ENTRY#4 : THE WORLD IS YOUR CLASSROOM

Linguistic interference

This week, I have come to the conclusion that sometimes my French interferes with my English.  My first language is not nor French or English, Serbian is my first language. I learnt to speak French and English at a very young age, but I was learning both languages at the same time which explains how sometimes they can interfere with each other.  I was helping a student with his French homework and I had to explain to him what he had to do in English in order for him to understand his work.  I unfortunately had a little bit of a hard time translating the French to English; I had trouble searching for the right words to use in English in order for the student to understand what I had been trying to define.  I decided to look up the translation of certain words to help me out, and with a little bit of hard thinking I finally got what I needed to put across to the student and he finished his homework successfully!

English learning; Classroom VS Internship

Throughout the couple of days I have passed in my internship I have come to notice that it is easier to learn by being and working in an English environment compare to in a classroom. In my internship I interact a lot with the students and the school staff. In a classroom, we have a teacher explain to us the rules of grammar or the different ways of expressing ourselves whereas in our internships we search for ways to express ourselves and we look for the right words to use on our own. I believe there is nothing better than searching for answers by yourself to be able to remember them and have them etched in our memory.

Vocabulary

                                            

Etched: I heard my internship host say the word etched and was wondering what it meant, it’s an adjective that has the same meaning as engraved, to engrave something or to etch something. I used it as an expression we mostly use in French ‘’ gravé dans la mémoire ‘’ meaning ‘’ engraved in our memory ‘’.

ENTRY#3 : DIVING IN

Today, I had a meeting with my host and we discussed different programs we were going to put together for the students. As mentioned before, my host and I will be putting together different programs for the students such as a study skills program to help them organize their studying and help them improve their academic results by managing their time and their work. We have also thought through activities on how to make a professional and presentable CV and on how to write a presentable letter of intent for certain colleges. 

Interactions

I have noticed that English speaking people are extremely polite towards each other and have a soft way of expressing themselves even in situations where they are disagreeing.  This week, I didn’t get to chance to interact much with the students but mostly just with my host. However, I had the chance to observe her interacting with her colleagues.  As mentioned above, they speak in a very polite way and don’t get agitated and aggravated when disagreeing whereas French Quebecers tend to get agitated very easily or chance the tone of their voice when in disagreement. I find it very pleasant and interesting.

Cultural observations   

As for the culture, I haven’t perceived much this week. Despite, I have noticed that my internship host is very persistent on her schedule being perfectly made and everything has to be done on time.  She doesn’t accept that things are not in order and she is very punctual. Therefore, I can say that English speakers are very concerned about time, timing and punctuality. 

Vocabulary

Unfortunately,  I haven’t learned any new words this week. However, I do sometimes make mistakes, I tend to say the word in French when I can’t think of it right away in English, I have my host correct me. 

ENTRY#2 : FIRST IMPRESSIONS

First impressions

This week, I finally started my internship. I was very surprised and intrigued by the fact that even in an English high school you can find many different cultures.  LCCHS provides many different services for the students to have during their lunch hours or even during class hours. They have a leadership program, a friendship club, a homework zone and other programs and clubs for the students to have the best academic results and to also feel welcomed and enjoy their school days.  I met a couple of people, students and staff members. The people are very kind and appreciative which motivates me even more and has me looking even further forward to my following internship days.  My host and I prepared tables and papers for the College and Vocational programs open houses for the students in the 11^th grade.  We set them up in the area where the students hang out during their lunches in order for us to be able to promote them.  I had a chance to describe college life to the students, I haven’t myself been in college for a very long amount of time but I was able to answer their questions and help them choose the right path.

 

 

Mistakes and misunderstandings

I have not yet come to face any mistakes or misunderstandings.

 

 

Vocabulary:

Vocational programs: The College Vocational program is an individualized, supportive program to help bridge the gap for students who have graduated from high school with workplace credits. It offers extensive assessment through the use of several vocational tools. In addition, students participate in career planning, communication and life skills training, and a work experience placement. Today I learned that vocational programs were what we call in French DEP (Dîplome d’étude professionel) in French we use the name of the diploma obtained to describe what the programs are or even ‘’ Formation professionel ‘’ whereas in English there is a specific name for these programs. I found it very interesting and had absolutely no idea what they were when I first heard my host say it.

ENTRY#1 : INTERNSHIP GOALS

Seeing the fact that I will begin my internship this week, I need to set some goals towards the improvement and knowledge of the English language.

I strongly believe that this internship is going to help me improve my skills in English. I am already bilingual therefore I speak and write in English. My main goals for this internship are to enrich my vocabulary and round out my writing skills. I will mostly focus on different ways to express myself in a richer and more professional vocabulary. I certainly think that by being in an English environment it will help me achieve my goals.

In order for me to achieve my goals, I will have to use some learning strategies that I have been exposed to that could be very useful during my internship. I believe that looking for patterns in a language will be a successful strategy for me to use since I will be interacting with people a lot, I want to make sure that I am using the correct word or tense. Analysing speech is also going to be efficient for me as well. Once I learn new words I can also use repetition and practise to help me memorize the words and be able to use them in the future.

Additionally, I have met my internship host. I am really looking forward to this internship; we had a chance to discuss the goals and the objectives of my internship. My internship is taking place at LCCHS high school which stands for LaSalle College Comprehensive High School. My host explained to me that I will be a great help to the students, I am going to organize a project that I can invite them to assist to during their lunch hours, perhaps a work zone related project something like how to make a CV (Curriculum Vitae) or how to write a letter of intent and I will even put up a study skills presentation with my host for the students. However, I will also be helping the English teachers in their classrooms and helping out at the homework zone after school.

I believe this internship will be an amazing experience for me. I hope that it will help me improve my English speaking and writing skills and get a more professional vocabulary for the future. I am extremely excited about it and I am looking forward to starting!

Common idioms and expressions in English

Expressions and idioms are a greay way to show your understanding of a language! 

A picture paints a thousand words:

A visual presentation is far more descriptive than words.

A taste of your own medicine:

When you are mistreated the same way you mistreat others.

Actions speak louder than words:

It's better to actually do something than just talk about it.

Beating around the bush:

Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking directly about the issue.

Break a leg:

A superstitious way to say 'good luck' without saying 'good luck', but rather the opposite.

Cross your fingers:

To hope that something happens the way you want it to.

Wear your heart on your sleeve:

To openly and freely express your emotions.

Let's Begin!

Hi my name is Tatiana. I am currently studying in languages at André-Laurendeau College. For one of my classes this semester I will be doing an internship to develop and improve my speaking and writing skills in English. This will be a great experience for me and here I will be posting all about my experience. I am extremely looking forward to this internship.