world of words “The English Language Program’s student magazine – a compilation of the Winter session’s highlights, student opinions and other features.”
September 2014, issue 87
Featuring City of Contrasts • The Art of Mariya Li • ELP Success Story • Mifuyu Akasaki Volunteer Spotlight • Changhwan Lee • English PLUS Students Tour Toronto
Cover: Skyline by Mariya Lee
e u s s i s i h t inside
Feature Articles
Student Opinion
ELP Success Story 4
The Immortal Fans 23
English PLUS Sees the Sights 6
Brazil and Canada 24
An Artist At ELP 14
Illiteracy: A Harsh Problem in Brazil 25
Volunteering in Canada 17
Let’s Code It! 26
Volunteer Spotlight 18
Robarts Library 27
ELP on Instagram 20
How to Improve Your English 28
University and College Application Support 22
Drugs in Sports 29
Summer in the City 40
Why I Am So Attracted to this City 30 Torontonian Life 31 The Environment 32
Student Life
Troubles for Education 33
Barbeque! 42
The Red Glasses 34
Top 5 Summer Highlights 43
Cold Feet 34
Kwansei Gakuin University 44
A Problem Called Sea World 35
Nagoya University of Foreign Studies 46
Culturally Speaking 36
Healthy Recipe 48
English Accuracy and Fluency 37
The Universal Laguage of Sport 49
Winter Is Just Around the Corner 38
Conversation Cafe Field Trips 50
Tackle Your Loneliness 39
Stand By Me 52 Darren’s Music Corner 53 Ask Rosa 54
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 87, September 2014
ELP Director’s Message September 2014 Hello all, There is nothing like summer in Toronto. This city, with its countless summer festivals and celebrations, its diverse neighbourhoods and peoples, and limitless things to do and see has been the perfect host for our students these past few months. Whether it was during World Student Day, volunteering at seemingly every opportunity with organizations like the United Way, Epilepsy Toronto and World Pride to name a few, barbequing on Toronto Island on the weekends or even getting on the jumbotron at a Blue Jays game, our students took full advantage of summer and this city by storm. It is no surprise then that our city takes the spotlight in this issue of World of Words magazine (available in print and online). Throughout, our students show us that Toronto is truly a great place to learn, live and be inspired. Reyina Kunahong of China, for example, explains how the spirit of the city and its people have motivated her to never stop learning. Our English PLUS students share their favourite Toronto sightseeing experiences and moments. Anoxia Wang of China tells us how volunteering in Toronto has given her a window from which to view and experience Torontonian and Canadian culture all-the-while practising her English. But, I think Mariya Li of Kazakhstan, whose art is featured on the cover as well as inside, says it best of Toronto: “This city is a breath of freedom and inspiration.” So, with those words as your starting point, please enjoy our “Toronto Issue” and be inspired by our wonderful city through the eyes and experiences of our students. Lastly, as the saying goes, time flies when you are having fun! And though it is with a small amount of sadness that I watch summer come to an end, I must say that the past few months have been an absolute action-packed blast. All this would not have been possible without the hard work of our staff, instructors and community here at the ELP. All the best and enjoy, Sherry Yuan Hunter Director, English Language Program & International Initiatives School of Continuing Studies
Dan Pinese Sana Ali, Elis Batistella, Pia Berger, Stefany Bogatan, Sulin Cheng, Chris Chipman, Erik Dean, Anne Evers, Remah Ibrahim, Aakanksha John, Kris Johnston, Rosa Leo, Asumi Matsumoto, Bill Mboutsiadis, Lily Meshadiyeva, Evelyn Pedersen, Christopher Penaranda, Darren Rigo, Kira Rimrott, Mustafa Sarier, Emma Sheppard, Graham Shular, Andrea Sriskandarajah, Becky Smith, Karen Thomson, Effie Touchings
Editor and Layout Design Staff Contributors
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world of words
ELP Success Story The following is an interview with Mifuyu Akasaki of Japan, a former student who has experienced success after completing Academic English at the English Language Program.
Question (Q) and Answer (A) with
would like to keep contact with.
Mifuyu Akasaki
Q: Did you participate in social activities? If so, list a few. If not, why not? A: Yes, I did a couple of times. I participated in the Rex Jazz and Blues Bar night event and the Algonquin Park Tour. I spent a great time at the Rex, drinking and
Q: What courses have you taken at the English Language Program? A: I took the Academic English Course level 50 in the term: April to June 2014. Q: Why did you choose to take these courses? What was your motivation for studying at ELP? A: I chose the Academic English Course because I had a plan to apply for some graduate schools in the English-speaking countries. In addition, I was very curious about the multicultural city of Toronto, so I decided to study in the University of Toronto. Q: What experiences from the English Language Program stand out to you the most? (Positive memories, challenges, etc) A: I had opportunities to meet many people who I 4
“Through volunteer work, I had many chances to practice English outside of the classes. For this reason, this program is excellent!�
issue 87, September 2014 listening to Jazz. Although I had rarely listened to this kind of music, and never been to any Jazz Bar, I loved it. Algonquin Park was amazing, and I would like to have explored more, however it was a shame that there was not enough time to do that. I hope to visit there sometime! Q: Did you volunteer during your time at the ELP? How many hours? A: Yes, I did in total for 23 hours. I worked for Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Chester Elementary School, Jays Care Foundation, Fort York, and The Scott Mission. The work experiences in the Scott Mission, which is a Christian non-denominational charity organization providing services such as foods, clothes, and places to sleep to marginalized people, were the most impressive because it gave me opportunities to see the other side of Toronto, and to consider about the way of assistance. In addition, through volunteer work, I had many chances to practice English outside of the classes. For this reason, this program is excellent! Q: Did you participate in the University and College Application Support program? How did it help you? A: Yes, I did many times. Lily supported me through showing what information I must collect and pay attention to, how to organize a personal statement, and giving me a comment to my first draft. It enabled me to pass through the process of application with confidence. Q: What programs are you applying to and do you have prior education in this field? Have you had a response from schools you’ve already applied to? Were you accepted? A: I have received a conditional offer from the University College London. The program which I will take is Social Epidemiology focused on health inequalities relating to poverty and deprivation. In this course, students obtain knowledge of social epidemiology, and develop skills of research, linking health and social determinants. Furthermore, the ultimate goal is to learn the way of advocating research and policy measures. I do not have exactly relative education in the field of social epidemiology and policies; however, my background is nursing, and additionally, I have worked for vulnerable people in a developing country. These experiences directed me to this field. Q: Do you intend on staying in the country of your school after you finish your degree? Or do you intend to return home? A: In order to proceed into a doctoral degree in the field of Health Policy, I hope to stay in London or in any countries where there is a university having an admirable faculty and supporting my research. Q: What are you going to do until you start school? A: I am working in my country while continuing to study English and raising funds for study in a graduate school. Q: What does your future hold? What are going to do 10 years from now? A: Hopefully, I am conducting a research aimed at reducing and eliminating health disparities in this world.
“I have received a conditional offer from the University College of London. The program which I will take is Social Epidemiology focused on health inequalities relating to poverty and deprivation.� 5
In thisofissue, world wordswe highlight the contributions of English PLUS students of all levels, their memories and experiences at the English Language Program.
english plus sees the sights
Emma Sheppard’s Class, English PLUS (Beginner)
This is my first trip to go abroad so I was nervous before I came to Toronto. But in Toronto, I could make some friends who are so funny and very kind. They are Korean, Chinese, Mexican, and Japanese. They make me smile every day, so I like them very much. I went to go shopping and ate lunch with them, and we talked about ourselves and our dreams. It was very interesting to me. I went to many famous places in Toronto with my Japanese friends. My favourite trip is visiting Niagara Falls. It was wonderful! We rode the boat and approached the falls. I was drenched by spray, but I was so excited! August 24th was my birthday, so my friends 6
took me to the CN Tower at night and celebrated me. I’m so happy to have nice friends. I must not forget these days I was staying in Toronto. I want to meet friends in Toronto again. —Kana Kito, Japan I went to many places in Toronto, for example the CN Tower, the aquarium next to the CN Tower, the Toronto Zoo and Niagara Falls, and so on. I enjoyed them very much. I also went to New York with friends for three nights. And in the university, I could make friends who were from different universities, students in the class. There were some Mexicans in my class. They were very kind, so they usually gave me a sandwich because I didn’t have lunch. At first, I felt nervous because this was my first visit to a foreign country, but I had a very good time in Toronto and I will never forget this experience. —Yurika Nata, Japan
niagara falls
Photograph by Sarah Alattas
I have stayed in Toronto for a month. Toronto gave me a lot of things. I have taken a walk in the city every day and visited many famous places. For example, I have been to Niagara Falls, Canada’s Wonderland, CN Tower, Roger’s Centre, Toronto Island and so on. Toronto is a city that mixes urban and nature. I like both. So Toronto was sensational for me. And I have been to Bluffer’s Park. It was so beautiful! I want to say thank you to my friends that I met in Toronto that taught me. I could make many Japanese friends and Mexican friends in Emma’s class. My class is so funny, because all of my classmates are friendly. And my teacher, Emma, is a very kind person. She is kind, funny, and tall! I was glad my teacher is Emma. I made new friends in my host family’s house. They are Giorgio, Pierre, and Kaio. They can speak English well. So I was taught English by them. And I’ve been to many places with them. They invited me to a pub, hiking and so on. They are nice guys! I think it is good I could come to Toronto. It is my good experience. —Kentaro Kida, Japan
issue 87, September 2014
Kris Johnston’s Class, English PLUS (Beginner)
toronto island bbq
harbourfront
rogers centre
Canadian bills are very very beautiful. For example, some are blue, red, green and even purple. There are many different kinds, too. I liked Canadian shopping because there are many sales, but the tax is high. I bought a lot of clothes and shoes in Toronto. I went shopping in Canada every day. I bought Canadian T-shirts, maple syrup and snacks for my friends and my family. These are cheaper than Japanese clothes. If I bought it in Japan it would cost more. I went to the CN Tower, a boat cruise, Roger’s Stadium, Eaton Centre and Toronto Island with my friends. The CN Tower has a very nice view. I went to Eaton Centre or Queen Street every weekend. I was very excited because I watched Major League Baseball. I think that Toronto is a very clean and liveable town. The boat cruise was very fun with a very good atmosphere. I had a BBQ on Toronto Island, too. —Ren Toyama, Japan I liked poutine, but I didn’t like regular french fries. I tried Indian food in Canada, too. I often ate egg sandwiches for breakfast. For lunch, I sometimes ate a bagel or some pasta. I sometimes ate salad, pizza, hotdogs or rice for dinner. I ordered food in restaurants, but it was difficult for me. I can ordered by myself, because I learned that in class. I ordered Chinese food and it was very delicious, but it was very unhealthy. I went canoeing and played soccer, softball and tennis. I often went to shopping every weekend. I exercised and played tennis. I talked with my friends at school. I went to a softball activity. I was able to make a new friends. The day was a very rainy day. We couldn’t play softball. So, I’m looking forward to coming softball day. — Nao Onishi, Japan I’m really looking forward to going shopping in Toronto. When I just came to Toronto, I was surprised at Canadian money because the bills smelled of maple! Those made me hungry and the five cent coin is bigger than the ten cent coin. It was sometimes confusing for me at the store. I really enjoyed Canadian shopping because some fashion brand stores still don’t have stores in Japan like Roots, PINK, Urban Outfitters and so on. I bought a lot of clothes in Eaton Centre, especially training clothes. I’m looking forward to wearing these clothes in the fitness club. Why did I buy a lot of training clothes? Because Japan doesn’t have many women’s training clothes stores. I bought a lot of training clothes in Toronto., but I didn’t buy anything for my friend or my family yet, because I will stay in Toronto for eight more months, so I won’t need to buy that for now. Sooner or later I will choose something for them. —Minori Morita, Japan 7
world of words Evelyn Pedersen’s Class, English PLUS (Beginner)
the last Stop by yun chih of taiwan
8
Photograph by Ronan Godoy
n Thursday, August 28th, our English Plus class went to Toronto Island for a barbecue picnic together. It was our last class gathering. When we arrived there, we looked for a proper picnic spot. Finally we got one. While some people enjoyed playing on the swings, others set the table and took out dishes they had made. Our eyes sparkled when we saw those rich salads. They were exotic and well-prepared. Nobody could wait, so we all took a try of them – it was a really tasty appetizer! Some of us even ate until we were full, before the barbecue started! The boys served as the best chefs for the barbecue. On the other side, we girls sat on the lawn chatting with one another and waiting for the hot food. It was no little amusement to be so close to the nature, and to be having easy food like rich roasted hamburger patties with bread. The sun was shining softly, replacing the chilly feeling of the waterfront. It was a beautiful day. All of us brought just a small amount of food, but the whole meal was luxurious. Finishing the barbecue, we headed off to explore more of the island. We rented bicycles and quadricycles, and took a visit of the island neighborhood. The community was cut off from the noise of the tourist area , making it a peaceful living place. The sun sparkled on the lake. The scenery was beyond description. When we reached the beach, my classmates were so eager to cool off that they jumped into the lake! They are quite good swimmers. It was an unforgettable experience for me. Sharing this wonderful time with my best classmates, I almost forgot it might be the last time we would share together. All of us come from different countries, how come we can stay together with such harmony? It was a problem that concerned before I came here, but I figured out the answer. Our minds and goals are the same, we like making new friends, and we all try hard to share interesting things with others. That is the reason, and that is why we cherish our friendship so much.
Photograph by Ronan Godoy
O
Anne Evers’ Class, English PLUS (Low-Intermediate)
issue 87, September 2014
graffiti alley E
ach team went to different places to find graffiti. We found signal light boxes, public sculptures, and Lovebot’s picture printed on walls. And we took pictures in each team. The signal boxes were colorful and some were black-and-white. The graffiti was so big and colorful! In Chinatown, “The Great Wall of China” was drawn on a wall. We were disappointed because we couldn’t find Lovebots, so we want to know where the Lovebots are. After that, we came back to our classroom and sent Anne the pictures.
spadina Av.
–Yukine Kaji, Takako Hasegawa, Shiori Seto, Tomoyuki Kanda, Japan, English PLUS low-intermediate I saw this picture near Spadina station. It shows three elephants in it. It’s colorful. Many people will be surprised when they look at it. –Ryoko Mano, Japan, English PLUS low-intermediate
Queen St. West
brookfield st. We found this near Brookfield-Queen. We are not sure what that means, but it’s very beautiful and amazing. We thought this looked like a robot, and it was energetic. –Yusaku Tokunaga, Japan, English PLUS low-intermediate
We found this on the corner of Queen St and University Ave. We think this is a kind of public equipment, but it was painted, so it became art. This art makes the town more cute and beautiful. –Kazuya Okamoto, Japan, English PLUS low-intermediate 9
world of words
Pia Berger’s Class, English PLUS (Beginner) My Time in Toronto
Travel
I didn’t go anywhere with my host family, but the time spent with them is one of favourite memories of Toronto. My host family is an older couple. They often had their friends over to visit. They also have a granddaughter and she is very cute. She is four years old and a very active girl. I played with her, colouring pictures and playing hide-and-seek. It was so much fun! She speaks simple English, so I could talk with her at ease. She visited two or three times a week, and I looked forward to seeing her each time. The house where I stayed had a large garden. There are many kinds of flowers and trees. I liked them and I took many pictures. The house was near the airport so I could see a lot of planes up close. I often heard the sound of planes and they were almost all that I heard around home. It was quieter than where I live in Japan because there were few cars. That is the reason why I was very comfortable at home. My host family was so kind and tried to help me improve my English. My English was very poor, so it was a hard job to talk to me, but they listened to me patiently. I was so glad for that and I thought I must study English harder. I want to speak English better when I come to Canada again. —Satomi Nagai, Japan
In Toronto, there are many famous places. First, I will talk about Niagara Falls. I went there on August ninth. It took us about two hours by bus to get there from Toronto. Niagara Falls was very big. When I saw it, I was moved by how beautiful it was. I could see it a very close range by boat. This activity was very exciting! Second, I will talk about the Toronto Zoo. The Toronto Zoo is the biggest zoo in Canada. I went there on August 17th. I was very tired, because I walked a lot. I saw a lot of animals, for example, giraffes, zebras, tigers, flamingos and so on. I enjoyed the Toronto Zoo! I recommend it. Finally, I will talk about the Blue Jays. The Blue Jay are a baseball team in Toronto, Canada. I watched one their games last week. I was so excited! I bought a Blue Jays t-shirt. The Blue Jays’ player Kawasaki is Japanese. He is very skillful. Canadians love him, so I’m happy! I’m looking forward to watching another baseball game again on Friday. In Toronto, there are a lot of good places, so recommend a Toronto trip to you! —Akari Tsuda, Japan
Travel and Friends I went to many places during my stay in Canada. There are many nice places in Canada. The first weekend, I went to Niagara Falls. That place is great! I have never seen such big falls. I took many pictures of them. I had a good time! During my second weekend in Canada, I went to the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). This is an amusement ground which is for children. I rode on many attractions. I felt bad sometimes, but I really enjoyed the CNE. I recommend it for children. The third weekend in Canada, I went to Canada’s Wonderland. This is a very fantastic place, even more so than the CNE! There are many scream machines in Wonderland. I had not ridden on scream machines so much before going there. But I rode on them on many times, and I came to like them! I became good at riding the scream machines. I wanna go there again! To change the subject, my friend is Jessica. She is from El Salvador, and lives in the same home as me. She was very kind to me, and has a nice personality. We often went to school together in the mornings. She taught English to me in the train. I love her. She is one of my bestfriends. My host family is also very, very kind. When something happened to me, they tried to solve the problem. They are like a real family. Surely, I’ll miss them. I wanna come to their home again! I wanna convey to them: “Thank-you so much for everything!” —Satsuki Nakanishi, Japan 10
Toronto zoo
CNE
issue 87, September 2014
My Time in Toronto This was my first time in a foreign country, so I enjoyed visiting a lot of famous place. For example, I visited the CN Tower, the Toronto Zoo, Toronto Island, and Niagara Falls. These are my good memories of Toronto. In particular, Niagara Falls was amazing because it was huge and dynamic. I had wanted to visit Niagara Falls before I came here. I also thought Toronto Island was so nice because it was beautiful and quiet, so we could enjoy our time and relax. When I visited some places, I tried to talk to foreigners and make friends, and practice English. I did make new friends and I was very pleased to meet a lot of new friends. I also hung out with my host family. They took me to the shopping mall and China Town. I had an enjoyable time with them. All of these are my precious memories. I want to visit Canada again. I really appreciate what people did for me. I want to contact my new friends and my host family after I get back to Japan. I like Canada very much! If I have the opportunity to come back to Canada, I’ll here come here again. —Akaya Kishimoto
Toronto Island
Remah Ibrahim’s Class, English PLUS (Beginner) I came to Toronto one month ago. I went to various places. For example, I went to the CN Tower, Niagara Falls, the Royal Ontario Museum and Casa Loma. I think I like Toronto. People are kind to me and my host family is really kind to me. The children here are very cute and energetic. Canadian food comes in portions too big for me, but it delicious. Sometimes I don’t want to go back to Japan. I will never forget my memories in Toronto. I am very happy that I was able to come to Toronto. I want to enjoy my remaining time. - Kana Watanabe
Photograph by Sarah Alattas
Niagara falls
My 3 Weeks in Toronto This is my first trip to Toronto. In the past few weeks, I enjoyed Toronto very much. Firstly, it is comfortable for me to live here thanks to the weather. In my home country Japan, August is much hotter than here. We can’t live without air conditioners in the summer. On the other hand, Toronto is cooler and dryer. It is at a good point though. Secondly, Canadian food is delicious. I ate poutine. Additionally, I was surprised that I could find Tim Horton’s everywhere I went. Tim Horton’s products are cheap and delicious, so I have been there many times. Unfortunately, we don’t have Tim Horton’s in Japan. I will miss Tim Horton’s. Finally, I met many people through this trip. They are my treasures. I love my friends, teachers and host family and especially Toronto. I would live to come back someday. —Yuina Nitta 11
world of words Kira Rimrott”s Class, English PLUS (Low-Intermediate-Beginner) Hi, My name is Shizuka Matsuse. I come from Hyogo, Japan. I have been in Toronto for 4 weeks. Let me tell you about a little about myself. My major is economics. I am interested in import and export, so I study International Economics at my university. And I am also interested in Advertising, so I took a seminar in International Economics and advertising. My dream job is to be a Merchandise (business) company employee. Because I like import goods. My hobby is listening to music, especially Western (rock) music. So I bought some CDs in Toronto! I went many places in Canada. I went to Niagara Falls, CN Tower, Muskoka, Casa Loma, Toronto Zoo and so on. Last Monday, I watched a baseball game at Rogers Center. The game was between the Blue Jays and the Red Sox. I was so excited! I could see Kawasaki and Uehara. Of course, I took a lot of picture! Last weekend, I went to Muskoka with my host mother. There is near Rose Lake. So I enjoyed canoeing and going fishing. It was a valuable experience. In my English PLUS class I did a project with a class mate. We chose a subway station. Our subway station was Bay. It is a wonderful place. Because there are a lot of clothes shops, café, restaurant, tourist attraction.
Japanese Apricot Nagoya University
Moco
12
May
toronto blue jays Hi, My name is Kana Okabe. I come from Inabe city in Japan. I’ve been in Toronto for 4 weeks. Let me tell you a little bit about myself. This picture is Park of Japanese apricot (like plum) in Inabe city. This picture is my university. I’m doing a B.A in English at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies. I’m a second year college student. My dream job is to be an interpreter, because I’m studying English now and want to use my English and Japanese skills. I like to eat spaghetti, especially carbonara. And I really love a cat, so in my hometown there are two cats They are my cats, Moco and May. In my English Plus class I did a project with a classmate. We chose a subway station. Our subway station was Dundas. It is a wonderful place because near Dundas station, there are a lot of restaurant, café, pub and Eaton Centre!! Eaton centre is one of the most famous shopping centre in Toronto. There are a lot of kinds of shops like H&M, American Eagle, ZARA, BANANA Republic, Abercrombie and Holly Star. And also there is eatery like Tim Hortons, McDonald’s and some cuisine restaurant. I really enjoyed this poster presentation, because I could recommend everyone about such a nice place. My trip to Canada is very interesting. I went many places like Niagara Falls, Canada’s Wonderland, Toronto Island. And I did many things. I had BBQ in Toronto Island, I saw baseball game (Blue Jays!!!), I did canoeing to centre island. Canada is really nice country so I want to stay here for good, but I have to go back to Japan. So I made plans to spend my last days in Canada. Haha.
issue 87, September 2014
Stefany Bogatan’s Class, English PLUS (Beginner) I went to Canada’s Wonderland. It was very fun! The rides are bigger and more powerful than in Japan. I felt wonderful. I rode about 10 rollercoasters. I want to buy a season pass, but I should study, so I can’t. I felt the best attraction was TIME WARP!!! This attraction is like nothing in Japan. I’ve never experienced anything like this before. I want to go again! —Kana Noguchi, Japan
canada’s wonderland
I went to St. James Church. I experienced mass for the first time. St James Chruch is very big and clean. In particular, I liked the stained class. It was beautiful. Also, the church garden was very big. There were tall trees, flowers and many birds. The day had good weather so I was comfortable. Mass was impressive. I didn’t know how to do it, but the person at the church was very kind. I was glad. After mass I went to eat brunch with my friends. Japan does not have brunch. —Satoko Koide, Japan Toronto is the biggest city in Canada. I came to Toronto about 1 month ago. I’ve learned many things here. Toronto has many famous places and shopping malls, like the CN Tower, Casa Loma, Niagara Falls etc. I went to Starbucks every day because I love it. Tim Hortons is cheaper than Starbucks but I think that Starbucks is better. I went a lot of places with my host family. They are very kind and funny. I’ve spent many happy times with them. — Arisa Nakamura, Japan The food I like in Canada is salad, rice, toast and orange juice. I tried Chinese food and I like fried rice. For breakfast, I often had bacon with salad and orange juice or coffee. Ordering food at restaurants is very difficult for me. Therefore, I would not eat in restaurants. In Toronto, I went shopping, went on tours, to parks and I studied English! —Yolanda Jimenez Hernandez, Mexico
casa loma
I really like the markets, streets, stores, homes and the people in Toronto. Canadian money is stronger than Mexican money. I love my host family, teachers and the university! —Virginia Gomez Santiz, Mexico
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world of words
An Artist at ELP City of Contrasts Paintings by Mariya Li of Kazakhstan, Academic English Level 40
T
oronto is a city of contrasts. Everything here, from people to weather, is extremely diverse and inconsistent in all aspects. Nobody will be surprised by the exhausting heat in afternoon after a rainy morning. Like the weather, skyline of the city is dynamic too. The modern architecture of the concrete jungles in Downtown turns into a cozy suburb with little houses of the Victorian epoch. Here, in this incredible city, we can get lost in a crowded center of Dundas Square, and then take a rest on a lonely bench in a silent corner at the Queens Park. Moreover, Toronto reflects a mixture of various cultures and nations of citizens. Similar to the city, Torontonians are full of contrasts. They are friendly and cold as the weather, fast and slow as crowded streams, modern and traditional as architecture at the same time. In my paintings I tried to express that Toronto is full of variations of shades, tastes and feelings. This city is the fresh breath of freedom and inspiration. —Mariya Li
Spring
Skyline 14
issue 87, September 2014
Crowd
Silence
My House
15
Volunteer 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. 16
ELP students volunteering for the United Way Rat Race in downtown Toronto
world of words
issue 87, September 2014
Volunteering in Canada By Anoxia Wang of China, Academic English Level 50
T
ill the end of this month, I have been studying in Canada for almost a year. During this year, I have learned a lot through volunteering works and have become used to living in Canada, especially after attending volunteering program in University of Toronto. According to a survey taken by Peking University, in 2008, there were about 1,700,000 volunteers who offered service for Olympic Games; moreover, this was also the first time I involved in volunteering. Our spirits, our merits, everything we want to share to the whole world have been popularized by volunteers who proved that volunteer work is necessary. In 2013, I came to Canada alone. At the beginning I felt lonely because I had no Chinese friends and everything seems new to me. I was so sad for returning to a child because everything I need to learn. I did not know what was metro pass, how to use google map and how to participate in activities. Fortunately, my classmate introduced me to join volunteer works. The volunteering I attended was using CAD to draw building’s structure and canulated how many steals they need. This job was not hard because I have learned how to use CAD when I was in China. Although it was very tired, I was very happy because I knew several friends who had similar dream with me. There are some benefits that I obtain from volunteering. Firstly, I knew lots of friends who make me no longer feel lonely and teaches me amazing information about their culture. Some big festivals, such as Big on Bloor Festival, need lots of volunteers who come from different countries. We talked a lot and become friends now. I even found out a girl who comes from the same city with mine, we exchanged Facebook and realized that both of us attended 11th high school. It was wonderful. Secondly, volunteering offers me a chance to see how native Canada lives. Last month, the first Open Street Toronto was taken place in Toronto. At that festival, I knew citizens care about their health and they want more space for activities. Moreover, people want to reduce the pollution that cars produce and have a good environment. Thirdly, Toronto people are very kind-hearted and friendly. They frequently set up events that donate for organizations that contribute to doing research for disease and offering opportunities for people who suffer the disease. Thanks for all the volunteering works that people offers. They help me to get close to native Canadian’s lives, to be happy for helping people and to have opportunities to meet new friends. 17
world of words
Volunteer Spotlight: Changhwan Lee By: Erik Dean ELP Cultural Assistant & VEP Organizer
Studying Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto
C
hanghwan Lee is an Academic English student here in the ELP, and a Business Management student at Dongguk University in Gyeonju, South Korea. On the surface, he is a motivated and committed student, but in his spare time, Changhwan is a diligent volunteer who has climbed to become ELP’s current Top Volunteer! What does it mean to be ELP’s Top Volunteer? How did he do it? Well to explain all of that, we must start from the very beginning… Changhwan began volunteering after having stayed roughly a month in Canada, absolutely unafraid to get out and interact with native English speakers. In fact, in just over a month, he had already exceeded 20 hours of volunteer service! Clearly he was off to a quick start, but it became apparent over time that he was keeping pace as the semester went on, continuing to average 20 hours of volunteer service with each passing month. The previous record for volunteer service at ELP was 100.5 hours, which was held by a former Academic English student, and accomplished over the course of one year and four months. Changhwan’s impressively frequent volunteering allowed him to
“I realized that I received more than I gave when I volunteered” -Changhwan Lee 18
issue 87, September 2014
124.75 hours volunteered by Changhwan: A New ELP Record! break that record in five months and five days. Other volunteers might wonder how this was possible, given all the competition for positions at each week’s volunteer meeting. How did he get the chance to acquire so many hours, in such a short amount of time? Simply put, it was possible because Changhwan courageously went out into the world on his own, and volunteered many hours outside of ELP. Most frequently, Changhwan volunteered with Right To Play, a global organization which aims to educate and empower young people around the world through opportunities to play sports and games. In Toronto, Right To Play primarily organizes volunteer events at major sports stadiums, selling charity raffle tickets. After working hard to sell those tickets on several occasions, Changhwan built a relationship with the Right To Play organizers, and earned the reputation of a reliable volunteer. Being a responsible and outgoing person, it is easy to understand how Right to Play, and other volunteer organizations were happy to have him return again and again. Through my experience, I have learned that these are truly the core concepts of what it means to be a great volunteer: commitment to one’s work, and unconditional friendliness. Currently, Changhwan continues to appear at the weekly volunteer meetings with a standing total of 124.75 hours given to volunteer service. He intends to continue volunteering when he returns to South Korea. 19
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ELP on Instagram #uoftELP
uoftELP: #uoftELP students cheering on the #Toronto @bluejays!
uoftELP: This evening our #uoftELP students saw the @torontosymphony Orchestra playing at Casa Loma!
rona2420: Dragon boat contest #uoftELP volunteering
uoftELP: Our students volunteering at the Yorkville Charity Run!
Misaki_k5: It was so scary
Niddnapat: MISS
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Aa_ztec: had to say goodbye to a friend today. She’s leaving back to Switzerland.
uoftELP: Check out this fantastic snap of our beautiful campus today!
Rona2420: Was a great festival #uoftelp #volunteering
Julianomarttins: 60B. The best English class. Miss you guys. #tbt
Dilyafluffy: Nobody can guess about our appearances!!
Mosab1994: Winter has already started
issue 87, September 2014
uoftELP: #uoftELP made it onto the big screen at tonight’s Blue Jays game at the Rogers Centre!
Mosab1994: Student day #uoftELP
Mosab1994: #Volunteer at #BuskerFest for raising the money of #Epilepsy #Toronto uoftELP: English Plus students having a blast at their farewell party! You will all be missed! #uoftELP
uoftELP: These #uoftELP students took advantage of the free admission Tuesdays at the Royal Ontario Museum. A great way of making the most of your afternoon!
uoftELP: Nothing better than a trip to the Toronto Islands for a good ol’ BBQ with friends! #uoftelp
_churrito: At #CasaLoma to see Toronto Orchestra!
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Photograph by David Wu
world of words
University and College Application Support
By Lily Meshadiyeva, Program Assistant, Application Support
Graduate of Employment Relations and Human Resources, University of Toronto
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.
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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. University and College Fair This year, the English Language Program will host a University and College Fair on Friday, October 17th in our 4th floor main lobby. Join us between 12:00pm and 2:00pm to speak with recruiters from Universities and Colleges around Ontario. For more information, visit us in the 4th floor main office.
issue 87, September 2014
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.
The Immortal Fans By
Túlio Albuquerque Pascoal of Brazil, Former Academic English Student Level 60
I
n the soccer world, most fans are proud to say that they support their team from birth to death. However, in Brazil, the Sport Club do Recife fans are the only who can say that they support their team even after death. The chance to support Sport Recife forever has become a reality after an amazing campaign launched by the club in 2013. The main purpose was to break an existing taboo against organ donations in Brazil. Currently in this country, in order to donate their organs, the donors must inform their families of their wish to donate and after that, the family has to authorize the donation, creating a large bureaucracy that delays the process. To resolve this situation, the club had the idea to promote a huge social cause, creating the first donor card for a soccer team. Then, the club developed a Facebook app where the Sport Recife supporters can create their organ donor card and either pick it up at the stadium or receive it at home, eliminating the donating bureaucracy and promoting the fans’ passion for saving lives. As stated by the Brazilian media, the campaign has experienced great success. According to the Recife Donation Centre, thanks to the club’s idea organ donations increased by 54% in a year, breaking a historic record, and over 51,000 donor cards have been produced and still counting. It has also reduced the heart and cornea transplant waiting list to zero. The campaign’s success even reached a stage further; it won the Gold Winner 2013 (first place) award from Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, which is “the world´s biggest annual awards show and festival for professional in the creative communications industry.” (http://www.canneslions.com/) The Sport Recife fans’ passion, generosity and the dedication to being a fan forever are kept alight by the words of the organ recipients, such as “I promise your eyes will keep on watching Sport Club Recife”( Adriano Dos Santos, waiting for an eye
transplant); “Your lungs will keep on breathing for Sport Club Recife”( Luiz Antonio, waiting for a lung transplant); “I promise your heart will always beat for Sport Club Recife”( Marleade Dos Santos, waiting for a heart transplant). Those words were said in the video campaign as a form of gratitude to those supporters who donate their organs. As a common Sport Recife supporter´s war cry says, “For Sport Recife – everything!”, but now they can scream, “For Sport Recife everything, even after death!”
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Brazil and Canada
By Gabrielle Amaral de Figueiredo of Brazil, Academic English Level 50
B
razil has a culturally diverse society. Similarly, Canada has a substantial number of immigrants, who make the nation very diversified. Nevertheless, even with this similarity, they are very different in some respects. There are several marked diferences which the first one is the family concepts and values. In Brazil, where family is the foundation of the social structure, families tend to be large and are the institution in which people can be assisted in times of need. The family’s relationships are well developed, the relatives are reliable and children can always trust in them, even after they have grown up. This is not something to be ashamed of; by contrast, having a significant relationship with family is embarrassing for young Canadians. While in Brazil people want to stay in their parents’ house as long as they can, in Canada they want to be far away as fast as they can. That is the reason for the unbelievable number of elderly citizens living alone. The children, whom they raised with love and devotion, after growing up, leave their house and go find their way, leaving their parents behind, without caring about their health or emotional issues. This seems very grim, but this is just my opinion. The second one is the typical foods. In Brazil, I never heard about a typical food from Canada but, after arrived here, I was introduced to poutine, which is french fries with mozzarella cheese and gravy. Even with this traditional food, which I didn’t like, Canada can’t beat Brazil’s foods. In Canada, there are many restaurants, most of which are from other cultures, and fast foods but nothing so singular as in my country. The most interesting thing in Brazil is the mix of typical foods. For example, pepper is widely used in some Brazilian dishes in the Northeast region whereas they are abhorred in dishes from other regions such as in South. Other example is Açaí, which is a very delicious fruit from the North region of Brazil and whose pulp is utilized in many dishes, but my favorite is Açaí in the bowl, which is made with Açaí juice, banana and guaraná powder and is accompanied by a variety of fruit slices, chocolate and other candies. This mix of flavors in Brazil was occasioned by the different immigrants’ backgrounds, which mingled the customs and traditions and become one. The third one is relationship - building. Relationships are crucial for Brazilians. They are very social, easygoing, receptive and communicative people. It generally takes days
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Did You Know?
Canada’s women play in the World Cup? or a few weeks to establish a relationship with them. This behavior was caused by the influence of Portuguese people who colonized the Brazilian territory and brought the Latino customs. On the other hand, Canadians are more closed. They usually are introspective and serious when they are meeting someone for the first time. This attitude towards communication may be the result of Canada’s colonization by English people. Nonetheless, after they have established a relationship, they are very friendly, generous and loving. Canadian friendships may have a longer duration than the Brazilian’s because the former can develop a deeper fellowship than the second one. However, also with this characteristics, Brazilians still have a great circle of friendship. The fourth one is the passion for sports. Everybody thinks that Brazilians are crazy about soccer, but this is not the truth. Not all of us like soccer games or even know how to play, sorry if you had spent all your life believing in a lie. Actually, is a tradition of our country, but is not the only thing that should be known about Brazil, we are more than that. In other hand, differently from Brazil, Canada doesn’t have a soccer tradition. Because of that, they dont’t even participate in the World Cup. In Canada, the soccer is replaced for baseball, football, hockey or other any winter games. Moreover, they are worldwide recognized for their great performance on winter games, which I can not say the same for Brazil because we don’t have the appropriate weather for this kind of sport.
issue 87, September 2014
Illiteracy: A Harsh Problem in Brazil By Nathalia Cristina de Melo Correa da Silva of Brazil, Former Academic English Level 60
Student, Studying Civil Engineering, University of Toronto
B
razil is facing a harsh situation in which the number of illiterate among the population is increasing. According to UNESCO (2014), the number of illiterate people in Brazil is about 14 million, the same amount of people living in S達o Paulo, the most populous city in the country . To solve this problem, the government has created laws which ensure primary education; however, the numbers indicate that this approach is not working. Elementary education is provided by law in Brazil, so all children need to study from the age of four; nonetheless, many Brazilians have never studied. Two possible causes of this problem are the lack of investment in education and the lack of valorization of the role of teachers in society. The main factor that contributes to the illiteracy in Brazil is the lack of money spent on primary education. The politicians do not care about spending money on elementary education because they prefer to invest in the Brazilian fight against crime; moreover, the money invested in education is insufficient considering the size of the country. Another reason for the high number of illiterate people is the low status given to teachers due to a misguided assumption that teaching is
an inferior profession. According to the United Nations (2010), elementary teachers in Brazil have the third worst salary of the world . Unfortunately, in Brazilian ideology teaching seems to be the last alternative for a job . As a result, there are two main consequences of these attitudes: a low number of schools and a low number of teachers. First, the lack of schools leads to the situation where many children want to study, but they cannot find a school. This problem is more profound in rural areas, where children are working instead of studying. Another ramification is the low number of teachers that finish their undergraduate degree. The number of university courses in the area of education is decreasing every year; moreover, the number of students who drop out of education courses is increasing, leading to a small number of people that finish a teaching degree. In order to solve the problem of illiteracy, the Brazilian government should implement certain solutions such as spending more money on education and giving value to teaching (as a profession). First, investing in elementary education is an excellent solution to this issue. Brazil is the sixth largest economy in the world, so money to invest would not be a problem. Furthermore; events that Brazil will host such as the Olympic Games in 2016 and the World Cup of Soccer in 2014 will provide more funds and investments which could be spent on primary education. Second, the Brazilian government and society should start to value teachers. Brazilian ideology underestimates the importance of education and believes that teaching is a secondrate job. This needs to be replaced by the idea that any society needs its teachers in order to prosper. This idea could be in promoted through commercials and television shows, so it would be assimilated by the whole society. The number of illiterate people is a problem around the world, and it is easy to see that full participation in society is a difficult task for them because they are not able to read. It is true that Brazil has made efforts in order to solve its illiteracy, but the number of illiterate people is increasing. The strategy of Brazil should be to spend more money on elementary schools and to replace the social idea that teaching is an inferior job. The efforts cannot stop due to the lack of outcomes; they only need an adjustment and more strength. 25
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Let’s Code It
By Niander Neves de Assis of Brazil, Academic English Level 60
C
omputer programming, or just coding, is basically teaching a computer how to do what we want it to do. The concept is simple, but it takes an incredible power. The development in this area is responsible for all those amazing and advanced technologies that swirl around our world nowadays, technologies that are transforming the way we live, learn, and communicate. Kids, however, are not spending so much time learning how to code. Actually, they are growing up knowing how to use all kind of software, games, computer tools; however, most of them are not interested in learning how to produce new ones. For them, it seems to be just for nerds and geeks. In fact, schools are also not interested in teaching them computer science. It is hard to find skilled teachers and most schools argue that they are already struggling to teach basic science. It is true that computer science is new; however, it does not make it less valuable. Coding can teach valuable skills such as creativity, logical thinking and problem-solving, all essential for any field of study. Kids, actually, can take advantage of these abilities and apply them in other disciplines. For example, creativity could be applied in art, logical thinking in biology and problem-solving in algebra. In addition, it does not matter whether they want to be a doctor, politician, musician or an entrepreneur. Learning how to code is increasingly becoming important for any kind of job. Code.org, a non-profit organization launched in 2013, largely supported by big technology companies and individuals such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, is trying to change this. The organization is engaged in expanding the teaching of computer science to everyone. According to their website, they want every student in every school to have the opportunity to learn computer science. They believe that computer programming should be part of the science curriculum alongside other disciplines such as biology, physics, chemistry 26
and algebra. “Hour of Code” is a campaign promoted by Code. org. In 2013, during the Computer Science Education Week (December 9-15) every student from K-12 in the U.S. was invited to take basic coding classes on Code. org’s website. Despite the fact that everyone could have access to these classes using a different range of devices, schools, indeed, were also invited to hold “Hour of Code” sessions. According to Hadi Partovi, co-founder and CEO of Code.org, “This isn’t just about the tremendous job opportunities in software – every 21st century child can benefit from learning this foundational field.” Although computer science can lead to high paid jobs, many students entering university are not interested in computer science courses. According the White House’s website, Information Technology (IT) workers are expected to earn 74% more than the average worker, but at the same time, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of United States expects that in 2020, 1.4 million of new computer science jobs are going to be available, whereas only 400,000 of computer science students are going to graduate with the required skills for those jobs. It is a shortage of 1 million of people. Because computer and technology is changing the world, it is expected, even more now, the acquirement of this kind of knowledge. Exposing students earlier to coding can help them demystify an area that seems to be so intimidating. It would also break down all those sorts of stereotypes that exist about computer scientists. Indeed, it would influence more students to choose the computer science field in the future, preparing them for the great amount of expected job positions. Further, coding is important because provides students a large set of transferable skills useful for their academic course. Coding is fun, creative and challenging. Actually, it is for “cool” people.
issue 87, September 2014
Robarts Library
By Dilraba Anayatova of Kazakhstan, Academic English Level 60
Did You Know?
The University of Toronto library system is one of the top three in North America, next to Havard and Yale.
I
n the 21st century, people used to spend two-three hours every day in libraries. In this technological era, people who spend their time reading a book or magazine, making notes or writing a report are constantly decreasing. There is no need to go to a library when there is the Internet. However, for the students of the University of Toronto, Robarts Library is a second home. There are several benefits for using this library: wide range of learning material, innovative technology and great flexibility to study and work. Robarts Library was built in 1973. Since then it has grown every day. In library there are about 4.5 million books and more than four million microforms, a variety of workshops, atlases, current periodicals.(source: http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Robarts_Library). Workshops can be offered every semester. In section of periodicals, there are the latest volumes and series of academic and research journals. Furthermore, there is the “Media Commons” department where students can find variety of videos: from academic lectures to comedy movies. Robarts Library is going together with new technology. In order to make the process of finding a book easier – the directory screen has been provided there. It works as follows: every book item has “a call number” on its spine, the first letter is an indicator of the floor, the next numbers show numbers of stack in the floor. After finding particular book, its bar code and TCard are scanned and given receipt in Self-check area. The only tip connected with “call numbers” is that all
letters, numbers and even symbols are important when searching for a book. Moreover, there are computers with wi-fi connection on every floor. On directory screen there is the information about the currently available computers on each floor. Furthermore, great number of books store in micro fishes which make life easier to find and copy useful information. Obviously, photocopies and scan machines are provided. Additionally, students who have no money can make photos of materials and copy them on the USBs with the help of a particular scan machine. Comfort and flexibility are the main priorities of Robarts Library. There are some advantages such as group/quiet study rooms, working hours and helpful librarians. The perfect place for group presentations and projects is group study rooms. The voices inside are isolated and people can communicate freely. During an academic year: from September to May, library works 24 hours on weekdays and from 9:00am to 6:00pm on weekends. Students do not have to go out during studying, because food court and stationary vending machines are found in the library. Also, there are good staff of librarians who can help students with questions. Students can contact them via e-mail, phone or face-to-face. Robarts Library is improving its service and technologies, enriching the book items. In all libraries the atmosphere is similar, but Robarts Library has an atmosphere in which people once visit, would love to be every day. 27
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How to Improve Your English By Faisal Alhabashi of Saudi Arabia, Academic English Level 60
y sister and I graduated in 2009. We were educated in English, yet our English skills are insufficient. For three years I tried to find a scholarship to study abroad. Therefore, I applied to several wellknown countries embassy for scholarship fund, like the British Embassy, and the Japanese Embassy. On June 2011, we applied to the King Abdullah scholarship. A month later, my sister surprised me with an acceptance letter from King Abdullah program to study abroad. Later, we choose Canada because the quality of education is better than in the United States and the United Kingdom. On June 16, 2012, we arrived in Toronto. A week later we choses the University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies to improve our academic English. However, it was difficult for us to study together because we were in different classes and levels . We explored English differently for months. First of all, I thought that learning English with native speakers is going to be easy but it was not. In the first three months, my grades were awful especially in writing and speaking because the course was focusing on English for academic purposes. Therefore, I learned that there are differences between writing and speaking. In academic speaking or discussion, slang is not allowed, so I had to switch my speaking style during the course. However, reading, which is a major issue in my English skills because it is not my habit. Improving reading skill is very important for critical reading, especially reading for academic purpose. My sister, on the other hand, faced the same difficulties but her writing skills are excellent. However, study English in Canada is way different than study English back home. Back in Saudi Arabia there is an excellent education system, that developed by superb teachers. Native speakers are not important to be a great English teachers, yet none native speakers can be excellent English teacher. Further, learning a second language is doomed to fail, unless students create two methods. First, a method to use the language daily or rapidly because learning a second language depends on how often the students use it. Second, the will or the desire to learn a second language. Learning a language with an English native speakers give the students two advantages: speaking fluently or as a native speakers and gain an accent. Moreover, there are approved methods in teaching languages, but it depends on the students preference . However, while my sister’s
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Photographs by Faisal Alhabashi
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issue 87, September 2014 preference is an old dusty traditional teaching method; I learned English in Canada with different methods and intensively. Languages are interesting to learn because there are ample teaching methods. The method that caught my attention is called edutainment, which is a combination between education and entertainment, that gives the students a fun experience. It is not only education and entertainment, but also a method that requires the students to join many of after class activities. Edutainment students at the beginning can be stressful because they have to break their fear and as soon as they pass their fear they will learning English in a different way. In contrast, my sister improved her English through classes, but after school she spends most here time with friends that speaking our native language. Furthermore, I will mention some of the activates that helped me in improving my English language. To improve your speaking skills you need to speak up. At the beginning fear of being ridiculed by other students or native speakers is something inevitable, but the secret is to practice a lot. Therefore, I volunteer to to do jobs with Scott Mission foundation which takes care of the poorest that include the homeless and children that need special care through providing meals and medical attention, for a low-cost.
I participated in kitchen works, preparing meals for the homeless; meanwhile, I spoke with the workers in the kitchen to improve my speaking skills. What was surprising for me was that none of the workers in the kitchen were native speakers, but their English skills were quite impressive and they were so friendly. The Scott Mission foundation, not only improved my English, but also give me an opportunity to meet some friendly people. A way from urban and modern communication like cities and smartphones where their are no excites of civil life, I communicated with other people by using traditional methods, like face-to-face, leaving a note for important message and reading boards to get information. Consequently, learning English does not only depend on how many hours you spend in classes or listening to teachers and writing down their notes, but also how often you use it. I’m not saying that learning English in classes is useless, but in classes we receive the language basics and the fundamentals, which is the first step. The second step is to apply what you have learned in your classes to your knowledge. The final step is to use your knowledge outside the classes, either for general or academic purposes. Remember, always study any language with fun and entreatment and make the sky your limit.
Drugs in Sports By
Elis Batistella, ELP Cultural Assistant
Studying Arts and Science, University of Toronto
T
he desire for a perfect body has been the goal for numerous athletes, not only for the purpose of enhancing their performance, but also to build the perfect and ideal physical body shape. Several athletes intend to achieve this goal of the perfect physical shape by administering drugs such as anabolic steroids in order to increase muscle mass and enhance their overall performance. Sportive drugs boost muscle mass due to stimulation of protein synthesis, cell growth, and development of masculine characteristics. More importantly, the use of anabolic steroids affects several physiological pathways, which can lead to psychological alterations and endocrine disorders, in severe cases putting their lives at risk. Anabolic steroids administered with the purpose for enhancing human performance acts analogously with the release of a hormone naturally produced in our body, testosterone. Once ingested or applied, anabolic steroids moves through the blood stream receiving biochemical changes and altering one’s metabolism. The result of high doses in the blood can result in psychological disturbances, which may trigger irritability, hostility, and aggressive behaviors. Furthermore, when assiduously applied, the use of anabolic steroids can lead to phases of deep depression, anxiety, insomnia, mood disorders, paranoia, mania and other psychoses. Thus the athletes’ mood and quality of life potentially erode. Because of its influence on several metabolic pathways, the administrations of steroidal drugs
cause endocrinal disorders. Due to the disturbance in hormonal equilibrium, several consequences occur thereof. For instance, when applied to women, such drugs can lead to masculinization of the female body. Thus, women may experience accelerated facial hair growth, the clitoris can increase in volume and their voice may deepen. Conversely, when applied to men, it can lead to testicular atrophy, development of breasts and temporary infertility, due to the suppression of testosterone levels. By stimulating the production of clotting factors, these drugs increase the formation of blood clots, which can cause thrombosis or thromboembolism, a disruption of the blood stream due to a clot. Moreover, both sexes can experience the appearance of acne, fluid retention, and hepatic disorders. In short, despite the need to perform at a high level and the desire to build a well-defined body shape, athletes must not administrate sportive drugs due to its adverse effects. The long term consequences and health risks posed by applying steroids outweigh the desired effects these substances initially promote. Psychological disturbances and endocrinal disorders are the most common byproduct of sportive drugs administration, which ought to be enough to discourage the use of these substances. Athletes are much more than high speed and muscles, and when they take such extreme measures to enhance their performance and physique, they in turn jeopardize their career and life. 29
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Why I Am So Attracted to this City By Reyina Kunahong of China, ICBC International Leadership Development Program “Now I am so deeply motivated by the learning spirit here, and I plan to take Chinese literature and psychology degree when I go back, because I have witnessed that it is never too late to learn.”
-Reyina Kunahong
I
came here, Toronto, last January and will go back home next month. Time is flying, it is almost time to leave now. I have much passions for this city, I like it very much because its climate is similar to my hometown and because its air is so fresh, sky is so blue and etc. There are countless of such reasons. However they are not the most important at all. The dominant reason for me is the spirit which I have gotten (check the past participle of “get”) from the people around me. They are enthusiastic and encouraging Whatever job they do, they do what they like to do, and do their best. You can see shiny smile on their faces, their smiles do not only make them happy, but also make you and me feel better and full of hope. They also make positive comments on people or their behavior. I know my real language skills but I always hear some positive, encouraging comments around me. They are kind and helpful I have experienced many impressive stories here, let me tell you one of them, it was late January, while I was going home after finishing one of my elective courses about 9:30 pm. I figured out I had lost my way, and my phone didn’t work well due to the cold weather. There were very few people on the street. So when I saw a young man around, I didn’t hesitate to ask him for directions, however as soon as I caught him, I found out he was drunk. So I didn’t trust him when he told me the direction and left, however, a few
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minutes later he came running back and told me that the direction which he had showed me at first was not right, then he told me the right direction again and went away while singing his song. I was so impressed by this young man. Even though he was unable to control his legs, he could control his mind to help people. They are multi-cultural and understanding You can see people from all around the world here, and one of the great thing is that they live in peace and harmony, because they are patient, respectable, positive and understanding to each other. You can also find harmony between people and nature almost everywhere. They never stop learning It is not rare to find gray hair grandpas, grandmas in the library. Sometimes, they even become your classmates as well. As my mother says, one of my biggest complains is that they did not send me to a Chinese school when I was young, and I always make my parents feel guilty for it. Luckily, now I am so deeply motivated by the learning spirit here, and I plan to take Chinese literature and psychology degree when I go back, because I have witnessed that it is never too late to learn. In the end, I would like to thank Toronto, thank people who are around me, for the energy and inspiration they have given me. I believe that I will keep the spirit always in my heart and I will enable to live more positive life for the rest.
issue 87, September 2014
Torontonian Life
By Yun Chih of Taiwan, English PLUS (High-Intermediate)
I
got up in an early morning as usual. It suddenly came to me that it was the day to leave. To say goodbye to this lovely city, it somehow broke my heart because I really like here and want to explore more. Time has gone through quickly that I didn’t notice. Coming to Canada for one month may be one of the biggest decisions made in my life. At first, I made it the top to-do list I would achieve when I finished my university entrance exam. However, mom’s coming added it more excited and challengeable. Everything became clear after we are eager to do something. As Helen Keller once said ’’ Life is either a daring adventure or nothing’’, I thought we are in some way having to give it a try. We didn’t make plan in detail. On the other hand, we are flexible to go anywhere in each day. After we started our trip, all we can do are appreciate everything and every people . We learnt experiences in every moment. From ordering food in English and giving the tips to receiving whether good or bad responses and still maintain good mood. Every thing to us is new, it’s easy for us to learn from beginning, I was surprised the life here is simple. Most people find pleasure in some specific events held in certain day. Sometimes they hang out with friends, or go shopping. Torontonian don’t have many entertainment like we do in Taiwan, due to the high expense of entertainment.
Every morning I went to school by subway, it served as the best time to observe people here. I was delighted with seeing such various kinds of people doing different things. I learned the pace in Toronto City, and discover some interesting attitude Torontonians show at different things. School provided various activities, where I got the real taste life here. I have been to the boat cruise party to see the night site of the city amazing beauty on the lake. I have been to Casa Loma, listening the joyful symphony at gorgeous ancient building. I have been to several museums. Not to mention the most must-see attraction nearby—Niagara Falls. In addition, my mother and I took a three day trip to Quebec city, which is the first time I have a real ‘road trip’. As to the best place I love in Toronto , I would think of Kensington Market. The market is not in an enclosed building, instead, it covers several blocks. Composed of restaurants and groceries from different countries, we can search for something we never seen before. There are graffiti on the wall everywhere, and lovely neighborhood surround it. It is just like another world within Toronto. I love there very much. I embrace the life here every single day. I like to go to school and to have relaxing and enjoyable class. I like to get along with friends to visit wonderful places. I like to go to supermarket search local food with my mother. 31
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The Environment By
Jean Bertin St. Louis of Haiti, Academic English Level 40
The hour has arrived for us to act. You and I, we are both concerned. Our environment is threatened. We long to save it, and not see ourselves perish. As conscious beings, We must to make life livable in our world Obeying its natural laws and principles Will bring forth a better life. Our responsibility grows greater and greater, And our answers less useful, changing day by day. Oh my God, what then should we all do?
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The original version is in French and is an acrostic with L’ENVIRONNEMENT…? (THE ENVIRONMENT…?). We can get access by: Anthologie La Nature Avant Tout. Florilège 2014, Les Dossiers d’Aquitaines de Bordeaux, France. P. 166.
Photographs by Jean Bertin St. Louis
Faced with this alarming situation, Should not we see ourselves as one single family, Striving for a world that is our only consolation?
issue 87, September 2014
Troubles for Education By
Guilherme Martins of Brazil Former Academic English Level 60 Student
T
he Brazilian education system faces serious troubles. The NGO Todos Pela Educação (Everyone for Education) estimates that only 93% of Brazilian adolescents attend a private or public school. Moreover, those who have access to education in Brazil also have problems with the quality of education. According to BBC Brazil, Brazil appears in 38th position among 40 countries in a ranking which compares test scores in math, science and reading, as well as indices on literacy rates and school approval. These data prove that the Brazilian education system, besides not reaching the entire population, fails in its role of providing effective education for Brazilian citizens. Factors such as lack of investment and valorization of teachers as professionals can explain such a situation. The main factor that contributes to the inefficiency of the Brazilian education system is a lack of investment. Although Brazil has more than 190 thousand schools for basic education which are in its majority public, they do not receive sufficient financial support by the government. According to the website of the National Institute of Educational Studies from the Brazilian government, 65% of schools do not have libraries, 55% do not have computer rooms for students, and for those which have computer rooms, 42% do not have internet access. Such information shows why these schools usually do not offer satisfactory
education. In addition to the lack of investment, the fact that teachers in Brazil are not valued increases the problematic situation of the Brazilian education system. In fact, an elementary school teacher in Sao Paulo (Brazil) earns on average $ 10,600 per year, only 10% of what a teacher earns in Zurich (Switzerland) – Jamil Chade (2012). Even though everyone is aware of the importance of teachers as society transformers, Brazil continues to pay its teachers less than almost all European countries, USA and Japan. As a result, a greater part of the students who complete high school do not have the ability to analyze long texts or solve simple mathematical problems; this means that even though they had attended 11 years of school, they do not have the expected knowledge. According to the Brazilian Ministry of Education, only 10% of the students acquire that knowledge. Another consequence of the deficient education system is the low number of undergraduates in Brazil. Data published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reveal that the percentage of the population between 25 and 64 years old who attained academic level in the country in 2011 was 11.61%. This fact directly contributes to the lack of skilled labor in Brazil. Many national education programs in elementary and academic level such as Mais Educação, which is based on full time education, and Science without Borders (SwB), which sends undergraduate students to international universities, have been implemented by the Brazilian government in order to solve these educational problems. Science Without Borders, for instance, has as its purpose to increase the exchange of knowledge between Brazil and developed countries and to encourage students to become researchers. However, even recognizing the importance of programs like SwB, the best way of solving the ineffective Brazilian education system is the Brazilian government efficiently invest money in basic education, offered by a strong educational structure the possibility of the students develop critical thinking. 33
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The Red Glasses
By Luca Marangon of Italy Academic English Level 60
I
t took less than a breath to decide what to do when our teacher Jennifer forgot her red glasses on the table. I’d like to say a big thanks to my classmates, to our core teacher Corrine, and to the 101 people that allowed me to take pictures of them wearing those crazy red glasses!!! Check below to see if you are lucky enough to find yourself!
Cold Feet
By Nourah Mazhar of Saudi Arabia, Academic English Level 40 Although my feet are , I have no worry with all that sadness I carry nothing to feel or nothing seems to be real when I have cold feet, I get a better feeling because I have a hole in my soul my heart is cold or maybe it turn old. Starting from the beginning there was a huge love and more respect. was that enough? Here I am suffering from my cold heart trying to stand on the snow hoping that will take my pain to my feet pain in feet better than heart. This is what I know, before along time I laughed when I heard “cold feet better than cold heart’’ now this is what I need. Something more, where has all that love gone ?
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issue 87, September 2014
A Problem Called Sea World By Artur Rodrigues de Oliveira Lima of Brazil, Academic English Level 50
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ne of the most famous theme parks in the world is SeaWorld. Considered a dream for many children, its prime entertainment is to provide the public a chance to experience being close to one of the greatest marine animals, the killer whale. In an attempt to tame this huge predator, making it the main attraction of the show, SeaWorld annually receives more than 10 million visitors if all its facilities are counted, according to the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA). However, the truth is that these whales suffer when they are in captivity; in fact, it represents danger not only to the whales but also to the trainers because SeaWorld has incorrect information about these whales, the appropriate treatment and their behaviour. As reported by the documentary, “Blackfish”, SeaWorld’s staff provides inaccurate information to impress the public. When the employees are asked about how long a killer whale can live, they say around 25 or 30 years, which is the time that these animals can survive in those tanks; still, as stated by the National Geographic, Orcas, the killer whales, are able to reach a life span of 80 years in the wild. The same happens when the employees
are asked about the injured fin of the whales, which is caused by stress, age or altercations with other whales in nature, but in captivity it is related to swimming in the same direction in a relatively small pool, including the previous factors. SeaWorld’s explanation about the majority of fin injuries contrasts to research in 1998 of killer whales in New Zeland which showed the rate of 23% collapsed fins. Due to their sizes and different kinds of groups, killer whales must not be sentenced to live in pools mixed or treated like little pets without considering their discrete cultures. The whales are kept in diminutive pools instead of the whole ocean that they had before. This could be compared to a person who spends his entire life in one single room. Also, it is a fact that there are several families of Orcas with their own rules and distinct cultures, so they should not be put together; otherwise, frightening fights will occur between the animals, and in contrast to the sea, there is no place for to the hurt ones to escape. An extensive list of killer whale attacks in parks is presented nowadays, and these attacks have happened to trainers because no one can predict the whales’ behaviour in captive conditions. At SeaWorld Parks alone, more than 20 incidents between Orcas and employees have been registered by orcahome.de, a concerned website that wants to spread this shocking information. Furthermore, SeaWorld keeps featuring the unique whale Tilikum that has killed the total of 3 people. In 2010, the last death was the most astonishing when it involved a veteran animal trainer, Dawn Brancheau, 40, who suddenly was grabbed and dragged into the water while still performing and while the crowd screamed in terror. In conclusion, SeaWorld’s inaccurate knowledge about Orcas, the way whales are treated and their unpredictable behaviour threaten the trainers’ lives and whales’ welfare. As SeaWorld still generates money from this hazardous situation, visitors will cooperate with this unless mercy, anguish or concern become more important than personal pleasure.
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Culturally Speaking By
Christina Vincent of Canada, Faisal Alhabashi of Saudi Arabia & Surur Ahmed of Libya Academic English Level 60
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owadays, more and more students travel to Canada to learn English and pursue their education. Canada is one of the most desirable destinations for international students not only for the quality of education but also for its beautiful landscape and nature. Despite this trip being the experience of a lifetime, students may face challenges because they are not completely familiar with Canada’s culture, but it is possible to overcome these challenges. Some international students have difficulty integrating in the Canadian culture because of their inability to communicate in English. This problem can lead to their being afraid to meet new people. Engaging in activities and having a social life is more difficult when there is a language barrier. Students need to remember that Toronto is a very multicultural city, and people speak with many different accents. Therefore, do not be shy. Talk to people and keep improving your English. It is a safe place to practice your English, and Torontonians will be more than happy to help you. Traditions and customs differ in every culture. Students, of course, want to feel comfortable and accepted. Such acceptance may, at first, seem difficult in Toronto due to its diversity. However, Torontonians are very open-minded, and all the
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different neighbourhoods such as little Italy, Korea town, Chinatown Greektown appreciate each other. People who come from different cultures understand that they need to respect each other so that they can avoid being misunderstood. Do some research about each community’s traditions. Learn from others and learn about others; celebrate the differences. Finally, cultural ignorance may create prejudices. Be open-minded and observe how others behave in order to enjoy your new environment, and be an ambassador for your country. Canadians also want to learn about your culture and your traditions. It is essential to always continue to raise awareness and appreciate each other. Throughout history, people have shared cultures, traditions and customs. When Canadians host international students, they have an opportunity to learn about us, and at the same time, we have a chance to learn about Canadian culture.
issue 87, September 2014
English Accuracy and Fluency By
Bakr Milibary of Saudi Arabia, Kassandra Castillo, of Venezuela & Iho Ishii ofJapan Academic English Level 60
C
ommunicating both accurately and comfortably is one of the biggest challenges that we international students have to confront when coming to Toronto, where our language is not spoken. Coming to Toronto with high hopes of improving English and exploiting every opportunity, we must face the challenge of being unable to express ideas the way that we want to when we talk with others. In order to communicate well, we need both accuracy and fluency. The challenge is similar to climbing a high rocky mountain; it can be done, but it takes a long time and great effort. English accuracy requires an appropriate vocabulary range, proper pronunciation and correct grammar. When we don’t have these skills polished, we sometimes feel inhibited. When we first come to Toronto, for example, we usually go to a bank to open an account or go to a phone company to get a cellphone number. These situations are very challenging for us. Speaking with an unclear accent may create apprehension, which results in hesitation. Floundering for the correct grammar, the accurate vocabulary or trying to choose between the many verb tenses can lead to stress and negative feelings for us, and this, in turn, affects our fluency. When we keep thinking about how to say every word properly and how it is going to sound to others, we become shy and discontinue our improvement in terms of effective communication. Being accurate is important, but having the ability to relax and communicate comfortably is also essential. Both accuracy and fluency are important. Tips for improving accuracy: 1. Knowing vocabulary is one thing, but knowing correct collocations (how native speakers combine words) is a bigger thorn for us because there are no specific rules for learning them. We have to memorize them. Doing lots of reading and interacting outside of class, and watching tv are good strategies for mastering collocations. 2. Our language background plays a role in our English. Our first language can help us with English, but there are times when we need to be careful. For example, Spanish speakers often forget to put the subject in clauses in English because the rules in Spanish are a little different. 3. Asking for help is another way to improve your
accuracy in English. We can ask our teachers or native friends or even strangers when we have trouble or want to know the best way to say something. Don’t overuse your dictionary; ask some questions. Tips for improving fluency: 1. Establishing friendships with native speakers and international students can help us practice and let go of our inhibitions. By socializing, we can practice more and consequently become better in English. 2. We shouldn’t only rely on the ELP classes because these classes are 4 hours/day and we are in Canada to improve English 24/7; we should work hard to improve our English communication inside and outside the classroom. 3. There are many clubs that we can join depending on what our hobbies are. These clubs give us the opportunity to meet and interact with new people. Last but not least, the most important thing to remember is that fluency and accuracy work together. Learning a new language is a process of trial and error. We cannot be afraid of making mistakes. Without practice and without the learning that comes from making mistakes, we will never achieve accuracy. The only limitations in life are usually in our minds; to master English, we have to trust ourselves and give it a shot!!! 37
world of words
Winter Is Just Around the Corner By
Isabela Bezerra of Brazil, Khalid Alibrahim of Saudi Arabia & Raphael Britto of Brazil Academic English Level 60
I
n the winter of 2013, Torontonians experienced one of its worst winters. Approximately 228,000 were without power because of an ice storm. Winter in Canada is a big challenge, and it’s an even bigger challenge for international students. Many of us are not prepared to face the changes that winter brings. However, there are some ways, well known by native Torontonians, that we can prepare for this tough season. In the winter, some students make the mistake of spending their time waiting anxiously for the spring. They often feel stuck indoors due to the cold weather. As a result of both less direct sunlight and spending less time outside, students can suffer from vitamin D deficiency, which can lead to depression. Moreover, when students lock themselves up inside the home, they miss activities and, as a result, they feel bored. Staying alone at home, they also miss the opportunity to be with friends and to make new friends. Students without friends tend to become homesick. Not surprising, international students can sometimes become depressed in winter. This doesn’t have to be you! In order to avoid these problems that winter may bring, you should, first of all, prepare psychologically so that you can enjoy winter’s good side. Make a decision to love winter. If you come 38
from a country without this season, winter is a once-ina-lifetime opportunity. Don’t let it slip by. In order to get outside and embrace winter, you’ll need to purchase appropriate clothes. It is preferable to learn from someone who already has winter experience. These locals can explain to you why it can be worth it to spend $30 on a pair of socks. Yes, it sounds expensive, but is a good investment. These proper winter socks will help keep your feet dry after, for example, a snowboarding day. Exactly! Snowboarding day! It’s essential to stay active in winter. Winter offers many outdoor activities such as ice skating, curling, ice fishing, tobogganing, tubing, snowshoeing and, of course, those well-known activities, snowboarding and skiing. Check the school bulletin boards and see what to sign up for. Don’t be intimidated by the expert skiiers. Many ELP students come from warm countries, so there will be lots of skiiers on the beginner hill, and you will have lots of company. However, if you absolutely do not enjoy snow and outdoor activities, do not stay indoors for 6 months. Go see a movie, go watch a hockey game or drink a hot chocolate in a cozy restaurant while having a good conversation with friends. Yes, by the time winter comes, it is important to have some friends to share those winter activities. A good piece of advice is to make a lot of friends in summer so that you can have many hugs and share a delicious hot bowl of soup when the cold season comes. Your health also needs attention. Vitamin supplements can be very helpful. To combat the lack of sunshine, it is a good idea to take a vitamin D supplement, very affordable and common in pharmacies nowadays. Winter, this very beautiful and enjoyable season, is inevitable in Canada, so instead of complaining about it, we should learn how to live and enjoy it!
issue 87, September 2014
Tackle Your Loneliness By
Siyi Xie of China, Andrea Salguero of Colombia, Ahmad Hajar of Saudi Arabia & Luca Marangon of Italy Academic English Level 60
Best restaurants in Toronto?
Where do I find...
Will you be my friend?
F
ood, water, sleep and safety are human needs that are arranged in a hierarchy. If you meet these basic needs such as food and sleep, you can look for the others such as relationships. If you are one of the many international students that come to Toronto every year, and you already have food and a comfortable bed but you feel lonely, this article is for you. Coming to Toronto to learn English may be the first time that you are alone. For some students, this ‘alone’ can turn into ‘loneliness’. In the first few days, before ELP course starts, you have to navigate your new life in Toronto with your nonnative English skills. You don’t know anybody and you have to discover everything. It is only you. Who is your best friend and support in these first few days? For most ELP students, Google is probably the first option. Your first and your only friend to “speak” or communicate with in Toronto is this famous search engine. You share restaurants and stores with him/her. You even have a cup of coffee or tea at Starbucks or Tim Horton’s with your new best friend. However, hanging out with Google keeps you away from interacting with real people and having fun with them, and this lack of interaction with real people can cause you to struggle with stress and feel vulnerable and isolated. There are, however, some effective options to overcome your loneliness. From our experience, being less shy and more talkative with other people is the way to have new friends. Sign up for as many events and
activities as you can at the ELP. On every trip, you are guaranteed to meet a few new friendly faces. Invite your classmates to explore the City of Toronto with you. Museums like ROM or The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) have days and times when they are free or offer a considerable discount. Check out the many outdoor events such as The Toronto Jazz Festival or the second biggest Gay Pride of all over the world. All the different cultural communities (Greek, Italian, Caribbean, for example) have their own festivals. When you share activities with people, you build friendships. Winter also provides many opportunities to overcome your loneliness. Sign up to attend an NHL or an NBA game with a group of students from the school. If these ideas are not enough, you can also look for groups or clubs that meet your interests. As an ELP student, you can join the Volunteer Club, which gives you the opportunity to donate your time to charitable organizations in Toronto. These volunteer activities offer you a lot of time to share with international students like you, and you also have the opportunity to improve your English with native speakers. Loneliness can be a problem, but it does not have to be if you know how to tackle it. You just have to look around and you’ll find that you are surrounded by many people. Like you, these people are also hoping to interact and make new friends. ELP is not only a place to learn English; it is also an open door to opportunities and friendships. 39
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Photograph by Sarah Alattas
Summer in
40 Photograph by Su Shang & Aika Mamiya
issue 87, September 2014
the City Photograph by Faisal Alhabashi
41 Photograph by Elis Batistella
world of words
Barbecue!
By Andrea Sriskandarajah, ELP Cultural Assistant
Studying Women & Gender Studies and Equity Studies, University of Toronto
W
hat better way to get a spectacular view of Toronto than from the Toronto Islands? With a short ferry ride from downtown Toronto but still in proximity to the city, the Toronto Islands (a small chain of Islands located on Lake Ontario) serve as a serene haven from the hustle and bustle of downtown Toronto. Over the course of the hot summer months, ELP students made their way several times to the Toronto Islands for a fun day of summer activities, swimming and of course, lots and lots of barbecuing. ELP’s “Toronto Island BBQ” days usually consisted of making our way to the Islands from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and once on the island, setting up the charcoal grill to get all the vegetables and meat to get grilling. Barbecue has the ability to transform vegetables and meats from the mundane to the eminent. The smoke emitted when the charcoal is burned provides a rich, smoky flavour to the food being barbecued – a fantastic flavour that is otherwise difficult to attain on a conventional stovetop pan. Different from say Korean BBQ, “backyard barbecuing” or grilling has always been a favourite North American pastime, especially in the summertime. In recent years, however, people have begun to barbecue practically anywhere and everywhere from barbecuing in the woods, to rooftops, and even on a boat. So it is without surprise that barbecuing is one of the more popular summer activities to do on the Toronto Islands - especially because it comes with a spectacular view of downtown Toronto on one side and Lake Ontario on the other (there were plenty of pictures taken on the island to capture the beautiful scenic views). ELP students enjoyed a wide variety of barbecued food items from marinated chicken breasts to juicy beef burgers, pork chops and chicken souvlakis, and grilled vegetables and fruits (who recalls the grilled onions and pineapples that disappeared in ten seconds?). When we were not devouring on delicious barbecue, ELP students played volleyball, soccer, American football, and even had ELP Cultural Assistants teach them their favourite childhood games such as “Huckle Buckle.” Of course, there were always plenty of barbecued items left to enjoy after a swim in the lake!
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issue 87, September 2014
Top 5 Summer Highlights By Mustafa Ersin Sarier, ELP Cultural Assistant
Master’s of Applied Science Candidate, Civil Engineering, University of Toronto
Here are my favourite events organized by the ELP from this summer. 1. Toronto Island BBQ It is one of the most fun events. It is also good to engage and enjoy with friends. Furthermore, there is really delicious food of course for a really good price. In this event, we usually play volleyball, football, soccer etc. After finishing BBQ, we usually go to the beach and continue with swimming, beach volleyball, eating watermelon and some extra food in the beach. 2. Canada’s Wonderland This event is really fun with friends. Especially the huge roller coasters: The Leviathan and Behemoth. I also really like to go the Water Park in Canada’s Wonderland. There are so many exciting water slides and tide pool. It is interesting that you can do so many outdoor summer activities even though everybody thinks Canada is too cold. 3. ELP Beavers Softball Team It is really nice and competitive to play softball game with your fellow students as a team against the teams from other University of Toronto departments. Unfortunately, this event is just in summer not available in winter.
5. Outdoor Sports Playing tennis, softball, basketball, soccer, and beach volleyball, for example can not only be fun. you also have opportunity to meet more people from ELP and speak English. The best part is most of these sports club events are free and no need to buy tickets or sign up. There are so many fun summer events in Toronto. We have so many different events such as Taste of Toronto, CN Tower, Niagara Falls trip, spring camping, Woodbine Beach Day, etc. Enjoy your time in Toronto while learning English.
Photographs by Mustafa Sarier
4. Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Blue Jays’s games are so much fun! These games are great to watch with ELP especially the students from Japan because there are Japanese players on the Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Cheering for your team and Japanese players with friends is so much fun in nice warm weather.
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world of words
Kwansei Gakuin University By : Erik Dean ELP Cultural Assistant & VEP Organizer Studying Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto
A group of students from Kwansei Gakuin University, enrolled in English Plus this past August and spoke about the things they loved most about Toronto. One student even wrote a romantic poem about his feelings for Toronto, personifying the city as a woman he fell in love with. Here are their responses: 44
Kazuya’s Heart By: Kazuya Kamoto When I saw you first time My heart was beating very hard And every night I thought I couldn’t sleep In my dreams, you are sunshine There is no lady more beautiful Than you But I have a girlfriend in Japan It’s time to decide my partner I can’t love Japanese girl Because I have found sunshine If there is no sunshine I can’t live I need her She needs me So she is my partner of life And my partner forever Forever love —Kazuya Kamoto
issue 87, September 2014
“I love Erik and Sana.” —Yuki Minami
“Japan is a monoculture, but Toronto is multicultural! Toronto has Canadians, French, English, Europeans, Africans, and Asians. There are many people and they live together, it’s so wonderful.” —Masaya Nishide
“I like… for example, CN tower, wait a minute… Cherry Beach! That’s especially number one, the view was so nice. If I went there with a girlfriend, we would become very close.” —Takuma Ohishi
“I love Toronto, because… I don’t have to do work here!” —Minori Hoshika “I like Toronto zoo because they had white tigers. I love Toronto people, they are very kind.” —Kenji Furuhashi
“I love Toronto’s landscape. The houses are cute, and so green even in the city” —Akiho Kita
“I loved Toronto’s temperature. It was more cool than japan and not humid.” —Yui Inamori
“I LOVE TORONTO. My fav place is CN tower. The view was amazing at night.” —Ren “Superstar” Toyama
“Canadians are very kind, if I get lost, they teach me the way to the subway station. They’re very friendly, they talk to me openly.” —Ayaka Kishimoto
“Toronto was the first foreign country I visited, and the best one.” —Chihiro Fukumoto
“Roger’s centre was great. I like baseball so I watched 4 blue jay games. I’m going again tomorrow!” —Yuya Akai
“I love Niagara falls, shopping, and woodbine beach. I was excited to watch blue Jays baseball games.” —Yuki Sugihara
“I love Toronto because there are many kinds of people, and many kind people, especially for English learners.” —Akika Murakami
“Niagara Falls was very beautiful” —Kaori Fukui
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world of words
Nagoya University of Foreign Studies By Sana Ali, Activities Assistant
Graduate of International Relations and Political Science, University of Toronto
What an action packed month at ELP! Let’s have a look at some of the great times Nagoya students had this August! At Canada’s Wonderland Catching some air on the Leviathan and enjoying a Canadian-style indulgence: Funnel Cake What is Funnel Cake? Funnel cake is a popular North American amusement park snack that consists of dough dispensed from a funnel into hot oil and deep fried. It is then covered in a generous powdering of icing sugar and other sweet toppings! Talk about a treat!
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issue 87, September 2014
Blue Jays vs Red Sox Cheering for Blue Jays or cheering for Red Sox? Doesn’t matter, NUFS cheers only for Kawasaki and Uehara!
At Harbourfront Canoe Row row row your boat! Working those arms and catching unbeatable views of the Toronto skyline! Let’s not forget Toronto’s buzzing wild life scene- squirrels, turtles, pigeons, sea gulls, swans, ducks and geese!
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world of words
Healthy Recipe
By Asumi Matsumoto, ELP Cultural Assistant Studying Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto
A
s students, our agenda is always packed with an endless to-do list. We tend to reach out for those bags of chips and chocolate bars to temporarily satisfy our cravings and keep us company during study time. We all know deep down those are poor choices of snacks, but usually for students, taste comes before health. Studying Nutritional Sciences, however, has allowed me to realize that healthy food does not necessarily mean dissatisfying food. There are ways to satisfy both your cravings and your nutritional requirements that will help you become a better and healthy student in the long run. This black bean brownie is a perfect example of a healthy, delicious snack. This recipe was created when I was having a study break, being creative in the kitchen. It is quick, easy, and fun to make! Description: A flour-less, black bean brownie is the perfect treat to satisfy your sweet tooth and meet your nutritional requirements. Black bean is a very good source of dietary fiber and folate. Dietary fibre is required for bowel regularity; folate supports red blood cell production, which helps prevent anemia and fatigue. It’s quick, easy, and fun to make! Happy Baking Recipe: Ingredients: (Makes around 10 servings) - 1 3/4 cups of canned black beans - 2 1/4 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder - 1/4 teaspoon of salt - 1/2 cup of quick oats - 1/2 cup of maple syrup - 1/4 cup of vegetable oil - 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Instructions: 1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. 2) Rinse and drain the canned black beans. 3) Use a food processor to blend all the ingredients. Blend until it is perfectly smooth. 4) Pour the mixed ingredient into a greased baking pan. 5) Bake the brownie in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. 6) Let the brownie cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
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Black Bean Brownies
issue 87, September 2014
The Universal Language of Sport By Christopher Penaranda, ELP Cultural Assistant
Photograph by Mustafa Ersin Sarier
Studying Psychology, University of Toronto
I
’d once heard that sports have no language, that they transcend into what is our most primal nature. They humble us and remind us of our mere humanity. This is my account, a testament to universal nature of sport. So there we were, about 30 ELP students, Graham and I. In our quest to find a soccer field we had ended up at Christie Pits Park. Summer’s grassy perfume impregnated the air. The sun was glowing and peering onto us like a nosey neighbor. The silence was immediately broken by a smorgasbord of accents and languages. The cacophony was just a reminder of the cubicle battlefield that we had seemingly escaped as we sheltered ourselves in our little urban oasis. The usual cliques had formed and status quo was the norm. Finally Graham had lined the students up as we began to split them into teams. The noisy screaming and talking was drowned, replaced by a mixture of reservation and shyness. The awkward
body scan that a father gives his daughter’s prom date was no different to the gazes our students gave each other. Graham and I finally arranged the teams in place on the soccer field, we had made two teams. I carried the ball to the middle of the pitch and dropped it. One of the students eagerly kicked the ball and the awkward silence. Suddenly the silence blossomed into noise and laughter. The awkward gazes were transformed into mindless childish chuckles. At that moment, the students had lost their identities, it didn’t matter where they were from or what they language they spoke. They had all become human, simply teammates. Friendships that were ten minutes old became friendships of years. The compliments that were dished would be the envy The North American convention of life coaches. As we all chased the same scurry ball I realized we were not all just chasing the ball we were all chasing life there in our little urban oasis.
Sports Club
Join us throughout the month for Sports Club. Events are free 49
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Conversation Café Field Trips! By Graham Shular , ELP Cultural Assistant
Master’s of Teaching Candidate, OISE, University of Toronto
E
xtra, extra! Hear all about it! This just in: Conversation Café enjoys the beautiful summer weather by taking the workshop out of the classroom! Every Tuesday of this past August, students embarked on a short field trip around the city. The objectives of getting outside of the classroom were twofold. Firstly, it gave students an opportunity to see parts of Toronto that they might not have seen before. Secondly, the experiences were always planned and structured to give students a lot of opportunities to practice speaking English to each other. While the typical Conversation Café included structured lessons and ample opportunities for students to practice speaking English with one another, the field trips did this and so much more, by bringing the conversation to the great outdoors. There were many exciting opportunities for the students who chose to take part in Conversation Café. One of our first field trips was to Queen’s Park, which is where the Ontario Legislature is located. The park is beautiful, with many mature oak, maple and cedar trees. It was the perfect location for our first outing. We introduced our students to a typical Canadian day in the park. We competed in potato sack races, egg and spoon obstacle courses and we even practiced singing O Canada (which is the Canadian national anthem). The team who scored the most points completing these activities won really awesome ELP swag (ELP sunglasses, ELP hats, and the coveted ELP water bottles). The weather was perfect for our
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very first café field trip, and the students enjoyed getting outside and cheering on their friends and colleagues. The Queen’s Park festival may have been mostly fun and games, but our second field trip was designed more for the students who learn best by being introspective, and thinking about their surroundings. The second field trip started with an art lesson run by our very own Cultural Assistants. This lesson included watching videos from wellknown children’s art-shows such as Art Attack! One of our Cultural Assistants then led the group through a sketching lesson. Because it was such a beautiful day, we headed out to the Front Campus of the University of Toronto to practice sketching the beautiful University of Toronto buildings and skyline of the city of Toronto. We laid out on the grass and sketched the buildings from different
issue 87, September 2014
angles. The conversation was very relaxed! We finished off this experience by discussing our final sketches in small groups. The students explained their sketches using terms such as angle, line, shading, and perspective. What I remember most about this field trip was how talented our students are! For our third and final field trip, we decided to visit one of Toronto’s best historic sites: the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). The ROM is a spectacular museum with exhibits ranging from Canadian history, to pre-historic mammals, from ancient cultures to dinosaurs; it has it all! The Cultural Assistants designed a fantastic Scavenger Hunt of the ROM for the students to complete in small groups. These are some of the questions from the Scavenger Hunt: -What fabric did Ancient Egyptians use to make their clothes? -What period did the stegosaurus live in? -What is the defining characteristic of the glyptodont? -What kind of boat did the First Nations people typically use? -What are moccasins? Think you know the answers? You’ll have to visit the ROM with us next time to see if you are correct! The students certainly had fun exploring the museum. They learned a lot about Canadian and world history, but were also able to practice their English together. The extra field trip days were a welcome addition to our busy summer schedule.
C
They provided English PLUS students with an opportunity to practice their English and communication skills in and around the city of Toronto. Many students (and Cultural Assistants) eagerly looked forward to these outings. It taught me, personally, that good language instruction does not always have to occur in the classroom. Many people found the experience to be in an outdoor classroom very valuable. We at ELP are looking forward to next summer, when we can reignite the excitement of field trip days once again. Thanks to everyone who took part!
Conversation Café is a weekly workshop for students enrolled in English PLUS that is designed to teach conversational skills in casual and relaxed settings. Cafes are organized by Cultural Assistants at ELP, who choose fun and engaging activities to get students involved in conversation. Common lessons can include fun icebreakers, games and drama activities. All the while, the Cultural Assistants help students to learn new words and common Canadian phrases.
onversation
Café
Join us Thursday afternoons from 2:00-4:00 PM for an opportunity to practice your English speaking skills!
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world of words
Stand By Me Behind the Scenes of ELP’s Music Club By Aakanksha John, ELP Cultural Assistant
Studying Diaspora and Transnational Studies and Criminology, University of Toronto
M
usic Club at ELP is a truly magical experience for anyone that enjoys music and the sense of community it brings. So here’s what goes on behind the scenes, for all those curious ears poking through the doors trying to have a listen! An average Music Club session goes like this: CAs fill a room with all of ELP’s guitars, amps, a xylophone, tambourines, and a keyboard. Students sometimes even bring their own instruments: violins, electric guitars, bass etc. The next few minutes are spent tuning instruments, bartering for amps and guitar picks and bringing up sheet music or lyrics for the night’s melodies. Soon, from each corner, the room starts to fill with music. Different genres collide, as a Japanese student effortlessly glides Chopin with a twist off her fingers. Others laugh and joke with each other’s attempts to keep up with each other’s simultaneous guitar solos, all while a song for inspiration blares through the speakers in the background. Students and CAs also work together to perform songs. Sometimes an impromptu band is formed on the spot, bringing all these talented people together. Everybody just picks it up as they go along, and that’s what works best.
Wind of Change and even a Beatles song! None of us really knew each other before, we all had different levels of knowledge in music, we were from different parts of the world with unique music cultures but we made it work! It sounded as if we had been playing for years together and it was truly such a fun, humbling and electric experience. If you have never played an instrument before, but you want to; if you have a song in your heart, and want to do more than just sing in the shower, come join us! Everyone is welcome. But I will say this, prepare to participate with your whole heart and don’t be afraid to go for it. Music Club is a fun space where you can feel free, meet new people and do something you love! (And of course, we practice our English too!) Music Club at ELP is a truly magical experience for anyone that enjoys music and the sense of community it brings. So here’s what goes on behind the scenes, for all those curious ears poking through the doors trying to have a listen!
During my first time at Music Club, I told the group that all I could do was sing. I was instrumentally challenged, as I put it. So one thing led to another, and to include me, we started working together on songs like a band! The energy was so inclusive and amazing. Everyone just came together with different instruments, rhythms and voices and we sounded like a proper band. We played and practised songs like Stand by Me, The
Music Club
Join us every Wednesday at 5:15PM for Music Club. 52
issue 87, September 2014
Darren’s Music Corner Complex Chords By Darren Rigo, Activities Assistant
Graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design
I
n the very first Music Corner I talked about chords. Chords are used in almost all music and simply mean a group of notes that sound good (or at least interesting) together. I talked about playing the most common chords on guitar, which are called “major chords”, they are written with plain letter values (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) and consist of the first, third and fifth note of the corresponding major scale. For instance a C major scale goes C D E F G A B C, if you play notes 1 (aka the keynote), 3 and 5 (C, E and G) you get a C major chord. The second most common chord is the minor. To this chord is similar to the major but you have to drop note 3 half a step flatter (one fret lower on guitar or one key lower on piano). So a C minor would be C, Eb and G. Are you confused yet? Thankfully, to play most songs you only need these two types of chords. However, as you expand you musical repertoire you will inevitably encounter many other unusual chords, which I will try and explain here. Using this knowledge you can figure out how to play these chords on you own, but it still might be easier to use Google or one of the many free apps available to look them up. Type of Chord
Notes Used
Example
Example Notes
Explanation
Major
1, 3, 5
C
C, E, G
Sounds happy. Most common chord.
Minor
1, 3 flat, 5
Cm or Cmin
C, Eb, G
Sounds sad.
Inverted or slash
1, 3, 5, ?
C/G
G, C, E
The bass note (lowest note played) is different from the key note.
Suspension
1, 2, 5 or 1, 4, 5
Csus2 or Csus4
C, D, G or C, F, G
Usually used with major chords as transitions or to add fancy style.
Seventh
1, 3, 5, 7 flat
C7
C, E, G, Bb
A plain major chord but with the addition of a minor 7th note.
Major Seventh
1, 3, 5, 7
Cmaj7
C, E, G, B
Same as above but just the usual 7th note.
Minor Seventh
1, 3 flat, 5, 7 flat
Cm7 or Cmin7
C, Eb, G, Bb
A Cmin with a flat 7th.
Ninth
1, 3, 5, 7 flat, 9
C9
C, E, G, Bb, D
Ok now were are getting in really confusing territory. The 9th note is the same as the 2nd note (just higher)
Minor Ninth
1, 3 flat, 5, 7 flat, 9
Cm9 or Cmin9
C, Em, G, Bb, D
A regular minor but add the flat 7th note and 9th.
Add
1, 3, 5, ?
Cadd9
C, E, G, D
Simply lay a major chord and add the extra note for the corresponding number.
Augmented
1, 3, 5 sharp
Caug
C, E, G#
Sounds jazzy and weird.
Diminished
1, 3 flat, 5 flat
Cdim
C, Eb, Gb
If you are not confused yet then I am truly an amazing writer. Learning obscure chords takes a bit of practice but the good news is many are actually easy to memorize the fingering for on guitar. Of course there are many more kinds of chords then what we listed here, things can get pretty crazy if you get into playing jazz especially. For “sixth chords”, follow the same rules as seventh chords but using the 6th note of the scale. “Eleventh chords” add the 11th note to the ninth chord for a total of 6 different notes. For a “minor/major seventh sus 2 add9 sharp 11th add13/G” you are on your own!
53
world of words
Ask Rosa
Kind advice for student life
By Rosa Leo, ELP Program Administrator
Dear Rosa How does tipping work in Toronto? How much should I tip? —Cheap Chap Dear Cheap Chap, It’s been said that the word TIP (also known as ‘gratuity’) stands for: To Insure Promptness. Originally, a tip was given ahead of the meal to ensure quick service. Now a days, a tip is given at the end of the meal. In Canadian restaurants, it’s customary to tip between 15%-20% of the total amount before tax and alcohol charges (tip is based on food only). Restaurant debit machines now have three suggested tipping amounts: 15%, 18% and 20% (if you feel that the service and food are outstanding). Note: For parties of 8 or more, many restaurants charge an automatic 15%. Other tipping customs include: —Cabs: 10%-20% —Bellhop: $2-$5 per bag or luggage —Hotel room attendant: $2-$5 —Parking valet: $5-10$ —Massage/Esthetics: 15%-%20 —Retail Stores/Counter Service (tip jar): It is not customary to tip. It is entirely your choice. —Hair salons: ($2-$5 for the person who washes your hair and 15%-20% to the person who cuts your hair). If the person cutting your hair is the owner of the salon, it is not necessary to tip. Dear Rosa, Why do Canadians say ‘bless you’ after a sneeze? —Missed Manners Dear Missed Manners, Wishing sneezers good health is a practice that is familiar all over the world. Germans say ‘Gesundheit’ (health), Italians say ‘Salute’ (health)’, Arabics say, ‘Yarhamuk Allah’ (may Allah have mercy on you), Chinese say ‘Bai Sui’ (may you live 100 years). Behind the blessing lies an ancient superstition; that a sneeze would cause a person’s soul or spirit to leave the body through the nose 54
and become free for the devil to possess. It was thought that the words ‘Bless You’ would stop that from occurring. Today, it has become a gesture of common courtesy. Why are Canadians so touchy/feely? —Too Close for Comfort Dear Too Close for Comfort, There are many cultures, such as Mediterraneans or Latin Americans, who are touchy-feely and express themselves through words as well as actions. Some cultures are more touchfriendly and demonstrative when it comes to displaying their emotions, while other cultures are more reserved. In some cultures, hospitality, friendliness or respect is expressed through touch. For example: a hand shake when meeting someone, cheek-to-cheek kisses when welcoming someone into your home, a hug to express thanks for a gift, a hand on the shoulder to express empathy or an apology. Touch sends a message of inclusiveness and closeness. However, if you don’t come from a high-contact culture, the afore-mentioned may be a touch too much for you. If that’s the case, it’s completely okay to tell someone that you’re not comfortable being so close or having your personal space invaded. If you don’t wish to come across rude or unfriendly, you can always say what I say: ‘Let’s leave a little room for the Holy Spirit, shall we?’ It’s friendly and gets the point across.
Rosa Leo has been serving the students of the English Language Program for over 10 years. Visit Rosa in the office for student services or registration information.
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.”
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM 252 Bloor St. West, Suite 4-106 Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1V6 t: 416.978.5104 f: 416.971.2839 e: learn.english@utoronto.ca w: learn.english.utoronto.ca SCHOOL OF CONTINUING STUDIES 158 St. George St. Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2V8 t: 416.978.2400 f: 416.978.6666 e: learn@utoronto.ca w: learn.utoronto.ca