The Best Things in Life Are Free

Hello and welcome to the third article in the series ‘Postcards from Toronto '. These articles are written to help you learn about life in Toronto and teach you some useful expressions for spoken and written English.

Like in most big cities, there are many free things to do and places to go in Toronto , if you know where to go and when to go there. Most Japanese visitors to Toronto are in Canada , at least partially, to study English, so this article will describe things to do and places to go in Toronto where you can improve your English for free.

In terms of improving reading skills in particular, Toronto has several free newspapers and magazines. For example, each weekday you can pick up two free daily newspapers from boxes on the street: 24 Hours and Metro. The former focuses mainly on entertainment; the latter is more like a real newspaper and, in my opinion, is especially suitable for free self-study. Some people believe Metro is too, particularly for students who are planning to go to university in North America . However, I feel that if someone can understand 80% or more of Metro, that person will be able to communicate very well in English.

Other helpful free publications are eye and "NOW magazines", both of which are available free outside most Toronto subway stations. These magazines focus on going out in Toronto , so they are a great way to find out about things to do and places to go where you can have a good time with your friends. Of course you can also read restaurant and movie reviews, find out which CDs and DVDs are the latest releases, and get information about upcoming concerts in the Toronto area. Many of writers for these magazines use a lot of slang and informal expressions, so reading these magazines will help you learn useful expressions for spoken English.

Free newspapers and magazines are useful for improving reading skills, but there are also free things you can do to improve your listening and speaking. One of my favourite places to go is the "National Film Board Mediatheque" one block south of Queen Street West at the corner of John and Richmond Streets in the heart of Toronto 's entertainment and media district. At the Mediatheque you can watch various short Canadian movies and animations absolutely free. These movies will not only help you improve your English, but also teach you about Canadian culture and history .

Last but not least, is the "Toronto Public Library". The library system in Toronto is very good and easy to use. You can use the Internet to search for and reserve movies, CDs or audio books. These materials will be sent to your local library branch where you can pick them up and borrow them absolutely free. In addition, many libraries have free weekly or monthly lectures or discussion groups that you can join. You will be able to meet some native speakers and improve your listening and speaking skills if you join such programs. Many visitors do not take full advantage of all the free ways to improve their English skills, so my advice is pick up a free paper or go to a free event and start learning real English for free.

Vocabulary Challenge
Answer these questions to find useful expressions for spoken English.

1 Which phrase in paragraph two means the same as ‘in part'?
2 Which pair of phrases in paragraph three mean ‘the first one' and ‘the second one'?
3 In the fourth paragraph, which word means an article that gives an opinion about a book, movie etc?
4 Which phrase, also in paragraph four, describes books, CDs etc that have just been made available to buy?
5 Still in paragraph four, which adjective means ‘happening soon'?
6 In the fifth paragraph, which phrase means the same as ‘in the centre of' a place or area?
7 In both the fifth and last paragraphs, which phrase describes something for which you do not have to pay?
8 In the last paragraph, which phrase introduces the last thing in a list and emphasizes that it is important?

answers

Bonus Challenge
In paragraph three can you find three other words or phrases that mean the same as ‘in particular' in the first sentence? Now check your dictionary or thesaurus to find some other examples. This kind of expression is very common in both written and spoken English.