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____________ ___ Quote
"October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came- The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples, And leaves of every name. The Sunshine spread a carpet, And everything was grand, Miss Weather led the dancing, Professor Wind the band." - George Cooper
Proverb
All that glitters is not gold.
Meaning - An article that looks good my have no real value
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Phrases/Idioms
All bark and no bite
Meaning - When someone is threatening and/or aggressive but not willing to engage in a fight.
- like the "trick" in "trick-or-treat"
Vocabulary
Impromptu -
adjective
1.
made or done without previous preparation: an impromptu address to the unexpected crowds.
2.
suddenly or hastily prepared, made, etc.: an impromptu dinner.
3.
improvised; having the character of an improvisation.
adverb
4.
without preparation: verses written impromptu.
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Quality Assurance
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At KGIC we pride ourselves on providing quality services Our ESL campuses, in British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia are accredited by
Languages Canada and our campuses in British Columbia also are allowed to carry the EQA seal. BCEQA
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Greetings!
October brings a change of season to Canada as well as several interesting Holidays. In this issue we explore these holidays, introduce our new "Academic Support System", discuss the OPIC exam, our Business English Diploma Program and our Powerspeaking and Modern Media course.
Sincerely,
Your KGIC Alumni Society
King George International College
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A Time to Give Thanks
Thanksgiving is an annual holiday in Canada. It is a statutory holiday in most provinces, celebrated on the second Monday of October. The origin of Thanksgiving dates back to First Nations celebrations. The first inhabitants of this country were thankful for the harvest of a good crop to keep them fed through the long Canadian winter.
Since 1879, Thanksgiving has been observed in Canada every year. In modern times Canadians gather with friends and family to express their thanks for having good things in their lives: family, friends, employment and good health.
Traditionally, Canadians have a large family gathering and cook a feast consisting of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, bread, potatoes, carrots or yams, and for dessert, a delicious apple or pumpkin pie.
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NEW: ACADEMIC SUPPORT SYSTEM
 At KGIC we provide extra free academic support for all ESL students at all our campuses. At our Vancouver (Robson Street) and at our Toronto Campus we have a designated "Student Progress Supervisor". At our Halifax, Surrey and Victoria campuses teachers take on the role of academic counselors.
The Academic support system features individualized, personalized academic counseling services as well as study-skill workshops.
Do you have any question about how you could study better?
Do you want to know how you can make your study time more effective?
If you have any questions about studying English, we can help!
Check out our Power Point and visit our website for updates on our Academic Support System and KGIC Study Tips!
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Business English
Business English is a diploma program with a certificate option. Students can register for a 4 week certificate, an 8 week diploma, or a 12 week diploma that includes a 4 week practicum.
Through this program, students develop not only their workplace English communication, presentation and negotiation skills but also develop a wide range of business vocabulary, expand their business knowledge, and gain business writing skills.
There is a lot of group work as well as individual effort included in this program. Students learn how to cooperate to complete several group projects, such as creating a new business plan. There are individual presentations and quizzes throughout the program which requires students to work independently.
A practicum is an opportunity for students to gain work experience and utilize their skills in the real world by working for four weeks. Many companies and organizations need extra help, and KGIC practicum students are very valuable in the workplace. During practicum, students are expected to be just like regular employees, working full-time time five days a week, always arriving on time, socializing and making small talk with fellow workers, and acting professional at all times.
Business English helps students excel in everyday business communication, by teaching the necessary vocabulary, engaging in intensive discussion of various business topics, making company visits and having the opportunity for hands-on practicum experience.
 Instructor: Penny Huang
I love teaching and have been teaching for over 10 years! I also have a Master's degree in International Business and for one year worked in an international company while teaching English at the same time. My educational background, work experience in a real-life business setting, and years of teaching experience have all equipped me with excellent knowledge to take on the Business English program at Victoria Campus.
I understand that lots of international students do not come to Canada just to improve their English. They also expect to further develop their workplace communication skills to help them land a better job back home. Thus, one of my greatest motivations as an English teacher is to see the enthusiasm and confidence of students grow and to see them putting the English skills they learned into use!
I have taught in Taiwan and Canada and travelled to several countries in Europe and Asia. I enjoy meeting people from different cultural backgrounds and helping them in all aspects!
I have taught in Taiwan and Canada and have travelled to several countries in Europe and Asia. I enjoy meeting people from different cultural backgrounds and helping them in all aspects!
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Halloween - Our "Scary" Tradition
The origins of Halloween date back to pre-Christian times. People believed that ghosts and spirits could return to this world on October 31. These "visitors" were harmful, so in order to stay safe people began to dress up like spirits and ghosts to confuse them.
Halloween is an annual holiday but we do not take time off work or school to celebrate. Often we decorate our houses or workplaces to look like haunted houses with witches' brooms, skeletons and ghosts. It is also customary to dress up in costume and attend costume parties.
Children go trick-or-treating. They will walk door-to-door, often with a parent as a chaperone, and cry out "Trick-or-Treat!?" This is an idle threat to cause mischief to the homeowner's property if they are not given a treat. In some places homeowners will ask children to sing a song for their candy. Usually houses that want to participate in this tradition will place a jack-o'-lantern in their window or on their front porch to indicate they have candy for children.
 Jack-o'-lanterns came from the Scottish tradition of carving turnips to remember the souls stuck in purgatory. In North America pumpkins were more readily available so we use these bigger fruits instead to carve out silly or scary faces. We also roast the pumpkin seeds in the oven for a tasty treat.
Costumes were first mass produced in 1930 in the USA. Children used to dress up like ghosts, vampires and witches but now dress up like anything they like from Disney characters to celebrities. Nowadays people in North America may even dress up their pets! This is a fun holiday for us to celebrate before the weather turns cold. |
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ACTFL OPIC
The American Council on Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL) created the OPIc (Oral Proficiency Interview by computer) exam. It has proven to be incredibly popular with both students and the corporate world in the past few years. The Korean market is being led by Samsung's announcement that they have selected the OPIc as their official employment test, and other corporations are quickly following their lead. This year over 100,000 tests will be held in Korea alone! The test is also making its way into Latin America and is very popular in the North American academic, commercial and government markets.
What is the OPIc?
The OPIc is a 30-45 minute test of the functional speaking ability of a person in a certain language. It can be done at a computer in a KGIC testing centre, and it is becoming the standard for employment and placement.
What are the advantages of the OPIc?
In a business context, the OPIc is appropriate for a variety of purposes: employment selection, placement into training programs, demonstration of linguistic progress, and evidence of training effectiveness.
Where can I take the OPIc?
KGIC students can conveniently book and take the OPIc at their own campus. The cost is $60 CAD.
FREE FOR PMM STUDENTS!
KGIC students who complete the Powerspeaking and Modern Media program take the OPIc as a part of their curriculum for free! By completing PMM, students will have a better understanding of the OPIc and be better prepared for it, as well as graduate with both a diploma from KGIC and a certificate from ACTFL.
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What is PMM?
Students often ask, "What is PMM?" Well, it is Powerspeaking and Modern Media. In this course, students use media to improve their English skills. We read the news, watch TV shows and movies, and listen to music. Then we discuss them. The focus is always on speaking, so there are many opportunities for students to talk - weekly formal presentations and frequent spontaneous ones, impromptu storytelling and group discussion.
 One of the fun things we do in PMM at the Toronto campus is preparing the weekly school video announcements, "KGIC This Week". If you used to study at KGIC in Toronto maybe you have seen them. Every Monday, students work in small groups to come up with an entertaining skit that will inform the rest of the students about one of the great extracurricular activities that our campus offers.
We practice, perform and record the role plays. This part can get pretty crazy, and we all have a good laugh! Then it gets put together into a short video that the whole school watches the next day.
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 | | PLAY OUR KGIC GAME |
Here at KGIC we appreciate all our Alumni Society members and Students. We hope that you enjoy the information and updates offered in our newsletter. In May KGIC celebrated our 15 year anniversary. In the last fifteen years we have grown from one school with five classrooms to seven campuses across Canada. We'd like to thank all our past students for being part of our history. We'd love to hear your stories and updates about your time at KGIC to add to our celebrations. Please send an e-mail with your story and photo to alumni@kgic.ca 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 our e-News" button.
Sincerely, King George International College 201-1400 Robson Street Vancouver, BC V6G 1B9 Canada |
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