English+ Program

Our ENGLISH+ Program is for all international and/or ESL students. Its focus is to provide for all the personal and academic needs of students coming to study in Canada. 

Please note that international students are all those who reside outside Canada. Canadian citizens living abroad are also considered “international students.”

English+ Program

At BCA, we believe that all our students will be better prepared for lives of service by interacting with individuals from diverse cultural, linguistic, and ethnic backgrounds. We strive to create a spiritually nurturing, academically rigorous, and emotionally supportive environment that enables you to learn effectively and grow into the person God has created you to be.

The ENGLISH+ program extends beyond the traditional classroom to provide international students with an authentic Canadian experience. 

• Community events engage students in Canadian culture
• Local and regional fieldtrips provide experiential learning
• Opportunities for growth and learning continue in school dormitories 

Caronport provides a high ratio of native English speakers to ESL students, guaranteeing an effective immersion environment. 

• Students live on a safe, inclusive campus
• Tobacco and alcohol are not available for purchase in Caronport
• All Briercrest students sign a contract to abstain from drugs and alcohol
• Fun and engaging social activities are open to anyone
• The small community allows you to get to know your peers 

International students live in the residence at the school 

• Unlike homestay programs, you live alongside your peers, which helps you integrate into the student body
• Nurturing dorm staff act as mentors and leaders
• Our dormitories are a five-minute walk from the main academic building, so that you can participate fully in co-curricular and social activities.

Registration, Application Process, and ESL Placement Exam

BCA requires students to have an intermediate level of English to be accepted as a student. All students for whom English is not their first and/or primary language are required to participate in an interview with our international program coordinator and write an ESL exam. 

The exam and interview measure your speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary skills. Students who do not meet the minimum language requirements will be encouraged to engage in further English study in their home contexts and to re-apply for BCA during the next intake. 

The Interview

After you have submitted all other application documents you will need to schedule a Skype interview with the international program coordinator. The interview will be approximately 15–20 minutes, made up of question set to examine your English speaking and listening levels, and get to know you better. 

The Exam

The ESL exam is written during the Skype interview. It consists of two parts: an online portion, for which you will be given login information, and an essay portion, for which you will be given a link to a writing prompt. 

Parents are our most important partners in education!

• Within the first two weeks of classes, the International Program Coordinator will email parents to outline the student's projected course load for the school year.  Our Coordinator will communicate with parents regularly throughout the year regarding the student's progress. Likewise, our coordinator will update parents if the student's course load needs to be adjusted to reflect the child's level of success in their classes.
• Our primary method of communication with parents is electronic. Parents can follow all aspects of their child's academic progress on our Learning Management System, Canvas: www.briercrestchristianacademy.ca/academics/canvas/. In addition, the BCA office communicates with parents via website updates, electronic newsletters, email and Canvas announcements.
• Parents are encouraged to communicate directly with our ESL teacher and our Coordinator should they desire a more detailed discussion about their child's progress.

The ENGLISH+ program consists of three components that work together to build success at BCA: academic, care, and travel. International/ESL students are enrolled in all three programs, though each may be tailored to your individual needs. 

Academic Plan

ENGLISH+ prepares you to excel academically by readying you to learn in a setting that is Western in style and immersed in English. 

The Academic Plan includes:

• Modified English classes
• ESL course preparation
• Private tutoring
• Student Study Centre
• IELTS & TOEFL exam preparation

Academic Pace

• Students who work hard and make significant progress in their ESL courses may, at the professional discretion of the course instructor, be able to advance more quickly through the ESL program
• Students who find language acquisition more challenging may be required to deepen their study of ESL through additional relevant coursework
• ESL students may not realistically be able to progress as quickly as native English speakers through the courses required for graduation and may need additional semesters at BCA in order to obtain their Saskatchewan Learning Grade 12 Diploma

Care Plan

Studying in a foreign country involves new challenges and may be especially difficult if you are far from family. BCA provides personal, cultural and spiritual care to support international students in this context.  

The Care Plan includes:

• Orientation to BCA and Canadian culture
• Airport pick-ups and drop-offs
• Assistance with making arrangements for family accommodation, as needed
• Immigration support
• Local shopping and errands
• Post-secondary application guidance and preparation 
• Coordinating social events including movies, games, cooking events, and cultural celebrations
• Communication with parents regarding academic, emotional, personal and spiritual well-being
• Connecting students to additional supports, as needed
• Mentorship

Travel Plan

Being part of the ENGLISH+ program means you get to travel across Canada taking part in local and regional fieldtrips. Trips and events are planned locally every month, and students go on longer, overnight trips once per semester. 

These trips are full of fun and learning, often including shopping, meals, and sight-seeing. The trips and events change each year and according to the group’s interests. Some past trips have included:

• Corn Maze 
• Laser Tag
• Moose Jaw Tunnels
• Saskatchewan Science Centre
• 5 pin bowling
• Escape rooms
• Canoeing
• Picnics in the park
• Gym nights
• Virtual reality rooms
• Rodeo

In addition to the above trips, optional trips are offered during the February and Easter extended school breaks. These trips are not included in the ENGLISH+ Program cost and are offered if there is sufficient student interest. Prices and trip destinations are adjusted and communicated on a yearly basis. 

We know that many international students choose to attend high school in Canada to prepare them to study at a North American or European university. This is certainly a priority of our students and all ENGLISH+ graduates have gone on to attend post-secondary. 

In recent years, Briercrest Christian Academy graduates have attended: *

• Briercrest College (SK, Canada)
• Dalhousie University (NS, Canada)
• McGill University (QC, Canada)
• Simon Fraser University (BC, Canada)
• Trinity Western University (BC, Canada)
• University of Alberta (AB, Canada)
• University of Victoria (BC, Canada)
• University of Waterloo (ON, Canada)
• Minot State University (USA)
• City University (Hong Kong)
• Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong)

In addition to these, graduates have been accepted to: *

• University of British Columbia (BC, Canada)
• University of Toronto (ON, Canada)
• King’s College London (UK)
• Royal Holloway University of London (UK)
• University College of London (UK)
• Warwick University (UK)

*Note that these aren’t complete lists and don’t represent all the schools that students are accepted to and attend.