Tuesday's Assignment

Job Futures

Job Futures (www.jobfutures.ca) is a Canadian government website that provides information about 300 occupational groups. For each occupation, you can learn about average earnings, job duties, unemployment and education requirements. The strength of this website is that it provides up-to-date information about the work prospects or employment outlook for each occupation. This information can help you decide what kind of work to look for.

Under the work prospects section you can find information about the factors that affect how easy or hard it is to find work in different occupations. These factors include economic conditions and demand in different areas of Canada for workers in that occupation.

The example below shows the 2009 work prospects for Dental Assistants. You can search the website for information by sector, by education level or by the NOC code.

The following phrases come from the Job Futures website. Using your own words, explain what they mean.

1. licensing is mandatory

2. rate of wage growth is below average

3. employment outlook is fair

4. earnings are close to national average

5. work prospects will continue to be good

6. retirement rate will likely be average

7. the number of job seekers will likely match the number of job openings

On the Job Futures website, read the information about an occupation that interests you. Prepare a short presentation and present it to the class. The following questions can guide you.

1. What are the main duties in this occupation?

2. What are the educational requirements?

3. What are the work prospects (hourly wages, unemployment rates)?

4. What are some interesting facts about this occupation?

Monday's Assignment

National Occupational Classification

 The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is a system of organizing information about occupations in Canada. Every occupation in Canada has a NOC job description, which provides listings of the main duties, employment requirements and job titles. These descriptions are identified by a four-digit code called the NOC code.

Knowing the NOC code for the job you are interested in can make online research easier and quicker. This is because many job search services organize their job listings and occupation information by the NOC code. Here’s how the NOC code works:

• The first number identifies the sector. There are 10 sectors in total (0–9). For example, 0 refers to management occupations, while 6 refers to sales and service occupations.

• The second number refers to the level of education or training the job requires (1–6). Generally:

Ø  1 requires a university education

Ø  2 or 3 requires a community college or apprenticeship training

Ø  4 or 5 requires a high school diploma and/or job-specific training

Ø  6 usually requires a short demonstration or on-the-job training

• The third and fourth numbers refer to specific occupations within the sector.

In the example on the right, the 2 refers to the sector Natural and Applied Sciences; the 1 means it generally requires a university degree; together, the code 2146 is the code specific to aerospace engineers. Because the NOC groups occupations that are similar to each other, it is easy to find information about occupations that are related to your occupation of choice. This can be useful if you cannot find a job in your occupation and want to broaden your job search.

Locate the NOC website (www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/NOC). On the home page, click on Occupational Structure (on the left-hand side of the page).

Task 1:

List the 10 sectors that the first digit of the NOC code refers to. In small groups, brainstorm three occupations for each sector.

0.                                                         5.

1.                                                         6.

2.                                                         7.

3.                                                         8.

4.                                                         9.

Task 2:

Think of an occupation you would like to enter in Canada (either as a survival job, or in the

occupation you are trained for). Which of the above sectors is this occupation in?

Task 3:

Imagine that you want to apply for a position as a sales clerk in a department store. Find the NOC information related to this position. Answer the questions below.

A. Go to the NOC home page. Look for the site search bar. Enter the number that represents

the appropriate sector and click on GO. The first and second number of the NOC code represent

the Major Group.

a) How many Major Groups are listed in this sector? What are they?

b) What Major Group is the Sales Clerk occupation listed under?

c) What types of occupations are within this Major Group (represented by the three-digit code)?

2. What is the four-digit NOC code for a Sales Clerk?

3. Click on the NOC code for the Sales Clerk and read the NOC description. What kind of information can you get from the NOC description?

4. Read the example titles in the NOC description. Do you think knowing these titles can be useful in your job search? How?

5. Read the main duties in the NOC description. List the duties you think are most relevant to this position.

6. How and where do you think you could use the statements about job duties?

7. How could you use the other information included in the NOC description (e.g., employment

requirements and additional information)?

8. The information under Classified elsewhere lists related occupations. Choose one and click on its NOC code to view its NOC description. Compare the main duties with those of the Sales Clerk. How are they similar or different?

B- Find the NOC code for an occupation that interests you. Read the NOC description for this

occupation. Prepare a short presentation for the class about this occupation. Include related job

titles, main duties and employment requirements.

Friday's Assignment:

Work Habits

The Ontario Skills Passport (OSP) lists work habits in noun form, e.g. reliability or punctuality. However, when speaking about yourself, you can express these skills or work habits as adjectives.
For example: I am a reliable worker. I am punctual.

You can also describe how you demonstrate the qualities you have by giving examples.
I am punctual. I use my time effectively and produce work on time.

Task 1:

Search the net for the 10 worst work habits that can cost you your job; list them and compare them with your peers.


Task 2:

For each of the nouns, write an adjective that can describe a person.

1. reliability
2. organization
3. confidence
4. perseverance
5. versatility
6. flexibility
7. independence
8. resourcefulness
9. knowledge
10. punctuality


Task 3:

Write a sentence for each of the OSP work habits you think you have. Use examples from your work and day-to-day experience.

1. Working Safely:
2. Teamwork:
3. Reliability:
4. Organization:
5. Working Independently:
6. Initiative:
7. Self-advocacy:
8. Customer Service:
9. Entrepreneurship:

Thursday's October 2nd Field Trip

As per the request from WE class, we are going to High Park next Thursday!! Yaaay

Before the trip, please make sure you have a look at the Wikipedia article on High Park.

We will meet there at 10 a.m. Each one of us should think of a game, bring a favourite dish, and wear 

comfortable shoes and outfit for the weather.

Click here for the address and directions.

Wednesday's Assignment

Public Information Texts: Introduction

Public information texts often provide information about rights, the law or government services. These texts are accessible on the Internet.

We usually use public information texts to find specific information, such as how to get an Ontario driver’s licence, how to apply for Canadian citizenship, or where the nearest employment insurance office is. Finding these texts requires Internet research skills and scanning skills. Internet research involves:

• Using appropriate search terms in the search bar

• Limiting an Internet search

• Reading search results

Scanning refers to looking through a text very quickly to find specific details. When looking for information online, we scan Internet search results and website homepages to see if there is a link to the information we need. When we find the text we are looking for, we use scanning skills to find the information within the text we need. We scan:

• the index of topics

• the headings and sub-headings

• the menu

1 Discuss the meanings of the words below. Then write the correct letter on each line to match the words with their meanings.

1. homepage                                     a. A button that allows you to move back to the web                                                                   page you previously viewed

2. search term                                   b. The main web page for a website

3. search box                                     d. One “page” of text or graphics viewed online

4. search results                                 e. A word or phrase used to search for information on                                                                 the Internet or  within a website

5. limit an Internet search                f. A collection of related web pages belonging to an                                                                     organization or person

6. website                                         g. A blank box on a website or a search engine that is                                                                 used to enter (or type) search terms into

7. scroll                                              h. A list of links to web pages (often thousands) that                                                               are found by a search engine as a result of a search

8. back                                               i. Choosing and using search terms in a way that                                                                          produces a shorter and more accurate list of search                                                                      results

9. web page                                          j. To move up and down a computer screen to view

                                                                  text that doesn't fit on the screen

Ontario’s Smoking Legislation

Many online public information texts are written in the form of questions and answers. These are commonly called frequently asked questions, or FAQs. The questions are usually in bold and look like headings with the answers underneath.

Texts written in FAQ format are easy to read and can help you locate information quickly. Readers can scan the questions looking for information of interest and skim the answers quickly. The answers are usually written in the first sentence under each question. The rest of the paragraph elaborates on the answer. This way, readers can often get the information they need by reading only the first sentence.

Pre-Reading

1 Skim the FAQ below about Ontario’s smoking laws. Read the questions, and only the first sentence in each answer. Then answer the questions.

Q: What are Ontario’s laws about smoking?

A: Ontario’s smoking legislation is called the Smoke-Free Ontario Act. Under this legislation,

the following activities are banned:

• Smoking in enclosed public places and enclosed work places

• Selling or supplying tobacco to minors (people under 19 years of age)

• Displaying or advertising the sale of tobacco products in stores (as of May 2008)

• Smoking in motor vehicles, moving or stationary, when there is a person under the age of 16 in that vehicle (as of January 2009). People who do not obey this particular ban can be fined up to $250.

Q: Why does the Ontario government have this law?

A: Ontario has strengthened its smoking laws because it wants to improve the health of Ontarians. It wants to help people quit smoking, prevent young people from starting to smoke, and protect Ontarians from the effects of second-hand smoke. Tobacco-related diseases cost the Ontario economy billions of dollars in health-care costs and productivity losses annually.

Q: What else does Ontario do to discourage smoking?

A: The Ontario government has raised its tax on tobacco products and funded a smoker’s telephone quitline.

Higher tax on tobacco makes it more expensive for people to buy cigarettes. A carton of cigarettes cost a consumer about $45. Of this amount, $24.70 is Ontario tobacco tax (2008 rates). The Ontario government hopes that raising the cost of smoking will discourage young people from starting to smoke.

Ontario’s smokers’ telephone helpline offers free telephone support to people who want help to quit smoking. Smokers can talk to a counsellor, have resources mailed to their home, or get referrals to services close to their home. Ontario quitline: 1-877-513-5333 or www.smokershelpline.ca

2 After skimming the text, answer the questions below.

1. What is the purpose of this text?

a) to convince people to quit smoking

b) to inform people about Ontario’s efforts to reduce smoking

c) to inform people about the health effects of second-hand smoke

2. List three things the Ontario government is doing to discourage smoking.

Reading

3 Read the text carefully to expand your vocabulary and learn the details. Each word or phrase below

can replace a synonymous word or phrase in the text. Find that word or phrase in the text and write it on the line.

1. law (par. 1)

2. covered (par. 1)

3. began (par. 1)

4. forbidden (par. 1)

5. people under 19 years of age (par. 1)

6. not moving (par. 1)

7. stop (par. 2)

8. goods (par. 3)

9. customer (par. 4)

Tuesday's Assignment

Phrasal Verbs

A- Try to look up the meanings of these phrasal verbs, then fill in the blanks below.

B- Use five to six phrasal verbs in a dialogue of your own. 

Practice Exercise 1

look after

hold on

do without

take up

run out of

break down

meet up with

check in

turn up

look into

EMAIL 1

TO: Robert Booth

FROM: Amy Cookson

RE: 1 Service Lift

The service lift in the warehouse has (1)____________ (stopped working) again.

Could you please get the Shindler engineer to (2)____________ (investigate) what

has gone wrong and fix it as soon as possible?

This is urgent, because we really cannot (3)____________ (manage) it. We are

having to move everything upstairs by hand. This is (4)____________ (occupying)

a lot of time and soon everyone is going to (5)____________ (have no more)

patience.

EMAIL 2

TO: Robert Booth

FROM: Amy Cookson

RE: Mr Senai

We are expecting Mr Senai from Japan some time this afternoon.

I have rung the hotel, but he has not (6)____________ (registered) there yet, so

he may just (7)____________ (arrive unexpectedly) at the office. If he does, could

you (8)____________ (take care of) him and ask him to (9)____________ (wait)

until I get back?

I have to (10)____________ (visit) a client at about 3.30, but I should be back by

4.15.

Practice Exercise 2

back up

build up

close down

fill in

give up

take up

try out

break down

pick up

put off

meet up with

buy out

turn off

go through

look up

turn up

look after

help out

run out of

1) Did you ____________ your files last week?

2) Keith Sole quickly ____________ his shareholding to 10% of the company.

3) If we don't stop the losses, the company will have to be ____________.

4) After you've ____________ the form, can you leave it with Fiona, my secretary?

5) We've ____________ trying to get business from small companies.

6) Marvin Steel is in the process of ___________ many of the smaller shareholders.

7) Could you ask Paul to ____________ with arranging the company BBQ at the

weekend?

8) If you don't know the meaning of a word, you should ____________ in a dictionary.

9) My plane gets in at 10.30. Could you ____________ at around 11?

10) The meeting has been ____________ until 17 April.

11) Have you had an opportunity to ____________ our evaluation software yet?

12) Don't forget to ____________ the air-conditioners when you leave the office this

evening.

13) I'm afraid to say that the photocopier's ____________ yet again!

14) I think I'll ____________ Roger before I go home this evening.

15) During the recession, the company ___________ some difficult times.

16) Mary has decided to ____________ an offer from another company.

17) Whatever you do, don't ____________ to the meeting late.

18) Who will ____________ my children if I have to work full-time?

19) I ____________ John last night.

20) Please call Jane if you ____________ any stationery items

Monday's Assignment

Listen to that video and then answer the following activities:

Listen to the speakers describing their favourite things and do the exercises to practise and improve your listening skills.

1. Preparation: matching

Do this exercise before you listen. Match the verb with the correct noun and write a – g next to the numbers 1 – 7.

1…….. take                                                                                a. a designer

2…….. listen to                                                                         b. your scooter

3…….. watch                                                                             c. a business

4…….. stroke (= move your hand gently over something)       d. films

5…….. park                                                                                e. photos

6…….. make it as (= be successful as)                                f. the cat

7…….. set up (= start)                                                              g. music

2. Check your understanding: matching

Match the speakers with their favourite things. Write a – e next to the numbers 1 – 5.

1…….. Speaker                   A a. a tablet

2…….. Speaker                   B b. a sewing machine

3…….. Speaker                   C c. a scooter

4…….. Speaker                   D d. a set of knives

5…….. Speaker                   E e. a cat

3. Check your understanding: gap fill

Do this exercise while you listen. Write the word to fill the gaps.

A. My favourite thing has to be my new tablet. It’s really light and quite _____________, so I take it with me everywhere. I’m always writing to friends and it’s big enough to do college work on it too. It takes really good _____________, and I play games and listen to _____________ on it as well, of course. I often download _____________ onto it, and watch them in _____________. My mum says I’m _____________, because I’m always on it. I even read things on it at breakfast time. I’m not allowed to at _____________ time, though. I have to be _____________ and talk to people then. “Welcome back to real life,” my mum says.

B. My favourite thing? Does my _____________ count as a thing? She’s not really a thing, but anyway. She’s a really _____________ little cat. I’ve had her since she was _____________ months old. You know how some cats are really _____________ and hardly talk to you? I know cats don’t really talk, but you know what I mean. Well, she’s not like that at all. She’s really _____________ and comes up to me as soon as I get home, purring away like mad. She makes a lot of _____________ for a tiny thing. She loves being stroked and comes and curls up next to me when I’m on the _____________. She’s great _____________.

C. My new scooter! It’s quite small, but _____________, and just what I needed for getting around the _____________. I used to have quite a long walk to the _____________, then a longish walk at the other end to get to _____________. But now I can just whiz there on my _____________. And there’s no problem parking, there’s always _____________ for it. You have to be _____________ with the cars and _____________ – they don’t always see you – and when it rains the surface of the road is _____________, it gets really slippery. But in general it’s perfect for me, and I can fit a _____________ on the back too – I’ve got an extra _____________ for a friend. It’s great. Riding along makes me feel so free.

D. This might sound a bit old-fashioned, but my sewing _____________ is my favourite thing. I’m studying _____________ and love making things, as well as designing them. I also love _____________ myself and often buy second-hand clothes – everyone loves the “vintage” _____________ at the moment – and then I adapt them to my _____________. It’s much easier using a machine to do that than doing it by _____________. I do alterations for my mum and my sister too. If I don’t make it as a _____________, I suppose I can always set up my own alterations and customising _____________. Customising clothes, by taking things off and adding things on, is actually very _____________, so I wouldn’t mind that.

E. My set of Japanese knives. That sounds a bit sinister, doesn’t it, but I’m not a _____________ or anything. They’re chef’s knives and the best ones come from _____________. Cooking is my new hobby. I got into it when I started watching Masterchef on TV. Then I went to an evening _____________ for

beginners, and I haven’t looked back since. I try and have a _____________ for between four and eight_____________ every two or three _____________. That gives me something to work towards and I

always do new _____________ so they can try them out and give me feedback. It’s quite an_____________ hobby if you use good _____________, but now my friends help towards the_____________. They still get a good _____________ for a very low price.

4- What’s your favourite thing?

5- Why is it important to you?

6- Vocabulary Box Write any new words you have learnt in this lesson.

Friday's Assignment:

Gerunds and Infinitives 

Put the verb into the correct form:

1. I don’t fancy ______________ (go) out tonight.
2. She avoided ______________ (tell) him about her plans.
3. I would like ______________ (come) to the party with you.
4. He enjoys ______________ (have) a bath in the evening.
5. She kept ______________ (talk) during the film.
6. I am learning ______________ (speak) English.
7. Do you mind ______________ (give) me a hand?
8. She helped me ______________ (carry) my suitcases.
9. I’ve finished ______________ (cook). Come and eat!
10. He decided ______________ (study) Biology.
11. I dislike ______________ (wait).
12. He asked ______________ (come) with us.
13. I promise ______________ (help) you tomorrow.
14. We discussed ______________ (go) to the cinema, but in the end we stayed at
home.
15. She agreed ______________ (bring) the pudding.
16. I don’t recommend ______________ (take) the bus, it takes forever!
17. We hope ______________ (visit) Amsterdam next month.
18. She suggested ______________ (go) to the museum.
19. They plan ______________ (start) college in the autumn.
20. I don’t want ______________ (leave) yet.

Please vote!

This is a reminder that MicroSkills is asking our friends to vote for "Community MicroSkills Development Centre" as their favourite charity from a list. The charity that gets the most votes by Sept 19 will be awarded a $10,000 donation by the Woodbine Entertainment Group.

(VOTE HERE)  

   

WEG Cares is a celebration of the many valuable community organizations and causes that we support, and which contribute so much to the life, health and vibrancy of Toronto.   

Share this message by engaging your colleagues and community with our event hashtag #WEGCares. Join @woodbineracing on Twitter in continuing the conversation with our event partners @imaginecanada and @MicroSkills

For more information about WEG's CSR agenda and its performance outcomes, read their CSR Report HERE.

Tuesday's Assignment

Looking up a phone number on the Internet

If you know a person’s name, you can look up a phone number on the Internet at www.canada411.ca. It’s free! (If you call the operator, you’ll be charged for the service.)

Look up your phone number or your friends’ numbers on www.canada411.ca.

Task 1:

Use the Blue Pages to find the number you would call in the following situations.

1. You want to find a recreation centre near your home.

Heading and level of government:

Department/Phone #:

2. You need to find a long-term care facility for an elderly relative.

Heading and level of government:

Department/Phone #:

3. A car ran over a squirrel in front of your house and the squirrel is dead. You need to call someone to come and remove the animal.

Heading and level of government:

Department/Phone #:

4. You want to find out where you can take a road test to get your driver’s license.

Heading and level of government:

Department/Phone #:

5. Your employer asked you to work overtime but has not paid you anything extra. You want to know what your rights are.

Heading and level of government:

Department/Phone #:

6. You have a temporary disability (you broke your leg) and you need to get an accessibility sticker for your car that allows you to park in accessible parking places.

Heading and level of government:

Department/Phone #:

7. You received a notice with your automobile plate renewal notification that your car has to have an emissions test before you can renew your plate this year. You need to find a garage in your area that does emissions tests.

Heading and level of government:

Department/Phone #:

8. The snow has not been removed from your street for several weeks and you can’t get your car out of the driveway.

Heading and level of government:

Department/Phone #:

Task 2:

Read the following article about deceptive telemarketing.

What is Deceptive Telemarketing? Using the phone to obtain payment from you for a non-existent or misrepresented product, service or charitable gift is deceptive telemarketing. Using the phone to obtain your private banking information or credit card number to steal is deceptive telemarketing. Offering you a prize for which you must pay is deceptive telemarketing. Using the phone to obtain your money fraudulently in any way is deceptive telemarketing. It is a serious crime punishable by jail. Telemarketing, the use of telephones to market goods and services, has rapidly expanded in recent years. Sales in Canada now exceed $500 billion dollars a year. Most of these telemarketing activities are legitimate but some are not. Deceptive telemarketing practices have been a problem in Canada, with cross-border implications, since the early 1970s. Telemarketing fraud has now become one of the most pervasive forms of white-collar crime. In 1998, law enforcement and other agencies reported over 45,000 complaints about fraudulent telemarketing. Since 1995, Canadians have lost approximately $200 million as a result of this activity. Criminals are drawn to the offence by large proceeds and relatively low risks of detection, prosecution and punishment. Since the 1980s, low-cost telecommunications have created economies of scale and provided offenders with effective means of conducting potentially massive frauds. A single telemarketer with a well-organized scheme can easily extort several hundred thousand dollars per year from unsuspecting victims. In some cases, the high profits have also attracted organized crime.

Target Groups and Victims

Offenders maximize their profits by focusing on vulnerable target groups. Victims are not chosen at random but rather are methodically selected because they have savings or assets and are perceived to be susceptible. Fraudulent telemarketers often prey on seniors on the assumption that they may be more trusting and polite toward strangers. Offenders have told police their ideal target is an elderly person, home alone, with little or no contact with family members. Another higher risk group is past victims. Once an individual has been identified as being vulnerable, they are repeatedly targeted. Victim information is often sold in the form of "sucker lists" or "hot lists" to other offenders. The Effects of Telemarketing Fraud The estimated $200 million lost by Canadian victims of telemarketing fraud is only a small part of the cost of this pervasive crime. Research conducted by North American law-enforcement and police officials indicates that the elderly are not only more susceptible, but they tend to be more seriously affected. Some have lost their life savings and have been forced to sell their homes. Seniors are often reluctant to report the crime to the authorities or even to family fearing they will be blamed for being “careless” or “greedy.” Some fear they will be seen as incompetent and lose control over their affairs.

Source: PhoneBusters: The Canadian Anti-fraud Call Centre, www.phonebusters.com; extracted June 22, 2009, with permission.

A- Find synonyms in the article for the following words.

1. get                          7. profits

2. dishonestly            8. very large; huge

3. increased in size     9. vulnerable

4. are more than       10. victimize

5. honest                   11. unwilling

6. common                12. the object of attention

B-  Choose True or False.

1. Fraudulent telemarketers sometimes pretend to be legitimate charities seeking a donation. T F

2. All telemarketing is dishonest. T F

3. Many fraudulent telemarketers are never caught and punished. T F

4. Fraudulent telemarketing is attractive to criminals because of the potential to make

large amounts of money with little investment. T F

5. Organized crime is responsible for most telemarketing fraud. T F

6. Fraudulent telemarketers target seniors because they have more money. T F

7. A victim of telemarketing fraud is at higher risk of being victimized again. T F

8. Seniors may not report being victimized by a telemarketing fraud because they

are afraid of what their family will say. T F

Our Class's Debate!!

Last Friday, our class had the first round on debates. The two groups did great job, but at the end both of them were even. Waiting for the second round! Thank you all for the effort and hard work:)

Monday's Assignment

Taking Messages: Abbreviations

When we take notes on information we hear over the phone, we often need to write down the information quickly. The use of abbreviations is a helpful strategy while taking messages.

Task 1:

Write the full word or expression (or meaning) beside each abbreviation below. Add other abbreviations (and their meanings) you commonly use or would like to know the meaning of. Share them with the class.

1. AGM                                                                              13. RSVP

2. apt.                                                                                 14. ste.

3. asap                                                                                15. urg.

4. co.                                                                                   16. w/

5. ext.                                                                                  17. w/o

6. FYI                                                                                 18. cc.

7. inv.                                                                                  19. e.g.

8. mo.                                                                                  21. etc.

9. no. or #                                                                            22. i.e.

10. mt.                                                                                 23. vs.

11. N/A                                                                                24. p.s.

12. impt.                                                                              25. n.b.

 Telephone Phrasal Verbs

Task 2:

The following are common phrasal verbs we often use while on the telephone. Match the correct meaning with each phrasal verb

1. hold on                        a. put the receiver down

2. put (a call) through      b. return someone’s call

3. get through                  c. answer a call, lift the receiver to take a call

4. hang up                        d. stop talking on the phone

5. call up                          e. connect one caller to another

6. hang on                        f. deactivate (a cell phone)

7. call back                       g. wait

8. pick up                         h. talk louder

9. get off (the phone)    i. to be disconnected abruptly during a telephone conversation

10. get back to (someone)      j. to be connected to someone on the phone

11. cut off                         k. return someone’s call

12. switch off/turn off       l. make a telephone call

13. speak up                      m. Wait

Task 3:

 Some phrasal verbs are separable (e.g., call someone back); others are not. Complete the chart below by putting the phrasal verbs above under the correct column.

                                                                                           

Separable	Not separable
Put a call through