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| Keeping Learning Alive! |
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Quote
The pen is mightier than the sword, and considerably easier to write with.
Marty Feldman (1934 - 1982) _____________________
Joke
Q: Why do we have two eyes, two ears and only one mouth?
A: So that we can see and hear twice as much as we say.
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Proverb
A person is as old as he or she feels
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A steal - something that costs much less than what it is worth. A bargin.
"Mary bought her leather bag for only $20. What a steal!"
No time like the present - It is far better to do something now than to leave it for later, in which case it might never get done.
"I really should call my mother. I might as well do it now as there is no time like the present."
Watching paint dry - used to describe something that is really boring.
"This documentary is about as much fun as watching paint dry."
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Vocabulary
Sounding board (noun) - a person or persons whose reactions serve as a measure of the effectiveness of methods and ideas.
"Travis used his classmates as a sounding board before discussing his idea with the teacher."
Resolution (noun) - the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method or procedure.
"The KGIC Alumni Society's resolution is to keep bringing you interesting articles in 2010."
Outstanding (adj.) - marked by superiority or distinction; excellent; distinguished.
"There are many outstanding students at KGIC." |
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KGIC Grand Opening in Boston |
When you think of Boston, Massachusetts you may think of outstanding sports teams like the Bruins (NHL), Celtics (NBA), Red Sox (MLB) and Patriots (NFL); or you may think of world class universities like Harvard and MIT; or you may think of the many deep historical and cultural sites in Boston. Now when you think of Boston you can also think of the KGIC experience. On January 4th 2010 the KGIC Education Center opened its doors to students of the world in Boston Massachusetts.  Boston has a reputation as a great academic city and now we want to encourage our students to become part of this tradition. KGIC students in Boston have a lot of flexibility in how they study. Boston is such a great city with many historical sites, fantastic shopping, and wonderful food. Students who wish to travel and experience Boston to the fullest can take part in KGIC vacation English. This allows students on a tourist visa to brush up their English skills while taking advantage of all that Boston has to offer. For those who want to make the most out of their study abroad time KGIC Education Center - Boston offers the most intensive study option available of any KGIC campus. Students who wish may study up to 32.5 hours per week! As students of the KGIC Education Center graduate and become members of our Alumni Society we will gladly welcome them into our fold. We look forward to hearing students' stories and updates from Boston and hope you will too. Congratulations and thanks to all that have helped make this grand opening possible. |
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| New Year's Wishes From KGIBC |
With a new year and new decade ahead, we asked KGIBC students to tell us what their hopes and wishes are for the next year.
Glaucia Baldansa Loureiro
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
IOMDP
"I think I want love, because with love you can get everything. And happiness, because with you can get energy to reach our goals."
Mustafa Gunes
Antalya, Turkey
HMDP
"When I go back to Turkey, I'm going to apply what I learned from HMDP and from Vancouver in my business. And also I wish a peaceful life for my family, my teachers, my friends and humanity in 2010 and in the future."
Yu Hsien (Calvin) Kuo
Taipei, Taiwan
BMDP
"I hope I can get a good part-time job here and in the future a company will hire me to work in Vancouver."
Erina Yamazumi
Hiroshima, Japan
ITDP-J
"I will improve my English skill and contribute to society such as volunteer as an interpreter or translator." |
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Greetings!
With the holiday season now past, we here at the KGIC Alumni Society hope you find yourself off to a great start in 2010. 2010 is not only the beginning of a new year, but also a new decade. You may be wondering how exactly you should speak 2010. Should you say "Two-Thousand Ten" or should you say "Twenty-Ten"? Of course both are correct, but the usage "twenty-ten" is expected to become more common as it is a bit quicker to say. Preparations in Vancouver, BC are well underway to host the 2010 Winter Olympics. Students studying there are excited to be part of this event and Vancouver is proud to host the world. May the next year and decade bring you health, wealth and happiness. We would love to hear your stories, updates and hopes for Twenty-Ten. If you would like to contribute to your Alumni newsletter or just to say "Hello" and wish a Happy New Year send an e-mail to the Alumni Society any time to alumni@kgic.ca. Sincerely, Your KGIC Alumni Society KGIC Education Group |
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KGIBC Student Success Story
Faisal Alsabaan: Reaching My Goals 
Hi everyone, my name is Faisal.
I was a student at KGIC for the ESL program since January 2nd, 2009. I transferred to KGIBC for the IELTS program on September 8th, 2009 and studied there for three months in preparation for the IELTS test and applying to university in Canada.
Now I'm beginning my studies at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC for their Pre-MBA program this semester. In September 2010 I'll start my MBA program at the same university in Kamloops. This is the next step in reaching my future goals, and my second goal is to get a PhD degree in Finance at Simon Fraser University to one day get my place at King Abdullah University in Saudi Arabia, where I'd like to be an academic professor.
My first step was at KGIC, and I worked hard to reach my first goal, which helped me to get in the university that I'm in right now.
I really had a lot of fun besides studying hard there. KGIC was my second house in Vancouver, BC and all the staff there was like my family. They helped me to reach my goal of getting accepted into a Canadian university.
I have worked hard here in Kamloops to reach my next goal, because through working hard you can achieve whatever you want. University classes in Canada are very challenging, but I am excited about everything I am learning and very happy for the opportunity.
If you have any goals you want to reach just work hard to get them and don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. I found everyone to be so helpful at KGIC, so don't be shy, people are usually willing to help you.
Happy New Year everyone! Good luck in reaching all your goals this year.
With all my wishes to you,
Faisal Alsabaan (or as everyone called me at KGIC, SuperFaisal).
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A Guide to Journal Writing
English: Use it or Lose it! 
With the start of a new year you may be thinking about your resolutions for 2010. We all make resolutions such as: to lose weight, to get in shape, to quit smoking or to be more active. For many of you, your resolution may be to keep practicing and improving your English.
Of course there are many ways for KGIC Alumni Society members to keep up with their English learning once they have finished their studies. One very useful and effective way is journal writing.
Keeping a journal in English is a great way to keep the language in your mind and to keep using it even if you are no longer in an English speaking environment. There is an old expression, "use it or lose it" that applies well to language learning. If you don't find ways to keep using English in some way there is the very real possibility that you will start to lose all that you learned. So to start off the decade let us give you some easy and helpful tips on keeping a journal in English.
- Buy a quality notebook. If you decide to buy one that is a little fancy, just make sure that it can lay flat while you write and that it is comfortable to write in. Also make sure that the pen, pencil, crayon or whatever you use to write with is comfortable to hold and doesn't smear or smudge.
- Set a time to write. You may want to journal daily, or you may be happy doing it weekly. To be effective you should try to journal write at least three days a week. Even if some of those entries are only a few sentences long there is value in taking a little time where you stop what you are doing to sit down, think and write in English.
- Date your entry. Putting a date on your journal entry may seem like a pain, but you will be grateful for it should you ever decide to look back at what you wrote in the past. It's also a good way to keep track on how your English is improving.
 Don't use a dictionary! The idea is for you to spend your time writing, not searching for words. If there is something you want to say, finding ways to express it without a dictionary is a valuable exercise. If you like, keep a piece of paper separate from your notebook where you can write down any words or expressions in your language you wanted to find and then look them up after you finished writing in your journal.
- Don't worry about spelling, grammar or punctuation. Journal writing is for your eyes only. It is a safe way for you to write and use language without fear of judgment. Journal writing is a usage exercise, not a learning exercise. The idea is to keep you using and thinking in the language. Don't waste your time trying to be perfect.
- Write something, anything at all! It sounds simple, but sometimes this can be the hardest part of journal writing. What to write about? Since this is personal and for your eyes only you can write quite honestly about yourself, your dreams and feelings. Or choose a random topic that interests you. If you are really stuck simply write out a list. For example: "100 places I want to visit before I die and why."
Good luck with your journal writing. Keep it somewhere safe so that you can look at it in the year 2020 and reflect back on the decade.
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KGIC Surrey Partners with NURSCAPE
Helping Students Achieve Their Goals
 KGIC has a long history of educating both in language and in preparation for professional careers and further academic study. Most students arrive in Canada on a working or tourist visa, hoping to improve their English skills and see a bit of Canada while they are here. Recently, however, there has been a rise in students at KGIC Surrey wanting to go even further. Beginning in 2009, KGIC has been in cooperation with NURSCAPE, a Korean website catering specifically to its nation's nurses. It is used as a sounding board, a way to gather information, and even offers help and tips on how to immigrate to Canada as nurses. Everyone at the KGIC Surrey campus is excited to be part of making the dreams and ambitions of professionals wanting to immigrate to Canada a reality through NURSCAPE.
In order for Korean nurses to immigrate to Canada (and work as nurses here), they are evaluated by our government on a point system, which looks at such things as their career, age, marital status, and other criteria. If their points reach a certain number, they can forego the (dreaded) English test for foreign immigrants. If their score is less than the required number, however, they must make up the points by compensating on their English scores.
Recently, KGIC Surrey began its now popular IELTS class. Students are drawn to this class because it prepares them for the aforementioned federal government English test. Because of the speed and generally higher level of English in IELTS, students participating in the class must have passed at least level 3 in KGIC's ESL classes. Currently, the majority of the IELTS class is comprised of the students brought here through NURSCAPE.
One such student is Jessica, who arrived in Canada with her husband Brian during the fall of 2009. Starting off in level 2 ESL classes at the Surrey KGIC campus, she has progressed to the IELTS class. Although she finds the material difficult, she is very thankful for the opportunity to be studying in Canada. Logging onto NURSCAPE while in Korea, she linked to KGIC and eventually found herself in Canada. When I asked her why she wanted to immigrate to, and be a nurse in Canada, she said that she and her husband felt that our country held good opportunities, both for employment and for a more comfortable lifestyle. She and her husband look forward to an engaging future in Canada.
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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 "Join our Mailing List" 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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