ESL Program
Columbia International College offers a comprehensive English as a Second Language (ESL) program for Canadian and international students with various ESL proficiency levels. The ESL program offers 5 levels of instruction ranging from Beginners (ESLAO) to Advanced (ESLEO).

Through the ESL lessons, students will:

• Learn to communicate clearly and effectively.
• Develop good ESL reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.
• Improve and expand on their vocabulary, comprehension, conversation and pronunciation skills.
• Have opportunities to practise and perfect their English both inside and outside the classroom.
• Be well-prepared for the Academic English Program, which will prepare them for university studies.

Maximizing Students' English Skills

• Up to 25 hours of ESL class per week (5 hours a day, Monday to Friday), allowing students to improve their English.
• Certified ESL teachers use comprehensive teaching practices and methods to maximize students' English skills.
• Small interactive ESL classes of 15 to 20 students allow students to receive individual attention and assistance from teachers.
• Teachers employ the use of ESL learning aids including language and computer laboratories, print media, videos, seminars and guest speakers; providing students various avenues to practise and improve their English skills.
• Speak Easy Program
  • The Speak Easy workshops allow students to improve their English pronunciation and practise conversational skills.
  • It is offered on Saturday mornings to students who are not required to attend the TOEFL Training Course.
• TOEFL Training Course
  • This training course helps students to learn test-writing techniques and take TOEFL practice tests to achieve better TOEFL results.
  • It is offered only on Saturday mornings.

Official Test Centre for TOEFL, MELAB, CAEL

• Columbia International College is an official ETS authorized TOEFL iBT test centre.
• We are also an official test center for MELAB and CAEL.
• Students can write these external tests in a convenient, familiar & comfortable setting, thereby reducing exam pressure.
• Students save travel time and money by writing these external tests at Columbia International College.

English Class Placement

• During orientation, students are given a diagnostic test to determine their English proficiency.
• Based on the test results, students are placed in an appropriate class to allow them to improve their English proficiency.
• Students' learning progression is also reviewed after the first two weeks of classes and students who are excelling may be re-tested for further placement.

Convenient Enrolment

• We offer 6 start dates (January, March, June, July, August and October) for students' convenience.
• Students may choose to study from one semester to one year.
• For the convenience of students, our ESL courses are offered on a 9-week or 18-week basis

  ESL

  Session 1

  Session 2

  Session 3

  Session 4

  Session 5

  Aug

  Sept

  Oct

  Nov

  Dec

  Jan

  Feb

  Mar

  Apr

  May

  June

  July

  High School & University Prep

  Fall Semester (3 or 4 courses)

  Winter Semester (3 or 4 courses)

  Summer Semester (2 courses)

Combining ESL Classes with Academic Studies

• Students, who have intermediate English skills or have approval from our guidance counsellor, can combine their ESL classes with accredited high school courses of their choice.
• By combining ESL and Academic studies, students can maximize their learning and increase their English proficiency.

Advantages of Combining ESL & Accredited High School Courses

• ESL students have opportunities to learn high school subjects in English and earn credits for successfully completed courses.
• ESL students may validate ESL and academic courses studied at Columbia International College and return home to continue their education.
• ESL students learn English in a Canadian classroom environment.
• Students can improve their TOEFL scores by being in an environment where they constantly practice English.
• Students learn interesting courses relevant to the Canadian and world marketplace by enrolling in academic business and economic courses.

Credit ESL Courses
ESL students will receive a credit which counts toward the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) upon successful completion of any of the following courses:

ESLAO – ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE LEVEL 1
This ESL course builds on students' previous education and language knowledge to introduce them to the English language and help them adjust to the diversity in their new environment. Students will use beginning ESL skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing for everyday essential academic purposes. They will engage in short conversations using basic English language structures and simple sentence patterns; read short adapted texts; and write phrases and short sentences. The course also provides students with the knowledge and skills they need to begin to adapt to their new lives in Canada.
Prerequisite: None

ESLBO – ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE LEVEL 2
This course expands ESL students' listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills for everyday and academic purposes. Students will participate in conversations, in structured situations, on a variety of familiar and new topics; read a variety of texts designed or adapted for ESL learners; expand their knowledge of English grammatical structures and sentence patterns; and link English sentences to compose paragraphs. The course also supports students' continuing adaptation to the Ontario school system by expanding their knowledge of diversity in their new province and country.
Prerequisite: ESLAO or equivalent

ESLCO – ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE LEVEL 3
This ESL course further extends students' skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English for a variety of everyday and academic purposes. Students will make short classroom oral presentations; read a variety of forms of texts in English' and write using a variety of forms of text. As well, students will expand their academic vocabulary and their study skills to facilitate the transition to the mainstream school program. This course introduces students to the rights and responsibilities inherent in Canadian citizenship, and to a variety of current issues in Canada.
Prerequisite: ESLBO or equivalent

ESLDO – ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE LEVEL 4
This ESL course prepares students to use English with an increasing fluency and accuracy in classroom and social situations and to participate in Canadian society as informed citizens. Students will develop the oral presentation, reading, writing skills required for success in all school subjects. They will extend listening and speaking skills through participation in discussions and seminars; study and interpret a variety of grade-level tests; write narratives, articles, and summaries in English; and respond critically to various print and media texts.
Prerequisite: ESLCO or equivalent

ESLEO – ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE LEVEL 5
This ESL course provides students with skills and strategies they need to make the transition to college and university prep courses in English and other secondary school disciplines. Students will be encouraged to develop independence in a range of academic tasks. They will participate in debates and lead classroom workshops; read and interpret literary works and academic texts; write essays, narratives, and reports; and apply a range of learning strategies and research skills effectively. Students will further develop their ability to respond critically to print and media texts.
Prerequisite: ESLDO or equivalent

Non-Credit ESL Courses
These ESL courses are designed to:

• Help students prepare for their TOEFL Tests
• Provide an opportunity for students who have strong English proficiency to fast track their ESL Program

XFELA
This ESL course is designed for ESLAO students. Upon completion of ESLAO and XFELA, students will have an opportunity to be promoted to ESLCO based on the results of ESL diagnostic test. The course will focus on further development of listening, reading, writing, and oral-communication for daily and academic purposes. Assistance with homework will be provided.

XFELB
This ESL course is designed for ESLBO students. Upon completion of ESLBO and XFELB, student will have an opportunity to be promoted to EOA4Z based on the results of ESL diagnostic test or upon achieving the mark of 85% in ESLBO. The course will focus on building vocabulary and learning a variety of reading strategies to extract meaning from written and graphic texts for the variety of purposes. Students in the class will also learn to organize ideas coherently in writing for various purposes and audiences. The class will be run in a strictly English only classroom. Assistance with homework will be provided.

XFELC
This ESL course is designed for all students. Upon completion of this course, student will have an opportunity to write the Academic English Diagnostic test and may be promoted to ENG2D based on the results of the diagnostic test or upon achieving a mark of 75% in both their ESLCO/DO or ELDCO/DO courses. The course will focus on increasing knowledge in academic vocabulary, practice for oral presentations, reading and making inferences of adapted and original texts, and academic writings. Assistance with homework will be provided.

EOA4Z
This ESL course is intended primarily for students who have completed the requirements for a secondary school diploma and wish to enter an academic English stream. This is a non-credit intensive English course that is designed to develop a proficiency in the areas of literature study and independent reading, writing as a process and research skills, and language as linked to effective oral and written skills. Language skills emphasized will also aid in future preparation for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

iBT5Z TOEFL
This non-credit intensive English course is designed to help students prepare for iBT TOEFL test. Students will develop their proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. They will master ten key academic language skills: skimming and scanning, identifying main ideas and details, making inferences, identifying and using rhetorical structure, context clues, paraphrasing, summarizing using detailed examples, comparing and contrasting and identifying and using cohesive devices.

iBT6Z TOEFL
This non-credit, advanced, intensive English course is designed to help students prepare for iBT TOEFL test. Students will master their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. They will master test taking strategies, such as skimming and scanning, identifying main ideas and details, understanding references, making inferences and using rhetorical structure, comparing and contrasting and using cohesive devices. Students will take a number of practice iBT TOEFL tests.