Read what current students are saying about the program:
Blazena: Slovak Republic
Andrei: Russia
Rajvir: India
Victor: Peru
Noorjahan: India
Blazena BogdanSlovak Republic
Insurance Agent
Abbotsford, BC
"The ECPI course has helped me with my pronunciation. I can now communicate in a way that it is more polite yet respected in sensitive situations like refusing an unreasonable request, choosing not to discuss something, making suggestions to the boss, or resolving a conflict.
I now have connections with other workplaces and employers in my field, which is important for my development as a professional. I have also learned how to overcome sometimes very stressful days at work and I know now that if you really, really want something badly enough, you can achieve it.
This course is different because we learned about real socio-cultural aspects of Canadians in the workplace, those assumptions and patterns that I didn’t see before."
Andrei Kravchenko
Russia
Construction Engineer
Currently working as an Architectural Drafting Technician
"My greatest challenge is to get back to the same level of employment here in Canada as I was in Russia. This program is helping me to communicate with native English speakers more effectively. In my opinion, many new immigrants do not have the opportunity to learn and improve their English, because they have to work hard as labourers. The working environment usually does not support long discussions and language interactions that would help to improve our ability to communicate. I had been searching for such a course for years. Most of the ESL programs are designed for beginners, and then there is a big gap between them and other post-secondary programs. I like this program for its focus on the practical working environment.
"The program teaches us very practical everyday language skills (phone conversation, writing reports, etiquette, etc.); it contains a lot of practical and useful assignments that can be used in real life. The Informational Interview is a perfect example of that. We learned a lot the whole process of leading an interview, step by step, and finally we did the interviews with professionals in our fields. That was a great combination of the theory and the practice.
"Another great advantage of this program is that it isn’t boring at all! I would recommend this program for all foreign professionals who want to find a decent position in the Canadian workplace, but have problems with their English."
Rajvir Aujla
India
Bachelor of Commerce, Masters in Information Technology
Currently working as a Medical Office Assistant
"My greatest challenge in my work now is the many speaking tasks in my current job. When I was in India, I was respected as a very intelligent, successful student; however, when I came here to Canada, I felt that I was weak. I was not able to talk to anybody. I couldn’t even shop alone at first. I got a job working in a doctor’s office as a Medical Office Assistant, but there I faced my lack of English speaking skill. Then I joined this course. After 2 months I felt so much more confidence in myself. Before joining this course, I was very nervous when taking a phone call at work if it was in English. I sometimes passed the phoning on to a colleague because I felt I couldn’t do it. But now, I feel capable and sure of myself. My English is still not perfect, but the course gave me ways of communicating in situations where I don’t understand so that I can get what I need in a positive way and be successful in the end. Now I’m so much more confident."
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Victor Dioses
Peru
Electronic Engineer with experience in Broadcasting and CATV
Currently working as large machinery operator at a cement factory
"My greatest challenge is finding work in the television systems or cable television industry and be able to use my skills and experience. This course is helping me to understand the Canadian culture in job centres, but at a professional level. In addition, I learned to do an Informational Interview including every procedure, like making telephone arrangements, telephone etiquette, making my own questions for the interview, sending e-mail questions to the interviewee, being prepared to lead the interview, and sending a thank you afterward. We are now working on an interesting project, making our own ePortfolios.
"In this course, we have learned skills like giving and receiving feedback, refusing an unreasonable request, making suggestions to a boss, delivering good and bad news, admitting a mistake, and others that are very useful in every job, and now I am using what I learned in my work.
"We have also discovered and worked with different websites that you have to access to understand the professional job structures and definitions in Canada. We have access to websites and computer lab software that enables us to continue improving our English grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, listening and speaking skills.
"I have been living in Canada for 5 years, and in the first 2 years, I attended 2 courses to get you into the labor force, but definitely, these courses were not for foreign professionals because they could not give me a true orientation to the high levels of the job market. I think those courses are for people with less professional skills. The ECPI course is a good course for foreign professionals that want to integrate into Canadian companies and show and use their skills and experience."
Noorjahan Jaganath
India
Registered Nurse/Nursing Instructor with MA in Nursing
Currently working as a Registered Intensive Care Unit nurse
"My greatest challenge is being culturally appropriate in my communication. The best part of the course for me has been the orientation to professional communication patterns, conflict management, and culture maps (actually conversation formulas that are standard in the most common Canadian conversations in the workplace.)
"Through taking this course, I have improved my pronunciation and intonation so that a listener finds it easier to understand me, interviewed a professional in a position similar to the job I am seeking and become more informed about what that position involves, and developed my communication skills to make me more professionally effective and appropriate.
"This course is different because it concentrates on culturally oriented communication techniques and the behavioral expectations of every employee in Canada. I was able to get information specifically about my area of interest and discuss it with a professional in my field after practicing all the interviewing skills to make me successful. This is a great course for those who don’t have much experience with Canadian culture and professional orientation."
