different cultures

ELL Bible Study the Simple Way — Dale Fisher

2018-05-16T09:21:16+00:00May 16th, 2018|Dale Fisher, ESL Classroom, ESL Tips|

This year, we were pleased when a family from our Monday night ESL class decided to join our church. They were from a Catholic background but seemed comfortable at our Anglican church. The children quickly fit into Sunday School, and the family said they enjoyed the service. After a few months, I asked them if […]

An Open Door — Allan Pole

2018-04-17T22:10:49+00:00April 17th, 2018|Allan Pole|

When a guest was received in Palestine 2,000 years ago the host performed certain courtesies.  There was the kiss of welcome.  Water was provided to wash the dust from his feet, and oil to anoint his head.  The guests would recline at the meal and there was free access for the passer-by to stop and […]

Kindness Bridges the Gap — Allan Pole

2024-02-06T18:06:27+00:00January 14th, 2018|Allan Pole, General Interest|

When I was a boy I suffered from asthma and hay fever.  Being allergic to hay and growing up on a farm was a tough combination during the summer months.  When the air was thick with dust and pollen I would suffer through some sleepless nights coughing and sneezing.  I vividly remember my mom enduring […]

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Spring Training 2017 – James Edel

2017-06-08T20:30:59+00:00June 8th, 2017|General Interest, James Edel, Spring Training|

~ Spring Training May 22, 2017 – Ooh la la! What a great time at 2017’s Spring Training Conference that Cooperative ESL Ministries hosted!  God is good.  It was so beneficial to connect with each other and the speakers were such a big blessing.  Our theme was Invited in – The Journey so Far, and […]

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Seasonal, Secular, Sacred Christmas — Mary Cummins

2023-12-07T06:23:05+00:00December 20th, 2016|Christmas, ESL Classroom, ESL Tips|

  What is Christmas? In many places in the world, Christmas is the most popular holiday in the year, especially for Christians. It is very nostalgic for many people—the sights, the sounds, the smells—and time spent with family and friends. Since Canada is in the Northern Hemisphere, Christmas comes in the winter season. Thus, we associate Christmas […]

Dialogue Journals to Improve ESL Writing Fluency—Dr. Roswita Dressler

2016-11-28T22:23:49+00:00November 28th, 2016|Dr. Roswita Dressler, ESL Classroom, ESL Tips|

Sometimes we tell our students not to worry so much about how accurate their writing is, but to just take risks and write. Then we fall into the trip of correcting their grammar or spelling and we wonder, are we sending the wrong message. While many of our students care about writing correctly, it can […]

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Welcome One Another and Be a ‘Helper’ — Amber Wylie-Moerman

2016-09-05T09:48:18+00:00September 5th, 2016|Amber Wylie-Moerman, General Interest, Intercultural Communication|

I saw a quote recently, posted on Facebook that read, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping’ (Fred Rogers).” We see a lot of scary things in the news lately […]

Soul Food Feeds Friendships—Shannon Sutherland Smith

2016-06-17T09:47:48+00:00June 17th, 2016|General Interest, Intercultural Communication, Shannon Sutherland Smith|

Last month, women from Afghanistan, Peru, Mexico, India, Pakistan, Cyprus, Brazil and many other countries squeezed into our church kitchen to season bread crumbs, peel potatoes, baste turkeys and set a table that just seemed to get longer and longer as the morning progressed and we realized just how many people we were going to […]

Blessed in ESL by Earl Stevick—James Edel

2016-06-10T08:58:17+00:00June 10th, 2016|ESL Classroom, ESL Tips, General Interest, James Edel|

Sometimes I think the Professional Development (PD) Day means, for me as a teacher, a day to relax and text a bit, while people talk incessantly about the latest teaching fads, or what the government is currently doing, or which way the pendulum is swinging in our field.  But I was recently rebuked for my disinterest in […]

Middle East Expert Speaking in Calgary

2016-03-16T11:22:07+00:00March 16th, 2016|General Interest|

On April 9, 2016, Middle East expert Peter Twele (MA in Linguistics) will speak at our full-day spring training event Building Bridges: Responding to the Refugee Crisis. Peter carried out research through a number of institutions while residing in the Middle East for 11 years, and for the past 20 years has consulted for various Middle […]

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My Bread and Butter Lesson—James Edel

2016-03-16T10:22:25+00:00March 16th, 2016|ESL Classroom, ESL Tips, General Interest, Intercultural Communication, James Edel|

My ESL class has been studying the Canadian Food Guide. So, we’ve been learning that there are four food groups: Vegetables and Fruit, Grain Products, Milk & Alternatives, and Meat & Alternatives. Tricky situations do emerge. Why are nuts meat? Why are eggs meat? Why are lentils meat? Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Aren’t potatoes […]

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How to Help Refugees with their English—Dale Fisher

2016-01-19T10:23:49+00:00January 19th, 2016|Dale Fisher, ESL Classroom, ESL Tips, Intercultural Communication|

Many groups are responding generously to the call to sponsor Syrian refugees. This is wonderful because these people will need this support, guidance and friendship for many years. CESLM can help with this process because we have a wealth of experience and resources to offer. All refugees will be eligible for free LINC classes, unless […]

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Emigration: Through the Eyes of a Child, Part Two—Karin Kossman

2016-01-19T09:08:20+00:00January 19th, 2016|Emigration, Immigration Stories, Karin Kossman, Through the Eyes of a Newcomer|

Karin Kossman (Jorgensen) emigrated from Denmark to Canada when she was eight years old. Here, she shares part two of her story about life on the ship as they leave Copenhagen for North America. These are Karin’s own words, but they have been mildly edited for clarity. Part One can be viewed here. LIFE ON THE […]

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Syrian Refugees: How Can We Help

2015-12-01T09:17:14+00:00December 1st, 2015|General Interest, Intercultural Communication|

 The Syrian refugee crisis has been prevalent in the media lately, along with Canada’s response. Our new Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has committed to providing shelter for 25,000 refugees who will arrive in Canada in the coming months. Of these, approximately 2,300 will make Calgary their new home*. Last week, sixteen refugees arrived, reuniting with family they […]

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The Struggles Facing Newcomers in Schools

2015-09-04T10:29:44+00:00September 4th, 2015|ESL Classroom, General Interest, Immigration Stories, Intercultural Communication, James Edel|

While many of us have a keen interest in issues facing adult newcomers in Calgary, children of immigrant parents have their own set of struggles.  In the September 2015 issue of Albertaviews, an article entitled “Language Limbo – The urgent need for more ESL instruction in school” by Marcello Di Cintio, called for more attention […]

Child of an Immigrant; Mother of an Immigrant—Dr. Roswita Dressler

2015-07-20T10:14:11+00:00July 20th, 2015|Dr. Roswita Dressler, Immigration Stories, Through the Eyes of a Newcomer|

I grew up as a first generation Canadian. My parents came from Germany, met in Canada, got married and had children. Growing up, I had experiences similar to some of my ESL students’ children. I heard two languages, but was English dominant by the time I went to school. I ate different foods at home […]

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Intercultural Communication: Gestures — Dr. Roswita Dressler

2015-05-19T10:25:35+00:00May 19th, 2015|Dr. Roswita Dressler, ESL Classroom, Intercultural Communication|

Have you ever heard the saying “A smile means the same in any language”? While this statement may be true, it might be one of the few generalizations a person can make about gestures or facial expressions being universal. Gestures are given meaning by the culture in which they are used and since they have […]

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