What is Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC)?
Are you new to Canada? Do you want to learn English? We offer free full-time and part-time LINC classes for landed immigrants and refugees, where you can learn to speak English as a Second Language. Our qualified instructors will teach you how to read, write, listen, and speak in English.
Is childcare available?
Childcare services are available free of charge to LINC students, for children aged 12 months to 11 years.
Which Canadian Language Benchmarks are available at CIES?
LINC students are assessed through Portfolio-Based Language Assessment (PBLA), a classroom-based language assessment using Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB). We offer the following Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB):
Foundation L, CLB 1L, CLB2L, CLB3L, CLB4L, Pre-CLB, CLB1, CLB2, CLB3, and CLB4. If you are looking for CLB5-8 please check out our English Online classes.
To be eligible for PBLA assessments, full-time students must attend at least 80% of their classes, for a minimum of 4 months (6 months for part-time students). For more information on PBLA please visit www.language.ca.
When is it?
Each session length is based on the number of hours students spend in class. Students can join even if a semester has started (and space is available) but might have to wait until the next semester for testing/moving up a level.
Semester Schedules
Full-Time semesters
- April 1 – August 2, 2019
- August 6 – November 22, 2019
- November 25, 2019 – March 31, 2020
Part-Time (Morning/Afternoon/Evening) semesters
- April 1 – September 30, 2019
- October 1, 2019 – March 31, 2020
Part-Time (Weekend) semesters
- April 1, 2019 – March 31, 2020 (only 1 semester)
| LINC Class Schedule (Check preferred location for class availability) | |||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
| Full-Time Students | 8:30AM – 2:45PM | 8:30AM – 2:45PM | 8:30AM – 2:45PM | 8:30AM – 2:45PM | 8:30AM – 11:45AM | — | — |
| Part-Time Students (Morning) | 8:30AM – 11:30AM | 8:30AM – 11:30AM | 8:30AM – 11:30AM | 8:30AM – 11:30AM | 8:30AM – 11:30AM | — | — |
| Part-Time Students (Afternoon) | 2:30PM – 5:30PM | 2:30PM – 5:30PM | 2:30PM – 5:30PM | 2:30PM – 5:30PM | 2:30PM – 5:30PM | — | — |
| Part-Time Students (Evening) | 6:00PM – 9:00PM | 6:00PM – 9:00PM | 6:00PM – 9:00PM | 6:00PM – 9:00PM | 6:00PM – 9:00PM | — | — |
| Part-Time Students (Weekend) | — | — | — | — | — | 8:30AM – 2:15PM | 8:30AM – 2:15PM |
Semester Breaks
| Stampede Break (2 weeks)
July 2nd, 2019 – July 15th, 2019 |
Christmas Break (2 weeks)
December 23rd, 2019 – January 3rd, 2020 |
Where is it?
This program is offered at the following locations:
What is the cost?
This program is offered for free with no registration fees. LINC students must provide their own classroom supplies.
Parking is available to LINC students for $30.00 per month (full-time) or $15.00 per month (part-time).
How do I join?
Requirements / Eligibility
To join this program you must meet the following eligibility:
- Must be a Permanent Resident of Canada (PR), a Convention Refugee, a Protected Person under IRPA, or a person selected to become PR with approval from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
- Must be over 18 years of age
- Must have completed placement test at ILVARC or other IRCC-accredited Canadian Language Benchmarks assessments or placement tests.
Joining this program
To join this program, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Complete an English Language Test
Book an appointment for an English language test. You can do this by contacting ILVARC at the following:
Immigrant Services Calgary / ILVARC
#1200, 910 7th Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2P 3N8
Phone: 403-265-1120
Fax: 403-266-2486
Email: info@immigrantservicescalgary.ca
Step 2: Get an Official Referral Form
Book an appointment for an Official Referral Form You can do this by contacting ILVARC at the following:
Immigrant Services Calgary / ILVARC
#1200, 910 7th Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2P 3N8
Phone: 403-265-1120
Fax: 403-266-2486
Email: info@immigrantservicescalgary.ca
Tell them you are interested in doing this program.
Step 3: Bring your Language Results and Referral Form
Bring your Language Results and Referral Form to our location during regular office hours. Do not come later than 30-minutes before the end of the day as we may not have time to complete your registration.
Step 4: Wait for your spot
After you have provided your forms and completed the registration, receive a copy of the “While You Wait” document and wait for your call to start class.
What If I Have Other Questions?
If you have any questions about this program, fill out the contact form below.