On the SECOND DAY of Christmas ...

On the second day of Christmas,

My teacher sent to me ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PVhIMr4ScI

GIVES another meaning to Noël and balls !!!

__________________________________________

GOOD SUNDAY MORNING TO YOU!!!

How are you doing?

"Got your Chritmas tree decorated?"

Have you done your Christmas shopping yet?

Have you wrapped your Christmas gifts yet?

Did you go out for a pre-Christmas meal

 with family or friends?

Did some Christmas cooking/baking yesterday?

 

I baked some Christmas cookies last night.

Every Christmas I make my own gifts and

wrap them with Christmas paper and ribbons.

I also sent my Christmas cards

to my family and friends abroad.

 

So there is today's lesson using  the word

CHRISTMAS!

This WORD is used often because it represents

a period of time! The HOLIDAYS!!!

YES!!! It isn't used only for December 25,

which is  Christmas day!

 Attached you will find a list of words and

expressions used to represent everything "Christmassy"

USING the word CHRISTMAS or Xmas

Christmas  > proper noun

Christmas spirit> adjective

XMAS> abbreviation (writing only), used as informal

Christmassy> adjective> related to Christmas

SEE YOU AGAIN tomorrow!!!

       Suzanne

NOTE to the reader:

If you wish to receive the Christmas vocabulary list,

DROP ME A LINE!!! Use the comment just below!



On the FIRST DAY of Christmas ....

 

As Santa is getting ready for Christmas, maybe today you are putting up your Christmas tree also...   Officially today, December 13,  there are 12 days left before THEEEE DAY!!! Have you EVER heard of the song Click >The Twelve Days of Christsmas? A good practice of the -ING words, don’t you agree?  Well this year, I'm going to be your twelve days of CHRISTMAS! AS the song's lyrics go, WELLLLL .....  I'm going to change it around a little bit   TO> 'On the first day of Christmas',         'MY TEACHER SENT TO ME ...!  And you thought that your English classes were over for this session! NO! No! NOOOO! I'm still here! REMEMBER ...You answered when I asked   that it was OK with you and that I could send you emails, right? I wasn't kidding! HERE I AM!!!   I'm officially your 12 days of XMAS!   I just want to have fun and allow you to experience the joy and the vocabulary that is used around Christmas time.   HAVE A GREAT DAY and if you are decorating .. . Be CAREFUL when you go up the ladder! See you tomorrow!             SUZANNE   NOTE to the reader: this is the attached TEXT: Well it’s Christmas time again! YES! And this year we have the snow to prove it. People always appreciate a bit of  the white ’stuff’ for the HOLIDAYS. You’ve heard of the expression  WHITE CHRISTMAS as in Bing Crosby’s  very popular song, haven’t you?  Well… maybe not! Listen to it here:  ‘’I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas’’ This is just a start, for the next 12 days,   as in another Xmas song, I  will be sending you a daily ‘something’ (story, joke, cartoon, song, video…)   about Christmas and the Holidays. A challenge for me, some vocabulary for you.       Consider this as my Xmas gift for you all! And ... I’ll be with you right up to the 25th!!!  SUZANNE

Letters between Student and Teacher

NOTE to the reader: This email was written by a student after receiving a letter from her teacher: "Words of Support". You can read this letter BELOW (posted below).

 From :  (STUDENT) Sylvie F.

To: (TEACHER) Suzanne Lord

 Hi Suzanne,

I think that you read in my mind. Last Wednesday, I was a little bit discouraged about my progress in English. I think that I did few steps but I must do many many steps to speak without mistakes and fluently.

I read the letter you sent us, this letter helped me. I'll keep in mind my personal objectives, it's not easy because I'm hurry. I would like to tell you thank you for the link "prepositions". I began to read the document, it’s very interesting...

 *  This is my answer:  

From : Suzanne Lord
To : Sylvie F.

HELLO there... SYLVIE! 

Thanks for your feedback!

As you said:” I read (rèd) your mind.”

In a way it’s true but I must admit

that over the years I have observed

my students' learning curve.

So from my observations and experience

I knew that it was the time to send this letter. 

I think that you are a great student!

I'm sure something will happen soon

and you will be really surprised!!

Keep up your great work!!

Your proud teacher,

SUZANNE

 

Words of SUPPORT

Words of SUPPORT ... Because it's just the right time!

 This morning I woke up and I felt inspired to have a little ‘chat’ with you just as an English speaking friend and of course, as a teacher also.I know that some of you at this point in the ESL classes and lessons, might feel a bit or a lot overwhelmed. Some of you might feel discouraged but then…. Some of you are OK and are feeling quite confident.

As human beings we are all naturally unique and certainly have different personalities… this is an obvious fact. But then, we are all similar in a certain way especially when we start learning or are challenged and we are out of our comfort zone. So my message to you right now is one of reassurance, hope and support!! Remember I’m your №1 cheerleader and I’m also the best coach you can find!!!       HERE GOES!!!

AFRAID ABOUT MAKING MISTAKES …

Native English speakers DO NOT CARE

if you make a mistake when you are speaking.

 I repeat THEY DON’T CARE!!!

In fact, only English teachers care… WHY?

The answer is obvious: YOU ARE LEARNING!!!

You’ll never learn to speak fluently if you are

constantly afraid and worried of making mistakes.

I know that you WORRY about making mistakes

when you speak English… I KNOW! I KNOW!!!        

But here’s the thing: NOBODY CARES!

AGAIN… NOBODY CARES!!

You are talking to some Canadian, American or Australian, they don’t care if you make a grammar mistake; they absolutely don’t mind! They are talking to you as a human being. They just want to communicate to you and with you. People don’t worry about your grammar or your accent! Other people are NOT ENGLISH TEACHERS!!! They are not ‘grading’ you or checking your verb tenses. The world isn’t filled with ESL teachers ;)

The worst thing you can do is worry about mistakes,

BECAUSE:

► it prevents you from talking naturally to other people

► it prevents you from the whole purpose of learning

which is TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE!

You want to communicate with them,

you want to share ideas and opinions,

you might even make new friends!!! RIGHT!!?

 SOOOO…. DO IT THE BEST WAY YOU CAN:

Speak simply

Speak directly

Speak slowly

Speak as clearly as you can!

It’s fine! It’s OK!

If the other person doesn’t understand you… You will know! Because you will observe it and see it in their body language – their face will tell you! Just like mine does in class! ;)  It can be intimidating butttt… please, don’t let that stop you!!! They can also ask you to repeat OR say: “WHAT? I’M SORRY! I didn’t understand.

It’s not a big deal! NO BIG DEAL!!!

because my teacher loves me!!!

Have a nice weekend!   SUZANNE

________________________________________

P.S. Here are another teacher’s words of encouragement:
 ESl teacher, DAVE SCONDA   "Straight from the horse's mouth" (idiom)

«Be courageous with language Learning-

don't let any fear/bad feeling get in your way

you're learning, mistakes are good, keep moving forward!»

 

A VERY LIVELY GROUP ???

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

AND THEY KEEP COMING...

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...AND COMING!!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

WHO ARE THEY?!!!

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HERE ARE SOME MORE WEIRD CHARACTERS

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An interesting group

 

 

MY TIME IN JAIL ...

 It's Halloween time of the year once again!

Here is a text that Hélène Parent, ESL student, advanced group

composed and shared with us in class this past week.

The 'horrors' of what was once  time spent in jail...

 

I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU MY TIME IN JAIL …

Don't be afraid I'm not a criminal.  I just had the opportunity to visit the old jail in Trois-Rivières.  It's possible to sleep there for a night and eat the prisoner's breakfast but after my visit I wouldn’t stay there anymore.  The stone walls are very thick so it's always cold and humid.  Furthermore the prisoners' conditions were horrible.    Anyone could be incarcerated, they could have been as young as 10 or 12 years old  and also for a minor offence.

This detention centre opened officially in 1822 and remained in operation until 1986.  Most of the time it was overcrowded.  There was no privacy so you can imagine all the problems, bad odors, noise, fights.  When a prisoner came in the guard gave him or her the prisoner's gift: a pair of pants, a shirt, a pillow (a used one full of all you can imagine) and a rough grey woolen blanket; then brought to the cell. To welcome him, the oldest prisoner of the cell required the newcomer to exchange his effects against his.

There were six beds in the men’s cell but most of the time up to eighteen prisoners lived there.  So most of them slept on the floor, close to the toilet buckets (one bucket for six prisoners).  The most recent arrival was in charge of emptying that bucket.  Every day the prisoners ate the same meal which consisted of oats, beans and bread.  They were allowed to wash themselves once a week  but there was only one bar of soap for all the prisoners in the cell. Too bad for the last ones!  They could go outside one hour a week but only weather permitting.  They spent the whole day standing up in a small room in front of the cell.  They had nothing to do except smoke and fight.  They couldn't complain about their condition otherwise they were beaten by the guards and locked up nude in a dark frozen dungeon, full of spiders and rats. Rarely did they have visitors.  Under the supervision of a jailer, three prisoners could sit behind a grid in front of three visitors.  No intimacy, no complaining allowed.

The women's detention conditions were a bit different but also very harsh.  Each one lived in a tiny cell surrounded by grids large enough for a bed and a toilet bucket.  They were allowed to keep with them one of their children. 
In the beginning, people could witness the hangings.  At the end the administration built a stone wall all around the prison so it was impossible to see the "show".  But many people who lived nearby charged a fee and let the others climb on their roofs.

This visit was such an experience. The guide was very interesting and made us feel like a prisoner.  Each visitor in turn had to play a role. As the visit was ending, I told him that if he were to teach the same way in class, he would be a great teacher.  He answered me by saying that I had better not try to corrupt him. 

  THANKS HÉLÈNE for sharing

 part of our lurid and

  gruesome past with us.

 Thanks for writing and informing us.

SUZANNE

 

EXTRA INFORMATION

Following the posting of this text I got an email which actually is a comment from a former student, Huguette. THANKS!!!

 What she wrote about is an annual celebration at the jail which gives another meaning to experiencing FEARS. Every year during the Halloween period they organize a theme relating to this Holiday. This year it was about transforming the jail into a makeshift hospital. They invite you to challenge your greatest fears. Do you dare try it?

 

The following is from the site. It is the 2014 edition.  
Alert: A strange parasite attacks the people of Trois-Rivières! Day after day, the people around you are getting sick: some fall into a deep coma, others succumb to hemorrhagic fever or  become severely deformed while several completely lose reason. Are you infected? As a preventive measure, you are taken to the Old Prison of Trois-Rivières, temporarily transformed into a makeshift hospital. How do you resist the mysterious parasite in this prison life worrying?