A Tale of Two Cultures: Guns

Hi LINC 7 Students,

Today, we were talking about the RCMP and how it was pivotal in the kind of culture that developed in Canada ("obey the law") compared to the kind of culture that developed in the United States ("the Wild West").

The effects of these two very different cultures can be seen in today's news headlines and the growing problems with firearms and shootings in American society.

Here's the link to a revealing article by an American writer. It was written after the 2014 attack in Ottawa by a gunman, which left a Canadian soldier and his killer dead (actually shot to death inside the Houses of Parliament in Ottawa).

From this article, here are some interesting statistics for comparison:

Annual homicides by gun:

• Canada had 173 homicides by gun, according to a 2012 report.
• The U.S. had 9,146 that year.

Total number of civilian guns:

• Canada has 9,950,000.
• The U.S. has more than 27 times as many: 270,000,000.

Guns per person:

• Canada reports 30.8 firearms per 100 people. The country ranks 13 worldwide for firearms per capita, according to a report published by The Washington Post in September.
• The U.S. has 88.8. It ranks No. 1.

Waiting period to purchase a gun:

• Canada requires a 60-day waiting period.
• There is no federally mandated waiting period in the U.S. Residents can receive a gun after a background check.

Largest mass shootings:

• Canada’s largest mass shooting was in 1989, when 25-year-old Marc Lepine killed 14 people at Montreal's École Polytechnique.
• The U.S. has had 160 mass shooting incidents between 2000 and 2013, CNN reports from a study released by the FBI. The largest U.S. shooting was at Virginia Tech in 2007, when 23-year-old student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people. In 2012, twenty children and seven adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

License and registration requirements:

• To own a gun in Canada, residents must take a safety course and pass both a written and a practical exam. The license expires in five years. Residents have to register restricted firearms, such as handguns and automatic weapons, with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's Canadian Firearms Program.
• In the U.S., license and registration laws vary from states to state, often with no such requirements. There is no mandatory course or exam.

Which country do you want to live in?

Family Dinners!

Hi LINC 7 Students,

Today, you performed role plays "at the dinner table" where one of you was new to the family -- an invited girlfriend or boyfriend. This can be an potentially awkward situation!

Here's a short clip of an American celebrity (Ryan Seacrest) hosting a call-in show where he has an expert in "meeting the family" Matthew Hussey.

What advice does Matthew give to the caller?

What comments does the host Ryan make?

What advice would you give the caller?

By the way, the expression "don't dress slutty" means "don't wear any clothes that are overly sexy and revealing".

Social Services in BC

Hi LINC 7 Students new and old,

Today, we started our discussion on the theme of "Family and Relationships" by focusing on two specific topics chosen by the class. Those topics are:

1) Family and government responsibilities for social services

2) Parental roles in schools (talking with teachers)

We'll also try to cover the topic "The roles of elders and grandparents," which was your 3rd choice. This them will take us through April and part way into May.


Here's a link to one BC agency that Susanne mentioned, Strong Start, which helps to facilitate learning for children younger than 5 years old.

Here's the link to a very useful website called BC211 – Redbook Online, which connects citizens to government services which may be useful to them. This website has links to help lines, and a search engine to find thousands of community, social, and government services throughout the Lower Mainland.

TASK: Use the BC211 search engine. Try typing in "domestic violence" or "alcoholism" and see what organizations are listed. You can usually contact them directly by phone or email. This communication is private and confidential.

If you type in "job search skills," you can find a wide variety of organizations that offer classes, courses and workshops to help you find work. One of them is MOSAIC's Skills Connect program.

Browse!

Our Learning Goals for this Term

Hello LINC 7 Students!

If you are new to the class, welcome to LINC 7!

Please check this blog site regularly during the term for homework and other useful, fun activities!

First, here's the link to the page of learning objectives for LINC 7.

Canadian Language Benchmarks calls them "Can Do" Statements.

They show what a student should be able TO DO in LINC 7.

These pages are also on the back wall of our classroom -- on the bulletin board.

In other words, these are our GOALS for this class!

Please read them over so that you are familiar with our goals.

And enjoy the term!  :)

Our focus for April is FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIPS.

I talked about the business my family operated from 1958-1980. It was Beach Acres Resort near Parksville on Vancouver island.

When you go to the Beach Acres website, there is a Live Beach Cam. This is a live camera pointed at the beach at Beach Acres. You can watch real people on their vacation on the beach! Please check it out!!

Until Next Time

Hi LINC 7 Students,

Congratulations to those of you who are moving to LINC 8 classes in April. Well done!! I hope you continue to have a useful and rewarding experience in VCC's LINC department.

It's been a real pleasure teaching all of you, and I've learned a lot from you! Thank you.

Here's the link to the documentary "Human," half of which we watched today in class.

Best wishes to all of you in your future endeavors!

With warmth,
Doug

Age gaps in romance

Hello LINC 7 Students!

Today we discussed the age gap in relationships through the scenario in "Love Birds Loose in LINC."

Here's the link to an article (and video) on the best age gap between men and women.

A survey of 2000 found that people still think a man should be older --about  four years older than the woman!

What do you think?!?

Using the Subjunctive

Hi Everyone,

Today, we touched on using the Subjunctive mood, which is a special form in English -- but not a verb tense!

The Subjunctive is used to emphasize urgency or importance. It is used after certain expressions, including verbs like recommend, require, propose, suggest, request, and insist.

The form is      S +  Subjunctive Verb + that + S2 + V2...
For example:   I insist that you come to my party.
                      Sam suggested that Jane wear a black dress to the party.
                      Margaret proposed that she send out the invitations for the party.

Here's a useful link with some exercises that you can do online.




Also, please watch this video on interviewing skills and take notes on the key points.

What are 5 important things that Katie recommends when you are interviewing someone?