a child anymore. To be a joyful international student who does not need to knit their brows because of money, or become a “shopaholic”; you should become a manager of your money. 41
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You’ve Got Talent! By Afnan Alabd of Saudi Arabia, Level 60 Academic English
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o you watch ‘America’s Got Talent’? Do you know that in the Middle East, we have the same program, ‘Arab’s Got Talent’? Some people go on these programs just to have fun and laugh, but some become celebrities. What is talent? Talent is the ability to do something well. Can you play a musical instrument? Can you sing well? Do you have the ability to speak multiple languages? Are you a great dancer? Are you professional in any sports like swimming or soccer? Sometimes talent is a unique ability. Can you touch your nose with your tongue? Can you paint a picture by dropping loose sand on a paper? Can you imitate others or imitate animals? Are you a speed reader? Are you able to eat spicy food without stopping? Can you calculate numbers in your head like a calculator?
to help their children to discover their talents. They ask them what they like, what they dislike, what they want to become in the future and why. If parents can predict the strong abilities and skills that their children have, they should encourage their children to develop them. Parents can also teach children to combine talent, knowledge and hard work. If you think you do not have any talent, that is not true. You just haven’t found it yet. The truth is that talent is not looking for you, so you need to keep searching for your talent. While you are, you will learn new things, meet new people and enjoy your life. The ability to enjoy life is a talent too!
What is your talent? Everyone has talent inside, but sometimes we don’t know it until we discover it by chance or until someone discovers it for us. Parents try
Introducing LapPrint! By Fatemah Al-Hussain of Saudi Arabia Advanced Academic Skills
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eading, writing, and learning are important factors in all stages of life. The moment right after we come to this world with a scream, we learn tranquility from breastfeeding. In ancient history, humans used rocks and charcoal to write versus at present we have all kinds of media to write with.
need to print an important document for an interview or a meeting, we would have to pay for that single paper. Consequently, I thought of having a printer inside the laptop. I adapted this notion from Polaroid Cameras. It will be a beneficial product for students and entrepreneurs to use portably.
Today’s teachers still use textbooks instead of electronic books, and students have to carry them back and forth that might cause soreness to their back. The world we live now is much convenient compared with the past of few years ago. In my opinion, it will be a dramatic change to value the use of media and technology and use them to teach new generations to present new thoughts.
In conclusion, we have to utilize this technology to make everything handy and easy to use, which will make everyone’s life better. The main advantage of it will save a lot of time and money.
I have come up with two concepts to improve the Mac laptop by producing touch screen. In addition I want to introduce my new idea of LapPrint in schools, homes, and on the go. We use laptops or tablets, but when we
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issue 81, April 2013
China Needs to Take Urgent Action to Curb Air Pollution By Qianling (Jenny) Xu of China, ICBC Student, Level 60 Academic English
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n recent years, China has been facing an increasingly serious problem of air pollution. Statistics show that Beijing, the capital of China, experienced 25 days of haze weather in January, which attracted worldwide attention. The poor air quality is partially related to the dry weather in winter, but human factors contribute much more to the deteriorating air quality than natural factors.
The Chinese government has realized the seriousness of the situation and is taking action to curb pollution. For instance, Beijing has introduced regulations to limit the increase of vehicles, and set a stricter emission standard, which is aimed at reducing 40% of the pollution. An article in China Daily (Mar. 1, 2013) states that “China’s new leaders have declared that ‘ecological progress’ is a priority.” The government is starting to launch stricter During the past decades, a large area of windbreak forest laws to force the factories to reduce the waste emission. was destroyed; as a result, there is no barrier against It is also planning to increase the investment to support wind and sand, and this can easily cause sand storms enterprises in order to expand the capacity for producing and pollute the air. Secondly, the toxic air can also be and utilizing clean energy such as solar, wind and water attributed to the rapid increase of vehicles, many of power. which are below the permitted standard of exhaust gas emission. The increase of vehicle emissions has become Although China has taken many measures to treat air a main cause of air pollution. Another reason is that pollution and improve the environment, there is a large China has relied too much on its natural resources such amount of work that it could do, such as slowing down as coal and gasoline, which are widely used by thermal the speed of urbanization and reducing the use of energy power plants and electric power plants to provide heat and giving incentives to encourage people to save energy and electricity for people and industries. Using unclean in their daily lives. No matter what measures are adopted, energy causes a great deal of air pollutants. For example, the most important task for the governments at every many small particles of coal are scattered into the air level is to strengthen the management and supervision of during exploration and transportation, and most of air pollution, and enforce the execution of the laws and these pollutants are released into the air without filtering regulations to curb air pollution. during the production. Furthermore, many factories are responsible for the worsening air quality. Because of the lack of strict laws and regulations to limit the release of waste gas, the penalties to the factories which break the laws and regulations are much lower than the cost of treating the pollution. Thus, most factories are not willing to invest a great deal of money into improving their technology and reducing the emission of contaminated air. This is considered to be the major reason for the current air pollution. 43
world of words
The Sunshine City, Orillia By Jingyi Wang of China, ICBC Student, Academic English Level 60
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f you are fond of nature and tired of the iron city, you must be attracted by this place. If you prefer the quiet night rather than noisy traffic, you must be attracted by this place. If you enjoy the freedom of life, eager to escape from the restraint of the reality, you must be attracted by this place. There is not polluted air but refreshing breeze; there is not over-developed industrialization but peacefully rustic charm; there is not stifling competition but relaxing neighborhood. Welcome to Orillia! Orillia is located in Simcoe County, Southern Ontario, Canada, between Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe, 135 kilometers north of Toronto. Over 4000 years ago, Native Americans traded, hunted and fished in Orillia, which is also considered as a transportation link with Toronto and Georgian Bay and eventually developed as a commercial centre and summer resort. Orillia is known as the “Sunshine City” because of a sequence of stories, “Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town”, the fictional setting for which is a small town named “Mariposa” modeled on Orillia by the author Stephen Leacock.
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From 22nd to 24th of February, I was elected to participate in the “Learn to Love Winter Weekend in Orillia”. During the period of the activity, I and the other twenty-three international students enjoyed an unforgettable experience. We lived in the local host families, whose hospitality impressed me, and even now I recall the time with them, I still feel warm and happy. We experienced snowshoeing and cross-country skiing on local farm, played snow tubing, and did ice fishing, which are so fresh for us and most of them are the first time for me. I enjoyed this trip, and, no doubt, it will be one of my most impressive Canadian experiences. I miss you, Orillia.
issue 81, April 2013
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world of words
Shared Moments By Fatemah Al-Hussain of Saudi Arabia Advanced Academic Skills
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issue 81, April 2013
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“Untitled” by Nicholas Beloso, Runner Up (City of Toronto) 2013 ELP Photo Contest
world of words
u.a.p The University Application Program By Lily Meshadiyeva, UAP Advisor
The English Language Program provides assistance to students who are interested in applying to university, through the University Application Program (UAP). The University Application Program offers one-on-one counselling, delivers information workshops, guides students in filling out online applications, and provides feedback on personal statements and resumes. Workshops offered through UAP include: - Applying to Undergraduate Programs - Applying to Graduate Programs - Navigating Online Applications - Writing Personal Statements and Resumes - The ‘Freshman’ Experience One-on-one Consultations: - Personalized feedback in sessions of 15 -45 minutes - Appointments can be booked in advance - Drop-in office hours offered twice a week. Wednesday and Friday from 11:00am - 1:00pm. Our support has helped students enter the following Universities: - University of Toronto St George - University of Toronto Scarborough - University of Toronto Mississauga - York University - Ryerson University - University of Ontario Institute of Technology - McMaster University - University of Western Ontario - Algoma University - University of Regina - Trent University 48
issue 81, April 2013
Q:
“How do I choose my program of study?”
A:
Focus on a specific area in your discipline and look at schools offering or specializing in these programs. Talk to professors and people working in your field to understand the reputation of different schools. Visit the campus to get a feel for the atmosphere, meet professors, see the facilities, and talk to current students. Evaluate financial assistance options. Research University and College websites for details on the programs offered. Attend the Career Centre’s Graduate and Professional Schools Fair or program information sessions, where you can ask program representatives your questions. Try to avoid focusing too much attention on University rankings. They may not provide an accurate reflection of the institution’s experience and level of education. It’s important to choose a school based upon your academic and career aspirations.
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world of words
Tips! Being a Successful
Graduate Student By Mehmet Filiz of Turkey, ELP Ambassador
H
ello Everyone. I am Mehmet Filiz, a 2nd year Ph.D. student at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Education. So far, I have been doing very well in my program even though I faced a few difficulties at the beginning. Therefore, I would like to give some tips in different categories for being a successful graduate student from my experience:
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The fundamentals: You should study to learn, not just to get good grades. Do not spend all your time studying. Be sure to go out and spend time with friends. Otherwise, you may develop some unhealthy psycological problems. Make a plan from the first week to the last one. Probably, you will receive course outlines at the first class of each course. After getting these outlines, you should prepare your study calendar so you don’t miss the due dates of any assisnments. When you start your program, try to read at least two articles related to your course every week. Then, increase the number of articles you read over time.
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Communication between you and your supervisor is very important. First, be honest with yourself then with your supervisor. You must know what you can do or cannot do. Then, share this to your supervisor. This is the most crucial step in your graduate life. Before registering in any courses, talk to your supervisor about what you will be studying in your program so that you can choose courses related to your thesis. You might face some issues in courses. You can get over then when you talk to your supervisor. For instance, in my first course, I was told to drop the course. I talked to my supervisor and got some tips from him. Afterwards, I passed that course with good marks.
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3
Communication between you and your friends in the program is very important. If they have been to your program earlier than you, you might ask them about courses you want to take. Therefore, you might have an idea what to expect from that course. Provided that they start your program at the same time with you, they could be your study partner. Thus, you could make your assignment with him/ her or at least they could review your assignments.
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Tips for your written assignments: The first step is to know what type of assignment you’re writing... such as a report, essay or scholarly written article. Analyze the material for your outline of your assignment. If you could not find any material, ask help from your friends or your supervisor. Read two or three pieces of material about the topic of your assignment. Then, prepare your outline and get feedback from others as much as possible. After having created an outline, read more materials to extend it. State what you want to write clearly and use short sentences. Do not try to be Shakespeare. Paraphrase, paraphrase, paraphrase! Now, there is no reason to get at least 7 out of 10.
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Tips for your presentation: Try to find a few articles related to your topic so that you are able to prepare your outline easily. Write only key points on each PowerPoint page. Too much text on a PowerPoint slide is difficult to read and distracts from the flow of your presentation. Be sure to prepare your speech and write notes on paper that you might use during your presentation.
All in all, these tips are based on my experiences. To my mind, the most important tip is to “always challenge yourself”. I hope they will help you succeed in your academic life. Good luck in your studies.
Mehmet Filiz is a second year Ph.D. student at the University of Ottawa’s Education Faculty, an ELP Ambassador and former ELP student. Mehmet studied at the English Language Program for over a year in Comprehensive English and Academic English classes.
world of words
v.e.p David Rubio Gomes, Academic English student, shows off the squares he knitted for Blankets For Canada
The Volunteer Experience Program By Chris Chipman and Megan Chen, Volunteer Experience Program
The Volunteer Experience Program (VEP) is designed to allow students to gain valuable volunteer experience at charitable organizations in Toronto. • Gain valuable work experience. • Practice speaking English. • Join exciting events happening around Toronto for free. • Meet new people. Students are awarded a certificate and reference letter upon completion of 20 hours of volunteer work which they can use when applying to academic programs in universities, or when seeking jobs in Canada and elsewhere.
The Volunteer Experience Program is proud to work with the following organizations: • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Evergreen Canada Chinatown Buisness Improvement Area The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Yonge Street Mission Harbourfront Toronto Goodlife Marathon Waterfront Blues Festival Cultura Festival Dusk Dances Beaches International Jazz Festival Canadian Stage Theatre Company Heart and Stroke Foundation World Short Film Festival
Joining the VEP is easy! Attend the weekly meetings every Wednesday at 5:15pm in Room 4-160. Sign up for upcoming events, check the number of hours you have volunteered, or request a reference letter or certificate.
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issue 81, April 2013
Students in the Volunteer Experience Program knit a quilt for...
Blankets for Canada
David Rubio Gomez Venezuela Academic English, Level 60 When did you first learn how to knit? “My aunt tried to teach me a couple of years ago but I never actually did it. And then I learned again at knitting with ELP and it was easy to remember what I had learnt previously.” What do you like about knitting? “I find it relaxing.” What would you like to knit in the future? “The 4th Doctor Who Scarf.” “I find knitting a fun activity and I would recommend it to others, as well as trying knitting.” Dahee Song Korea Academic English, Level 50 When did you first learn how to knit? “At the VEP knitting Club” What do you like about knitting? “At first it was really difficult to do, but it was good to do whenever I’m on the subway or bus, or in my spare time.” Where do you knit and what do you while knitting? “On the TTC, at home.” What would like to knit in the future? “A scarf!” “I enjoy it! It’s a great opportunity to chat with my classmates.”
Ayumi Nakamura Academic English student, with one of her quilt squares.
Laila Mesquita Brazil Academic English, Level 60 When did you first learn how to knit? “Here at the VEP knitting club. I have never knitted before. I know how to sew, but not knit.” What do you like about knitting? “It makes me feel clam, its relaxing, and I’ve gotten addicted. When you start, you don’t want to stop.” Where do you like to knit? “I knit almost everyday before I go to sleep, on the subway.” What would like to knit in the future? “I plan on knitting a scarf for next winter. A very long scarf.” “I would suggest for everyone to try to do it. Even if they don’t like it, you should learn because its relaxing. It can be a good thing to do as a hobby.” Sharon Lu China Academic English, Level 60 When did you first learn how to knit? “Ten years ago. My grandma taught me. I started knitting again at the VEP knitting nights.” What do you like about knitting? “Once I started, I wanted to continue. I watch videos and movies while I knit. It’s kinda boring just focusing on knitting.” What would like to knit in the future? “A hat!”
Some of the squares knitted by VEP students
“It’s fun to come every week to knit and talk.”
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ENGLISH OUTSIDE
THE CLASSROOM
world of words
Great Canadian Inventions By Cindy Zhou, ELP Cultural Assistant
Canada isn’t just known for its hockey, maple syrup, and love of nature. In fact, Canada has produced some brilliant minds, who have invented amazing things that might surprise you. For example, did you know that the light bulb, the telephone, and basketball were all invented by Canadians? Keep reading for more great Canadian inventions! The Light Bulb – Henry Woodward Everyone thinks that Thomas Edison was the genius who invented the light bulb, but he wasn’t the only one who was trying to do so. In fact, a number of scientists from around the world had been trying to invent a light bulb. Edison’s light bulb was actually based on a version that was created by two Canadians: a medical student in Toronto named Henry Woodward and his partner, an innkeeper called Matthew Evans. Around 1874, they created a bulb that was made of glass and contained carbon fibers and nitrogen gas. They were granted a Canadian and an American patent for their incandescent bulb, but because they didn’t have enough money to produce the product commercially, they sold their patent to Thomas Edison in 1875. Edison then improved the design of the light bulb and found the financiers who were willing to back the project.
Insulin – Sir Frederick Grant Banting Frederick Banting was a young doctor from London, Ontario when he presented his idea to J. J. R. Macleod, a renowed researcher at the University of Toronto. Macleod then assigned Banting a laboratory at the University for carrying out his research. Banting and his assistant, Charles Best, experimented on dogs during the summer of 1921. By the end of summer, they had figured out how to prolong the life of diabetic dogs and by the winter of 1922, Banting and Best had developed a procedure for treating diabetes. Eventually, both Banting and Macleod were awarded the Noble Prize in Physiology in 1923. The discovery of insulin has been a revolution in medicine, helping to save the lives of innumerable patients diagnosed with diabetes ever since. And did you know that there is a department at the University of Toronto named the Banting Department of Medical Research? 56
Standard Time – Sir Sanford Fleming Sir Sanford Fleming, otherwise known as the “Father of Standard Time” was the chief engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railway before he invented the concept of Standard Time. Before standard time, everyone operated based on local time. Noon, or 12pm, was when the sun was directly over head. Therefore, when it is 12pm in Kingston, it would be 12:12pm in Montreal, and 11:47 in Toronto. This made train travel and scheduling extremely difficult because people would have to carry multiple clocks and it was impossible for train operators to make sure that the trains would be on time. So in the end, Fleming came up with the idea of instituting a universal system of tracking time, dividing the globe into 24 different time zones. It was difficult for people to accept the idea at first, but it was eventually accepted and went into effect on Jan. 1, 1885. Telephone – Alexander Graham Bell There’s some controversy over whether or not Mr. Bell was actually Canadian. He was born in Scotland, moved to Canada in 1870, then moved to the US in 1871, and then back to Canada. He invented the telephone in 1875 and received a patent for it in 1876. The world’s first telephone call was made between two towns in Ontario. Bell was an avid inventor who created not only the telephone, but also the photophone, the Silver Dart airplane, the tetrahedron, and the HD-4 watercraft. So regardless of whether you think that Bell was Scottish, Canadian, or American, there’s no question that he was a great inventor.
Basketball – James Naismith Generally, we think that hockey is Canada’s game and basketball is America’s game. But did you know that Basketball was actually invented by a Canadian? James Naismith, born in Almonte, Ontario and a graduate of McGill University, was a teacher of Physical Education and Bible Study at the International Young Men’s Christian Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. One day in 1891, he was teaching a class of extremely bored, lazy, and rebellious gym students when he introduced the idea of basketball. Naismith nailed two peach baskets to the gym balconies and set down some simple rules, such as no running with the ball. Unfortunately, the baskets in this version of basketball were not made out of nets and did not have a hole on the bottom. So every time a goal was scored, the school janitor had to get the balls out of the baskets by climbing all the way up to the balcony. Nonetheless, after a couple of adjustments, Naismith’s game became what we know and love today as basketball.
. . . r o f s u n Joi
Coffee Chat!
Held every Thursday at 2:00pm, Coffee Chat is an opportunity to practise conversational English in a relaxed, informal setting. Enjoy free coffee, tea and donuts, and allow Cultural Assistant Maxine Bower to lead you through creative exercises and activities. For room locations, check the 4th floor lobby.
issue 81, April 2013
!
“Awkward Turtle”
[awk-werd tur-tl]: When you’re in an awkward moment (such as an long silence in a conversation), this phrase can be used to mark the situation as awkward, and subsequently clear the air or make it worse. Supplement the phrase with the following hand gesture (which is intended to look like an awkward turtle): place your hands on top of each other, and spin your thumbs forward.
Thoughts on... Awkward Silence By Maxine Bower, ELP Cultural Assistant
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think we can all agree that being in the company of other people without anybody speaking can be very awkward. It’s a type of silence that we often hope will go away very soon, waiting for someone to break the silence and start a conversation. There are ways to avoid this issue of awkward silence should you find yourself in this situation. Here are three possible solutions: 1) Move around as much as possible so that you and the noise you make by ruffling clothes will disturb the dead silence. 2) Suffer the pains of awkwardness until someone cracks and begins a conversation. 3) Get up and leave the awkward situation as quickly as possible! Warning: you could make things even more awkward for the people you leave behind. Now, in the glorious age of technology, there is an easy solution to awkward silence … smartphones! The pains of awkward silence need not be a reality any longer. If you don’t want to talk to somebody, you can whip out your smartphone. If you don’t know an answer, whip out your smartphone. If you’re lost, use your smartphone. If you’re bored, play on your smartphone. Smartphones seem to be the solution to awkward silence. They are everywhere! They have infiltrated every space and occasion. But I must warn all of you against this sneaky device. It can and will sabotage your conversational skills. It will deter you from conversing with your neighbors and convince you to converse with it instead. But a smartphone is just not the same as a friend
to speak English with, especially because a smartphone cannot give you a hug :(. Don’t be shy and strike up an English conversation with your neighbor. Each time you do will be a step towards speaking better English! I know that not relying on smart phones and other devices in social settings can be nerve-wracking. What would you do if a conversation did not work out and you were left to suffer from awkward silence? You would have no smartphone distractions to ease the awkwardness. So, I have some suggestions to help you avoid painful awkward silence: 1) Talk about the weather – This is my great grandma’s favorite subject to talk about. Weather is also the easiest thing to talk about in Canada especially because it is almost always a surprise. Where else does it snow during springtime?! 2) Talk about your surroundings – this is something everyone can talk about since you and the person you are speaking to are likely going to be in the same space. 3) Ask them about their day in detail – people really like to talk about themselves and their problems. 4) Ask them about their profession – this is a common question to ask when first meeting someone in Canada. 5) If you don’t like to talk about seemingly superficial things like numbers 1-4 (these conversational subjects are often referred to as “small talk”) then you can do what I do in awkward situations – the AWKWARD TURTLE! 59
world of words
I’m awesome!
Food!
Awesome Food Trucks in Toronto By Victoria Young, ELP Cultural Assistant
W
elcome to Toronto, the super multicultural city in Canada filled with people from all over the world. Recently I’ve been going to a lot of food related events, and I’ve come to realize that compared to some other cities not in North America, Toronto has an amazing variety of food. The city is split into little sections, eg: China Town, Little Italy, Greek Town etc. In each of these areas you can experience an array of foods, which may not be 100% authentic but still very good. I find that if your ever feeling homesick and craving some food from home, you can take yourself to one of these places. Although it won’t be as good as your mom’s food, because lets admit, our mom’s food is the best, it can still do the trick. What I want to talk about today are the food trucks in Toronto. There are a wide variety of food trucks, serving different kinds of food, which I think is pretty representative of Toronto and the people who live in it. In the past there haven’t been many good food trucks worthy of mention, but recently I’ve come across a few that just might be worth a try. These mini restaurants on wheels can be cheap and perfect if you’re on the go and
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just want a bite. It’s also the perfect food for students, although they aren’t very healthy. Seeing as the weather is starting to get better and you won’t freeze to death while eating on the street, I thought I would introduce some of my favourite food trucks around the city. By seeking out these food trucks you’ll also get a chance to walk around Toronto and see the sights, all while having a bite. First on the list (in no particular order) is the Ideal Catering Food Truck, located conveniently on St. George Street in the heart of campus. This truck serves primarily American food, ie. hamburgers, hotdogs and poutine! A must eat in Canada is poutine! Side note: if you want good poutine, go to Smokes Poutinerie, but if you are in a rush and feeling lazy, then the Ideal Catering Food Truck will also do the trick. Next up is Busters Sea Cove. Yes, that’s right, the infamous Busters at St. Lawrence Market launched their very own Food Truck! This truck can be found parked at Queen St. East and Jarvis. And true to their name they sell seafood, and in my opinion, probably some of the best seafood you could get off a food truck. They have
issue 81, April 2013
n o t o! r o T
lobster rolls (which are delicious) but it is a little pricey and the bun itself is a little small. The taste however... wowee, it sure does make up for these little imperfections. Third on the list, is the Gourmet Gringos Food Truck! These guys serve Latin American inspired food on the go. What’s great about these guys is you can follow them on Twitter and pin point their exact location. Their prices are relatively cheap compared to other food trucks, and their food is so, so good. Keeping to the Latin theme, they serve empanadas pressed by hand, in both Argentine and Ecuadorian versions. Also on the menu are burritos, quesadillas and of course, tacos. What I like about this truck is that their food comes with plenty of flavour and keeps you wanting more.
dairy-free items! However, healthy is not all that they serve. Their menu includes a fancy flavoured poutine, and something called an Asian Tamarind Kiwi Steak Taco (say wha?!)... in other words - these girls are very creative. Who knew healthy food could be so great? The only problem is this truck is a little hard to find. They show up at events like TIFF and Nuit Blanche when tonnes of people are out on the street, so if you are ever in the area at the right time be sure to try them out. Check them out online: torontofoodtrucks.ca Check them out on Twitter: foodtrucksTO
Last but not least, I’d like to introduce you to the Gourmet Bitches (please excuse the language). This isn’t your typical greasy, smelly, rusty old food truck. No, this truck is a little different... actually it’s a lot different. They’re probably one of the rarest kind of food trucks you can find, because they serve completely healthy food. In fact their so healthy they include in their menu gluten and
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FROM RINK TO COURT
The Air Canada Centre’s Transformation from Hockey to Basketball By: Erik Dean, ELP Cultural Assistant Toronto, Canada’s largest city, is known around the world for its great diversity. As a hub for various cultures, Toronto provides many opportunities for new sights and experiences. Unsurprisingly, Toronto also provides diversity in its variety of spectator sports events which change throughout the year. Some of the major sports events include hockey and basketball (October to April), soccer (March to December), baseball (April to October), and football (June to November). In this article, I’ll focus on what I consider to be the two most Canadian sports out of those mentioned above: hockey and basketball. Hockey is a sport that is highly associated with Canada. It’s a sport that runs deep in our history, and also one that Canada consistently performs well in.
Basketball however, is not a sport that Canada performs quite as well in, but it also runs quite deep in our history. In fact, basketball was invented in Canada! With the long and cold winters that are so common in this country, it was important to develop an entertaining indoor sport. The very first basketball games were played with a soccer ball, which were be thrown into wooden peach baskets for points. The hockey and basketball seasons have just finished up, but for the last few months there were many heavily attended games for both sports held in the same area within the Air Canada Centre. Being that one sport is played on ice, and the other is played on a wooden court, many people often wonder how the venue can switch between them overnight. The answer is interesting, and simpler than you might think.
issue 81, April 2013
Zamboni [zam-bo-ni]:
A machine used to resurface ice, before and after skating.
First, a zamboni drives out over the rink and roughens the surface of the ice. This causes the ice to be less slippery, which makes it safer and easier for workers to move around. Forklifts later drive into the rink carrying pieces of ice deck, which are one inch thick, insulated, black coloured boards. These boards are laid out across the rink by teams of workers in order to protect the ice, and keep cold air from coming out onto the upcoming basketball court. After the ice deck has been laid, the boards, glass, safety nets and other things unnecessary for basketball are removed. The conversion continues with the laying of the court flooring. The court is made up of 195 pieces in total, each of which successively hook into each other and are later hammered into alignment. After the court has been laid, specific basketball structures like the nets and courtside seats are set up. The completed basketball court is smaller than the hockey rink before it, and therefore, the conversion process grants the Air Canada Centre a thousand additional seats. The whole process normally begins around 10:00 PM, ends at 6:00 AM, and is reportedly very physically demanding. Given how much Torontonians love their sports though, it’s easy to see how this work is also very important.
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world of words
Darren’s Music Corner By Darren Rigo, ELP Cultural Assistant
Tablature and Melody Techniques For this issue’s music corner we will learn how to read tablature. Tablature, or tabs for short, is an informal shorthand version of musical notation for fretted instruments (guitar, electric bass, ukulele) that can be written in text instead of symbols. Because of its ease to read and easy keyboard input, this form of notation has flourished online. For guitar, a tab consists of six lines of text representing the six strings of the guitar from high e on top to low E on the bottom. Along these lines there will be numbers that represent the fret or frets that must be played and sometimes letters or other symbols to note techniques. Unlike standard notation, tablature does not have a time signature. You have to already know the melody of the song you are trying to play so it’s a good idea to begin by listening to the song and playing along while reading the tab.
Here is a tab for Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. See if you can figure it out: e B G D A E
|-----------------------------------------| |0-0-1-3-3-1-0---------0-0----------------| |--------------2-0-0-2-----2-2------------| |-----------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------|
e B G D A E
|-----------------------------------------| |0-0-1-3-3-1-0---------1------------------| |--------------2-0-0-2---2-0-0------------| |-----------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------|
e B G D A E
|-----------------------------------------| |----0-----0-1-0------0-1-0------0--------| |2-2---0-2------2-0-2-------2-0-2--2-2----| |-----------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------|
e B G D A E
|-----------------------------------------| |0-0-1-3-3-1-0---------0------------------| |--------------2-0-0-2---2-0-0------------| |-----------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------|
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Symbols and Techniques Here are some of the symbols you may encounter reading tabs. These are for techniques that give melodies and solos their character. When you are practicing a piece of music try to mix in a few of these techniques to give it your own personal style. h Hammer on This symbol goes between two numbers. For example ---2h4--- when you see this you should play the note on the 2nd fret then quickly add another finger on the 4th fret without plucking again. p Pull off This is essentially the opposite of the hammer on. For example on ---4h2--- you would pluck the string on the 4th fret, add another finger to the 2nd fret and quickly remove the finger on the 4th fret without plucking again. s or / Slide A slide is like a one finger hammer on. For ---4s2--- you would pluck the 4th fret then slide the finger down to the 2nd without plucking again. b Bend For a bend you will push or pull the string vertically to create a change in pitch. For ---2b3--- you will pluck in the 2nd fret then push or pull the string until it makes the same note as the 3rd fret should (a semitone higher). Don’t worry about it being perfectly accurate, just play it by ear. v Vibrato This symbol will come after a number and usually only on notes that are held for a long time. On a ---2v--- you pluck the 2nd fret then perform a slight bend or series of bends to give the note a wobbly sound. Here is that same tab with a little more style: e B G D A E
|-----------------------------------------| |0-0-1h3-3-1p0---------0-0----------------| |--------------2-0-0h2-----2-2------------| |-----------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------|
e B G D A E
|-----------------------------------------| |0-0-1h3-3-1p0---------1------------------| |--------------2-0-0h2---2-0-0------------| |-----------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------|
e B G D A E
|-----------------------------------------| |----0-----0h1p0------0h1p0------0--------| |2-2---0h2------2-0-2-------2-0-2--2-2----| |-----------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------|
e B G D A E
|-----------------------------------------| |0-0-1s3-3s1p0---------0------------------| |--------------2-0-0h2---2----------------| |---------------------------5-5v----------| |-----------------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------|
world of words
“Untitled� by Eduardo Heredia Ayala, Runner Up (City of Toronto) 2013 ELP Photo Contest
Sharing My Toronto By Andrea Cuellar, ELP Cultural Assistant
A
s a Cultural Assistant, there are many rewarding elements that come with my job of interacting, engaging and assisting the culturally diverse student body of the English Language Program. Immersing students in what this incredible city has to offer by introducing them to the variety of sights, sounds and tastes that make this amazing city what it is, and sharing in these first time experiences is one such highlight of the job. Sharing my Toronto and what I love about it with the international students that join us at ELP is a great aspect of being a Cultural Assistant. I have the constant opportunity to take pride in Toronto and show it to others, but also share these first time classic Toronto experiences with students. The experience of a packed Blue Jays home opener with the dome open above, the adrenaline rush during a Raptors game, the energy on Queen Street on a beautiful afternoon with shops and patios
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overflowing with people, peaceful weekends exploring the stands and cute cafes at Kensington and St. Lawrence markets, relaxing on the beaches in summertime, and authentic ethnic foods at any time of day around every corner. Tips on fun, food, and entertainment from a local perspective are truly the best way, in my opinion, to experience any city you visit, anywhere in the world. I constantly have the opportunity to impart what I love about my city, share a bit of joy and laughter, and leave lasting memories of what the city, the English Language Program, and my fellow Cultural Assistants have to offer and contribute to students’ time in Canada. So join us for a social activity at the English Language Program, and let me share my Toronto, with you.
issue 81, April 2013
Ask Rosa
“Hear me now, believe me later...”
Question: Dear Rosa, what advice do you have to beat cold season? Sincerely, Abby
Answer: Dear Abby, it’s no surprise that our immune system works best when it’s operating on 7-8 hours of sleep; reduced stress; regular exercise and a healthy, balanced diet (which may include vitamin supplements). In an ideal world, this would be a cinch. However, life isn’t always ideal. There are pressures and demands that often deprive us of sleep or time for exercise. Eventually, we begin to feel stressed and run down. Soon after, a sore throat begins to rear its ugly head. It’s at this time that we initiate the frantic search through the medicine cabinet for remedies to help ward off the pending cold. There is a small window of opportunity before the virus takes complete hold, which means you must act quickly. Below is a list of ten cold-busters that can help you overcome the sniffles and get back to doing the things you enjoy. 1) Yogurt - Get some healthy bacteria in your system to help offset the bad bacteria when a virus invades. Live culture bacteria or probiotics helps with colds, allergies and inflammation (like a stuffy nose or sore throat). Probiotics help enhance overall immune system function. (You can purchase organic yogurt from an all-natural food store, along with organic honey. Mix the two together and toss in some chopped pecans or walnuts to create a delicious and healthy snack). 2) Oil of Oregano - What can I say about oregano oil that hasn’t been said by the many who have used it? It tastes awful, but it works! Oregano oil is an effective germkilling supplement. It possesses anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. It helps with colds, flus and some bacterial infections (such as a sinus infection) as well as a host of other ailments. Regular use (taken with water or juice) can supercharge your immune system and prevent colds and help alleviate the symptoms. 3) Apple Cider Vinegar - Regular intake of raw organic apple cider vinegar (a tablespoon in a glass of water) helps to detoxify the body and maintain pH levels. The potassium found in apple cider vinegar helps to strengthen the immune system, cut
down on mucus congestion and production and help with sinus problems.
do not steep the tea too long or choose a decaffeinated variety.
4) Multi-Vitamin - Many of us lead busy and rushed lives. We don’t always pay attention to our diet and therefore, lack the necessary vitamins and minerals that keep our immune systems balanced. A multivitamin can help supplement what your body is lacking.
8) Honey & Lemon - Lemon is high in vitamin C and phytochemicals, which help support the immune system. Honey’s antioxidant properties helps with sore throats and also assists in cleansing the body of toxins. Note: In a cup of boiled water or tea, add lemon juice and honey to desired taste.
5) Moducare - If you are prone to frequent colds, infections, stress or suffer from symptoms associated with allergies, this vegetarian capsule will help regulate and strengthen immune system function. Moducare helps restore immune systems that are out of balance due to illness or other factors. 6) Salt Water Rinse - This timeless homeremedy is the best one I’ve found to help soothe a sore throat and nasal congestion. For sore throats, mix a small amount of warm-hot water with a palm-full of table salt (or sea salt). Gargle 2- 3 times a day, when you’re fighting a cold, to help kill bacteria and soothe your sore throat. Salt water rinse is also effective for nasal/sinus congestion helping to wash out virus and bacteria particles from your nose. For nasal congestion, mix a small amount of warmhot water with a palm-full of table (or sea salt). With a syringe, neti pot or a table spoon, squirt/pour the salt water into one nostril, while tilting your head the opposite direction. Hold the other nostril closed. The salt water will travel through your nasal passages and drain out your mouth. Repeat on the other nostril. 7) Tea - Ginger is an antiviral and helps to ease congestion and mucus build up. Adding honey to ginger tea will help sweeten the flavour. Elderberry tea, also an antiviral, helps the respiratory system and also helps shorten the duration of your illness if taken at the early onset of a cold. Antioxidants found in green tea can help weaken a virus and help ease cold-like symptoms and fever. Green tea also helps to minimize the duration of a cold or flu. Note: Green tea is naturally caffeinated. Do not drink green tea if you are on medication that interacts with caffeine. For children,
9) Berries - Antioxidants help the body eliminate toxins and help boost the immune system. Blueberries, especially, contain the most antioxidants in the fruit family. They help to give the immune system a kickstart enabling you to fight an infection. The overall benefits of blueberries are far reaching. Foods filled with antioxidants also help in the fight of various cancers. 10) Garlic - If you’re a fan of garlic and can stomach a chopped raw clove, you’re one step ahead of the cold. Garlic is a strong antioxidant with antibiotic and antiviral properties. Garlic contains a chemical called Allicin, which, once released upon biting into a clove, can help keep a cold from settling in. Sucking on a garlic clove for 1015 minutes can also help with a sore throat. Continue with one or two cloves a day, until you’re feeling better. For those who are less brave, adding chopped garlic to a pot of boiling water and drinking it like a tea is also effective. Note: Add a touch of olive oil to make the taste of raw garlic friendlier to the palette. Recommended on a full stomach. Remember, the best way to keep a cold at bay is to maintain a healthy lifestyle and practise good hygiene habits (ie. washing your hands regularly). Important: talk to your doctor before taking any herb, supplement or vitamin and if you notice your cold symptoms becoming more severe each day.
Rosa Leo has been serving
the students of the English Language Program for over 9 years. Visit Rosa in the office for student services or registration information. 67
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issue 81, April 2013
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM 252 Bloor St. West, Suite 4-106 Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1V6 t: 416.978.5104 f: 416.971.2839 e: learn.english@utoronto.ca w: learn.english.utoronto.ca SCHOOL OF CONTINUING STUDIES 158 St. George St. Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2V8 t: 416.978.2400 f: 416.978.6666 e: learn@utoronto.ca w: learn.utoronto.ca