English Language SupportWeek 5 Activities

Could happiness be the key to productivity and success?

Could happiness be the key to productivity and success? 

There is a growing belief in business that this is the case.  Watch the following video to learn more about this compelling idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBRy3QrRGFI

Additionally, we've included two articles that also show evidence of this.

Article 1 is from Stanford University's graduate program in business.

Article 2 tells how one company used this idea to build a billion dollar business in less than ten years.

Suggested self-study assignment: Reading Circle Practice.

1. The ELS team recommends forming a study group of four students.

2. Two students read article 1, while the other two read article 2.

3. Now meet together to discuss what you've learned.

4. If you want either Bruce or Matthew to facilitate your discussion, email us at englishsupport@viu.ca, and we'll find a time that works for everyone.

English Language Support Week 4 Activities

MBA English Support Appointments

MBA students looking for English Support Appointments: CLICK HERE.

Find Matthew Finlayson's name and click on it 
(it is on the right-hand side under schedule an appointment).

You will see open appointment times in GREEN.

Book the appointment time that works best for you.

Workshop Offer from English Language Support

Workshop Offer for International Academic Students

Greetings international academic students!

Matt and I would like to offer you the opportunity to participate in workshops that will increase your chance of achieving your goal and loving where you learn!

We offer workshops in:

• Academic Integrity and the APA two part referencing system (90 minutes)
• Reading and Annotating Strategies for Summaries, Literature Reviews and Annotated Bibliographies (90 minutes)
• Classroom Engagement Strategies: Constructing Good Discussion Questions and Engaging in Discussions (90 minutes)

No matter what course you’re in, if you and 8-10 VIU students feel they would benefit from one of the workshops listed above, check our schedules to find a time and a day we are available. Next, email us with the workshop you’d like and the day and time. We’ll book a room for the workshop and we’ll send you an email to let you know the building and room for the workshop.

So pick a workshop and then pick a time on our schedules that works for you.

Interested? Contact Bruce Cornwall and Matt Finlayson at english.support@viu.ca

Bruce's Schedule:

 Matthew's Schedule:

Language Coaching Available

What is language coaching?

Athletes have coaches to help them improve their game or increase their performance.  Language coaching is similar – it is coaching to help you become a better language learner and get the powerful results you are looking for while studying at VIU. 

 

Features of language coaching:

·        Meet five times with a language coach in the semester, 25 minutes each time.

·     Explore ways to excel as a language learner and as a second–language academic student

·     Focus on goals and solutions in your language learning experience

·     Learn about available resources and opportunities that are in place to assist you in your learning journey

·     Discuss any problems and concerns you may have in your studies in a solution-oriented way

·      Discover ways to navigate through the Canadian university experience with greater joy and ease.

Note: language coaching is NOT tutoring. We will not be working on specific assignments, but rather will be looking at ways to improve your effectiveness as a language learner.

Interested? Contact Bruce Cornwall @ englishsupport.viu.ca   with the subject line - language coaching

When I get your email, I'll send you an application for language coaching!

English Language Support Week 3 Activites

Where & When English Language Support is available for Spring 2016.

Welcome a New Member to the English Language Support (ELS) Team.

As Spring semester 2016 gets started, there is a new member to our English Language Support (ELS) team.  Matthew Finlayson is a passionate English Language Instructor who has been teaching for the last 12 years.  He has a wide range of international experience, including 8 years of teaching in Korea, 2 years in Japan, as well as teaching in VIU's English Language Center for the last 2 years.  He is extremely excited to be joining the ELS team because he is particularly passionate about helping students reach their academic and life goals.  Matthew specializes in student motivation, study organization, writing, reading, and media English, but he also willingly takes on any new challenges because "tackling challenges forces us to grow".  If you are an international student who wants to improve any aspect of your English skill set, feel free to drop by Matthew's office in Building 255, Room 211 to say hello.  Good luck with the Spring semester: study hard, but more importantly, study smart.