English school in Vancouver: St Giles International

Danick Rotzetter

St Giles International, Vancouver
Duration: 22 weeks

For professional purposes but also for purely practical reasons, I decided to learn English. It didn’t take me long to choose Canada as a destination, since it is where I am from. As I was researching the main Canadian cities, Vancouver came my way. At that time, I wasn’t sure why but I chose that city immediately. The St Giles International school is located north of Downtown Vancouver, steps from the Ocean, Waterfront station, but also 10 minutes’ walk from famous Stanley Park: an ideal location. The staff is very friendly, dynamic and has sound teaching knowledge and experience.

The school also organises extracurricular activities during the week in order for us to have a good time together after classes and to get to know each other, but also to practise English as much as possible. Vancouver is an extraordinary city from a geographical point of view, as it is located on the edge of the Ocean, at the foot of the mountains and just miles from the USA (2-hour drive to reach Seattle). Everything was close-at-hand, whether the beach in the summer, the 2010 Olympics ski tracks in Whistler - two hours away by car - in the winter, the parks, mountains, forest, not to mention the pubs and nightclubs available throughout the year. The Vancouver inhabitants are always hospitable and ready to help you when you are lost or in need of advice, no problem at all. This experience is simply unforgettable for me: discovering a new country and its culture but also people from various countries and as many different cultures. I said that I didn’t know why Vancouver drew my attention, now I know: it is simply one of the most beautiful cities in the world that I ever had the chance to visit!

Alizée Ducret

St Giles International, Vancouver
Duration: 3 months 

I spend 3 months in Vancouver at St Giles International school. It was awesome! I lived in a very good hostfamily in a big house with another very friendly student from Brasil. It was a little bit far, but the bus system is perfect so I could take the bus every 4 minuts! The school was very good. It's a small school in the centre of the city. There is everything near the school. At school the atmosphere is perfect! There are students from all over the world and you can speak with everybody! It's really great! The teachers are really friendly and competent. It's always a pleasure to learn english. We can also go out with our teachers thanks to the activities organized by school. You can go to a famous pub downtown or also play bowling with us! Every week the school organizes activities. You can see hockey games or soccer, and even visit the city around Vancouver, sometimes during 4 days!

Jonathan Arimondi

St Giles, Vancouver
Duration: 12 weeks

I had the chance to spend three months at St. Giles School, in Vancouver. Arriving in a new place is never easy, but I quickly started feeling more comfortable when I met my host family and some new friends. I lived with a Colombian family, close to the airport; I was a bit far from the city centre, but the family was amazing and they had two adorable daughters. Apart from myself, the family always hosted another student. I lived with three different ones during my stay. The school was pretty small and everyone knew each other; I really liked that. I often stayed with the same group of friends, but little by little they all went back to their home countries; it wasn’t easy to say goodbye to them, but our relationships were strong and I am sure that one day we will meet again. The teachers were very attentive and they didn’t hesitate to move students to higher levels when appropriate. That was my case: I improved very quickly and changed levels twice. I think that the fact that groups are so small makes the learning process faster and more effective. The teachers are really good, in my opinion. Vancouver is very safe and clean; even cleaner that Switzerland! People are open, they help each other and talk even if they don’t know each other. There are students from all over the world and meeting people is very easy, even in the street! There are plenty of things to do, from shops to parties. Seattle is only two hours away, so you should definitely go!

The cost of living is quite high, but I don’t regret a single penny, because it has been an unforgettable experience. I would like to come back with a working visa.

Greetings from Canada!