Umniya's ESL Story

My name is Umniya Hassan, I’m half Sudanese and half Swiss. I started my first ESL program during winter semester 2014.

At first I faced many difficulties because the people, language, and cold snowing weather were all new to me, but when time passed, I really enjoyed everything. The ESL program is about getting to know and practice all four skills “speaking, writing, listening, and reading” from basic to academic.

Not only has this program helped me improve my writing and speaking skills, but also gave me a chance to learn many academic words and know where and how to use them while writing or speaking.

The ESL classes are mostly about working in group with different people in the classroom, so students will feel comfortable and learn from others. Being in the ESL program is one of the best experiences I have had in Canada.

Umniya Hassan, ESL Graduate (Spring 2015)