INTERNATIONAL STUDIES E-NEWS

March 2011

Spring is coming!

(c) flickr: scooba_dooba

Hello students and graduates of ISSofBC!

Spring is just around the corner and soon colour will be all around as the plants start to come out of hibernation. Hopefully you can put those winter jackets away soon, however the weather in Vancouver can be unpredictable in the month of March, so still keep those mitts and jackets close at hand. I have not bought any new rubber boots yet, so they are still filling with water (I am not lying). Rain, rain go away off to Toronto, somewhere else just not here! It is amazing how my newsletter started off so positive and now I just sound like an old grumpy woman, grumble, grumble. Hopefully the sun shines brightly this next month and my boots dry out. That’s the spirit!

This edition will be about spring, the end of winter and colour.

I hope you enjoyed the last newsletter and don’t hesitate to send me feedback at: roxanne.heichert@issbc.org

Hopefully you visited ISSofBC Language College Group on facebook at

www.facebook.com/isslanguagecollege

If you have any specific questions about courses and fees, don’t hesitate to email us at : learnenglish@issbc.org

Featured Program at ISSofBC

Business English:
During this eight week evening course you can improve your writing and learn how to write business letters and resumes. You will have an opportunity to practice your speaking through presentations and public speaking. Success at work depends on effective communication and taking Business English can help.

Let’s Talk About it:

Do you want to improve your speaking and feel more confident when speaking English? You can learn lots of functional language, for example, expressing opinions, giving advice or stating preferences to name a few. In class, you talk about a wide variety of topics and learn many useful idioms. Speaking English can be scary, but practicing in class is a safe and fun way to improve and take some risks. The class is a five week course two afternoons a week or an eight week evening course once a week.

News around ISSofBC

We had a great time decorating Valentine (heart-shaped) cookies on Thursday February 10th. The room was packed full of creative students who lovingly decorated their cookies for their special someone. All of them showed great willpower and did not eat them, but I can not claim the same strength of character as I ate mine before I even finished decorating it. I got in trouble because it could not be photographed with the rest of the fabulously decorated cookies. Truth be told, I ate it because art is not my strong point. Many of you have seen my drawings of animals on the board in class and I always wind up bringing in a photo the next day to clear up the confusion. We all had such a great time and it really was amazing to see so many talented people at work in one room. Sadly Sandra’s mixer bit the dust when making the icing, but it was funny while it lasted watching the ici ng sugar fly around the room. We were all channeling for Julia Child.

A special thank you to Tonya Chiang, an excellent photographer. We loved all the fabulous photos from the skating activity and decorating cookies student activity.

Bring a friend to class day was a smashing success. Students got to visit different classes such as General English, Pronunciation and What’s on TV to name a few to get an idea of what those classes are about. Thank you to all those students who brought their friends and we hope to do something like this again in the near future.

Student Activity Schedule

Please join us! The International Studies Program will have the following activities for students.

(Please click the image to ENLARGE the schedule)

The Spring Edition

We have been quite lucky as we have had some beautiful sunny days in February. Let’s hope this trend continues. We can dry out and get that much needed vitamin D. Get those bikes out and polish them up and ride around the seawall. (Watch out for helmet hair). Here are this month’s idioms and discussion questions. Plan to get together with your friends and practice your English.

Colour Idioms:

Out of the blue: when something happens that is a surprise and unexpected.

Example: My mom sent me a cheque for $200 out of the blue.

A white lie: when you tell a lie that is not serious. Usually we do this, so we don’t hurt someone’s feelings.

To be black and blue: when you are covered in bruises because you have injured yourself in a fall. The surface of your skin will be purple, black and blue in colour.

To get the blues or to be blue: to be feeling sad and depressed.

To brown bag it: to bring your lunch to school or work in a bag, instead of buying your lunch.

To have a green thumb: to be very good at gardening and growing plants.

In the black: to be out of debt. You do not owe any money, you are making a profit.

In the red: to owe money. To be spending more money than you are making.

Once in a blue moon: when something happens rarely. It is not a common event. 

Tickled pink: to be very happy.

To be as white as a sheet: to be afraid or not feeling well physically so your skin is very pale.

The red eye: a plane that leaves late in the evening and arrives early in the morning. Often the plane is flying at midnight and arrives at its destination very early in the morning.

To blackout: to lose consciousness. To be in a sleep-like state because of a hit to the head, illness or the heat.

To see red: to be very angry.

To be in the dark: to not know what is happening, not have the answer or the knowledge.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is you favourite colour? Has your favourite colour changed as you get older?


2. Do you think colours affect how you feel or your mood?


3. Do you like to live in a colourful house or apartment or do you like your walls to be white?


4. What has been the brightest colour you have painted the walls of your apartment?


5. What colours represent different emotions?

Facts about March

We often hear that "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb." This means that the first day of March is often stormy, and the last day is mild and warm.

The bloodstone and aquamarine are the birthstones for March.

The violet is the flower for the month of March.

Do you share the same birthday month with the following people?

Birthdays in March:

Sarah Jessica Parker

Celine Dion

Queen Latifah

Rosie O’Donnell

Mariah Carey

Reese Witherspoon

Fergie and Will.I.Am (Black-eyed Peas)

Lady Gaga

Jon Bon Jovi

Justin Bieber

*If you have questions about courses or fees, please e-mail the International Studies office.

IN THIS ISSUE

Featured Program at ISSofBC

News around ISSofBC

Student Activity Schedule

The Spring Edition

Facts about March

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