General English Programs
* If you plan to take classes in 2011, please view our
new programs for 2011.
General English Classes are our most popular program with over 2000 students enrolling each year. You will study English at our downtown locations. We provide small class sizes (max. 12 students) to ensure that each student gets the attention they need to succeed. We offer three scheduling options:
Intensive English Program
The Intensive English program (C110) is for those students who want to accelerate their learning. Students will enrol in three core classes plus one elective class. All Classes are 75 minutes long and run from Monday to Friday.
Schedule
| Period | Start Time | Finish Time | Course Description |
| A | 9:00 | 10:15 | Grammar and Writing |
| B | 10:30 | 11:45 | Listening and Speaking |
| C | 12:30 | 13:45 | Reading and Vocabulary |
| D | 14:00 | 15:15 | Elective |
Electives (choose one)
| General English for Adults | Conversation and Pronunciation |
| TOEFL Preparation | TOEIC Preparation |
| IELTS Preparation | Business English |
Fees
| Location | Registration | Tuition |
|---|
| Calgary | $100 | $280/week |
| Toronto | $100 | $310/week |
Semi - Intensive English Program
The Semi-Intensive English program is designed for students who want to study for half the day and then have the rest of the day free. Students may choose to study in the mornings (C080 Program) or the afternoons (C080A Program). All classes run from Monday to Friday.
Students in the Morning Program will have 3 classes. Each class is 75 minutes long.
Students in the Afternoon Program will have 4 classes. The first class is an elective and is 75 minutes long. The other 3 classes are 50 minutes long.
Morning (C080) Schedule
| Period | Start Time | Finish Time | Course Description |
| A | 9:00 | 10:15 | Grammar and Writing |
| B | 10:30 | 11:45 | Listening and Speaking |
| C | 12:30 | 13:45 | Reading and Vocabulary |
Afternoon (C080A) Schedule
| Period | Start Time | Finish Time | Course Description |
| D | 14:00 | 15:15 | Elective |
| E | 15:30 | 16:20 | Grammar and Writing |
| F | 16:30 | 17:20 | Listening and Speaking |
| G | 17:30 | 18:20 | Reading and Vocabulary |
Electives (Only for Afternoon Program)
| General English for Adults | Conversation and Pronunciation |
| TOEFL Preparation | TOEIC Preparation |
| IELTS Preparation | Business English |
Fees
| Location | Registration | Tuition |
|---|
| Calgary | $100 | $220/week |
| Toronto | $100 | $250/week |
Evening & Weekend Classes
For students who need a more flexible schedule, we offer a number of part-time elective courses which students can take during the evening or on weekends. The following courses are available:
| General English for Adults | Conversation and Pronunciation |
| TOEFL Preparation | TOEIC Preparation |
| IELTS Preparation | Business English |
Schedule
| Schedule | Days and Times | Duration |
|---|
| Evening | Mon, Wed and Thurs, 6:30pm - 8:30pm | 4 weeks |
| Weekend | Sat, 9:30am - 1pm | 8 weeks |
Start Dates (2010)
| Session |
Evenings |
Weekends |
| 1 |
Apr 19 |
Apr 24 |
| 2 |
May 17 |
Jun 20 |
| 3 |
Jun 14 |
Aug 15 |
| 4 |
Jul 12 |
Oct 9 |
5 |
Aug 9 |
- |
| 6 |
Sep 6 |
- |
| 7 |
Oct 4 |
- |
| 8 |
Nov 1 |
- |
Fees
| Schedule | Registration | Tuition |
|---|
| Evening | $100 | $180 |
| Weekend | $100 | $180 |
Our Curriculum
What sets our curriculum apart from others in its class? It’s ALIVE! Whereas many, if not most, ESL school curricula is textbook based, ours is theme based, broad enough to cover a much greater range of topics while offering teachers the opportunity to tailor language skills to students’ individual needs. Our curriculum is comprised of 29 different themes that are repeated roughly twice per calendar year. The themes coincide with events going on in our respective cities (Calgary Stampede, Toronto Winterlicious) and activities/sites that can be attended all year round (CN/Calgary Tower). Within each theme, teachers are free to explore a variety of sub-themes.
Grammar points are clearly outlined each week with some weeks being allotted to reviewing language that students struggled with. The reading and writing, listening and speaking language skills are segregated into 75 minute blocks. Within each block teachers address the sub-skills that a particular group of students needs to work on. This allows students to strengthen skill areas where they need improvement, not to work on something simply because it’s stipulated in 'the book'.
Finally, the way our curriculum is designed allows teachers to incorporate a wider range of authentic material into the classroom. As a result, students acquire real language that they can use outside the classroom. Both curricular and extra-curricular activities are planned around the weekly themes.
*All courses and prices are subject to change without notice. All prices for Canadian destinations are in Canadian Dollars. All prices for American destinations are in U.S. Dollars.
