| English Refresher
Keeping Learning Alive!!! |
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Quote
Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.
-Alexander Graham Bell-
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Joke
Question: What are two things you can never have for dinner?
Answer: Breakfast and lunch.
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Proverb
Never judge a book by its cover.
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For one and all- suitable for anyone and everyone. "The KGIC Speech Contest will be great fun for one and all".
Fish story- A story that is an exaggeration of the truth or a complete lie.
"John said he learned English only by watching TV, but I think it is a bit of a fish story".
Nest egg- money set aside for future use.
"Jane worked very hard in the summer to build up her travelling nest egg".
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Vocabulary
Arduous (adjective) - hard to climb; steep.
"The students hiked up the arduous mountain path."
Extracurricular (adjective) - Being outside of the regular classes offered by a school.
"Students really enjoy KGIC's extracurricular activities".
Reunion (noun) -a gathering of relatives, friends, or associates at regular intervals or after separation.
"Everyone had a lot of fun at the KGIC Alumni reunion last weekend". |
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Victoria Summer Preview |
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Summer is here and it is a very exciting time to be in British Columbia's beautiful capital city, Victoria. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of experiencing our city, let me tell you a bit about what's happening this summer.
Victoria is a place of festivals, and this summer all varieties of music and film will be celebrated. If you are a music fan, think about coming for a visit. Victoria also hosts a spectacular dragon boat festival, as well as the famous Symphony Splash at the Inner Harbour. This event is attended by more than 40,000 people, and is definitely worth watching.
The city streets are full of public markets, with all sorts of local goodies on sale, and street performers are sure to keep you entertained as you mingle with the crowd.
Here at KGIC, we've got an adventurous summer planned, with kayaking, camping, whale watching, and fishing just a few of the activities our students will be enjoying.
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Speech Contest
Canada: Yours to Discover |
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The KGIC Education Group is proud to host an exciting and entertaining event for one and all.
On June 26th the Canada: Yours to Discover speech contest will be held in both Vancouver and Toronto from 3:00 pm until 6:00 pm. This event will offer exciting entertainment, great door prizes and most importantly a chance to support other international students in their effort to win the top prize of $1000.
If you are in the Toronto or Vancouver area at that time we strongly encourage you to come and join us for this can't miss free event! Just by attending you will have a chance to win a one month scholarship at any KGIC Education Group school, a fabulous one night stay at the glorious Empire Landmark Hotel in Vancouver, relaxing spa gift cards or any of the many other fantastic prizes that will be available.
In Vancouver the contest will be held in the Crystal Ballroom of the Empire Landmark Hotel (1400 Robson Street) in beautiful downtown Vancouver. Throughout the contest there will be entertaining performances by Emad Armoush & Flamenco Dancers, Chibi Taiko Japanese Drumming, Capoeira Afro-Brazilian Martial Art, and Mexican Vivo Folklore and Salsa Dance Group.
In Toronto the contest will be held at KGIC's Toronto campus (7th floor, 150 Eglinton Avenue East) in bustling midtown Toronto.
Admission for this exciting day is free so come join us as we support our brave orators in their quest for success. We hope to see you there!! |
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Mexico Reunion Party |
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This month the KGIC Alumni Society was happy to hold an informal get together with students in Mexico. On June 13th KGIC Education Group staff members Mike Henniger from marketing, Liliana from Vancouver, Lissette from Toronto and Maria from Mexico city met with students at Papa Bills's Plaza San Agustin in Monterrey, Mexico.
This informal reunion was a chance for former KGIC students to share food, drinks, stories and KGIC memories. Alumni students from all the KGIC campuses were there to enjoy the evening. It was very interesting for students to compare their experiences across the different KGIC campuses.
The evening involved a lot of dancing and sharing of stories. It went late into the evening, not finishing until the early hours of the morning. Everyone had a great time getting together and seeing all their KGIC friends once again.
The KGIC Alumni Society would like to thank everyone who came out for this wonderful evening. We all hope we can do it again soon.
If you are interested in hosting or being a part of a KGIC Alumni Society send an e-mail to alumni@kgic.ca outlining the event you have planned.
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| Greetings!
 Beautiful long sunny summer days have arrived in Canada. With the great summer weather Canadians become more active and the KGIC Alumni Society is no exception. We were actively involved in last month's Student Appreciation week. If you haven't seen the pictures yet be sure to check them out on our .
On June 26th the KGIC Education Group is hosting the Canada: Yours to Discover speech contest. Hosted in both Vancouver and Toronto the contest will offer exciting entertainment, great door prizes and a chance to see students compete for a top prize of $1000. For more on this great event be sure to read this month's Speech Contest article.
Summer is also a peak time for students to come to Canada to study. The Alumni Society would like to make the most of this time for students. We are currently looking for a group of students who will be in Vancouver over the summer to form a KGIC Alumni Club. The purpose of the club will be to help plan and promote Alumni Activities for an end of summer Alumni Event. If you are interested in taking part in the Alumni Club and you are in Vancouver over the summer send an e-mail to alumni@kgic.ca.
As always, we look forward to hearing from you and we hope you have a great summer. 
Sincerely,
Your KGIC Alumni Society
King George International College
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| Vancouver Teacher of the Month
 This month the KGIC Alumni Society has chosen Alex as our teacher of the month. Alex has been a teacher at KGIC Vancouver since December of 2007 and has always been very popular with his students. Alex is being featured this month not only for his teaching, but also for his participation in extracurricular student activities.
Outside of the regular classes, Alex takes part in several student trips. He has led students on the arduous Grouse Grind and has accompanied student trips to Portland, Seattle and Victoria.
Alex has worked as one of the leaders for KGIC's Trailblazers Outdoor Adventure program. The KGIC Trailblazer program is a four-week outdoor adventure and leadership program designed for youths. Alex's knowledge of the outdoors and survival skills makes him an ideal mentor for students who enrol in this program.
With the summer now upon us, Alex has organized a street basketball club for KGIC students every Thursday after school. Alex tells us that he really enjoys taking part in all the extra activities with students. "It's a great way for me to get to know them as individuals, make friends and learn about their personalities and their cultures". KGIC students really appreciate the time he takes to make sure they have a good experience while in Canada.
In addition to these activities and his regular classes, Alex also teaches an OPIc Skill Improvement class twice a week as an extra class. OPIc stands for Oral Proficiency Interview by computer. OPIc is offered by the American Council on Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and is an increasingly popular test of speaking ability used by companies all over the world. For example, Samsung in South Korea uses it as their Official Employment Test.
Alex has designed his OPIc Skill Improvement class to familiarize students with the format of the OPIc exam. He provides an introduction and explanation of what students can expect when taking OPIc. Through weekly one on one OPI style interviews students answer questions and receive personal feedback on improving their communication skills. According to Alex the OPIc Skill Improvement class "is a great way for students to improve their speaking ability and prepare for taking the OPIc exam".
The KGIC Alumni Society would like to thank Alex for all the great work he does, his friendly approach to learning and the lasting memories he has given students. As a final thought Alex would like to wish all his former students and friends from KGIC success in whatever they are doing now.
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Teach Me Speech
A PJP Contribution
Go get 'em, Tiger! The most important thing that you need to know before trying a public speech is how to be a confident speaker. This is necessary for you to give a good speech. You can use different examples for your topic, but be careful not to lose the focus of your speech. Also, never try to use vocabulary that is not familiar to you, or complicated sentences just to impress your listeners.
Speakers have to be convinced of their own words. So, here are a few important things that can help you to give a good public speech!
Practice Your Speech
1. The first thing that you should do is read your speech out loud and time how long it takes. If your speech is too long or short you will have to revise it.
2. Record your speech and check your pronunciation.
3. Practice your speech in front of a mirror and check your expressions, eye contact and body language.
4. Practice speaking in front of family or friends and get feedback from them.
5. Ask a teacher if you can practice in front of the class. Make sure your teacher gives you lots of feedback.
6. Practice speaking in the room where you will speak - without an audience.
Speech Tips
If you want to give a powerful speech you should follow these rules: First, adjust your voice and speak clearly, so that everyone can hear you. Next, it is common to speak rapidly when you are nervous - try to take your time to give your speech calmly and effectively. A pause in your speech can be used to emphasize a point, or to allow the audience to react to a fact, anecdote, or joke.
Next, you should make eye contact with your audience because it helps to build trust between the speaker and the listeners. If you want to build a relationship with your audience, use hand gestures, but do not fidget or make  other nervous gestures with your hands. Also, do not keep your hands in your pockets.
Lastly, be yourself: don't forget to allow your great personality to shine through your speech with a bright smile!
In conclusion, giving a good speech is as easy as remembering a few simple rules and practice, practice, practice!
One final hint: if you are nervous when it's your turn, take off your glasses! You will not be able to see everyone clearly, but it will help you relax. If you don't wear glasses...borrow a pair! By: Renata Cattaruzzi Yeo Tae Hun Ji Eun Jeon Kyung Min Lee Jiwon Park The Power Writing for Journalism and Publishing (PJP) is a specialized program offered by the KGIC Education Group. We here at the Alumni Society are proud to support these ambitious students.
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Global Business English
Success for Around the Globe
Imagine a day in school flying above beautiful Victoria in a seaplane or exploring the Royal BC Museum. These are just a few of the activities open to students enrolled in the Global Business English Diploma at KGIC Victoria.  The Global Business English Diploma is a unique program offered solely at KGIC Victoria. GBE focuses on developing business skills, language and knowledge specifically for hotel management and the travel and tourism field. It is designed with the Victoria business environment in mind. Victoria is an ideal setting for GBE. Its long and successful history in the tourism industry offers students an excellent opportunity to observe and learn from many of the businesses in this beautiful city. Through a four week practicum students are able to experience first hand the tourism and business environment in Victoria. The course itself is informal, creating a relaxed and welcoming environment. Students learn about colloquialisms and social history. They role play business and social situations and then explore other things that you wouldn't learn in a book or at home. This makes it a unique experience and a chance to learn about business informalities that will make you successful in Canada and across North America. The course has the structure to develop the students' knowledge for success in the business environment, but also offers the flexibility for students to focus in areas they feel the need to develop. Through this approach they are also able to take advantage of local opportunities and events that may arise in the local community. An example of this could be seen last March, when Attractions Victoria ran the " Be a Tourist in Your Own Home Town" promotion. This promotion allowed students to see the unique ways that Victoria markets its attractions, and also allowed them to take advantage of some fantastic travel opportunities themselves. GBE students took the initiative and organized their own field trip; a seaplane tour. This tour gave them a new perspective of Victoria and the surrounding area and knowledge of the area that they could directly apply to their own knowledge of tourism in Victoria.
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Here at KGIC we appreciate all our Alumni Society members and hope that you enjoy the information and updates offered in our newsletter. Please feel free to forward this e-mail to a friend and invite them to sign up for future updates. If you are not on our mailing list and would like to receive our monthly newsletter click on the link at the bottom left of this page or visit www.kgic.ca and click on the "Sign Up For the Alumni Society Newsletter" button.
If you missed a past issue of the KGIC Mosaic visit the KGIC Newsletter Archives. Here you can read past issues of our Alumni Society Newsletter.
Sincerely,
Your Alumni Society King George International College King George International College
201-1400 Robson Street
Vancouver, BC V5K6H6
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