Real Canadian English

Where's the Snow?

2012-01-12T22:39:00.002-05:00

www.nataliedee.com

It's the middle of January and the temperatures are above zero. What season is it in Toronto? Winter? Where is the snow? Where are the blizzards? Hmmmm.........

Today it rained all day, yet we usually have snow by now. Most years, the first snowfall is in November but it melts. Sometimes, we have fresh white snow for the Christmas holidays. Usually, the snow starts to cover the ground in December or January. We can have snowstorms into March, and there are even blizzards in April some years. Canadian weather is difficult to predict!

Winter 2009, there was lots of snow. Take a look at January, 2009. Press the two titles below.

Winter in Toronto 2
Winter in Toronto

Music Monday: Christmas Carols

2011-12-12T13:08:00.003-05:00

Jingle Bells............... Can you finish the line? How about this one? Silent night.......... You can sing these Christmas carols this holiday season, or maybe you prefer to listen to recordings of them. Also, it's always a treat to hear choirs singing the Christmas carols.

Here is my favourite, The Christmas Song, by Nat King Cole. He did several versions of this song from the forties, fifties and the early 1960's. Unfortunately he was a smoker and died young, but his song continues on each Christmas.

I'm not the only person who loves this song. In 2004, The Christmas Song was the most popular holiday song with women age 30 to 49.* So, why is it my favourite? My father loved to play this song, and I guess the next generation can't help but enjoy this gifted singer's voice and his wonderful song.

Listen again and follow the words. It's full of Christmas tradition.

How much do you know about holiday traditions?
True=T False=F

1. Many people roast nuts called chestnuts in the fireplace. T/ F

2. Jack Frost is ice cold, but he is not a real person. T/F

3. Goose is more popular than turkey for Christmas dinner. T/F

4. The mistletoe plant is hung at a door for people to kiss under. T/ F

5. The young children believe in Santa Claus. T/F

6. Santa brings toys and candies to the good boys and girls. T/F

7. The excited children look in the sky for Santa and Mrs. Claus. T/F

8. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays are popular greetings. T/F

* From Edison Media Research: What we learned from testing Christmas music in 2004

Music Monday: The Twelve Days of Christmas

2011-12-05T20:00:00.000-05:00

The Twelve Days of Christmas is a popular song because it easy for people of all ages to sing. It starts,

"The first day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me....."

Each day for twelve days this lucky woman receives a special gift. The words are easy, but it is difficult to remember all twelve gifts and the order of the gifts. Listen to the song, then see if you can remember the twelve gifts.

1. On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

a) a pair of pear trees
b) a partridge in a pair tree
c) a piper piping

2. On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

a) two turtle drums
b) two French hens
c) two turtle doves

3. On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

a) three French hens
b) three free chickens
c) three Lords a leaping

4. On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

a) four French birds
b) four cawing birds
c) four calling birds

5. On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

a) five olden rings
b) five gold rings
c) five golden rings

6. On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

a) six maids a milking
b) six geese a laying
c) six geese swimming

7. On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

a) seven swans a laying
b) seven swans a swimming
c) seven geese a swimming

8. On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

a) eight ladies singing
b) eight maidens leaping
c) eight maids a milking

9. On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

a) nine ladies leaping
b) nine ladies dancing
c) nine lads a leaping

10. On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

a) ten lads a leaping
b) ten ladies a singing
c) ten lords a leaping

11. On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

a) eleven pipers playing
b) eleven pipers piping
c) eleven piping pipers

12. On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

a) twelve runners running
b) twelve pipers piping
c) twelve drummers drumming

****lords and laidies are part of the high society of England

Scavenger Hunt: Remembrance Day

2011-11-09T23:42:00.001-05:00

How good are you at surfing the net? Start by going to Google Search.

1. What day is Remembrance Day this year? Next year?

2. Name a place in Toronto where you can go for a memorial service.

3. Write the first two lines of the famous poem, In Flanders Fields.

4. The author of Flanders Fields is John McCrae. Tell me something about this man.

5. What is an important symbol for Remembrance Day? Draw a picture.

6. Find a Remembrance Day photo you like with a caption. Write the caption or the words under the photo.

7. Ottawa has one of the largest gatherings on Remembrance Day. Find a video of the parade or ceremony on youtube.

Finished? Type the title of your video in "comments".

Music Monday: Remembrance Day

2011-11-07T21:36:00.006-05:00

Remembrance Day is a song by a Canadian singer and song writer, Bryan Adams. Remembrance Day is a memorial day that is observed on the eleventh day on the eleventh month at the eleventh hour or November 11th at 11:00 a.m.

Enjoy the song and try the quiz. Don't forget to "see how you did".

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Trick or Treat

2011-10-28T00:10:00.000-04:00

Trick or treat? Only children go out for candy on Hallowe'en. High school kids are too old. The kids go door to door in the neighbourhood. Sometimes they say, "Trick or treat" and then they are given a wrapped candy or chocolate bars. They do not get sweets like cake or cookies.

Every neighbourhood has decorated houses. Some of the houses have jack-o-lanterns near their doors. Decorations include scary images such as skeletons, monsters, ghosts, coffins, graveyards or spiders in cobwebs. Some houses have scary noises coming from inside. The children are not afraid of the scary decorations because it is all part of the fun.

The costumes are important to the children. They choose who they want to be for Hallowe'en. The child can be good or bad. For example, a girl might choose to be a witch or a princess. Animals, heroes and scary characters are popular.

Try this word game. These are popular costumes for the children. The vowels are missing. Complete the words.

1. D__v__l 9. W__tch
2. Ang__l 10. P__r__t__
3. S__p__rm__n 11. Bl__ck c__t
4. B__tm__n 12. Gh__st
5. Sp__ d __ rm__n 13. Pr__nc__ss
6. Cl__wn 14. Z__mb__ __
7. L__ __n 15. V__mp__r__
8. Sk__l__t__n 16. M__nst__r

How to Make a Jack-o-lantern

2011-10-27T21:21:00.000-04:00

Thanksgiving and Hallowe'en are the two celebrations in the fall. Hallowe'en is always the last day of October or October 31st. Before Hallowe'en, there are many orange pumpkins in the groceries stores. Many people like to buy them to decorate their homes on Hallowe'en night. But first, you must carve them into a face or cut out a picture on the pumpkin. After, you put a candle inside and it becomes a lantern to place outside the front door. How do you make a jack-o-lantern? Today, we have a guest writer, Munirah. She will explain step by step.

It is easy to make a jack-o-lantern. First, pick up a pumpkin and cut the stem like a lid. Then clean the pumpkin and take out the seeds. Next, carve the eyes, nose and mouth. After that, take one candle and light it and melt the wax into the the pumpkin. Finally, put the candle on the wax in the pumpkin and cover the pumpkin with the lid. Lastly, put the pumpkin in the window. Also, don't forget to use the broom and dust pan to clean up.

Happy Hallowe'en!

Fall in Ottawa

2011-09-26T22:34:00.002-04:00

It's fall or autumn. Can you answer these questions about fall?

1. When is the first day of fall?

2. What month do you think I took these photos?

3. Last fall, I was in Ottawa for a Canadian holiday. Do you know what holiday?

4. Do you know any good places to visit in Ontario during the fall season? Where?

5. Can you think of any areas in Toronto that will be pretty in the fall? Where?

6. What is the name of the leaf on the Canadian flag?

7. Do you know the name of 2 kinds of popular trees?

8. Do you know the name of a tree that doesn't change colours?

9. Do you like the fall? Why or why not?

10. What does "autumn years" mean? What do you want to do in the autumn years of your life?

At the Movies:E.T.,1982

2011-08-01T22:49:00.000-04:00

E.T. is almost thirty years old. Here is an advertisement for when the movie became twenty years old. Steven Speilberg is the director and the young girl in the movie, Drew Barrymore, has become a famous American actress.

Movies are a part of our culture. We talk about the movies we watch and two generations have seen E.T.. I saw the movie and so did my kids. Also, movies show the behaviour of people. For example, you see a family in this movie, a separated mother and her three children. The kids order pizza, and ride bikes. The mother reads a child's story, Peter Pan, to her young daughter before she goes to bed. In this movie, the family enjoy a popular celebration in October called Hallowe'en. Understanding the culture makes learning English easier.

The movie, E.T., won awards for its music, sound and visual effects. The actor, E.T., was a robot which was a big deal back in 1982. It cost 1.5 million to make the robot. It couldn't walk, so a person was used sometimes. They did not want to pay an additional one million to make the robot walk (1) Enjoy the advertisement which is called a movie trailer

Talking about movies. Answer the questions.

1. What kind of movie is E.T? (horror, romance, comedy, sci-fi, action movie)

2. Who is the director?

3. Where does the story take place?

4. What is about?

5. E.T. talks. What does he say in the movie trailer?

6. How does the movie end?

7. What is your favourite English movie?

8. Who is your favourite Canadian or American actor or actress?

9. What kind of movie do you like to watch?

10. How often do you watch movies?

(1) www.fiftiesweb.com

Action Verbs: Simon's Cat

2011-07-12T22:49:00.001-04:00

Simon and his cat are sleeping in an armchair. Then a fly arrives and wakes up Simon's cat. His cat chases the fly and makes a big mess. Answer the seven questions.

What does Simon's cat spill?
What does this pet knock over?
What does Simon's cat drop on the floor?
What does this cat tear?
What does this cat rip in several places?
What does Simon's cat finally kill?
What does poor Simon swallow?

Past time: When was the last time you .....

spilled something? What did you spill?
knocked over something? What did you knock over?
dropped something? What did you drop?
tore something? What did you tear?
ripped something? What did you rip?
killed something? What did you kill?
swallowed something terrible? What did you swallow?

How old is Canada?

2011-06-28T19:38:00.026-04:00

By Green Wellies

Happy Canada Day!
Originally uploaded by Green Welliesa

Canada Day is July 1st. That means this Friday is the start of a long weekend. This weekend there will be lots of celebrating around Toronto. There will be free music at all the city squares and some of the parks..........and don't forget the fireworks! Some people buy fireworks and have private parties. Others go to public fireworks at different locations in the city.

Here's a quick quiz to see what you know about Canada. Do you know which ones are true or false?

1. Canada became a country in 1867.

2. The first prime minister was John A MacDonald.

3. Canada started with ten provinces.

4. The last province to join Canada was British Columbia.

5. The first immigrants in Canada were from Britain and Spain.

How did you do? Ask your teacher about the last one. Would you like to know the other answers and more about Canada? Go to an earlier post, Happy Canada Day .

Related Posts:

Where in the World?

2011-05-26T21:01:00.020-04:00

Last May, I left Canada for another continent. Perhaps you will recognize where these videos were taken.

1. The first video was taken at night. This city has a huge population, so it has streets full of high rises on busy streets. In Toronto, I live in a house and beside me are other houses. There are no high rises on my street. There are no buildings over two or three stories high.

It was very different for me to stay on the 37th floor and walk down a street with tall apartment buildings beside each other. Also, at night, this city is full of lights. In Toronto, my street only has street lights beside the sidewalks and some neighbours leave on their front door light.

2. This is further south in the same country. Again, this city has a large population. This is Saturday night in an area full of restaurants and a bizarre. Look at all the lights! It must be expensive to pay for all this electricity. Bright signs and people are everywhere.

3. This video is in a smaller city in the south. At night, many people joined activities in the parks and other open spaces. Here, couples are dancing outside. I also saw people participating in exercise classes. One exercise class met under a bridge and there were hundreds of people exercising together.

So, did you decide what country I visited? China? The first place is Shanghai, then Hong Kong and finally, Meizhou.

When you think of your native country, is it different than Canada? How is it different than Canada? How do the people live? What do they do?

Ontario:Trivia and Facts

2011-05-17T22:34:00.031-04:00

Yes, it's spring and I am a gardener, but these are wild flowers. In fact, this is Ontario's official flower, the trillium. It grows at the edge of the woodlands in May. These photos are from High Park near Grenadine Pond. If you are in any big parks or in the Ontario countryside, look into the forest. You will see these small white flowers scattered under the trees. If you are really lucky, you will see a dark red trillium which is rare. One warning! Please don't pick the trilliums. It is illegal to pick our provincial flower.

To celebrate this Ontario flower, here is a trivia quiz about the province. Are you an Ontarian? Then you should know the answers to most of these questions.

Remember, if you do not understand a word, double click the word. Then you will get the meaning and more information.

1. The capital of Ontario is

a) Toronto b) Ottawa c) Kingston

2. Ontario is between

a) Alberta and Quebec

b) Nunavut and Manitoba

c) Quebec and Manitoba

3. Ontario is beautiful, but is does not have

a) Niagara Falls b) Rocky Mountains c) Algonquin Park

4. Toronto is the biggest city. Tourists will not find

a) CN Tower b) Casa Loma c) Banff

5. The premier of Ontario is

a) Dalton McGuinty b) Stephen Harper c) Jack Layton

6. The large body of water to the south is Lake Ontario and to the north is

a) Atlantic Ocean b) Lake Erie c) Hudson Bay

7. Which Canadian singer was not born in Ontario

a) Shania Twain b) Celine Dion c) Justin Bieber

8. This Canadian actor or actress was not born in Ontario

a) Jim Carrey (The Mask, Dumb and Dumber)

b) Michael J. Fox (Back to the Future, Stuart Little)

c) Ellen Page (Juno, Inception)

9. The official bird of Ontario is the

a) Canadian Goose b) Loon c) Blue Jay

I have lived most of my life in Ontario, so the first questions are easy for me to pull from my head. The next questions are Ontario statistics and I got some help from "Ontario Travel". Try these questions. Then check your answers below.

10. Ontario has 250,000 lakes or

a) 20% of the world's fresh water

b) 1/3 of the world's fresh water

c) 1/10 of the world's fresh water

11. The population of Ontario is 12 million or

a) 1 in 5 Canadians

b) 1 in 10 Canadians

c) 1 in 3 Canadians

12. Spring is from March to May. The average spring temperature is 8 Celsius (46 Fahrenheit) to

a) 18 degrees Celsius (64 Fahrenheit)

b) 22 degrees Celsius (72 Fahrenheit)

c) 15 degrees Celsius (59 Fahrenheit)

Would you like to learn more about Ontario? Try these sites.

Answers: 1a, 2c, 3b, 4c, 5a, 6c, 7b, 8a, 9b, 10b, 11c, 12a

Spring in Toronto:High Park

2011-05-08T20:54:00.035-04:00

Picnic season is starting. One of the best places for a picnic is under a cherry tree in High Park,Toronto. Better yet, if you go at the end of the cherry blossom season, the pink flowers will fall of the tree and float down around you. Cherry blossoms fall off rather than fade away.

This photo is from the weeping cherry tree in my backyard. For a spectacular show, see the rows of mature cherry trees in bloom at High Park right now.

Where are the blossoms?

High Park Blossom Map

What's at High Park?

High Park is a huge park in the west end of Toronto. I've taken a bike on the subway to the High Park stop. You can bike in the park. There's a children's playground, a free zoo, a swimming pool, a dog park and a restaurant. In the summer, there's an outdoor theatre. Watching a play under the stars is a lot of fun. For more information, check out the official High Park site.

High Park Toronto

Related Posts:

April Buds Open

2011-05-08T20:36:00.008-04:00

April showers bring May flowers.

Yeh! The flowers are blooming. The last photo (below) shows the buds in rainy April. Now look at the colour in May! It's just starting.

Expressions of Spring

2011-05-04T19:45:00.031-04:00

April showers

Bring May flowers

This year, we got a lot of rain:( When you look around the world, I think our weather isn't that bad. The cloudy days affect us all, but we live in safe dry homes.

In a few days, the flowers will blossom on this bush. Maybe, I will be able to photograph this plant in bloom. It usually blooms around Mother's Day which is the second Sunday in May.

I was walking the dog in the rain and thinking of the many English expressions that use weather vocabulary. Here are ten sayings or expressions. Most of these use words from spring weather. Can you guess the meaning of these expressions?

1. I feel under the weather:(

2. Don't rain on my parade.

3. Get your head out of the clouds!

4. It's raining cats and dogs.

5. I'm going to my friend's bridal shower.

6. He showered me with gifts:)

7. He is no spring chicken.

8. It never rains but it pours.

9. Could I take a rain check?

10. The calm after the storm.

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-18T07:37:00.000-04:00

There is a fun game the children play on Easter Sunday. They go on an Easter Egg hunt. The Easter Bunny hides Easter chocolate and candies. The children look for the treats.

There are different kinds of Easter Egg hunts in Toronto. Some families have Easter Egg hunts in their homes or yards. Also, there is an Easter Egg hunt at Toronto Zoo and Centre Island. At Centennial Park, there is an Easter Egg hunt for dogs! The dogs find eggs. Inside the eggs are doggy treats.

Try this Easter hunt. Watch the first video here and then click a box. The box takes you to youtube. After, do the listening quiz here.

Interactive Easter Hunt

Related Posts:

Spring in Toronto 4/14/11

2011-04-14T21:51:00.023-04:00

The first flowers are blooming.
The grass is turning green.
The buds are on the trees.

Related Posts:

Wanna be Wednesday 4/13/11

2011-04-13T07:38:00.012-04:00

I wanna be good to the earth. Earth Day is on Good Friday this year or April 22nd. This video is called "Give Earth a Hand". The expression 'give a hand' means to help. So you can give earth a hand or help the earth. In this commercial, it shows two very different wants. What is important to you?

We can give earth a hand. We can change some of our actions. Earth Canada suggests four ways:

I won't watch TV.
I won't use toxic cleaners.
I won't buy it.
I won't eat meat.

Okay. Maybe, you are not willing to stop all these actions, but you can reduce some of these actions. What are you willing to give up?

Endangered Species:Polar Bears

2011-04-10T14:16:00.040-04:00

Are polar bears endangered?

Experts in polar bear science believe they are. They predict as the Arctic continues to warm due to climate change, two-thirds of the world's polar bears could disappear by mid-century... hope remains if action is taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

How many polar bears are there?.....In 2008, scientists estimated there might be 20,000 to 25,000 of them. From Polar Bears International

How does global warming affect the polar bears?

The ice in the Arctic is melting.

Their population is decreasing.
The ice platforms are further apart. Swimming conditions are more dangerous.
There are fewer opportunities to hunt and food is more scarce. National Wildlife Federation

A) Here is a video from BBC. It's about polar bears and the summer melt. After you listen, try the listening quiz.

Choose the best answer.

1. You can hear the ice

a) melting

b) creaking

c) cracking

2. This season, the winter ice

a) is stronger

b) is not as thick

c) is not as thin

3. The polar bear is

a) swimming in the water

b) struggling in the water

c) floating in the water

4. The polar bear looks

a) exhausted

b) relaxed

c) tired

5. The polar bear is not able to

a) climb out easily

b) free herself easily

c) find better ice

B) Polar bears are fun to watch. Watch the mother and her cub. Then answer the questions.

Choose the best answer.

1. The cub is on the ice

a) for the fifth time

b) for the first time

2. The mother bear is looking for

a) the sea

b) seals

3.. The mother is wearing

a) a radio collar.

b) a red collar

4. The mother bear is not falling through the ice because

a) she knows how to walk quickly

b) she spreads her weight

5. The young cub is

a) having fun

b) learning to run

6. The mother will teach the baby

a) to swim for fish

b) to hunt seal

More about polar bears:

Listening Quizzes:

A) 1c 2b 3b 4c 5a
B) 1b 2b 3a 4b 5a 6b

April: Earth Month

2011-04-04T17:12:00.000-04:00

superpoop.com

A Blast From the Past

2011-04-01T01:00:00.003-04:00

'Blast from the past' is an expression which means something or someone that returns after a period of time. When you hear an old song, you can say, "That's a blast from the past". Today, I would like to go back in time to one of my favourite posts.

Wanna be 4/1 is two years old today. I hope you enjoy it. Please press here.

April Fools!

2011-03-29T20:00:00.004-04:00

April Fools is on April 1st. You can only play tricks on people in the morning. You can make mischief or play jokes on people on this day. Did you like the video? Is it funny?

Remember April 1st and have some fun! Be careful, someone might try to fool you!

Music Monday: Friday

2011-03-21T01:34:00.016-04:00

Do you like it or hate it?

This video is popular because some people don't like it. It has more than 22 million views on Youtube. Some people say, "It is the worst song ever". Rebecca Black sings the song, Friday. She is thirteen years old.

What happens in the song?

The teenager, Rebecca, gets up and sings about Friday. It's the weekend. She sings with her friends in cars. At night, they go to a party. The words are simple. Maybe, the story is too simple.

Do I like the video?

I think the video is funny. Real teenagers are smarter than Rebecca.

Watch for one minute and answer these questions. This a beginner ESL quiz.

1. Why does Rebecca study on Sunday?

2. Does she take her essay to school on Thursday?

3. When does she have music practise?

4. What time does she wake up?

5. What colour is her alarm clock?

6. Is her bedroom on the first floor?

7. How does she travel to school?

8. How do Rebecca's friends go to school?

9. Rebecca travels with her friends. Where does she sit?

10 Why does Rebecca and her friends like Friday?

Here's some of the words for the song, Friday.

Rebecca Black - Verse 1

7am, waking up in the morning
Gotta be fresh, gotta go downstairs
Gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal
Seein’ everything, the time is goin’
Tickin’ on and on, everybody’s rushin’
Gotta get down to the bus stop
Gotta catch my bus, I see my friends (My friends)

Kickin’ in the front seat
Sittin’ in the back seat
Gotta make my mind up
Which seat can I take?

It’s Friday, Friday
Gotta get down on Friday
Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend, weekend
Friday, Friday
Gettin’ down on Friday
Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend

Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)
Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)
Fun, fun, fun, fun
Lookin’ forward to the weekend

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

2011-03-15T15:18:00.005-04:00

The Irish have a holiday, Saint Patrick's Day, on March 17. It began as a religious holiday because of Saint Patrick. Now, there are many Irish in Canada and around the world. "You can be Irish for a day" and celebrate Saint Patrick's Day too. In Canada, some people wear green. The Irish restaurants and pubs are full of people celebrating. Irish music and songs are popular. Green beer and Irish beer is the favourite drink.

What do you know about Saint Patrick's Day? Learn more by watching this video.

What about the leprechauns?

Well, leprechauns are Irish fairies that live in Ireland. Try to catch a leprechaun. Why? Because they can take you to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Leprechauns don't like to be caught and are full of michief

What is Lucky Charms?

It's a popular cereal. The box has a picture of a leprechaun. Sometimes, he is on television commercials and has an Irish accent.

Related posts:

Monday Music: Michael Buble'

2011-02-21T01:08:00.025-05:00

The Juno Awards are coming to Toronto in March! The Juno's are the Canadian music awards. Michael Buble' ("booblay") was at the Juno's last year. He has won multiple Juno Awards.

Last year, he won

Pop Album of the Year
Single of the Year - Haven't Met You Yet
Album of the Year - Crazy Love
Juno Fan Choice Award

Last year, he was nominated for

Artist of the Year
Songwriter of the year

Here is Michael Buble' 's song, Haven't Met You Yet. He is singing it at the Juno Awards, 2010.

Here are the words for Haven't Met You Yet. You can listen to the song and follow the words.

Related Posts:

Preposition Review: Location

2011-02-12T19:42:00.009-05:00

The teacher, Steve Ford, explains several location prepositions. Do you know the difference between in and at? Next to and near?

Related post:

Time Prepositions

Winter in Toronto, 2011

2011-02-05T22:39:00.011-05:00

Last week, Toronto had some storms. A walk at Lake Ontario shows the trees and bushes covered in ice. The last two weeks of January and the first two weeks of February are usually the coldest part of the winter. This is early February and it was cold! My camera got so cold, it stopped working.

I look at these winter photos, but I know the February thaw will follow. The ice will begin to melt by the end of February. March is always unpredictable. We could get some snow storms in March. We have had a lot of snow this winter and it looks like it will be here for some time.

Check out the weather in Toronto here.

Related posts:

Learning English: Sink or Think

2011-01-05T20:31:00.008-05:00

Are you having trouble with your pronunciation?

When you practice pronunciation, you need to be able to hear the sound and speak the sound. The difference between the /s/ sound and the /th/ sound is the position of the tongue.

Practice the /th/ sound . Press here.

Practice the /s/ sound. Press here

Toronto in December, 2010

2010-12-10T20:15:00.008-05:00

Where are we? Downtown TO

Well, this is Ashbridges Bay. It's quiet in December, but the parks along Lake Ontario are still open.

Do you notice Toronto's landmarks?

The CN Tower can be seen from many directions including the lake.

Check out the CN Tower here.

Pronunciation Pairs: /s/ and /z/

2010-11-21T18:01:00.030-05:00

Who has trouble with the /s/ sound?

ESL learners who have trouble with the /s/ sound may speak Cambodian, Chinese, German, Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese.

How do I make the /s/ sound?

1. The teeth are lightly closed. The lips are in the smiling position.

2. Start by making the 't' sound. Place the tip of your tongue on the skin above your front teeth. Say, "Two, two, two, two, two."

3. Now move your tongue off the skin, but keep the tongue behind the top teeth. Say, "So, so, so, so, so." This is a lazy 't'.

4. Your breath should flow over the tip of your tongue. The sides of your tongue should not touch the sides of your teeth because this will change the air flow.

How do you make the /z/ sound?

's' and 'z' are pronunciation pairs. Both have the same mouth position. 's' uses only your breath. 'z' uses your vocal chords in your neck. Try this pair to hear the difference.

Say, "bus buzz, bus buzz, bus buzz, bus buzz, bus buzz"

Practice the pronunciation pairs with the video.

Having problems? Common errors.

** "th" for "s" - Your tongue is outside the mouth. Keep the tongue behind your teeth.

To correct, try this.

1. Practise - Say,"EE, EE, EE, EE-S, EE-S"

2. Say, "Th, Th, Th" - Move your tongue back gradually and close teeth for "S--------S"

3. Practice - Say, "two soo, two soo, two soo, two soo, two soo

** "sh" for "s" - Breath does not pass over the tip of the tongue, but over the side of the tongue.

The tongue may be touching the teeth or the tongue may be behind the lower teeth.

To correct, try this.

Practise - Say, "Th-ssss, Th-ssss, Th-ssss, EE-s, EE-s, Sh-----a-. Change position of the lips.

Related Post: Learning English:Sink or Think

Mayor Hazel and Rick Mercer

2010-10-19T10:22:00.006-04:00

Mayor Hazel is the oldest mayor I know. She has been the mayor of Mississauga since the late seventies. Mississauga is the city to the west of Metropolitan Toronto while Scarborough is on the east side. Next Monday is the Toronto elections. Hazel McCallion is hoping to get reelected for mayor. In 2006, Hazel won 92% of the vote.

Rick Mercer is from the television program, Rick Mercer Report. He interviews Mayor Hazel on television on February 26, 2009. In 2009, Hazel McCallion was 88 years old. Watch her play hockey, go bowling and star in a music video. I think Rick Mercer and Mayor Hazel have a lot of fun together. Enjoy their time together.

Watch the video again. This is an interview, so Rick Mercer asks lots of questions. Here are some of the questions. Listen to Mayor Hazel's answers.

1. You have been elected two or three times?

2. How do you stay in office for 31 years?

3. Your debt is?

4. How many mayors have bobble heads?

5. Have you ever been injured? What happened to the truck?

6. Are you someone who doesn't campaign or someone who never stops campaigning?

7. What is this? (He is looking at a miniature city.)

8. Why haven't you retired?

9. What is your approval rating? (She talks about votes.)

10. Any regrets?

Weird Nature:Drunk Monkeys

2010-09-21T21:41:00.000-04:00

Do people and animals mix well? Do animals pick up our bad habits? Here we see how some animals enjoy drinking and frequent the bars.

Drunk monkeys mirror people

Spring in Toronto: Pillow Fight 2010

2010-05-05T20:42:00.018-04:00

It's time for the annual pillow fight! International Pillow Fight Day is April 3rd, but the Toronto pillow fight takes place on the second Saturday in May. It's at Yonge-Eglinton Square on Saturday, May 8th. You can start swinging your pillow at 3:00 p.m. Bring a soft, feather free pillow and remember to take off your glasses.

The pillow fight is free for all ages. For more details, go to last year's pillow fight. Press here.

Dare to Dream. Work to Achieve.

2010-04-13T20:47:00.002-04:00

Porsche commercial

30 Years Ago in History:Terry Fox

2010-04-11T20:11:00.015-04:00

April 12, 1980, a 21 year old university student started his run across Canada. Terry Fox had lost a leg to cancer and was determined to run a marathon a day on his one good leg. According to CR24, his goal was to raise 1 million dollars for cancer research, but he later changed that goal to 24 million which represented one dollar from each Canadian. Unfortunately for Terry, he never completed his run. He started in the east coast and his popularity grew as he ran through many towns and cities. By the time he reached Toronto, thousands of supporters met him at city hall, but he never made it out of Ontario. The return of his cancer, forced him to return to his home in British Columbia. In memory of Terry Fox, people all over the world participate in the Marathon of Hope.

To mark the 30th anniversary of his run, the Fox family are meeting in St John's where his marathon began. Hopefully, the Terry Fox Marathon will continue until a cure for cancer is found. Here is a news report that tells Terry's story. Since 1980, Terry Fox has helped raise over 500 million dollars for cancer.

Happy Easter!

2010-03-29T10:49:00.019-04:00

To learn more about the history of Easter and how Canadians celelbrate Good Friday and Easter, press here.

Music Monday: Irish Folk

2010-03-15T20:26:00.011-04:00

The harp and Celtic harp music is part of Irish history. The harp was on the old flag of Ireland, but now it only remains as a symbol on the Irish Guinness beer. With St Patrick's Day coming on March 17th, it's time to be Irish again. Everyone is Irish on St. Patricks Day!

Loreena McKennitt is a Canadian singer who is famous for her Celtic music. She is from Scottish and Irish roots. Here she sings, "She Moved Through The Fair". The words for this song follow the video.

Loreena McKennitt She Moved Through the fair by paradixman

My love said to me,
My mother won't mind
And my father won't slight you
For your lack of kine"
And she stepped away from me
And this she did say:
It will not be long, love,
Till our wedding day"

She stepped away from me
And she moved through the fair
And fondly I watched her
Move here and move there
And she turned her way homeward
With one star awake
As the swans in the evening
Move over the lake

Why he dreamt it last night,
That my true love came in
So softly she entered
Her feet made no din
She came close beside me
And this she did say
It will not be long, love,
'Til our wedding day

Culture Shock

2010-03-08T09:39:00.009-05:00

Anyone who moves from one country to another country experiences culture shock. Your old culture and your new culture are very different. This creates pleasant and unpleasant experiences.

In the following video, Derek Sivers points out some differences between countries. Watch and learn.

Different or just weird?

The Avatar Director at the Academy Awards

2010-03-07T22:02:00.023-05:00

Photo of James Cameron by jurveston, Flickr

Okay. So the Academy Awards are for American movies, but a few Canadians make it to the red carpet. For example, James Cameron is the director of the great movie, Avatar.

Did you know Cameron's understanding of avatars come from his love of the underworld? After, Cameron completed the movie, Titanic, he became involved in researching the real Titanic ship. To see around the sunken ship, the Titanic, mechanical movie cameras or avatars were made and they moved around the ship. Cameron felt like he was there exploring the ship even though he was far away. In Avatar, the main character, Jake, has an avatar. His is a ten foot tall blue skinned man who is half human and half alien. This avatar helps Jake explore the planet, Pandora.

If you would like to see more about Avatar, check out an earlier blog called Wanna be Wednesday 1/13/2010

Another Academy Award movie, Star Trek, is part of a post from 2009. The original Captain Kirk was played by a Canadian actor, William Shatner. If you would like to see a short interview with William Shatner and see a preview of the Star Trek movie, take a look at Wanna be Wednesday 6/3.

......and just to end totally off topic. When is Meryl Streep going to win another Academy Award?

Pronunciation: /r/ Sound

2010-03-05T09:00:00.001-05:00

nataliedee.com

Qwab? Do you mean crab? If you say "quab", you "pwabably" have "twouble" with the consonant sound, /r/.

What languages have trouble with the /r/ sound?

Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Spanish and Vietnamese

How do you make this sound?

Roll the tip of your tongue back. Make sure your tongue doesn't touch the top or roof of your mouth. The sides of your tongue should touch the inside of your top molars or back teeth.

Try this exercise.

Put the tip of your tongue on the tooth ridge which is the skin behind your top front teeth and say, "light". Then roll back your tongue and say, "right". Now exercise your tongue.

Light, right, light, right, light, right, light, right .....

Need practise?

Here is a video with more tips and practise.

Need some more practise?

Here is some words and sentences to practice the sound /r/. The man in the video has a very clear voice. Read the words and listen to his pronunciation. Then you try. These kinds of exercises can be repeated. Try it again today or return to this video another day. Repetition is extremely important in learning new sounds.

Pronunciation: The Dark /r/

2010-03-04T20:35:00.011-05:00

Lisa Mojsin, author of Mastering the American Accent, talks about the difference between the British /r/ and the North American /r/. She adds some tips and practise. Enjoy!

Related Post: Pronunciation: /r/ Sound

Canada Gets 14 Golds

2010-03-01T13:07:00.029-05:00

I wanted to present a look back at the Vancouver Olympics 2010 via a video, but the Canadian Broadcasting Station, CTV, 'owns' all the best moments. Here's the best I could do which is a link to OlympicsCTV. This video shows some of the greatest moments and the collective energy felt by all Canadians. Press here

The final gold metal was from the Canadian Hockey Team. Hockey is our national sport, so it was important to Canadians to win this final gold. The arena was one big mass of red as so many fans dressed in their Canadian colour or wore their favourite hockey players sweater to cheer on Team Canada..... a tie breaker that ended in overtime. What a storybook ending!

Then the closing ceremonies brought the Vancouver 2010 Olympics to an end. The ceremonies showcased some of our most popular celebrities. It was fun to see Canadians make fun of themselves. Yes, we have the beaver, moose, mounties, maple leaves and yes, we tend to be polite and say sorry a lot. Did you see how many Canadian Olympic participants apologized for not winning a medal? Yes we say ,"I'm sorry" a lot, but we also say, "Thank you". So, thanks for blessing Canada with so many healthy determined young athletes. May we all strive in our own ways to be the best at what we do.

....and celebrate those moments.

Street Party Photographs, February 28, 2010: (bottom)Downtown Toronto by Scorlirk and (top) Downtown Vancouver by Ecstaticist,Flickr

Related Posts:

Who lit the flame at the 2010 Olympics?

Wanna Be Wednesday 6/3

Juno Awards 2009

Tim Hortons

Music Monday: The Olympic Song

2010-02-22T06:00:00.008-05:00

Who is the singer?

Nikki Yanofsky was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1894. She's a jazz-pop singer who has her first album coming out soon. She sang Oh, Canada, our national anthem, at the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Olympics.

Whose in the video?

Past medal winners and this year's hopefuls.

Where did the song come from?

Steven Moccio is a Toronto composer and has written songs for Celine Dion and Josh Groban. According to the Globe and Mail, Maccio composed the song about four years ago after Vancouver won the Olympic Games. The lyrics were added by Allan Frew from the band, Glass Tigers. It's called I Believe or in French, J'Imagine.

What's it about?

The lyrics or words are at the bottom of this video. It's about believing in yourself and your abilities and I think a bit of team spirit is there too.

Who lit the flame at the 2010 Olympics?

2010-02-20T11:30:00.005-05:00

Photo by erieliou, Flickr

Before the opening ceremonies of the 2010
Vancouver Olympics, Canadians were
wondering who would light the flame?
It had to be a great Canadian hero. But we
were all wrong. It was four of our
greatest athletes.

These are Canadians who lit the fire in the stadium:

1. Nancy Greene
2. Steve Nash
3. Catriona Le May Doan
4. Wayne Gretsky

These are their sports:

a) Basketball
b) Downhill skiing
c) Hockey
d) Speed skating

Now, can you match the sport and the superstar?

Look in "comments" below for the answer. Also, for some great photos of the opening ceremonies, press here.

Winter in Toronto: The Olympics

2010-02-19T11:00:00.001-05:00

Andrew Hesp, Flickr

For me, the olympics started about 2 months ago when the torch passed through Toronto for the first time. It was a cold night and I was heading for a meeting at Yonge and St Clair when people started to line the street. In 10 minutes, the crowd was able to see the flame coming. It towered above the runner as it does in this photo. It was a small event, but I felt lucky and honored to have seen the historical flame.

For Valentines Day: Free Hugs and Sick Puppies

2010-02-10T18:05:00.026-05:00

"Free Hugs" that's what Juan Man put on a sign. He decided a good way to warm up this cold world was to reach out and hug someone. Using his sign, Juan was able to get free hugs from strangers. In return, he put a smile on many faces in a mall in Sydney, Australia. Unfortunately, life can never stay that simple. Watch the video and see what happened next.

As of today, almost 56 million have watched this video and at the time, it became video of the year. The Sydney rock band, Sick Puppies wrote a song for Juan Man to cheer him up. They made the video and put it on YouTube. The song is "All the Same"

Happy Valentine's Day

Here's the song, "All the Same".
Listen to the music and follow the words.

Other posts for Valentine's Day:

The Next Decade: Renault Twizy ZE

2010-01-20T11:00:00.011-05:00

Would you like to take this car for a spin in the city? The Renault Twizy ZE is a zero emmision electric car. Check out the wheels of this futuristic car. When the Twizy is moving, it looks like it is hoovering. Also, there are no traditional doors, but there are side airbags built in for added safety. How big is this car? The Twizy ZE is 2.30 m in length by 1.13 m in width.

The Next Decade: Renaut Twizzy ZE

Wanna be Wednesday 1/13/2010

2010-01-13T08:13:00.021-05:00

I want to be a native of Pandora. This is the setting of the popular science fiction movie, Avatar, which is written and directed by James Cameron. He won an Oscar for the movie, Titanic. Avatar is best seen in 3D. When you wear the 3D glasses you feel like you are there.

The natives of Pandora love their moon and respect all living things. They have no machines and use powerful creatures to transport themselves. The natives are able to move easily on land and in the air. They move up and down mountains and the tallest trees with ease. They live freely in a forest that they will never leave. They enjoy many stories about their ancestors and live peacefully. Their life has nothing to do with money, but their survival is dependant on understanding nature. They are not the highest creatures on the food chain. There are dangerous animals in the forest, and they must respect them to live safely. Could life really be this pure?

Here is an interview by the actress, Zoe Saldana, who plays the native, Neytiri. Her mother and father are the leaders of the natives called Navi. She describes Neytiri and the culture of the Navi in the movie, Avatar.

Other movie posts, 2009:

Wanna be Wednesday 6/3

Music Monday: Disney Nature "Earth"

Ottawa: 50 People One Question

2010-01-09T16:00:00.007-05:00

This short film is an example of a participating YouTube video. The original film was done on a hot day in New Orleans, United States. The producers came up with the idea to ask as many people as possible the same question. It was called 50 People One Question and was posted on YouTube September, 2008.

Then people in different states used the same idea and posted their films on YouTube. Also, it went global. For example, there were films made in Canada and Australia. Here is response video that was filmed in Ottawa, Canada a year later.

.***Cultural note: The word, Beaver Tail, is pastry. It's a kind of flat donut in the shape of a beaver's tail. To see the animal, a beaver, check out the Canadian 5 cent coin.

How would you answer this question?

Winter in Toronto 6

2010-01-03T11:29:00.022-05:00

My feet are cold.
By Grant MacDonald

A picture is worth a thousand words. Winter has hit in Toronto. It's one of those Sundays, it's best to cuddle up with a good book or a laptop and wrap yourself in a warm blanket. Just looking outside makes me feel cold. The newsman says the cold weather is going to be around for a few days.

However, there is no snow yet in Toronto. Further north like in Ottawa, it's very white and beautiful. Right now, it's too cold to snow, but the snow storms will come. Soon enough, the snow ploughs will be humming up and down the streets and the homeowners will be shovelling heavy snow. There is actually a law in Toronto that requires all sidewalks to be cleared after a snow fall. Luckily, senior citizens can have their sidewalks cleared by the city. So right now, is the calm before the storm. Lots of snow brings chaos to the city!

Feel like venturing out this winter, check out the winter activities organized by the city. Toronto's WinterCity Festival starts end of January. Press here.

Make it Christmas Day

2009-12-16T18:14:00.024-05:00

This song was written by a Canadian singer, Jann Arden. She is one of my favourite singers and song writers. Make it Christmas Day is from her live 2002 album that she sang with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

I love this song, but I'm not sure of the Disney animation in the video. I like the short Christmas scenes. Look for baby Jesus with Mary and the three wise men walking. Also, there are the church windows and bells. The star is called the star of Bethlehem and you will see it on top of the Christmas tree at the end of the video. So, there is some Christmas tradition in the video and the meaning of Christmas is in the song.

Also, under the video, you will see the lyrics or words to the song, Make it Christmas Day. Merry Christmas!

Many years ago on Christmas Day
People came from all around to bow their heads and pray
For on that lonely night a babe was born
God gave us his only son that He may save the world

And He taught us of compassion
He taught us how to love
He taught us to believe in God above

Let know that you are still alive
Raise your hands up to the sky
Get down on your knees and pray
If only for one day
Make it Christmas Day

Jing-a-ling-a-long
Ding Dong Jing-a-long
Jing-a-ling-a-long
Ding Dang Dong
Jing Jing-a-ling
Sing along Jing along
Jing-a-ling-a-long
Ding Dong
Ding Dang Dong

Now we all await the coming eve
I wonder if there is a single a soul who still believes
It's not the flashing glamour of the lights
But only the remembrance of a distant holy night

For He taught us of compassion
And He taught us how to love
He taught us to believe in God above

Let know that you are still alive
Raise your hands up to the sky
Get down on your knees and pray

Let Him know you're still alive
Raise your hands up to the sky
Get down on your knees and pray
If only for one day,
Make it Christmas Day

Jing-a-ling-a-long
Ding Dong Jing-a-long
Jing-a-ling-a-long
Ding Dang Dong
Jing Jing-a-ling
Sing along Jing along
Jing-a-ling-a-long
Ding Dang Dong

Jing Jing-a-ling
Sing along Jing along
Jing-a-ling-a-long
Ding Dang Dong

Jing Jing-a-ling
Sing along Jing along
Jing-a-ling-a-long
Ding Dang Dong

Jing Jing-a-ling
Sing along Jing along
Jing-a-ling-a-long
Ding Dong

Today in History: White Christmas

2009-12-01T10:19:00.016-05:00

December 1, 1977, David Bowie and Bing Crosby sang White Christmas together. The Christmas celebrations brought together two famous singers from two generations and two different countries. Bowie is British and Crosby was very American. Also, at the time, the younger Bowie was a popular rock n roll singer and Crosby will always be remembered for his role in the Christmas movie, White Christmas. Many people still buy Bing Crosby's Christmas album and listen to his songs at Christmas.

Last December, I featured another song, Little Drummer Boy. It was sung by David Bowie and Bing Crosby. If you would like to watch it, press here

How to Solve a Rubik's Cube

2009-11-23T12:32:00.022-05:00

I really want to know how to solve a Rubik's Cube. The Rubik's Cube is a complicated puzzle that was around when I was a kid. Now, it has made a come back. My daughter recently got one as a birthday gift and she can do it. I popped on You Tube to see if there was a step by step process I could easily follow. There are videos that are long and complicated, but I did find another way.

What is the main idea of this news report?

1. Write a one sentence introduction to this video.

Discussing the Video:

2. Write 5 to 7 factual questions about this news report.

3. Write 3 or 4 questions to solicit another person's opinion or personal experiences on topics related to this video.

Are you still curious about the solution? Here's the secret. Press on Rubik's Cube .

How to: Describing a Process

2009-11-23T09:50:00.009-05:00

There are several patterns of organization. Which pattern does describing a process belong to?

1. Listing

2. Sequencing

3. Comparison/Contrast

4. Cause/Effect

5. Problem/Solution

6. Extended Definition

A process uses sequence organization. Describing a process requires using steps that follow one after another in time order. Common time words or phrases used are first, then, next, after that, finally and the next step.

Steps in a Process

Listen to the following video. Then complete the exercise.

1. What is the topic?

2. What is the main idea?

3. What is the pattern of organization?

4. What does the presenter say in her introduction? List the parts of her introduction.

5. Listen for time words. For each step, write a signal word or phrase and the detail that follows.

For example,

Step 1: Then - fold the paper.

6. Does the presenter offer any warnings? Can you give an example?

Lie to Me Game

2009-10-24T15:16:00.030-04:00

If you have been following this blog, you know Lie to Me is a popular American TV show. Also, did you know Candians watch a lot of American TV? There are probably more American television stations than Canadian stations. Anyways, a game started on the internet where you can post three stories about yourself. One is a lie. Then the viewer is to guess what one of the three stories is untrue.

Can Canadians lie well? Let's watch Nadine from the west coast of Canada tell her three stories.

So, which one is the lie?

Now watch the next video. Stacey thinks she knows which story is untrue. Watch Stacey's video. She explains her answer. Do you agree with her answer?

Then Stacey tells her three stories. Which story is untrue?

Maybe you find it difficult to spot Nadine's lie and Stacey's lie. For more help, go to "How to Spot a Liar". See the related links below.

Related Posts:

How to Spot Liars
Lie to Me

The post, Lie to Me Game: The Update,will give you the correct answer. Which of Nadine's stories is untrue? Is it story number one, two or three?

How to Spot Liars

2009-10-22T15:20:00.001-04:00

Can you tell when people are lying? Here a retired FBI agent or a government crime investigator talks about identifying lies. He was a polygraphic examiner. A polygraph is a machine that records people's feelings when they talk. Sometimes criminals are asked to take a polygraph or a lie detector test. If you fail a polygraph, it often means you were lying.

Listen to this news report and try the quiz. The former FBI agent uses a proverb or wise old saying, "The eyes are a window to the soul". He adds, "You can see right through them." It's interesting to know right and left handed people lie differently. Also, have you ever noticed people are uncomfortable when they lie?

How to Spot a Liar
Related Posts:

Lie to Me

Lie to Me

2009-10-18T17:50:00.010-04:00

Lie to Me is an American TV program that started in January 2009. This show has returned this fall for a second TV season. On the show is a man who can read faces. He is able to read a person's emotions. Moreover, he is able to see if someone is lying or not. He is like a human lie detector test.

Watch this video. It is a promotion for Lie to Me. It's kind of fun! See if you can read the emotions on these faces. You may like to watch it more than once. If you look carefully, you will see white words beside each photo. There are words like surprise, excitement and disgust. Are you good at reading people's feelings? Are you good at reading people you know well? Strangers?

Food and Drinks Around the World

2009-08-19T21:14:00.025-04:00

Every country has food and drinks that make you feel at home.Today Real Canadian English welcomes some guest bloggers who talk about their comfort food..

As in Canada, tea and coffee are popular in my country too. In India, we prefer to drink these beverages with milk.The first drink at home at the beginning of a day is coffee or tea. After that with breakfast, we also drink either of these. Another popular drink in Kerala, where I am from, is pure coconut juice. People always love to drink this juice mainly because it is natural, pure and delicious. It is healthy too. I can very well say that no foreigners leave our country without having this drink. It is readily available anywhere in Kerala, a southern state in India.

Jancy
Kerala, India

In China, everyone should know dumplings are very popular food, especially in the northeast part of China. Most people love them because they have a history not less than four thousand years old. The dumplings are available in a wide variety of stuffings. You can put everything that you want in the dumplings. During the Chinese Spring Festival or other important holidays, people make the dumplings for celebrations. They are an indispensable food on the table, eventhough they are not easy to make. However, people like making them. People get together and sit at the table. That is a best chance to communicate with each other. Everyone should have her own role because that is team work. If you eat the dumplings, you will have good luck in the future. Right now, you can eat dumplings anywhere that there are Chinese living because that is an old Chinese custom. There are many people from different countries who enjoy them too. Also, dumplings are my favourite food.

Grace
China

Koumiss is an ancient Kyrgyz beverage which is prepared by fermentation of mare's milk. For a long time people have believed that this curative drink gives power after long illness, cures many heart diseases, and cures disorders of the alimentary and pulmonary system. Koumiss contains enzymes, vitamins, iron, iodine, calcium, lactic bacteria and many other things. This drink improves metabolism, reduces cholesterol level in blood and raises an organism tonus. Scientists have come to the opinion that koumiss is one of the most healthy drinks, and the secret of Kyrgyz longest living citizens relates to the regular usage of koumiss.

Svetlana
Kyrgyz

Summer in Toronto: Taste of the Danforth

2009-08-06T22:17:00.001-04:00

Taste of the Danforth
Originally uploaded by BruceK

This weekend catch the Greek celebration on Danforth Avenue. Get off at the Pape subway and you will be in the middle of the festival. There will be free music and entertainment. Many of the restaurants will have food specials. It was started 16 years ago and attracts huge crowds every year.

Here is a short video about the Taste of the Danforth.

Lie to Me Game: The Update

2009-08-05T18:56:00.005-04:00

In October, 2009, there were three posts related to lying.

Lie to Me, the television show
The game, Lie to Me
How to spot the liar

It's time to give the answer to the Lie to Me game. I have hidden it here, so you must first watch Nadine tell her stories. Here is the video where Nadine reveals her lie. Were you right? Are you good at spotting a liar?

Validation: A Narration

2009-07-27T05:31:00.019-04:00

A narration tells a fictional or factual story. It uses time order. Time words and expressions help develop the story. By using some, but not too many time words, the reader can follow the story easier. In this student generated story, you can see a variety of time words and expressions. Also, like any story, there are three parts, the beginning, middle and end. Be sure, your beginning doesn't tell too much of the story.

Before you read this narration, you might like to view the film, 'Validation'. This story comes from the comments after the film. Press here to view 'Validation'.

A young man, Hugh Newman, worked at a validation booth in a parking lot. People came there for their tickets to be validated. However, once they saw Hugh, no one could stop smiling because he always found good characteristics about everyone. Hugh told them they were great and he made them feel glad. Soon, a security person found that people made a really big line up from the validation booth to the parking lot. Then the security informed the supervisors. Everyone including his boss was happy after they met this young man. They all felt they were appreciated.

Hugh continued to say good words that gave people a positive feeling and made them happy. He thought that the people liked to hear the good words and enjoyed their great smiles. Even some presidents of nations like Bush and Saddam smiled. Also, when he was in trouble with the police officer about his driver's license, his positive words helped him get out of an unpleasant situation.

When Hugh went to have his picture taken for his driver's license, he saw a young beautiful girl called Victoria. She was the photographer. While she was taking his photo, he started to smile. However, she reminded him that no one is allowed to smile in a driver's license photo. Hugh went away sadly and came back the next day to have his picture taken. He tried to make Victoria smile, but she didn't want to do it. He felt upset and she took his photo. She was a very unhappy person and this continued to upset him.

Hugh became so sad that he was unable to make others happy. Then he lost his job at the parking lot. However, he found a new way to make people smile. He was a very good street photographer. He talked to many people and made money taking their photographs. Later, he went to the dentist's office. He saw a driver's license photo with a smiling face. After that, Hugh tried to find Victoria at her job, but it was not easy. Victoria had been fired because she took pictures of smiling people. It was not allowed for documents. He sought her everywhere. Finally, Hugh met Victoria in the passport office.

When Hugh found her, she was taking pictures. Victoria was smiling and people were smiling too! Then he asked her about the change. She explained what happened during her childhood. She told him she was always sad because of her mother. Now, she knew her mother had started to smile because of his kindness. Finally, Hugh and Victoria hugged and kissed. The people who were standing there appreciated them and clapped.

Film Festivals 4: Validation

2009-07-14T22:58:00.027-04:00

'Validation' is a feel good short film. You may recognize the main character, T.J. Thyne. He is a character in the TV show, 'Bones'. He has been in American commercials and even popular movies like 'Erin Brockovich'. This film has been called a fable and a comedy. It also has musical numbers and romance, but does it have a happy ending? Watch it and find out.

Kurt Kuenne is the writer/director/ composer for 'Validation'. The movie has been shown at many American film festivals and has won awards such as Best Narrative Short, Best Comedy and Audience Award. 'Validation' was first shown in 2006. It is now part of a series of movies. 'Slow' and 'The Phone Book ' are the newest films in the series.

Before you watch the film, do you know what the word, validation, means? The movie starts off with the main character working in a parking garage. His job was to validate parking tickets. When customers shop, go to a movie or eat in a restaurant near the parking lot, they can get their parking tickets validated. Then the parking is free.

This employee has special qualities that make him very popular. He is a very positive person and helps others feel good as well. However, even the happiest people can stop smiling. What will happen to this young man? All I can say is there is a lot of positive energy in this short film and I hope it brightens your day. Enjoy!

Now tell the story. Press "comments" below this post and help tell the story. Each person should write two or three sentences of the story. The first person will start the story and each person will continue the story. If the story finishes, the next person will start the story again.

Remember, you will continue the story from where the last person stopped. Replay the video if you need help. I look forward to reading the story:)

What is Canada?

2009-07-01T00:30:00.031-04:00

What is Canada? Let's ask a Canadian. Nadine is a 21 year old university student from the province of British Columbia. She likes to do online videos and has done one for Canada Day. She speaks casually to people who are not from Canada.

Hear what she has to say about Canada. She talks about our geography, our money and what Canadians like to do in Canada. Enjoy!

July 1st is Canada Day. Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day!

2009-06-30T07:09:00.009-04:00

rise up
Originally uploaded by 416style

Canada became a country on July 1, 1867. Not all the provinces joined then, but the federal government was formed. In fact, the western provinces didn't join until 1905 and the Canadian government welcomed Newfoundland in 1949. Also, there has been recent changes. The eleventh province, Nunavut, was formed up north in the 1990's. We also have two northern territories.

John A MacDonald was the father of confederation or the first prime minister of Canada. Canada used to be mostly farms and rural communities, but now there are many urban areas. Canada has several big cities and this is a picture of downtown Toronto. ' TO ' is the biggest city in Canada and one of the largest cities in the world. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has a population of over 5 million.

What do Canadians do for Canada Day? There will be lots of Canadian flags and free activities. Toronto has activities at the main squares. There is always live music and the best part is the fireworks at night. Ontario Place always has a grand show over Lake Ontario. And don't forget the backyard barbecues. Get out the cold drinks. It's summer!

Unfortunately, this year Toronto has a city strike. This means a lot of Canada Day celebrations could be cancelled, but the rest of Canada will not be affected. The capital, Ottawa, is fun place to visit around Canada Day. There's a parade and lots of entertainment downtown. It's hard to get a hotel that weekend because its such a popular holiday destination.

Strike or no strike, Torontonians and the rest of Canada will celebrate our national holiday. Tomorrow is Canada's birthday!

Music Monday: Michael Jackson Tribute

2009-06-29T00:05:00.008-04:00

Not at all what I expected. This Michael Jackson tribute is done by inmates in CPDRC, a maximum security prison in the Philippines. It is surprisingly peaceful and I'm sure you'll recognize the tunes.

While I was listening and watching this tribute, I realized Michael Jackson's music career was more than 40 years in total. He was the lead singer of the Jackson 5 at 11 years old. Also, I remember seeing an old American award show where Michael was a little boy and already popular on stage. I don't think he ever had a chance to grow up normal.

Because he had tremendous fame at such a young age, I'm sure it was difficult to ever live a private life. He was married briefly to Elvis Presley's daughter who also grew up in the public eye. Hearing of Michael Jackson's death, Lisa Marie Presley recently wrote on My Space that Michael was often surrounded by vampires and leeches. This means other people would want to know him and use him since he was famous.

It's a sad ending, but people all over the world are acknowledging his contribution to music and his ability to perform. I watched parts of Jackson's music concerts and some music videos. He really had great dance moves. Do you know his famous moon walk? Have you seen the choreography in his spooky "Thriller" video?

So here is the inmates in Cebu, the Philippines. Byran Garcia who is the head of the prison started these choreographed exercise routines for the inmates. The first two, "Ben" and "I'll Be There", are earlier songs. The last song, "We Are the World", was written and composed by Michael Jackson.

According to Wikipedia, the dancing inmates started to become popular a couple of years ago. They used the "Thriller" video/music by Michael Jackson, and it was uploaded in July, 2007 to Youtube. Jackson's Thriller became the world's biggest selling album of all times. The 25th Thriller Anniversary Album was released in 2008.

English Mania

2009-06-23T15:58:00.005-04:00

English is becoming more popular all over the world as a second language. Why? English is a universal language. That means English is a world language and many countries are using English to understand world issues. For some time, English has been one of the official languages for business communication.

As a teacher of English, I often wonder what will happen to the English language. Many old words from other languages make up the English vocabulary, and the English language is always growing. Each year new words are added to the dictionary. For example, technology advancements has added many new words to the dictionary. Even some expressions like "cool" add new meanings to words.

My biggest concern is what will happen to English grammar? If more people use English as their second language, will less and less people speak it well? How important is it to speak perfect English? No one speaks Shakespeare English in modern times, but in 50 years what will pass as spoken and written English?

In the following video, Jay Walker talks about English mania in other parts of the world. Mania means to have a lot of enthusiasm or excitement. Are people getting excited about learning English? Watch the video and find out.

How important is the English language in your country? Do students study for an important English test? Write a short comment about English tests in your country.

Film Festivals 3: Signs Part 2

2009-06-18T06:04:00.037-04:00

STOP! Signs Part 2 is the ending of the story.

Please watch Part one of Signs first. It is below this page or post.
After you watch part one, you will appreciate the ending of this romantic comedy.

Here are two alternative endings to Signs. Which ending do you like best?

Version 2 (by Saba)

Jason slept. The next day, he got up sad and he went to work like every day. But that day, he was a little late. Just as he arrived at work, the men were taking off a note from the window. The note said, "Out of the office a 10:00 am" and she had drawn a happy face.

Version 3 (by Kiana)

The next day, Jason went to work. He tried to find the girl, but he couldn't get any information. so he got disappointed and felt sad. Finally, one day the girl came to his office and surprised him. They met a couple of times and fell in love.

Related posts:
Film Festivals 2
Film Festivals

Film Festivals 3: Signs

2009-06-17T06:16:00.006-04:00

Signs is a romantic comedy directed by Patrick Hughes who is from Australia. It's part of the Shweepes Short Film Festival. It's your typical love story where boy meets girl and falls in love. However, this time its a bit different because they find a fun way to communicate.

Watch part one of Signs. Then go to "comments" and write an ending to the story. What will happen next? Write a few sentences.

To be continued. Part 2 of Signs will be shown tomorrow.

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Pronunciation: Thought Groups

2009-06-11T00:05:00.006-04:00

What are thought groups?

When we talk, we do not separate every word. This is difficult to understand. We join several words together to form a complete idea. One idea is a thought group.

Here's an example. ( / ) is used to separate thought groups. ( / ) is for a pause or a short stop. At the end of the sentence ( // ) is used. ( // ) is for a longer pause or full stop.

Yesterday, / I went swimming / with my friends / at the community centre. //

Why are thought groups important?

It is easier for people to understand you when you speak.
It is easier to hear people when you listen.
Thinking in thought groups improves your reading speed and comprehension as well.

How to use thought groups?

Thought groups are part of the rhythm of the language. The last word in each thought group is stressed. To stress a word, you must say it louder, longer and clearer. Here's the example sentence again with the stressed words in colour.

Yesterday, / I went swimming / with my friends / at the community centre. //

Pausing and stressing are just part of the natural rhythm of the language, but they help a lot.

Would you like to learn more about pausing and thought groups?

Watch the video below to understand when to pause and how to group words. Remember, thought groups can improve your listening, speaking and reading comprehension.

Thought Groups - part 1

Music Monday: Feist

2009-06-08T06:53:00.017-04:00

Many popular musicians and actors have performed on the American television show, Sesame Street. It's an educational children's series that has been a favourite for years. The puppets, called muppets, have educated more than one generation of kids. The Canadian singer, Feist, joined the muppets in their 39th season in 2008. She taught children to count and sang with the muppets. Feist sings her song, 1,2,3,4. She uses the same music, but changes the words a bit.

Feist is a Canadian singer-songwriter and was the big winner in 2008 at the Canadian Juno Awards. She won 5 awards including Song of the Year and Album of the Year. Feist's last album was The Reminder in 2007. Leslie Feist was born in 1976 in the one of maritime provinces, Nova Scotia. Both her parents are artists. She later moved west to Calgary and eventually to Toronto. Since the 90s, Feist has been recording pop rock and indie music. Indie music is alternative rock. Indie musicians like to be independent and don't want to create main stream or commercial music.*

Below is one of Feist's songs called My Moon My Man. Under the video is also the words. It is often hard to hear the words to songs, so I have included the lyrics. Songs have verses just like poems have verses. Like poems, the meaning of songs are not always clear. Just enjoy songs. Don't try to analyse every line. I think its a love song.

My moon, my man
So changeable and
Such a lovable lamb to me

My care, my coat
Leave on a high note
There's nowhere to go but on

Heart on my sleeve
Not where it should be
The song's out of key again

My moon's white face
What day and what phase
It's the calendar page again

Take it slow
Take it easy on me
And shed some light
Shed some light on me please
Take it slow
And shed some light
Shed some light on me please

My moon and me
Not as good as we've been
It's the dirtiest clean I know

My care, my coat
Leave on a high note
There's nowhere to go
There's nowhere to go

Take it slow
Take it easy on me
And shed some light
Shed some light on me please
Take it slow
And shed some light
Shed some light on me please

My moon my moon my man
My moon my moon my man
My moon my moon my man
My moon my moon my man

Feist has her own website. To listen to more of Feist's songs press here and then look for 'video' at the top of the page.

*Biography source: Wikipedia

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Wanna be Wednesday 6/3

2009-06-03T06:52:00.008-04:00

I want to be the prime minister of Canada. That's what William Shatner, a famous Canadian actor says. Here he talks about being the governor general of Canada who is the representative of the Queen of England, and then the top position in the government, the PM or prime minister.

Our present governor general is Michaelle Jean and the prime minister is Steven Harper. His party, the conservatives are the biggest party in Canada and he is the leader of the conservative party. He leads the country because his party has the most politicians elected to parliament. He has been elected for the second time. In Canada, elections are usually every four years. I didn't vote for Harper and the majority of people in the city of Toronto did not vote for him either. I don't think he cares much about Toronto. Other major parties include the liberals and the NDP.

How did William Shatner become famous?

Television. His biggest claim to fame is the star in a science fiction adventure. He was Captain Kirk of the Starship Enterprise in the T.V. series, Star Trek in the sixties. He has done other series and most recently stars in Boston Legal where he plays a lawyer in his law firm.

Why is Star Trek important?

It started a chain of television programs and movies at the theatre. The latest is an excellent movie called, Star Trek.

Would you like to watch a preview of the movie?

I saw Star Trek and it was really entertaining. This science fiction movie has got a lot of positive reviews. The original character from the sixties television program, Spock, stars in the movie. In the movie trailer or advertisement, you will see two characters with pointed ears, one is the senior Spock and the other is the young Spock character. Spock was second in command and Kirk was the captain of the Starship Enterprise in the original television series. As Spock says, "Live long and prosper."

Talk Show Tuesday: The Daily English Show

2009-06-02T06:17:00.003-04:00

The Daily English Show is presented by Sarah. She is presently living in Neseko, Japan and is from New Zealand. Most Mondays, Sarah has guests on her show, and Derek is interviewed here. He is presently working in Japan too.

Sarah starts the Daily English Show by introducing Derek, then she does "Stick News", and finally, she continues her interview with Derek. During the interview, Derek talks about two ski mountains, Niseko and Whistler. Whistler is north of Vancouver in British Columbia. In fact, I skied there a couple of years ago, and it definitely beats the Quebec mountains. Some of the trails go on and on and on. While we were there, they were preparing some of the runs for the Winter Olympic Games. One of my favourite runs was the Lady's Slalom which is where some of the ski races will be this winter. Go Canada!

Sarah ends her program with a true and false quiz about Derek's interview. After you finish the oral quiz, try the six questions below. Press "see how you did" to see the correct answers. Later on, you may want to press "transcript" for the conversation. As well, you may like to review the "notes". There, some of the expressions and words are explained.

Interview With Derek

Spring in Toronto 3

2009-05-28T06:14:00.059-04:00

It's time to see the baby animals at Toronto Zoo. Also, do you know about the two free parks where you can enjoy a stroll and see some animals too? These are my favourite places to be near nature. All three of these places feel like you have left the city. All that green space relaxes you especially on a spring day.

1. Riverdale Farm

Riverdale Sheep by Glossy Eye

Riverdale farm was the first Toronto Zoo. The old zoo had small buildings with caged openings to see the exotic animals. In fact, the old monkey cage is still there near the stone bridge and the pond. Look for the turtles in that pond. There's several.

So what's at the farm?

There is a restored farm house with a front porch surrounded by colourful flowers and bushes. In the front of the porch is the start of a park. Here you can listen to free music concerts in the summer. Nearby, there is wading pool for the younger children and some picnic tables near the tall mature trees.

Beside the farm house is the entrance to the farm. To the left is the barn for the horses and a donkey. There are sheep and also pigs. Because it's spring, there may be some lambs. Other fenced areas hold animals for us city people to watch. I remember the cool waterfall in the forest area beside one of the walking paths.

Behind the farm house is modern building. It is used for community activities and there is a play centre for young children. As you can see, young children and families enjoy the Riverdale Farm.

Where is it?

In Cabbagetown. It's on Sumach Street which is near Parliament and Gerrard. You can get there by TTC. On the weekend, you can park there, but sometimes you have to park on the next street.

2. High Park

An Emu in High Park by Neil Aiston

Trees and more trees. This park is huge! It's got a restaurant, a public swimming pool, long bike trails, a children's playground, Grenadier Pond and don't forget the free zoo. The animals are outside enclosed by high wire fences. There are maybe a dozen different kinds of animals.

Where is it?

The west end of the city. You can take the Bloor subway line to High Park stop. My family has taken bikes on the subway, so we could bike in the park. By car, it's near Bloor and Keele.

3. The Toronto Zoo

www.day-trips.ca/content/toronto-zoo

This modern zoo opened in the seventies. It's huge! Be sure to wear your walking shoes and a hat. There are several large buildings where animals and sea creatures from different countries or areas can be viewed. Also, many of the exotic animals roam around in the large open spaces.

Also, there is a water park for kids. Bring a picnic lunch or visit one of the several restaurants. Special visiting animal exhibitions are popular. The stingray exhibition started this May. Press here for more information.

Where is it?

In the east end of Toronto. It's on Meadowvale Road in Scarbourough. It's off the Highway 401 by car or take the TTC. There are buses that go out to the zoo.

Today it is raining, so I am writing this post. But hopefully it will be better weather soon. The trees look so good with new leaves and the spring flowers do wonders for us all:)

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Put Down Your Cell Phone

2009-05-27T07:03:00.001-04:00

Do you know about the recent Ontario legislation about no cell phones while driving?

Drivers must pull over if they want to talk on a cell phone. Drivers can talk on a phone while driving if they use hand-free devices such as a cell phone with a head set or speaker phone. Basically, you must be able to keep both hands on the wheel. Those caught using their cell phone while driving may be fined and possibly lose demerit points off their license. When fully licensed drivers get fifteen demerit points, their driver's license is suspended. Not all the provinces in Canada have this law at this time.

What's the video about?

It's a news report on a study about driving a car and using a cell phone at the same time.

How to do the listening quiz?

Press questions. First, read the questions and then listen to the video. After you complete the questions, press "see how you did" to find the answers to the quiz.

Do you want to add a comment?

Press comment at the bottom of this post. Do you agree or disagree? Should the Ontario government ban cell phone use while driving?

Benefits of Using Cell Phones while Driving!

Music Monday 4/25

2009-05-25T07:08:00.000-04:00

Here's part of a song, All I Need by Radiohead.

First, watch this artistic music video. The dancers move beautifully and the photography is awesome.
The second time listen for the missing words in the quiz. Words from songs are often difficult to hear, so just pick up a few phrases by doing the quiz. Read the three questions from the quiz before you play the song again.
Finally, Do you know what kind of song it is? A love song. What sentence is repeated? "You are all I need." Check out the verses to the song by pressing 'transcript'.
You may like to watch this music video again now.

All I need by &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Radiohead&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Another Step: Twitter Can Be Fun Or Useful

2009-05-19T17:43:00.002-04:00

Where is Twitter on this blog?

Look at the side of the blog. At the side and above the list of 'labels' is the most recent updates from Twitter. There are about five entries or short posts. Remember a Twitter message or "tweet" can be a maximum of 140 characters or about one or two sentences. Some of the messages have links to my blog and other messages go to outside web sites. The messages can come from me or I can copy or "retweet' messages from other people. Twitter is like a mini blog. My Twitter name is realcanenglish which is a short form for this blog, Real Canadian English.

What can you read in one or two sentences?

A variety of English communication. I can post

Proverbs
Wise sayings
Idioms and expressions

I can chat about everyday topics like

The Toronto weather
Current News
Holidays

I can use links. Press on the underlined words for

More readings
Grammar practice
Interesting photos
The occasional video

I can direct you to my blog for

The latest blog post
An assigned blog post

How often do these messages change?

I try to write new messages every week. It's a good idea to check the Twitter entries each time you visit the blog.

Job Interview Tips

2009-05-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

Job Interview: How to approach personal questions

After you are finished the listening quiz, check your answers by pressing, "see how you did". Also, under the video is the word, transcript. Press on the word, transcript, and you can listen again and read the words at the same time.

Celebrating Nurses

2009-05-11T17:53:00.001-04:00

Nursing Week has started. I'd like to say thank you to all those hard working, dedicated nurses who have helped to put the "care" in health care in Ontario and around the world.

Spring in Toronto 2

2009-05-07T06:05:00.003-04:00

Tulips in Bloom
Originally uploaded by szuberi

May means spring flowers and trees. Enjoy the tulips and cherry trees at High Park. Edwards Garden and Osgoode Hall, York University also have those beautiful pink cherry blossoms.

Netherlands' Gift of Spring Flowers

2009-05-07T06:00:00.008-04:00

It was the love for the Dutch's royal mother that started the annual gift of tulips to Ottawa. During World War 2, Princess Juliana and her two children fled the violence in the Netherlands and took refuge in Canada. Then came the birth of the royal family's third child, Margriet which means daisy. There was one problem. How could the royal child be an official citizen of the Netherlands? The baby was born in Canada, but a room at the Ottawa Civic Hospital was declared 'Dutch soil'. Margriet was born January 19,1943, and the royal mother and her children continued life in Canada.

In 1945 the government became more stable, so the princess and her children were able to return to the Netherlands. In thanks, the Dutch people sent a gift of 100,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa, the capital of Canada. The following year, Princess Juliana sent 10,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa.

Each year, the Netherlands continued to give thousands of tulips to the capital of Canada. About five years ago, Queen Juliana died at the age of 94, but the Dutch Royal family decided to continue the tradition in memory of the late queen.

The Ottawa Tulip Festival begins every May in Ottawa. It is Canada's biggest tulip festival. For more information about the Tulip Festival and the gift of the tulips, visit the Ottawa tourism site. Ottawa is a fun place to visit in the spring or summer. Be sure to rent a bike and enjoy the many parks and gardens along the canal.

Did you like this post? Find "Subscribe To" on the right side. Press "posts" and get lots more.

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Wanna be Wednesday 5/6

2009-05-06T06:00:00.008-04:00

I want to be a good mother; not an ideal mother.........just a good mother. Some day I hope to be a good grandmother too, but that is a long way off. Enjoy this slide show called "Mothers in All Colours"

Mothers and children

View more presentations from taxalia.

This Sunday is Mothers Day, a holiday to show appreciation to our mothers. Every child grows up with mother role models. We watch our own mothers, other people's mothers, and our parent's mothers. We read about mothers in stories, and we watch actors play mothers. There are even famous 'mothers' like the Queen Mother of England and Mother Teresa.

Mother Teresa was born in Albania August 26, 1910 and later became a citizen of India. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1972. Mother Teresa was a very wise humanitarian. Although she died September 5, 1997, people have not forgotten her caring ways. She was quoted often. She had a unique definition of poverty. She said,

We think sometimes poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.

..........Everybody today seems to be in a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of the peace of the world.*

.
Her words are untimely. She believed in a spiritual poverty; not a material poverty. I think Mother Teresa is a good role model for all mothers and anyone who wants to add love to their everyday life.

Do you have a role model? Who? Why is that person a good mother? Add a comment of 2 or 3 sentences.

* Source of quotes:Vijay2623@slideshare

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It's Friday! TGIF

2009-05-01T06:18:00.002-04:00

TGIF means thank goodness it's Friday. You will hear Canadians say TGIF on Friday after they have worked hard all week. On Friday, we start to get in the weekend mood. Here's a short ESL video where people are stopped on the street and asked the question, "What do you do for fun?" The people have different accents. One man who is interviewed says he is from Ireland.

You will hear the interviews two times. The first version is good because it has no subtitles. The second time the words are added, so you can follow the conversation at the bottom of the video. So, what do you do for fun on the weekend?

Music Monday: Disney Nature "Earth"

2009-04-27T06:06:00.014-04:00

Tim Allen composed and performed the music in this Disney Nature video.

'Mandy the movie guy' does interviews for movies on T.V. and radio. Mandy moved from the Philippines in 1988. He attended university in America before he started his career. Mandy interviewed the writers/directors of Disney Nature "Earth", Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield. They talked about why they chose to make this movie and some of the difficulties in working on this documentary.

Disney Nature "Earth" is in the first week at the movie theatres. "Earth" opened on Earth Day, April 22, 2009. The Disney film is about three mother animals, a polar bear, a hunchback whale and an elephant. Their babies represent the next generation - a generation which will need our protection. I enjoy nature documentaries and I hope to see "Earth" soon.

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Film Festivals 2: A Narration

2009-04-24T12:21:00.033-04:00

The rabbit was running freely in the pasture. It was listening to the birds singing and enjoying the beautiful environment. However, the rabbit didn't realize a calamity was coming! A girl, who had a knife, saw it and chased after it. The rabbit ran very fast to avoid being caught by her. Suddenly, a boy jumped down from a tree and crushed the rabbit.

After that, the boy took the rabbit and went into the house. The girl followed him. When they were inside, the girl cut the rabbit into two pieces while the boy was holding it. The idol was inside the rabbit. The idol had magical powers that could change things to some other things like insects to jewels and cages to pie. He ate jam to get power to make magical things.

When the boy and girl knew the idol could let wasps become jewels, they decided to catch the idol and limit his actions. The girl made a lot of apple jam and put it in a big container. Then they took the container out of the house. The idol followed her outside and ate the apple jam. While he was eating, many wasps and flies were flying around him. The idol made the insects become a lot of jewels, feathers and ink. The boy was happy and took those jewels into their house.

The boy and girl decided to bring all the boxes of ink and feathers to town. They sold them at the store to buy more jam. While they were going to the store, the idol changed things to a crown and a gun at their home. Meanwhile, the rabbit came back to their house and changed into a tiger. It caught the idol. At that time, the children returned home and opened the door.

The children wanted to protect the idol. They took the gun and killed the tiger. After this, the tiger changed into a rabbit. The boy tried to catch the rabbit to kill it, but suddenly a lot of centipedes came out from all the boxes of jewels. The centipedes covered the children. Eventually, the children were not able to defend themselves against the centipedes. Now the rabbit, which had the idol, could regain its freedom and run on the grass.

In conclusion, we should always rely on real things instead of imaginary things. When you achieve something without trying, the probability of losing it quickly is high.

The story teaches us the fact that nothing can be constructed on the basis of a destruction. As it seems, the main figures in this story, the children, were convinced that with little effort they could have much much more. But in the end, they are entrapped in their plan to have unbelievable wealth and power. It also shows that during childhood and adolescence, people tend to think magically and are more interested in accessing big goals with little effort. But in my view, the story was told in an unpleasant style and creates, especially with the disturbing music,a sense of fear and anxious feelings.

To see the first draft of this story go to the comments section of the post, Festival 2. This story was written about the short animation film, "Rabbit". To check out this award winning film by Run Wrake, press here.

Talk Show Tuesday: Oprah

2009-04-21T06:00:00.010-04:00

A lot of people tuned in to watch The Oprah Winfrey Show last week. Oprah's topic was Twitter and her guest was the movie and T.V. star, Ashton Kutcher. Why Kutcher? He just got 1 million people to follow him by asking people to join his Twitter site, twitter.com/aplusk. Kutcher had a public competition with the News station, CNN. This T.V. station also reached 1 million, but Kutcher got there about a half an hour earlier. He became the first to have 1 million members!

Twitter is a free social network service on the Internet. Twitter just turned three years old on March 21st and has been growing like crazy. At the beginning of 2009, Twitter had 6 million followers and by the end of February, it had 10 million*. It has hit mainstream! I joined it, but at first I snubbed it. I didn't understand. How could people spend their time sending and reading one or two sentence messages? It's suppose to be at the moment and answer the question, "What are you doing?" But it's not that simple.

It's about sharing thoughts and ideas. Join famous people's sites like Ashton Kutcher or Oprah. Join up with ordinary people who share one of your interests such as photography or just living in Toronto. Look up professionals or companies related to your work. Join news sites, blog sites, music sites...... Don't forget your relatives and friends. They can join your site.

First, view Ashton Kutcher talking about wanting to get 1 million followers. Then the second video shows The Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah talks about Twitter and being a a new user of Twitter. Also, she interviews Ashton Kutcher.

My Twitter site for Real Canadian English is at the side of this page. Some of my entries or posts have links. If you press on the underlined words, you will go to more information.

To truly understand Twitter, you need to join and use Twitter for awhile. You need a user name and a password. The URL is http://twitter.com Not everyone likes it. If you do join, you might find these tips useful. Press here.

*source:comScore media Metrix, 2009

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Music Monday: Susan Boyle

2009-04-20T06:00:00.028-04:00

Whose Susan Boyle? About a week ago, she was an unknown woman who lived in a village in Scotland. Then she came to the auditions for a popular British television show, Britains Got Talent, 2009. Susan was interviewed before the show. This is what she said.

My name is Susan Boyle. I'm nearly 48. Presently unemployed, but still looking. I'm going to sing on Britains Got Talent...I live alone with my cat, Pebbles.....Never been married. Never been kissed....Shame.

She's been singing since she was 12 and always wanted to perform in front of a large audience.

When you watch Ms. Boyle on T.V., be sure to observe the audience and judges body language before, during and after her performance. To go to Susan"s Boyle's performance, press here. Then come back. There's more.

Thank you Susan Boyle! You have warmed hearts and put a smile on so many faces. In the last week, millions of people from around the world have been wowed by her song. Here's a couple of sincere responses from ordinary people.

I'd like to leave you with one more video. This time you will see a family watching Susan's performance.(Sorry, it was disabled today.) It was the same in our house. Sharing the moment is a really positive experience. My son and husband shared it with me. Then I enjoyed sharing the video with my daughter and watching her reaction. Some people have said they cried. Others said the performance gave them goosebumps.

The song is "I Dream a Dream" from the musical, Les Miserables. The lyrics or the words for the song are under this last video. Susan said she would like to be as successful as the famous singer, Elaine Page. Here's Page's version. Which do you prefer? You can listen and follow the words if you like.

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.

Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used
And wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung
No wine untasted.

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
As they turn your dream to shame.

And still
I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms
We cannot weather...

I had a dream my life would be
So different form this hell I'm living
so different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed
The dream I dreamed.

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Music Monday

Film Festivals 2

2009-04-16T06:55:00.013-04:00

"Rabbit" is a short animation film by Run Wrake. "Rabbit" has been shown at film festivals all over the world including Ireland, Portugal, Brazil, Australia and Japan. One of the film's first screenings was at Trafalgar Square in London, England as part of the London Festival. The next summer, in 2006, it was shown on the giant 50 foot open-air-screen in Hyde Park, New York City. "Rabbit " was shown before the main feature film. Run Wrake's film has received many animation and short film awards.

"Rabbit" feels like a 1950's school reader. According to Photoshoppix, Wrake found some old stickers in a junk shop and used them in this film. He started with about 200 stickers and it took him about a year to make this short animation film.

This animation film is not meant for children. While colourful children's illustrations are used, "Rabbit" has a serious tone. The boy and girl in the story have a major flaw and there is a clear moral or lesson for the viewers.

For English language learners, you may like the unusual setting. It's a bit like a picture dictionary. You'll see what I mean by watching it. Rabbit is a strange artistic film.

Now tell the story. Press "comments" below this post and help tell the story. Each person should write two or three sentences of the story. The first person will start the story and each person will continue the story. If the story finishes, the next person will start the story again.

Remember, you will continue the story from where the last person stopped. Replay the video if you need help. I look forward to reading the story:)

Talk Show Tuesday: Ellen Degeneres

2009-04-14T07:00:00.002-04:00

Watching television is a great way to learn English. It trains your ear to listen to the faster paced English. It keeps vocabulary alive. Real conversations teach social conventions, slang and pronunciation.

Choose a talk show you enjoy.

Take a look on television and watch about three different talk shows. You can find them in the T.V. guide. Take a look at each and choose your favourite. That's the one you can watch regularly. Two or three times a week is good if you have the time.

But I don't understand?!

Give it some time. After about five or six times, you will get comfortable with your talk host. You'll start to understand her routine, her body language and her personality. Some students like to tape shows and watch them again.

I wish I could hear all the words.

No, you won't understand every word, but do you need to hear every word? I often half listen to people on T.V. and don't worry what I miss. Pick up clues from the body language as well. Be satisfied with parts of conversations. If you can laugh at the following talk show, then you enjoyed it and you were socially engaged in English.

I'm not learning.

Yes, you are. Communicating is not just words. It's understanding behaviour, predicting what will happen next and reading cultural clues. People are generally very social and polite on talk shows, so talk show hosts can be good role models.

Also, the guests are sometimes famous Americans. So the next time someone talks about that person, you won't be lost. You will know who they are, what they look like and little bit about them. Culture adds a lot of vocabulary to the English language.

Most important, talk show hosts find topics of interest and talk about current events. Some are able to find the unusual to perk our interests. Ellen Degeneres has a lot of fun with her Hawaii chairs. You'll enjoy it too.

Now, that makes me laugh! Ellen can be really funny:)

According to TV.com, the five most popular talk shows are:

The Tyra Banks Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
The Ellen Degeneres Show

The American list should help you get started, but there are lots more. In Canada, you can catch some talk shows on CBC. Add a comment if you have found a talk show you enjoy. Others will appreciate your help. Do you know any of the top five talk shows?

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Speaking: The Weather

2009-04-13T07:57:00.018-04:00

Canadians are always talking about the weather? Why?

We have four seasons about three months each. March 20th was the first day of spring!
The change from one season to the next can be gradual or abrupt. It's never the same each year. This spring, we had a few warm days, but now its cooler again.
We have a lot of extreme conditions. Too hot. Too cold. Too much snow....
The precipitation changes year to year. This year, we shovelled a lot of snow! Last summer, it rained a lot.
The weather can change from morning to afternoon, day to day and week to week.

Small talk: Weather is a great opener for small talk or short two or three minute conversations. Here's some common questions to ask about the weather.

What's the weather like? or What's it like out?
Is it hot/cold enough for you?
Is it going to rain/snow today?
Is it going to warm up today/ this week?
What's the forecast for this week/ the next few days?
What's the temperature?
Isn't it beautiful?

Now it's April, and it's colder than usual for April. Yet, it's not unusual to see snow in late March or early April. Take a look at April 7th in Toronto.

So, when will spring arrive in Toronto? I hope earlier than in 2008. That year, it seemed like it was never going to stop snowing and I remember skiing in late March. Follow the change from winter to spring in 2008. At least, spring started a bit earlier this year.

One thing for certain. Spring means rain. Here's some vocabulary and expressions for rainy conditions.

There is a light drizzle: very light rain
There are showers: light rain
It's pouring: heavy rain
It's raining cats and dogs: heavy rain
There is thunder and lightening: usually during a storm, you see light and hear noises in the sky

But remember, April showers bring May flowers!

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How To Flirt With Men

2009-04-09T07:00:00.008-04:00

Watch this 'computer program' with a boyfriend and girlfriend who are computer people. The couple move around like dolls or puppets and the narrator uses a mechanical voice. There are five questions and you are to choose the correct answer a, b or c. The questions are about appearance, eye contact, body language, conversation and touch. It's meant to be entertaining and not to be taken seriously.

The listening quiz is to help you with vocabulary. Check the answers for the quiz.

How to flirt with men

So, what kind of flirt are you? The ice queen, the desperado or the minx.

Wanna be Wednesday 4/8

2009-04-08T08:00:00.008-04:00

www.superpoop.com

I want to be a small furry animal with long ears and short fluffy tail. That's right a rabbit, but not just any rabbit. I want to be the Easter Bunny, so I can deliver chocolates and candy eggs to all the young children all over the world. In Canada, the Easter Bunny hides these sweets during the night and the children search for them on Easter morning. Some children find their goodies in a basket and others discover one or two chocolate presents often in the shape of spring symbol like a bunny or an egg.

What is Easter?

Easter is important to Christians because it is a religious date. Here is an introduction to Easter.

Easter

View more presentations from indezine_powerpoint.

Why is Friday a holiday?

It was started by the many Christians in Canada. Good Friday is the day Jesus, the son of God, died. People buy white lilies which represent the flower of hope and life. On Easter Sunday, some also have hot cross buns which are small round bread with a cross on the top representing the cross Jesus died on.

Why is Easter considered a spring holiday too?

It's roots go back to pagan times when people celebrated the goddess of dawn and fertility called Eostur. Spring and fertility is represented in popular Easter images such as chicks, bunnies, lambs and eggs. Also, people decorate with spring flowers like crocuses, tulips, and yellow daffodils.

Another tradition is decorating eggs. I have decorated eggs with my children. First, we would prepare the egg by removing the raw egg. You can make a small whole at each end and then blow hard into the top hole. This pushes the raw egg out the bottom hole and the liquid can be collected in a bowl. We'd save the raw egg for the next meal. Some people hard boil the eggs. Then the eggs are dyed with food colouring in glasses of water. The pastel eggs are often displayed in baskets or hung on a branch.

Easter is Sunday. Happy Easter!

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Spring in Toronto

2009-04-03T10:55:00.044-04:00

Toronto Pillow Fight by Reza Vaziri

March 21, 2009, Torontonians met downtown for some fun at Dundas Square near the Eatons Centre. Everyone brought a pillow for a massive pillow fight! There were lots of young people and parents arrived with their children. Some of the participants wore silly costumes to celebrate the free cultural event. At 3:00 p.m., the signal was given and the annual Toronto Pillow Fight began.

The participants had to follow some simple guidelines. Newmindspace helped organize the annual event and here's their suggested rules.

Rules: Please follow these guidelines to ensure a safe and fun pillow fight for everybody!

+ Soft pillows only!
+ Swing lightly, many people will be swinging at once.
+ Do not swing at people without pillows or with cameras.
+ Remove glasses beforehand!
+ Wait until the 3:00 to begin.
+ Pillow fight ends when the sun sets.
+ Do not abandon your pillow at the location.

Cleanup: Please limit your use of feathers. As the pillow fight grows in size, so does the mess. By participating, you are pledging to clean up twice the mess you made :)

Good news for those outside of Toronto: Tomorrow is World Pillow Fight Day!

In Canada, Quebec City and Vancouver have signed up for Saturday, April 4th. Many cities all over the world from New York City, US to Paris, France to Cape Town, Africa will hold massive pillow fights.

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Wanna be Wednesday 4/1

2009-04-01T00:37:00.005-04:00

superpoop.com

I want to be farmer. Then I could train chickens to mother puppies. This farmer decided to give the puppy, Lucy, to the hen after the mother dog died in a tragic accident. The hen kept Lucy warm and looked after the poor little thing. The dog thought it was a chicken and would follow the mother hen everywhere. Lucy had to be given puppy food, but she would peck at it like the mother hen.

Also, I want to be a modern cowboy. I saw this commercial on television. Now that cats are worth more money than cows, cowboys are finding jobs herding cats. I love cats. Watch this video and you'll see the cowboys describe their new work. Press here.

So, maybe you don't believe these two stories? April fools!

The real truth is I want to be a practical joker, so I can try to trick people. It's fun to play practical jokes and on April 1st until noon, people get tricked. Even newspapers have fun on April Fools.

Music Monday

2009-03-30T13:14:00.047-04:00

Did you watch the Juno Awards?

Sunday night, many Canadians watched the Juno Awards in Vancouver, British Columbia. Last year, more than a million television viewers watched our talented singers and musicians on stage. For the 38th Annual Juno Awards, the lighting, the sets and the performances were the best yet. The big names, Nickleback, Sarah McLachlan and Bryan Adams, performed. The duet by Bryan Adams and Kathleen Edwards was awesome! Presenters included multiple Juno Award winners, Buffy Saint-Marie and K.D Lang, Dianna Krall and her husband, Elvis Castello, as well as Michael Buble`.

Who won?

The two big winners were the band, Nickleback from Alberta and Sam Roberts from Montreal, Quebec. Nickleback got three Juno Awards, The Fan Choice Award, Group of the Year and Album of the Year for "Dark Horses". Sam Roberts received two Juno Awards, Artist of the Year and rock Album of the Year for "Love at the End of the World.

Who was the first Canadian artist chosen to sing at the Juno Awards?

Sarah McLachlan. So let's here one of her most popular songs, "In the Arms of an Angel".

Here's some English tips before you listen.

Relax and enjoy.
Don't try to hear all the words. You'll pick up some repeated phrases.
Songs have verses like stories have paragraphs. The repeated verse is called the chorus. Listen carefully and you might hear the chorus.
Songs are like poems and they can be difficult to understand. It is not important to understand every phrase
You should be able understand the main idea and the mood of the song.

What's special about this performance?

Sarah McLachlan sings "In the Arms of an Angel" as a duet. Sarah plays the piano and sings and the American singer, Josh Groban sings the song with her.

So, What is "Angel" about?

The song in about dying and going to heaven. You can listen to it again with the lyrics or words.

Would you like to know about Sarah McLachlan?

If you would like to hear some higher quality recordings, you can go to Sarah McLachlan's web site. Her latest album is "Closer, The Best of Sarah McLachlan". You can learn more about Sarah there and enjoy some of her songs. It has music, photos and her biography. Press to go to other music by Sarah McLachlan.

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