Major initiative to assure quality language training in Canada

Attention: News, Business, Education Editors

New industry group sets mandatory standards

April 9, 2008 - Vancouver/Toronto/Ottawa/Montreal. Languages Canada, a new national organization of public and private sector language training programs, would like to ensure that language training in Canada is of the highest quality. To join the organization, schools must meet stringent quality standards. Those standards guarantee that international students who come to Canada to learn English or French can expect to receive a uniform level of excellent instruction in a well-run facility.

The new organization was officially launched in early March when key players from both public and private sectors joined forces to create Languages Canada. Its goal is to guarantee quality and to provide a single bilingual voice for members in the Canadian language training sector, both French and English.

Language training worth $1.5 billion to Canada

Language training is a global business worth about $6.5 billion a year. Canada, with a market
share of 15%, ranks third among destinations for English training. The UK and US rank first and
second respectively.

Canada has priceless expertise and know-how in language training, claims Daniel Lavoie,
coordinator for the public École internationale de français of Université du Québec á Trois-Rivières.
He is a Languages Canada board member.

"After all, we've been developing our language training capacity for more than 40 years," is how
Lavoie sums it up. "Canada has the finest technical tools as well as a deep understanding of
pedagogy, for French and English languages."

Sharon Curl, another board member, agrees. As president of Eurocentres Canada, a Vancouver and
Toronto based school, she comes to language training from the private sector.

One set of quality standards for public and private schools

"To assure quality Languages Canada has adopted a comprehensive system of rigorous standards,"
Curl explains. "The standards apply equally to all - big or small, public or private."

This means that private schools have to satisfy the same quality standards as the publicly-funded
University of British Columbia and Carleton University language institutes. All are members of
Languages Canada.

To qualify, a school is evaluated in a number of categories: curriculum, teacher qualifications,
student services, student admissions, marketing, promotion, facilities and administration. The
process takes several weeks, and the compulsory site visit alone is a two-day process carried out
by a trained inspector.

So far, a total of 144 language training programs, public and private, French and English, have met
the standards. They will have to re-qualify in three years. About two dozen other schools failed to
meet all standards and may be re-evaluated in the future.

In another measure to guarantee that students who study in accredited schools get satisfaction,
Languages Canada appointed an independent ombudsman to adjudicate complaints.

Canada needs to invest in marketing to stay ahead of competition

As strong as Canada is, this is no time to be complacent. The competition is working hard to
increase its market share.

"The UK, our biggest competitor, is ahead of us with a coordinated effort and significant support
from government," says Calum MacKechnie, President of the new Languages Canada/Langues
Canada association and President of York University's English Language Institute.

The same is true of Australia, where the language training sector receives government support for
international marketing efforts. New destinations, such as New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, and
Malta, are all nipping at Canada's heels for a share of the lucrative market.

"We Canadians tend to be modest," adds Mr. MacKechnie. "Language training is a true Canadian
industry - it's something we excel at, from coast to coast, from British Columbia to Newfoundland
and Labrador.

We're special - we've got two languages. And that's not just in one part of the country. We've got
high quality French schools that are members of Languages Canada in BC, Nova Scotia, Alberta,
Ontario as well as Quebec!

But if Canada wants to take advantage of the economic potential of this sector, we have to make
sure the world knows how good we are."

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For more information about Languages Canada/Langues Canada, please contact:

Calum MacKechnie, President, Languages Canada, President, York University English Language
Institute (YUELI), 416-736-5353, yueli@yorku.ca
Sharon Curl, President, Eurocentres Canada, 604-688-7942, scurl@languagecanada.com
Daniel Lavoie, coordinator, École internationale de français, Université du Québec á Trois-Rivières,
819-376-5011 x 3861, daniel.lavoie@uqtr.ca
Scott Jeary, CEO, English Bay College, Vancouver, 604-639-9075, sjeary@englishbaycollege.com

Languages Canada is a national organization that represents the Canadian language training
industry, both public and private sector, French and English. It is governed by a volunteer board of
directors from the public and private sector schools. The secretariat of Languages Canada is
located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The organization expects to name a director general to
oversee operations in early summer 2008.

According to the Conference Board of Canada - Economic Assessment of the Canadian Language
Industry, March 2007, Canada's language training sector is a $1.5 billion industry. Worldwide the
sector is worth $6.5 billion. Language training schools provide direct employment for approximately
14,000 Canadians.