Essay-eh: Canadian Authors Metro Vancouver hosts June Open M...

Essay-eh: Canadian Authors Metro Vancouver hosts June Open M...: Twenty Readers, five minutes each. The audience was receptive. Lozan Yamolky read a poem, and Jay Bates (below) shared new work with liste...

Kerrisdale Conversations ~ Take Tea & Talk! A Sociable Way to Refine Your Spoken English.

     SIGN UP FOR SPRING ~ Kerrisdale Conversations ~

Take Tea, & Talk!  A Sociable Way to Refine Your Spoken English.

Native British Columbian speaker-instructor. Learn the nuances

of spoken English in a sociable setting.  Register on 604-263-1164.

Once you have registered by telephone as above, you will be able

to interview the instructor in person by appointment.  First sessions

set to begin this Spring, 2018.  There will be Brunch, Lunch, & Tea Time classes, within local tea shops by RSVP.  

Fees vary, according to the numbers in each session, not to exceed 7-9 English Language Learners per table booked.

Once you have interviewed the instructor prior to registering, your name will be held in the confidential registration.

Payment details will be agreed in your interview.

Looking forward to your phone call and to meeting you ~ for

Kerrisdale Conversations Tea Time Classes ~ Elegance in Education

ESL - Every Single Letter's Spring Sale ~ Four Separate Programs From Which To Choose.

Improve, Learn, & Develop Your English Skills, with ESL~ Every Single Letter's Spring Sale!

1. Survival English ~ Ten Sessions at 25% off when you invest in your English-speaking future by mid-May, 2016.
2. English Language Pronunciation and Accent Reduction, taught by British Columbian native speaker.
3. Advanced English, for those who have a good grasp on speaking, reading, and comprehension, but would like to develop and refine their skills in conversation and literature. Includes diction and enunciation training.
4. English for Contracts, composition, comprehension, and context. British Columbian life requires an understanding of legal obligations, rights, and responsibilities.  Learn now for a more confident future. (Native speaker read law of contract in English at UBC's Sauder School of Business).

Telephone: 604-263-1164 to register in the best program in harmony with your present level of English.  For full details, your welcome and assess interview appointment, and information about tuition times and locations, give your best
number and times to be reached voice-to-voice, by phone. 604-263-1164 only.

  

Nice New Year's English Language Learners Offer For You!

One-to-One Survival English & Accent Reduction Sessions Offer.

Location: Vancouver West Side

Times:  By Appointment

Price:  $45. per hour, or $35. per hour when you you book 10 lessons now and pay ($350.00) in advance by Noon, Friday, 29 January, 2015.  Save $100.00!!

Space is limited. Call today to reserve your position.

Telephone: 604-263-1164 (Permit 5-7 rings, please).
Give your name and telephone number if your call
goes to our answering voicemail inbox. 
That way, we can give you our undivided attention
in our return call to set up your suitability interview.


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ESL -EverySingleLetter Survival English & Accent Reduction
Sessions.

Call today, to 604-263-1164 for your Welcome & Assess Interview. Cheers!

Survival English: Navigating Bureaucracy in British Columbia ~ For English Language Learners.

HOW TO GET AROUND

Translink ~ Buses, Sea Bus, Canada Line, Sky Train, West Coast Express, and Handy Dart.

Information Services:  Call  Customer service:  Telephone Number: 1 (604) 953-3333

Website 

http://www.translink.ca/ 

The telephone service for Translink Customer Service is in English only.  When you call the above

telephone number for Customer Service, press "0" to wait and connect to a live operator who

can speak with you.  

At this point in time, 18 October, 2015, there are no guarantees that you will reach an operator

who has any other language than English.

http://www.translink.ca/en/Fares-and-Passes.aspx

When you go to the above link and click on it, you will reach a page that tells you about how to buy fares.

Tickets, the Compass Card, Faresavers, and Passes are explained in this link.

In all methods of getting around through Translink and its services, remember to keep your proof of purchase with you at all times. You will see "fare paid zone" signs. That means that you must be able to show your receipt for your fare paid in the form of a Pass, Compass Card, Ticket, or Faresaver voucher.

One-Word Poem ~ After The Week That Was

Recorded Tuesday, 28 October, 2014, at home, Vancouver, BC., Canada.

This one-word poem came to me Sunday, 26th October, 2014.  Following the week that was, here in The Pacific Northwest of Canada, or, at least, following the reception of news stories that reached me through radio and online internet news and Facebook posts, including one of a mentally-ill man who shot a reservist outside our parliament, his life minutes later being taken by our sergeant-at-arms; the barricading of meeting room doors in our capitol by the MPs' all gathered on that Wednesday morning to meet; the continuation of the destruction of our civil liberties by the media-fuelled links to gossip and innuendo, the Western Washington State Schools shooting by a student, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC's) firing of the host of their program called Q, and his Facebook post of Sunday, 26th October, 2014.
Here is the one-word poem:

"Context".


by Susilawati (Susila) Bryant

"Enderberry": How Pronunciation Affects Spelling and Vice Versa

Listening to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's nine a.m. Sunday morning radio newscast this morning, recounting recovery efforts in Enderby, BC,  I heard the word "Enderberry".
Spring's promise notwithstanding, and the soft sough of blossomed fragrance present, Enderby underwent a shock of nature in recent days.

Ambitious Beavers, building their own homes and habitats, are said to be the cause of destruction to the Kingfisher Habitat, and the isolation of about two hundred residents due to resulting flooding. 

CBC News Story on Stranding of Hundreds in Enderby, BC

The North Okanagan is as fertile and fragrant as any southern British Columbian locality, and especially at this time of year.  It may be a small consolation, to those citizens whose lives have been disrupted by the beavers efforts, to be able to catch the scent of blossoms on a breeze, when debris from nature's havoc has them scrambling to plans B and beyond.

But when I heard the CBC Radio National News this morning at nine a.m. local time, the announcer, perhaps affected unknowingly by the fertile future of fruit and flowers in the North Okanagan Valley, say "Enderberry" as the disaster's location, her mistake conjured up a mystical location filled with fruit tree branches and berry bushes.  Enderberry may well be my new mythical name for describing all things North Okanagan.

If you are new to British Columbia, or to its English usage, you might well find the use of this new word, as pronounced by the CBC Radio News presenter, a starting point for your discovering of this lovely part of the Province of British Columbia. Of course, the proper name is Enderby.  The announcer said "Enderberry". This difference provides you an opportunity to express the two names in your enunciation exercises, and explore the potential for poetry in the English you are learning today.

Meanwhile, every effort is being made to restore order and services to the people of the affected area. Wishing you well, you Enderberrians; and here's to you!

English to English Translation Services - Now Offered in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

ESL Every Single Letter's News to You

Now offering English to English Translation Services.

Welcome & Assess Meeting by appointment only.

In privacy, with a trained and trusted practitioner, of the UK's "What Would You Like To Say?" Services, your English translation request will be considered.
Rates & Fee will be established at this meeting, following this initial interview.

From Political to Personal, Money Matters to Music, or Quick Notes to Cancellation of Contracts, your situation will be handled with the utmost confidentiality  and concern.

What would you like to say?

Call today, to 604-263-1164 for your Welcome and Assess interview. If we are at work with an existing client, please give your telephone number with most convenient times for our return call.

Letters, Explanations, White Papers, Invitations, Replies, Articles, Proposals, and Reports, all prepared with your recipient or reader in mind. Canadian, American, and British English packages.

Cultural and social sensitivities employed in careful construction of your intention and thoughts. Professional Editing included in agreed-to fee.

604-263-1164 Call now to get started.

English to English Translation Services.

"Earthlingo" by Susilawati (Susila) Bryant. Written for World Peace Day, 2013.

"Earthlingo"

Bhteki

Speak

Dici

Dire

What you heard

When you came

Here.

Ecouter

Listen

Repetez;

How'd you learn to talk

That way?

Northern

Southern

Eastern, 

West;

Inhabitants

Are each a guest.

Some have water

Some have snow

Some have nowhere else to go.

Some have straw

Some have fleece

Some have war

And some have peace.

Some have knowledge, 

Some are poor

Some are wealthy

Others, dour:

Some are narrow

Deep inside

Some have everything to hide.

Say your Mantra

Form the words

Share it with your garden's birds,

Sing it softly

Sing it high,

Let it go, 

Yes, let it fly

On the wings of destiny,

To the one Eternity.

Say you love, 

Or say you hate:

Say, "Please let me through the gate!"

Speak your peace

Or hold your tongue

Everbody, once, was young.

Every country, every land

Given ways to understand.

Habla

Parlez

Gavaru,

Sounds that may 

Mean naught, to you.

Do you think you had a choice

In where you'd first 

Hear your own voice?

Do you believe you are above

Another, whom you cannot love?

Speak, Bhteki, Dici, Dire,

Language of an ancient sphere;

Then, you can become sincere.



By Susilawati (Susila) Bryant, 8 September, 2013.  With World Peace Day in Mind.

Clear Speech Classes ~ Private or Limited Size Group Tuition ~ Register Now for Fall Sessions

ESL - Every Single Letter - Clear Communication Classes - Registering Now For Fall, 2013!

Y O U R  O P P O R T U N I T Y  T O  L E A R N  T O  B E  H E A R D. ~

Private tuition in a secure setting permits you the comfort of ease of expression.

Helpful tutoring in how sounds are made, accent reduction, coaching in pronounciation, enunciation, and social chit-chat, in a safe setting.  Are you having to repeat yourself to be understood when you speak English?  

You will learn to speak Canadian English, West Coast Style, and, as we say at ESL ~ "English-Ease"!  Reduce repetition & increase your clarity ~ Minimize accents.

Classes begin in September, 2013. Private lessons, or small group classes.

For a Complimentary Welcome & Assess Interview, telephone 604-263-1164.

FYI VERSUS IYF ~ For Your Information vs. In Your Face

Nowadays, in the era of information overload, it's a delicate dance on the line between FYI - (For Your Information) and IYF (In Your Face).

There are those who believe that louder is better.  Even in the English language, texting a message in all capital letters (CAPS) is called SHOUTING!
Yet, everyone who wishes to  communicate can do so more effectively if he or she perceives they have an audience; someone who will listen.

Should it be that the listener or audience is a willing one, what the speaker or communicator has to say could more probably be actually heard, and remembered, and in an atmosphere of positivity.
Presentation styles vary, both auditorily and visually.  What will offend some, sounds or seems like really good information to others.

Harmony Rocks!  The ideal, for some communicators, is to provide information that, when understood, will lead to harmonious relations, at home, at school, and at play, so to speak.
One of the leading Educators in the effort to achieve mutual understanding is Mr. Marshall Rosenberg. Whether the communication is between family members, or members of an organization, union, or government councils, Rosenberg's highly evolved Centre For Non-Violent Communication is to be recommended. Marshall Rosenberg'sCentre For Non-Violent Communication is the link to learn.

It is an intrinsic need of human beings to engage in healthy discourse and interaction. However, there is a reason that the English expression "In Your Face!" has developed.  Partly due to the relentless arrival of new (and not-so-new) information in the "Instant World", and partly due to economic & educational disparity, many good messages go unheeded. The content of such messages may be excellent, but the delivery "OTT" (British English for Over the Top).  Potential listeners, those folks mentioned above, have had "enough, already!..Stop with the.....", and tune out completely. Your delivery feels like too much IYF to them. I concede, that even this article could be perceived as OTT or FYI to you, the reader, right now!

Job's gift was "Patience, Faith, and Reward".  Bearing in mind, that when our mindfulness is not present, anger slides in the back door as an unwelcome guest. Sometimes, it even tarts itself up as "Righteous Anger", slithering through abandoned wardrobe items unnoticed, and rising up when we don the garb of "In the name of what's right", I shall stand against this injustice.

It really all depends on your point of view, and your conciously contructed, implemented goals. There is always a choice of how to behave.  Boundaries are elusive, especially in the age of Facebook & gossip-based media. Sometimes it takes crossing one of those boundaries, and receiving the feedback from having done so, to be able to experience the truth of what's behind the agitation, and to learn a better way.

What's it to be?  FYI or IYF?  You choose.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

While frequently attributed to Ogden Nash or ee Cummings the author of this amusing nonsense - known as "Spring In The Bronx" - is Anonymous. 

======================== 
Spring is sprung, the grass is ris. 
I wonders where the birdies is. 
They say the birds is on the wing. 
Ain't that absurd? 
I always thought the wing was on the bird. 
(Pardon the doggerel) 
The old phrase used by speakers of Canadian English "Spring is sprung,..." is often heard at this time of year.  In Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, we currently experience "cool nights & cool mornings" at this time of year.

And it's a good thing, too!  Having cooler heads prevail in the finale to the Canadian Tax Filing Season can only bring benefits to any community. The big balloon above is there to remind us that today is the final day to file your Canada Revenue Agency Tax return without penalty.

Learning the vagaries of the English Language is tricky at the best of times, no matter what the season.

For flowers, tree-leaves and birdies, it is equally as puzzling to figure out the weather in coastal Vancouver.

In the East Coast Hamptons, I've heard, there's a phrase "Sell in May, and go away", signalling the season to curtail business activities and head to the cottage.  The phrase came from another era, but in spite of changing weather patterns, still holds true for the most part.

The outdoors is beckoning.  April 30th in Canada is definitely a turning point for availability of appointment participants.

Enjoy the days in which it feels like Spring, and don't make your labour too taxing!

Crazy May Be The Way It Makes You Feel....

Learning English can be a challenge.  When you have one-to-one Tutoring with a skilled and trained voice production specialist, you have a chance of connecting with the core of your own ability to master English.

This graphic, from Busy Teacher.org, demonstrates the vagaries of the English language, with just some of the inconsistencies in English.

You may be able to add many more.  One of  our favourites is the difference in the words "hideous" and "hideout", which look almost identical, but sound completely different from one another.

Just so that you know, this blog, ESL - Every Single Letter, contains a connection to Miriam Webster dictionary.  You may wish to search or look up words already read in this particular post.

Ready?  New private tuition sessions for Spring, 2013, booking now.  (604-263-1164).

Income

Income.

This word is normally associated with cash.  Cash income.  The opportunity presented by the concept of resource management permits one to view this word from other perspectives.

Income most certainly can be received as cash.

But, I venture to say, there are ways to expand the meaning of the word income.

For example, income could be Self-Care.

Or, it could be Literary, or even Physical.

When you think of income as cash only, you are limiting yourself.  

In which ways do you pay yourself?

Self-Care

Rest

Literacy

Musical

Physical Exercise

Socializing

Planning Ahead 

Cash

All of these ways or actions can be considered as income streams.

Here's how the dictionary people at Miriam Webster write about the word income.

in·come

 noun \ˈin-ˌkəm also ˈin-kəm or ˈiŋ-kəm\

Definition of INCOME

1

: a coming in : entrance, influx <fluctuations in the nutrientincome of a body of water>

2

: a gain or recurrent benefit usually measured in money that derives from capital or labor; also : the amount of such gain received in a period of time <has an income of $30,000 a year>

 See income defined for English-language learners »

See income defined for kids »

Examples of INCOME

1. Any income from investments must be reported.
2. Farming is his main source of income.
3. Even on two incomes, we're having a hard time keeping up with our bills.
4. He earns a good income as a consultant.
5. What was the company's annual income?

First Known Use of INCOME

14th century

Related to INCOME

Synonyms: earnings, gain(s), incoming(s), proceeds, profit,return, revenue, yield

Antonyms: outflow, outpouring

[+]more

Other Economics Terms

actuary, compound interest, globalization, indemnity,portfolio, rentier, stagflation, usurer

Rhymes with INCOME

alum, aplomb, bass drum, bay rum, beach plum, become,benumb, degum, dim sum, dumdum, dum-dum, eardrum, far from, green thumb, hail from, ...

[+]more

Learn More About INCOME

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for "income"

Spanish-English Dictionary: Translation of "income"

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about "income"

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: income account
Previous Word in the Dictionary: incombustible
All Words Near: income

 Seen & Heard 

What made you want to look up income? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible),

The Silent "L" in The Letter Double-U" - A Clear Case of Alphabet Letter Abuse!

Almost 40 years ago, Stanley Kramer made a movie called "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World!".
The year was 1963.
With a stellar cast of comics, including Jonathon Winters, Jimmy Durante, Jim Backus, and more (It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World!")

It was an hilarious film in it's day.

The destination for the treasure-hunters in this flick was "Under the big Dubbya" - meaning Under the big double-u.  Palm Trees growing up in the shape of the letter double-u gave the actors yet another opportunity to leave out the "L" sound in the Alphabet Letter "W".  

Please pronounce the sound of the letter L that exists in the letter "W".

And if you can, try to take some time to watch Kramer's film.

Early Sunsets - Late Sunrises

This is the time of year when Weather Words are in their prime!

It is a time of Early Sunsets and Late Sunrises.

Some people count the days until December 21st or the Winter Solstice, following which the days become "Longer" again.

Weather Words are often closely linked with clothing words.  Rain-boots, for example.
Or, in  sunnier seasons, Sun-hat.

These days, the weather forecasting and reporting media can send the daily humidity and weather reports for your area to your email inbox.

This report can be helpful, so that, if you choose to read it, you can leave home in the morning, go out for your day, and have all the right accessories along with you.  IE:  Umbrella, Gloves, Neck-scarf, or Sunglasses! 

Gene Kelly (Singing In the Rain) and Burt Bacharach (Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head) performed music that gives hope to humans, even when the Weather seems discouraging.

"Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella" is another song giving rise to optimism in a season set to make the locality's vegetation green.

And then, there's the English phrase, "Everybody talks about the Weather, but nobody does anything about it".

What English words would you choose to describe the Weather we experience?

VOWELS The Long and Short of Them -

Vowels and their proper usage in English are vital to being understood when you speak.

There are Long Vowels and Short Vowels.

In the main, the proper name of each Vowels sounds the same as the way one pronounces that vowel.

For example. A  sounds like its name (ay - as in way)

E sounds like its name in the long vowel form, as well as does the letter I, and its companions, O and U.

Practice Makes Perfect!  Practice, Drill, and Rehearse.  You can do it!

20 Common Mistakes in Grammar That Almost Everyone Gets Wrong!

Learning English can be a daunting task at the best of times.

Here is an article re-posted from my friend Margo Bates of the Canadian Authors Association.

It points out pitfalls for all English Language Users ~ novice or EFL or ESL!

20 Common Mistakes in Grammar That Almost Everyone Gets Wrong!

Listening To English - Live Readings ~ Feb. 8th, & 10th, 2012

                                  Once upon a time,

storytellers figured out that sharing tales together, live in a room, made memorable moments - not only for the crafters, but also for the listeners. What's more, when different word-weavers have their assigned chance to express their creations, a synergy can occur in a most miraculous way. We may not have a fire to sit 'round, but when we focus on each person's offerings at a reading, the respect in listening, shared in turn, creates a worthwhile experience. For such a time, you and your pals are cordially invited to what can be called "February Fables ~ 2012" with Susilawati Bryant as one amongst the other readers. Hold on, now!  "February Fables ~ 2012" is tightly timed, in that each reader has planned in advance to be only 5 minutes (at the CAA Session) and 10 minutes (at the SFU TWS - The Writer's Studio) Reading Series. Well facilitated:  you really will be able to plan a start and finish time! WEDNESDAY, 8TH FEBRUARY, 2012 - THE CANADIAN AUTHORS ASSOCIATION - CAA- $10.00 for Non-Members Held at the Alliance For Arts and Culture Premises, Street Level Entrance @  Suite 100 - 938 Howe Street, Vancouver, B.C.      Doors Open 6:45 P.M.  Readings Scheduled to begin - 7:00 P.M. ( I will be reading at 7:20 P.M. as promised - 5 minutes only- as will all the readers comply.)    Plan ahead to have eaten, as the CAA Sessions do not usually have refreshments, food, or drinks available.   http://www.canauthorsvancouver.org/  FRIDAY, 10TH FEBRUARY, 2012 - THE SFU TWS (THE WRITER'S STUDIO) READING SERIES - Held at the "Take Five Cafe".  Free Admission - but the Cafe will be open - so you can take tea at "Take Five", or enjoy a fresh selection of menu items, coffees, sandwiches & desserts.  The Take Five Cafe is at 429     Granville Street, just beneath the United Kingdom Building @ the corner of Granville and West Hastings Street. http://www.sfu.ca/continuing-studies/events/2012/02/tws-reading-series-feb-10.html It would be lovely to see you there, at either reading or both! Thank you for your interest and support. Love and Best Wishes from Susilawati Bryant ~ 604-263-1164.

Let's Stop The Mistakes! - We Can Do It!

Ear Grinders:  CEO's

Should it not be C's EO?

Poet Laureates - Please!


"Poets Laureate" is the way to say this wonderful name.


Together we can "think before we speak"!


In the first instance, a Chief of the Executive Office is called a CEO=Chief Executive Officer
More than one CEO - calls for the phrase C's EO - meaning Chiefs of the Executive Office, as a group, or a designation in the corporate world.


In the second, a Poet Laureate leads a country in literary expression.  More than one Poet Laureate, as in a group or designation of category can be described as "Poets Laureate".


There, now I've said it!  I feel much better.