Exchange students learn English and get a taste of Canada

Twenty exchange students from Spain, and nine from France ages 12-17, arrived in Brantford at the end of June for a one-month stay.

Bonnie Flores, co-ordinator for the Canada Linc program, says the program provides English instruction, fun activities, and social and cultural experiences for international exchange students.

Each of the students visiting here is billeted to a Brantford family.

“I go to each home, interview the families and make sure they are great, and they all get police checks,” Flores explained. “I get profiles from all the kids with photos and letters and try to matchup the profiles” to families with similar interests.

Flores rented classrooms at Laurier Brantford and has employed two local educators to teach English as a Second Language.

“In the morning they have classes, and, in the afternoon, they do a group activity such as geo-caching, cultural activities, and bowling,” the program coordinator explained.

Once each week the group heads to a tourist destination that has so far included the beach at Port Stanley, and a trip to Toronto where they experienced a harbor cruise, visit to the top of the CN Tower, Graffiti Alley, and the Eaton Centre.

“(This) week is Niagara Falls where they will go on the Maid of the Mist, see Clifton Hill, and the outlets,” Flores noted. “In the final week they’ll spend a day at Canada’s Wonderland.”

Students bring their own spending money, while the fee their family pays to Canada Linc covers all activity costs.

Elyse Borgdorff is a teacher who works with a group of students whose use of English is at the intermediate level.

“Some are more beginner level, but they live with a host family in Brantford, so all English is spoken at (the) home,” she noted. “We ask them to speak in English during class. With the French and Spanish students being together they do have to use English to communicate with one another, so it’s all immersive.”

Borgdorff said she has received feedback from host families that the students are more confident to speak English while with the families.

Marsha Anguish teaches an advanced class for students who are refining their language skills.

“Their English skills are already strong, and they’ve already passed their first certificate that they worked towards in their home countries,” she explained. “The certificate is the first level of English fluency that they require when applying to universities outside of their home country.”

Anguish said two-thirds of the day is focused on the oral part – listening and speaking – but with cultural experiences, the background knowledge and vocabulary requires an element of reading.

“We do writing in our class in response to those excursions, and we’re also looking at developing a radio program they’ll be writing and performing themselves,” she noted. “It’s camp-like experience with fun ways to practice the language.

“That connection of the speaking, listening, writing, and reading all help each other.

Borgdorff noted that while the students learn with pen and paper how to speak and write English in their own countries, they don’t get the first-hand experience of using the language with native speakers.

“It’s going to be different listening to English spoken with a French or Spanish accent, than a Canadian accent,” she said. “They are definitely challenged more by being here.”

Laura Villaverde, a 17-year-old from Madrid, Spain took part in an exchange program in Edinburgh, Scotland last year and said she is enjoying her time in Canada.

“It’s the first time I go out of Europe,” she explained. “The people here are amazing and so involved in everything.”

Villaverde attends a bilingual school and has been speaking English since the age of two.

“When I’m at home I don’t have any English people to talk to,” she shared. “It’s compulsory I have to talk in English (here) so it’s really good to talk to people here.

“I think the things we most want is to be more fluent in English, to continue conversation and not have any problems. It’s a really good experience.”

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