The Library

Hello, students!

Even before our needs assessment, we began a module on the public library. On March 5th, we will walk over to the new library building (The Paul Martin Building) for a tour.

Tuesday we practiced filling out the registration form. The form we used is a bit outdated because it only offers two gender choices. These days it is respectful to give more options for those who identify as non-binary, gender fluid, etc.

Some of you want to watch a documentary to help you understand concepts like non-binary while others do not want to use class time for that. So I am linking to some videos here. You can watch them on Friday in the lab.

Also scroll down for some library dialogue practice.

Here is an interview with a young person who was born missing an X chromosome. They identify as non-binary and ask us to use the pronouns THEY / THEM. However, please note that many, many people who identify as non-binary are not physically intersex. A person can be physically intersex (in a variety of ways) and not identify as non-binary, and a person can identify as non-binary without being physically intersex.

If you find the terms confusing, you can go HERE for a list of words and their definitions.

For library dialogues, go HERE.

Tour a library then answer questions (listening lesson).

Our Spring 2020 Needs Assessment

Hello, students!
Please scroll down to last week's blog post for an interesting newscast that might answer a question of yours.

We have completed a new needs assessment to help us plan what to learn this semester. The three themes will be: 1) health, 2) travel and transportation, and 3) Canada.

Under those themes we talked about possible topics, such as:

• preventing dementia
• teeth
• VRBO / Air B&B
• comparing modes of transportation for travel
• buying a ticket (travel)
• geography of Canada

Okay, buckle up! It looks like we are going to become travel experts. It will be fun to tie together travel with Canadian geography. I can't teach it all, so you will have to do your fair share in the way of reports and presentations. I think Peiji's report on Banff has got everyone excited to travel this gorgeous land.

Banff, Alberta

Cheers!

The Black Experience - Past and Present

Hello, students of the seniors' class!

This week we are studying the library while reserving the last school day of each week for reading the life of Josiah Henson.

You asked me to give examples of modern-day racism and discrimination in Canada. This news report on The Black Experience Project should help us understand better.

History of Black Lives in Windsor-Essex Area

I am SO happy that you voted YES to read my abridged story of Josiah Henson, drawn from his autobiography. This week we examined outdated and preferred language for talking about slavery and those who held other people as property.

We thought about the invasion of Iraq. What language is used when the U.S. government describes this event? Liberated. Spread democracy. What language do many Iraqis use? Invaded. Destroyed a civilization.

We must consider whose perspective we are reading. How are attitudes embedded in language?

Here are some links you can use in the lab on Friday or from home.

Redeeming Uncle Tom is a movie we will watch together, but Nahlah asked to have it early.

Go to my website for other ESL teachers and check out the links there under African Canadian History.

For those wanting to practice common daily English phrases, check these links out! Don't forget that you can adjust the speed and turn on closed captioning (CC).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgDhHz_2NDc