Action Verbs: Simon's Cat

Simon and his cat are sleeping in an armchair. Then a fly arrives and wakes up Simon's cat. His cat chases the fly and makes a big mess. Answer the seven questions.

1. What does Simon's cat spill?
2. What does this pet knock over?
3. What does Simon's cat drop on the floor?
4. What does this cat tear?
5. What does this cat rip in several places?
6. What does Simon's cat finally kill?
7. What does poor Simon swallow?

Past time: When was the last time you .....

1. spilled something? What did you spill?
2. knocked over something? What did you knock over?
3. dropped something? What did you drop?
4. tore something? What did you tear?
5. ripped something? What did you rip?
6. killed something? What did you kill?
7. swallowed something terrible? What did you swallow?

April Fools!

April Fools is on April 1st. You can only play tricks on people in the morning. You can make mischief or play jokes on people on this day. Did you like the video? Is it funny?

Remember April 1st and have some fun! Be careful, someone might try to fool you!

Happy Easter!

To learn more about the history of Easter and how Canadians celelbrate Good Friday and Easter, press here.

Ottawa: 50 People One Question

This short film is an example of a participating YouTube video. The original film was done on a hot day in New Orleans, United States. The producers came up with the idea to ask as many people as possible the same question. It was called 50 People One Question and was posted on YouTube September, 2008.

Then people in different states used the same idea and posted their films on YouTube. Also, it went global. For example, there were films made in Canada and Australia. Here is response video that was filmed in Ottawa, Canada a year later.




.***Cultural note: The word, Beaver Tail, is pastry. It's a kind of flat donut in the shape of a beaver's tail. To see the animal, a beaver, check out the Canadian 5 cent coin.



How would you answer this question?

Lie to Me Game

If you have been following this blog, you know Lie to Me is a popular American TV show. Also, did you know Candians watch a lot of American TV? There are probably more American television stations than Canadian stations. Anyways, a game started on the internet where you can post three stories about yourself. One is a lie. Then the viewer is to guess what one of the three stories is untrue.


Can Canadians lie well? Let's watch Nadine from the west coast of Canada tell her three stories.




So, which one is the lie?

Now watch the next video. Stacey thinks she knows which story is untrue. Watch Stacey's video. She explains her answer. Do you agree with her answer?

Then Stacey tells her three stories. Which story is untrue?





Maybe you find it difficult to spot Nadine's lie and Stacey's lie. For more help, go to "How to Spot a Liar". See the related links below.


Related Posts:

• How to Spot Liars
  Lie to Me

The post, Lie to Me Game: The Update,will give you the correct answer. Which of Nadine's stories is untrue? Is it story number one, two or three?

Lie to Me Game: The Update

In October, 2009, there were three posts related to lying.

• Lie to Me, the television show
• The game, Lie to Me
• How to spot the liar

It's time to give the answer to the Lie to Me game. I have hidden it here, so you must first watch Nadine tell her stories. Here is the video where Nadine reveals her lie. Were you right? Are you good at spotting a liar?

Film Festivals 4: Validation

' are the newest films in the series.

Before you watch the film, do you know what the word, validation, means? The movie starts off with the main character working in a parking garage. His job was to validate parking tickets. When customers shop, go to a movie or eat in a restaurant near the parking lot, they can get their parking tickets validated. Then the parking is free.

This employee has special qualities that make him very popular. He is a very positive person and helps others feel good as well. However, even the happiest people can stop smiling. What will happen to this young man? All I can say is there is a lot of positive energy in this short film and I hope it brightens your day. Enjoy!


Now tell the story. Press "comments" below this post and help tell the story. Each person should write two or three sentences of the story. The first person will start the story and each person will continue the story. If the story finishes, the next person will start the story again.

Remember, you will continue the story from where the last person stopped. Replay the video if you need help. I look forward to reading the story:)

Film Festivals 3: Signs Part 2

STOP! Signs Part 2 is the ending of the story.

• Please watch Part one of Signs first. It is below this page or post.
• After you watch part one, you will appreciate the ending of this romantic comedy.

Here are two alternative endings to Signs. Which ending do you like best?

Version 2 (by Saba)

Jason slept. The next day, he got up sad and he went to work like every day. But that day, he was a little late. Just as he arrived at work, the men were taking off a note from the window. The note said, "Out of the office a 10:00 am" and she had drawn a happy face.


Version 3 (by Kiana)

The next day, Jason went to work. He tried to find the girl, but he couldn't get any information. so he got disappointed and felt sad. Finally, one day the girl came to his office and surprised him. They met a couple of times and fell in love.





Related posts:

• Film Festivals 2
• Film Festivals

Film Festivals 3: Signs

Signs is a romantic comedy directed by Patrick Hughes who is from Australia. It's part of the Shweepes Short Film Festival. It's your typical love story where boy meets girl and falls in love. However, this time its a bit different because they find a fun way to communicate.

Watch part one of Signs. Then go to "comments" and write an ending to the story. What will happen next? Write a few sentences.






To be continued. Part 2 of Signs will be shown tomorrow.


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Talk Show Tuesday: The Daily English Show

The Daily English Show is presented by Sarah. She is presently living in Neseko, Japan and is from New Zealand. Most Mondays, Sarah has guests on her show, and Derek is interviewed here. He is presently working in Japan too.

Sarah starts the Daily English Show by introducing Derek, then she does "Stick News", and finally, she continues her interview with Derek. During the interview, Derek talks about two ski mountains, Niseko and Whistler. Whistler is north of Vancouver in British Columbia. In fact, I skied there a couple of years ago, and it definitely beats the Quebec mountains. Some of the trails go on and on and on. While we were there, they were preparing some of the runs for the Winter Olympic Games. One of my favourite runs was the Lady's Slalom which is where some of the ski races will be this winter. Go Canada!

Sarah ends her program with a true and false quiz about Derek's interview. After you finish the oral quiz, try the six questions below. Press "see how you did" to see the correct answers. Later on, you may want to press "transcript" for the conversation. As well, you may like to review the "notes". There, some of the expressions and words are explained.

Music Monday 4/25

Here's part of a song, All I Need by Radiohead.

1. First, watch this artistic music video. The dancers move beautifully and the photography is awesome.
2. The second time listen for the missing words in the quiz. Words from songs are often difficult to hear, so just pick up a few phrases by doing the quiz. Read the three questions from the quiz before you play the song again.
3. Finally, Do you know what kind of song it is? A love song. What sentence is repeated? "You are all I need." Check out the verses to the song by pressing 'transcript'.
4. You may like to watch this music video again now.
   

It's Friday! TGIF

TGIF means thank goodness it's Friday. You will hear Canadians say TGIF on Friday after they have worked hard all week. On Friday, we start to get in the weekend mood. Here's a short ESL video where people are stopped on the street and asked the question, "What do you do for fun?" The people have different accents. One man who is interviewed says he is from Ireland.

You will hear the interviews two times. The first version is good because it has no subtitles. The second time the words are added, so you can follow the conversation at the bottom of the video. So, what do you do for fun on the weekend?

Film Festivals 2

"Rabbit" is a short animation film by Run Wrake. "Rabbit" has been shown at film festivals all over the world including Ireland, Portugal, Brazil, Australia and Japan. One of the film's first screenings was at Trafalgar Square in London, England as part of the London Festival. The next summer, in 2006, it was shown on the giant 50 foot open-air-screen in Hyde Park, New York City. "Rabbit " was shown before the main feature film. Run Wrake's film has received many animation and short film awards.

"Rabbit" feels like a 1950's school reader. According to Photoshoppix, Wrake found some old stickers in a junk shop and used them in this film. He started with about 200 stickers and it took him about a year to make this short animation film.

This animation film is not meant for children. While colourful children's illustrations are used, "Rabbit" has a serious tone. The boy and girl in the story have a major flaw and there is a clear moral or lesson for the viewers.

For English language learners, you may like the unusual setting. It's a bit like a picture dictionary. You'll see what I mean by watching it. Rabbit is a strange artistic film.





Now tell the story. Press "comments" below this post and help tell the story. Each person should write two or three sentences of the story. The first person will start the story and each person will continue the story. If the story finishes, the next person will start the story again.

Remember, you will continue the story from where the last person stopped. Replay the video if you need help. I look forward to reading the story:)

Talk Show Tuesday: Ellen Degeneres

Watching television is a great way to learn English. It trains your ear to listen to the faster paced English. It keeps vocabulary alive. Real conversations teach social conventions, slang and pronunciation.

Choose a talk show you enjoy.

Take a look on television and watch about three different talk shows. You can find them in the T.V. guide. Take a look at each and choose your favourite. That's the one you can watch regularly. Two or three times a week is good if you have the time.

But I don't understand?!

Give it some time. After about five or six times, you will get comfortable with your talk host. You'll start to understand her routine, her body language and her personality. Some students like to tape shows and watch them again.

I wish I could hear all the words.

No, you won't understand every word, but do you need to hear every word? I often half listen to people on T.V. and don't worry what I miss. Pick up clues from the body language as well. Be satisfied with parts of conversations. If you can laugh at the following talk show, then you enjoyed it and you were socially engaged in English.

I'm not learning.

Yes, you are. Communicating is not just words. It's understanding behaviour, predicting what will happen next and reading cultural clues. People are generally very social and polite on talk shows, so talk show hosts can be good role models.

Also, the guests are sometimes famous Americans. So the next time someone talks about that person, you won't be lost. You will know who they are, what they look like and little bit about them. Culture adds a lot of vocabulary to the English language.

Most important, talk show hosts find topics of interest and talk about current events. Some are able to find the unusual to perk our interests. Ellen Degeneres has a lot of fun with her Hawaii chairs. You'll enjoy it too.



Now, that makes me laugh! Ellen can be really funny:)

According to TV.com, the five most popular talk shows are:

1. The Tyra Banks Show
2. The Oprah Winfrey Show
3. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
4. Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
5. The Ellen Degeneres Show

The American list should help you get started, but there are lots more. In Canada, you can catch some talk shows on CBC. Add a comment if you have found a talk show you enjoy. Others will appreciate your help. Do you know any of the top five talk shows?




Did you like this post? Find "To Subscribe" on the right side of this page and press the word "posts".

How To Flirt With Men

Watch this 'computer program' with a boyfriend and girlfriend who are computer people. The couple move around like dolls or puppets and the narrator uses a mechanical voice. There are five questions and you are to choose the correct answer a, b or c. The questions are about appearance, eye contact, body language, conversation and touch. It's meant to be entertaining and not to be taken seriously.

The listening quiz is to help you with vocabulary. Check the answers for the quiz.




So, what kind of flirt are you? The ice queen, the desperado or the minx.

Wanna be Wednesday 3/25

I want to be a supporter of the historic event, Earth Hour. To vote for the earth, turn off your lights at 8:30 pm for one hour on March 28, 2009. Leave your lights on and you vote for global warming.



Why is Earth Hour Important?

People care about the environment. The organizers wanted 1,000 cities and towns to sign up for Earth Hour 2009. March 12, 2009 the organizers reached their goal. In fact, 2,712 cities, towns and municipalities in 83 countries want to participate in Earth Hour so far.

What is Toronto doing for Earth Hour?

WWF-Canada and City of Toronto are presenting a free concert a Nathan Phillips Square, City Hall. It starts at 7:00 pm with lights out from 8:30 to 9:30pm. No, it's not in really in the dark , but the energy used is green, renewable energy from Bullfrog Power. Performers include Suzie McNeil, Crash Parallel rock band, The Matt York Band and Samba Squad.

Have a look at last year's concert. The Canadian singer and song writer,Nelly Fertado sang at Toronto's Earth Hour. You can hear her singing in the following video at City Hall. Also, watch the city go dark.





What will you be doing for Earth Hour on March 28, 2009.

Candles are a good idea. Last year, my family ordered pizza and it came just as everyone on the street was turning off the lights. We had a candlelight dinner. I was surprised how many people supported Earth Hour.

What else can you do for Earth Hour?

The organizers would like people to VOTE EARTH. There is an Earth Hour symbol on the right side. Press on "sign up now" below the big number,60 and type your name. WWF hopes to get one billion names or votes for the earth to give to the world leaders in Copenhagen, 2009. They are meeting at an important conference to discuss climate change .




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Film Festivals

Film festivals are a great way to bring together the work of many creative people. This short film is from the Wyllie O Hagan Saint Patrick's Day Film Festival. "Yu Ming is ainm dom" is one of the short films from March 2008. This year is the third anniversary for the Saint Patrick's Day Short Film Festival. Each year the festival is held on line at You Tube and at the Roxy Cinema in London, England.

"Yu Ming is ainm dom" is a story about a Chinese lad who decides to learn Irish. What do I like about this short film? It makes you stop and think.





You just watched the longer video. This film has two endings. The filmmaker did a shorter version of the film that ended sooner. It finished after the older man told Yu Ming that in Ireland people speak English. The filmmaker speaks Irish and said this about the shorter version, "

This is a [shorter] video I did to make a certain harsh point concerning the language in Ireland. To see the whole video and the comic punch line check out ..."

Here are two comments about "Yu Ming ainm dom".

"I was taught Irish in school from age of 6 and finished learning it at 16 and I still can't speak it. The government fails. It's taught all wrong."

"Brilliant short movie!"

It is brilliant! So, does this make you think of your own life? About experiences learning English? About experiences learning a new culture? What advice would you give Yu Ming? Did you learn something from Yu Ming?




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Wanna be Wednesday 3/4

I want to be a feminist. Watch this video, and maybe you will want to be a feminist too.




So, a feminist can be male or female. A feminist is a person who wants to be an equal member of society. International Women's Day is March 8 every year. It is a time to express appreciation for the role of women and the equality they deserve.

In some countries, International Women's Day is similar to Mother's Day or Valentine's Day when men express their love for the women in their lives. Unfortunately, it is not an official holiday in Canada, and not celebrated by many.



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• A Love Story
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A Love Story

Everyone enjoys a love story. Right? Do you know what Canadians think about sharing, caring or giving on Valentine's Day? The Retail Council of Canada and Pollara did a poll (or survey) just before Valentine's Day in 2007. Try this quiz based on the poll.

1. _____ of Canadians planned to show their spouses or partners they care on February 14.
a) 64%
b) 81%
c) 52%

2. The people from ______________ were more likely to give gifts to others.
a) Quebec
b) British Columbia
c) Prairie provinces and Ontario

3. The favourite gift was
a) cards
b) candy and chocolates
c) flowers

4. Canadians between the age of _______ planned to spend the most on gifts.
a) 18 to 24
b) 55 to 64
c) 35 to 44

5. _______ planned to go to a restaurant for a meal.
a) 27 %
b) 54 %
c) 34 %

The answers are at the end of this page.



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Answers: 1 a , 2 c, 3 a, 4 b, 5 a
These facts are based on the retail council news report from February 9, 2007.

Tim Hortons

I couldn't resist this video. Have you ever tried to order a coffee? How do you like your coffee? Black? Double, double? Regular? Now, try going to Starbucks. It gets more diffucult to know what to order. Okay, so what is a tall? Ordering a coffee takes on new meaning,doesn't it? According to a Star Bucks's employee, you can order a small, tall, grande (pronounced granday) or venti ( pronounced vahntee). In French, vent means twenty and a venti is twenty ounces. The company doesn't want you to order the smallest size which is the small. The small is not on the menu board and if you ask for a small, the clerk will correct you and suggest a tall. Are you still confused?

Okay, so now you are thinking why is this blog called Tim Hortons? Well, that's because there are so many Tim Hortons in Canada and there are so many Canadians who love Tim Horton's coffee. Tim Horton was a real Canadian hockey star. He started his career as a Maple Leaf hockey player in Toronto. He was still playing hockey in his early forties when he was killed in a car crash February, 1974. His widow eventually sold the coffee franchise, but Canadians continue to line up at the nearest Tim Hortons. There is even a Tim Hortons for the Canadian soldiers in Afghanastan. They requested one because they wanted to feel like they were at home. The next video is a Tim Horton's commercial that takes place in Scotland.






After watching this commercial, can you think of a food or drink that is very popular in your home country? Why do you think it is so popular? Can you get it here?