ESLA: LEARNING FUN

December, 2013

Volume 1, Number 1

FEATURE

WHAT EVENT IS

USEFUL?

PAGE 2

“Taste of Russia” Festival

September 29, 2013,Ottawa

Photo by E. Kaliberda

Farm Proulx, Orleans

19th

Annual Pumpkin Halloween Festival

October, 2013

Photo by E. Kaliberda

WHAT’S COMING UP!

Questions? Comments?

Suggestions? Ideas?

elena.kaliberda@carleton.ca

We would love to hear from you!

EDITOR’S CORNER

page 2

WHAT EVENT IS USEFUL ?

page 2

10 IDEAS FOR EVENTS

page 3-6

BOOK PRESENTATION

page 7-8

CALENDAR FOR DECEMBER

page 9

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EDITOR’S CORNER Welcome to the special edition of the ESLA: Learning fun newsletter! Let me introduce myself.

My name is Elena Kaliberda and I am an Editor of this special edition of the ESLA newsletter. I

am also the ESLA 1900 course student at the Carleton University.

Students like me are the prime readers of this newsletter. One of the

key objectives of the ESLA program is to improve the academic

knowledge of the English language and get some practical

communication skills. Surely, there are many opportunities

available at the Carleton University to get involved and practise

your communication skills, for example “English as a second

language” conversation groups, workshops, seminars, and many

others. There are always many various events happening at

Carleton, including international conferences, seminars, theatre

performances and much more. But it is also important to take

advantage of many other opportunities that are available outside the

University walls. It is important for so many different reasons. The

key here is to receive a real life experience and an opportunity to integrate into every day’s life

and learn to communicate in English with ease. It will help to make communication in English

fun and enjoyable. It also helps to improve the cultural adjustment in the new country and

broaden your life experiences. The combination of the academic studies and everyday

communication in English is the formula for a great success. This experience will help students

to be better prepared for the workplace professional communication and professional

environment. Professional networking activities provide great opportunities to establish good

contacts within the field of your professional interest and encourage the further professional and

financial growth. There are also many opportunities available in your local community,

professional circles where you can meet-up and communicate with native English speakers and

make new friends and business contacts. You might be surprised to find out how many people

would be supportive of your efforts to learn and speak English. Do not be afraid to communicate

your ideas and speak up. It is also important to seize any opportunity to practise your

communication skills for example, talk to your neighbours, fellow students, have a chat at your

favourite coffee shop, shopping mall, local grocery store. It helps students to feel more

comfortable and to be out of the studying pressure. It will help you to get some real Canadian

experience and enjoy discovering Ottawa and Canada! There are lots of things to see and to do

here.

We hope that this issue will help our readers to determine events that are useful for the

improvement of their academic English. There will be offered 10 ideas for events that we would

like to recommend for the English improvement.

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WHAT EVENT IS USEFUL? The main focus of this research was to determine events of an interest to a broader group of

students coming from various professional, cultural backgrounds and various age groups but

with the same learning objective of improving communication skills in reading, writing,

listening and speaking English.

While assessing various events from the point of view of usefulness to meet the learning

objectives, it is important to consider different learning outcomes, e.g. opportunity to speak

English, gain new cultural and professional experience, establish new business contacts, make

new friends and many others.

We would like to discuss here two different events that will help to illustrate the concept of

evaluation of various events and their practical application to the language learning process. One

can express some doubts if there might be any learning benefits in attending this kind of events

for the ESLA students. We agree that these are probably not typical events, considered for the

English language improvement program but these events help to encourage an idea of “thinking

outside a box” while evaluating events and look at any event as a great opportunity to improve

the language communication skills.

The Ottawa Russian Folk Festival is our first example. The Festival took place in Ottawa on

September 29th

, 2013. The Festival was organized by the Russian community of Ottawa and

hosted by the Russian Orthodox Church in Ottawa. The Festival was promoted in numerous

media outlets and publications, including community websites, the Ottawa Citizen and

newsletters. Although the event is organized and hosted by the Russian Community, there is

traditionally a very high percentage of Canadians attending the event. Canadians love and

support multicultural events and eager to learn about different cultures, traditions and history.

The Festival offers a lot of opportunities to practise English language communication skills

while learning about Russian culture and traditions. The casual set-up of the event invited

friendly conversations with Canadians while tasting traditional Russian food and touring the

beautiful church. More information about this festival is available on the Russian Festival

Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RussianFestivalOttawa.

There are many cultural events and festivals happening annually in Ottawa, e.g. Greek festival,

Indian festival, Lebanese festival and many others. All of them are great for improving English

communication skills in a friendly, relaxed and fun atmosphere.

Our next example is the visit to the Proulx farm in Orleans. Every weekend during the month of

October they offer an exciting program with great activities. It is a full month of celebrations of

the fall and the end of the harvesting season. It is a lot fun to pick your own pumpkins, fresh

apples from the apple orchard, enjoy the tractor wagon ride through the beautiful woods, filled

with most amazing colors and shades of yellow and orange. It is a beloved spot by many

Canadians and there are always many opportunities to practise English language skills. Get a

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slice of freshly baked pie and a cup of coffee and enjoy one of many shows offered to all visitors

for free of charge in English language. These shows are usually interactive, family orientated and

filled with humor. There are a lot of photo opportunities at the farm to take great pictures, create

fun memories and share them with your family and friends. Events like this help to understand

better the Canadian culture and traditions and encourage further great conversations in the class

between students.

We hope that these ideas will help students to look at different events from a new angle with a

fresh prospective. Students should think of the ways to make any event to work for them so it

could meet the main objective of improving communication skills in English. It is always a good

idea to research an event in advance to be more familiar with the subject matter, to refresh some

vocabulary on the subject, think of questions that you might want to ask. Some advance

preparation will help to boost your confidence and enjoy the event. There are always

opportunities to practise language skills at every event but it is important to identify these

opportunities and not let them pass by.

For example, there was the Butterfly Show that took place at Carleton from October 5th

to 14th

,

2013. By the look of it, there were probably no opportunities for the language practice through

this event. But in fact, it turned out to be a great opportunity to listen to the tour guide’s

commentary, ask questions and participate in the discussion. It was also a fun topic for some

advance research and to learn new words. There were many interesting exhibits and facts

presented at the show. What a great opportunity to share lots of interesting facts with friends and

other students by writing a short essay or staring a new online forum group discussion after the

event! This event has met all the learning goals and objectives for the ESLA students, including

oral communication, listing, reading and writing skills.

In support of this discussion, we would like to offer 10 great ideas of various opportunities to

benefit the foreign language learning process and make it fun and a rewarding experience.

IDEA # 1 Book clubs! Canadians like to read and discuss books. There are so many different book clubs in

Ottawa. It is free to join. Usually a book club event is an informal gathering of people with the

same interests and passion for reading. The book club events are usually hosted by the local

libraries, community centers and coffee shops. The club members usually meet once a month and

discuss a book that they selected at the previous meeting. There are many advantages in joining a

book club. It will help to improve reading and oral communication skills. It is also a good

opportunity for networking and meeting new people.

These are some websites for the existing Book Club groups to give you an idea.

The Canadian Book Club (www.canadianbookclubs.com) is a book club most suitable for a fun

group of women in their 20s and 30s who enjoy getting together once a month for coffee and of

course, to discuss books in a causal , relaxed atmosphere! The club was established in September

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2009. Their picks are recent bestsellers and at the end of each meeting they typically pick the

next book. They are currently seeking new members to join!

This is another book club for young people in Ottawa, make sure to visit their website for some

more details www.reddit.com/r/OttawaBookClub/

The Carleton University has its own book club - English Grads Book Club. Please check out

their website for some more information: http://events.carleton.ca/english-grads-book-club-10/

You can also email them at cu_proud@carleton.ca

IDEA # 2 Sign up as a volunteer to help at different events, organized in Ottawa. They always look for

volunteers and help.

For example, the Ottawa Writes Festival offers amazing opportunities for volunteers to help at

their events. What a great opportunity to meet famous writers in person and even have a chance

to ask some questions or have a chat! If you are interested in this volunteer opportunity, please

contact Leslie Wilson at leslie@writersfestival.org and check if you can help. There are a lot of

events every month!

Charity village website (www.charityvillage.com) always provides information on available

volunteer opportunities.

IDEA # 3 The Ottawa Library hosts English conversation groups across Ottawa. They usually take place in

the local library branches and are led by native English speakers. They usually discuss articles,

international happenings and local news. Please visit their website to get some more detail on

this opportunity http://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/content/contact-branch

IDEA # 4 The Public Speaking workshops offer great tips and opportunities to improve your oral

communication skills and speech writing skills.

For example, the Toast Master International company (www.toastmaster.org) offers interesting

seminars for professionals on public presentations and speeches. There are 77 different meeting

locations available in Ottawa, including government organizations such as Industry Canada,

Health Canada, CMHC Corporation, and also clubs such as Management Development Program

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for Women Club, or local communities. It is also another great opportunity to make great

contacts with potential employers and people within your professional area of expertise.

http://reports.toastmasters.org/findaclub/searchresults.cfm?Country=Canada&State=Ontario&Cit

y=Ottawa

IDEA # 5 Get involved and give back to the community! There are many fundraising opportunities

available in Ottawa. Food Bank of Ottawa is always looking for some extra helping hands,

especially during the holiday season. Soup Kitchen is another charitable organization that always

welcomes help and support.

There are many fundraising events, organized by local communities. It is not only a very

rewarding experience but it also helps to improve your language skills while helping others.

For example, “Help Lesotho” (www.helplesotho.ca) at 610, Bronson Avenue. They organize

many fundraising events.

IDEA # 6 Get involved with your professional Association. They always organize networking events and

workshops. Many of these events do not require a registration fee to attend. For example, Ottawa

Chamber of Commerce organizes many free events. Check their events’ calendar by visiting

their website at www.ottawachamber.ca.

IDEA # 7 Ottawa is a home to international trade missions and Embassies. Take advantage of it and attend

many cultural events organized by international missions and cultural consulates.

Many Embassies organize interesting cultural events during the Christmas and Easter seasons.

There are also many educational events organized and hosted by Embassies.

For example, on October 20th

, 2013 the Korean Community Association of Ottawa (KCAO) and

the Embassy of the Republic of Korea launched their Second film presentation of “The Terror

Live” (with English sub-titles) at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. There was a networking

reception before the presentation.

IDEA # 8 There are many sports and athletic clubs in Ottawa. Some of them offer a free membership or a

complimentary registration to participate in tournaments.

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For example, please visit the tennisorbit.com website to sign up for the community tennis

tournaments. It is not only a great opportunity to play sports and stay active, it is also an

opportunity to communicate with Canadians and practise your language skills.

IDEA # 9 There are many opportunities to join meet-up groups in Ottawa. You can even create your own

group and invite your friends to join it. Please visit the meetup.com website for some more

information.

There are also many professional groups created within the specific field of interest. For

example, there is an Ottawa Public Communications Professionals Group. They meet on every

third Tuesday every month. Their prime area of interest is public communications, including

social media, new media technologies and many other related topics. Please visit their page on

the meetup.com website for some additional information http://www.meetup.com/third-tuesday-

ottawa/

Another example is the Tech Tuesday group, organized by two Ottawa high tech companies

Terry Matthews and Wesley Clover: http://www.wesleyclover.com/wesley-clover-

foundation/tech-tuesday/ They meet on every first Tuesday of every month in Ottawa. The

Terry Matthews and Wesley Clover teams host networking events for the high tech community

that usually include a presentation of one of the start-up high tech companies in Ottawa with the

Q&A’s period to follow.

IDEA # 10 Ottawa is a city of festivals! Take advantage of many free educational and networking

opportunities available through attending festivals, for example the Winterlude festival, the tulips

Festival and many others. Every festival offers an extended program of exhibits, workshops and

seminars. What a great opportunity to communicate, network and practise your language skills!

Please visit the Ottawa Festivals website for some more information www.ottawafestivals.ca.

OUR READING – BOOK PRESENTATION By Elena Kaliberda

A book presentation is another great example where you can meet people, network and practise

your language skills. Book presentations usually take place in libraries, museums or book stores,

for example in Chapters. It is a wonderful opportunity to meet writers and find out more about

books.

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I would like to share with you one of my personal experiences. I was invited to the book’s

presentation by Grete Hale who launched her book Grete Hale: Baker's Daughter. It was an

amazing experience and a very well attended event. I had a chance to read the book before the

presentation and was familiar with the story and learnt many interesting facts in advance. When I

arrived to the presentation, there were many interesting discussions taking pace. I was happy that

I could participate in the conversations and share my ideas and opinions about the book. A book

she has written about her long, rich and very Canadian life and published by the Ottawa Citizen

appeared in local Ottawa bookstores. The net proceeds went towards building a dormitory for

young women in Uganda attending the Trade School she and small group of Ottawa volunteers

have built.

The book had a great success and sold out so fast that Grete released three additional editions

during the same year. Currently this book is available at the Carleton University book store.

The famous Canadian Grete Hale launched her book Grete Hale: Baker's Daughter on February 13

th, 2011 at the

Library and Archives of Canada. Photo by Gay Cook.

The story of Grete Hale is fascinating and I truly admire her and her outstanding achievements.

Grete Hale comes from a pioneer family who first arrived in the Ottawa area in 1818 and has

lived all her life in the oldest house in the capital, built in 1828 that was restored by her mother.

From her parents she learnt the importance of being a contributor to one’s community and has

truly given back in a myriad of ways. She has served thousands of hours in over 40 volunteer

organizations, chaired hundreds of board meetings, kept them on time and on agenda and offered

sound advice. Four years ago she was a recipient of the Order of Canada.

Not quite an autobiography, the book offers instead a broad array of narratives from Grete Hale’

life that has been extraordinary rich and blessed. The nine chapters include stories of personal

and community heritage; highlights from adventures pursued; accounts of tough decisions made

and work undertaken; and recollections of the wonderful people Grete have met over her 80-plus

years.

Grete told everyone that one of her New Year’s resolutions for 2010 was to write a story of her

life. And she did. “Thanks for God’s piloting hand”, - she wrote in her dedication (Hale, 2011, p.

5).

“I am sure that everyone has a lot to share, write your own stories… I have always believed that

our stories make the world go around. Everyone has a story. And every story, just like every

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person, is filled with moments of our lives: the moments of joy, sorrow, disappointments,

triumph, and excitement”, said Grete during her book presentation.

Gerry Nott, editor of the Ottawa Citizen, commented on the book: “These are stories of

accomplishments, philanthropy, enormous humanity, resiliency, history, and love… Everything

that came to Grete’s family, and her marvellous and accomplished sisters, Jean Pigott and Gay

Cook was earned. Every honour deserved, every appointment, award, and recognition bestowed

on them done so because of legacy of caring, and giving back to the community that is her

family’s legacy. From entertaining school children in her home, to the creation of the lasting

memorial at Beechwood Cemetery, to hosting the wives of the most powerful politicians in the

world for an informal lunch, to borrowing a hat of a complete stranger at Parliament Hill so she

could properly meet the Queen, the Baker’s Daughter tells her story with rich detail, warmth,

humility and grace. In a family with roots that predate the beginning of our country and now hold

place in local. National and international history, Grete’s story – just like her – is modesty

understated” (Hale, 2011, pp. 7-8).

These are some quotes from the Grete Hale: Baker's Daughter book that I would like to share

with you today.

“My father, Cecil Morrison – known to generation of Ottawans as “The Happy Baker” – had

started a bakery with partner Dick Lamothe in 1911. They were two fellows from the country

who had come to the young city of Ottawa, which at that time had a population of just 60,000…”

(Hale, 2011, p. 17).

“On the Morrison side, my folks came from up the Ottawa and up the Gatineau… Caleb Brooks

was my five-times great-grandfather… who brought the family line into Canada, arriving on the

shores of the Ottawa River in 1818. He had come to lend a hand to his uncle Philemon Wright,

the Yankee entrepreneur who developed the pioneer lumber community that became known as

Hull and is today the city of Gatineau” (Hale, 2011, p. 20).

“Caleb’s early days in the Ottawa River wilderness were marked by tragedy. Ten years after his

arrival, he lost his wife to a malaria epidemic that raged through the population on both sides of

the river. The disease had been inadvertently introduced to the area by the soldiers brought in by

Colonel John By to build the Rideau Canal. With the lack of medical help in the area five

hundred died, as did numerous civilians, including Caleb’s wife” (Hale, 2011, p. 20).

“So when I decided to go to Carleton, I balanced my studies with work as the early-morning chef

at Guardsman Restaurant, operated by my family’s company. For three years, I rode the 6 a.m.

streetcar to the restaurant on Rideau Street, got a turkey into the oven for the luncheon trade, and

then headed off to lectures. My graduation in 1954 felt like an accomplishment on so many

different fronts. And now, 55 years later, I was to be honoured by my own alma mater…” (Hale,

2011, p. 11).

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“The center of attraction for 40,000 Canadians on July 1, 1967, was our Morrison Lamothe

birthday cake” (Hale, 2011, p. 100).

The book also includes over forty photos, full colour and of course, black and white.

The book is available in these Ottawa stores:

Collected Works Bookstore & Coffee Bar at 1242 Wellington Street West, Ottawa

www.collected-works.com

Perfect Books at 258A Elgin Street, Ottawa

www.perfectbooks.ca

Nicholas Hoare Books at 419 Sussex Drive, Ottawa

www.nicholashoare.com

The Ottawa Citizen at 1101 Baxter Road, Ottawa

ourtown@ottawacitizen.com

Reference

Hale, G. (2011). Baker’s Daughter: The story of a long, rich and very Canadian life. Ottawa,

Canada: The Ottawa Citizen.

CALENDAR – DECEMBER CCR in Ottawa

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3

Tech Tuesday,

The Marshes

Golf Club, 320

Terry Fox Drive

5.00-7.00 p.m.

4

Canadian Public

Relations

Society-Ottawa

Holiday Social

Real Sports Bar

and Grill, 90

George St.

5.30-8.00 p.m.

5

Books and

reading,

Public library,

Alta Vista

2.00 -3.00p.m.

6 7

Mayor’s

Christmas

Celebration

City Hall

3.00-7.00p.m.

8 9

English

Conversation

Group, Ottawa

Public Library,

120, Metcalfe St.

6.00- 7.30 p.m.

10

11

Carleton

University

Toastmaster,

Room 5345, 5th

Floor Herzberg

Laboratories,

5300 Wing

Carleton

University

6.55- 8.15 p.m.

12

Rideau Tennis

Club Christmas

Networking

event

1, Donald St.

6.30-8.00 p.m.

13 14

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15 16

English

Conversation

Group,

Ottawa Public

library,

120, Metcalfe St.

6.00- 7.30 p.m.

17

18

19

Sleuth Hounds

Mystery Book

Club,

Ottawa Public

Library, Alta Vista

6.30- 8.00 p.m.

20 21

22

23

English

Conversation

Group

Ottawa Public

Library,

120, Metcalfe St.

6.00- 7.30 p.m.

24

25 26

27 28

29 30 31 Happy

New Year!