Buy a Poppy, Wear a Poppy – Remember

wear a poppy over your heart! You will see many people wearing a plastic Poppy (red flower) on their lapel (collar) these days (Nov 1st – 11th), in Canada, the UK and maybe some parts of the U.S.A. November 11th is Remembrance Day (Veteran’s Day in the US) and it is time to remember the […]

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Jack-O-Lantern Halloween is almost upon us! I would like to take this opportunity to remind all the ESL readers of this blog that even though we focus on speaking English better the blogs’ focus is also on learning and understanding culture.  Why?  Because as I have said many times as an ESL teacher, business […]

Canadian employers want ‘ethnic’ applicants to do more than study

Hello Readers, I’ve been preaching for years the value of interpersonal skills and understanding cultural expectations when immigrants and foreign workers are looking for a job in Canada.  I’ve met people who think that they will get a job solely based on their impressive education and overseas work experience, as it would be in their […]

Do You Prefer the Staff to be Nameless or Individuals?

My wife and I recently went to Summerhill Spa to redeem our freebie (mentioned below), and the first thing I should get out of the way is that the 90-minute hot stone therapy massages were great and we were satisfied.  We tipped well to show our gratitude. The one thing my wife and I both […]

15 Most Butchered Phrases in the English Language

From http://www.onlinedegree.net/15-most-butchered-phrases-in-the-english-language/ Compared to other languages, English isn’t particularly complex. But do other languages have nearly as many similar sounding words and phrases? We’ve all made the mistake of consistently butchering a phrase or two, not realizing it until someone had the nerve to correct us. Unless you couldn’t care less about sounding silly, it’s […]

Free Business English Classes for New Immigrants

Although I have no affiliation, I like to support and pass on great initiatives like this one.  Free occupation-specific language training courses offered by 13 Ontario colleges will teach you the language and workplace culture skills required to communicate effectively in your job, for some industries. Gain the communications skills you need to build a […]

Update: Mike Bullard Show Discussing Body Language Today

Still doing interviews re: last night’s Premier Debate. Will have an online article come out today in Globe & Mail, (so I’m told) and – I’ll be a guest today on the Mike Bullard Show “Beyond the Mic” (NewsTalk 1010) at 12:23, discussing body language etc. of the Premier Debate last night. If you would […]

Body Language: What The Leaders Are Really Saying

This is a brief article and some audio from an interview I recently did with Katie at NewsTalk 1010 in Toronto, regarding the body language and public speaking skill of Dalton McGuinty, Tim Hudak and Andrea Horwath. Enjoy the debate tonight! Click on either of the links below: http://www.newstalk1010.com/News/localnews/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10293325