Thursday, January 28, 2016

Today we have been learning about the Workplace Hazards. Thanks to Jerome, he has planned our CALL lesson for us.

Please click on this link, then post your answers on your blogs as usual.
Activity 1

Watch this video and write a summary of the video in 1 paragraph which includes the 5 points below. I'm looking for what connection you can make between the video and what you've learned about your rights and responsibilities in terms of safety as a worker in Canada.

1) What the incident that occurred was
2) What Clera did wrong (regarding working a new machine)
3) What Clera should have done
4) Your rights and responsibility for safe work in Canada
5) How the video made you feel overall

-------
According with this video, we saw an incident that occurred was unreasonable. Clera, as a new worker, hadn't been trained before she operated that machine. She wanted to do that just because of seeing some people how to use it. The supervisor should check up before he agreed. In Canada your rights and responsibility for safe include: Be trained before work. You can't  lose your job because you  refuse the danger work. You should report the supevisor if you know some people under the unsafe situation. I feel that everybody should look at this video seriously and carefully. All rules are written by the blood of victims.  

Activity 2

Watch this video and answer the following questions:

1) Does the worker know that there are hazardous materials around him - Yes/No?
2) What category does the hazardous material fall under?
3) Using this image (click here), what are some basic handling procedures for the category you chose in question 2.
3) Was it wrong for the boss to rip up the employee's suggestion to get safety cabinets? Why or why not?
4) How did the employee make his workplace a safer place to work?

According with this video, we can find two consequences after the incident occurred. The worker knew that there were hazardous materials around him. When his boss ripped up his suggestion to get safety cabinets, he should assert it or just refuse his job. He dragged himself in such a miserable situation. On the other hand, his boss made a big mistake and convicted guilty because it is his responsibility to make his workplace a safer place to work. 

WHMIS stands for workplace hazardous materials information system. The purpose of WHMIS is to reduce injuries or diseases caused by exposure to hazardous materials used in the workplace. All hazardous materials must have a supplier label or a workplace label on the container. Whenever a label is missing or damaged, the employee must tell a supervisor so that a new label can be made. Some information about labela:

• Supplier labels have a border that looks like this one.
• The dangers of working with the hazardous material are described. 
• What to do if someone is injured,(First Aid).

PHRASAL VERBS--Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Task 1:

Click on that link and answer all the phrasal verbs (1 to 8) and prepositions exercises (1 to 10). You can check your answers once you are done and by that you will learn them better. Don’t stop until you get ALL the answers correct. You are free to answer more stuff as you wish.

PREPOSITIONS:

be committed to doing sth.

be exempt from taxes
be on hand for the meeting=to present at the meeting

be on the same page=Do we all agree

be on your team=be in your team

be satisfied with sth.

be up for sale=be for sale

to account for about

to bring this to his attention=  to let him know about this

to call in response to
to deal with the problem at hand=the problem that we are facing

to deliver on their promises

to invest in this company
to inform of
to keep at that speed
to last (for) two months=to last two months

to make about=to make around

to make concession to them

to map out processes
to move along= to progress well 

to specialize in doing sth.
to start by doing sth / to start on the project
to step aside=to resign

to sent out on schedule

to work with sb. / to work for sb. / to work on the project /

to work at / to work out of

ahead of schedule

above the target of 4% /( by) 20%/( by) cash /by tomorrow / 

at the conference / at a higher level

a minimum of / a result of rising gas

below cost /
during the stage / at stage
fall under 
for this position

from the beginning / from now on/ from an emotional standpoint

in charge of / in the way /in time= in the future  

in downtown Chicago / in the centre of the city / in the company
on staff /on financial planning / on the market / on time 

over /during /in the last two years / 

out of all the workers

under this treaty

how do we go about doing this?=what step should be taken in order to do this

something along the lines of what we saw =something similar to what we saw

PHRASAL VERBS:

bail out=save 
be carried out=be done, conducted/ work out/ point out/ find out
bring in=make, earn,
bring in on sth=take part in sth
bring him on=hire him
bring up=raise
broke down=failed
buy out=buy shares from
call off=cancel 
call for=request
cap off with=complete 
contract out=get someone else to do
come around=accept,agree with
come up=raise, arise, rise
come into effect=take into effect, become effective
communicate with
crack down on=to take measures against, suppress, put down
cut back on=reduce, cut to the bone
cut down on hiring=be hiring less people
cut out=eliminated,cut off, quit
decide against doing=decide not to do
drew up=developed
do away with=eliminate
factor in=include in
factor in=consider, include in the equation
fall behind=start to perform worse than
figure out 
fill out=complete
force down=lower
get around=bypass
go on 
go through=examine
head up=assume the lead in
hold off on doing=not do
keep tabs on expenditures=observe expenditures carefully
keep up with=be as successful as with
keep up with=effectively compete against 
leading up to=before
lead off by doing =start by
let on=pretend
look into=investigate
mark up=increase
measure up to=as good as
miss out on=fail to capitalize on
not rule out=consider
play out=unfold in court
point out=mention
pop up=materialize
put together=create
ramp up=increase
roll out=be launched
run out of=no more
run out=expire, end
start doing 

sat up=arrange
set aside=reserve
set in on the meeting=attend the meeting
set out to acquire=start to pursue the acquisition of
shoot up=increase
sit through drawn out=too long
sign off=formally approve
sign up for=to join, become part of
sound out=question
speed up=make faster
sort out=fix, clear up
turn down=reject

turn out=product 
take off=successful

take over as=replace  
team up=work together
track down=find
what you're getting at=what you mean 
wipe out=eliminate
work sth out=arrange sth
wrap up=finish /turn out
write them off=finished

Task 2:




Write a short story on anything you want to share with the class; you have to use at least 10 phrasal verbs and 10 preposition that you have just learnt on your story.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Tuesday, 26 January 201

Task 1:

Read the following adjectives for emotions and identify which words describe a positive, neutral or negative feeling. Write down (p) next to the word to mean positive, (n) to mean neutral, and (na) to mean negative. If necessary, look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary. Some words may fit into more than one category.

Task 2:

The list above contains adjectives to describe emotions. Where possible, change them into nouns.

ambivalent (n) ambivalence	discouraged (na)  discouragement	overwhelmed (na)
annoyed (na)  annoyance	embarrassed (na)  embarrassment	regretful (na)  regret
anxious (na)  anxiousness	enthusiastic (p) enthusiasm	relieved (p) relief
apprehensive (p) apprehension	frustrated (na)  frustration	shocked (na)  shock
concerned (p) concern	furious (na)  furiousness	thrilled (p) thrill
content (p) content	grateful (p) gratefulness	Uneasy (na)
defensive (n) defense	grieving (na)  grievance	vulnerable (na)  vulnerability
determined (p) determinism	miserable (na)  miserableness	wary (p)
disappointed (na)  disappointment	optimistic (p) optimism	upset (na)

Task 3: 

Choose five of the emotions from the list above. For each emotion, describe a situation you have experienced that made you feel this way.

I was ambivalent about immigrating to Canada. It annoyed me to be kept waiting so long. We spent an anxious period of time waiting for the result. My husband, a kind and apprehensive friend, was concerned about how we will handle the life in Canada. Finally, we got our P.R.card with a big contented smile.  But  after we came to Canada, only one week, we found living in Canada was uneasy.  We was overwhelmed by such a different culture.

phrasal verb Monday, January 25, 2016

find fault with=be overly critical with 

undertake=in charge of

bring back /look one's best / at its best/ come on/come up/come over

as for/ get over/ set in/ keep away from/ go round/stand by sth

on the air/ hold on/ hang on/ get down to business/to one's face 

get nowhere=accomplish nothing

make the most of=to show or use to the best advantage

do away with=terminate or take out

lay bare=make known to the public

fall back on=depend on,resort

hold one's ground=stick to one's guns

cut across=cut using a diagonal lines

cast sth aside=put an end to a state

on no account=definitely not

take sth over=take control

single out=select from a group

go on about sth=chatter without stop

hand sth down to sb=pass on, as by inheritance

take sb out /in one/ check in/ hard and fast/ orientate oneself

uncalled-for

come to nothing=be unsuccessful

set sth. back=to slow the progress of

get somewhere=

give sth. off=send forth, or discharge

make up with sb.=come to terms/make up for=do sth for one's forgiving

make sth out=detect with the senses

rise to the occasion=be equal to the occasion

say to oneself=talk to oneself

gigantic and ponderous

take stock of=to look at critically or searching

proceed with caution

an out-and-out infringement of

Friday, January 22, 2016

Friday, Jan 22's Field Trip: City Hall and Skating

At 10 a.m. we'll meet by the nail wall sculpture near the entrance of City Hall for a group photo, followed by a mini guided tour of City Hall and outdoor skating at Nathan Phillips Square.

Feel free to bring your kids and skates.

Welcome to Canada!

Thursday, January 21, 2016

The Dimensions of Culture
Newcomers to Canada work extremely hard at developing their language skills, to be able to function well and succeed in Canadian workplaces. However, they are often unaware of the impact of their cultural training and behaviors, as are their co-workers with a different cultural background. It is important to note that no cultural behaviors are good or bad, wrong or right. They are just different. The cultural diversity in Canadian workplaces can therefore be a minefield of opportunities for misunderstandings between people.
Behavioral scientists have researched the values and preferences of people from all over the world. They found that people from different cultures aren't just randomly different from one another, they differ in very specific, even predictable, ways. One of these scientists, Geert Hofstede, has identified 6 specific characteristics.

1. Power Distance: This is the degree to which people in a society accept that power is distributed unequally. So, a country with a lower number, will try to distribute power more evenly and wants clear reasons for the inequalities. 
2. Individualism / Collectivism: A high number, showing individualism, means society is loosely organized and an individual is responsible only for themselves and their immediate family. A low number, tending toward collectivism, means people in society are part of large family and other groups that they belong to and are loyal to. 
3. Masculinity / Femininity: The masculinity side of this dimension represents a preference in society for achievement, heroism, assertiveness and material rewards for success. Society at large is more competitive. Its opposite, femininity, stands for a preference for cooperation, modesty, caring for the weak and quality of life. Society at large is more consensus-oriented.
4. Uncertainly Avoidance: The issue here is how a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should it try to control the future or just let it happen? Countries with a high number maintain rigid codes of belief and behavior and are intolerant of unorthodox or different behavior and ideas. Societies with low numbers have a more relaxed attitude in which actual behavior counts more than principles.
5. Long Term Orientation: Every society has to maintain some links with its own past while dealing with the challenges of the present and the future. Societies which score low on this dimension prefer to maintain time-honoured traditions and norms while viewing societal change with suspicion. Those with a culture which scores high, on the other hand take a more pragmatic approach: they encourage thrift and efforts in modern education as a way to prepare for the future.
6. Indulgence / Restraint: Indulgence stands for a society that allows relatively free gratification of basic and natural human drives related to enjoying life and having fun. Restraint stands for a society that suppresses gratification of needs and regulates it by means of strict social norms. 

 How do these differences translate into behavior in the workplace

Canada is fairly low on the Power Distance Scale. This means there is an acceptance that the manager or boss doesn't know everything. Canadians feel comfortable to offer suggestions, ideas and even criticism. Canadian bosses may feel frustrated if the people who work for them, the people they hired for their education and experience, keep quiet in meetings and never offer ideas!

Canada is obviously more Individualist than the other cultures listed here. That means that a Canadian would enjoy being recognized for doing something well. Even though he or she is part of a team, my, his or her efforts and accomplishments are recognized, and the person may get a nice bonus for good work. On the other hand, many newcomers to Canada feel embarrassed if they are singled out in a meeting, or even if something else is, even if it is for praise.

Canada is the only country on the high side of the Indulgence / Restraint dimension. For example, Canadian make their own choices about dating, finding partners, getting married or not, etc. People also choose the way they dress to a greater degree, etc. Canadians expect to have fun and to enjoy life.

Canada is the most balanced in other dimensions.

Canadian Slang and Expressions

• loonie
• toonie
• snowbird
• pop
• I got a soaker
• running shoes / tennis shoes / sneakers
• chesterfield / sofa
• Grits /the Liberals
• Tories / the Conservatives
• Face off / debate / argue
• the Hill / Parliament Hill
• Ottawa / Bytown
• Toronto / T.O / Hogtown
• Calgary / Cowtown
• Edmonton / Oiltown
• Hamilton / Teeltown
• Newfoundland / the Rock
• eh
• a Canuck 
• Allophone / anglophone / francophone
• Bachelor
• blinds
• Twofor(2-4)
• Chinook
• Deke
• Eavestrough / gutter
• Hydro 
• Joe job
• KD
• Lumber jacket
• Runners
• Sasquatch
• Tuque(or toque)

  

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Task 1:

Write a two-three paragraph essay describing your experience with culture shock, then list the ways you have personally done or will do or overcome it. Try to answer these questions:

1. Did you know about culture shock before?
2. How did you feel about reading on that topic?
3. Was learning about culture shock in class helpful for you?

We learned an article named Deal with Culture Shock in our class this morning. It's important and helpful for us to learn about culture shock and how to deal with them. I'm impressed because I have no idea about culture shock before. According to this article, I thought I might be in stage 3 (slow acceptance) now because I began to study. It took me 4 years to pass the stage 2. It's too long to believe that. After reading this article, I feel better and know lots of people have suffered the same pain either. It's normal and just a period of my life. Wherever we go we are the same one.  

   
Task 2:Write an email to a friend here advising him/her on how to move on from Stage Two to Stage Three. List all the suggestions or recommendation you can propose to them.

Hi, Anna
I've received your email. I understand your feeling because I have been there. Living in Canada is never easy. You should overcome lots barriers, such as language barrier, education barrier, occupation barrier, ethnic barrier, religion barrier. I thought the biggest one is yourself. Dealing with them may be difficult. But this period will be a precious asset of your life. There are little tips may help you:

• Keep you busy

• Open your mind

• Go to school

• Make friends

• Arrange to return hometown

Best Regards
Yucho

 
Our Motto: If you don't do what you love, love what you do.
If you snooze, you lose.
to flip coin--take your chance
to make the right call--decision
turning point
straight right on your face
smart cokey


Dealing with Culture Shock
Wherever you go you will experience some degree of culture shock. The greater the cultural differences between you and the new culture, the more you will feel the affects of culture shock. Dealing with cultural differences may be difficult; however, by being educated about culture shock you turn something negative into a positive. Linguist and anthropologist Peter Adler defines culture shock as:
"Culture shock can be viewed positively as a profound cross-cultural learning experience: a set of situations or circumstances involving intercultural  communication in which the individual, as a result of the experiences, becomes aware of his own growth, learning and change. As a result of the culture shock process, the individual has gained a new perspective on himself, and has come to understand his own identity in terms significant to himself. The cross-cultural learning experience, additionally, takes place when the individual encounters a different culture and as a result examines the degree to which he is influenced by his own culture, and understands the culturally derived values, attitudes and outlooks of other people."
There are four stages of culture shock:
Stage 1 (honeymoon/fascination)- Period of excitement and euphoria over the new surroundings. You may notice that a lot of things are similar to your own culture.
Stage 2 (emptiness/frustration) _ Culture shock emerges as individuals feel the intrusion of more and more cultural differences into their images of self and security.
Stage 3 (slow acceptance) - Slowly people are being to see the differences in thinking and feeling that surround them. You may understand more of the culture and begin to like some of the customs, make friends and become more relaxed.
Stage 4 (acceptance/fulfillment)  - This stage represents near or full recovery - either assimilation or adaptation, acceptance of the new culture and self - confidence in the new person that has developed in this culture.
The stages present themselves at different times and will vary in duration from person to person. Signs and symptoms of being in the most difficult stage (slow acceptance) include the following:
--- sadness, loneliness, melancholy
--- aches, pains, allergies
--- preoccupation with health
--- insomnia, desire to sleep too much or too little

1. Have you ever experienced culture shock? If so, did go through four stages? Discuss your experience.
2. How can culture shock be even harder for people learning a second language?
3. Do you think that you could recognize the symptoms of culture shock in a friend? How?
4. What are some ways that you could address the issue of culture shock in your family?

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Task 1:

Look up the meanings of the vocabulary words below.

Aggressive (negative)
adj.  hostile, assertive, pushy, forceful, vigorous, energetic, dynamic...                                 
Annoyed   (negative)
adj. bothered, miffed, upset...                                                    

Collaborative  (positive)
adj. cooperative, collective, combining, joint, shared...                                                     
Customs  customary 
adj. usual, established, accepted, traditional...                                        

Embarrassment embarrassing  
adj. humiliating, shaming, awkward, shameful... 

Equality   equal   (positive)
adj. alike, balanced, comparable, equivalent, proportionate...

Minimize     minimum 
adj. least, lowest, minimal...

Oblivious  (negative)
adj. unaware, ignorant, inattentive, unconcerned...

Promptness   prompt  (positive)
adj. early, responsive, efficient, immediate, punctual, swift, timely... 
Rituals  
n. ceremony, tradition, custom, formality, habit, routine...

Tasks  
n,  job, chore, assignment, duty, project, work...

Valuable (positive)
adj. very important, priceless, costly, expensive, treasured, valued, worthwhile...

Values   (positive)
n. principles, ethics, ideals, morals, standards...

Task 2:

Use at least five of these vocabulary words to write an email to a friend describing to him/her the Canadian culture.

Hi,Anna

Long time no see. How about everything? As you know I went back to school since last year September. You asked me how about the school I am studying now. I should say it was hard at the earlier. I left the school too long and I never used the blog, the Facebook, the gmail, the chirbit... Every was new for me. I couldn't figure out and turn red with embarrassment. Our teacher, Joseph, is a responsible man and gave us tasks every day. I was upset and became little aggressive and annoyed with my families. But I'm so lucky because the people here would never be oblivious your problem."Every morning, I get up.  I feel more Canadian." These sentences came from Joseph. More Canadian, it might have variety and valuable meanings such as freedom, equality and love. In Canada, we're all strangers. The things we can do is to help each other. Nobody can survive without other's support. "Introduce yourself. Ask for help." This is one of the customs in our class. We're familiar little by little. We're collaborative and patient day by day. We focus on motivation and promptness step by step.Today is my first day in the level 5. You know my aim is to minimize the costs when I'm studying. I hope I can pass the exam this year.

Best Regards

Yucho