Chelsea Language Academy is authorized by the Government of Ontario to provide adult ESL instruction. And, the school's highly unique curricula and testing methods have been developed according to the Government of Canada's 'Canadian Language Benchmarks' . This ensures that students of Chelsea receive high quality and practical training in English.
At Chelsea, assessment of students does not occur only at the level of the individual; each class group is also assessed by the teacher. A program of study is then customized to fit the unique needs and character of both the student and their class as a whole. However, there are some important elements that are common to all classes. These are outlined below.
Getting to Know Your Teacher and Classmates - Week 1
Initial level testing: Students often perform differently in a classroom with other students than they do in front of just a teacher. Chelsea thus employs a two-step level testing procedure that incorporates one-on-one testing and in-class testing.).
General orientation: Students are introduced to important school facts and policies, and information is given about living comfortably in Toronto
Trust-building Exercises: Students are much more likely to participate in ESL classes if they are comfortable. This first program stage allows students to build trust among and become comfortable with the teacher and their classmates. It lays the foundation for more rapid learning later. Included elements of this stage are fun teacher-guided indoor and outdoor activities and exercises to reduce the anxiety of speaking English as a Second Language.*
*Students who feel they would like more help in overcoming shyness about speaking English may also join supplementary weekend classes. These classes focus on reducing the anxiety associated with speaking English that many students experience. They are unique among language schools in Toronto.
Other Common Program Elements and Principles - Weeks 2 (and beyond) include:
Teachers have access to "Thought Starters and Inspirational Language Lessons" for levels of Beginner to Upper Intermediate. This guidebook, unique to Chelsea Language Academy, was written by highly experienced language teachers. Instructors can choose lessons from among this approved collection as they feel is appropriate for a particular class. Click here to view a summary of the contents of this book.
Weekly class lunch (students vote on cuisine type)
Games (Scrabble, Wheel of Fortune, Pictionary, etc.)
Weekly class presentation by each student (extra support is available for very shy students).
Complete-the-story exercises
Reducing fear of mistakes
Free conversation
Home reading assignments with subsequent tests
Essay writing
Weekly class skit (drama or comedy)
Weekly debate (with preparation)
Realistic outdoor learning experiences (teacher guided) - This is an important distinguishing feature of Chelsea Language School. Indeed, compared to other language school's a lot more of Chelsea's classes take place outside the classroom in real-world settings where English is most naturally used. This makes learning the language both more fun and more effective.
Volunteer element (optional)
News article usage: reading, summary writing, vocabulary building, class discussion and correction
English learning through song analysis and lyric writing
Students are given the opportunity to anonymously evaluate teachers each week and offer suggestions for changes they think could improve a class
Students are asked to use only English while they are in or near the school
Students are grouped according to language level, nationality (seeking a balanced mix) and personality
All teachers are prohibited from speaking for more than 25% of the time during class
Each student's progress is evaluated bi-weekly and suggestions for how they may advance more quickly are given
Classrooms are managed through an emphasis on positive reinforcement rather than negative ways.
