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to see the description of and link for my current choice. !

Previous choices are archived here.

Interactive Student Resources Recommended by TESL Canada

Canadian Books, Magazines and More

Book Review: for Multi-level, multi-lingual Classrooms

Adding English, by Elizabeth Coelho Grade Level: K-12 (but also useful for multi-level adult classrooms)

Triangle Model of Teaching Competence

Teaching Writing Skills with Weblogs

Teaching in China

Notes on China by Stephen Chappell - an ongoing chronicle. New Additions August, 2010.

David Craig has retired - Check out the pictures of his parties!

Refugees in USA Sending Kids to Canada

Just for Something Different...

A Virtual Tour of ESL Sites

CBC Learning Tool for ESL

Call from Bellevue House for Input to Improve Program for Adult ESL students

"Don't Give Up!"-- A European Union Language Project

TESL Training in Ontario

Website of the Week

If you've found a really useful site, send it along through our Contact page
so we can all share it.

Meanwhile, you will find previously featured websites in the archive at the bottom of this page.

As you may know, we offer 2- hour enhanced educational programs at Bellevue House from November 1- March 31.  Our current programs are for grades 2,5 and 8,  based on the Ontario Curriculum. We are in the process of developing an ESL program to follow along with the ever growing multicultural diversity of our country and to connect Canadians' and New Canadians' hearts and minds to our national treasures.

In creating this program I would like to take this opportunity to ask you for your input and suggestions as to how we could best put to use our resources and knowledgeable specialized staff to suit your needs as ESL educators.

I would like to ask:

We are very excited about developing this program, as the demand has indeed increased over the past few years and your input, suggestions and support would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much for your time and I look forward to working together on creating this program for your students.

George Muggleton
Interpretation Officer/ Coordinator II
Bellevue House National Historic Site of Canada
35 Centre Street
Kingston, ON K7L 4E5

David Craig, a much respected, long-time TESL Kingston member, and former Board member, retired in April

Students threw a party for him at LINC, and staff organized a surprise party at Tir Nan Og.

David will be much missed.

David is well known for his thoroughness in lesson planning. He worked hard to find many ways to ensure full involvement of all students, despite their diverse cultural backgrounds. As is the case wth many ESL instructors, he put in many more hours planning lessons and activities, devising new approaches, and marking and assessing students' progress than he was ever paid for.

But David was never one to complain. he was only interested in teaching as effectively as possible. So a sensitive awareness of the many issues his students faced contributed to his planning. It helped him ensure that communicative activities engaged the students and were relevant to their needs and interests. He shared his personal experiences with the group and also used humour to allow the students to feel more comfortable talking about themselves. He used many group activities because students have to use English amongst themselves to complete tasks or to discuss topics. Small groups also allowed students who rarely speak in class to contribute to discussions. David seldom used teacher-based, lecture-style activities, knowing that the passive role required of the student results in less learning. In short -- David was a very hard-working, enthusiastic and effective ESL teacher.

His teaching career has ranged from  tutoring at Kingston Literacy from 1981 to 1989, (as well as serving on the Board of Directors from 1989 to 1997 as  vice president, president (mostly) and past president), to teaching  
English upgrading and post-secondary communications courses at St. Lawrence College, coordinating and being the main teacher in the college's LMLT program (Labour Market Language Training)--which was the advanced level of LINC in its day, teaching at Queen's School of English, and of course, teaching in the LINC program from 2000 to 2010 .

. TESL Kingston is indebted to David for 3 major contributions: 

1. His faithful years from 2000-2005 as Affiliate Representative to TESL Ontario—a most demanding position, as our current rep can attest! It requires several overnight trips to Toronto each year, sitting through documents and contributing to endless meetings, and then writing and presenting detailed reports to the Board at our meetings.  (We tease him that he stayed so long at that job so he could visit his sister in Toronto and no wonder - many of us have met his sister at conference dinners and she's a lovely lady )

2. He served on the TESL Kingston Executive as its Program Convenor from May 1993 to 1997. During this time, he planned and facilitated all the workshops and AGMs, and then continued on as a key advisor and helper. The great set of direction arrows that he made and posted at workshop sites during the years that we moved so often from place to place were equally important, as they were always posted in plenty of time for all to follow, so our attendees could find our workshop location.

3. David was also an active supporter of getting our website underway at a time when many were not sure if it was a good idea. And before the webmaster acquired a digital camera, David supplied many of the photos for the TESL Kingston website in its infancy.

One always knew one could count on David to do a thorough and conscientious job of anything one asked of him.

So, David, our sincere congratulations to you and our best wishes for a most satisfying retirement as you pursue some of your many other interests and talents.

Following are a few glimpses of the celebrations -- Enjoy!

Just for Something Different...

Have you ever explored the MacMillan Dictionary blog? Are you wondering why on earth Iyou'd want to? Well, read on...you may be surprised! Following is the first paragraph of today's blog post, (April 14, 2010), where they have just announced that it's Chinese English Month.

This is exciting for a number of reasons: we recently rolled out the Chinese version of the Macmillan Dictionary Online. You’ll see that all of the informational content is in Chinese. Also, the Shanghai Daily has adopted the Dictionary’s double-click feature, which means that their readers have direct and immediate ‘pop-up access’ to definitions for words they don’t know … yet.

The pop-up access referred to is quite neat--one may double-click on any word in the blog to get a pop-up definition, making it easier for students to read..

On the right-hand side of the page are various links, including one to a guest post entitled "Notes from a small Chinese woman". This post is well worth a read and would make a great handout to encourage discussion and vocabulary exploration in your classroom!

Of course, it's a UK blog, but most of the vocabulary is familiar, and the rest offer good examples of the variations in English as spoken in different countries.

Check it out: http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/its-chinese-english-month

Interactive Student Resources from TESL Canada

These are sources to which students can be directed for extra practice out of class; however, it is worth considering that quite possibly not all students will have home access to a computer and the WWW. Thus, to equalize opportunities, it may be desirable to familiarize students with computer access opportunities through public libraries and the like, and/or or stress the potential to use learning-centre computers in off hours. Moreover, depending on the class set-up, some of the materials below may prove suitable for in-class use.

Banks of free online teaching resources tend to vary in quality; moreover, because these sites are so diverse, categorization by proficiency level can be inconsistent. Still, used with care, such resources can definitely be of value. Please note that some of these sites are also listed on the Online Interactive Students Materials Page because they identify distinct sections for each of students and instructors; however, you may also want to examine the other sites listed there (but not mentioned here) because some of them could prove useful in the hands of a creative teacher.

Click here to access the page of resources: TESL Canada Interactive Student Resources

Brock Brady, current President-Elect of TESOL, spoke at the plenary of Penn Tesol East, Abington, November 7, 2009.  Mr. Brady served as Coordinator, then Co-Director of the American University TESOL Program for twelve years, teaching courses in English language teaching methodology, assessment, teaching pronunciation, intercultural communication, online learning and curriculum and materials design. Dr. Brady is currently an educational sector consultant for the Peace Corps.

His speech was entitled, "Self-Assessing the Whole Teacher: the Triangle Model of Teaching Competence: Exploring the State of Your Teaching. "  The triangle of professional competence was conceived by Karen Taylor, and adapted and presented by Brock Brady.  Karen Taylor was working in Adult Education with volunteer teachers.  Few had training or teacher education. Despite that, some were very effective teachers, although some weren't.  The triangle came out of attempts to explain such variation, but quickly became a tool to explore individual professional competence.

Understanding the Triangle's Components

All three of the components, practice, commitment and relationship, are included in competence. If we consider the leg of "practice", we know it includes the "look for" items often seen on teacher evaluations, as well as qualities often observable in the classroom. It is the "site" of traditional teaching skill and knowledge. It includes lesson design/implementation, teacher talk vs. student talk, authenticity, meaningful objectives, task and materials, and differentiated instruction.

The second leg is commitment and we know nobody works harder than teachers. There is commitment to your students, meaning going that extra mile beyond class expectations to help students. There is commitment to your program/school, such as helping to devise and run extracurricular activities. There is commitment to your profession. We seek and attend professional development programs. We share and collaborate with colleagues. We give presentations and workshops. There is commitment to communication: with students, colleagues, administrators and with the larger community.

The third leg is relationship: with ourselves, with colleagues, with supervisors, and with students.

How Good is Good Enough? Here are some rules for rating yourself.  You rate yourself from 1 to 3.  Use only whole number ratings, no fractions.  Remember, this is only about you in your present teaching situation, not you in comparison to anyone else.  You determine your own score.  You are encouraged to discuss your analysis with others, but no one can give a score to anyone else.

Case Study #1 This teacher is loved by her students.  She is a Model Teacher at her school. She satisfies all obligations, but does not attend optional events or participate in faculty social events.  She is thought of as friendly despite not being around a lot.  She calls in sick more often than other teachers.

Case Study #2 This is an experienced ESL teacher, TESL certified, with an MA in English Lit. He is dedicated, comes on time and stays to help struggling students. He focuses mostly on grammar and accuracy.  He attends in-service training, but doesn't seem to apply ideas.  He resists teaching new courses, is known for complaining when asked to do something out of the ordinary.

Case Study #3 This person is a retired missionary with 30 years of living abroad.  He is new to teaching adult ESL and has no previous TESL training.  He has strong rapport with students and colleagues admire him.  He is reliable and dedicated, never late, and makes a point of attending workshops.  However, he talks too much in class.  Lessons lack opportunities for student practice.  Corrective feedback is minimal.

So, what's not good enough? 

Any leg of the triangle with a "1" is not sufficient. Remember, circumstances can change one's score, such as commitments to family, a new teaching situation requiring new or modified skills and knowledge, and changes in personnel, or in the student audience.  Scores should remain historically situated.

Dr. Brady talked about his own score. He gives himself a 3 for commitment, 2 for relationship and 2 for practice.  Around 1996 his score was different, and he gave himself 2 for practice, 2 for relationship and 2 for commitment. He was in West Africa at the time.  Note that changes in roles or other contexts raise the stakes for one's score.

Dr. Brady also reminded us of the dates for upcoming TESOL conventions:
 
Upcoming Conventions
2011  New Orleans  Examining the "E" in TESOL  March 16 -19
2012  Philadelphia  March 28 - 31
2013  Dallas  March 20 - 23
2014  Portland, Oregon dates to be announced.

Don't Give Up! is a European Union language project that has resulted in a book of 48 best practices for every level of language educators (schools, managers, teachers). The best practices will help improve the motivation and the results of language courses for adult learners. 

The project began out of concern about the number of adult students who dropped out of language classes. The members of the project spent 2 years researching and analyzing the problems of adult learners. Language educators were asked their opinions and ideas as well. The results of the research were combined with the project team's ideas and experience. 

The best practices cover all aspects of managing language schools and classes, enhancing lessons, engaging and motivating students and dealing with many of the problems adult learners face when learning a language. This book can contribute positively to the results of your language courses. 

These best practices are summarized on the project website http://dontgiveup.eu with some examples. The 138 page Don't Give Up! book is available through the website in English, Czech or Spanish.   The project members would be interested in receiving our feedback in the wiki on their website.

CLEO is pleased to announce that our English as a Second Language Resources are now available, free of charge, to be downloaded, printed and used in Adult ESL and LINC classes.

CLEO is a community legal clinic that specializes in providing clear language legal information to low-income and disadvantaged communities, including people with literacy barriers. These English as a Second Language Resources have been developed to help newcomers learn more about their legal rights and responsibilities in Canada, as well as to provide information about where and how to access legal help in their community, as they develop their language skills.

The English as a Second Language Resources were developed using Canadian Language Benchmarks and are intended for learners at levels ranging from CLB 1 to 6+. The activities cover topics based on CLEO publications in the tenant and workers’ rights series. These correspond to themes and topics in the Adult ESL and LINC curriculum guidelines.

Each English as a Second Language activity kit contains a full set of teaching materials, including:

• introductory notes for teachers with context and CLB outcomes, a list of the activities in the kit, information about the CLEO publication on which the activities are based, and important preparatory information

• activities for learners covering a range of skill areas

• teaching notes with connections to the LINC and Adult ESL curriculum guidelines, suggestions for using the activities, and answer keys.

You’ll find everything you need at www.cleo.on.ca/english/projects/eslindex.htm

(Webmaster's note: These are immensely valuable resources, and they're free! - I highly recommend them.)

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Notes on China

by Our Overseas Reporter, Stephen Chappell

Stephen Chappell, who is currently teaching at the Anqing Teachers' College in China, has become a regular contributor to this page over the last couple of years. His articles offer fascinating glimpses into Chinese culture and are a great way for those considering teaching overseas to get an idea of what it may be like. Enjoy the following collection.

Following the lunch and many toasts we proceeded to the hospital to see the newborn and the happy mother. It was a first for me and the youngest Chinese child I had set eyes on. I asked the parents if they would like me to give her an English name and they enthusiastically replied yes. After several days of pondering I decided upon APRIL and the parents were delighted with it. My friends discreetly put some money in a Hong Bao (red envelope) and slipped it in beside the sleeping baby. It is customary to give some money to new parents. Kobe told me that there would be an official celebration soon (He Man Yue Jiu). According to tradition this will take place one month after the birth

It is hard to believe May has arrived and there are only two months left this semester. I think the holidays dotted every several weeks accelerate the time. May 1st was May Day or International Labour Day so we had a long weekend. Our English Corner collaborated with another group and organized a one day trip to a scenic spot about 2 hours from Anqing called Guai Tan which means strange pond. There we did some hiking, ate lunch in a farmer's house and rafted down a lovely river. The weather was ideal at 27C with a light breeze and plenty of sunshine. One of the most interesting things on this trip was seeing a small scale mushroom farm. We watched the workers harvest them and then put them on large black cloth sheets to dry in the hot afternoon sun. These mushrooms are called mu er (meaning wood ear) and as you can see from the pic they look a little like an ear and have a thin delicate texture. They are used a great deal in vegetable dishes and soups and I have enjoyed them many times. The southern part of this Province has some of the most breathtaking scenery with 65% of the terrain covered with rugged and untouched mountains. In fact, three famous mountains in China are located in Anhui, Huang Shan ( Yellow Mountain ) being the most famous. An old well known Chinese saying suggests that a visit to Huang Shan makes a trek to any other mountain unnecessary.

Each Sunday afternoon a group of English enthusiasts meet in a downtown location in Anqing to practice their oral English skills. I am told by some long-time members that this is one of the oldest English corners in the city with a history of more than twenty years. The members come from all walks of life and span all ages. The common thread of course is their love of English Each week a topic is chosen and sent to all members in advance via email to provide them a chance to familiarize themselves with the topic. The range of topics is as diverse as the members but inevitably leads to very stimulating and lively discussions, punctuated with a considerable amount of laughter. From time to time the group will organize short excursions to broaden their knowledge, expand their horizons or just to relax and enjoy time spent together. The most recent trip was to the Golden Peacock Spa, located in Lujiang, where a good time was had by one and all. The foreign teachers of Anqing Teachers' College have been playing an important role in this English corner for the past several years. Many attend on a regular basis and contribute to the topics as well as providing expertise in assisting members to improve their pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, but most importantly to enhance cross cultural communication. It is one of the many ways in which our foreign teachers contribute to and participate in the life of this city. After all, even though we are waiguoren , for most of the year this is where we work, live and make our home. Back to Top

Schools in China

The Governor's Banquet to Celebrate Foreigners' New Year

On December 28th the Government of Anqing held a banquet for all the foreigners working or living in the City to ring in the New Year. It was attended by over 60 invited guests including more than 30 foreigners from nine countries. In fact there are more than 60 so-called foreign experts working here, most in joint venture companies. In addition there were many high ranking officials in attendance including the deputy mayor and senior “Party” members. There were several wonderful performances ranging from traditional Chinese opera to the sensual salsa, some by the guests themselves. One of the most eclectic of the evening was the music duo featuring yours truly on snare drum and our beloved French teacher Alexis on didgeridoo as pictured below. I was also called upon to make a short speech (not so eclectic!) to thank the City for hosting the event. The speech was translated simultaneously into Chinese and Japanese. Following the speech, all the guests were awarded an honorary membership in the “Anqing Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries”. The banquet ended on a nostalgic note as we joined hands and sang “Auld Lang Syne”. This song is very popular in China (Youyi Di Jiu Tian Chang) and although the melody is the same the lyrics reflect the importance of everlasting friendship. It was a fitting dénouement for a special evening. Back to Top

Most Chinese are only familiar with the American Thanksgiving. My students are always very surprised when I tell them that Canada celebrates in October. The National Holiday of China is an eight day holiday that occurs in early October, and was a remarkable one for me this year-definitely an experience to be thankful for!

Against conventional wisdom I decided to take a package tour (with my dear Chinese friend Yanyan) to a famous area in the south called GUILIN. Foreigners are advised not to travel during national holidays as most travel destinations are too crowded and transportation can be a nightmare. A couple years ago I spent a whole night on a train trying to sleep on a very hard bench. I could not go to the bathroom because the aisles were jam packed with students who had bought standing tickets. It has gotten to the point now that many Chinese prefer to just stay home and relax.

However I am happy to report that my trip to Guilin was, on the whole, quite pleasant although somewhat tiring. Chinese tours tend to pack a lot of activities into a day and include as many scenic spots as possible. This is because the Chinese love to take a lot of photos featuring family members in front of famous places. It seems that it is more important to show where you have been rather than to know something about where you have been. As well there are the inevitable shopping stops to such places as tea houses, jewelry factories, traditional Chinese medicine shops, etc. all designed to get you to spend. To give you an idea of the cost of Chinese domestic travel packages, the cost of my 3 night four day trip was 2,400 RMB(370 Canadian dollars). This included return airfare, hotel transfers, accommodation at a four star hotel, all meals and some entry fees to scenic spots and of course a travel guide.

My photos don't feature family members, but I think you'll agree that they demonstrate why the Guilin area is known for its magnificent “karsts”. It was truly a wonderful sight floating idly down the Li River on a bamboo raft surrounded by these majestic limestone formations. I then understood the famous Chinese saying about Guilin: "GUILIN SHAN SHUI JIA TIAN XIA" (Guilin is the most beautiful spot in the world).

Decoration is one of those culturally loaded words (words that are similar in primary meaning but different in connotation) in China. When I first came to China I was perplexed by the fact that many of my colleagues and friends seemed to be perpetually “decorating” their houses. In fact “house” itself is a culturally loaded word here since it usually refers to what we would call an apartment in the West. I soon came to realize that in fact they were actually building their apartment which explained why it took so long.

In China you buy a concrete shell with four walls and then proceed to “decorate” it. In other words you are starting from scratch. You must plumb it, wire it, tile it, etc. The average “decoration” period is four to six months. Some people just buy the shell and leave it for a year or so until they have enough money to complete the “decoration” much to the chagrin of those tenants who are already comfortably nestled in their new “homes”.

I recently had the opportunity to view first hand what this was all about. My colleague invited me to his “new home”. As you can see from the pictures below, this “decoration” was in the preliminary stages with completion due sometime in mid December and when it’s all done my colleague plans to marry.

“In China nowadays”, he said smiling, “you need the nest before you can catch the phoenix.”

China is still, for the most part, a cash society although the use of credit cards is becoming a little more common in the big cities. As an ESL teacher working in China you often get paid in cash so having a bank account is critical. I was very surprised the first time I was called into the accounting office to receive my month's salary, doled out in 100 RMB notes and counted with an abacus. This is not a joke, by the way!That said, it is probably a good idea to open a bank account rather than stuff your monthly paycheck into your mattress. In order to open a bank account in China you will need your passport. It is possible to open a bank account before you get your permanent resident status. In fact I opened an account even though I initially only had an L visa. It is a good idea to have someone with you from your school as well as your contract in hand. Once you have your bank account, be sure to get a bank card. This will make life a lot easier especially when traveling in China . You will need to pay for your travel in cash (including deposits on hotel rooms) so having access to your account is paramount. Note that the maximum daily ATM withdrawal is 2100 RMB. Credit cards are somewhat more acceptable but mainly restricted to the larger cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai . I have drawn money out on my MasterCard from an ATM machine; great if you run out of cash and your bank account is dry. On my first assignment in China I encountered some problems trying to close my account and convert my RMB to Canadian dollars. The bank wanted a variety of documents including my contract, pay stubs and a letter from the headmaster of my school. Luckily my Chinese friend, who had accompanied me, arranged to do the transaction with her ID card. Last year I simply carried the money back and exchanged it to Canadian dollars in Canada . I knew I would be returning to China in the fall so I kept my bank account open and simply had the balance transferred from Shijiazhuang , Hebei to Anqing , Anhui . I was able to retain my old bank card and was issued a new bank book for a mere 50 RMB. If you need to transfer money back to the West or have funds sent to you and don't want to deal with a bank you might consider Western Union . These are located in most major cities, sometimes in major hotels. The fees are quite reasonable and the transfer is almost instant. My former teaching colleague resorted to this method after the Bank of China lost his funds on two occasions.

However officials at the Bank of China recently indicated to me that telegraphic transfer is both safe and efficient with the transaction taking 3-5 days . The minimum fee is 50 RMB with the maximum set at 260RMB plus the local bank charges.

Travelling by train in China is always an interesting experience for a foreigner. On my way back to Canada this year I took an overnight train from Anqing to Beijing. I had booked a "soft sleeper" which has nothing to do with the quality of the bed. The "hard sleeper" has 6 beds to a compartment and the soft has four. On this occasion there were a couple of younger fellows as well as an older lady on her way to visit her son in Beijing. We all hit the hay quite early and were up in time to greet the morning sun. The lady had her breakfast and then pulled out a bag of peas and began to clean them on the bed.

"I am preparing dinner for my son tonight," she said.

"Wwhat else will you have?" I asked?

S she promptly reached under the bed and pulled out a large sealed bag. Inside the bag was a large pot filled with water containing four rather long snakes.

"M my son loves to eat snakes and i cook them a special way. Do you eat snakes in Canada?" she queried.

I was so glad that I did not know about the snakes until morning. Otherwise it would have been a "no sleeper"!

Whether one visits at day break, mid afternoon or early evening, countless traditional Chinese activities are being performed or enjoyed by average citizens. These include calligraphy, tai chi, opera; fan dancing, ping pong, badminton, mahjong, and traditional and ballroom dancing, just to name a few. In the early morning many (most tend to be seniors or retired people) are doing some sort of exercise on apparatus that seem rather foreign to a western eye. Many elderly men bring their birds in bamboo cages, hang them in the trees and let them serenade the passers-by. In the afternoon mahjong and card-playing are the most popular. The early evening brings out the dancing crowd complete with instructors featuring both Chinese and western music.

Public parks are also the place to see and enjoy a variety of flowers and ornamental shrubs. Chinese cities, including Anqing, seem to spare no expense these days beautifying public spaces and government properties. The parks are literally ablaze with colour during the growing season and many of these, both the annuals and perennials are common in the west. In my city, for example, there are endless beds of marigolds, pansies, petunias and salvia, as well azaleas, hibiscus and oleander bushes. However this colourful and lush sight generally ends abruptly when one exits the park.For the most part urban private gardens are non existent. As mentioned above most city dwellers live in apartments and are content with a few potted green plants on their balconies. (Mao Zedong, China’s leader for almost three decades, apparently hated potted plants as he thought they were too bourgeois.) For most of Chinese history, any available land was used to grow fruits and vegetables to feed the growing population.Like many foreigners teaching English here, I too live in an apartment, (supplied by the school), the entrance to which, to put it mildly, was a bit of a jungle. In Canada, I was an active gardener, as are many of my fellow Canadians. One day as I came home from teaching I stopped in front of my building and began to wonder whether the sea of weeds on either side of the walkway could in fact become a garden. The answer of course was, why not?I first consulted with the school to see if there was any objection. After a few days I got the green light. The next step was to come up with a plan or design. The design was somewhat decided by the availability of garden supplies. Since there are no private gardens, there are no garden centres. What! No Home Depot! I quickly realized that I would have to improvise a great deal. So the plan was to have a western bourgeois garden with “Chinese characteristics”. (This last phrase is now common in all major Communist Party Speeches.) With the help of a dear friend, I managed to get some basic garden tools, (shovel, pick, etc.), to prepare the soil in question. Next I decided to create a border with old bricks that had been left near my apartment and use decorative rock which the school kindly provided. I managed to get some flowering shrubs that were being discarded by a landscape contractor and a few annuals from a small street vendor. I also transplanted some plants from abandoned construction sites and acquired some seeds, (hollyhock), from a friend’s neighbour.

At first the people in my building and adjacent apartments showed a kind of reserved curiosity as I began the project.

"What on earth is this 'laowai' (foreigner) doing?" they whispered, as I began digging and hauling bricks to the site.

However, to my delight, as things began to take shape, people stopped and tried to engage me in conversation. The gist of their comments was all favourable and I began to frequently hear the word “piaoliang”(beautiful). Needless to say I was elated. Eventually some neighbours offered to help me water and others brought plants for the garden. Now I feel that it is more of a community garden than my own and it is this aspect that has been the most rewarding part of the whole experience. I continue to expand the garden area and incorporate ideas that I get from my visits to the public parks. In short, it is a work in progress that provides me with a lot of satisfaction.

So if you’re coming to China, check out the public parks and think about having your own little garden. You will be pleasantly surprised by what may blossom.

Traditions vary depending on what part of the country you’re in and whether you are in an urban or rural area. The rural weddings tend to be more traditional while urban ones are more modern with some western elements. However there seem to be three aspects of the wedding protocol common to all.The first is the marriage license or certificate. Most weddings in China do not take place in a church and the license is often obtained months in advance. Although the happy couple is legally married they are not really considered so (and do not live together) in the eyes of their family and friends until the wedding banquet is held.The second aspect is the wedding photos. Weddings are now big business here and photo wedding shops (hun sha yinglou) are everywhere. Unlike western weddings, where the photos are normally taken on the wedding day, the couple will arrange several photo shoots and have a DVD made in advance of the wedding banquet or ceremony. It is common to see brides and grooms strolling around public parks and other scenic areas in full wedding attire looking for the perfect location. The wedding photo shop not only does the shoots but provides the wedding dress, the jewels, and the groom’s outfit, both for the photo album and for the wedding banquet.

The third and most important part is the wedding banquet and signifies that the couple is truly married and can live together. The banquet may take place months after the marriage certificate has been obtained although choosing the date is a delicate matter and often left in the hands of a well trusted fortune teller. The date is selected according to the lunar calendar and the numbers of the months and the days must be lucky ones and the moon and the stars have to be properly aligned. Although weddings are held throughout the year they often occur during major Chinese holidays such as the spring festival (Chunjie).

In 2008, China's government revised the national holiday system in order to recognize more traditional Chinese festivals. One of the new statutory holidays created was for the QINGMINGJIE, commonly translated as "Tomb-Sweeping Day", which normally falls in early April. This festival, which has a very long history, provides an opportunity for the Chinese to remember and honour their ancestors at grave sites. Usually all the family members will travel together to the tomb site and clean the grave, then burn paper money and set off fireworks. The deceased, especially those in the countryside, are often buried on the sides of hills and mountains and often facing water.

Several members of our English corner took this long holiday weekend to enjoy a break and went to a hot springs resort nestled in the foothills of a famous mountain, (Lushan),located in an adjacent province, (Jiangxi). It was a most relaxing and enjoyable outing. We are all looking forward to the next festival holiday.

Teaching in China
by Stephen Chappell

I arrived in China in mid-November to teach conversational English at a private language school in Anqing City, Anhui Province. I have just finished the first term and can make the following observations and suggestions for anyone considering a teaching position here.China is a very dynamic and exciting place to teach and live.I love the food, the culture,the history, the music and friendliness of the people. They are most eager to learn English and western ways. It has been to date a most rewarding experience and if you have a zest foradventure and change then China will answer the call.

I strongly suggest the use of a reputable recruiting company. They will work for you and with you at every step and will continue to do so during your teaching assignment. The salaries offered in China are not large compared with such places as Korea or Japan but you can live very comfortably here on such a salary. If you have a teaching degree and experience you can command a much better wage. Food, transportation and entertainment are very affordable and you will be provided with accommmodation with another teacher. This can be somewhat of a challenge if you are not flexible and prepared to compromise. I am 57 and my roommate is 22. Need I say more?

Regarding the teaching, (and remember that's why you are here), you must conform to and respect the Chinese teaching methodology. I initially thought that discipline would not be a problem, but with the grades I teach (7 and 8) it can be. Some of this may be the result of China's one-child policy, which puts them at the centre of attention. Nevertheless the students work very hard and put in long days. At my school they have exercise every morning before class and also have cleaning duties. Chinese teachers also work very hard and have 51/2 day weeks. My workload is quite heavy as I have 22 classes a week, but it is very rewarding. I teach in a private school which means that the parents have an greater influnence on the decision-making. Sometimes this may be at odds with educational goals. Take a look at both private and public sectors before making a decision. In both sectors ample holidays are provided during the school year which allows you time to travel and explore.

Regarding living in China some points of concern are as follows:
* *air quality is rather poor and pollution control does seem to have a high priority
* *spitting in public is socially acceptable
* *smoking is prevalent and there are only a few areas where it is not allowed. Most Chinese men smoke
* *many areas of China, especially in the south where I am, do not have heat in the schools, public buildings or in homes. At my request my school installed a space heater in my bedroom but the apartment common areas are unheated. This can be a major adjustment.
* *begging and panhandling here is becoming more common and it can be disturbing when you see children as young as 3 and 4 on the street.

Leaving all the comforts of home to work in a foreign land without the proximity of family and friends can be a difficult and somewhat lonely experience. My suggestion is to try to get involved even in small ways in the Chinese culture. You can take Chinese language lessons or cooking lessons as an example. I am taking ballroom dancing lessons which has opened new avenues and friendships.

If you love to teach, have an open mind and an interest in and respect for other cultures, then China has much to offer. Stephen Chappell Anqinq Foreign Language School Anqing City,China stbradch_6@hotmail.com

Teaching Writing Skills with Weblogs
Peggy Deaton, Roving Reporter, TESL Kingston

At the recent TESL Ontario Conference, Patricia Glogowski, M.A. of York University English Language Institute gave a one-hour technology presentation on weblogging, the "new" journal writing. The York course on weblogging was established in September,2004. Sessions are of a two-month duration. Students have four essays to write, and re-write.A weekly journal is required. Apparently, "...once the students start, they can't stop," she said.

Ms. Glogowski's first example was a student at YUELI, Demi, who had visited Niagara Falls, then spoke about it on the blog by linking to the other students in his class; from this, students created a learning community. Students learn from each other and then explore on their own. Another example was a Korean student who wrote about and posted pictures of activities before and after class. This evolved into all the students in class writing about thier lives and their universities.

Great Activities from a TESL Ontario Conference by Sherry Archer, Past President of TESL Kingston Karen Thomson gave a presentation on teaching English using card games. First she teaches needed vocabulary such as: •To shuffle • To deal • Dealer • To cut the deck • Clockwise/counter clockwise • It’s your turn • Whose turn is it? • Pick up a card • Who’s next? • Miss/skip a turn • Pile • Face down/up

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Book Review:
Adding English
by Elizabeth CoelhoPippin Publishing / 0-88751-095-7 / 2003 / 320 pp / paperback
Grade Level: K-12

This book is about teaching in classrooms where some—or all—of the students are learning English at varying levels of proficiency, at the same time as they are working to learn the mainstream curriculum.
Written in a clear and straightforward style, Adding English: A Guide to Teaching in Multilingual Classrooms addresses these issues, providing important background information and detailed practical advice to help instructors at all levels meet the challenge of teaching effectively in multilingual settings.

Several of our members highly recommend this book for ESL teachers working in elementary and secondary schools, and also suggest that those of us working in multi-level, multi-lingual adult classes may find it useful as well.

CBC Learning Tool for ESL

CBC Ottawa and community partners, including Carleton University and OCISO, have created an exciting new ESL learning tool based on TV and radio clips from the CBC Archives website. Take a look and share this resource with learners! www.cbc.ca/ottawa/esl

     More than seven years ago, TESL Ontario saw the need for standards and recognition to be raised for the many instructors of adult ESL who had no certification, perhaps no formal training, but years of experience in various community ESL programs. With funding from the Ontario Ministry of Training and Colleges as well as that of Immigration & Citizenship, professionals were hired to design Standards and Certification protocol for instructors of adult non-credit ESL.     For the first two years, people who met criteria based mainly on experience were “grandparented”. Now, however, any new applicants must have formal training focused on adult, non-credit instruction of ESL, as distinct from OTC-AQ training available through Faculties of Education in TESL, which is aimed at teachers of ESL students in elementary or secondary public school programs. As you can see on the TESL Ontario website, there is quite a long list of institutions that have been approved by TESL Ontario to provide this teacher training. MANY more applied and were rejected. TESL Ontario’s standards are as high as or higher than any others across Canada, as we try to exercise some sort of quality control in the face of the ever-increasing numbers of private TESL and ESL schools.     The LINC program run by Immigration and Citizenship Canada for adult newcomers to Canada is the only one so far that has mandated this certification for its instructors. There is still great variance in the requirements for instructors in adult education centers across the province. I think that most people who have become TESL Ontario certified have recognized: a) a professional desire for high standards and b) another valuable certificate in their portfolio which will help pave their way to employment in the always-changing field of TESL.

    Recently a link was created between Algonquin College and St. Lawrence College, in order to have the TESL Ontario course available in Kingston. Algonquin provided the teachers and curriculum, while St. Lawrence provided the college facilities, including classroom space, library, parking and other resources.

     This worked very well, but unfortunately, the enrolment was insufficient to make it possible to continue the course after the current cohort completed their certification in December, 2005. For more information about TESL Ontario certification, click this link: http://www.teslontario.org/accreditation/

Acquiring Canadian Experience

     In June, 2004, executives from some of Canada's largest corporations and municipal governments offered to create 153 internship positions for foreign-trained professionals in the following year. This marked the official launch of Career Bridge, an initiative by the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council to give the country's newcomers a chance at the "Canadian work experience" all employers seem to require.     Although the pledges met the program's first-year target of 150 placements, there were already 830 pre-screened candidates ready for the paid training with an average of eight years of professional work experience outside of Canada.     Career Bridge became financially self-sustaining when the government aid ended in 2006, and is now called "Career Edge". It is now fully supported through a delivery fee paid by each participating employer, and offers internships for graduates of many disciplines, including for graduates with disabilities.

Immigrants who are qualified international professionals or graduates can register online to apply for the screening process. They will need an up-to-date resume and a general cover letter ready to upload as part of the application process. Do encourage your students to use this resource.

For more information about eligibility and requirements, visit the Web site at http://overview.careeredge.ca/

From the diverse cultures of Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Vietnam, Germany, Guyana, Somalia, and others, immigrant children write of their experiences leaving their homes and moving to a new country. The stories, poems, and pictures in Our New Home tell of the fear and sadness, the excitement and challenge of moving to another world and forging a new sense of self in a new land.

The editors of this book bring rich backgrounds to it. Emily Hearn has written programs for the CBC, TVO and the National Film Board, books for children, and a natiural history comic strip for OWL Magazine. Marywinn Milne's career spans 30 years with the Toronto District School Board in a variety of teaching roles, including those of teacher librarian and ESL/ESD teacher.

Our New Home was just released in October by Second Story Press, a small Canadian publishing house with a reputation for publishing high quality books, fiction and non-fiction, for both adults and children. Their children's book, Hana's Suitcase – the nonfiction tale of a Japanese historian and a little girl who perished in the Holocaust -- is part of the award-winning Holocaust Remembrance Series for Young Readers and has won many awards.

For ordering information, see Second Story's website:
http://secondstorypress.ca/books/140-our-new-home

Using Creative Thinking to Find New Uses for Realia

iteslj.org/Techniques/Mumford-Relia.html

This is a quite fascinating, creative look at using realia in very different ways as a teaching methodology. Here's the author's introduction:

"The use of realia is well known to teachers. However, this article suggests different ways of using realia. By thinking creatively we can find new teaching uses for the everyday objects that surround us, by relating them to language and looking at them in new ways."

Take a look--I think you'll find it as fascinating as I did.

Welcome to The Historica-Dominion Institute!
http://www.historica-dominion.ca/en/

This is the largest, independent organization dedicated to Canadian history, identity and citizenship. It's a rich resource, with more than 40 000 fascinating articles, 6,000 interactive maps, graphs, oral interviews, photographs, animations and all sorts of projects involving Canada's parks, veterans, aboriginal peoples, black history in Canada and more. The site is constantly adding information and pertinent news articles. It includes a report on the recent special event in Vancouver that brought together students and veterans to honour Chinese Canadian veterans of the Second World War. All in all -- a terrific resource for information on Canadian history.