Pearson
Adult Learning Centre: What's New
Spring Program: Registration
and Orientation; Monthly Events Calendar for the school year (2012)
Subscribe to our Weekly
Newsletter, The PALC News, for weekly web site
updates.
Quote of the Week: "Advertising is a valuable economic factor because it is the cheapest way of selling goods, particularly if the goods are worthless."— Sinclair Lewis (Quote Archive)
Writing Tip: Three "P" Sound Alike Words
Brad explains the difference among "palate," "pallet" and "palette." May 20, 2012
Weekly
Feature: Fun Runs
Patricia
demonstrates the standard paragraph and fills us in on a great way to
have fun while helping the community. May 20, 2012
Communications 12: Weekly Assignments
Find your assignments for Louise's Tuesday and Thursday morning classes. May 20, 2012
Accounting 12: Weekly Assignments
Find your assignments for Louise's Tuesday and Thursday afternoon classes. May 20, 2012
Weekly
Feature: Cycling in Metro Vancouver
Louise encourages everyone to get out on a bike and enjoy this amazing spring weather! May 13, 2012
Writing Tip: Be More Concise without a "Be"
Brad explains how overuse of the "to be" form can make writing overly wordy. May 6, 2012
Weekly
Feature: Mothers' Day in Poetry
L
suggests we write an acrostic poem for Mothers' Day and includes
student sample acrostic poems for inspiration. May 6, 2012
Weekly
Feature: Be a Better Writer
Jennifer outlines practical ways to improve your writing, including tips and two sample paragraphs. April 29, 2012
Writing Tip: Onomatopoeia and Language
Brad notes how different languages "hear" different sounds and represent them in language. April 22, 2012
Weekly
Feature: Earth Day: April 22, 2012
Cheryl encourages us to make positive changes to our lives, beginning with celebrating Earth Day. April 22, 2012
Weekly
Feature: Bike the Blossoms
Charlotte encourages everyone to take part in a free bicycle tour of this year's blossoms. April 15, 2012
Weekly
Feature: A Rant about Debt
Rick speaks for many of us with his personal rant about debt. April 10, 2012
Writing Tip: Fun Food Vocabulary
Brad goes over a few interesting words that refer to food. April 10, 2012
Weekly
Feature: April: Daffodil Month for Cancer Awareness
Trudi reminds us that having a healthy lifestyle can help us to prevent cancer. April 1, 2012
Writing Tip: The Pros of Knowing Pronouns: Part Three (Indefinite Pronouns)
Brad introduces us to another important class of pronouns: indefinite pronouns. March 27, 2012
Weekly
Feature: March: Nutrition Month
Tazim points us to great resources to help us eat more healthily and to learn more about nutrition. March 27, 2012
Weekly
Feature: Plagiary! Who Me?
Brad reminds students that, at the PALC, we take plagiary very seriously. March 18, 2012
Weekly
Feature: Spring Break Activities in New Westminster
Renuka helps students to plan for their free time for our upcoming spring break. March 12, 2012
Writing Tip: The Pros of Knowing Pronouns: Part Two
Brad introduces us to another important class of pronouns: interrogative pronouns. March 11, 2012
Weekly
Feature: Online Activities for English Beginners
Patricia
directs students in English levels 1, 2 and 3 to useful web sites for
working on their English skills. March 4, 2012
Writing Tip: The Pros of Knowing Pronouns
Brad introduces us to an important class of pronouns: demonstrative pronouns. February 26, 2012
Weekly
Feature: Leap Year? Leap Month?
Paul
outlines the scientific reasons for having an extra day in February
this year. Includes two quizzes for vocabulary practice. February
26, 2012
Weekly
Feature: Canada's Provinces and Capital Cities
Louise
helps Social Studies students to study by providing a list and links to
interactive quizzes for practice. February 19, 2012
Writing Tip: Watch Your Tone: In the Mood?
Brad explains the difference between tone and mood in the context of writing for your audience. February 12, 2012
Weekly
Feature: Ideas for Valentine's Day
L gives us some great suggestions for a more romantic Valentine's Day. February 12, 2012
Weekly
Feature: Laura Secord: A Great Canadian
Jennifer's
short essay on Laura Secord introduces a great Canadian connected to
our celebration of Valentine's Day. February 5, 2012
Weekly
Feature: Information about the Law
Cheryl passes on important information about the law that can help you with legal issues in Canada. January 29, 2012
Writing Tip: Varied Syntax: Three New Examples
Brad brings us three new and different examples of ways to vary your sentences. January 29, 2012
Weekly
Feature: Reflecting on Fall 2012
Charlotte reflects on her first term as a teacher at the PALC. January 22, 2012
Writing Tip: Varied Syntax Equals Better Writing
Brad shows you how to say the same thing three different ways in order to vary your sentences. January 15, 2012
Weekly
Feature: The Life of a Marking Teacher
Brad explains what it is like to mark multiple English papers this weekend. January 15, 2012
Weekly
Feature: Preparing for the Certificate Tests
Trudi's feature provides students with links and resources to help them write a better test this term. January 8, 2012
Writing Tip: Stylish Numbers: Writing with Numerals
Brad reviews the correct way to use numerals in your writing. January 1, 2012
Weekly
Feature: Welcome to 2012; Happy New Year!
Tazim wishes us all a Happy New Year and links us to web sites to help us make the best of a new year. January 1, 2012
Weekly
Feature: Writing 12
Renuka invites students to take Writing 12 in the spring term. December 18, 2011
Writing Tip: Food Glorious Food!
Brad explains some of the interesting rules around capitalization of food names. December 11, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Balancing Time for School
Paul suggests practical solutions to help students with their work/school balance. December 11, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Winter Words
Patricia helps students to be more descriptive in their winter writing. Includes four matching quizzes for practice. December 4, 2011
Writing Tip: A Person Entitled to "Their" Opinion?
Brad refers to the debate over the singular use of "they" instead of as a plural. November 27, 2011
Weekly
Feature: How to Cook a Thanksgiving Turkey
Charlotte shares her recipe for the perfect turkey.
November 27, 2011
Student Writing by Dasha: The Running Shoes
Dasha tells a compelling tale of courage in the face of tragedy. November 21, 2011
Weekly
Feature: How to Fix Missing Articles
L
outlines the many pitfalls in learning the correct use of English
articles. Includes a sample essay to correct for practice.
November 21, 2011
Weekly
Feature: FANBOYS: Making Compound Sentences
Jennifer outlines how to use the FANBOYS in making compound sentences. November 14, 2011
Writing Tip: Another Kind of Elliptical
Brad outlines the use of elliptical constructions to save on word counts. November 14, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Municipal Elections 2011
Cheryl reminds everyone to vote in the upcoming municipal elections. November 7, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Feed the Food Bank
Tazim launches our annual Food Bank drive. October 30, 2011
Writing Tip: Introductory Phrases: Multiples
Brad completes his series on introductory comma rules with examples of two useful introductory phrases. October 30, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Do I Need to See That?
Brad considers the effects of the recent graphic video footage taken of Colonel Gadhafi's capture. October 23, 2011
Writing Tip: More Comma Rules for Introductory Phrases
Brad continues his series on introductory comma rules with examples for each one. October 16, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Staying Healthy
Trudi reminds us to stay healthy and points out great web resources to help you. October 16, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Learning to Spell
Louise outlines some great online resources to help you learn to spell. October 10, 2011
Writing Tip: Need an Introduction? Comma Rules for Introductory Phrases
Brad outlines introductory comma rules with examples for each one. October 2, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Cycling for Everyone
Rick outlines Translink's new initiative to encourage cycling in our community. October 2, 2011
Student Writing by Tiffany: The Old Banyan Tree
Tiffany remembers a tree important to her childhood in Taiwan. October 2, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Family Studies 12
Renuka explains this class and welcomes you to join. September 25, 2011
Writing Tip: The Name Game: Capitalization Rules
Brad gives some interesting examples of capitalization rules for common games. September 18, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Visiting Cancun
Paul recommends visiting Cancun for a family vacation. Includes two quizzes to check your comprehension. September 18, 2011
Student Writing by Anonymous: Grandpa's Shoes
A PALC student remembers the influence of his grandpa on his life in this charming and heartfelt piece. September 12, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Lives Touched by Cancer
Patricia
reminds us of this year's Terry Fox Run (September 18) and shares
paragraphs on his life by her and her students. September 11, 2011
Writing Tip: Do Words Count?
Brad outlines his views on word count, with some advice for both under and over writers of prose. September 5, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Learning Keyboarding Skills
Louise points out some great web sites and reminds students of our ICT 10 course. September 4, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Setting Effective Goals
L reminds students of the importance of setting realistic, achievable, goals. August 25, 2011
Weekly
Feature: What Means ?. . .Using Question Words
Jennnifer shows us how to use question forms properly in English. August 21, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Visiting Pender Island
Cheryl suggests we visit this wonderful island, located close to Vancouver. August 14, 2011
Weekly
Feature: My Favourite Summer Pastime
Charlotte brings her summer activities to delicious life! August 7, 2011
Student Writing by Darija: Her Smile
Darija's heartfelt story shows us the power of a smile from a stranger. July 31, 2011
Weekly
Feature: New Course for September: DFT 12
Brad introduces his new course: Drama: Film and Television 12. July 31, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Making Biking Better
Rick informs us on how governments are working to encourage cycling in our cities. July 24, 2011
Writing Tip: Right or Left?
Brad discusses two sets of compounds that use right or left, including when to hyphenate and when not. July 18, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Summer Danger
Trudi warns us about an invasive plant that is liking our un-summer-like weather. July 17, 2011
Student Writing by Elaine: Visiting Cuernavaca, The Real Mexico
Elaine brings the unique culture of Cuernavarca Mexico to life. July 10, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Summer Fun—Free or Nearly Free
Tazim helps you make the most of your time this summer. July 10, 2011
Weekly
Feature: July Events at the New Westminster Public Library
Renuka outlines the many and varied programs available at our local library. July 3, 2011
ALL STUDENTS: Resource for Immigrants and Refugees
Check our new resource at our "Web Resources" page. You can also go there from our left-side menu from any page. June 28, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Cellphone Etiquette
Paul reminds everyone about politeness and safety when using a cell. Includes two quizzes to check your knowledge. June 26, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Cycling in the Lower Mainland
Patricia gives us a sample paragraph and verb tense sentences to help students write each one perfectly. June 19, 2011
ALL STUDENTS: Dates for Summer and Fall Program
Everything you need to know about summer and fall registration dates and classes. June 19, 2011
Writing Tip: Learn One New Word Every Day!
Brad points us to Merriam Webster's Word of the Day and suggest students learn one new word every day. June 13, 2011
Student Writing by Maria: Being a Student at PALC: Teachers and the Lab
Maria explains how our classes and lab work to create a favourable student experience. June 5, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Countdown to the Certificate Tests
L gives students good advice to help them prepare for the upcoming certificate tests. June 5, 2011
Student Writing by Linda: A "Green Tea" Teacher
Linda writes about a favourite PALC teacher. May 29, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Summer Articles
Jennifer goes over article use in English and provides us with a cloze exercise for practice. May 29, 2011
Writing Tip: Making Use of Parentheses
Brad outlines four different ways students can use parentheses in their writing. May 29, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Brainstorm First
Renuka outlines the process students may use to increase the number of ideas they have for writing an essay. May 22, 2011
Writing Tip: Problem Pairs in English
Brad helps students with two problem word pairs: nauseous and nauseated; wreck and wreak. May 15, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Go Canucks Go!
Cheryl encourages us all to follow along with the Canucks quest for the cup! May 15, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Writing Outside the Box
Brad's recent experiences with his Writing 12 students helps him to adjust his teaching style. May 9, 2011
Writing Tip: Parallel Sentences in an Inaugural Speech
Brad shows, through the president's speech, the power of parallel structure. May 1, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Canada's Census: May 2011
Trudi updates us on this important survey required of all Canadians. May 1, 2011
Student Writing by Naoko: Shaking My Naivety
Naoko relates an intriguing story on being a photojournalist during a 2003 earthquake in northern Japan. April 25, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Earth Day 2011
Tazim links us to great resources for this year's Earth Day. April 24, 2011
Student Writing by Linda: My Cool Uncle
Linda's story about her artistic uncle teaches a valuable lesson about living a simple life. April 18, 2011
Writing Tip: Roll Over that Rollover; Log In that Login!
Brad helps us to tell the difference between the two-word and one-word versions. April 17, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Mature Trees in the City
Rick makes a strong argument for preserving mature old growth trees in the city. April 17, 2011
Weekly
Feature: In Class or Self Paced?
Paul outlines the differences between in class and self paced study and includes a comprehension quiz for practice. April 10, 2011
Writing Tip: Watch out for "Scare" Quotes
Brad gives a full explanation of the use and abuse of scare quotes in writing. April 3, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Florida Oranges
Patricia, now visiting Florida, provides us with topical information in a sample descriptive paragraph. April 3, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Becoming a Better Reader
Louise provides us with seven strategies. Use them to improve your spring break reading! March 26, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Improving Your English Online
Patricia points us to a wealth of good online resources for English learners. March 20, 2011
Student Writing by Linda: Making the Study of Law Fun
Linda informs us of two TV series that can help any student make the study of law fun. March 13, 2011
Student Writing by Esther: Tteokbokyi (Korean spicy rice cake)
A spicy snack enjoyed in Korea. Try it if you dare!. March 13, 2011
Student Writing by Maria: Chicken and Pork Abodo
A hearty dish from the Phillipines. Try it and see! March 13, 2011
Writing Tip: Some "Nyms" in English
Brad explains the meaning of the Latin root in English and gives us some examples of less well known "nyms." March 13, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Prewriting and the Essay
Jennifer gives us a good reminder and demonstration for this essential skill. March 13, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Bring Your Writing to Life
Renuka shows us how! March 7, 2011
Weekly
Feature: B.C.s New Premier-Designate: Christy Clark
Cheryl introduces us to B.C.s premier in waiting. February 27, 2011
Student Writing: Lighthouse Magic
Margareta tells us a tale of a daring rescue. February 27, 2011
Writing Tip: Will You Bring It or Take It?
Brad explains the the difference in meaning between these two common verbs. February 27, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Is "Imagination More Important than Knowledge"?
Brad reflects on Einstein's famous statement in the light of teaching and the state of the world today. February 20, 2011
Writing Tip: Learning to Hyphenate Adjectives
Brad explains the technique to create your own hyphenated adjective for clearer writing. February 13, 2011
Weekly
Feature: February is Heart Month
Trudi reminds us to take care of our real heart in the month of Saint Valentine's. February 13, 2011
Student Writing: Losing a Friend—Twice
Marco recounts a sad tale of friendship and loss. February 7, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Writing a Good Essay
Rick both tells and shows you how to write a good standard essay. February 7, 2011
Writing Tip: An Everyday Day Every Day
Brad reminds us again of the key difference between everyday and every day. January 31, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Happy New Year! (Year of the Rabbit)
Tazim's feature welcomes us to read more about this important day in many parts of the world.
January 30, 2011
Student Writing: Be Aware of Internet Addiction
Sophie writes persuasively about the dangers of internet addiction. January 23, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Why Study Science?
Paul's
feature explains how understanding science improves your knowledge in many ways. Includes two quizzes for vocabulary practice.
January 23, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Vocabulary Development: New Years
Louise's
feature goes over a number of useful words related to New Years. Includes two quizzes for vocabulary practice.
January 16, 2011
Writing Tip: Using Italics Correctly in Writing
Brad demonstrates how italics are used to enhance your writing. January 15, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Getting Ready for the Certificate Tests
Patricia's
feature gives us a complete overview of the upcoming tests written by
English 4 to 10 students. Includes many links to help you get ready.
January 8, 2011
Writing Tip: Is That Compare or Is It Contrast?
Brad clarifies the difference and points out further resources to help you with comparison contrast writing. January 1, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Happy New Year!
L links us to a wealth of information to get your new year off to a good start. January 1, 2011
Weekly
Feature: Christmas Gives Opportunities
Jennifer
reflects on the positive aspects of Christmas giving and suggests one
way to help others less fortunate. December 26, 2010
Weekly
Feature: Math Upgrading
Renuka provides students with suggestions for ways to improve their math skills at the PALC. December 19, 2010
Weekly
Feature: Getting Ready for Next Term
Cheryl gives us a sneak peek at next term's course offerings at the PALC. December 12, 2010
Weekly
Feature: Wikileaks?
Brad comments on the biggest news story in the world today. December 5, 2010
Writing Tip: Is That a Restrictive or Nonrestrictive Appositive?
Brad explains the tricky difference between the two. December 5, 2010
Weekly
Feature: Winter Safety Tips
Trudi points us to sites that will help you to survive this possibly long cold winter! November 28, 2010
New Mathematics Resource: QuickMath: Automatic Math Solutions
Paul
points us to an excellent resource for students who need extra help
with calculations in Algebra. QuickMath can show you the steps to
solving a question and help you better understand the process. November
21, 2010
Writing Tip: Does Language Shape the Way We Think?
Brad refers us to an intriguing article on language published in The New York Times. November 21, 2010
Weekly
Feature: About Math Problems—Yet Again!
Paul
helps students with practical resources for working with math problems.
Includes a quiz to test your comprehension. November 16, 2010
Student Writing: Travelling in the Painting
Sophie
dreams of going back in time to the Song Dynasty, inspired by Zhang
Zeduan's famous painting, "Along the River During the Qinming
Festival." November 8, 2010
Weekly
Feature: Get Out of Your Car!
Rick makes an impassioned plea for people to consider the environment in their day-to-day activities. November 8, 2010
New Mathematics Resource: BC Math Homework Depot (Free Online Tutorials)
Louise points us to an excellent resource for students studying Principles Math 10, 11 and 12. November 8, 2010
Writing Tip: The Staunch Friend Stanched the Wound
Brad explains another confusing word pair and gives examples so you can use each one correctly. November 7, 2010
Weekly
Feature: Food Bank Drive 2010
Tazim launches our annual Food Bank Drive with a goal of six boxes of food to donate this season. October 31, 2010
Weekly
Feature: Nominalization: Changing into Nouns
Patricia
explains how to use more forms of any word using nominalization.
Includes many examples to illustrate. October 24, 2010
Writing Tip: Being both Affluent and Fluent in Life
Brad explains this confusing word pair and gives examples so you can use them correctly. October 24, 2010
Student Writing: Money Hunters
Susan recounts the interesting events that happened on her visit to Luoyang, home of the famous Shaolin Temple. October 17, 2010
Weekly
Feature: Vocabulary Development: Size Verbs (Part 2)
Louise
continues her series with verbs that mean "getting smaller." Includes
two quizzes to check your comprehension. October 17, 2010
Writing Tip: Lead Connects to Plumber, Plummet and Plunge?
Brad explains the origins of words derived from the Latin for "lead" and discusses one common idiom. October 10, 2010
Weekly
Feature: Happy Thanksgiving!
L fills us in on the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday. October 10, 2010
Weekly
Feature: After the Essay: The Paragraph Reviewed
Jennifer
reminds students that good paragraph structure is even more important
after a student masters the essay. October 3, 2010
Weekly
Feature: The Year of Science
Renuka encourages students to consider studying science to improve their future job prospects.
September 26, 2010
Writing Tip: Using "Have" and "Having" Correctly
Brad explains the differences between the two along with examples. September 26, 2010
Weekly
Feature: Why Study Civics or Social Studies?
Cheryl explains the relevance of the courses, using the HST from B.C. as her example.
September 19, 2010
Student Writing: What I See in Tokyoites
Tiffany gives us a lively account of the unique cultural landscape of Tokyo. September
18, 2010
Writing Tip: Have You Lucked Out?
Brad
explains some of the idiomatic uses of "luck." September 12, 2010
Weekly
Feature: Courses to Consider
Brad
provides us with more information on courses offered this semester.
September 12, 2010
Weekly
Feature: Reflections on Summer
Trudi
rediscovers some essential truths this summer. September 5, 2010
Teacher
Writing: How I Spent My Summer
Vacation
Rick's
essay on his summer vacation demonstrates all the elements of
good writing. September 5, 2010
Writing
Tip: Differences Between
Verbal and Oral
Brad
goes over the two and explains subtle differences in
meaning. August 28, 2010
Weekly
Feature: Work Smarter, Not
Harder!
Tazim
introduces us to the idea of different learning styles and
provides a link where you can find out your own. August 28, 2010
Teacher
Writing: A Case of Cultural Confusion
Sample
standard essay written with the participation of the summer
evening English 9/10 students. August
17, 2010
ALL
STUDENTS: Speaking and Listening
All students may attend our new Speaking and Listening classes this
fall. August
16, 2010
ALL
STUDENTS: Course Timetable for September 2010
Make your plans with the help of our weekly timetable. August
15, 2010
Weekly
Feature (Paul): On
Chihuahuas
Paul introduces us
to his
family pet, Peaches, and writes two quizzes to help you check your
vocabulary. August
15, 2010
Weekly Feature (Patricia): Writing
Process Paragraphs
Patricia provides us
with three
sample process paragraphs. Includes questions and answers on the
various parts of a successful paragraph. August
8, 2010
Weekly Feature (L): An
Essay Checklist
L provides
us with a
useful resource for improving our essay writing skills. August
2, 2010
Weekly Feature (Louise): Vocabulary
Development: Size Words
Louise gives
examples of
various size words and offers us two
interactive quizzes to check comprehension. July
25, 2010
Quizzes for English 7 and 8 (Louise): The
First Olympics Part 1; The
First Olympics Part 2
Two quizzes to
accompany Tuesday's lesson. July
25, 2010
Weekly Feature (Jennifer): Example
Essay: The Wonders of Ice Cream
Jennifer
offers us an essay with inserted comments that show the structure of
good writing. July
18, 2010
Weekly Feature (Cheryl): Idioms
of Time
Cheryl discusses an interesting time
idiom and how our relationship with time has changed since she was
younger. July
11, 2010
Weekly Feature (Brad): Teaching
Oral Language
Brad goes over the B.C. curriculum
requirements for speaking and listening and outlines the positive
benefits he's experienced with his students. July 4,
2010
Weekly Feature (Trudi): A
Successful PALC Graduate
Trudi congratulates our graduates and points us to a Royal City Record
article on successful graduate, Kamaljeet Munday. June
27, 2010
Weekly Feature (Tazim): Summer
Fun—Free or Nearly Free!
Tazim helps you make the most of free time in the summer. June
20, 2010
Weekly Feature (Rick): Benefits
of Teaching Adults
Rick gives us a list of interesting
things he's learned this term while teaching. June
13, 2010
Writing Tip (Brad): Example
Expressions
Brad goes over four different expressions that use the familiar word,
"example." June
13, 2010
Teacher Writing (Brad): An
Amsterdam Welcome
Brad's article demonstrates how to write a
focussed travel piece. Students assisted in reviewing and suggesting
revisions during the spring term. June
7, 2010
ALL STUDENTS: Summer
Programs at the PALC
Students at Level 4 through 10 are welcome to attend our summer
program. Find out registration dates and important closures.
NOTE: The PALC lab will be closed this summer. No self-paced courses
will be offered. May
31, 2010
Weekly Feature (Renuka): Clean
Air Day
Renuka encourages us to pay attention
to personal habits to help the planet on Clean Air Day. June
6,
2010
Writing
Tip (Brad): Latin?
Brad identifies and explains three common Latin expressions that are
used in English. May
30, 2010
Weekly Feature (Paul): Protecting
Internet Privacy
Paul informs us of important
information to help us to protect our personal privacy on the Internet.
Includes a self-marking vocabulary crossword puzzle and multiple choice
quiz for practice. May
23, 2010
Weekly Feature (Paul): Fun
Runs
Paul points out a great way to help
your community and stay fit at the same time. Includes a self-marking
vocabulary crossword puzzle for practice. May 23,
2010
Weekly Feature (Louise): Keyboarding
Louise helps students who may wish to learn better
keyboarding skills.
Links to fun and useful web sites for practice. May 16,
2010
Writing Tip (Brad): Pin
Number?
Brad explains why PIN number is a redundancy. May
16, 2010
Weekly Feature (L): Mother's
Day
L explains our Mother's Day tradition. May 9,
2010
Student Writing (Kay): Looking
Out a Very Small Window
Kay writes on the
various kinds
of characters to be seen from a basement window. May 2, 2010
Writing Tip (Brad): Why
Illegal and Not Unlegal?
Brad explains how to make a negative form for words beginning with
"L." May
2, 2010
Weekly Feature (Jennifer): Writing
the Essay
Jennifer offers us a complete system to help you write a good standard
essay. May 2,
2010
Student Writing (Rosemary): Powerful
Blood Ties
Rosemary recounts
the tale of
her brother's death on Christmas eve. April
26, 2010
Weekly Feature (Cheryl): Information
on the Law
Cheryl points out important resources for B.C. residents in need of
legal advice. April
25, 2010
Writing
Tip (Brad): Beware
the Irregular Past Participle
Brad makes a case for better language instruction for native
speakers. April
17, 2010
Weekly Feature (Dina): Daffodil
Month
Dina makes us aware of Daffodil Month and the sale of daffodils to
support cancer research. April
17, 2010
Weekly Feature (Brad): The
Writer's Life
Brad discusses the life of writers and his experiences with teaching
Writing 12. April
4, 2010
Writing
Tip (Brad): I
Passed in the Past
Brad explains the different uses of "passed" and
"past." March
28, 2010
Weekly Feature (Trudi): Easter
Trudi explains Easter and the
symbolic meaning
of the Easter egg. March
28, 2010
Weekly Feature (Tazim): March:
Nutrition Month
Tazim points out two important web sites related to nutrition and food
safety. March
21, 2010
Student
Writing: Home,
Sweet Home
Rita's terrifying experience of
the Kobe earthquake in 1995 leads her to a new appreciation of
home. March 14, 2010
Weekly Feature (Rick): Daylight
Savings Time
Rick fills us in on the trials and
tribulations of the DST. March
14, 2010
Writing Tip (Brad): In
the Mood?
Brad goes over the sometimes tricky use of the subjunctive mood in
English grammar. March
14, 2010
Weekly Feature (Renuka): Spring
Break 2010
Renuka gives us ideas for fun
activities to do
over the spring break in Vancouver. March
7, 2010
Writing Tip (Brad): Is
There Any Way to use Anyways?
Brad explains how to use all three expressions correctly: anyways,
anyway, and any way. February
28, 2010
Weekly Feature (Patricia): Olympic
Verbs and Adverbs
Patricia writes another sample
paragraph on the Olympics. This time, she goes over the use of verbs
and adverbs. Includes two matching quizzes for
practice. February
28, 2010
Student Writing: Remembering
the Folly
Maryann remembers a
fateful
meeting with a good friend and regrets her actions that
day. February
21, 2010
Weekly Feature (Patricia): The
Skytrain for the Olympics
Patricia writes a sample paragraph on
the Olympics. Includes lots of samples of verb tenses and a photo
gallery taken at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. February
21, 2010
Writing Tip (Brad): Does
that Clause take a Comma?
Brad explains the different effects created by varying the order of
your main and subordinate clause. February
14, 2010
Weekly Feature (Louise): Learning
to Spell
Louise gives us some advice on how
to improve
our spelling. February
14, 2010
Student
Writing: The
Railroad Man: A New Beginning
Marc writes of the
death of the
"backbone of his life," his father. February
7, 2010
Weekly Feature (L): 2010
Winter Olympic Games
L gathers all the information you
need to know
to have a great time during Vancouver's 2010 Winter Olympic
Games. February
7, 2010
Writing Tip (Brad): Mr.
or Mr? Depends on Where You Live
Brad outlines a small but significant difference in how North Americans
write the abbreviations for Mister and
Mistress. January
31, 2010
Weekly Feature (Helen): The
Red Mittens
Helen explains the significance of
red mittens
to residents of Canada. January
31, 2010
Student Writing: Disguised
Donors
In the aftermath of
monsoon
floods, Jatinder discovers that not all is what it seems on first
glance. January 24, 2010
ALL STUDENTS: Class
Schedule for 2010 Spring Term
Find your class and
make the
schedule work for you. January 24, 2010
Weekly Feature (Jennifer): Laura
Secord: A Great Canadian
Jennifer writes a short essay on Laura Secord, a great Canadian
connected to our celebration of Valentine's Day. January
24, 2010
Writing Tip (Brad): Woman,
Girl or Female? Sensitive Language!
Brad helps us find ways to use the terms in socially appropriate
ways. January
17, 2010
Weekly Feature (Dina): Vancouver:
An Earthquake Zone!
Dina gives
us all a timely reminder after this week's devastating events in
Haiti. January 17, 2010
Teacher Writing (Brad): Biker
Brad
Read about a journey undertaken by Brad in the
summer of 1975. January
10, 2010
Weekly Feature (Cheryl): New
Classroom Course: Law 12
Cheryl
introduces us to her new classroom course: Law 12. Counts as a 12
credit for adult graduation. January 10, 2010
Writing Tip (Brad): All
"Becauses" Have a Reason
Brad cautions students to avoid redundancies that include the word
"because." January
3, 2010
Weekly Feature (L): Welcome
to a New Decade
L goes over
a personal resolution and includes some tools to help you make your
own. January 3, 2010
Weekly Feature (Trudi): Holiday
Activities
Trudi outlines a number of interesting
activities to help you enjoy your second week of
holidays! December 26, 2009
Weekly Feature (Jennifer): The
Compare or Contrast Essay
Jennifer explains the complex
processes behind a successful
comparison or contrast essay and includes an interesting sample essay
for study. December 20, 2009
Weekly Feature (Rick): Global
Warming
Rick
argues passionately for Canada and Canadians to accept their global
responsibility for climate change and do more to fight the
problem. December 13, 2009
Writing
Tip (Brad): What
is a "Brainstorm"?
Brad traces the history of this technique for generating ideas and
cautions students to remember the final, evaluative,
step. December
6, 2009
Weekly Feature (Renuka): Holiday
Potluck Party
Renuka
invites all students (day and evening) to come, eat and socialize at
our annual holiday potluck. December 6, 2009
Weekly Feature (Paul): Our
Students and their Studies
Paul brings us a feature that explains the rich
diversity of the ALC. Includes links to further information and a
comprehension quiz.November 29, 2009
Writing
Tip (Brad): Nevertheless:
Be Careful with However
Brad explains the correct usage of "however" and clears up some common
misunderstandings. November
22, 2009
Weekly Feature (Patricia): November
Rains
Patricia reacts to our recent
spell of bad weather. Includes sample sentences and paragraphs and a
matching quiz for practice.November 22, 2009
Weekly Feature (Louise): Eating
Well with Canada's Food Guide
Louise shares a number of
resources we can use to help make better food choices in our
lives. November
15, 2009
Writing
Tip (Brad): "At
the end of the day": Irritating Expressions
Brad cautions students not to imitate the world of business in their
writing. November
8, 2009
Weekly Feature (Brad): H1N1:
The Swine Flu
Brad goes over some important
information on this year's unusual pandemic
influenza. November
8, 2009
Weekly Feature (Helen): Daylight
Saving Time
Helen is enthusiastic about today's extra hour!
Includes a number of interesting facts about daylight saving
time. November
1, 2009
Writing Tip (Brad): I
Wish I Was; I Wish I Were
Brad goes over the subjunctive case and argues for its continued
use. October
22, 2009
Weekly Feature (Tazim): Annual
Food Bank Drive
Tazim launches
her annual food bank drive. Although her goals are modest this
year—five boxes—last year we collected seven! October
22, 2009
Weekly Feature (Dina): October:
Power Smart Month
Want to save some money? Then read Dina's
feature this week!. October
18, 2009
Writing Tip (Brad): The
Short Clause Comma
Brad goes over the short clause comma and encourages students to
experiment. October
11, 2009
Weekly Feature (Cheryl): October:
Positive Thinking Month
Cheryl reminds us to
stay
positive. October
11, 2009
Weekly Feature (Brad): To
Park or Not to Park
Brad reminds all
students to
respect teachers' parking spaces. October
4, 2009
Writing Tip (Brad): Go
with
the Flow
Brad explains how writers can improve the "flow" of sentences in their
writing. September
27, 2009
Weekly Feature (Trudi): Household
Budgets for Challenging Times
Trudi brings us
important
information on how families can meet the challenges brought on by the
recession. September
27, 2009
Weekly Feature (Tazim): Work
Smarter, Not Harder!
Tazim introduces us to the idea of different
learning styles and provides a link where you can find out your
own. September
20, 2009
ALL STUDENTS: Course
Schedule for September to January
View courses and times for our entire program. Will help students
select courses that fit into their personal
schedules. September
13, 2009
Writing Tip (Brad): Using
a Style Guide
Brad recommends an excellent online resource to answer tricky questions
of English usage. September
13, 2009
Weekly Feature (Renuka): What
is ICT?
Renuka answers the
question and
introduces a brand new PALC course. September
13, 2009
ALL STUDENTS: Calendar
for the 2009/2010 School Year
Make your
plans now! Includes all important dates
through June, 2010. September
7, 2009
Weekly Feature (Rick): Cancer:
A Personal Story
Paul outlines the many resources and services
available for students at our computer lab. September
7, 2009
Weekly Feature (Paul): Making
Our Computer Lab Work for You
Paul outlines the many resources and services
available for students at our computer lab. September
1, 2009
Weekly Feature (Patricia): Writing
Process Paragraphs
Patricia provides us
with three
sample process paragraphs. Includes questions
and answers on the various
parts of a successful paragraph. August
20, 2009
Weekly Feature (Louise): Cycling
in Metro Vancouver
Louise advocates for
cycling to
take advantage of Vancouver's wonderful summer weather. August
16, 2009
Weekly Feature (L): Summer
Activities in Vancouver
L suggests a number
of links to
help you have more fun this summer in Vancouver. August
9, 2009
Weekly Feature (Jennifer): A
Day
at the Beach; Summer Articles Practice
Jennifer goes over article use in English and
provides us with a cloze exercise for practice. August
2, 2009
Weekly Feature (Helen): Accounting
Courses at the PALC
Helen goes over two
key courses
for accounting students: Accounting 11 and 12. Includes links to
business programs in B.C. July
25, 2009
Weekly Feature (Dina): Summer
Safety 2009
Dina provides
us with a timely reminder to take care of ourselves this sunny and warm
summer. July
19, 2009
Weekly Feature (Cheryl): Canadian
Citizenship Test Information
Cheryl provides good links to help you prepare
for your citizenship test. Includes information on her course offerings
this school year.July 12, 2009
Weekly Feature (Tazim): The
Class of 2009: PALC Graduates
Tazim profiles
some of our graduates and their responses to questions about their
graduation. July 4, 2009
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Resources for
Adults Completing
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