Thursday, June 23, 2011

Learning ESL in Toronto

By Mohan Somjee


English as a second language is offered in Toronto to both international students, ones on a student-visa in Canada and students with immigrant status in Canada. This course can be for absolute beginners or those advanced students to improve command of the English language. In addition to this, this course also helps students to learn to understand our Canadian way of live and to integrate into the Western culture. The number of students enrolling for this course is increasing every year. More schools and many different institutions offer it now. This course comes on different levels of academic standards, depending where it is taught, and there is no established standard for the course. Prospective students can information online, right from their home country. They can search and sign up with a prospective school of their choice online, and the school will offer a complete package, including assistance with visa, accommodation and welcome upon arrival.

Apart from the young students who are school-going age, there are many other adult students who are interested in the language. There are some schools that offer the ESL course as part of the curriculum, if they have a large number of students coming from recent immigrant families. Keep in mind that ESL courses can be on basic, intermediate or advanced level. Like In other schools, the course is offered like a co-curriculum subject and can be charged extra, as a result. There is no question that benefits knowing English is beneficial for children who immigrate with their parents to Canada and those who will be returning to their home country. Career advancements are better for those with excellent English language skills. It is true in English-speaking country and any other ones. Living in Toronto also provides international students with an opportunity to learn the culture and Canadian way of live. The international students in Toronto have the option of signing up to a private boarding school.

Immigrant parents in Toronto should always inquire in the school that their students are learning if the ESL course is in the curriculum or not. This is because some schools with a large proportion of immigrant children offer it as part of the regular curriculum. Schools that teach English as a second language separately might also charge extra for it. In addition to this, students that enroll for the course will generally have more hours of study that the regular ones. In case, it is adults taking the course at night, there are two main ways in which they can study for it. One way is to attend an evening class in an institution. The other way is to do the course online. Students who grasp ideas and concepts faster can manage the online learning option. For those who are slower and have more time, in-class learning will be preferable.

The Toronto ESL available is usually closer to American English than British English. However, the difference between the two languages is not very significant. This is because speakers of the two dialects can understand both the languages well. The difference is only small and it is in the spelling of a few distinct words, spelling idioms and few phrases. Students who are taught English as a second language in Toronto will be provided with a distinction between two, but taught mostly our Canadian English version of the language.

The main language skills that are taught in these classes include the essentials of the English language. This normally includes vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. Before you enroll yourself or your child to a school that offers English as a second language, ensure that the school has a qualified teacher to teach program. The main requirement is usually for the teacher to have the diploma or certificate of the TESOL and that are, in addition to their university degree. Many native speaking Canadians realize later in their business careers that their command of English language is not on par, with the demand of their business life. They feel compelled to improve their business language skills and they enroll in special English courses that are taught by the same schools and institutes that teach the foreigner students. It is never late to learn good English. Writer of this article has arrived to Toronto as a student with no language knowledge at all, just few years ago and pursued University studies in Toronto after my initial ESL experience.




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