Hello, welcome to VIA! Everyone at VIA wants to make sure every student receives the best English education and experience in Canada possible. VIA students can talk to their teacher outside class, get discounts for travel, help with their visa, and all the support they might need while living in Canada. VIA is the only school in Victoria with an ESL book store.
The Teachers and Staff
One VIA advantage is the teachers. Everyone has a minimum of a university degree, (some teachers have Master and Doctorate degrees). Every teacher is TESL Canada certified. Their extraordinary teaching skills and their great personalities make VIA classes outstanding. This gives all students a unique opportunity to grow. They treasure the fact they can easily talk to their teacher, and the special advantages this gives them.
Gateway School
VIA is a gateway school that leads to many colleges and universities. Please visit our Affiliated Institutes page for more information. This is an excellent pathway to enter a Canadian university or college.
Placement Test
Placement tests are important so we can check student English ability. This way students can be placed in the appropriate class.
Homestay
VIA has great homestays; great families with clean, comfortable homes in nice areas. Our homestays are part of the VIA family, so we believe our students will always enjoy living with their homestay. We know how important homestays are to the students, so we are very careful to match students with families that are suitable for each other. Homestay is $700 / month, or $190 / week.
Our homestays provide three meals a day, and provide a private bedroom, desk, and usually a computer with Internet access. Our families range from young couples with children to retirees who live alone. All families host students because they enjoy living with international students and sharing cultures.
Visas
Need to renew or change your visa? No problem! VIA has probably the most experienced visa staff in Victoria. We can give good advice and help you through the whole process.
Medical Insurance
Please talk to the staff if you need medical insurance. It is usually about $1.50 / day for stays shorter than 3 months. BC Medical insurance is recommended for longer stays. Student Card
Get a free student card and get discounts on:
Materials and textbooks:
- The ESL Store is Victoria's only dedicated ESL bookstore. VIA students get 10% discount off all materials. Featured Publishers: Longman, Pearson, and ABAX. 654 Yates St. 414-0111
Clothing:
- Outlooks for Men (10%) 554 Yates St tel: 384-2848
- Suasion (women's) (10%) 634-A Yates St. tel: 995-0133
Nightclubs:
- Plan B (free entrance with student card or guest pass) 1318 Broad St. tel: 384-3557
- Lucky Bar (free entrance with student card) 517 Yates St. tel: 382- 5825
Pubs / Restaurants:
- Azuma Sushi (10%) 615 Yates St tel: 382-8768
- Bagels on Broad (10%) 1294 Broad St. tel: 381-4141
- Eugene's Greek Restaurant 1280 Broad St. tel: 381-5456
- Honey Bun (10%) 605 Yates St. tel: 383-3231
Stereos, TV's, etc.
- A&B Sound (see Fred Lutz in the TV dept.) 641 Yates St. tel: 385-1461
Travel Agents:
- IACE (ask for details)
- Travel Masters (ask for details) 201-45 Bastion Square tel: 953-5730
Whale Watching and Kayaking:
Bus Pass
Please ask reception for details.
Kitchen
VIA has a full kitchen with free coffee and teas. There is a fridge to keep your lunch cool, and 2 microwave ovens to heat it up. There is also a drink machine.
Convo Club
Every Wednesday we have Convo (short for 'conversation') Club. There are different activities every week, so be sure to check the calendar for more information. Activities include kayaking, karaoke, ping pong competitions, etc. There's also Ultimate Frisbee every Saturday from May through September.
Change Classes
Do you want to try a different class? Why not try Business, or maybe TOEIC® or TOEFL®? Ask for more info.
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VIA facilities include:
• 2 campuses
• 12 classrooms
• 2 computer labs
• Multi-lingual high-speed internet
• Outdoor patio with BBQ
• 2 Kitchens with fridges, microwaves
• Water cooler, drink & snack machine
• free coffee and tea
• TV's, videos, DVDs
• Ping-pong table, foosball, air hockey
Victoria International Academy
654 Yates Street
Victoria, British Columbia
Canada V8W 1L3
info@eslschoolcanada.com
Tel: 250-414-0111
Fax: 250-414-0103
Wow, what else?
Yeah, we know. That's a lot. But wait, there's more! We have BBQ parties every 6 weeks in the summer (April - Oct.). Ski trips in the winter. We can make arrangements for trips to Tofino to see whales and swim in the hot springs (yes, hot springs!). We can help you find work if you have a working holiday visa, and volunteer jobs too. We also have free airport and bus pick-up. If there's anything you need and it's not here, please let us know so we can keep working to be the best ESL school we can!
We know we can't do everything, we are only human. And sometime students feel like a change, or want to take a new course. No worries, we can help! VIA is partners with most other schools in Victoria, including the University of Victoria. Talk to Hiroko or Peter for more info. |
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