At the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB), we offer daytime and evening English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to adults 19 years of age and older.
Eligible students
Our ESL classes are available to:
- Canadian citizens
- Convention refugees
- Government sponsored refugees
- Individuals on a student visa
- Individuals on a work authorization
- Landed immigrants
- Refugee claimants
- Visitors to Canada
Class locations and times
We hold ESL classes at our Windsor Campus and Leamington Campus.
We offer classes on a full- or part-time schedule. Our student timetables are based on location, course availability and scheduling.
Windsor campus
- Morning classes: Five days per week from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
- Afternoon classes: Five days per week from 12:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.
- Evening classes: Two evenings per week (choice of Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday) from 6:45 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.
Leamington campus
- Afternoon classes: Five days per week (12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.)
Registration and fees
To register for our ESL program or for more information, call or visit our Windsor Campus from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 519-253-5006 ext. 11001, or our Leamington Campus from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 519-322-1688. We will provide you with your class start date upon registration.
Registration requirements
When registering, please prepare the following:
- Immigration status documents
- $10 activity fee
- Your Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment (assessment must have taken place within the past year)
Before placement, all students are assessed using the Canadian Language Benchmark Assessment, conducted by the Language Assessment and Resource Centre (LARC). Call us at 519-253-5006 ext. 11023 and we can help coordinate your assessment for you, or you can contact the Centre to set up your own assessment. A $75 assessment fee is required on the day of the assessment and will be credited to your tuition fee once you register.
Visit the LARC website to learn more about the assessment.
Tuition fees
Based on your immigration status, you may need to pay visitor tuition fees. Please provide proof of health coverage, or you can purchase coverage for $1.40 per day. All payments are cash only and should be paid before your start date.
- Day classes (five days per week, morning or afternoon): $398.15 per month
- Evening classes (two evenings per week): $159.25 per month
- Summer classes (four days per week, morning or afternoon): $296.30
ESL full-credit program
We also offer a full-credit program if you are in ESL programs and would like to continue your learning during the summer with additional ESL course levels.
These courses help further extend students' listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in English for school and for everyday life. They also help students with:
- Becoming informed citizens when participating in Canadian society
- Learning about the different programs and pathways toward your Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)
- Making new friends and feeling more comfortable re-entering high school
Program location and times
We offer the ESL full-credit program through virtual classes online. Classes take place Monday to Friday, from XX to XX [GECDSB to enter times], with a total of XX hours [GECDSB to enter number of hours] of learning per day.
Program levels available
We offer the following full-credit program levels:
- English as a Second Language (ESLC) - Level 3
- English as a Second Language (ESLD) - Level 4
- English as a Second Language (ELSE) - Level 5
Registration and fees
If you are a current GECDSB student, please register online through myBlueprint. If you are not currently enrolled in a GECDSB school, please complete our summer school online registration form.