Workplace ESL Thanks you!

Thanksgiving time is a perfect excuse to let you know how thankful we, at Workplace ESL, are for your business, friendship and support!  

Today we live in a relationship economy.  We truly treasure our relationship with you and the community feeling we're creating together.

No one person can do it all, but together we can make a positive difference!  Thank you!

May your Thanksgiving be filled with good food, inspiring conversation, loving friends, and happy families!

Some of our favorite Thanksgiving quotes:

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." -John Fitzgerald Kennedy

"The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!" -Henry Ward Beecher  

"Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action." - W.J. Cameron

"Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow." -Edward Sandford Martin  

  

Speaking of Thanksgiving and gratitude, what do you say when someone compliments you?  A sincere "thank you" is all you need.  When we downplay a compliment, it diminishes the giver's gift.

Now, check out the correct spelling of these words which are similar:

Compliment = to give praise

Complimentary = given free as a favor

Complement = to go well with

Examples:

That was a nice compliment for a job well done.

A fine grape jelly is a complement to any peanut butter.

This grammar tip is complimentary!

Happy Thanksgiving from Workplace ESL Solutions!

International Holidays in November

Here at Workplace ESL Solutions we adore our international students!  Our hearts are touched as we hear their stories of what brought them to our country.  We thrill as they learn English and a new culture.  We cheer as they begin a new life here, but we also encourage them to remember their roots and celebrate their own heritage.

When you have international employees on your team, it's nice to be able to wish them a happy "All Saints Day" or "Remembrance Day" to let them know you appreciate their heritage and contributions.  Here are a few dates this month to be aware of:

01 All Saints Day
01 Feast of All Saints in Portugal
01 Samhain; Beginning of the Celtic year and most important holiday.
02 All Souls Day in Bolivia, Brazil, El Salvador, Uruguay
02 Memorial Day in Ecuador
03 Culture Day in Japan
03 Thanksgiving Day in Liberia
03 Independence from Columbia in Panama
03 Independence of Cuenca in Ecuador
04 Flag Day in Panama
11 Veterans Day in USA
11 Independence Day in Angola
11 Remembrance Day in Canada
15 Proclamation of the Republic in Brazil
15 Thatlouang Festival in Laos
17 Army Day in Zaire
18 Independence Day in Morocco
19 Discovery Day in Puerto Rico
20 Revolution Day in Mexico
21 Day of Prayer and Repentance in Federal Republic of Germany
22 Independence Day in Lebanon
23 Labor Thanksgiving Day in Japan
28 Thanksgiving Day in USA
30 Independence Day in Barbados, Yemen Democratic Republic

Happy Veterans Day to all of our brave soldiers who have served our great nation past and present. 

Please accept our sincere gratitude for your sacrifices and service!

Several restaurant chains offer free meals to Vets and active duty military as their expression of thanks on Veteran's Day:

Olive Garden                      Arby's
Applebee's                         Chili's
Famous Dave's                   Champs
Outback Steakhouse           Hooters

Every day is worth celebrating at Workplace ESL Solutions!

Understanding American Halloween Vocabulary

 
Let's be honest...Halloween is a weird American holiday!  The rest of the world celebrates something somewhat similar called Carnival.   Costumes are adorned and parties are plentiful.  So what makes Halloween different than Carnival? Well, for starters, we add the creepy, spooky element to the festivities.  Carnival usually occurs in the spring, while here in America, we often need coats or umbrellas to protect our costumes in the crisp fall when we celebrate.

Anciently, the Celts celebrated their new year during this time, marking the end of the warmer weather harvest and the beginning of the cold, approaching winter months.  They believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and dead was blurred.  They also believed that as they surrounded a big bonfire, dressed in costumes, that they could predict the future, as well as protect themselves in the upcoming year against bad fortune.

In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1st as "All Saints Day", a day to honor all saints and martyrs, possibly as an attempt to veer Christians away from the Celtic pagan traditions.  The night before the holiday, October 31st, was known as "All Hallows' Eve" which eventually became more secular, including parades and sweet treats for the children.

Today, Halloween festivities involve community events, trick or treating, and an attempt to focus on the fun party atmosphere, rather than on the religious tones, although death and superstition are definitely still part of the mix.

Here are some Halloween words for our dear ESL students who are trying to make sense of it all:

* apparition - an unusual or unexpected sight, a ghost

* macabre - grim, horrific, repulsive

* cackle - to laugh, especially in a harsh or sharp

manner

* Jack-o'-lantern - a lantern made of the rind of a

pumpkin in which holes are cut to represent eyes,

nose, and mouth

* poltergeist - a noisy, mischievous ghost

* bloodcurdling - arousing fright or horror

* ghastly - terrifyingly horrible to the senses

Be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter, where you can learn more interesting fun facts, brush up on your own English skills, and find out about our latest steals and deals when you sign up for classes.

Have fun out there this year!  Wear a costume, share treats, create your own fun traditions, and be safe!   Workplace ESL Solutions teaches language skills, but we also teach international students what it is to be an American.  In fact, we offer Citizenship classes!  To find out more, check out all of our services at www.WorkplaceESL.com 

Happy Halloween!

Happy Columbus Day from WESL!

                  Happy Columbus Day from Workplace ESL Solutions!  

                                        

We know, it's not the biggest holiday in the United States, lacking such things as beloved Columbus Day carols, festive decorations and traditional meals to commemorate the day, but it is definitely worth celebrating.  The story of Christopher Columbus is inspiring, as that great man's historic voyage teaches us to explore, search, and dream big.

We often discover new horizons while aiming for something completely different.  Christopher Columbus never did accomplish his original goal - to find a western ocean route to Asia.  Instead, he achieved something even greater - he ushered in a new era in world history by opening up the Americas to exploration. 

Traveling around the world and going on vacation isn't as expensive as you might think.  Here at Workplace ESL Solutions, we love our international students and we love to travel to their countries.    Here are a few more ways to see the world for less:

To vacation within driving distance, check out the "One Tank Wonders" at www.tripadvisor.com/tankofgas To find the lowest price of gas in your area, go to www.gasbuddy.com

The Internet has enabled us to become our own travel agents, often offering better deals than if we called the hotel or rental car company directly.  Some of my favorite web sites to find travel steals and deals are:  www.farecast.com  , www.yapta.com  ,  www.travelocity.com , www.orbitz.com  , www.breezenet.com , and  www.hotwire.com 

It’s easy to be influenced by a glossy brochure or fancy web site that claims a certain hotel is the absolute best, but if you want to hear what “real” people have to say about specific travel destinations, check out their opinions posted at www.tripadvisor.com  

Before purchasing, compare prices and do a "Google" search for "discount code" with the name of the hotel chain, car company, airline, or tourist attraction you specifically want.  Joining the "frequent flyer" clubs or hotel member clubs will often get you better rates, and those points you rack up with each stay will get you free vacations in the future!  Your credit card might get you even more points, so find out which travel services they partner with.  AAA membership pays for itself once you see all of the discounts you can get on hotels, cars, restaurants and even theme parks.

A flexible traveler can really score big.  For example, airlines routinely over-book their seats, knowing that a certain percentage of travelers will simply not show up for the flight.  If everyone does show up then there will be more passengers than seats so the airline will then ask for volunteers who are willing to be bumped.  By doing so they may offer you travel vouchers for future flights, meals, and even a paid hotel room if there isn’t another flight until the next day.  It’s a little bit of a hassle, but if the airline is desperate they’ll keep sweetening the deal until someone says yes!

Skip the tourist traps and save money by adding some volunteer work at your destination! The following organizations offer meaningful service opportunities and lower your destination costs during a “Volunteer Vacation”: 

www.americanhiking.org

www.greenpeople.org

www.charityguide.org

www.hospitalityclub.org

Swap a pricey hotel stay for a visit in someone else’s home with a “Home Exchange” vacation:

www.homeexchange.com

www.homeaway.com

www.vacationhomerentals.com

www.vacationhomes.com

You can stay in a very inexpensive hostel and meet some fascinating people: www.hostelworld.com

When you volunteer to drive one of those big RV’s one way it helps the company return their vehicles and you save tons of moola:  www.cruiseamerica.com

Traveling around the world might also inspire you to learn a new language.  That's where WE come in!  We can help you learn Spanish or English and get you "travel ready" to communicate with the world!

So, in honor of Columbus Day, dream big.  Think big.  Imagine the impossible.  See the world. And enjoy the journey!

Happy National Punctuation Day!

                                             Happy Punctuation Day!

Did you know that September 24th has officially been declared as a celebration of the lowly comma, correctly used quotation marks, and other proper uses of periods, semicolons, and the ever-mysterious ellipsis?  Well, now you do, so let the party begin!#$?!  

Here at Workplace ESL Solutions, this is a national holiday we can truly sink our teeth into!  We're kind of grammar geeks that way.  In fact, we love grammar so much that we offer a Business Writing class for professionals to help them improve their skills at the office.  Our words, both spoken and verbal, really affect our brand and how others perceive us.

The ninth annual National Punctuation Day®, the September 24 holiday that reminds America that a semicolon is not a surgical procedure, will celebrate the 2012 presidential election with a literary challenge — vote for your favorite Presidential Punctuation Mark in one, highly punctuated paragraph!

The rules: Write one paragraph with a maximum of three sentences using the following 13 punctuation marks to explain which should be “presidential,” and why: apostrophe, brackets, colon, comma, dash, ellipsis, exclamation point, hyphen, parentheses, period, question mark, quotation mark, and semicolon. You may use a punctuation mark more than once, and there is no word limit. Multiple entries are permitted.

In short, persuade them that your favorite punctuation mark should be the official punctuation mark of the President of the United States.  Contest entries must be received by September 30 to be considered for prizes. The winner(s) will receive a box of punctuation goodies, including a National Punctuation Day® T-shirt. Send entries, including name, address and phone number, to National Punctuation Day® headquarters at Jeff@NationalPunctuationDay.com.

In 2011, 220 entries in their paragraph contest were received from the United States, the Netherlands, Malta, Canada, England, and India.  In 2010, 356 people from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Italy (in Italian!) submitted more than 3,000 entries in our haiku contest, including 73 from a certain New York State employee who shall remain nameless.  

Have a great punctuation day!

When the World Comes Together

 

If you've ever been to the Ground Zero site, then you've felt the reverent feelings of resolve and remembrance the area claims.  Tourists have to book tickets far in advance and then stand in very long lines for admittance.  And they do.  Thousands of people a day go to pay their respects. 

 

The park-like memorial is both peaceful and busy at the same time. A quiet calmness fills the air, as well as the productive sound of busy cranes working nearby to build the new structures that will occupy the neighborhood and stand as a tribute to the American spirit.

 

As we reflect on the 11th anniversary of the September 11th tragedy, we remember when the whole world came together.  America was attacked viciously and families were torn apart by the cruel acts of terrorism.  The world was shocked and mourned with America.  After all, we're all just families trying to be happy and successful in this life.

 

At Workplace ESL, we focus on coming together and celebrating the differences and similarities in our cultures.  In a single ESL class you can see students from South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle-East and remote islands across the globe.  We love our international students!  There is much we can all learn from one another.

 

Despite cultural and language differences, we can all speak the same language of kindness and friendship.  At Workplace ESL Solutions you'll find mutual respect for one another as new languages and skills are taught.  Our Spanish classes spotlight a different country each week so that students can learn to appreciate the subtle differences of the Spanish-speaking world. 

 

When our students graduate from our classes, it is truly a celebration.  We're so proud of our learners who make the effort to communicate in new ways, improving their personal lives and their work environment for the better.

 

To learn more about how you can hire Workplace ESL to come to your workplace and teach your business professionals, please visit our web site and allow us to customize a course just for you!

 

 

 

Email Do's and Don'ts

As technology advances, new forms of communication etiquette emerge.  Such is the case with e-mail.   Who was it that officially decided that WRITING IN ALL CAPS WAS CONSIDERED YELLING IN CYBERSPACE?  I don't know, but now that's an accepted rule. 

During the past decade or so, email "Do's and Don'ts" have evolved and will probably continue to do so.  One of the classes offered at Workplace ESL Solutions is Business Writing, where you'll learn how to write concisely and professionally.  Every word that leaves your mouth or your pen reveals a little bit about you and creates your brand, whether for good or for bad.  It's important to know how to do it well...in any language!

To help get you started, below is a list of some helpful tips to improve your email writing:

DO'S:
*  Write a clear subject in the subject line
*   Divvy up a long email with several topics into separate short emails that address one topic
*   Press the send button after doing a quick edit and spell check
*   Keep sentences short
*   Don't use text abbreviations in emails
*   Keep paragraphs short
*   Use white space between paragraphs
*   Respond quickly to an email you receive

DON'Ts:
*   Write in all caps
*   Reply to "all" without paying attention to who is going to read it
*   Forward inappropriate jokes at work
*   Write long, long emails so the reader has to scroll
*   Use "urgent" or "important" on every email you write

To learn about other services offered by Workplace ESL, check out our web site at www.WorkplaceESL.com

Happy emailing!