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Welcome to our March Newsletter. March is traditionally a time of uncertainty, as Spring fights with Winter for control over the weather! One week it is snowing, the next it is so hot that everyone is walking around in shorts! Life in Calgary is always interesting!
If you would like to stay in touch with GEOS Calgary, please join our Facebook group! Feel free to also upload pictures and share your experience with your friends and even former students. You can get information on our activities at any time. You can also have a look at our students’ testimonials on our website.
Please meet Kevin Ellwood, our school manager.
Hello! My name is Kevin, and I started teaching in 1995. After 3 years in Asia, I returned to Canada and began teaching at GEOS. I have been working for GEOS Calgary ever since then! In that time, I have had the opportunity to learn all aspects of running a school; I have had many positions here, from teacher to manager. I love working here because GEOS has always offered me new challenges, which I think is important for all aspects of one’s life. Outside of GEOS, I continue this philosophy.
 Recently, I received my 4th degree black belt in Aikido. I have been practicing Aikido for 20 years. It has been very challenging at times, but I have gained far more than I could have imagined. My efforts and sacrifices have been well worth it. My Aikido experience is just like the challenges of learning English and adapting to life in a new country. It is a challenge, but students will gain so much from the experience! Many students have studied grammar for years. However, they lack the ability and confidence to speak. GEOS gives these to students! That is one of GEOS’ strongest points: the communicative style of teaching. The most important thing students need to do is to work on speaking. You can study something for years, but if you never actually do it, you will not be good at it.
Success is within your grasp. You just need to reach out and grab it. Don’t waste this opportunity!
See you in Calgary!
This month, there are some exciting things happening in Calgary. In the first 2 weeks of April, there is the Spoken Word Festival that students can go to. During this festival, students can watch different performances, such as jazz, poetry reading, as well as oral storytelling. It is a great opportunity for students to practice their listening skills and to witness a part of Canadian culture.
Students can also join the fun of going on an Easter egg hunt to celebrate Easter. An Easter egg hunt is a tradition in Canada where people try to find eggs (usually chocolate eggs) that have been hidden throughout an area. Students can go to the Calgary Zoo to participate in the Easter egg hunt and join the games and activities they have.
For the more adventurous students, these have been the best skiing and snowboarding conditions in years. There are 5 ski resorts in and around Calgary, including the world famous Lake Louise and Sunshine! The mountains are still full of fresh powder snow.
There is always something for students to do, no matter what their interests are!
Due to some water damage, we had to move to a temporary location, but our old school has been RENOVATED!! Starting Monday, March 28, we will be studying at our NEW, “old” location! We are also going to have an OPEN HOUSE on April 8th. Please come and see our new school!!! Look forward to pictures of the new school in next month’s newsletter.
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Currently we have 16 Nationalities represented in the school among our 104 students. We extend a warm welcome to all the students studying English with us!
Korean: 31.73%
Saudi Arabian: 13.46%
Indian: 11.54%
Thai: 7.69%
Colombian & Japanese: 6.73% each
Chilean & Chinese: 3.85%
Others: 9.6%
I am an Assistant Teacher in GEOS.
I took a TESOL course at GEOS, and then I started volunteering as a teaching assistant. I think it was a good choice for me to take the TESOL course. I obtained many experiences by teaching English to volunteer students, because they were real ESL students. I got feedback from my students, classmates, and teachers. It was really useful. I learned not about teaching but also what my weak points were.
Actually, I was confused every day when I took TESOL. I learned a lot about how to teach English using new teaching methods which are totally different from the teaching methods that I learned in Japan. However, I got used to them, and I noticed that the methods are effective because they encourage English learners to be active. I hesitated to start volunteering at GEOS, but my teachers and my friends advised me to do it. Needless to say, it was a good opportunity for me. I volunteered in Level One with Merion, and in Level Two with Christina. They always encouraged me and taught me how to teach English in a student-centered context. Also, the students’ smiles helped me.
I learned to listen to the students’ sentences carefully, and then to find and correct their mistakes with them. Therefore, I was able to improve my English as well. I’m not sure whether I will be a teacher or not, but taking the TESOL course and volunteering at GEOS gave me a lot of wonderful experiences and helped my English skills a lot. Thank you.
Masako Oka
Japan
TESOL
Our TESOL course starts April 25th and August 15th!
The 8-week TESOL Course is designed to give non-native English speakers an overview of teaching English to speakers of other languages. The techniques you will learn in class will help you in your future career as an English teacher in your home country.
-The class is based on a hands-on approach. Students will have many opportunities to practice what they have learned.
From the Teacher: “This is a great course for non-native English speakers who are interested in teaching English. This 8-week, 200-hour course consists of 160 hours of theory and 40 hours of practicum. We study important teaching theories that will help you to become a good teacher. You also practice teaching real students. By the end of the 8-week course, you’ll have the knowledge, ability, and confidence to teach English!”
If you are interested in any of our courses, feel free to contact us at info@geoscalgary.com.
You can also download our 2011 school brochure here.
Once a month, all students gather together and share food from their country. It is a great experience for all students to try different food and learn about their classmates. This potluck party is a great way to get to know new students and their cultures, and it’s another great opportunity to practice your English!
This past month, a massive earthquake and tsunami caused severe damage in northeastern Japan, unlike any that had been seen in that country before. As we feel that it is important to support members of the global community in need, we as a school have been raising funds for the victims of the disaster in Japan. As a school, we have raised over five hundred dollars, which was then donated to the Red Cross. In the past, we have helped victims of other tragedies; for example, the tsunami in 2006 that devastated a large part of Southeast Asia, and the recent earthquake in Haiti. We would like to thank all of the students and staff for their help.
During the winter months, we like to go skiing or snowboarding. Generally we go to Sunshine and immerse ourselves in the skiing culture. It is great to get out in the fresh snow and learn a new sport. After hours of skiing, we can go inside and have a cup of hot chocolate. The trip usually lasts a whole day, and teachers and students are exhausted from skiing and laughing all day.
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