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Welcome to our news letter!!! July is here! Yee haw!! Summer is in full gear for the busiest month of the year! People from around the world flock to Calgary to enjoy the perfect weather, amazing scenery and celebrate in our local western culture! Even the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge came to enjoy the world famous Calgary Stampede this year! We hope to see you too!
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.
One of our great English teachers introduces herself to you!
Merion Hodgson has been teaching at GEOS Calgary for 5 years with a previous teaching experience in Seoul, Korea, also for 3 years.
Her true loves are music, travelling, languages and learning about other cultures. All of these things she loves have influenced her teaching style. She tries to sing a song in very country she travels to in the native language. This helps her understand pronunciation, pick up some new vocabulary and make connections. She thinks that these experiences are not only good for her life, but help her to help her students in their English-learning experiences.
Calgary is a great place to learn English and be a part of Canadian Culture. There are so many “everyday-Canadian” things to do. You can explore a new neighbourhood, see a local band, go to a sporting event or do some people-watching on 17th Avenue. I hope to meet you soon in Calgary!
Historic Calgary Week: Historic lectures, walking tours and other special events in Calgary and area. Late July, early August.
Calgary Dragon Boat Festival: Dragon boat teams compete on Glenmore Lake for two days in early August. Cultural events and the best vantage points for viewing the race are in North Glenmore Park.
Calgary Fringe Festival: Theatre, street performers, film presentations, food, arts and crafts vendors, music, outdoor stage events. Held in early August, along Uptown 17 Avenue and at the EPCOR Centre for Performing Arts.
Afrikaday!: African music and dance. Events at various venues, but mostly at Prince's Island. Early August.
Calgary International Reggae Festival: Held at Shaw Millenium Skate Park in the middle of August.
Taste of Calgary: Sample-sized portions of food and beverages from a wide variety of vendors. Festival Market at Eau Claire. Middle of August.
GlobalFest: International fireworks display and multi-cultural celebration. Cultural pavilions are set up all over the city, but the fireworks display takes place at Elliston Park. Latter half of August.
Expo Latino: Jack Singer Concert Hall and Prince's Island. Features Hispanic music, dance, arts and crafts, community booths, food vendors. Last weekend of August.
Some GEOS activities in August
Aug 04th - Calgary Zoo
Aug 06th - Banff & Lake Louise Sightseeing
Aug 11th - Chocolate Factory Tour
Aug 12th - Heritage Park Trip
Aug 13th - West Edmonton Mall
Aug 20th - Drumheller Dino Museum & the Hoodoos
Our TESOL course starts 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 our TESOL student, Daiki Kobayashi, who hails from Japan:
 “When I was a student in GEOS my level was 2 and I met a woman who was teaching English with teacher. She helped us a lot and inspired me. Thanks to GEOS, I decided to take a TESOL course in order to be an English teacher. In the course, I could learn how to teach English and prepare a lesson as well. This course was a good experience. Teaching English is related to learning English. During this course my English skill has improved at all. Although I am not native speaker but this school gave me a chance to teach English. I appreciate GEOS. What I am impressed is that students said “thank you” for me and I could notice what speaking skill of students increasing. I’ve been spending a great time with GEOS!!”
You can download more information from HERE.
If you are interested in any of our courses, feel free to contact us at info@geoscalgary.com.
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Currently we have 24 Nationalities represented in the school among our 193 students. We extend a warm welcome to all the students studying English with us!
Korean: 32.1%
Saudi Arabian: 18.7%
Mexican: 13.5%
Japanese: 12.4%
Taiwanese: 5.2%
Colombian: 2.6%
Taiwanese: 3.4%
Chinese: 2.1%
Brazilian, Indian, and Canadian: 1.6% each
Others: 5.2%
I want to travel around the world, so I need to speak English. When I get back to Korea, I have to find a job. Korean companies require good English skills, so that’s why I’m studying English. Also, I want to write a travel book in English.
I have been studying for 2 and a half months. Sometimes the time goes slowly, because my level is pretty low, but that’s okay. I want to take it easy.
I have a good feeling and feel comfortable in my school. GEOS Calgary is located downtown, so it’s convenient.
Coming GEOS Calgary was a good choice, because my English skills are getting better. I feel good, because I’m learning something new every day. Also, my teachers are very good. They prepare things for me, and they explain very well.
Reading was challenging for me. I really want to improve my reading. We read some newspaper articles in class. More of that would be good.
I think my English is improving. My first month here, I couldn’t talk to my Canadian family or friends, but now I can. I’m more comfortable speaking English now. I’m enjoying my life now, because my teachers and friends always help me.
If you want to improve your English, don’t be shy. Be like me: speak loudly, help your friends, joke, correct your classmates. Also, be happy every day. Smile and laugh every day.
Jin Hee Park (Christine)
Korea
Students joined the 500000 people for the 2011 Calgary Stampede Parade! The 99th incarnation of The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth kicks off with an exciting parade at 8:55 a.m. Politicians, athletes, actors and other dignitaries have led the event over the years. The event features dozens of marching bands, over 150 floats and hundreds of horses with entrants from around the world, and combines western themes with modern. Cowboys, First Nations dancers and members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police joined by clowns, bands, political and business leaders. Students also were excited to see Prince William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. 
Laser Tag
Lasertag is a fast paced game, high tech combination of tag , hide and seek. Students had fun to play in fog, heart pounding music and special lights. They scored as many points as possible. They played first game individually and they played the second game on 2 teams.
Banff & Lake Louise Trip
Students discovered the protected wilderness surrounding Lake Louise and Banff. The only places in the world that can genuinely offer spectacular natural mountain scenery, abundant wildlife and four-season recreation in a protected National Park. They experienced the spectacular Rocky Mountains and the wildlife at its wildest and the small town charm that only Banff can offer. They also went for a ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain to experience a bird's eye view of six mountain ranges at the Banff Gondola.
Students Discovered How the West was Once at Canada’s largest living history museum.
They walked back through time as they explored the collection of heritage buildings from the early settlement period.
They explored the authentic horse-drawn wagons, including an early belly-dump design that is the forerunner of today’s gravel truck, the pioneer garden with its colourful array of the plants and flowers of yesterday and a collection of firsthand the practical and the whimsical, the sensible and the bizarre.
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