Conversation Starters—Dale Fisher
About this time of year, we often feel that we could use some new ideas for our conversation classes. Here are four of them. The first, is a great idea I learned from my teaching partner, Cindy Hubert. Adjective + Occupation Activity Cindy handed out a set of cards with occupation titles such as: policeman, photographer, […]
Seasonal, Secular, Sacred Christmas — Mary Cummins
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 […]
A Fond Farewell to Bev Chambers — Dale Fisher
A FOND FAREWELL TO BEV CHAMBERS We were all sad to hear last spring that Bev Chamber’s husband, Norm, had suffered a stroke, and that Bev had to resign from her position of Administrative Coordinator to care for him. How do we say thank you to Bev Chambers for all she has contributed to CESLM? […]
Dialogue Journals to Improve ESL Writing Fluency—Dr. Roswita Dressler
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 […]
Welcome One Another and Be a ‘Helper’ — Amber Wylie-Moerman
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
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
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 […]
The Value of Comics for ESL Learners—Dr. Roswita Dressler
I attended an interesting conference recently on Comics and Contemporary Literacy http://werklund.ucalgary.ca/ldlp/schedule . The speakers were all people who write and draw comic books or graphic novels and the purpose of the conference was to raise awareness as to the strengths of comics as a type of literature that has its own unique characteristics.
Helping Prepare Adult English Learners for Employment—Dale Fisher
When we meet with adult English learners, questions around employment are always near the surface. Those who do not have a job, know they need to get one. Those who have jobs, want to move beyond their “survival” job, to one that better uses their qualifications and experience.
Middle East Expert Speaking in Calgary
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 […]
My Bread and Butter Lesson—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 […]
With a Song in Your Heart—Dr. Roswita Dressler
“L-is for the way you look at me”. I heard Michael Bublé serenading our adult beginner ESL class the other night and I thought to myself “what is up?” When I went in, I discovered that our creative and adventuresome teacher had decided to work with a Valentine’s theme and bring in songs for students […]
How to Help Refugees with their English—Dale Fisher
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 […]
Emigration: Through the Eyes of a Child, Part Two—Karin Kossman
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 […]
Syrian Refugees: How Can We Help
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 […]
Spoken Grammar – Dr. Roswita Dressler
“Full sentences, please.” Have you ever been in a language class where the teacher reminded students to speak in full sentences? Have you ever thought about how odd that request actually is? I recently went to a workshop for English as a Second Language teachers where the presenter, Jane Willis, reminded us that spontaneous speech […]
Be Not Overwhelmed – Dale Fisher
Two weeks ago, I was listening to several excellent speakers at our Reaching Out With English course. I was inspired by the content and the well thought out presentations. But I also sensed that some of the participants were overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information and the realization of how much in involved in […]
The Golden Road to Being a Canadian Citizen – Adeline Tataille-Knisely
I’m very humble and feeling blessed to be granted as a Canadian citizen. It wasn’t something that I even hoped for, but in everything God always has a plan for those who believe. Before I met my Canadian husband, I met a Canadian pastor who was willing to invest in me and supported me to […]
The Struggles Facing Newcomers in Schools
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
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 […]
Discussing Religion in the ESL Classroom—Dale Fisher
It’s helpful to discuss religion in our ESL classrooms because so many of our Canadian celebrations have roots in the Christian or other religious traditions. If we are to be cultural interpreters,
Emigration: Through the Eyes of a Child—Karin Kossman
Headline: Copenhagen News—December 1954 “MOTHER AND SIX CHILDREN SAY GOODBYE TO THE OLD COUNTRY” We will join my father who, for seven months, made enough money blacksmithing in the vast country of Canada, in America, for our departure from our homeland, Denmark. As an eight year old at the time—one of those six children—I […]
Intercultural Communication: Gestures — Dr. Roswita Dressler
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 […]
Home Away From Home Part 2—Yaa Serwaa Somuah
One of the comments I always get from Canadians is, “What a cultural shock, eh?” Most times when I meet people and they get to know that I am a newbie, after the initial interrogations, they say those words. I immigrated from a tropical country where every day was summer. The average temperature throughout the year ranges […]
10 Tips For Dealing With Late ESL Students — James Edel
From the vault: this article originally ran in our May 2013 newsletter. Here are ten tips to help you deal with late students in your ESL class: Start with a bang! Use a mini-lesson or a quick comment based on the front page of the newspaper, so that if students come in late they have missed […]