LINC School Graduation 2010
Student Speeches

The following speech was prepared and presented by Katie Yu at the LINC School Graduation on Friday, June 18th, 2010.

Good morning, teachers and students.

I'm pleased that I can share my English learning experience with everyone in this pleasant time. Although it is a real challenge to speak before so large an audience, I am delighted I have this chance.

First, I'd like to tell you many years ago I had been planning to go abroad because I had a dream in my mind that I wanted to learn more about a foreign culture while I was young. Afterwards I had a chance to meet a gentle Canadian resident through my friend. After half a year, he became my husband and he applied for me to come to Canada. Before I arrived in Canada, I had never worried about my life in Canada. I thought everything was no different from China. So I had an ambitious plan that I would establish an import company in Canada after I arrived here.

Two and half years ago, when I finally arrived in Canada, the reality changed me thinking. I was worried and unhappy. I didn't understand English. I couldn't communicate with the native people. I had no friends in this strange country and the serious problem that I couldn't avoid was to have conflict with the Canadian customs. This kind of life was really bothering me, and I couldn't stand it. So I felt I missed my family and friends in China. Also, I regretted coming to Canada.

Anyways, I have face the reality. Therefore, I went to LINC School (in the city where we were living at the time) to learn English, but it didn't work. I didn't know whether I had no talent in language or the teacher had no teaching method for the students. Finally, I decided to give up on school and went back to China to visit my family. This decision just happened in eight months after I arrived in Canada.

After half a year, I cam back to Canada and moved to Thunder Bay. Last fall, I came to Thunder Bay LINC School. In that time I just wanted to go to school to pass the time. Luckily, Thunder Bay LINC School has many good teachers. Just in three months, I had finished LINC Level 2. After winter break, I went to LINC Level 3 class.

Today I want to appreciate my teacher Maggie. She is a patient and experienced teacher. Under her guidance I have quickly improved my English skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing. She always prepares interesting and useful lessons for us. She taught us many methods to learn English and taught us much knowledge about Canadian culture, customs and geography. Also, she often asked the class what we liked to learn, then she prepared plenty of related material for us. Those usefull lessons brought up our interest to learn English and caused me to a peak emotional state in English learning. Now I have passed LINC Level 3, and I have confidence to communicate with people in English. I am not scared to answer the phone to speak English. Especially, my writing skills have been greatly improved. Generally, people can understand what I write. This was impossible several months ago.

Thanks, Maggie, you're a great teacher. You helped my English abilities a lot. Here, I would also like to thank teacher, Lana. You gave me all the basic skills in English.

I wish everybody have a pleasant summer holiday.

Katie Yu

The following speech was prepared and presented by Balika Upadhvava at the LINC School Graduation on Friday, June 18th, 2010.

Dear Teachers and Friends:

I am a student of the TBMA LINC School. My name is Balika, and I am from Nepal. I came last October, to study English. Today is the day we are going to finish our school year. As we know, holidays are coming soon.

I think I am speaking better English now than when I came to this school. Here, I met international friends - some are from China, Burma, India, and many other places. I met friendly teachers, too. I like the LINC School because it helps people who are newcomers to find their path. It gives us information to solve our problems and helps us with job opportunities.

I want to tell all my friends that language is very important. We need to learn English so we can learn about Canada and its history, because we are here to become Canadians.

Thank you very much for everything.

Have a great time in your summer holiday.

Balika Upadhvava

The following speech was prepared and presented by Naw Doris at the LINC School Graduation on Friday, June 18th, 2010.

Good morning everyone.

My name is Doris. I am from Thailand. I came to Canada on February 17 of this year. All my family came too. My parents, sisters, brothers, aunt, uncles, cousins, and my grandmother and grandfather.

I lake Thunder Bay. I like to learn English at LINC School. I am going into Level 2.

And I thank all of the teachers. They taught us a tried to help us understand English.

I am from a differedt country but my teacher helps me and teaches me slowly and again and again. So I say thank you very much to all of the teachers.

I hope you have a nice summer. See you next year.

Naw Doris