Why do I need to take English Language classes if my speaking sounds good?

Speaking skills do not necessarily reflect academic reading and writing skill levels.

Why am I registered in an English Language class in high school if I wasn’t in Junior High?

Junior High schools do not have the same English language support opportunities. In Junior High, students are in ‘regular’ classes once they are past beginner language skills. High school offers English classes for students from level one (beginner) to level five (advanced). High school courses are more academically demanding than those in Junior High, so support is offered much longer to help students be more successful.

Will taking English Language classes hold me back and keep me from graduating?

There are more risks for students by avoiding language support than there are benefits: 

• students can experience frustration in classes where language demands are too high 
• students will likely achieve lower marks , feel discouragement, have increased risk of failure 
• we have seen an increased risk of dropping-out and not completing high school

What are the benefits of taking English Language classes?

ELL courses help you develop the academic reading and writing skills needed to be successful in high school and university courses. We believe we are here to help you progress as far as you can in your studies. Going faster is not going to have the best result.

Why should I take English courses now if I was a strong academic student in my previous school?

The key to academic success is ELL programming. Our classes provide explicit training in skills needed for academic success. For example, students develop independent language learning strategies to help them with writing, reading and vocabulary development. It takes at least 5-7 years to catch up to native English speaking peers.