English Social Conversation
2024-05-08 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Toronto)
This Month’s appetizer topic:

Share a good memory of your food experience. It could be a dinner at home, a gathering at a picnic, a meal in a restaurant, or a cooking experiment… Any foodies story is welcome!

Register here.

Have you ever wondered what to talk about in a social conversation? Or, as an immigrant, do you sometimes feel it is difficult to join your local co-workers’ conversation because you don’t know the people or things they are talking about, or you have some everyday questions that you would like to know how local people would think or deal with? Or do you just want to find a safe, relaxing and friendly environment to talk to some native English speakers and enjoy a pleasant conversation?

Judith Lawrence and her native English-speaking volunteer team are kindly facilitating Social Conversations to address those questions for you at the East and West Learning Connections. They come from all walks of life. We are delighted to have a group of open-minded, friendly, and fun people as our facilitators! You are welcome to bring questions of interest to the breakout rooms. We try to keep a ratio of facilitators to participants at a maximum of around 1 to 4 in every session. Learn more…

Lunch Coaching Hour for Business Communication 2024 Session #3
2024-05-23 12:00 - 13:00
Session #3: Let’s Talk about Performance Reviews Register here

Are you often stressed about performance reviews, unsure of how to highlight your accomplishments and request opportunities for career advancement? How do you typically handle negative feedback? If you’re a people manager, would you like to learn tips on leveraging performance reviews to boost team morale while effectively providing constructive feedback? Join Lunch Coaching Hour #3: Let’s Talk About Performance Reviews where renowned communications coach Ric Phillips will share his advice on how to talk about self assessment, career goals, and how to provide feedback to team members, and answer your questions on workplace culture and communication skills.

Due to popular demand, we are delighted to announce the return of the renowned communication trainer, Ric Phillips, for workplace culture and business communication coaching!

In this year’s series, coach Ric will explains cultural and psychological rationale behind Western business practices, essential for gaining trust and credibility to thrive in Canadian business culture. He is also particularly effective when breaking down real-life challenges. In this year’s seven sessions, he will cover a range of topics in everyday business scenarios, from small talks, to making great impression with management, and from public speaking to presentation skills. For those of you who are also looking to advance your careers, he will also share expert advice on how to build a team and improve leadership skills. Learn more.

Frank对话方柏林: 人工智能时代教育的意义/EAWLC Frank Wang’s Dialogue with Berlin Fang: The Meaning of Education in the Age of AI
2024-05-25 19:30 - 21:00
Frank对话方柏林: 人工智能时代教育的意义

2021年作客东西联学社、畅谈过剩时期的有效学习的两位博士爸爸，今次将结合他们孩子的成长轨迹，以及最近两年的研究与思考进展，再次联袂探讨教育问题，比如公立高等教育和私立高等教育的本质区别在哪里？私立大学的吸引力又在何方，值得家庭做什么样的牺牲？学校教育如何帮助个人教育？在通才和专才的选择中，技能和思维的平衡，在人工智能时代需要如何转变？

免费公益讲座，请点击链接注册报名。

更多活动信息和嘉宾简介。

EAWLC Dialogue with Dan Xia: Making the Best out of Travelling the World
2024-05-30 19:30 - 21:00
Join us as this amazing Chinese American young man shares his experience, insights, and adventures from around the world, offering a glimpse into his remarkable journey of exploration, service, and learning.

A backpacker to more than 140 countries

Co-founder of a medical clinic in Kenya

The International Director of the Sagrema Foundation,

A medical student at the University of Rochester

Register here or learn more.

English Social Conversation
2024-06-12 20:00 - 21:00
Register here.

This month’s appetizer topic:

What qualities do you admire most in others? Please share a story to illustrate.

Have you ever wondered what to talk about in a social conversation? Or, as an immigrant, do you sometimes feel it is difficult to join your local co-workers’ conversation because you don’t know the people or things they are talking about, or you have some everyday questions that you would like to know how local people would think or deal with? Or do you just want to find a safe, relaxing and friendly environment to talk to some native English speakers and enjoy a pleasant conversation?

Judith Lawrence and her native English-speaking volunteer team are kindly facilitating Social Conversations to address those questions for you at the East and West Learning Connections. They come from all walks of life. We are delighted to have a group of open-minded, friendly, and fun people as our facilitators! You are welcome to bring questions of interest to the breakout rooms. We try to keep a ratio of facilitators to participants at a maximum of around 1 to 4 in every session. Learn more…

EAWLC Book Talks with Evelyn Chau on How To Speak To Anyone
2024-06-13 19:30 - 21:00
This month, we are delighted to have Toronto-based author Evelyn Chau to talk about her second works, a communication techniques book How To Speak To Anyone: Communication Tactics for the Quietly Ambitious Who Want to be Seen, Heard and Valued.

Register here or read more about the author and the event.

Lunch Coaching Hour for Business Communication 2024 Session #4
2024-06-27 12:00 - 13:00
Session #4: Register here

Working in western business culture involves much more than just taking orders. “Negotiation” is a useful skill in many situations. For example, you might be asked which project you would like to work on, or be offered a salary increase or new role that wasn’t quite what you expected; you may also need to reach agreement with your peers about project deadlines and how to move a project forward with a blocking issue. Come and hear Ric’s insight on “Negotiation at Work.”

Due to popular demand, we are delighted to announce the return of the renowned communication trainer, Ric Phillips, for workplace culture and business communication coaching!

In this year’s series, coach Ric will explains cultural and psychological rationale behind Western business practices, essential for gaining trust and credibility to thrive in Canadian business culture. He is also particularly effective when breaking down real-life challenges. In this year’s seven sessions, he will cover a range of topics in everyday business scenarios, from small talks, to making great impression with management, and from public speaking to presentation skills. For those of you who are also looking to advance your careers, he will also share expert advice on how to build a team and improve leadership skills. Learn more.

East & West Dialogue with KEITH GAREBIAN and JIRAIR TUTUNJIAN: The Odysseys of Recovering
2024-06-29 19:30 - 21:00
This month, we are very much honoured to be joined by two prominent Armenian Canadian authors: a literary critic/poet and a magazine editor. They shall address the topics of immigrant odysseys, and how sometimes exile and self-exile can lead to a recovery of roots of identity and more!

Time: Saturday June 29, 2024 at 7:30 – 9 P.M. (Eastern Time)

Please RSVP to info@eawlc.org if you wish to participate in person or register the online Zoom session.

Reading more about the event and guest speaker profile here.

EAWLC Entrepreneur Mentoring Program with Martin Copeland
2024-09-11 19:30 - 20:30
Want to become an Entrepreneur? Already an Entrepreneur and have questions?

The East and West Learning Connections proudly kicks off a quarterly entrepreneur mentoring program hosted by Dr. Frank Wang, inviting business mentor Martin Copeland to sit in, and answer audience’s questions on everything about entrepreneurship. A successful business owner with over 40 ears’ experience in practice in both Canada and the U.S., and a business mentor since retirement, Martin would be happy to share practical advice as well as cultural context, and mindset insight of the business world to help guide early stage entrepreneurs. Visit here to watch An inspirational dialogue we had with Martin before, register by click on the registration link.

English Social Conversation
2024-09-12 19:30 - 20:30, 2024-10-10 19:30 - 20:30
Judith Lawrence and her native English-speaking volunteer team are kindly facilitating Social Conversations to address those questions for you at the East and West Learning Connections. They come from all walks of life. We are so delighted to have a group of open-minded, friendly, and fun people as our facilitators! You are welcome to bring questions of interest to the breakout rooms. We try to keep a ratio of facilitators to participants at a maximum of around 1 to 4 in every session.

Register here.

Lunch Coaching Hour for Business Communication 2024 Session #5
2024-09-26 12:00 - 13:00
Session #5: Register here

How to best facilitate meetings? Come to our lunch coaching hour with all questions related to this topic, such as:

How to summarize or paraphrase ideas, and guide conversations

How to build consensus in difficult situations

How to cut in when someone go off track

Due to popular demand, we are delighted to announce the return of the renowned communication trainer, Ric Phillips, for workplace culture and business communication coaching!

In this year’s series, coach Ric will explains cultural and psychological rationale behind Western business practices, essential for gaining trust and credibility to thrive in Canadian business culture. He is also particularly effective when breaking down real-life challenges. In this year’s seven sessions, he will cover a range of topics in everyday business scenarios, from small talks, to making great impression with management, and from public speaking to presentation skills. For those of you who are also looking to advance your careers, he will also share expert advice on how to build a team and improve leadership skills. Learn more.

East & West Dialogue with Ron Kilius and Robin Mednick: Giving Gifts to the World
2024-09-28 19:30 - 21:00
This month, we are very much honoured to be joined by two humble, but highly achieving Canadians who have big hearts for the world. Come to see how they have developed their overseas charitable work from Canada over many years, in a secular and apolitical way, and discuss how such acts of kindness, whether big or small, can easily be achieved!

Time: Saturday September 28, 2024 at 7:30-9 P.M. (Eastern Time)

Free English Hybrid Event, transcript of translations of other languages available on Zoom.

Please RSVP to info@eawlc.org if you wish to participate in person, or register the online Zoom session.

Lunch Coaching Hour for Business Communication 2024 Session #6
2024-10-24 12:00 - 13:00
Session #6: Register here

Ho to be an Effective Communicator for Presentations

Do you still dread presenting and speaking publicly even after doing it for years? You could definitely get some useful tips from the world’s top #10 communications Coach Ric Phillips, who is also a Ted Talk speaker. And he will be answering any questions you have regarding communicating with others!

Learn more about the series.

East & West Dialogue – How We Got Here: Two Writers in Conversation
2024-10-27 19:00 - 20:30
This month, we are very much delighted to welcome two renowned Canadian poets and writers, Alice Major and DC Reid, who both have broad interest in literature, science, and social issues. They’ll talk about how they came to make their living as writers, and share how their interest in science informs their work. They’ll also talk about having some of their poetry translated into Chinese, and together with their translator, Mississauga’s first poet laureate Anna Yin, read a little of their work.

Click here to register .
Click here to learn more about the event and the two guest speakers.

Lunch Coaching Hour for Business Communication 2024 Session #7
2024-11-28 12:00 - 13:00
Session #7: Register here

Join us for a year-end review session to catch up on what you missed and to share what you learned! To test what you’ve learned, Take a short quiz and then explore all the materials using the URL at the end of the quiz.

You are also welcome to prepare a mini talk or provide impromptu comments/feedback during the session. If you have questions about any communication topics we haven’t yet discussed, this is the perfect chance to ask our World’s top #10 communication skills coach Ric Phillips’s for his insight!

Here are all the topics we covered this year:

Session 1 – Best Strategies for NewcomersSession 2 – Small Talk and Everyday EnglishSession 3 – Let’s Talk about Performance ReviewsSession 4 – Negotiation at WorkSession 5 – How to Best Facilitate MeetingsSession 6 – How to be an Effective Communicator for Presentations

Feel free to ask any questions about communication!

EAWLC Tour of Toronto Zoo Guided by Dr. Andrew Lentini
2024-12-01 10:00 - 12:00
Join us in this fascinating tour of Toronto Zoo guided by a prominent scientist who has devoted to animal study and wild life protection for decades! Moreover, the Zoo has kindly offered a complimentary animal encounter for us. We may also meet with the Zoo’s CEO.

Register for the limited spots or learn more.

EAWLC Entrepreneur Mentoring Program with Martin Copeland
2025-03-12 19:30 - 20:30
Click here to learn more.

Register to receive the Zoom invite.

Social Conversations at East and West Learning Connections 2025
2025-03-13 19:30 - 20:30
Click here to learn more, and Register to receive our Zoom invites.

Book Talks with Echo Liu: No Detours in the Black Hole
2025-03-19 08:30 - 21:00
Click here to learn more.

Zoom registration link:https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/K6VYZDR_TI6nVCGPvh5LzA

Lunch Coaching Hours on Business Communication - Session #1
2025-03-27 12:00 - 13:00
How to establish and expand professional network.

Lunch Coaching Hour on Business Communication Session #2
2025-04-24 12:00 - 13:00
EAWLC Lunch Coaching Hour 2025 – Session 2: What is Personal Branding and How to Build One?

East&West Dialogue with Charlotte Dean and Andrew Seok on Theatrical Creation: Solitude and Collaboration
2025-04-26 19:30 - 21:00
This month, please come to meet with a renowned set and costume designer, and one of the best up and coming musical producers and song writers in Canada, and go through what it takes to get a production to opening night, and explore together the purpose in creating art, the process, and the future of the arts!

Time: Saturday April 26, 2025 at 7:30-9 P.M. (Eastern Time)

Venue: 1585 Yonge Street, Yorkminster Park Baptist Church (Use the Toronto School for Strings and Piano entrance)

Free parking, close to St. Clair Subway Station.

Please RSVP to info@eawlc.org if you wish to participate in person.

Or register the online Zoom session at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/riIGu3XmSoq2VGUWjyF0kA

EAWLC Entrepreneur Mentoring Program with Martin Copeland 2025
2025-05-14 19:30 - 21:00
Want to become an Entrepreneur? Already an Entrepreneur and have questions?

Learn more about the series and click here to register.

Come to this 12-session online entrepreneurship lectures offered by Martin Copeland through The East and West Learning Connections for free!

A successful business owner with over 40 years’ experience in practice in both Canada and the U.S., and a business mentor since retirement, Martin would also be happy to answer audience’s questions on everything about entrepreneurship, to share practical advice as well as cultural context, and mindset insight of the business world to help guide early stage entrepreneurs.

This course is developed by Martin specifically for our audience; each lecture will be broken into several sections, and certain sections will relate more specifically to the immigrant community. The total 12 lectures will span over 2025-27 in the quarterly EAWLC Entrepreneurship Mentoring Program.

EAWLC Dialogue with Peter Hessler: Managing Cultural Difference and Political Conflict
2025-05-21 19:30 - 21:00
Peter Hessler (何伟), an award-winning writer and journalist for The New Yorker, will discuss his cross-cultural living experience and reflect on our fast-changing world. He will be interviewed by co-hosts Dr. Fei Song and Ed Shiller and answer questions from the audience.

Peter, a prolific author, has earned widespread admiration for his vivid depictions of the spirit and complexities of contemporary societies by examining the lives of ordinary people, and for his courage in stating inconvenient truths in the face of criticism from both sides in a political conflict.

Learn more or click here to register.

Lunch Coaching Hour on Business Communication #3: Managing Difficult Conversations
2025-05-22 12:00 - 13:00
EAWLC Lunch Coaching Hour on Business Communication

Session #3 Managing Difficult Conversations. Learn more or click here to register.

Lunch Coaching Hour on Business Communication Session #4 Understanding Office Politics
2025-06-26 12:00 - 13:00
EAWLC Lunch Coaching Hour on Business Communication

Session #4: Understand Office Politics

Learn more on the event page and register here.

Is it ok to speak over my boss’s head and talk to their boss? If someone takes credit for your work without acknowledging your contribution, how should you respond? Please join us for the June session if these these questions bothering you at work.

Lunch Coaching Hour on Business Communication Session 5
2025-09-25 12:00 - 13:00
EAWLC Lunch Coaching Hour on Business Communication

Session #5: Preparing to Be a Leader

Learn more on the event page and register here.

What does it take to become a leader? Is being a star performer good enough? Should I apply for a manager’s position if I don’t feel I am ready? If you started wondering about when and how to become a leader, this is the session you should join and ask coach Ric your questions.

EAWLC Lunch Coaching Hour on Business Communication Session #6
2025-10-23 12:00 - 13:00
EAWLC Lunch Coaching Hour on Business Communication

Session #6: Dos and don’ts for a New Manager

Learn more on the event page and register here.

EAWLC Lunch Coaching Hour on Business Communication Session #7
2025-11-27 12:00 - 13:00
EAWLC Lunch Coaching Hour on Business Communication

Session #7 Year End Review
