Intensive Language Week - Toronto

Thirty-eight students, accompanied by two of their teachers, were received on sixth of November by representatives of Global Village at the Pearson International Airport, Toronto.

 

From the onset, Global Village and its home-stay agents made every effort to make us feel welcome. This created a relaxed and friendly atmosphere which allowed students to feel at ease if they made a language mistake. From the airport, students were taxied to their host families. Classes began at 7:45 the next day. Classes were held daily from 7:45 to 12:45. The class work was challenging and contained various topics concerning modern day Canadian life. This expanded on the cultural experience of learning a language while staying in a foreign country. After classes finished on Wednesday, the group took part in a guided tour of downtown Toronto. Few students had ever seen a city as large as Toronto and even those who had, will in all likelihood remember the experience.After classes finished on Friday the students visited the Hockey Hall of Fame. Though hockey is typically seen as a sport dominated by Canadians and Russians, the exhibitions were much more international. The students were surprised to see several Austrian players featured in the Hall of Fame. On Saturday we were taken on a full-day excursion. We went to the Niagara Falls where we visited the Niagara Whirlpool, the American, and finally the Canadian Falls. Many students later stated how impressed they were with the natural beauty and power of the Falls. The students were usually occupied with tours, classes, or independent language exercises, but on Sunday they were granted some free time during the day. In the evening, the group attended an ice hockey game played at the famous Air Canada Centre. Classes were not held on the following Monday because Ontario celebrated Canadian Remembrance Day. This is a holiday when Canadians remember veterans and casualities of the two World Wars. Not all stores and shops were closed on this day, so several students took the opportunity to visit the famous Bass Pro Shop, the world’s largest hunting and fishing store. On Tuesday classes were held again and a tour of the CN tower awaited students when they were completed. The CN tower is currently the second tallest building in the world. Classes took place again on Wednesday. Students were given free time after classes were finished. Many students took the opportunity to go to Greek Village or Little Italy. Others went to the Royal Ontario Museum where they viewed numerous items and artefacts of the ‘First Nations’ (Native peoples of Canada). Thursday began again with classes in the morning. The students were given their last allotment of free time. Again, the students mostly stuck together and went downtown to the Eaton Centre or to shop along Yonge Street. Evidently, some students developed a bond of sorts with their host families as several chose to spend this last period practicing their English with their host parents.