Before you arrive
Do a free, online test to assess your English or French skills and find out if you need language training.
Once you know your skill level and you need to improve your language skills, you could:
take an English or French language course in your home country before you move to Ontario
use free online resources to learn to speak and read in English or French, such as Learning English with the CBC
English or French as a Second Language classes (ESL/FSL)
You can take an English or French as a Second Language (ESL/FSL) class through the Government of Ontario’s Adult Non-Credit Language Training Program.
Classes are available:
during the day, at night or on weekends
for people with beginner to advanced skill levels
You don’t have to pay for classes. School boards may charge a small fee for registration or supplies.
Eligibility
To be eligible for an ESL or FSL course, your first language must not be English.
You must also either be:
a naturalized Canadian citizen
a permanent resident
a Convention refugee
a refugee claimant
an approved Provincial Nominee
a foreign domestic worker admitted under the Live-In Caregiver Program
Government of Canada language classes
If you are a permanent resident of Canada or a protected person, you can take the Government of Canada’s language training programs:
Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program for English
Programme de Cours de langue pour les immigrants au Canada (CLIC) program for French
Get started
Contact your local CLARS Language Assessment Centre (found below) to find out what language training you need. They will refer you to language training programs.