It’s been a while, but it’s time to share more English. Glad to see you again!
All posts by dave
Applying in a Different City
I recently had an inquiry from a student. They wanted to apply for a job in another city, but didn’t want to travel for an interview unless it was absolutely necessary. She wrote a letter, asked me to proofread it, and I present it below for you.
Dear Ms. Familyname,
I really appreciate your consideration of my candidature for Commercial Account Manager (Junior) position in your company.Right now I’m studying English at [School Name] every working day from 9am until 4pm. My studying program will be finished in 2 months. I am very interested in working at your company and have a few questions. Is it possible to have our conversation in Vancouver or at a distance, for example, online? If it is not I will try to organize my trip to Courtenay. Could we meet on Saturday, the 12th of June?Thank you in advance for your help.
Sincerely,
Student.
Politics and Global Relations Week 6: Agenda
Noun. The plan or schedule for a meeting.
“Has anyone seen the agenda? I don’t know if my presentation will be at the beginning or the end of the meeting today.”
Noun. The secret plan of a government to do bad things.
“I don’t like the English Party. They say that they will give free preposition lessons, but I think they really want everyone to do verb tense homework!”
Road Trip Series – Calgary
Calgary is home to the Flames hockey team, lots of snow, and great museums. When the economy is strong, there can be many good jobs here too, especially in natural resource areas.
Politics and Global Relations Week 5: Political Party
Noun. An organized political group who works together towards their governmental goals.
“I belong to the English Party. If we are elected, we will provide free preposition lessons for all Canadians!”
Politics and Global Relations Week 4: Diplomat
Noun. A representative of Country A who works in Country B. An ambassador is the highest-ranked diplomat.
“She’s a diplomat. She works in Berlin, helping to write a tax agreement between Canada and Germany.”
Politics and Global Relations Week 3: Diplomacy
Noun. The skill of persuasion and negotiation without being obvious.
“We will need diplomacy when we tell the teacher that they are bad at teaching. We don’t want to make them mad, but we want them to change their lessons!”
Funny English!
There are two joke types that came up in conversations at work today: “Knock knock” jokes and “Roses are red…” jokes. These both have a specific format, so let’s learn how to be funny in English!
Knock knock jokes need two people to participate.
Person A: Knock knock!
Person B:Who’s there?
Person A: [name]
Person B: [name] who?
Person A: [joke with name!]
Person A: Knock knock?
Person B: Who’s there?
Person A: Isabel.
Person B: Isabel who?
Person A: Isabel necessary on a bicycle? (Is a bell necessary on a bicycle?)
The best knock-knock jokes have a pun (a joke made from the sound of a word, not the meaning) that involves the name.
“Roses are Red” jokes are based upon a poem structure. The first two lines are always the same:
Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
After this, you add two more lines about something funny. The rhythm and the rhyme should match the first two lines.
I’m learning English,
And so are you!
We put the joke together like this:
Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
I’m learning English,
And so are you!
Most Canadians will be familiar with these kinds of jokes. Ask your homestay family or your Canadian friends to tell you some and post them here!
Politics and Global Relations Week 2: Election
Noun. The time when citizens select a new government representative or leader.
“The election is next week. I can’t wait to choose a new Prime Minister!”
Politics and Global Relations Week 3: Diplomacy
Noun. The skill of persuasion and negotiation without being obvious.
“We will need diplomacy when we tell the teacher that they are bad at teaching. We don’t want to make them mad, but we want them to change their lessons!”
Politics and Global Relations Week 1: Globalization
In recent weeks, students have been increasingly interested in news stories that discuss local, national, or global politics. I’ve created this series of useful words to help you understand what’s going on. These could be helpful in writing a business report, taking a test, or in a university class. Every week, I’ll bring you a new word with its part of speech, quick definition, and a short example of it in use. Welcome!
Noun. The process where countries become less different through increased communication or trade.
“Globalization has helped many countries to profit, but it has also kept wages very low in some poor countries.”
“Globalization means it is easy for me to move my factory from one country to another.”
Dave's English Classes 