Canada ESL Programs and Schools

Top Mobile Apps for Language Learning

In times of a global pandemic when many are forced to stay home, learning a new language can help you to cheer up and keep your brain active. Here are top mobile apps for language learning that come with fun activities, quizzes, and lessons.

Learn to Speak English

If you are new to Canada and wish to improve your language proficiency, this is a great app to access over 8,000 audio files and 900 lessons. You can select lessons by category, for example, travel, interview, business, and regular English. The app features a number of functionalities such as lesson search, play back and record tools, and repeat functionality. Users can also explore different scenarios such as working, pets, college life, shopping, sports, movies.

Memrise

This app offers courses, fun activities, trivia, standardized tests, and more. The app features courses on hundreds of languages, including Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, English, Arabic, Japanese, and many others. Languages are divided into broader categories such as Slavic, Middle Eastern, Asian and Pacific, and Native American. Users are free to explore topics across different categories, including theatre, music, literature, fashion, and architecture. If you are keen to learn more about architectural accomplishments, for example, you will find topics such as the tallest buildings, Greek columns, and cathedrals and basilicas. The art category allows users to learn more about the elements and principles of art, surrealism, impressionism and post-impressionism, and the old masters. To subscribe, users can choose from different plans, including annual, quarterly, and monthly. The platform accepts payments by PayPal and credit and debit card, including American Express, MasterCard, and Visa.

Mindsnacks

Mindsnacks features games to help users practice listening, grammar, and vocabulary. Supported languages include Japanese, Chinese, German, Portuguese, Italian, French, and Spanish. The app also offers challenges and quests, learning algorithms, a hand-illustrated image library, audio clips, games, and more.

MosaLingua

Another great app to learn Russian, Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese, MosaLingua allows users to explore topics across a host of categories, including shopping, transportation, accommodation, eating, and tourism. Featured tools include articles, books, video books, videos, and flashcards of phrases and vocabulary. Learners are also offered language tips, dialogues, and pronunciations by native speakers. The app even features specialized vocabulary. Fun features include the option to unlock bonuses such as tips, sayings, fun facts, jokes, and dialogues. The app is offered by Google Commerce, and the price is $4.99 per month.

TripLingo

If you love to travel, this app is a great tool to improve your language skills and make your trip an exciting one. TripLingo comes with an inbuilt voice translator, built-in flashcards, and over 3,000 audio files. Learners have access to added functionalities such as currency converter and trip calculator, offline dictionary, and even a culture crash course. The app also comes with travel and safety tools such as medical phrases and local emergency information.

HelloTalk

HelloTalk is an app that allows learners to converse with native speakers to improve their language skills. The app supports over 150 languages and features multiple functionalities such as video and voice calls, voice recordings, and tools for corrections, transliteration, pronunciation, and translation. The app also allows users to find language exchange partners by distance, city, and native language.

Credit Cards for Bad Credit

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Canada ESL Programs and Schools

ESL or English as a Second Language programs help international students to improve their language skills. Institutions such as the Thompson Rivers University, Queens University School of English, and Mount Saint Vincent University offer ESL programs and courses.

Queens University School of English

Queens School of English offers a number of programs to help students master English for work or to apply for college or university. These include tailored programs, Academic English Foundations, Canadian English Experience, and English for Academic Purposes. Academic English Foundations is an intensive language program with a duration of 6 weeks. The program helps students to master key skills such as writing, speaking, reading, and listening. For the summer term, the fee is $3,460. The fee also includes activities such as visits to historical and cultural venues, festivals, shopping, sightseeing, games, baking, sports, and films. English for Academic Purposes is another program that helps develop writing, speaking, reading, and listening skills and features activities such as drama, singing, and sports. Canadian English Experience is also an ESL program that is offered in summer and winter. The fee also includes weekend and afternoon activities, trips to attractions and cities, and excursions to Kingston attractions. At present, all summer courses are available online as offices are closed.

Thompson Rivers University

The Department of English as a Second Language at Thompson Rivers University offers Service Learning, TESL/TESOL, and English for Academic Purposes. Level 1 courses include Basic Writing Skills, Basic Oral Communication, and Basic Grammar. At Level 4, students are offered courses such as Advanced Composition, Advanced Reading and Study Skills, and Advanced Grammar. Students can also choose from a number of elective courses such as Advanced Pronunciation, Advanced English for Business Communication, and Intermediate Vocabulary for Academic English. The university also offers certificates such as the ESL Academic Preparation Certificate and ESL Intermediary Certificate. Students who complete specific courses are also offered ESL with and Introduction to Arts, Fine Arts, Business, and Science. The Language Learning Centre at the university offers students help with pronunciation, speaking, listening, reading, vocabulary, and writing. Fun activities and clubs are also available, including workshops, social and welcome events, games hour, and the English Conversion Club.

Mount Saint Vincent University

The university offers an English Language Program to students who have been conditionally accepted and enrolled in a graduate, undergraduate, diploma, or certificate program. Language and assignment support is offered in areas such as speaking, reading, listening, and grammar.

St Thomas University

The English as a Second Language program is offered to students who need to improve their level or proficiency. Students with IELTS (5.0 – 6.5) and TOEFL (61 – 89) are eligible to enroll in the program and are offered an individualized curriculum. All students are tested through an essay assignment, grammar and vocabulary test, and oral interview.

Capilano University

English for Academic Purposes is a program offered by the Capilano University to students who wish to improve their language skills. Students master essential skills that enable them to deliver presentations, take notes, understand lectures, read articles and academic textbooks, and write academic essays and do research. Students can choose from two options – Early Childhood Care and Education and Business Administration. Students who choose the Business Administration option, for example, must complete two English for Academic Purposes courses to enroll in a Business Administration Diploma or Bachelor of Business Administration program. Student can choose from an array of courses such as University Writing Strategies, Advanced Business Writing and Editing, and Introduction to Strategic Management.