During the design process for the English Language Centre’s ELC Connect programs, one of the highest priorities—and greatest challenges—was to ensure that participants could share their cultures and feel a sense of community in their online learning context, just like they do in our on-campus programs. 

Café Social—a live, weekly activity which allows participants to connect with their classmates and Canadians via themed online discussions, has proven to be a valuable complement to students’ online English studies. It allows them to form deeper friendships during their program… and much more! See what students attending a recent English for Global Communication program said about their Café Social experience:

“It is an ideal activity to have confidence to speak. And also learn to make mistakes. I was wrong, but there they corrected me.”

“I though joining Café Social event made my experience of ELC online more fun and fruitful.”

“The teacher was very nice and I'm glad I had a lot of opportunities to talk.”

“I liked that I could interact with people of many nationalities.”

“I could talk with many kind of people! There are many different ways of thinking so it was interesting.”

“In the forum I was able to communicate with students of other class”

“I could find the recipes of Canadian dishes, so I tried to cook some by myself. I improved my understandings about Canada and Victoria.”

“I felt as if I was in Canada, and I could know about Canadian life even a little.”

  • Posted February 5, 2021