English and Canada – inseparable concepts
Overseas language programs are a common practice at the Lomonosov School. The students have already experienced the "classic" English for foreigners in Edinburgh and London, and had fun and studied in Malta. In the summer of 2006, the school administration decided to explore a new continent – to send its students to Canada. Since then, groups of students have been going there annually.
Choosing the city
Canada has two official languages – English and French. The majority of French-speaking Canadians live in the provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick. Yelena Korovkina had to find a school in the English-speaking part of the country – for example, in Toronto. This is the largest metropolis in the province of Ontario. Here, representatives of completely different cultures and religions coexist peacefully. Individual districts are even called: Chinatown, Italian, Portuguese and Korean villages, Russian and Ukrainian quarters.
Within ethnic groups, national languages are often used. For instance, in Chinatown, all signs are written in Chinese. In one day, you can interact with Italians, Chinese, Brazilians, former Brits, or descendants of Australian emigrants. And these are not tourists but native residents of Canada. Many foreigners strive to settle in this prosperous and safe country. And each of them "brings" their own version of English. Therefore, even a short trip promises a lot of new impressions.
Looking for a school
The lively "crew" of the Lomonosov School consisted of fifth-graders, seventh- and ninth-graders, as well as the most "advanced" English experts from the tenth grade. In Canada, most schools accept international students from the age of 14. It is more difficult to find a school that also has groups for ten-year-old children. At the same time, some of our children wanted to stay with families, others on campus.
In the end, we chose one of the branches of International Language School. The building was located right in the city center, and the residence was a seven-minute walk from the school. The host families also lived nearby: the school could be reached in 20 minutes by subway.
Communicating freely
The main goal of communicative programs is to overcome the language barrier. Even in a short period of time, unprecedented results can be achieved. For example, one of the female students in Moscow lessons preferred to remain silent. But after the first lessons in Canada, she was as if replaced: she started chattering non-stop in English, without being shy and without paying attention to mistakes. Making a "leap" is not that difficult. The program is entirely built on live dialogues, discussions of interesting topics, and game situations. All the English vocabulary and grammar, studied for years in Moscow, instantly come out.
The most important secret of success is mixing students from different countries together. It doesn't matter how many people of one culture came together. Groups are selected by age and level of English proficiency. In the first week, our guys ended up with students from Brazil, who conquered the Russians with their love of life and gallantry. Then Europeans started to join – from France, Italy, and especially many from Spain. We were told that Spain has a special social program, so Spaniards go to study English "in bulk" – in groups of 50 people. But they managed to "dilute" them as well, so that as a result, each language group had no more than 3–4 Spaniards.
The teachers make sure that not a single word is spoken in Russian or Spanish in class! How else, if not in English, to tell a teacher from Thailand and classmates from Spain or Brazil about your favorite hobby? Or, for example, to argue whose idol is cooler? Or simply agree that calorie-dense and unhealthy hamburgers and Coca-Cola are your favorite food.
By the way, the teachers of language schools themselves once came to Canada from different countries, and not only from English-speaking ones. But this does not affect the quality of teaching, since each teacher has a special certificate allowing them to teach English to foreigners. For example, our students were taught by a former Australian, whose relatives once fled to the Green Continent from the United Kingdom. There was also a teacher with truly British roots, though in the fourth generation. But mostly, they are Koreans, Thais, representatives of Spanish-speaking countries. There are no teachers of English origin in Canada at all.
Seeing and learning
Classes ended in the first half of the day, and after lunch we usually went on various excursions. There is plenty to see in Toronto and its surroundings! One of the main features of Canadian museums and attractions is that you will never see a sign saying "Do not touch!" In the natural history museum, you can conduct many physics experiments yourself, turn on a waterfall model, or "invent" electricity. Instead of boring stands, there are real working models that captivate both adults and children.
• By the way, both for novice technicians and professional electricians, the website about electrical laboratory located here will be useful. Here you can learn why and how electrical measurements are carried out, electrical networks are tested, and even prevent possible fires and other troubles associated with the use of electricity.
Compared to the European chronicle, Canada's history is short. But Canadians greatly respect national culture: from Indian tribes to the present day. The easiest way to get to the big historical museum is by metro. The station is called "Museum." For high school students, visiting Canada resembles "living" lessons in regional studies. For example, the famous CN Tower is one of the tallest buildings in the world, which was always interesting to see with one's own eyes, not in a picture. On one of the weekends, we all went together to Niagara Falls. On another weekend, we visited the largest amusement park, Canada's Wonderland, owned by Paramount Pictures.
The kids who lived with families were especially lucky. In Canada, it is customary to go on a family picnic on weekends. The hospitable hosts gladly took not only their "boarders" but also their friends living in the residence. At first, such sincere hospitality surprised us very much. For example, in Scotland or Britain, a language school student has to arrange and pay in advance even for the number of dinners he will have with the hosts. But Canadians are very friendly and communicate easily, solving all problems with a smile. Leaving Canada, we first noted the cheerful mood that accompanied our entire trip.
Tips from the experienced
Saving on transportation. Did you know that with one ticket you can go around half of Toronto, changing from bus to bus? The main thing is to move in one direction, and then you won't have to pay. You'll need money again only when you decide to go back.
Finding the best discount. Supermarkets are nothing surprising these days. But in Toronto stores, anyone's head will spin! Many goods can be bought with a discount of up to 70%. Study the price tags more carefully.
Getting used to fast food. Gourmets will have to curb their enthusiasm. Canadians are unpretentious about food. Coffee in plastic cups, various sandwiches, hot dogs, and other fast food are the most common food in these parts.