EC Montreal is proud to introduce you to our new student ambassador, Alex Lima from Brazil!  He is so eager to assist our new students with their adjustment period in Montreal! Here is what he would like to share with everyone: Hi everyone! My name is Alex Lima and I’m Brazilian. I arrived at EC Montreal in April to learn French. For the past 4 months, I’ve improved  my French a lot and I’ve had the best time either participating in one of the many school activities or exploring the city with friends.  Last week, I was kindly asked to become a Student Ambassador and I saw the perfect opportunity to share all the experience I’ve gathered so far with the new students. So, if you are a student and you’re reading this, no need to be shy! Come talk to me during the breaks and I’ll do my best to help share my “student’s point of view” about this amazing city of Montreal!  

The following is a post I wrote from last year’s junior programme. This past week, I witnessed the same phenomenon I had seen for two summers in a row, and was reminded of how touching and unique an experience the Young Learners Programme can be. Please find this post again here, with a few modifications. I have re-submitted this post because I feel it best captures a strong reality of the junior programme, that students who come here forge strong bonds with amazing new people, and must inevitably say a sad goodbye. I truly believe that students who come to EC Montreal experience new friendships and connections that will stay with them forever. The Young Learners programme brings together dozens of extraordinary students every year. Over their time in Montreal, students accomplish great things: learning a new language (or two), coming face-to-face with new cultures, discovering new places and themselves. Students every year return to their home countries basking in the glow of having lived a meaningful, fulfilling experience. It is this experience, however, that inevitably carries with it a bitterness that tempers the sweet. So many people create amazing relationships with incredible people, but must sooner or later say au revoir. It is this reality that many students lived last Friday. At session’s end, many students must sadly return home, and saying goodbye to one another is never easy. When they return to the office, students may not all appear happy. Some will be quieter than usual; others will be crying; many will be hugging, making promises to see each other again soon, and exchanging keepsakes of their time together (many students return home with a suitcase holding a Canadian flag covered in signatures and messages, photos, gifts, and countless memories). I believe this emotion is a testament to the power of … Read more

Alexandre Mathieu is an English student from France.  He has been enjoying his experience at EC Montreal so much that he keeps extending his stay!  Alexandre has amazing school spirit!  He makes sure to participate in all the academic extras or social events offered at EC Montreal. Here is what he would like to share with everyone: I basically chose Montreal as my travel destination because my sister is living here. During my three weeks stay at EC Montreal, I could improve my English a lot. Now, I am able to speak more fluently and to understand other people talking more easily. Learning English doesn’t only mean sitting in the classroom and studying grammar and structures, but as well participating in many interactive and social activities offered by the school. My favourite activity was the welcome party, that takes places every Monday, and which allows you to easily connect with new people from different countries and that speak different languages. I also really enjoyed the week-end trips like to New York City or Quebec City. My teacher’s lessons were amazing. We laughed a lot during class and we had a lot of fun! I always will remember the nice ambiance, the travels, the friendly and smiley staff and all the great people I have met! I will miss you EC Montreal!

August is right around the corner and EC Montreal is ready to wow its students with more amazing activities!  Our August theme is ‘Summer Fun’!  Every Wednesday in August, our students will be treated to fun-filled events and an opportunity to interact with each other and our EC Montreal team! The month will begin with an ice cream bar!  Each table in the student lounge will be transformed into an ice cream station with cones, sweet toppings and sprinkles!  We can’t wait to see our students create their masterpiece desserts! As August is corn season in the province of Quebec, our taste of Montreal on August 14 will be a corn roast.  We will be grilling sweet white corn on our indoor bbq.  We will also be serving corn salsa and other delicious corn snacks! On August 21 EC Montreal will host another fun beach party with grilled hot dogs and tropical drinks!  We will be listening to summer tunes and toasting the joy of summer! How about an XBOX party to end the month!?  EC Montreal will host a video game tournament to see who has the most skill! We look forward to another wonderful month filled with fun, laughter and new friendships! Life is sweet as corn at EC Montreal!!

Every year, EC Montreal celebrates July 25!  We call it Christmas in July!  Christmas is a very festive time of year and combining that with the joy of summer…well it creates an amazing holiday! Our summer intern, Robin dressed up as a Summer Santa and handed out popsicles to both the junior students and adults!  No matter if you have been naughty or nice, Santa gave everyone a refreshing treat!  Robin played the role beautifully!  He brought joy to everyone he met with his lyrical ho,ho,ho!! We had Christmas music playing in the student lounge and there were decorations on every table!  We made every effort to recreate Christmas Day in the middle of July! Everyone lined up to take their picture with Summer Santa!  I am sure everyone at EC Montreal will never forget meeting Santa on July 25 in Montreal!    

Montreal is known for being the Gastronomy capital of Canada.  Food and drinks are a huge part of Montreal’s culture.  It doesn’t take much time for our visitors to discover that Montreal is a food lover’s paradise! EC Montreal makes sure to include a Taste of Montreal in every month’s social events calendar.  It was also very easy for EC Montreal to put together an English or French plus programme.  In Montreal…the obvious choice was Gastronomy!! EC Montreal’s Gastronomy programme consists of 2 gastronomy sessions per week.  The sessions could be culinary classes, mixology lessons, pastry making or one of many food tours. A tour that combines both food and drinks is called, The Bar Hopping in Old Montreal Tour.  The tour is only offered on Fridays and it begins in the evening at 5:30 pm.  Participants are offered a tall glass of Boréale beer (made in Québec, bien sûr) mixed with a sparkling apple juice into a refreshing concoction perfectly suited to the homemade chips that accompany it. The fries are cooked with duck fat!  The fries are a specialty of Boris Bistro, whose gorgeous interior courtyard is an oasis of peace on bustling McGill Avenue. Your guide will entertain you with local facts on the way to your next stop!  You will then get a taste of Accords. This tasteful wine bar has the greatest selection of vintages stored in a dispenser that uses argon gas – which preserves the wines at the perfect temperature. To accompany a small plate featuring a crispy piece of veal sweetbread, sip a crisp glass of seyval-chardonnay by Les Pervenches, a winery in the Quebec town of Farnham. The honeyed tones of this biodynamic wine reflect the auburn woods of the beautiful wooden bar. The final stop takes you on a stroll past the  Pointe a Calliere museum, a … Read more

Do you know how EC Montreal students are evaluated?  How do we determine when it is time for you to move up to the next level?  This is a question that is asked of us often!  The answer is a lot more simple than you would think!  Depending on what level you are in, you will be given a test that is scheduled in advance.  The results of this test will let our evaluators know if you are on target, above target or below. If you are on target, it means that the level you are in is the right one for you!  You should continue at this level until you have reached the language objectives of that specific level. If you are above target, it means that it is time for you to move up to the next level!  You have demonstrated that you are ready for a new challenge and have met all the objectives and expectations at your level. If you are below target, it means you need to work a little harder to meet the target.  The EC guarantee is that we will help you get there!  If you put in the effort, so will we!  If you have 100% attendance and are motivated to learn, EC Montreal will give you free one-to-one lessons to help you get on target with the rest of the class! We hope this helps to answer any doubts you may have about how you are evaluated at EC Montreal! We hope you will continue to work hard at achieving your language objectives!  Remember, we are  here for you!  If you have any doubts or concerns about your level or EC’s teaching method, you must let us know so we can help you! Happy learning at EC Montreal!

Yirah has been studying at EC Montreal for the past 12 weeks.  She had originally only booked 8 weeks but decided to add 4 more weeks to her Montreal adventure!  Today was Yirah’s last day of school.  It breaks our hearts to see her go!  She has been an absolute delight!  We hope she will keep in touch as she promised! This is what Yirah would like to share with everyone: “First of all, I chose EC Montreal because I found the facebook page and with the photos I knew that I would LOVE Montreal!  I always said that Montreal is like a travel around the world in only one city!  It’s amazing and just like EC Montreal, there is always something happening!  I came here to learn and improve my English, but that was not the only thing that I learned.  I really liked to share with other cultures, I think that was the most exciting thing!  I really enjoyed the classes and the teachers because they are so funny and the staff is so nice, always with a smile that makes you feel at home.  I made a lot of friends, most of them from Latin America but also from Japan, Korea, France and Italy.  My homestay was awesome.  Really, I recommend this experience to everyone!!  I’ll miss you.  Thank you for everything!”   

There is nothing better than an African Dance Lesson at EC Montreal to help introduce the Festival Nuits d’Afrique to our students! Yesterday, a professional dancer came to the school to teach our lovely students. 10 students (men and women) as well as staff, took part and really enjoyed the activity. It was a great bonding experience for EC Montreal’s staff and the students. It was everyone’s first time trying African Dance and it was a great experience!  We danced traditional and easy movements of West Africa. The teacher taught every different movement step by step. These kind of activities are really a perfect way to improve your English and have fun with your classmates. We are looking forward to seeing you at next Wednesday’s activity: Beach Party! If you do not know what to do this weekend, you should go to the Nuits d’Afrique festival with your friends. You can see the schedule online at: http://www.festivalnuitsdafrique.com. Free concerts will happen all day and night! Have a nice African weekend!