Education (continued)

Hello, class!


This week we are continuing with the education system. If you want a large variety of activities to choose from, go to Janis's ESL page - links for education.

If you want to practice SPELLING the report card adjectives, click HERE.

HERE you can find a good listening lesson for level 3 or higher.

If you have children, you will want to watch this video about parent-teacher interviews.

Jouzeef, you could use:

• this talking picture dictionary
• and this talking picture dictionary
• this video
• and then take this quiz

Too, Enough and Very

Hello, class!

This week we are going to study TOO, VERY and ENOUGH.

Please read this overview of the rules for using TOO, VERY and ENOUGH.

You can also watch Jennifer teach a lesson about TOO and ENOUGH.

Next try this quiz to test your understanding.

We will also begin this week learning to use Microsoft Word. If you want, you can open Word and experiment with the menus. Call me over. I can help you!

Jouzeef, here is a game for you to try. It's called Phoneme Pop.

Have fun!

Kelly

Hallowe'en

Hello, students!

Here is a lesson about Halloween. What do you know about Halloween?

Do you have children?

Did you take your children trick or treating this year? Did you carve a pumpkin?

Click HERE if you would like to practice spelling some Halloween words.

If you finish, please go back to our last lesson on the Canadian school system. You may also use Ellis or any other English learning site.

Kelly

Education in Ontario

Hello, class!

This week we will be learning about schools and education.

Watch this video about helping your child get organized for school.

Here you can listen to some phone conversations between a teacher and a parent.

Click here to hear conversations about meeting your child's teacher at school.

These conversations are called "Waking Up for School."

You can click HERE to visit Dougall School's website. Look around!

This video is about reading with your child. It's longer and a bit more difficult.

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Jouzeef, please watch this video. Then practice typing words here.

When you finish, please use Starfall and Basic Sight Words List One.
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Have fun!

The Library

Hello!

Later this week I hope we can walk together to the library. On Thursday we learned about the sections of the library and how the Dewey Decimal System works. We also learned how to look up a book in the online catalog.

We learned that we can search by keyword, title, author and by subject.

Today we are going to practice using Windsor Public Library's online catalogue. I will give each of you a worksheet with the name of an item to find.

Here are the next steps in case you don't remember:

1. Go to the Google search screen and enter "Windsor Public Library."
2. Click "Search Library Catalogue."
3. Click the BIBLIO Commons logo.
4. Use the drop-down list to choose keyword, title, author or subject.
5. Type the word or words from your worksheet and click SEARCH.
6. Answer the questions on your worksheet.

When you are done, please visit Settlement.org - Your Library to read about libraries and watch a video.

If you want to practice spelling the library vocabulary words, click HERE. For a harder list, click HERE.

Have fun!

Kelly

Canadian Thanksgiving

Hello, Seniors Class!

Soon it will be Thanksgiving in Canada.

Click HERE to read about this holiday.

Click HERE to practice spelling some Thanksgiving vocabulary words.

Click HERE to do a Thanksgiving word search puzzle!

You can also use Ellis software or any English website.

Samir or Hana, please ask Jouzeef to click here to practice typing personal information.

Cheers!

Kelly

Computer Lab - October 3

Hello, Cas' class!

If you would like to practice listening skills and hear dialogues for everyday activities, please go to 5-minute English and click LISTENING.

You may also want to watch some videos on YouTube on EnglishHelper's channel. These skits cover a number of topics from daily life.

Those with very high reading skills may wish to try this 100-question health survey. You do NOT have to give your name or email address to do the survey. You only need to give that information if you want to enter a contest.

Why not use Google to research Canadian Thanksgiving? You may end up discussing it in class this week. Click HERE to watch a video about how to cook a turkey, followed by a quiz to check your understanding.

You may also use Ellis software or any other link as long as it's in English.

You may check email or Facebook during the break.

Kelly

Are We Going to Greenview?

Hello, Seniors' Class!

The first thing I would like you to try is a self-assessment for listening. You can find it HERE. Call me over and I will help you get started!

Our field trip was cancelled due to rain. Now the trip is planned for this Friday, but not if it is still wet and muddy there. You can go watch a video about Greenview Aviaries Park and Zoo.

On this website, you can learn the names of many animals, the word for the babies, etc.

You can use this YouTube video to learn some wild animal names.

There are more wild animal names on this video.

This video teaches the names of farm animals using full sentences.

Here is a quiz on some common animal names. How many can you get right?

If you want to practice spelling the names of some zoo animals, click HERE.

Then try this easy animal quiz.

If you do well, try the moderate quiz.

If that's easy, try the difficult quiz. Here you will find the MORE difficult quiz.

Finally, here is the expert level quiz.

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If you would like another listening lesson about telephones, please go HERE.

As always, call me if you need any help. --Kelly

Cas' Class

Hello, Cas' class!

Option 1: Compositions

Today please feel free to work on your compositions using MS Word. As you know, Word can help you spot spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. Please let me know before you print anything.

Here is an article about how to plan and write an essay. There are many more articles on the web about writing compositions and essays. If you want to, you can use Google to search for some.

Option 2: Listening lessons

Listen to a podcast about an emergency room visit here. ESL Pod has lots of listening lessons. The learning guides cost money, but you can listen to the podcasts for free.

The website 5-minute English has lots of listening lessons here.

Of course, you can use Ellis software or any link in my sidebar.

Call me over if you need any help!

Kelly

Review Day

Hello!

Please watch this video about using "will" and "be going to" for future time.

Next, you can take this test to see how much you remember about dialing 911, 211 or 311.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

When you are done, you can go back to any earlier post to review. (Scroll down to see earlier posts.) You can also use Ellis, check email, or use any link on the side bar.

Weather and Severe Weather

Hello, class!

This month we are learning about emergencies and how to be prepared for them.

Please click HERE to go to the Windsor Star's weather report for today.

What's the temperature in Windsor today?

Is it warm or cool? Is it cloudy or clear?

Now visit THIS WEBSITE to get a weather report from your first country.

Compare the weather between these two places. Are they the same or different? How?

You can click HERE to practice spelling weather words.

If you click HERE, you can watch a NASA video of Hurricane Irene from start to finish. Wow!

If you have more time, you can click HERE to watch a video about making a family emergency plan.

Higher level students: try this listening lesson about weather.

Telephone Talk

If you are new to computers and need practice with the mouse, please go to MOUSE MASTER.

This week we will be talking about using the telephone, taking and leaving messages.

Please watch these videos:

Greetings and Answering the Phone

Identifying the Caller and Yourself

Leaving Phone Messages

Taking Phone Messages

Telephone Extension Inquiries

Apologies on the Phone

Holding the Line

Wrong Phone Number

Bad Connection

Inability to Hear on the Phone

Transferring Calls

Eid Mubarak to all my Muslim students!

August Rush (Movie)

Hello, Seniors Class!

This Thursday we will watch the movie August Rush. Please watch a trailer of the movie here.

Use Google Translator or a Learner's Dictionary to find the meanings of these words:

1. prodigy
2. fairy tale
3. orphan
4. orphanage
5. wizard

What do you think the movie is about? We will discuss it in class tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will also finish the Tim Horton's worksheet with relative vowel sounds. If you want, you can practice your vowel sounds HERE.

Click HERE for Scotia Bank's online banking tour.

To see TD Canada Trust's online demo, click HERE then choose "view our demo."

For RBC, click HERE and choose "Take a personal online banking tour."

Hello, Cas' class!

On Thursday we will be watching the movie August Rush.

Please watch a trailer of the movie here.

Use the Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary or the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary to find the meanings and pronunciations of these words:

1. prodigy
2. orphanage
3. charismatic
4. disheartened
5. unwavering
6. beckon
7. makeshift
8. unleash
9. wizard
10. impromptu
11. enigmatic

Watch this music video of "Moondance." Who wrote it? The lyrics are here. Do you like it? Is it romantic?

Now visit the website for the Corpus of Contemporary American English. A corpus is a database of spoken and written language that allows you to search for words, phrases, word combinations, idioms, collocations, etc. to find actual samples of those terms in real contexts.

Enter the site.

Do a search on the word "unbeknownst." Explore the samples of real language where this word was used. Does this help you understand how to use the word?

Computer Lab - August 16

Hello!

Please visit the 211 website and look around.

What is it?

What kind of information can you get here?

Look at this list of food banks. How many are downtown or close to downtown?

Read about the Downtown Mission food bank here.

Click HERE to learn about the new bus fares starting August 15 (yesterday). Here is a news article about it.

You can use Ellis software or any other English learning website.

Have fun!

Kelly

Computer Lab - Tuesday, August 9

Hello, class!

Please click HERE to practice spelling words to do with Transit Windsor.

Click HERE if you would like to see bus maps and schedules.

We are going to the Art Gallery of Windsor (AGW) on Wednesday. Click HERE to learn more about the current exhibits.

You can use Ellis or any English learning website, as well.

Cheers!

Kelly

Computer Lab - Tuesday, August 2

Seniors' class: please explore the website for the City of Windsor's 311 Services.

I will give you a worksheet with questions to answer about this site.

After break, please visit the Transit Windsor web site. Turn your worksheet over and answer the questions about Transit Windsor.

If you finish, you can do this reading and listening lesson about using a bus schedule.

Please bring your worksheets to class on Wednesday.

Cas' class:

You may use any website in the sidebar (on the right). I recommend VOA Special English newscasts for learning English. Another good site is Breaking News English and its easier counterpart, News English Lessons.

After you listen to a news story, there are online quizzes and games, plus worksheets. Call me over if you want to print a worksheet. If it's not too long, I will print it for you.

Another good site for short, interesting broadcasts is National Public Radio's StoryCorps. Each one is a podcast that you can listen to while viewing the text of the story.

Those of you with very high listening skills may wish to try TED.com. Call me over and I can show you how to bring up the transcript or subtitles while you listen.

Ramadan Mubarak to all my Muslim students!

Kelly

Who What (What) Where When Why

Hello, class!

Here are some pictures from last week's lesson about sentence structure, which was a response to a special request from Langza that we study some rules for putting words in the correct order in a sentence.

First we learned the chant: "who what (what) where when why." Next we looked at some sample sentences on the board. Remember: this trick only works for action verbs, not for linking verbs. The second WHAT is in parentheses because sometimes you don't have an object of the verb. Some verbs don't take objects (intransitive).

Then we got into three teams and made our own sentences on strips of chart paper using coloured markers. Langza's team wrote: "We study English in the morning at the YMCA because we want jobs." Hana's team wrote that Hana went to a birthday party at a hotel last night. So their sentence only had one WHAT.









Next we learned how to "explode" different parts of the sentences to add more detail. For example, "Ali" can be exploded to "my good friend Ali." We had a contest to see which team could write the longest sentence without any grammatical mistakes.

This sentence became "All the students in the seniors class are studying English at the downtown YMCA on Victoria Avenue at 9:00 every morning because we want really good jobs."

The winners got first choice from the prize table. Their sentence had over 40 words!

The second place team got to choose their prizes next.

Nobody went home empty handed. Great job, everyone!

July 12 and 19 - Computer Lab Days

Hello, class!

If you want, you can use Ellis Intro or practice using Google Maps.

SPELLING

NEIGHBOURHOOD vocabulary -- easier words are HERE.

NEIGHBOURHOOD vocabulary -- harder words are HERE.

THE CITY vocabulary-- click HERE.

GRAMMAR

Practice the past tense of irregular verbs HERE.

GIVING DIRECTIONS

Here is a video you can watch to learn how to give directions.

Cheers!

Your Neighbourhood

Hello, class!

Today we are learning about the neighbourhoods of Windsor.

First, please do the Google Maps assignment.

Next, please use the following links to learn about upcoming events in downtown Windsor. Please be prepared to report on one of them to the class.

Busker's Festival
Emancipation Celebration
Wednesdays free at the Art Gallery of Windsor

Free Concerts in the Park

Downtown Windsor Farmer's Market

If you need help, just call me.

Enjoy!