College’s ELC facility on the right track for literacy

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on January 3, 2023.

Lethbridge College photo The Lethbridge College English Language Centre recently passed accreditation process with Language Canada, its governing body.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

Lethbridge College’s English Language Centre passed a rigorous accreditation process for the third time in 12 years with its governing agency, Languages Canada.

The college’s ELC has been teaching English as a second language for over 50 years. Established in 1970, the English as a Second Language (ESL) program was first introduced as a program for Tibetan refugees, and since then has undergone several changes and additions to the program.

As the Lethbridge College is a Designated Learning Institute (DLI) by Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada, they are able to welcome multiple international students every year, while they immerse themselves in Canadian culture, as well as those who arrive to call Lethbridge their new home.

Some of the changes the ELC has made through their 50-plus years of operation include the addition of credit and non-credit English Language courses, Spanish classes, Summer English Language Culture and Classes to international students and students from Quebec, and a Pathway to English and Academic Culture program, to assist international students who do not initially meet the English language requirements for college admission.

The Languages Canada audit, done every four years, ensures the centre maintains acceptable standards across several categories, including admissions, instruction, curriculum, finances, occupational health and safety, records management and more. Documents, some thousands of pages in length, are produced and cover everything from policies to student rights according to a news release.

“If you don’t have this accreditation, you can’t recruit and register international students,” said Karen Smith, manager, English Language Centre, in a release.

She said that meeting the strict standards of Languages Canada is an accomplishment in itself, but hearing that their services are ‘above average’ is a point of pride.

Languages Canada accreditation is recognized by the Government of Canada and internationally.

Smith said in the release that preparing for the audit took months of hard work, not only from herself, but from her entire ELC team as well as Marko Hilgersom, Lethbridge College registrar, and Chiye Kinjo, manager of International Services at Lethbridge College, who sat in on focus groups and helped prepare documents.

“It was a lot of work, and everyone came together to get it done. One thing the auditor mentioned is the great collaborative team we have here, and I couldn’t agree more. I have the best team,” said Smith in the release.

According to the release there are currently 152 students from more than 40 countries enrolled in Lethbridge College’s ELC programs and a few dozen on waitlists. Countries of origin most represented in the fall 2022 semester are Ukraine, Eritrea, Syria, Mexico and Somalia.

Students from Afghanistan, El Salvador, South Sudan, Brazil and Sudan are also attending the college this fall according to the release.

The release states that first languages spoken in order of highest representation include Spanish, Ukrainian, Arabic, Tigrinya (spoken in Eritrea and northern Ethiopia), Somali, Portuguese, Dinka (spoken in South Sudan), French, Mandarin and Swahili.

International student from Venezuela, Karenys Cuicas, has been studying English as a Second Language for the past year and said in a release that her experience at Lethbridge College has been amazing.

“I’ve learned from everyone, instructors and staff, because they have all given me support and made me feel welcome, like a second home,” said Cuicas in a release.

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