world of words “The English Language Program’s student magazine – a compilation of the Fall session’s highlights, student opinions and other features.”
December 2014, issue 88
Featuring World Press Photo Gallery 2014 • Volunteers Are Everywhere A Visit to New York City • ELP Success Story: Ohoud AlHammad
Cover Photograph by Elis Batistella and Andrea Michaely Sriskandarajah
e u s s i s i h t inside
Feature Articles
Student Opinion
ELP Success Story 4
Volunteer Reflections 19
Accomplishments at ELP 6
First Nations Education 20
The Farewell Speech 9
ELP Writings 22
World Press Photo Gallery 10
Smart Robots 28
Volunteers are Everywhere 14
Hanaa’s Operation 29
ELP on Instagram 26
A Healthy Lifestyle 30
English Outside the Classroom 40
The Water Supply 31
New York City 42
A Tale of the Last Winter 32
University and College Application Support 55
What I’ve Learned in Toronto 33 Freedom and Equality 34
Student Life
Hangul 34
Englsih Language Mo-Gram 18
Achieving Goals 35
The EP Cup 46
A Damaging Disease 36
Sharing Family History 47
Cappuccino, Cheesecake and Snow 37
First Time Skaters 48
Quotas 38
Brrr...It’s Cold Outside 50
Artistic Expressions 39
Take It from Me 51
A Special Experience 49
Those Other Winter Sports 52 Darren’s Music Corner 54 Things To Do During the Holidays 56 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.
issue 88, December 2014
ELP Director’s Message December 2014 Hello all, This time of year in Canada, probably from about Halloween onwards, is all about celebration with friends, food and fun. It is also a time of gratitude and giving. While persistently pursuing their academics and accomplishing goals, our students still have time to make the most of opportunities outside the classroom by volunteering for important causes. Charities and associations continue to wax poetic about how reliable, smart and hard-working the ELP volunteers are. Our staff and instructors, as well, have a culture of supporting important causes. In particular, this fall, we raised $387.00 for Movember, a charity that funds research and awareness of men’s health issues and $653.00 for Water.org, a non-profit organization that provides access to safe water and sanitation in the developing world. I am honoured and humbled by the talent, diligence and generosity of our amazing students and colleagues. Contained in the pages of this issue of World of Words (available in print and online) — one can see that there is a lot to be proud of here at the ELP. Former Advanced Academic Skills student Ohoud AlHammad, who is now pursuing a Master’s of Science degree in eHealth at McMaster University, talks about her post-ELP success and recently presenting her research on Public Health at the Medicine 2.0’14 World Congress Conference in Maui, Hawaii. Further, we present the recent publication of ELP instructor, Douglas Orme, on the effects of technology on learning another language. Also, our ELP volunteers are shown to have all but taken over Toronto, performing good deeds and enjoying themselves on site and online. Academic English student, Haifaa Mahjoub describes her daughter’s recent and successful surgery at Toronto’s Sick Kids Hospital. And finally, Junmin Li, of the Industrial Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) contributes the farewell speech he gave at the graduation of Cohort 6. Here, he attributes his successful time here to a combination of experiences both inside and outside the classroom in addition to being encouraged and inspired to learn and explore any opportunity. I think that is something that best sums up the ELP mentality as a whole. Wishing you and your loved ones (both near and far) a safe and happy holiday season, Sherry Yuan Hunter Executive Director, English Language Program University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies
Dan Pinese Carol Anne Armstrong, Elis Batistella, Heather Bryans, Chris Chipman, Brenda Colley, Erik Dean, Dorothy Garfinkel, Shauna Herman, Aakanksha John, Jessica Lim, Asumi Matsumoto, Bill Mboutsiadis, Douglas Orme, Evelyn Pedersen, Hanna Rashid, Darren Rigo, Mustafa Sarier, Graham Shular, Andrea Michaely Sriskandarajah, Becky Smith, Karen Thomson, Effie Touchings
Editor and Layout Design Staff Contributors
3
world of words
ELP Success Story Meet Ohoud AlHammad of Saudi Arabia, a former student who has worked to achieve amazing success after finishing her studies at the English Language Program.
Ohoud AlHammad
Ohoud Alhammad successfully completed Advanced Academic Skills (AAS) in April 2013. During that time, her coursework, which included a seminar, research paper, and research presentation, focused on public health, and primarily, e-Health services and applications in Saudi Arabia. On November 13th and 14th, 2014, Ohoud attended the Medicine 2.0’14 Summit & World Congress in Maui, Hawaii, where she presented a poster entitled “Assessing Saudis’ Knowledge & Attitudes Towards Seeking Health Information Online”, a continuation of her research interests from our AAS course. She is currently in her second year of her Master of Science in eHealth degree (MSc eHealth) at McMaster University and is working on the completion of her thesis.
4
Pictured above: Ohoud, presenting at the Medicine 2.0’14 Summit & World Congress in Maui, Hawaii.
issue 88, December 2014
ELP Success Story Question (Q) and Answer (A) with Ohoud AlHammad:
Q: What courses have you taken at the English Language Program? A: I took Advanced Academic Skills, taught by instructor Kimberley Hindy from January to April, 2014. Q: Why did you choose to take these courses? What was your motivation for studying at ELP? A: I had met the English requirement score of most universities in Canada, so I didn’t want to just study English as a second language. Instead, I wanted to take a course that prepared me for university while I was applying for Master’s programs. I wouldn’t find a better place to learn that than at U of T. Q: What experiences from the English Language Program stand out to you the most? A: Learning about different cultures and conducting a research project. Q: Where are you studying now? A: I am in my second year in eHealth Master program in McMaster University. I am still preparing for my thesis which will evaluate an eHealth tool in assessing female students’ knowledge and attitude towards breast cancer and breast self-examination. Q: What do you hope to achieve within the next ten years? A: I am planning to apply for a PhD program in public health or population health. My dream is to be a qualified public health professor and researcher in King Saud University in Saudi Arabia.
“My dream is to be a qualified public health professor and researcher in King Saud University in Saudi Arabia.” For more information on the Medicine 2.0’14 World Congress Conference, or to read Ohoud’s presentation abstract, go to www.medicine20congress.com/ocs/social/ohoud
5
world of words
Accomplishments at the ELP Instructors and Student Honoured By Lynn McGregor, TESL Ontario
T
oronto, November 17, 2014 - The Teachers of English as a Second Language Association of Ontario (TESL Ontario) congratulates the 2014 winners of its recent province-wide Creativity Contest celebrating ESL education and learning. Two of the six winners – an Instructor and a Student - were from the English Language Program at University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. The winning entries, selected from 40 submissions, share a mutual passion for teaching and learning, a love of Canada be it their homeland or their newly adopted country, and a desire to make a difference for others and/or themselves. Instructor Danielle Rychlo’s winning entry was a visually intriguing poem in which she compares the ESL network to a Spider Web where ”learning happens fast … and good things take a while”. Danielle is now living in Calgary and teaching international students at The University of Calgary. She was also teaching international students in the ELP program at U of T. In the Learner division, U of T student Gunes Alcan from Turkey created a video called “My Language Learning History”. She was part of an entire class of instructor Bill Mboutsiadis that completed individual projects on the digital story of how they learned the English language. In her attempt to fulfil a future dream of becoming a professor so she can publish international articles in mathematics and statistics, Gunes is currently doing a Masters’ degree at the University of Texas. Bill, a teacher for 18 years and an international presenter, explains the nature of the project: “Advanced Academic Skills learners were assigned a project-based activity that had them plan, process, write a narrative, storyboard their visuals, record their voices and create a digital story of their language learning histories. The exercise had the learners reflect on their own past and current independent activities as well as learning experiences with languages, institutions, educators, environments, motivational moments/individuals, travels, university majors, culture and other influential sociolinguistic memories that caused them to connect with the English language. They shared their work in progress with their peers for feedback and at the completion held a class screening of their digital projects”. He adds: “In this teaching style, learners take on increased ownership and become autonomous researchers, while the instructor becomes a learner participant. The students’ various initial casual connections to English became powerful motivators for their desire to learn the language. Learning a language is not only what is learned in the classroom, but also in travels, personal experiences, etc. and helps students build autonomy, empowerment and a personal identity”. The ESL Creativity Contest is a feature of ESL Week, 6
an annual celebration of ESL education and learning held each fall that is endorsed throughout Ontario by more than 60 communities, thousands of ESL educators, students of all ages, and many learning institutions and school boards. “ESL Week continues to raise awareness of the importance of ESL education for Ontarians and newcomers to Canada,” says Renate Tilson, executive director of TESL Ontario. ”The ESL Creativity Contest grew out of earlier ESL Week activities as a vehicle to showcase talented ESL educators and learners,” she explains. Contest winners were honoured at TESL Ontario’s annual conference held recently. TESL Ontario, established in 1972, is a non-profit organization serving the needs of teachers of English as a Second Language. It represents more than 4,600 language training professionals working in immigrant serving agencies, school boards, publicly funded sites across Ontario, colleges/universities, elementary/ secondary and private language training schools. TESL Ontario’s expertise is in teaching, advocacy, accreditation and professional development. The organization is instrumental in influencing the success of many thousands of English language learners throughout the province. For more information visit www.teslontario.org.
Bill Mboutsiadis, Instructor, English Language Program at TESL Ontario’s Annual Conference
issue 88, December 2014
Excellence in Teaching Award In September, over 30,000 students who took courses at the School of Continuing Studies during 2013/2014 were invited to nominate their favourite instructor(s) for an Excellence in Teaching Award. Many instructors were nominated during this process and our students had the opportunity to write glowing remarks about the impact instructors have had on their lives. Kimberley Hindy is ELP’s award recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Teaching Award. Recent awards winners from ELP have been Denise Newman (2013), Steve Bland (2012), Ted Mounsteven (2011), Marijike Wertheim (2010), Visnja Cuturic (2009) Shauna Herman (2008), Laura Lush (2007), Susan Read (2006), Beverly Kuryliw (2005), Lindsay Brooks (2004)
Instructor, Kimberley Hindy is the recipient of the School of Continuing Studies’ (ELP) 2014 Excellence in Teaching Award
Everything You Know About Technology is Wrong By Douglas Orme, Instructor, English Language Program
This article was previously published in the November 2014 issue of CONTACT Magazine and is re-published here with permission from the author, English Language Program Instructor, Douglas Orme. I would suggest that most of us have bought into one of two dominant ways of thinking about technology, and that they are both spectacularly wrong. You’ve probably heard both of these two claims about guns? “Guns kill people” and, its counter-claim “No, people kill people!” You may have the gut feeling that both capture something true about how guns function in society. You may also have had the nagging feeling that both arguments line-up far too neatly along ideological lines: the left on the “guns kill people” side, and the right on the “people kill people” side. If you’re like me, upon realizing that the debate has become ideological, you just want to throw up your hands and walk away. You may, sardonically, imagine them all in a locked room with a bunch of guns… To work then: let us abstract the logic behind each of these two arguments, and then see how it applies to the way technology mediates TESL, and how machine translation (MT) may function within our field. The “guns kill people” argument, so beloved of the left, points out the important insight that technologies are designed and that what is inherent in the design, the structure, will inevitably shape the effect of that technology, just as, say, the technology of writing gives priority to vision over hearing. Arguments from this point of view ask us to consider the inherent structure of any technology: wouldn’t it be reasonable
to suppose on this logic, that MT will do the work of translation and hence obviate the need for actually learning a language? Isn’t it just a matter of time until my smartphone can read or hear any language and then translate it, instantly, into any other language? Language learning will be moot. In terms of solutions, this side will suggest a large scale, coordinated social response such as, “we need to band together with others put out of work by technology and/or push for legislation to protect our way of life!” Recall the telephone operators of days gone by. One can imagine cries for the regulation of MT. The counter argument applied to guns reminds us that “The gun doesn’t shoot itself: people kill people.” This argument dovetails with the ideologically conservative insistence upon individual responsibility. Bad people do bad things with technology, and good, responsible people do good things with the technology. It’s not the technology! Applied to the problem of the effect of MT upon our profession, someone on this side might suggest, “well, sure some people will just be lazy and use MT. But really, it’s up to the individual to know when to use it or not. What, are your going to outlaw it to save TESL? You can’t babysit everyone: educate them, and then let them choose.” The conservatives will tell you a “bad guy” will do bad things with any given technology. A liberal will tell you the effect depends on what’s designed into the technology. But is there a way to think about technology that doesn’t have us ping-ponging back and forth between these two seemingly irreconcilable positions? What if we had an example of a “bad guy” 7
world of words using a gun for pro-social purposes - wouldn’t that show both arguments to be wrong-headed? As, it happens, there are justice systems in the Canadian arctic where judges have “sentenced” convicted criminals to take a gun and go hunting will Inuit elders for 3 months. Imagine that: the judge gives the convict a gun! What happens? The “bad guys” wind up making connections with the elders and their tribal traditions, reconnecting with nature, stepping out of the rat-race, and finding peace. So, we see that it is not “what’s in the inherent design of the technology”, but neither is it “a matter of individual responsibility”. It begins to look like the effect of any technology depends upon the context in which it is inserted or deployed. Guns in an urban context where, say, there is high demand for illegal drugs, and, say a minority which lives with near 50% employment, obviously spells trouble. Guns used in a nature-connected hunting society may have an entirely different effect. It’s not the technology and it’s not the people: it’s the context. What are some of the likely effects of MT upon TESL then? In thinking through this issue, I suspect you’ll hear lots of “OMG, it’s in the design. We’re doomed!” on the one hand, and plenty of “buck up, and take responsibility for yourselves” on the other hand. Look out for these two types of over-simple arguments about technology in TESL; you’ll see them everywhere. They may feel good, but they won’t get us very far in our thinking. The idea that the effect of any technology will depend upon the context into which it is inserted leads us to expect an interesting mix of effects because within our world, and indeed within our cities, many contexts overlap and coexist. What can we expect then of technology in general and MT in particular? We can expect complexity, by which I mean the simultaneous appearance of the seemingly contradictory. We can expect MT to be both helpful and harmful. The limited research available suggests that on the one hand MT can help lower-proficiency learners to generate more language than they would without it on writing assignments; a demonstrable benefit. On the other hand, the same research suggests that more proficient writers actually spend less time deeply involved in the writing task (editing, revising, re-thinking) when “assisted” by MT. If we tried to measure the effect of MT on average these interesting differences would disappear. Researching the effect within specific contexts turns out to be essential. Is it possible that increasing the use of MT will provide seductive timesaving qualities, but have a negative effect on how deeply learners process ideas, and that they may be unaware of drawbacks? Interesting research in reading online versus reading on paper suggests that it may. When students were given an article they knew they’d be tested on, the ones who read on paper outperformed students who read online. That is perhaps not surprising. The most interesting finding was that the online readers (and they were randomly assigned to paper or online) predicted they’d understand just as much as their paper reading peers. The point here, is that we are unaware of the negative effect of some technologies on how we process ideas. In our rushed world (there’s the importance of context again), where speed and ease seem to be of the essence, language learners may not have or take the time to reflect in the moment on whether the 8
speed and ease advantages are worth the cost. We can say to ourselves, and tell our students, that a slower, deeper approach is better, but aren’t we, ourselves, too seduced by the speed and convenience of modern digital technologies? Students can, even now, do all of their language learning online using digital tools including MT, Skype, etc., at home. But they don’t. There is still demand for classroom-based language study by immigrants and international students among others. They may well, in their day-today lives, make use of these tools. Convenience and speed may predominate for many specific practical languagebased tasks, but they know there is a difference between brief functional messages that just need to work, on the one hand, and the ability to truly express one’s self on the other hand. One possible future scenario for us to be on guard against: immigrants are given free smartphones with instant universal language translation software on board. LINC classes are cut. Meanwhile, the rich continue to send their kids to Academic English classes because they can afford it. Wouldn’t that be an interesting, and horrible, example of context mediating the effect of the technology? So, MT is not liable to replace language training that focuses on communication (in its fleshed out, dialogic, social sense). But, will the context of living in a globalized hyper-consumer, late-capitalist milieu be the equivalent of guns coming into a rough neighbourhood, or will it be more like Inuit offenders becoming re-acquainted with a nature from which we have all been too long estranged? The answer is: all of the above.
Douglas Orme has been teaching ESL and EAP for 20 years in Toronto and Japan. He has presented at conferences in Toronto and Japan on pronunciation, using music in ESL, and more recently, on issues surrounding the use of technology in the classroom. He recently completed an M.Ed. in curriculum & philosophy. He teaches EAP, and works on curriculum development at the University of Toronto
issue 88, December 2014
The Farewell Speech
By Junmin Li of China, ICBC International Leadership Development Program
Below is the speech given by Junmin Li at the closing ceremonies for the International Leadership Development Program (ILDP), Cohort Six. The ILDP is a unique and comprehensive immersion in Canadian business practices, professional communication, and workplace culture. Designed by the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies (SCS) for the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), this program gives international business professionals knowledge and skills that are essential for organizational and individual success in a globalized marketplace. Ladies and gentlemen, my dear friends: I’m honored to speak in this closing ceremony on behalf of cohort six. A year ago, I struggled to make a decision to attend this program, because I had two big concerns. One was if I could adapt to an overseas life. The other was how I could benefit from this program. A few weeks after arriving at Toronto, I found that I gradually enjoyed the life here because of the friendly people and diversified culture and food. When I traveled to Quebec City for the Winter Carnival, even the cold winter seemed to be interesting. By now, I have experienced four beautiful seasons and I found that I love Toronto. About the other concern, I gradually realized I was gaining more than I expected by observing, thinking, learning and exploring. First, I can feel the changes in my heart. I began to be energetic, to think positively and to be more open to the new ideas and thoughts. Now I would like to inspire team members rather than to push them, to get them actively involved in our common goals rather than just follow orders, to encourage them to think creatively and engage in changes rather than just follow the routine. Furthermore, I understood the best way to expand
my career is continuing study. It is a long journey which I just restarted and will keep walking. By participating in this program I improved my leadership skills and motivation to lead, broadened my knowledge of advanced financial business, and better understood cross-culture communication skills which are valuable to the success of ICBC’s international expansion. In addition, I’m lucky this program gave me a lot of opportunities to contact different people, some of them became my friends. Each of us had significant gains from this program, some became ready to learn about being a leader, some became willing to learn the skills necessary to practice leadership, and some are able to lead. I believe this program will have a significant and long term impact on each cohort member and bring huge benefits to us. I hope the flame in our heart will never burn out when we go back to china. I think the best way to keep this valuable experience is to stay in touch with friends in Canada, to apply what we learned from this program to our daily life and work, or continue to study in the field which we are interested in to get ready for the changes in our position in the future. I will remember every person who encouraged and supported me and my cohort members. I would like to thank Head Office for giving us the opportunity to study in Canada, thank Sherry’s team for dedicating to facilitate ICBC’s internationalization strategy and our career development, thank all the mentors for helping us to adapt to the overseas life, and to know how to pursue our goals, thank all the instructors for broadening our knowledge with rich professional knowledge and experience and with great patience, thank all the hosts for providing us a good opportunity to be exposed to the Canadian workplace and to learn from professionals like you, and finally, thank my wonderful young classmates for making me feel younger. 9
WORLD P R E SS PHOTO GALLERY 2014
By Guilherme Ravazi Ruy of Brazil
View the full image online at www.worldpressphoto.org
By WeiYu (Susan) Wang of China, Academic English Level 60
Twelve photos have been displayed in the 2014 World Press Photo Exhibition, submitted by Jana Asenbrennerova, a Czech photojournalist specializing in social documentary.They show that under the protection of of an NGO which was founded in Bukavn in 2011, LGBT(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) people now have safe places to meet and share experiences, even though their social acceptance is still limited. I chose these photos because it is reassuring to see that social communities are making efforts to safeguard this special group. Homosexuality seems such a sensitive topic that sometimes we deliberately avoid talking about it. Controversy between countries, beliefs and individuals still exist, and may need more time before reaching an agreement. Many people blame homosexuals because in history they were believed to have caused the origin of some diseases, or just because of the the secular prejudgment. Nonetheless, homosexuality is a kind of phenomenon determined at birth, rather than a kind of illness. The NGO is a representative that fights for the right of homosexuals, guiding us to eliminate the discrimination against them. Moreover, I hope that governments make more efforts, such as public advertisements, to ensure that LGBT people are treated fairly.
Academic English Level 60
The World Press Photo was a really nice surprise for me, since I had never heard of it. This photo exhibition travels all around the world, and in the last weeks, it was held in Toronto, at Brookfield Place. Between all the dozens of amazing photos, the one titled “Moments before the hanging”, by Amir Pourmand, gained my admiration and filled my mind with questions. What caught my attention was how both the executioner and the man who was about to be hanged showed humanity as the convicted man laid his head on the hangman’s shoulder. I couldn’t stop wondering what was in the executioner’s mind at that moment. Maybe that situation made him think about all this beliefs and actions – I know I would – or maybe not; it was “just his job”. In addition, this photo showed me a brutal scene in such a sensitive way that I could never have imagined. Finally, the only thing I’m sure about is that the answer is not hanging criminals, hoping the crime rate decreases; because in the end, we are all flawed; but still humans.
View the full image online at www.worldpressphoto.org
issue 88, December 2014
By Ehab Loukae of Libya,
Academic English Level 60
View the full image online at www.worldpressphoto.org
By Kaio Vinícius Vilerá of Brazil, Academic English Level 60
The idea that a picture is worth a thousand words is underlined during the 2014 World Press Photo Exhibition, an event to motivate an understanding of the world through the camera lens. The first event occurred more than 50 years ago, and today the prize-winning photographs travel annually to more than 40 countries around the world, including Toronto. The photo , called Transylvania: Built on Grass, was taken by Rena Effendi in Maramures, Romania. The photo shows a senior who, according to the photographer, is stirring plum jam, an activity that requires more than eight hours to complete. Nature is highlighted in the background, showing a place containing a vast green area and no buildings. The people’s simplicity is clear from the clothes and tools used. The reason that the boy is there is probably the fact that he can continue stirring if the man needs to do something else. This photograph evokes a heartwarming feeling in me because my parents had a similar life, and members of my family, specifically my grandparents, are still living in the same conditions in Brazil. People who are not accustomed to this way of life can see this simplicity as unnecessary, but most of those people are happy in that simplicity. There are different types of lifestyles, and each person has his or her own feeling of what is really important, based on each one’s life experience. It is complicated to tell a person that one item is better than another if the person does not even know what that “better thing” is. For instance, there are some people that believe it would be impossible to live without a cellphone; however, for people who do not even had contact with a cellphone, it is not important. My grandfather has two sons and three daughters, and during their childhood, all of them helped my grandfather with activities related to country life such as harvesting, feeding animals, collecting eggs and milk, but all of them had to go to the school and study. My grandparents felt that their children’s studies were extremely important resulting in all them getting a degree due to this motivation. People with different lifestyles must be respected, and it is not appropriate to force them to live a more modern life, one that seems, to our 21st century eyes, to be better for them. They live with a low income, but they have everything they need to survive and thrive, with a difference because, as the photograph suggests, it is built on grass.
World Press Photo is a foundation that organizes annual photograph exhibitions worldwide. These exhibitions exhibit a variety of press photographs in order to encourage the appreciation and the support for those who work behind the camera. Forehand Forward, taken by Al Bello, is the name of the photo that I’ve chosen for this summary. The photo shows one of the best tennis players in the world, Novak Djokovic, playing a forehand during one of the games in the 2013 US Open. My primary interest lies in sports generally. Therefore, I found this photo to be one of the best ways to describe my attention toward this theme. In fact, tennis specifically is one my favourites; I used to be addicted to watching tennis games in the last few years. Djokovic is currently ranked number one among professional tennis players in the world. He is hardworker person and at the same time very modest and friendly. Moreover, he has an unbelievable sense of humor. Because of my interest in tennis, and Djokovic in particular, this photo fascinated me by how those players are making a huge effort to achieve their success. I can see in the photo that he was focusing and carefully trying to hit the ball in the right direction. I believe it is not an easy task to play under pressure and obtain a success. I think it was long journey for him to reach the top level. The other thing that has drawn me to this photo is that I have a dream to enjoy this scene in the same place as those in the background of the photo; watching the number one player in the world would really be a great thrill.
View the full image online at www.worldpressphoto.org
11
world of words
By Ali A. Ihbeel of Libya,
Academic English Level 60 In the World Press Photo Contest, a famous exhibition which is held every year to award the most spectacular photos of journalistic events around the world, one of the most remarkable photos, taken by the photographer Rémi Ochlik and winner of the first prize stories in 2012, shows “an opposition fighter [resting] beside the flag of the rebel forces during a battle [in the east region of Libya]”. The scene in this photo depicts the critical situation at that time and portrays the hopes related to the expected future. In this image, hundreds of Libyan rebels, who were in opposition to the rule of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi, are shown fighting against the pro-Gaddafi forces in the city of Ras Lanuf after they took control over Benghazi, the most important city in the east area of the country. The rebels are engaged in a military operation that takes place in an open area covered by a dark smoke emanating from fires and scattered with many weapons and combat vehicles, which indicates the terrible conditions and difficult situation that those rebel groups were exposed to at that time. The man in this photo, however, is calmly sitting beside the revolutionary’s flag and seems to be contemplating the possible future of the country. He is sitting on the top of a hill, in a certain manner, clasping his hands together, and closing his eyes as he is remembering either family members or friends who had possibly been killed or gone missing during the previous few months. At the same time, he is sitting in the shadow of the flag of independence, the first flag to represent Libya after the independence, as an indication of the anticipated future of a unified country in which he possibly hopes to live in. Peace. After three years, if he did not die during the conflict, it is to be hoped that he has obtained what he was wishing for.
View the full image online at www.worldpressphoto.org
View the full image online at www.worldpressphoto.org
By Ying Chen of China,
Academic English Level 60 The image taken by an American photographerSteve Winter-for National Geographic, which won First Prize in Nature Stories of the World Press Exhibition, shows a cougar walking on a trail in Los Angeles’s Griffith Park, “having just crossed two busy highways” . Paradoxically, in contrast with the cougar’s panicky and helpless eyes, a modern city is shown in a nighttime scene of prosperity behind this pathetic animal. Steve Winter’s photograph portrays the problem between humans and cougars in populated regions; in other words, it exposes the conflict between human society and nature. No doubt, the development of human society is constantly influencing nature: the ecological environment and the biosphere. With urban expansion, species are now facing a larger threat from human activities than ever before. Jurriaan M. De Vos et al (2014), in their article Estimating the Normal Background Rate of Species Extinction, states that “a key measure of humanity’s global impact is by how much it has increased species extinction rates. Familiar statements are that these are 100–1000 times pre-human or background 12
extinction levels” (p1). Human behavior causes species extinction for two main reasons: first is the increasing need for food, energy, and other natural resources. Due to the population explosion and the acceleration of industry, the consumption of food and natural resources is higher than before, which directly causes the excessive exploitation of these resources. Second, human ignorance and lack of concern about species diversity indirectly leads to species extinction. For example, deforestation causes many species, such as tigers, to decline; global warming leads hundreds of polar bears to starve to death every year. All these effects can be attributed to human neglect to protect nature. Humans and nature definitely interact with each other; humans cannot isolate themselves from either nature or other species. Indeed, humans are just one of many species on the earth. Therefore, living with our animal neighbors in friendship and equality is the way to not only protect other species, but also protect ourselves. Thus, we must return their home to the cougars.
issue 88, December 2014
By Rana AbdulAziz of Saudi Arabia, Academic English Level 60
View the full image online at www.worldpressphoto.org
By Azhar Hajwal of Saudi Arabia, Academic English Level 60
Maternal affection is a group of feelings and sensations from a mother toward her baby, particularly while the baby needs assistance; this maternal affection stimulates mothers to support their babies. Maternal affection is delivered with a baby’s delivery and grows as the baby grows until reaching a reciprocal level. The relationship between the mother and the baby is enhanced by the daily interaction between them; for example, feeding the infant, especially breast feeding, significantly strengthens this relationship through the close contact between the mother and the baby. In addition, spending a sufficient amount of time playing with the baby and saying loving words has positive effects on the mother-baby relationship, and the right guidance and education of children by their mothers can have a positive reward for the mothers in their old age. In other words, as the baby is growing up, the mother is also ageing; when children become young and strong adults, mothers become older and weaker, which is the time for a reciprocal reaction: mothers come to need the assistance and the emotional support when their sons or daughters are able to be tender and giving. In the reciprocal reaction stage, children reciprocate or exchange positions with their mothers, which means children take care of their mothers. Caring for the elderly is mostly focused on helping or assisting them with essential daily activities such as visiting the hospital or cleaning their house. The elderly need this: they wish to feel that their children love them at any age. Because of this, children should respect their mothers and give them priority at every age and stage. The sensation of being a mother never disappears, even in old age: this is is demonstrated in one of the award-winning photographs of Egyptian mothers and their sons taken by Denis Dailleus , in which a bodybuilder, who seems older than 40 years old, places his head in his mother’s lap to be soothed by his mother’s emotions.
World Press Photo Exhibition is one of the most impressive annual photography exhibitions. For over 55 years it has existed in hundreds of cities in fortyfive different countries, including Canada, which holds the exhibition in Toronto and Montreal every year. In addition, the number of submitted photos was more than 98,000 pictures from 5,754 photographers from 132 different nationalities. My favourite photo, taken by the Swedish photographer Peter Holgersson, is called Nadja Casadei- Heptathlon and Cancer, which was awarded the first Prize Sports Features Stories. The photographer used black and white to record the entire story of the champion Casadei with lymphatic cancer, which she was diagnosed with in 2013. I chose this particular photograph because it reflects a diversity of human feelings during different stages of life. The series of photographs shows the champion’s emotional and physical strength and her personal relationships. Firstly, her emotional strength is clear in each single picture especially when she was crying while having her beautiful hair shaved. While she was suffering from cancer, she smiled in a couple of pictures showing her high spirit and optimism. Moreover, the photographer illustrates the heptathlon athlete’s physical strength when he filmed her in the gym doing exercises and running in the race place. He pictured her in the hospital during the chemotherapy session to show how strong she is. Finally, these photos demonstrate the considerable reduction in the number of the close friends and relatives around the champion when she was in good health and when she is fighting cancer now. He shows two completely different pictures of Casadei, one of them with her huge fan base and the other one with one close person in the hospital to emphasize her hardship and loneliness. In conclusion, Casadei’s story is an important memorable story because she taught me to be happy even in the most difficult situations in my life. I cannot forget her optimism and her stunning smile.
View the full image online at www.worldpressphoto.org
13
ELP Volunteers are
EVERYWHERE By Erik Dean, ELP Cultural Assistant & Volunteer Organizer, Studying Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto
The English Language Program (ELP) volunteering initiatives are designed to let
Toronto English
students not only give back to the community but also flex their language muscles. session here at the
Throughout the previous ELP, students have helped
out with numerous charities and causes all over the city.
Here are just a few highlights
of the good work students did in the recent months.
50/50 Draw Ticket Selling is undoubtedly our favourite volunteer opportunity here at the ELP. It’s the most popular at the volunteer meetings, it’s the activity we do most often throughout the year, and it’s likely the longest running opportunity among the ones we do today. This is all for good reason, as you would surely know if you’ve ever had the good fortune to join us on one of these outings! Any given 50/50 outing is filled with conversation, interacting with Canadians and other native English speakers, and energetic activity. Perhaps the best part of all is that after our work is finished, volunteers are able to watch the end of the game and eat some complimentary pizza. The 50/50 Draw is a lottery game which sells tickets to visitors at major sports league events, where visitors buy tickets to increase their chances at winning a large cash prize. The 50/50 Draw gets its name from the fact that the money spent on the draw is split into two halves, 50% for the winning ticket holder, and 50% to charity. Although the 50/50 Draw program supports five different charities, ELP volunteers have nearly always gone out to support our friends at one particular charity, Right To Play. Right To Play is a charity that believes that a childhood is not complete without play, and that along with food, water, shelter, education and so on, children around the world also need sports and games. When we volunteer with Right To Play at Toronto Raptors, or Toronto Maple Leafs games, we are supporting their Youth To Youth program in particular, which services Toronto’s inner city schools. $50 dollars provides one child with a year’s worth of programming, and considering that all 50/50 volunteers together often raise from $6000 to $13 000 in a single night, you can truly feel like you’re making a difference!
FoodShare Toronto is a non-profit organization aiming to provide food security and education through their work with communities and schools. Food security was defined in 1996 as a situation where “all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life” by The World Food Summit. So, in short, what FoodShare aspires to do is provide Toronto with affordable, fresh, and healthy food, which they have been busy doing since 1985. ELP volunteers have been helping out at FoodShare’s warehouse quite regularly, putting together orders of fruits and vegetables to be shipped out. This is a particularly engaging volunteer opportunity because a lot of names for all sorts of produce are involved, which makes for good practice. Toronto is home to many cultures so it’s not surprising the FoodShare has in stock all sorts of fruits and vegetables common to many different cultures. It’s always fun to discover some fruit or vegetable you’ve never seen before, or see something familiar from back home and share its story with others.
world of words
The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation is yet another organization that the ELP has had a strong connection with. With each year, we’ve made sure to have been part of their most major events in Toronto, such as the Run for the Cure, and the GWN Dragon Boat challenge. This dedication has not gone unnoticed as last April, the ELP was nominated for their Outstanding Volunteer Award!
The Scott Mission is an organization that provides services to those in need, in the downtown Toronto area. Among many other things, The Scott Mission provides families with groceries and clothes, and also hot lunches to the community. These are the two things that our volunteers at the ELP have helped out with, either by helping to prepare the meals in the kitchen, distributing the meals in their dining hall, or organizing clothing and non-perishable food donations.
16
Volunteer
issue 88, December 2014
ELP students volunteering at the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Run for the Cure
V
olunteering is designed to allow students to gain valuable 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 English Language Program is proud to volunteer with the following organizations: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation The MLSE Foundation – Team Up for Kids Friends of the Rouge Watershed ALS Canada University of Toronto Food and Clothing Bank Sporting Life 10k The Scott Mission The United Way Jays Care Foundation City of Toronto Quantum Sports Learning Association Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre Fort York Pride Toronto Toronto Fringe Festival
Volunteering is easy! Attend the weekly meetings every Wednesday at 5:15pm in Room 2-214. Sign up for upcoming events, check the number of hours you have volunteered, or request a reference letter or certificate. 17
world of words
Th
an ky ou f Mo Post T or su pp -G En E a ram Pic joy your Lorting our on ture Candy MoMM-oGvember Ins of -Gram! team: tag you ram an at d yo #U u ofT r EL he
ng
lis
h
an
gu ag e
o
ra
m
MO-
P
Throughout the month of November, the English Language Program (ELP) became known as the English Language MoGram in support of the Movember Campaign, a charity that aims to raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues. Movember encourages men to grow moustaches during November and solicit donations. But at the ELP, everyone had a chance to show off a moustache and help out a good cause. This year, the ELP volunteers raised $386.50 for Movember by making and selling Mo-Grams, moustache themed candy grams. Students and staff bought lollipops with moustache greeting cards attached for their friends at the ELP. Recipients of Mo-Grams then sent their thanks over social media, showing off their new moustaches to the world. It was a positive and fun way to make a difference.
What is a Mo-gram? A Mo-Gram is a Moustache Candy Gram you send to your friends at ELP. It consists of a lollipop and a moustache message.
Lollipop
TO:
U
YO
M:
FRO
Cost
ME
If you want to send someone a mo-gram Step #1: Come to the ELP Office and Purchase a Mo-Gram for $1
(All Proceeds go to the Movember Campaign)
Step #2: Write a Moustache Message to someone at ELP Step #3: We will deliver your Mo-Gram by Monday, November 24th, 2014
Moustache Message
$1
TO:
YOU FROM:
ME
You
If you receive a Mo-Gram Step #1: Eat the Candy Step #2: Say Thank you by posting a Mo-Gram Selfie on Instagram (#UofTELP)
18
TO:
YOU FROM:
ME
1,278 likes
You: Thanks for the #MoGram. #UofTELP
issue 88, December 2014
Advanced Academic Skills
Volunteer Reflections The Advanced Academic Skills class volunteered at an Elementary Public School in the Dufferin and Bloor area of Toronto. It was a Halloween festival organized by the parent’s school advisory council. The University of Toronto ELP students initially toured the school to learn about the educational environment. They later helped set up the party room, served snacks, applied scary removable tattoos, cleaned up and interacted with the young kids. –Bill Mboutsiadis, Instructor, Advanced Academic Skills These are their reflections: Ana Sayuri Yamagata (from Brazil): Located in the Dufferin and Dupont neighbourhood, the Dovercourt Public School has good citizenship, respect and diversity as their main principles in the mission of raising youth. It is also considered to be “Platinum Status ECO”, which means it meets the commitment of educating children to be aware of the importance of the environment. Since our instructor Bill Mboutsiadis gave us the opportunity, on Friday October 31st 2014, our class volunteered in a Halloween themed event at this public elementary school. This occasion was interesting to get to know a Torontonian educational environment and to also interact with local children while helping in the event. We visited many classrooms and they looked like a comfortable and favourable place for the children to learn. The kindergarten rooms had plenty of toys and they were colourfully decorated and personalized by the pupils. The desks and chairs were set in small groups, which suggested that the class activities were not all focused on the teacher. It seemed that the students had opportunities to learn co-operatively. In the corridors we saw some of student drawings of urban landscapes. These drawings were interesting to a classmate of mine who is an architect. After having taken a brief view of the rooms, we went to the gymnasium where the party was happening. I helped to put non-permanent tattoos on children, serve fresh popcorn and sweep the floor. The popcorn was offered to students who did not bring or have money to buy snacks from the bake sale; and this was one piece of evidence of the school’s value of responsibility for good citizenship. Also, my classmates and I played with the young students. At the end of the day, we all felt that the experience was valuable. Reference list: http://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/dovercourt/Home.aspx http://www.tdsb.on.ca/Findyour/Schools. aspx?schno=5218 Márcio Moura (from Brazil): I had a great time at this volunteer experience. I interacted with many kids who were very interested in having conversations in order to share their knowledge with us. In addition, I met a Canadian girl who has Brazilian parents, and so we could speak with her in Portuguese. Also, I remember when a
nine-year-old boy said to me, “U of T must be hard, eh?” This was funny. Niander Neves de Assis (from Brazil): I love to be in contact with kids and interact with them. It is so pure and simple. Anyways, the school is really different from my schools in Brazil. It seems to be that schools here receive better investments from the government and consequently, they have better resources. Kids seem to like being at school because they can find different things to do. Merey Ziyadina (from Kazakhstan): On Halloween day we had a great chance to see and to be engaged in a real school life of Torontonian kids. The experience was very different from all other kinds of volunteering activities I’ve done in Toronto. The first impression was from infrastructure and atmosphere of the school building. It seemed to me to feel cozy (little bit messy in a good way) as in a big children’s room at home. I felt the school has a sense of freedom, which is quite different from what I have experienced in Kazakhstan. The next biggest impression I received was from the diversity of students in school and from the holiday mood that seemed to spread to everyone and every part of the school. In addition, I would like to mention the perfection of the costumes we saw, because some of them were clearly home-made but very creative and functional. Dalila Bezerra (from Brazil): From the time I started studying English, some people told me about the amazing experience of speaking English with a child, because they do not judge you, and speak differently from an adult that is enriching for someone’s English learning experience. The opportunity to visit a public school, in a foreign country, has shown me how different an educational system can be from school environment and up to the overall learning approach. In my home city there is only one school that follows a similar model that I saw at the Kindergarten class, where the children choose what subject is interesting, and then the teacher develops strategies to incorporate math, English and science based on students’ theme. This school model is an excellent one as shown by the students’ academic improvement. I am glad to have been able to help out at this school on Halloween, despite the fact that my help was limited because all the teachers and parents were handling everything very well. For the little work that I did do, I was very gratefully for the experience. 19
world of words Raphael Lins (from Brazil): It was a pleasurable experience to participate in this volunteer work on Halloween. At the Dovercourt Public School, I could see how Canadian children behave in their educational environment. It was impressive how schools in Canada provide different activities for their students. Activities that relate fun with learning are available for the children. Those activities make children see school as a funny place so they go without any pressure or reluctance. It would be very interesting if schools in Brazil or other countries could find similar ways to attract the kids like Canadian schools do.
Felipe Almeida (from Brazil): This was my first volunteer experience here in Toronto and I might say that it was amazing. The opportunity to help others is rewarding and when it is related to kids, it is also fun. The Dovercourt Public School gave me the chance to learn about one Toronto school and the learning environment. I can now see some differences from what I am used to seeing in Brazil. I hope to be part of some other experiences as a volunteer here in Toronto, if possible, and I am grateful for the opportunity they gave to me.
Advanced Academic Skills
First Nations Education
Photograph by K. Krug
Reflections about a lecture by Paul Martin and education for aboriginal youth Ana Sayuri Yamagata (from Brazil) On November 4th 2014, invited by the School of Continuing Studies, the former Prime Minister Paul Martin gave a speech as part of a Lecture Series. His talk was mainly about, as he stated, “the largest, single moral issue we face as a country”. He referred to the very serious social impairment in Canada’s First Nations society. In order to understand the importance of repairing the disenfranchised First Nations’ people, it is necessary to know about their historical background. Originally, in the aboriginal culture, children were not raised by their two parents, as in traditional Western families. They were educated by many members of the extended family like aunts, uncles and grandparents while they were loved by their parents. However, from 1860 to 1980s, the Canadian government’s policy was to make the First Nation Culture assimilated (or destroyed) by the dominant mainstream society, since it was considered as inferior and “savage”. Thus, the children were forcedly extracted from their parents and their community to be raised by nuns and priests of Protestant and Catholic churches in residential schools. Their native 20
culture was repressed in this environment. Any native language was forbidden and punished corporally and violently. Such an ordeal was described by these pupils as “burdensome and damaging experience” and “bitter emotional scars”. Nowadays, the aboriginal people are isolated by an enormous social inequality and face a harsh reality because they have had no social remedy of their situation. After residential schools were ended, those who had spent many years there lost a sense of family and community membership as well as parenting skills since they did not have much experience raising their own kids and also lacked a generation of parental role models. Education for aboriginal people is underfunded and deteriorated. Moreover, half of the Canadian first Nations children live in low income households. Drug abuse, delinquency and elevated rates of suicide (five to seven times higher than non-aboriginal individuals) are some of the largest issues affecting aboriginal youth. Now it is time to listen to them, according to the Director of the School of Continuing Studies of the University of Toronto, Marilyn Booth. The guest of the event, the Right Honourable Paul Martin, has an initiative that aims to minimize the inequalities in elementary and secondary school education between the aboriginal and average non-native students. Furthermore, they intend to promote the aboriginal culture, rights and history, by
issue 88, December 2014 building knowledge on this topic to be taught in schools in this country. They have recently produced a business textbooks that use and reflect First Nation culture. By doing so, it would be easier for the others to understand and respect their lifestyle and way of thinking. It is good to know that initiatives are being done in order to heal the historically harmed aboriginal citizens. It was very interesting to attend the lecture to acquire more knowledge about the Canadian society and be critically aware of not only positive characteristics of this place, but also its problems. Reference list •http://news.utoronto.ca/former-prime-minister-paulmartin-visits-u-ts-school-continuing-studies •https://www.policyalternatives. ca/publications/commentary/ first-nations-poverty-and-canadian-economy •http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fniah-spnia/promotion/suicide/ index-eng.php •http://www.maei-ieam.ca/about.html Ibrahim Abuhelaiga (from Libya) It is a great honor for me to attend the former Prime Minister Paul Martin’s lecture about the First Nations rights for good education. What caught my attention at the lecture was when he gave some statistics regarding the percentage of these First Nation children who are going to be enrolled in school next year in Manitoba. If I am not mistaken, he mentioned around 30% to 43% of total school population in the province which is a huge number who don’t get an equal chance to have a good education due to 50% less funding when compared to the rest of the Canadian average. I believe this will negatively influence the country as a whole in regards to educational outcomes in Canadian society. According to my understanding of the lecture, this was one of the reasons why he is trying to convince mainstream Canadians to pay attention to the concerns to First Nation education. Even though, proper and equal educational opportunities have been overdue since generations of First Nations were not given a fair chance which would of supported their current new generation by providing role models, this initiative is a really good step towards raising the percentage of educated people in the target groups. Hopefully this improvement is applied as soon as possible. I hope all policy makers in the entire world follow Paul Martin’s steps in order to drive their countries towards achieving their best potential outcomes. Mayara Machado (from Brazil) It is surprising to me to notice that aboriginal education is not only a problem for developing countries but also for a country as rich and well developed as Canada, who seems to be equally struggling to deliver quality education to all its citizens. In Brazil, a great problem in this area includes; school infrastructure, the lack of well trained teachers and the remote distances some students, not only the aboriginal ones, have to walk to get an education. Of course, the quality of the curriculum is also lacking, but unfortunately it is a small
issue by comparison. From all of what I have learned on this matter, it seems that in Canada the First Nations population has almost formed their own country, with special laws and different cultures, with more social problems than the rest of the population. Though, I have also noticed that there is relatively strong interest from the government and population to partly solve these problems. It seems, in comparison with Brazil, that in Canada many are trying to find solutions and willing to put them into actions, which is already progress in my opinion. Definitely we Brazilians should take a page from Canada’s book and make a greater effort to bring education to all our citizens and even better, to improve the quality of the education offered because education is extremely important to build a healthy society and nation. Isabela Bezerra Lubambo Maia (from Brazil) A growing portion of Canadian students are aboriginals. They will be a great part of the work force in the future. There is no reason to maintain their education to the lowest level. I really appreciate the effort of Paul Martin, the former prime minister, to reinforce the importance of improving aboriginal education. He said that, comparing to students in Northern Ontario, aboriginal kids on a reservation school are provided with 50 per cent less educational funding. In those conditions, reservation schools cannot afford essential infrastructure and staff. Most importantly, they cannot afford enough teachers. The experience of hearing Paul Martin talking about this issue allowed me to better understand the educational situation of Canada. Before, from my understanding, I thought that education was a developed field in Canada and that Canadians were proud of it. However, I now understand that it still needs improvement. In fact this is another point that I really appreciate about Canadians. They are always trying to debate about important issues and improve their country. Merey Ziyadina (from Kazakhstan) The lecture we’ve attended was interesting and very informative in terms of understanding Canada’s First nations’ life and role in the country. I’ve learned about the history and structure (divisions) of aboriginal people and have a deeper understanding of the issues that Canada faces in their education system. As a foreigner, I was always interested to discover the culture and history of aboriginal people of Canada and I now know that they are divided among each other into three main groups: the Inuit, the Metis and the First Nations. Paul Martin described in detail the reasons why First Nations live in poverty today by indicating two main points: colonization and forced simulation into a Eurocentric culture and lifestyle. He talked about his initiative fund and its actions to increase the level of school education for aboriginal children. As a conclusion, he gave a statement (a result of his survey) which I find magnificent: “For 200 years we told the aboriginal people what to do. And now it is time for us to listen to them”. Overall, I liked the lecture very much and it was an honour for me to see a former Prime Minister of Canada. My gratitude to our instructor Bill Mboutsiadis.
21
world of words
ELP Writings
English PLUS As part of our unit on Storytelling, my students (English PLUS -Intermediate) have written stories in various genres. –Grace Benigno Instructor, English Language Program
Genre: Love Story
Just I Love You... By: Fumito Minari, Shoya Fujisawa, Chika Oikawa & Hiroko Iwasaki of Japan
The story’s main people are Harry and Maki. They met at U of T for the first time. He is from UK , and she is from Japan. Begin …… Maki likes Harry because he is good looking, but she can’t speak to him because she is shy. She always sees him enter the university, and she thinks it’s enough just to look at him. One day Harry spoke to her. ‘Hi Maki, nice to meet you. Have you seen me before?’ She said, ‘No I haven’t.’ He said ‘Ok, sorry I made mistake, but this is an opportunity for me to speak to you. Would you like to come and watch my show? I sing at a music club. You can go there - it’s free!! Will you come?’ She said, ‘Hmm, I want to go there, but I have a plan to study law because I want to become a lawyer. I must spend more time…’ He said ‘That’s good, but I think sometimes you should play with your friends! It’s boring …’ She became angry. She said ‘I can’t play with them because becoming a lawyer is very difficult for me. I don’t have enough skills to pass the law exam.’ But he didn’t like her reason and said, ‘you don’t need to be self-deprecating. No problem.’ She disagreed with him because his way of thinking wasn’t realistic. She didn’t like his reason. And then he kept going on, ‘My friends usually tell me I’m stupid.” Maki became angrier than before. She said ‘don’t be stupid!! ’ She doesn’t like pertinent people. Then he said ‘Ok, ok. Anyway, if you have free time, please come to my show. Ok?’ Maki had to say ‘Yes.’ Harry said ‘That’s good!! I’ll be on stage next weekend. I’ll be waiting for you.’ ‘Ok, thanks. See you next time.’ He said, ‘Not next time. Next weekend!! ’ Like a joke… She had to say yes….. A few days later Maki went to the music club because she was a little interested. Harry found her and said, ‘Oh, you came? Thank you!! How was my show?’ She was crying... He didn’t understand the situation. He asked her ‘What’s wrong? Why are you crying?’ M: I’m sorry you’re a nice person. I misunderstood you. 22
H: It’s Ok! I’m happy because I see you’re laughing again. M: I think you’re a very talented singer. You’re very good to me. Thank you for a special time!! (Harry thought `I must protect her.`) (Maki thought `I want to go somewhere with him.`) They promised to meet each other on December 24th every year. At the same time, Harry passed an audition for the show ‘The X-Factor.’ A director said to Harry “I’d like to say yes! Congratulations! You can go to the U.S.A! If you want to try to become a singer, you have to drop out of university.” He could receive funding to go to the U.S.A, but he didn’t say anything to Maki about this. He would go to the U.S.A. on January 1st. This year’s Christmas Harry came back to Toronto because they had made a promise to meet under the Christmas tree in Toronto, but Maki didn’t go there. She thought he was still in the U.S.A and forgot their promise. So, they didn’t meet each other. One year later Harry had a concert in Toronto and then Maki came there. He had already made a song for her called ‘I must protect her’ When she heard the song, she cried again. After the concert, he asked her ‘Do you remember what we promised? Why didn’t you come?’ She said ‘Yes, I remembered. But you’re very busy, right? So I thought you couldn’t come back here.’ H:`But now I’m here. Just to be clear, I want to live my life with you…………..Just I Love You…..!!!!!!!!!’ The end.
issue 88, December 2014
Genre: Mystery
Dr. T and the Little Box
By Eunhye Joo of South Korea & Kaede Sano, Binbin Sun, Kana Itami & Takumi Murano of japan
It was 1994. It was raining in a small Scottish village. It was very foggy and dim. There was a house, and an old man living there. He has cancer, he is waiting to dying in few weeks. Nine years later, the old man’s family goes to his house. And a little girl who is nine years old finds a mysterious antique wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She trys to open the box. She asks her parents for help, but they couldn’t open it because they couldn’t find the key, so she give up and brought the box to her house. After that, she brought the box to the police station. The girl asked a police officer, “please open this box.” The police officer said, “No way, I’m very busy.” She began to cry. Suddenly, she saw a doctor, and she grasped his white coat. The little girl said, “Help me,” He said, “No.” Then he walk away. She shouted “Wait, I couldn’t open this box. I want to open this box. There is an important thing in this box. So please open this box.” He said, “What? What did you say? It’s something expensive.” Dr. T said, “There’s no key. Interesting! I’ll take this case.” After the early lunch break, Dr. T went to the little girl’s house, and he asked questions about
her grandfather. Then the girl fell over, and the box was emptied out. Dr. T walked a few steps and picked up the box. That time he saw a drawing at the bottom of the box. The drawing was like graffiti, “This is a clue,” the girl said. At the little girl’s house, there was a backyard, with twenty trees. At first, Dr. T went to the place where the girl found the box . Then, he took the box to the backyard. Dr. T walked to the back yard and he found a small tree. Dr. T started to dig under the tree. Finally he discovered a glass bottle. The copper key in the bottle. He opened the cover and took the key out . He gave her the key and the girl opened the box. There was a bankbook in the box. She checked the bankbook and there was only one row there. Just 100 dollars. The girl said “Wow! A hundred dollars!” But Dr. T said, “There’s more. The hundred dollars is from about 20 years ago, now it is worth a million dollars.” She gave him a kiss on his cheek. He returned to his job “doctor.” End
Genre: Science Fiction
Divine Beauty Saves the World By: Olga Azmukhanova of Russia, Ohood Alkaabi & Alejandro Cantu of Mexico Almost all of us wait for something: better days, weather, job, partner. We wait for the best opportunities to live our lives more colourfully. We wait on weekends, holidays or summer. Why can’t we enjoy a present new day? We don’t appreciate the usual things of our lives. It’s the 30th century. There are no different countries. One world, one country. There are no wars, no economic crises, no starvation. There is no happiness either. Why? Sadness is the new plaque of the 30th century, but one day everything changed. Humanity woke up without feelings. They couldn’t love, laugh, cry or dream. Only Grace stayed the same, with feelings. She was special, with incredible divine beauty. And only Grace could change everything. Grace connected with the universe through the her feelings. She understood this was a curse because of sadness.
Grace: - Why us? Universe: - You have more materials things, but you’re not satisfied. Grace: - It’s true, but not all people are as you said. Some of them know the value of life. Her words were so honest and sensuous. She wished to help humanity sincerely. Universe: - I will give them one last chance. But if they don’t appreciate their blessings, they don’t deserve to live. Grace: - Please, all people be happy, be thankful every moment every day. Do your best always, tell the truth, help others, listen,smile and speak kindly. When you want something all the universe will conspire in helping you to achieve it? REMEMBER IT!!!
23
world of words
Genre: Poetry
My Scattered Thoughts ...on disparate topics Jean Bertin St. Louis of Haiti, Academic English Level 50
A-On nature /environment §1- Difference in order to make more sense: The diversity of the universe (the nature) participates in its harmony. §2- Listen to my prayer, oh Lady Nature! My goddess nature! Please make us stronger and stronger in all things which unite us to you as human beings rather than anything which can separate us from you.
§11- To trade love or to share love?: It would be a total mistake to trade love which should basically be shared in a relationship.
§3- Living for you, Lady: In relationship with you, Lady Nature, it is more important to live for a shorter time and achieve a great goal than to live for a long time and realize nothing.
§12- We love, therefore we learn: Love (passion) initiates knowledge. Reason pushes faith to the highest point.
§4- The Nature is like a loving heart: Nature, even if it decides in advance to give its heart to a human being, wants naturally to be conquered by this loved person.
C-On beauty /goodness §13- Fragile beauty: Being immeasurably beautiful would become a handicap because beauty by itself is fragile and weak without goodness.
§5- The nature which is ours: Nature, in the time and space, always works orderly to harmonize all things. Everything we do well or badly will have some positive or negative effects on the environment that we share together, or on the internal nature which is our own nature. B-On love /life §6- Give freely what you have freely received: As a free gift of Lady Nature’s goodness, Love is not bought or sold. It was given freely to us to give freely back.
§14- Goodness first: What does it profit a person who looks after his/her beauty outside of any goodness? D-On humankind §15- A simple invitation to think about: Let us make an effort to understand that many people, in the way that they think or act, are still victims of misunderstanding by some others. §16- Ecce homo: A human is not just what he/she thinks, what he/she says, what he/she does. He/she is not also the contrary.
§7- Life and Love, two among the greatest gifts: Life or Love, which comes first? According to the biblical approach, the Supreme Being created everything by calling them to existence through Love, thus Love existed first. However, this Love cannot stand by itself without the Spirit of Life.
§17- Faithful in all things even the smallest: Small details of daily life and little things of everyday life are in fact small details and little things; however, to be faithful and responsible in them is a valuable and noble thing.
§8- Love is demanding and understanding: Love which is not demanding is not love. Love which does not understand is not love.
§18- From the man to the human: We are born creatures and we grow, develop and evolve to become human though our inclusive thoughts and selfless actions.
§9- No comparison in Love: A relationship of love can be compared to loving and being loved. Because Love is synonym with Real Life (True Life), it cannot be compared.
§19- Have a nice trip!: The most important voyage is to discover our inner life. In other words, exploring more and more our own intimacy.
§10- Self-motivation: It is still relevant to identify those things that make us live or give us motivation (living beings: person, pets, things and so on). Relive them at the appropriate time. This revives! 24
§20- Hostility, no! Hospitality, yes!: The more a person is hostile towards us, the more we have to be hospitable to him/her. §21- Human beings and their double image: Human beings have a double image: the one is their front (the
issue 88, December 2014
day) while the other is their back or his hidden image (the night). The first one can make them a good person or a bad person (a problem) for others whereas the second one makes them a mystery for the other. §22- Laugh and not be happy: Propriety often claims the yellow laughter (laughter without possible mirth). Is it not hypocrisy or self-righteousness? I doubt anyone who would respond honestly in the negative. §23- Life and its great and funny side: We still need serious people who make us laugh by inspiring in us the desire to live. §24- Not be nude and feel oneself nude: Is nudity a sign of human frailty or weakness? §25- Other than being, be different: We cannot think and do nothing without The Being who made us what we are, as we are, and as we are called to be.
witnessing the living presence of The Other in the life of each other. §29- The human and his life: The human beings’ life is like a play where they only are the real actors and not the Real Author. He/she plays the role without thinking and planning the performance. It is incredible, but true! §30- Thirst for life: Despite his strengths, a human being is and remains thirsty. A man is incomplete without a woman. §31- We cannot be or not to be: In all things that we think, in everything we do, we reveal a bit of who we are. E-On morality §32- A crime often unknown: Disrespect of another’s cultural identity is hurting your own self.
§26- Sexuality: be really human: What is understood by a human who looks at a single dimension of his body and says: “Look at that! This what makes me human being, I am proud, and I thank Lady Nature”?
§33- Sympathy is almost empathy, but not exactly the same: Sympathy is rejoicing with each other in times of joy in the brightest instants as well as in times of pain in the darkest moments. It is like “feel what others feel” or “uniting heart to heart”.
§28- Thank you very much: Saying thank you to one another is showing recognition of the heart while
§34- The good way to reconcile: To those who give you a thorn during a fight (war), give back a flower.
Genre: Poetry
I Am a Maple Leaf
Nathalia Cristina de Melo Correa da Silva of Brazil, Former Academic English Student
Photograph by Karen Nayeli Ramírez López
I am a maple leaf The maple leaf changed, and so did I. When the leaf was green, I was just dreaming. When the leaves were yellow, I saw myself fascinated by these unique colors When they became red, I finally fell in love. So I see that I am as this leaf: red as passion, and Canadian by heart.
Maple Leaf and I
Nathalia Cristina de Melo Correa da Silva of Brazil, Former Academic English Student Maple leaf and I Maple leaf Green Red Yellow Fell down Reborn So do I 25
world of words
ELP on Instagram #uoftELP
@misaki_k5 Robarts Library in U of T #robartslibrary #uoft #uoftelp #toronto #canada
@UofTELP Our #UofTELP students dressed and ready for the Hornblower tour at #NiagaraFalls! #uoft #explorecanada #niagara
@UofTELP Skating at Harbourfront! #uoftelp #studentlife #exploreto #winter #skating #toronto #sport #friends #memories
@dilyafluffy #Christmasmood #letitsnow 26
@uoftELP Our #uoftelp students had a blast skating at Toronto’s Harbourfront skating rink! #toronto #uoft #exploreto #winter #snow #skating #friends #canada
@UofTELP Where’s Waldo? #halloween #costume #UofTELP #studentlife #uoft #toronto #dressup
@UofTELP Check out our #UofTELP students volunteering for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation’s Run for the Cure! #volunteer #charity #toronto #runforthecure
@dilyafluffy Can you spot the real mustache? #movember #UofTELP #mogram
@shue_g Exploring #ChristmasMarkt with Friends
issue 88, December 2014
@misaki_k5 #uoft #uoftelp #toronto
@UofTELP #UofTELP bleeding blue at the #UofT vs University of Manitoba Hockey Game! #weallbleedblue #varsityblues #toronto
@UofTELP #UofTELP students carved some fantastic pumpkins last week! #pumpkincarving #studentlife #halloween @uoftELP Pool Night at Rivoli’s! #uoftelp #uoft #studentlife
@UofTELP #UofTELP at @isxcanada ‘a Boat Cruise Party! Our students had a blast! #toronto #uoft #studentlife #exploretoronto
@UofTELP Our students @pedrodossi and @marciiomoura rockin’ their new #UofTELP sunglasses! #toronto #uoft #brazilian #swb #sciencewithoutborders #uoftbulletin
@mosab1994 #canada #canadaswonderland #wonderland #toronto #hollween #scary #funny #uoftelp #haunted 27
world of words
Student Opinion
Due to our diverse student population, we receive many opinionbased 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.
Smart Robots
By Ali A. Ihbeel of Libya, Academic English Level 60
Advances in technology could change the perspective of users regarding the moral issues that come with this technology; intelligent robots are one of these developments that have been discussed for their ethical implications by scientists, technology experts and even philosophers. Nicola Davis (2013) in her article “Smart robots, driverless cars work – but they bring ethical issues too”, reports on examples of the ethical issues that relate to these robots, especially for medical and healthcare purposes. She explains that Watson - IBM’s intelligent system – could help doctors to diagnose many diseases using huge data bases stored in this system (para. 3). Her explanation that such a system could provide the accurate diagnoses and anticipate health risks faster than doctors is entirely true. According to Lourien Friedman, (2014), a writer specializing in healthcare coverage and technology, Watson has a vast amount of information which is comprised of more than “605,000 pieces of medical evidence, 2 million pages of [medical book and journal] text, 25,000 training cases and had the assist of 14,700 clinician hours fine-tuning its decision accuracy”, which would make it the world’s best diagnostician (para. 13). The system, also, could be useful for doctors to aid them to describe an effective and sufficient level of therapy for the patients. In addition, it might be a helpful and powerful tool to resist and combat the epidemic diseases that are increasingly widespread. According to David Carr, (2014), a web consultant and oversees InformationWeek’s coverage of government and healthcare IT, the benefits of Watson are not limited to its ability to identify the kind of disease, “but by speeding up the process of identifying a short list of the most promising drug candidates, the technology makes it more likely that the treatment can be delivered in time to make a difference” (para. 9). With such technological benefits, Davis discusses the moral aspects that might arise: “With intelligent systems accessing medical records comes the fear of compromised privacy and security, as many will be connected via the internet,” (para. 5). These fears, however, are unjustified, as the medical organizations that adopt and develop such technology and systems as well as the scientists who work for them are aware of the issue of privacy and security. For example, FDA- the U.S. Food and Drug Administration- issued in 2013 the first draft of the “Content of Premarket 28
Submissions for Management of Cybersecurity in Medical Devices”, which describes the procedures that the healthcare industry should consider in the design and development of their medical devices as well as for preparing submissions for these devices, as a response to the need for effective cybersecurity and safety (FDA, 2014). In other words, as medical technology is developing, the security and safety procedures are also developing in parallel, and if there were any doubt that such systems would be unreliable or insecure, scientists and medical organizations would not take the risk of developing and using them.
issue 88, December 2014
Hanaa’s Operation By
Haifaa Mahjoub of Saudi Arabia, Academic English Level 30
Hanaa was born on 15 April 2013 in Saudi Arabia. She was born about four weeks early. I was shocked when I saw her because there were many problems in her hands and feet (she has one foot and three fingers are fused together). She had Amniotic Band Syndrome (ABS). Hanaa is one of the children who is injured by this disease. She stayed in incubation 13 days because she had problems in respiration systems, “could not breathe very well”, swelling of the stomach , and Jaundice. The doctor said, “premature infants with these symptoms usually do not live a long time.” I did not believe him. I thought, “Hanaa will live because God gave her life.” My husband, Waleed, and I decided that we would help her and would support her as much as we could. We have a daughter with special needs. My husband and I should be strong to face this situation and made plans for treatment for Hanaa. My husband and I decided that we would find treatment for Hanaa outside Saudi Arabia. We researched which is the best hospital for children in the world. The result showed us that the best children’s hospitals were in the United States and Canada. We thought a lot and chose Sick Kids Hospital in Canada. Then we started to get approval procedure from the government to Hanaa, her father and Dr. Zuker provide treatment for Hanaa. The procedures took a long time, approximately one year. After one year we are in Canada now. We are happy to make a good choice. This girl opened many doors for us and made us happy. The first operation for Hanaa was on Friday 10 October 2014. The operation took four and a half hours. It was too hard for us. The doctor, Ronald Zuker, separated her conjoined fingers. After the operation, we stayed two days in hospital to make sure that Hanaa was fine. The doctor said, “ The operation was successful.” He gave Hanaa antibiotic for five days and painkiller to remove pain. Hanaa’s fingers look good now. Thanks very much to Dr. Zuker and Sick Kids Hospital. The next operation will be after six months and we have an appointment at Holland Bloorview Hospital for prostheses. We will see Hanaa walk and run soon. My daughter Khadija always helps Hanaa and takes care of her. I am proud Hanaa and her sister, Khadija of her. I hope God saves both of them. I love them so much.
29
world of words
A Healthy Lifestyle
By Gokce Akar of Turkey, Academic English Level 50
Today, many people would like to live a long life. While some people would like to spend more time with their family and friends, others may want to travel more. There can be different reasons why people want to live a long life. Many people believe that 覺f people can have a healthy lifestyle, it is highly likely that they can live a long life. Having a healthy lifestyle requires good nutrition, regular exercise and positive thinking. The first factor of having a healthy lifestyle is that people provide good nutrition to their bodies. Research shows that people should drink at least two liters of pure water every day. Water is a major nutrition source for the body, and lack of water in the body leads to many diseases. For example, 覺f people do not drink enough water, they can have a headache. When the body has been exposed to lack of water for a long time, more serious diseases may generate in the body such as high blood pressure, asthma and diabetes. In addition, people who would like to live a long time should eat well-balanced meals. Protein, carbohydrates and fat should be consumed every day. Apart from these, vitamins and minerals are also important for the body. For instance, every morning eggs and cheese can be eaten for protein and bread and some vegetables can be eaten for carbohydrates. For dinner and lunch, salad and a piece of meat, especially white meat, may be eaten, or vegetable dishes might be preferred. Milk, cheese, yoghurt and olive oil are helpful fat sources, and they can be consumed small amount every day. Finally, fruit and nuts can 30
be chosen for vitamins and minerals. If necessary, people can take vitamins and minerals as a medicine after consulting their doctor. This is enough for a well-balanced meal. In addition to providing good nutrition to the body, doing exercise is very beneficial for a healthy lifestyle. The human body is like a machine. If the machine is not used regularly, it can collapse with time. Therefore, people should do exercise regularly. For example, they can walk, or they can swim. If people are active four days per week, it is enough for the body. Due to not doing exercise, some people can be fat, and this situation can make them sick. If they do not do exercise, they are more likely to get even sicker. This situation is like a cycle; therefore, people have to break this cycle and should do exercise if they want to live a long and healthy life. Finally, regular exercise and good nutrition are not effective without positive thinking for a healthy lifestyle. People should give positive messages to themselves. Research(1) shows that happy people are healthier than unhappy people. Laughter is a natural medicine for the body. Positive thinking, which is one of the most important parts of a healthy lifestyle, affects the human body and mind. Being positive relates to being healthy because the human body and mind can heal with positive messages. It can make people healthier. The human body and mind are linked. If one of the these parts is healthy, it is probable that the other part is also healthy. Having a hobby and spending time with family and friends help people to think positively. People who think positively usually have at least a hobby such as cooking, reading and sports. Moreover, they have friends who are trustworthy and family and enjoy spending time with their family and friends. People who want to learn positive thinking can have a hobby and meet their family and friends. In conclusion, many people can ensure a long life for themselves. This is challenging but not impossible. If people consume good nutrition, do exercise and have a positive attitude, they can have a healthy lifestyle, and these things are attributable to a long life. (1) Seligman, M. (2002) Authentic Happiness. New York: Free Press
issue 88, December 2014
The Water Supply By Federico Merendi of Italy, Academic English Level 60
Water is a vital resource for life. In fact, our bodies are composed of 65% of water. One of the biggest civilizations in history, the Roman Empire had easy access to water supply and they developed methods to have it in abundance. For example it built a great network of water pipes that even today it is serving the city of Rome. Currently a great debate is emerging on the “blue gold”: should water be treated as an economic resource? Corporations and people, who have a strong capitalistic tenet, believe it should be. However, they do not realize that to improve life conditions water must be affordable to people. The government must manage the water supply to guarantee equal access to everyone. The privatization supporters claim, as the house states, that “it is irrelevant who provides [water]”. In fact, society’s goal is to expand the number of people who can use water. According to the house, “[in the last 20 years private companies] have provided piped water for 24 million people”. In their opinion, the private sector can succeed where the public one fails: to efficiently manage the water supply. The second reason which supports their ideas is that even if it is true that water rains from the sky, collecting, clearing and managing it is costly. All these procedures require a great amount of money that the public sector does not have. However, private companies have a myriad of funds to spend on investments in infrastructures. What is more, the private sector invests money in new infrastructures even in poor countries because they expect profits. In contrast, the governments of those nations have no money to build water pipes. Finally privatization supporters state that poor people cannot afford water even if the public sector manages it. Privatization supporters declare that there is no difference from who supply water. On the contrary, this is the main point of the debate. In fact, the public’s and the privates’ purpose diverge. The public sector’s aim is to supply water to everyone without caring about the costs; the private sector pursue profits and they do not invest money where they have no chance of earning. Furthermore, in poor countries, such as those in sub-saharan Africa, people have no money to buy water. In other words, it means that private companies would invest only in big cities where the majority of rich people, who can afford to pay expensive water, is concentrated. The second ill-conceived idea is that water has to be treated as an economic resource. However, water is a human right. A clear evidence of this is reported by The Guardian, an English newspaper, which quotes the United Nations. The UN has been
criticizing the city of Detroit because it closed the water supply to every householder who has not paid the bill. The United Nations complain about this decision because they state that the access to the water supply must not be stopped, leaving people in primitive conditions. A second example of the possible effect of water privatization is in Sao Paolo Brazil, where more than half of the rural population has no access to treated water supply because of poverty and dearth of infrastructures. Granted, the public sector has no money to invest in water pipes. However, the budget constrain can be changed and resources can be allocated in a different way. Moreover, the government expenditure on water infrastructures can be used as a macroeconomic tool to stimulate the whole economy, creating new jobs. The city of Paris shows that it can be possible to have water managed by the public sector. Paris privatized its water in the ‘90s. Nevertheless, this city has remunicipalized the water supply since 2010, stating that for Paris residents water was become too expensive. In conclusion, we must acknowledge that although water management costs money, we must be aware that water is too important to be left in the hands of market forces. Thus, governments and public sectors must improve water access to every people, regulating the price and striving to make it affordable, even subsidizing the price. Finally, there is evidence that the tide is turning back such facts prove that there are sufficient reasons to have public water.
31
world of words
A Tale of the Last Winter
Photograph by Djanilson Lopes Martins
By Ehab Loukae of Libya, Academic English Level 60
W
hen I first arrived in Canada in May, 2014, many friends started to congratulate me for not being here to witness the last winter. Every place I passed through, I heard frightening stories about the last winter. Slowly, slowly, I realized that the winter of 2014 was the worst in Canada in 40 years. Nevertheless, the stories never end. Even though the weather in May was really amazing, sometimes I made a small complaint about how cold it was at night. At this point, people competed for who would first say “You have seen nothing.” These words are the most common words that I’ve heard since I arrived. “You have seen nothing” I started to imagine the winter as a monster who wants to come to eat me. So, I started my new life and pretended to forget what people said and waited until the next winter. These stories were still following me. I went to an English conversation circle to improve my English. Unfortunately, the main part of the topic was about the winter in Canada. It was a remarkable conversation. Until now I still hear the voice of the instructor when he kept repeating the words, “The 32
weather in Canada is not an excuse”. He explained that schools and workplaces work normally even with extreme low temperatures. I was surprised as I thought that when the temperature is very low, people could have a day off. Then, it seems to me that he could read my mind as he kept repeating it in an extremely threatening way. The tone of his voice was accusing me of something that I didn’t do. I don’t remember if I went to that circle again. Therefore, the sound of those two sentences is always in my mind: “you have seen nothing” and “The weather in Canada is not an excuse”. Now, when I’m writing these words in the wonderful October, I’m really scared about what’s coming next. Will I survive this winter, or should I call my family first to say Goodbye to them before I meet my demise? The truth is that Canada underwent a very harsh winter that makes many people hope that it will not come again. I’m quite optimistic as events that happen once in 40 years are not likely to happen twice in such a short time. But nobody knows what this winter will bring.
issue 88, December 2014
What I’ve Learned in Toronto Photographs by Djanilson Lopes Martins
By Raissa Menezes Siqueira of Brazil, Academic English Level 60
I’ve learned that, just as old buildings fit perfectly well beside modern ones, people from all around the world also fit well together. I’ve learned that multiculturalism is not only a group of different cultures in the same place, but it is also a policy. Thanks to Canada’s adoption of Multiculturalism as an official policy in 1971, citizens are equal, are respected by government laws and respect each other, regardless of their differences. This is beautiful, and it is what makes Canada such an amazing country, full of contrasts that contribute to its enrichment. I’ve learned that culture allows us to communicate, and that communication means power; it can take us anywhere. I’ve realized that Brazil is not the only country full of society problems, and I’ve heard that, because of the lack of support for children and teenagers, many of them go homeless. I’ve been blessed to realize once more that, beyond all evil that exists, people still care for each other, and that people can make difference. I’ve fallen in love with the work that charity institutions, such as Covenant House and The Salvation Army, promote every day. I’ve experienced extremely hot days in Brazil, and I’ve finally also experienced really cold days in Toronto, even if it is not yet winter. I’ve finally encountered snow and, even though it looks beautiful, and it fills us with peace, it can hurt and can also recall solitude. I’ve heard, from everyone I met in Toronto, that really cold days are yet to come, and that I’ve “seen nothing” yet. I suppose I’ll finally experience extremely cold days as well. I’ve met an amazing number of great people from all around the world. I’ve had the pleasure to learn a little bit of each one’s culture and to learn that people, especially Japanese people, like Brazilian culture and would love to visit Brazil. I’ve learned some Japanese words; from my Saudi Arabian classmate, I’ve learned how to wrap a hijab (the traditional scarves Arabic women wear on their heads) and, even though I’m still figuring out how to pronounce Chinese names, I’m pretty sure by the end of next winter, I’ll be able to
speak a little bit of Chinese. I’ve lived in Brazil for 21 years of my life and, just like all of my friends in Brazil, I’ve always wanted to leave my country and not only study abroad, but also live abroad. There are many places in Brazil that I simply love, but I’ve never realized how lucky we Brazilians are to be born in a country such as ours, until I met Julie Leonard, my lovely Italian friend, who adopted me as her granddaughter. She is passionate about all that concerns Brazil and when she speaks about her adventures in my country, she makes me want to cry. Cry, yes, because I do not really know my country and, even though we, Brazilians, always hear that Brazil is a rich country, we do not stop to think of how rich it really is. Julie always makes me realize how full of diversity Brazil is, and when I write “diversity”, I mean not only cultural, ethnicities diversity, but also flora and fauna diversity. Brazilian culture is a mix of cultural mosaic and melting pot. It is a melting pot as a result of being originally inhabited by Indians, colonized by Portuguese, and populated by African slaves and immigrants from all over the world. It is a cultural mosaic due to, for instance, the existence of a Japanese neighbourhood in São Paulo, Jewish communities in Rio Grande do Sul, and great groups of German and Italian people in Santa Catarina. All of them brought and continue to bring not only ideas and costumes, but also innovations. Brazil is the home of the famous Golden Lion Tamarin and of the amazingly beautiful parrots, Spix’s Macaw, Golden Conure, and Blue-bellied Parrot; it is also home to the scary, but magnificent Brazilian Coral Snakes. We own the Amazon and the Mata Atlântica, admirable forests that contain breathtaking sights and enchant people from all over the world. We Brazilians know all of that, but meeting Julie reminded me of these gifts. I’ve learned, by falling in love with Toronto, to admire and better love my own country, and for that I thank you, Canada. 33
world of words
Freedom and Equality By David Aragao Vaz of Brazil, Academic English Level 60
Prior to the 1970s, all those accused of homosexual practices in Canada were charged with sexual offenses and were often jailed for long-term sentences. Since then, issues of sexual orientation and equality have been discussed by the general public. In the beginning of the 1970s, a considerable number of reforms were established in an attempt to reduce discrimination against gay people in Canada. Though same-sex marriage has already been widely accepted within the country, some Canadians believe that this kind of union is futile in terms of practices and values, since many externalize these values based on moral and religious reasons. For instance, amongst the most debated topics against this type of marriage are the education of adopted children, and what they might become in adulthood, and the fear of having the institution of marriage weakened. Many of theses discussions center on how to deal with the consequences of accepting same-sex marriage in Canada; the issue now is whether to opt for a more evolved, educated society which works with a community sense in mind or to opt for segregation based on an unwillingness to tolerate or respect divergent standpoints. The percentage of same-sex couples with children considerably increased in the past decade in Canada, which implies that progress is ongoing towards LGBTTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, TwoSpirit and Queer) families’ social acceptance. Despite the clear improvements in Canadian living standards brought by new laws that protect gay rights, many are against these ideas and believe that being raised by same-sex parents would turn children into unsettled adults. Despite these beliefs, however, innumerable studies have shown that children of same-sex couples are no different when it comes to emotional adjustment and psychological health, yet these
children might, regrettably, continue to face social discrimination. While many opinions are based on a stereotyped sense of morality, it should be clear that children’s education is not an issue that should relate to parents’ sexual orientation. Moreover, discussions regarding the permitting of gay couples to marry represent an unceasing discomfort for conservatives regarding the weakening of the institution of marriage. For the record, marriage laws have, throughout the world, frequently been adjusted to evolving cultural modifications; for instance, for some time in the past centuries, women were legal property of their husbands; in some other communities, men and women of different races could not marry each other; and, there was even a time when same-sex marriage was not accepted anywhere in the world. Despite common beliefs, instead of reformulating the concept of marriage, weeding out discrimination from the marriage institution would merely make it more accessible, thus reflecting an evolving society. In a democracy, though, divergent opinions must be respected, yet these attempts to bring to light reasonable notions regarding rethinking the social system as a whole are not encouraged in any conservative scenario. Though Canada, like any other place on the globe, has issues with discrimination of homosexual individuals, this country has achieved much in terms of gender equality, which seems to demonstrate how willing Canadians are to show tolerance and mutual respect rather than hindering basic freedoms. Together with freedom and equality, responsibility to social justice and respect for cultural differences are two of the values that make Canada an appealing place to live.
Hangul By
Jinseop Jo of South Korea, Academic English Level 30
Sometimes, I ask foreigners when I first meet a new foreign friend, “What do you know about Korea?” Some people know Korean food, and other people know Korean companies such as Samsung, LG, and Hyundai. Also, some people know Korean popular culture for Gangnam Style. However, I want to introduce the character of Korea. It is the Hangul. I am proud of Hangul, and I love it because of the three reasons below. First of all, Hangul is love. In the past, Korean people spoke Korean although we didn’t have our letters, so we used Chinese characters. However, Korean and Chinese languages were different, so King Sejong made an alphabet of 28 letters, and he said that “our speaking is different from Chinese letters, for the reason that our commoners do not express 34
opinions. Therefore, I make our new letters and all commoners can use them easily and freely” King Sejong loved his commoners. Second, Hangul is scientific alphabet. Vowels are made like the shape of the tongue, and consonants are made like the shape of the sun, ground and man. Also, one letter is made of a vowel and consonant, and on word is made of letters. In this way, we express all the sounds in the world, because Hangul is the alphabet of sounds. Finally, Hangul is very easy. If you want to learn Hangul, you learn only eight base letters. Therefore, if you can speak, you can write too. However, Korean has so many words, and speaking and grammar are difficult. It is a trap.
issue 88, December 2014
Achieving Goals
By Karen Nayeli Ramírez López of Mexico, Academic English Level 50
I graduated with a Bachelor of International Relations in my country. Four months later I moved to Toronto with the objective to improve my English skills. Sixty days have elapsed so far, and I feel that time has flown. Suddenly, I stop to see my photo gallery, and I can appreciate how much I have done. Easily, I realize that I am not only on my way to achieve my goal of improving English but also living one of my dreams by being part of a multicultural environment, participating in interesting activities and engaging hobbies. Toronto is very well known around the world as a culturally diverse city, this fact makes it more attractive for many reasons. First, to meet people from all over the world gives me the possibility to learn about culture, language and people’s behavior. All of this increases my knowledge linked with what I learned in my bachelor degree. Although, it has been a short time, I can say that I have made good friends who I feel free to ask any question about their country and culture. Sometimes, I just want to prove if the information I got in my studies is true or not, and my friends usually add more details and their personal experience enriches my awareness. Second, in a cosmopolitan city, people can try anything they want. You can feel that you have the world in your hands when you freely go from Little Italy to Korean Town and taste food and drinks from different nationalities. In order to achieve my goal, I believe that being out of home is necessary. I consider myself as a person who always wants to learn something new; therefore, I enroll in diverse activities; for example, I usually take activities that the school organizes. Also, I am practicing yoga, which is a discipline that I wanted to experience from some years ago. In addition, thanks to ELP activities I am one of the learners in Forró class, which is a Brazilian dance that I really enjoy. Volunteer Program is another activity which I do sometimes, so the most unforgettable experience until now was in “The Light the Night Walk” with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada because I could see how necessary is to be grateful of what we have and how our support can be helpful for people who are facing health adversity. As if that were not enough, I also keep some spare time for my hobbies such as photography, go to the cinema and party once in a while. For instance, I am joining a photography club where I have learned new techniques. Also, I like to take walks with my camera and capture beautiful views, so one of my favorites places this autumn was High Park, and I fell in love with the colorful maple leaves and the noise they make with the air. People can think that cinema is another
distraction, but when you are committed to improve your English this can be an elementary tool since it helps you with the pronunciation, vocabulary and to summarize the story. I strongly recommend watching “Gone Girl” film, which in my opinion is one of the best drama stories I have seen because to love and to hate the main character is inevitable. About parties, I do not have too much to write because this is the first thing international students discover as soon as they arrive even though I would like to add that I had one of the best Halloween celebration weekends in all my life thanks to Tryst and The Government night clubs. In Mexico it is not as popular as here; however, this year I wore costumes in two Halloween celebrations and made wonderful memories. As you can see to get a goal must be 24/7 enjoyable job. Take actions as soon as you know what you want. In my case, I am living my dream. Sometimes I catch myself eating dinner in a Greek restaurant with friends from Japan, Taiwan, Brazil and Iran talking about education systems in our countries or table manners in our cultures, and I cannot imagine how better I could live International Relations and learn English at the same time.
35
world of words
A Damaging Disease
By Tatiane Morgana da Silva of Brazil, Academic English Level 50
The Ebola outbreak is the worst in history so far; it is more dangerous than all previous outbreaks of any disease added together. The Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976 in a village near the Ebola River in Democratic Republic of Congo. Currently, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia are the main locals of this disease, and there is no evidence of its spread diminishing. What could the population do to help the African governments to control this infectious disease? It is simple – to know about the disease. Everybody in the world should know how to diagnose Ebola, how it is transmitted and what treatments are available. The precocious Ebola diagnosis can be difficult since it is based on symptoms which are not specific to this infection in early stages. The early symptoms include: sudden fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. These can be followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and hemorrhagic symptoms which appear in less than 50 percent of cases. In the end, the major causes of death are dehydration and multiple organ failure. Ebola virus is highly infective. Transmission happens when there is direct contact, not airborne, with blood, vomit, secretions or other bodily fluids from infected people. Furthermore, one of the main ways of contamination is close contact with dead bodies at funerals. If there is a suspicion that someone is infected, this person should be isolated, and protective measures should be taken such as the use of gloves, masks and goggles while handling infected patients. There is no treatment for Ebola that has proven to be effective in humans yet. In this case, experts from World Health Organization (WHO) declared it to be ethical to try experimental drugs in Ebola infected patients. Consequently, the limited supportive therapy usually used
36
such as isolation, intense intravenous hydration and antibiotics for infections have been used in conjunction with experimental drugs and vaccines. For instance, an experimental vaccine has been developed in Canada in 2014. In addition, ZMapp (immunoglobulin therapy) and TKM-Ebola (RNA interference) are experimental drugs from United States and Canada respectively, which have been used. However, these treatments have not had a good response in controlling the Ebola outbreak yet. In conclusion, the response to control the Ebola outbreak depends not only on African governments attitude and international financial support, but also on popular knowledge about Ebola. The society has to know how to do preliminary diagnosis, how to prevent contagion and what treatment to request. If this does not happen, Ebola can become a huge threat for the human race.
issue 88, December 2014
Cappuccino, Cheesecake and Snow By BĂĄrbara Morais Gianesini of Brazil, Academic English Level 50
Since I arrived in Toronto, July 2014, I have been waiting for the winter, maybe because I am from the North of Brazil, where the annual average temperatures are between 26°C and 28°C. Theoretically, it is still fall; however, we are feeling winter temperatures and unofficially it has arrived. There are three things that are making my first winter be unforgettable: French Vanilla Cappuccino, Cheesecake and Snow. As soon as I arrived in Toronto, I became familiar with Tim Hortons. First, I tried a regular black coffee, and to be honest with you, I did not liked it (the double double is better!). After a couple of days, I decided to try some different drink, and I saw the French Vanilla Cappuccino. As I had never tried it, I ordered one. Well, then I really liked it; the taste is completely different from other drinks that I have tried, and it became my favourite hot drink. In addition to French Vanilla Cappuccino, I am in love with Cheesecakes. I had already heard about it before I came to Canada, but I had never understood how people eat a cake of cheese since cheese is salty, while, generally, cakes are sweet. However, when I tried it for the first time, I changed my mind, and I understood; cheese plus sugar are a perfect combination. My last passion is the snow. The first time that I saw snow was on November 1st, but it two weeks later that I first could not only see but also feel the snow. The feeling of crunching snow under my boots is indescribable. Even though I was very cold, I enjoyed this moment like a child. What these three things have in common is that I had never tried or experienced them in Brazil, and they will make me remember my first winter for all my life. If you have never tried Cheesecake or French Vanilla Cappuccino, and you have never felt the snow, Toronto is the perfect place to experiment with all these things.
37
world of words
Quotas
By Sergio Novi of Brazil, Former Academic English Level 60 Student
After Nigeria, Brazil has the largest black population (BBC News Latin America and Caribbean). In the article “Using Brazil’s Racial Continuum to Examine the Short-Term Effects of Affirmative Action in Higher Education”, written by Andrew M. Francis and Maria Tannuri-Pianto, it states that 44.2% and 6.9% of the Brazilian population are respectively pardo (dark skinned) and black in 2010. For a long time, this country was well-known for its diversity and lack of discrimination, but Francis states that “social research” has demonstrated that it is only a distorted reflection of the Brazilian social reality. As well, he claims that, in Brazil, darker skin is frequently associated with less education and money. To clarify, in 2013, according to The Brazilian Institute of Geography (IBGE), black students were not enrolled in any of the three most competitive courses (advertising and marketing, civil engineering, and medicine) at the University of Sao Paulo (USP). This issue indirectly creates a racist environment in which it is common to see even some Science without Borders students abroad, who are harming black Brazilians’ image by saying repugnant sentences such as “black Brazilians do not study because they are lazy”. Therefore, although some believe that racial quotas are prejudicial to Brazilian higher education and unconstitutional, social experts argue that it is an affirmative action that fights against racial preconception, making the Brazilian society more equalitarian. Some who are against quotas argue that it is inadequate for the future of Brazil. They claim that university is also a center of research, so it is necessary to select the best students based on their grades on a specific exam since quota students are usually not prepared to finish their majors. Also, in this case, they argue that the principle of merit, which brings value to the university, is maintained. Instead, Ricardo Vieira Alves, Rector at the University of Rio, states that this prejudiced concept is not verified at the University of Rio. He argues that there are more dropouts among “non-quotas students” than among others, “and [quota students] are ones who graduated the fastest”. Moreover, Rector Alves’ findings demonstrate that in the beginning quota students have lower scores, but they generally improve their grades the same as other students, and “some quota students eventually excel [over] non-quota students in the end”. In addition to Alves’ arguments, Mr. Francis (author of “Using Brazil’s Racial Continuum to Examine the Short-Term Effects of Affirmative Action in Higher Education”) argues that 38
racial quotas do not deny the principle of merit since his data suggests that the students’ “preuniversity efforts” were not reduced. Thus, there are no facts or evidence to support the idea that racial quotas are harmful to the Brazilian society or to the principle of merit. Opponents of racial quotas also maintain that this affirmative action is prejudiced and unconstitutional. Many of them argue that it is creating a racist sense that assumes that black and pardo individuals are inferior, so they need to receive an extra help to obtain their places at Brazilian universities. Using the same argument, they also claim that racial quotas are against the Brazilian constitution since it establishes that all Brazilian citizens have the same rights. Nevertheless, Joaquim Barbosa (Justice of the Supreme Federal Court in Brazil) asserts that racial quota is an affirmative action that opposes the discrimination that is rooted in the Brazilian society. Also, Mr. Barbosa claims that the prejudice is so strong that it usually is not realized by Brazilians (Portal Brasil, 2014). Because of this discrimination, even black students start to believe that they do not deserve a high level of education and an excellent job, known as internalized racism. For instance, Gisele Alves, a quota student from University of Rio de Janeiro, says that before the quota program, she thought that she “was going to finish school, find work in a little shop, get married and pregnant” (BBC News). Therefore, racial quotas were developed to protect and to help those that daily suffer due to racism. Consequently, most Brazilian Ministers (Portal Brasil, 2014) consider racial quotas as constitutional-affirmative actions since it compensates for a social deficit created in a country that did not provide any assistance for black people after the abolition of slavery, more than 125 years ago. It should be clear that the arguments against racial quotas cannot be supported. On the contrary, Brazilian social experts, rectors, and professors argue that racial quotas are excellent forms of affirmative action, proposed to solve this racist problem. With racial quotas, black students have guaranteed positions at universities, so it will be possible, in the near future, to see more Brazilian professionals such as doctors and engineers that are black. Thus, experts claim that this new trend will help to decrease the association of black people with lazy citizens, thereby creating a less racist and more egalitarian society.
issue 88, December 2014
Artistic Expressions By Mariya Li of Kazakhstan, Academic English Level 50
39
world of words
40 Toronto Zombie Walk
Photograph by Djanilson Lopes Martins
ENGLISH OUTSIDE
issue 88, December 2014
Photographs by Karen Nayeli Ramírez López
Photographs by Karen Nayeli Ramírez López
THE CLASSROOM Photograph by Karen Nayeli Ramírez López
41
world of words
New York City
By Andrea Michaely Sriskandarajah, ELP Cultural Assistant
Studying Women & Gender Studies and Equity Studies, University of Toronto
T
hey call it “the Big Apple,” “the Concrete Jungle,” “the Capital of the World,” and “the City that Never Sleeps.” Like Toronto, this exciting city overflows with diversity and multiculturalism with people from all over the world, all with varying cultural, ethnic, religious and linguistic backgrounds live or visit the city. It is the most densely populated city in America and consists of five boroughs – Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. With its world-class restaurants, museums, Broadway shows, architecture, clubs and hotels, New York City can easily be regarded as one of the world’s most exciting cities. Our English Language Program students and Cultural Assistants who visited New York City this past October can attest to the excitement of this fast-paced city. From visiting worldrenowned Times Square, to walking along 7th Avenue, to visiting Greenwich Village, to walking through Central Park, to walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, to cruising around the Statue of Liberty, and many, many shopping trips, the trip to New York City was definitely a memorable, worthwhile trip! If you are curious to know what you can accomplish in one day in New York City, you can spend your morning taking a stroll through Central Park and your afternoon shifting through the racks of unrelenting, expensive apparel in Fifth Avenue’s designer racks. Then, you can grab lunch at Greenwich Village or if you are craving Chinese dim sum, you can grab lunch in Chinatown, located in proximity to the SoHo shopping strip. You can begin your evening by catching a mesmerizing view of New York City from 259 meters high above the ground at the Top of the Rock Observation Deck at the Rockefeller Centre and if want a slightly different view of the city, you can walk over to the Empire State Building and view the city at 381 meters high above the ground. Finally, you can end your night by visiting the Madame Tussauds wax museum of celebrities and historical figures or splurge in a world-famous Broadway show. Regardless of what you do, this city will keep you excited and on your feet all day long.
42
issue 88, December 2014 Ten Fun Facts about New York City: •New York City was the first capital of the United States. •Approximately 47 million tourists visit New York City every year. •The famous State of Liberty monument was a present from the people of France. •New York City was originally called New Amsterdam by the Dutch who discovered it. •It is the most densely populated city in America with roughly 8 million people. •The Brooklyn Bridge (located in Brooklyn) is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the world. •The New York Stock Exchange is located at Wall Street, which is the largest stock exchange in the world. •The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the biggest art galleries in the world. •Central Park is the most visited park in America. •The teddy bear was first invented in New York City!
43
By
world of words Elis Batistella, ELP Cultural Assistant
Studying Arts & Science, University of Toronto
O
ver the extended Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, from Oct. 10th to Oct. 13th, ELP students journeyed to New York City (NYC) to explore what the place had to offer. Being that it was my first time in the USA, I found this experience to be amazing!! The astonishing architecture and the vibrant atmosphere of NYC caught my attention. It is undeniable that the most populous city of the United States had a tremendous influence in the fashion, commerce, art, tourism, and media industries. I was enticed by the scenery: all of the lights in Times Square, birds soared above skyscrapers, the rush of busy people filling the streets, early morning walks at Central Park, and the laugh of tourists flooding stores and coffee shops- that’s the feeling I brought from there. Here there are some features of the main places we visited:
Crowded, vibrant, energetic - Times Square was the place to be! We stopped for shopping and to enjoy the nightlife. Located in Midtown Manhattan, NYC, Times Square makes anyone flabbergasted by the amount of vibrant lights and excitement in the area. We saw people wearing superhero costumes and taking photos in exchange for tips. Moreover, we saw police cars from the New York Police Department, which we see so often in movies. So exciting!!!
Comprised of 19 commercial buildings, Rockefeller center is one of the largest private building complexes designed as of the last century. Initially, the idea was to build spaces where the general population that had been through desolate times could entertain themselves for affordable prices. Nowadays, the complex is a site for finding theaters, restaurants, stores, artwork, etc. One of the major attractions is the Top of the Rock, an observation desk located on the Top of the GE building, where one can appreciate the NYC skyline.
One of the oldest suspension bridges in the USA, the Brooklyn Bridge connects Manhattan to Brooklyn spanning the East River. The bridge appears in several movies, such as “Independency Day”, “I am Legend”, “Godzilla”, “Cloverfield”, and “Manhattan,” directed by Woody Allen. Together with other big construction sites, it is considered one of the most photogenic places in NYC. The elegance comes from the cables that support the bridge, giving a beautiful view of the river and the 44 landscape in the background.
issue 88, December 2014
Walking, walking, and walking… Yes! We visited different places during our trip, and I could not forget Broadway (Shot above) Wall Street! This is a rich area comprising of the financial district in NYC. There, we could see the New York Stock Exchange, which is the world’s largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies. In simple words- a place where business people deal with lots of money. Some of the students petted the Charging Bull, a huge bronze sculpture of a bull found on the side walk. Petting the animal is considered a tradition to “attract money”. What if it works? We will never know…
Who would imagine that Central Park is manmade, and that every single tree was intentionally planted in specific spots? According to our tour Guide, Natalia, the Central Park area is comprised of a wet ground, which cannot sustain constructions. For this reason, and due to the need of an open space where individuals could exercise, the park was projected. In the central area of the park it is possible to notice visitors speaking various different languages. Once we reached the narrower pathways, we noticed that some choose to participate in exercise and couples bring their dogs for walks. The landscape is green and fresh, and in certain areas we glanced at the famous Plaza Hotel and surrounding beautiful skyscrapers.
45
world of words
The EP Cup
By Brenda Colley, ELP Administrative Support
On November 21st, the English PLUS students arrived at the ELP eager to participate in its first-ever ultimate language challenge. These brave students were divided into mixed-level teams and then they were sent off to face five challenging language tasks that would test their skills in a variety of ways. Throughout the morning, the teams accumulated points as they answered trivia questions, completed puzzles and word searches, filled in song lyrics, and completed an amazing race that required them to find lost items, perform tongue twisters, and write down as many words as they could from a box full of letters. The students rose to the occasion and exceeded expectations! They worked together to finish these tasks accurately and efficiently, and were able to achieve very high scores. They rotated through the tasks according to their team schedules and gave each one all of their attention and energy. At the end of the EP Cup, three teams were awarded prizes and the first-place team members had their pictures taken with the EP Cup!
The EP Cup was created to allow students to use a number of language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) that were taught and developed over the course of the English PLUS term. This event also gave students an opportunity to interact with other classes as well as staff members from around the ELP. They worked collaboratively in teams which lead to the higher-proficiency students mentoring and encouraging the beginner students while the beginner students gained confidence each time they accumulated points or completed a task. These timeoriented activities were meant to encourage the students to manage their time effectively and to work under pressure. In fact, many of the challenges involved working quickly and efficiently in order to complete them before the time ran out or before another team finished first. Overall, the EP Cup was designed to challenge the students in a fun and interactive way at the end of the term.
The Winners: Chika, Gabrielle and Sofia 46
issue 88, December 2014
Sharing Family History By Carol Anne Armstrong, ELP Instructor
September was a lovely month in Toronto, so my English Plus students decided that we should have a picnic on our last day together. We went a few blocks from campus to a delightful park, Ramsden Park. It is 110 years old, and is one of Toronto’s oldest parks. It is also quite large, at 13.7 acres, with tennis courts, skating rinks, and a playground. We played Frisbee, and a passerby stopped to give an impromptu Frisbee lesson.
My mother’s grandparents lived on Roxborough Drive West, moving there in 1897 with my then four year old grandmother, and their home backed onto Ramsden Park, within sight of our picnic. My great-grandfather was a U. of T. graduate. My grandparents, also U. of T. graduates, were married there, in my grandparents’ backyard, on August 31, 1917. It was during World War I, and my grandfather soon left to serve as a chaplain. Ninety seven years later, it was a joy to introduce my students to a park that my family have been enjoying for over a century. I am lucky that I get to bicycle through it every day on my way to and from the university. I hope you visit it, and perhaps try out the skating rink this winter! It is one of the best places to skate in the city.
47
world of words
ELP’s First Time Skaters By Jessica Lim, Cultural Assistant Studying Education, University of Toronto
When I get asked what I like to do during the cold Canadian winters, my response is always the same: skating and hot chocolate. It is the best combination. There are many rinks around the city, but if you want to get a real skating experience, you should go to the Harbourfront Centre skating rink. The view is amazing; you get to skate with the CN Tower and Lake Ontario right by your side! So to give our students that incredible experience, we took them to Harbourfront. Unsurprisingly, it was
many of the students’ first time skating. Some students were shocked and started panicking when they realized that there were no walls to grab onto. But their anxieties subsided when they stepped onto the ice and clung onto their friends instead (skating can bring friends even closer). Even if you have skated before in your country, skating in an outdoor rink in Canada will be like no other! Here is what some of ELP’s first time skaters had to say about their experience!
“I love it. It’s easy because I have experience roller skating.” (Mina – Academic English Level 50)
“I feel really free when I’m skating. I feel at peace.” (Isabela – Advanced Academic Skills)
“It was difficult for me, but I had a good time!” (Hatsuko – English PLUS)
“A little bit scary but very thrilling and very exciting! I did my cardio for the day!” (Mayara – Advanced Academic Skills)
“It’s exciting and it’s easier than I expected and I think it’s a really good place for skating because the view is very beautiful!” (Oggil – Academic English Level 50) 48
“Sense of freedom.” (Anamaria – Academic English Level 60)
issue 88, December 2014 “Really fun but pretty hard.” (Eduardo – Academic English Level 60) “Just skating is difficult for me so I respect the hockey players and figure skaters.” (Chihiro – Academic English Level 60) “I enjoy it very much. It’s the first one for me and practice is important. Practice, practice, practice!” (Eriko – Academic English Level 50) “It’s amazing! I love it! It’s so cool! And the best part is that it’s outside! I can see the plane, the waters, everything!” (Jorge – Academic English Level 50)
“It’s difficult, but friends teach me so it became a good experience because we can make friends.” (Misaki – Academic English Level 50)
“It’s difficult, but it was fun! I would want to come back.” (Yuka – English PLUS)
A Special Experience By Tzu-Chen Huang of Taiwan Academic English Level 30 After school, my friend and I went to outdoor skating rink. It was my first time to go skating. I felt very tense although Misato, whom I know as a friend in ELP, said that skating is easy. We took the subway to Union station and then transferred to a streetcar. It was good weather, but the wind was cold. We put on ice skates and went to the skating rink. I thought that ice skates were not hard to walk. Maybe it was easier to walk on the ice. However, I was wrong. The ice was too slippery to stand very well. I felt afraid until Misato leaned on me and taught me how to skate. She was a good teacher. As soon as I could stand and skate a short range by myself, I tried to add speed, but it was not a good idea. Then I fell on the ice. Fortunately, I was not injured. Because nightfall wind was colder than afternoon’s, we finished skating at five o’clock. It was a special experience for me. Since I did not know how to skate, I never went to a skating rink when I lived in Taiwan. I appreciate that Misato taught me skating although I was very scared. I hope that I will be better next time.
49
world of words
Brrr...It’s Cold Outside! A Guide to Winter
By Hanna Rashid, ELP Program Administrator Graduate of English, University of Toronto
They don’t call it the “True North” for nothing! Canadian winters vary across the country, but one thing is certain, between November and February it can get very cold and snowy in Toronto. Whether this is your first winter in Canada, or you are a seasoned expert, the ELP wants to help you get ready for the season with some great ideas for staying warm, keeping fit, and having fun.
Getting Ready for the Canadian winter What Winter Gear Will I Need? Here’s a list of all the outerwear stuff we suggest, but you don’t have to buy everything on this list. We’ve put an (*) beside the items that we think are essential. • Winter coat (ideal would a waterproof down jacket)* • Mittens or Gloves* • Touque or beanie* • Boots (waterproof with insulation)* • Scarf • Sweaters • Long johns • Flannel pyjamas • Thick socks • Layering your clothes! • Lip balms (the harsh winds can make your lips very chapped) Where Can I Get Winter Gear in Toronto? Well, it depends on your budget and how long you will be staying in Canada. The Eaton Centre, Yorkdale Mall, Yonge and Bloor, and Queen West are just some of the places that have brand name shops and boutique stores, but they can vary in prices. For the budget conscious student, we’ve put together a list of great stores for buying winter gear on the cheap: • Thrift Stores – Goodwill and Value Village are really popular thrift stores that Torontonians love. Selection and pricing can vary from store to store but they still have a great outerwear stuff like coats, gloves • Outlet malls/stores – Ok so a lot of outlet malls/store
50
issue 88, December 2014
might be a little outside downtown Toronto, but for the prices alone it’s well worth the trip. Orfus Road is the go-to spot for outlet shopping but Vaughan Mills and St. Clair West also have a few worth checking out (such as J. Crew Factory and the Danier Outlet Store). • Winners and its sister company Marshalls – Two of Canada’s favourite discount chain stores unload plenty of winter outerwear, as well as a couple of other things that may catch your eye. • Kind Exchange – Half thrift store, half retail chain, Kind Exchange locations are popping up all over Toronto neighbourhoods so if you like unique and interesting vintage clothing, chances are you’ll be able to find something at these stores. They also have “fill a bag for $20” sales from time to time. • Kensington Market – The hub for discount clothing and vintage fashion! Some stores you should probably check out are Vintage Depot, Flashback, Flashback 2, King of Kensington, and Off the Truck. • Marks Work Warehouse – great winter boot selection but not always on the cheap, which can be a good thing (you don’t want to skim) • Hudson’s Bay Company – It may not always have the cheapest coats and sweaters, but the Bay often has massive sales around this time of the year. Beat Those Winter Blues – How to Stay Active in the Winter Season Winter can be a bit of a tough time for some, especially during the cold Winter months. Staying indoors may help you keep warm, but after a while it can be pretty boring. Do what Canadians do and get outside! Most locals love engaging in outdoor activities, which can range from simple winter shopping expeditions to skiing the slopes on Blue Mountain. The ELP has an extensive list of free and some fee-based activities happening all throughout the winter months (December, January, and February). Some past ELP winter activities include: • • • • •
Christmas Market Tour Ice Skating at Harbourfront Centre Jazz Night at the Rex Winter Camping (January) Taste of Toronto Food Expeditions
Just pick up an ELP Engage pamphlet and see what winter has to offer! And keep in mind that the key to staying mentally and physically healthy in the winter is being active and staying engaged. Have a great Winter!
Take it from Me By
Mustafa Sarier, Cultural Assistant
Master’s of Applied Science Candidate, Civil Engineering, University of Toronto
Winter in Toronto is not so bad compare to other cities of Canada, especially North of Canada. Also, Toronto has pretty good preparation for winter except extreme, unexpected conditions such as last year’s heavy snow storm. Basically, transportation doesn’t really get affected because of winter in Toronto. Planning ahead helps to prevent from winter risks mostly. You need warm clothing in Canada. You definitely need insulated waterproof boots, a scarf for your neck, a hat that covers your ears, gloves or mittens for your hands, thick winter coats, pants and sweaters. You will not really need heavy snow boots in the city as snow cleaning services are really good in Toronto except if you go camping etc. to out of city. You should wear your clothing by layering; for example, wearing a t-shirt and a sweater underneath a jacket helps you a lot. It is really helpful because heating for indoor places is really convenient in Toronto as it has cold winter. Most of the time, you will be inside indoor places, and you will have a chance remove one layer of clothing. Also multiple thin layers help you to trap body heat and promote air circulation. Secondly, you should be able to walk on snow and sometimes ice properly and safely. Sometimes sidewalks and areas where you walk will be covered by ice like last year. Most likely, you will fall down sometimes on the ice even if you are careful enough. It is important to know how to fall down as well. You shouldn’t fall down on your hand or leg as you can easily injure. Furthermore, you should take enough vitamin C to prevent cold and flu. In Toronto, weather changes so fast and significantly. You should be able to prevent illnesses by making provision against them earlier. To sum up, winter in Toronto is not as bad as it is told if you are careful enough to protect yourself. You can even enjoy the winter. You have a chance to experience so many different winter activities as weather enables different than warm countries; such as, tobogganing, snow tubing, ice skating, skiing, snowboarding. 51
world of words
Those Other Winter Sports By Graham Shular, Cultural Assistant
Master’s of Teaching Candidate, OISE, University of Toronto
He shoots – HE SCORES! How many of you are familiar with Canada’s most popular winter sport? Hockey is played by over a million Canadians every winter. Those who don’t play the sport on the ice undoubtedly catch the game on television, or at a local arena. While visiting Toronto, try to catch a Toronto Marlie’s (an American Hockey League team) game at the Ricoh Coliseum. If you are able to do so, visit the Air Canada Centre and cheer on the Toronto Maple Leafs (Toronto’s team in the National Hockey League). Of course, our favourite teams at the ELP are the Toronto Varsity Blues. The University of Toronto has a men’s and a women’s team and they play right across the street from our classrooms on the University of Toronto campus. We all #BleedBlue at the ELP! Hockey is definitely a popular, well-known Canadian sport, but of course there are other awesome wintertime sports to participate in while living in Canada. Would you know what to do if someone told you to “Hurry Hard?” Have you ever worn a pair of snowshoes? Or, have you ever gone speeding down a snowy slope in a shiny red toboggan? There are many winter sports to do while living in Toronto. Curling, snowshoeing and tobogganing are just a couple of the fun sports you can participate in with your friends. While invented by the Scots, many would argue that Canadians have perfected the game of curling. About 700 000 Canadians curl – which is a huge number of people! Canada currently holds the Olympic gold medal titles for both men’s and women’s curling. The sport is growing in popularity around the world and many countries, such as China and Japan, have national teams that compete against the best curlers in the world. A curling team is made up of four members: a Skip, who ‘calls all the shots,’ a Vice, who holds the broom for the Skip while he/she throws, and two sweepers. All four members take turns throwing
52
issue 88, December 2014
Spolrutbs C
ee s are fr Event . b lu C ports h for S mont e h t t ughou s thro Join u
two rocks an end into the house (which is similar to a bull’s eye painted in the ice). Because the sport is played on ice, curlers must wear special footwear. One foot grips the ice (called the gripper) while the other slides on the ice (known as the slider). To score points, a team must have more rocks in the house after an end of play (after all the rocks have been thrown to the house). It works similar to shuffle board, or bocce ball. A typical game lasts about 2.5 hours! Curling is great exercise, but it is also a lot of fun. A common tradition is for the winning team to purchase the loosing team’s drinks after the game. Snowshoeing has a long history in Canada. The Aboriginal people, who have lived on this land for thousands of years, developed snowshoes to combat the deep snowfall that southern parts of Canada experiences every winter. The technology has not changed too much over the years. Wooden frames are now made from lightweight metal, and the rawhide latticework is now made with nylon material. Snowshoes attach to normal winter boots and allow the wearer to be able to walk on top of deep snow. Some animals – such as the snowshoe hare – have adapted to the Canadian climate and have large feet similar to snowshoes that humans wear. Snowshoeing is safe, and fun for all people to enjoy. Some people go snowshoeing for exercise, while some hunters use snowshoes to reach their traps in the forest during the winter. ELP will be snowshoeing at winter camp this February. If you can make it, we will try having a snowshoe race! Probably the most popular winter sport of all in Canada is tobogganing. Children learn to toboggan early in their lives in Canada. It is a popular past time that is also very easy to do. You need two things: a snow covered hill (preferably one that is not too steep), and a toboggan. Some popular toboggan choices include round, plastic saucers, crazy carpets (which are made of plastic), wooden toboggans, or metal sleighs. Tobogganing is always a lot of fun; it is exhilarating to slide fast down an icy hill. Remember that after each fun slide down the hill, you must walk all the way back up to do it all over again! The “dog bowl” in Trinity Bellwood is great for tobogganing. Other popular spots in Toronto include: High Park, Riverdale Park, or Christie Pitts. I’d suggest finding a hill with close proximity to a Tim Horton’s for a cup of hot chocolate after you are done tobogganing! Enjoy the winter season. It’s cold – but you’ll miss it once the hot, humid summer rolls around!
53
world of words
Darren’s Music Corner Ukulele 101 By Darren Rigo, Activities Assistant
Graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design
I’m sure you are familiar with the ukulele. You know, that little Hawaiian guitar. Well what you probably don’t know is that if you can play a guitar you can also play a ukulele. Also you can pick up one of these cute little instruments for only twenty-five bucks! What a deal! The reason Ukulele is so easy to play is because the strings are tuned similar to a guitar. A Ukulele only has four strings, that are tuned G, C, E and A, which you may notice is exactly five semitones higher than the bottom four guitar strings which are D, G, B and E. So if you were to play guitar at capo 5 you it should harmonize with the ukulele. Just imagine any regular guitar chord but take off the two top strings. Voila! You can play ukulele. As an added bonus, Ukulele’s usually have soft nylon strings, a thin neck and only four strings to worry about so they are easy to play. Since you have four fingers you never have to worry about playing barre chords! What is tricky about making a Ukulele sounds really great is learning different techniques on how to pluck and strum the songs you are playing. I’d suggest looking up how to videos on YouTube to get a feel for different strumming styles. Finally keep in mind that if you want to translate a ukulele tab to familiar guitar chords you have to drop each chord 5 semitones. Somewhere Over the Rainbow would look like this:
G Bm Somewhere over the rainbow C G Way up high C G And the dreams that you dream of D Em C Once in a lullaby
Music Club
Join us every Wednesday at 5:15PM for Music Club. 54
issue 88, December 2014
University and College Application Support
Are you interested in applying to undergraduate or graduate degree programs in Canada? If so, we can help! Through one-on-one support, information workshops, and an annual University and College Fair, we offer students the tools they need to reach their academic and career goals. Workshops Information workshops are available to students who would like to learn more about specific topics. Topics include how to effectively use the Ontario University Application Centre website, help with program specific application requirements, and other tips on applying for undergraduate and graduate programs. Workshops are held in the second month of each Academic English session. For upcoming dates, visit us in room 4-106.
One-on-one Application Support One-on-one application support is available each week on a drop-in basis. Every Wednesday, from 10:00am - 3:00pm, students can visit the main office in room 4-106 to speak with our Application Support Program Assistant. Appointments can be made outside of these times, and can be arranged with the Program Assistant. Be sure to arrive at your appointment with prepared questions and any supporting documentation you may need.
Contact Emma: emma.deleeuw@mail.utoronto.ca
55
world of words
Things to Do During the Holdays By Aakanksha John, ELP Cultural Assistant
Photograph by Karen Nayeli Ramírez López
Studying Diaspora and Transnational Studies and Criminology, University of Toronto
“Preserve your memories, they’re all that’s left of you”, sang Simon and Garfunkel in their song Bookends. As you approach the end of 2014, another year older and wiser, festivities begin; people begin decorating their shops and homes, you have successfully survived Black Friday shopping stampedes, and are trying to tie up all your loose ends. At what is a busy time of year, take a moment to step back and reflect on the year passing by. Sipping on a cup of Parisian hot chocolate, enjoy this holiday season in Toronto as you reminisce over all of this year’s iconic moments. Rediscover nostalgic memories as you visit the local Christmas Market or watch the Nutcracker. Lastly, give yourself the opportunity to create new ones with Santa, friends and family just in time for 2015! 1. For Music Lovers Never been to the ballet? The Nutcracker is coming to town from Dec13-Jan3 (nationalballet.ca)! 2. For the Foodies Milk and Cookies are not just for Santa, yknow! Bake Shoppe has a lovely old-fashioned vibe where you can experience your own Brown butter Nutella cookie magic (*hint hint*). Making a gingerbread house is tasty way to kill time and Sweet Flour Bake Shop will arm you with one of the best house-making kits going around. Saving the best for last: The city’s best Parisian hot chocolate has been tucked away on Yonge Street all this time! Visit Douce France for a bubbling cup of gloriously rich hot chocolate; it’s so good even Tim Hortons will forgive you! 3. For the Adventurers Time travel to a Victorian-style festive celebration at Black Creek Pioneer Village. Some of the activities include a lovely 3-course Christmas dinner, wagon rides and a lamplit tour of the village (blackcreek.ca/ 56
whats-on/christmas). Experience some family fun as you journey for an hour by train with Santa; only on weekends, visit ydhr.ca/trips-santatrain.php for more info. Still wishing you went on a cruise this summer? Don’t worry, you still have a chance: A ship sails from the Toronto Harbour all around Lake Ontario; enjoy a brunch buffet, face painting, and a photo session with St. Nick himself. Visit mariposacruises.com to check it out! 4. For all incurable Shopaholics Since you’ll go to any lengths to find the perfect gift, visit the Leslieville Flea Market for some of the season’s most unique holiday finds; leslievilleflea.com! Visit the Distillery District for Toronto’s famous Christmas Market, you’ll find local vendors, craftsmen, family markets, carolers and other musical entertainment, beer gardens and a Ferris Wheel; free entry for all! Lastly, if you really want to go all out for authenticity’s sake, go down to St. Lawrence Market or Evergreen Brick Works to purchase a real Christmas tree! Honourable mentions go out to the Harbourfront’s Saturday Skating Nights, the Gladstone Hotel’s 12 Beers of Christmas celebration and Kensington Market’s Food Tour. You’ll notice that there is always something for everyone to do; whether you want to explore the city’s festivities alone, with your friends or your family, Toronto is definitely one of the best places to do it! At this happy time of year, we also ask you to remember those that need a little extra love this season; please donate any toys, books, clothes, blankets to a charity or homeless shelter near you. Finally, please capture your holiday experiences and share them with us on the ELP Facebook page and hashtag us on Instagram and Twitter with #uoftelp. The best of the season to you, and may you find the rest and relaxation you need!
world of words June 2013, issue 82
“The English Language Program’s student magazine – a compilation of the Spring session’s highlights, student opinions and other features.”
Contribute to World of Words Magazine! Toronto
The World in One City
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
Sporting Life 10K
Going the Distance for Camp Oochigeas
ELP Success Story 1) Email your submission to wow.elp@utoronto.ca Aktang Abdykerim 2) Attach your text submission to the email in a word document. Attach any photographs or artwork separately. 3) Include your full name, home country, and the course you’re enrolled in.
world of words
Memories
Stay Connected
instagram.com/uoftelp
facebook.com/UofTELP
@ELPSCSUofT
search: UofTelp
english.learn.utoronto.ca/student-life/wow-maga zine pinterest.com/uoftelp
58
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