Study Overseas

When international students wish to study English, they could not find a more ideal location than Canada. Whether you wish to study for a month-long general English course, or are continuing your postgraduate studies, Canada is the perfect place to study for your English Proficiency Test, on the path to continuing your international education. Linda Paton, Cambridge/TOEFL Advisor at Canadian Cascadia International College tells us why...

Browsing through the pages of this site, you will see any number of institutions offering preparation for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), TOEIC (the Test of English for International Communication), and the Cambridge ESOL Exams - managed and distributed through the University of Cambridge. In addition to this, some centers in Canada now offer testing for the IELTS - the International English Language Testing System, which is jointly managed by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, the British Council and IDP Australia. Additionally, the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) and the GRE are now available at certain TOEFL test centers. For business students, a few schools offer preparation courses and testing for the complete range of ESL/EFL preparation courses and tests currently required worldwide.

My first advice to students is to determine which exam you need to prepare for, and how much time you have to do this. While not all schools offer preparation courses for all tests, the choice is extensive. Exams such as the IELTS, are rapidly becoming the alternative choice to the TOEFL for many universities and students.

The TOEFL, produced by the Educational Testing Services is taken in more than 4,000 test centres worldwide, and is the most commonly taken English test in the world. The TOEFL is offered as an Internet-based test (iBT) or paper-based test (pBT) depending on availability.

If you are planning to take this test in Canada, there are a number of testing centers in each major city. Depending on the test center and the time of year, you usually need to register up to four weeks beforehand to book your exam time. You can pay by credit card, send for a voucher through ETS, or go directly to the test center with a certified cheque to book a test time.

If your goal is a TOEFL preparation course, contact several schools before making a choice: find out what type of TOEFL program is offered, and how many students are in the TOEFL class. Don't be afraid to ask the school exactly what their TOEFL curriculum or program consists of.

The most significant and interesting option to the TOEFL Internet-based test in Canada is the IELTS, which is now accepted by most Canadian universities and many institutions in the United States as an indication of English proficiency for non-native speakers. In addition, it is the standard English proficiency test for medical doctors who are not native speakers and wish to practice in the United Kingdom, as well as a requirement for non-native speakers of English intending to immigrate to New Zealand. Two forms are available - one for Academic Training and one for General Training - so it is important to determine beforehand which of these you require.

Presently, there are 12 IELTS testing centers in Canada, see www.ielts.org to find the test centre closest to you. Test centres can offer tests up to four times a month depending upon demand and results are available 13 calendar days from the time of testing. The test itself encompasses a wide range of skills, including a personal interview that focuses particularly on individual communication skills. Trained examiners conduct a personal interview (which is taped) and mark the two written compositions.

A truly ideal destination for the English language learner, western Canada offers more than a tranquil haven in which to prepare for exams and tests.