Tuesday's assignment

Automated Voice Menus

A telephone voice menu is a set of options a caller can choose from, usually by pressing a number on the telephone. Voice menus are commonly used by large organizations to help their clients access the information they need easily. Listening to automated telephone voice menus can be difficult when several options are presented. If you have trouble understanding the options, try pressing “0.” Sometimes, this will connect you to a person who can help you. If you don’t reach a live person, try replaying the menu options a few times to become familiar with them.

Task 1:

Listen to a recorded voice menu system for a library. Write down the number you need to press to accomplish the following.

	Press #
1. You would like to find out if a book is available at the library.
2. You would like to ask the librarian if you could book a room for a workshop.
3. You would like to put a book on hold.
4. You would like information about the location of the library and its hours.
5. You would like to renew a book.
6. You left your gloves in the library and want to find out if someone turned them in.
7. You want to know the library’s website address.

Task 2:

Listen to the recording again. You would like information about special services at the library. Write the sub-menu option number you need to press to accomplish the following.

	Press #
1. You would like information about the language learning center.
2. You would like to sign up for an Internet training course.
3. You need information about the picture and video collection at the library.

1.What is the library’s address? 


2.What are the hours of operation on weekdays? 


3.What is the library’s Internet address? 


 Task 3:

Click on this link and record a voice message to a friend to invite him/her for lunch over at your house or at a restaurant that you would recommend.  

Make sure to provide clear information on the reason of the invite and also the date, time, location, and detailed directions how to reach the place you have proposed.

Monday's assignment

Listening Practice

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 and use it in a sentence of your own.

Friday's assignment

Hello everyone,

Based on our theme "Social Interactions," write a two-three paragraph reflection on the above picture.
Make sure to include the following thoughts:

• Describe the picture;
• What do you think the painter want to say?
• What do you personally think it is?
• Give a title to that drawing.

Thursday, Sep. 22nd Field Trip

It's time again to raid our beloved Art Gallery of Ontario!

Please be at the entrance by 10:30 a.m. for free entrance. Be sure to acquaint yourselves with the Gallery Guidelines beforehand.

For those who are coming by TTC, here are your directions. Feel free to car pool and find streetside or Green P parking in the vicinity.

Plan B is that we will have a walking tour of the neighbourhood, possibly including Grange, Chinatown, and Kensington Market! In any case, we'll be meeting at the entrance of the AGO at 10 a.m.!

Friday's assignment

Job Interviews

Here are some key questions that employers usually ask on their first interview. Your task is to answer them as if you are in a real interview. Make sure NOT to exceed one to two min. Max on each question.

Task 1: 

Without reading the questions, click on this link and start recording your answers one by one.

Task 2:

After you finish answering all the questions, save the link and paste it on your blog for teacher's evaluation.

Task 3:

Write down all the questions that you have found to be very challenging to further explain them at class.

1.     Can you tell me a little about yourself?

2.     How did you hear about the position?

3.     What do you know about the company? 


4. Describe a bad experience that happened to you. What did you learn from it?

5.     Why should we hire you?

6.     What are your greatest professional strengths and achievement(s)?

7.     What do you consider to be your weaknesses?

8.     Tell me about a challenge or conflict you've faced at work and how you dealt with it.

9.     Where do you see yourself in five years?

10.  Why are you leaving your current job?

11.  Were you fired from your previous job? Why? 

12.  What's a time you disagreed with a decision that was made at work? How did you react?

13.  Why was there a gap in your employment?

14.  Did you change your career path before? Why?

15.  Describe a time when you had to deal with pressure or stressful situations.

16.  What are your salary requirements?

17.  What do you like to do outside of work?

18.  If you were an animal, which one would you want to be?

19.  Are you planning on having children?

20.  Do you have any questions for us?

Thursday's assignment

Job Interviews

Task 1: Watch this video and answer the following questions. 

      1. Match the words with their definitions.

A	B
commit	do everything to achieve a task within a time frame
prompting	make/obligate
specifics	details to the point
goal-oriented	support with examples
back something up	encouraging

 2. What is the main advice that the presenter has mentioned?

Task 2:  Watch this video and answer the following questions. Underline the most suitable expressions from a), b) and c).

1. As an answer to the first question, which of the following three that the   interviewee does not do?

a)  She says that she has five years’ experience in administration and two

years in phone sales.

  

b)  She focuses much on her personal life, her studies and enthusiasm in

travelling.

   

 c)  She says that her strengths lie in advance computer skills and excellent

     customer service.

 2.  According to the second question that the interviewer asks, you should

   

a   a) have researched on the company's history and its products before

      going to the interview.

     b)   do a research on the company and the job details immediately after the

            job interview.   

c)  apologize for not being able to do any research.

    3. According to the interviewer, the interviewee

     

      a)    impressed him by revealing her truly personal weaknesses.

      b)   explained really well her suitability to the role that she had applied for.

      c)    told him her grave personal weakness and then developed from negative to positive.

    4.  Write down five new words and put them in sentences from your own.

Monday's assignment

Good morning everyone,

Hope that everyone has enjoyed your summer vacation. Have a look at the above drawing and think how you can relate to it. Try to consider the following questions and then write one paragraph as a quick reflection on that picture. 

1. How do you see it?
2. What do you think the artist wanted to say?
3. What caused this situation from your point of view?
4. How can it be solved?
5. Give a title to the drawing.