Immersion for business people

Our specialized language immersion program for business people whether private, semi-private or small groups (from 3-6) are tailored to the needs of the participants,. Our experience working with businesses in each of our centres since 1976 allows us to offer programs of the highest quality to the business community.

To business people around the world, BLI offers the following 3 programs:

Individual courses
These language courses are intended for administrators and employees who wish to rapidly improve the level of their English or French.

Semi-private courses
These language courses are intended for two participants at the same level, both of whom work for the same company and sign up for the same duration.

Small-groups courses-(3-6 participants)
The client organizes a group of participants at the same level. They are signed up for the same duration.

Additional information regarding the 3 programs

• The English immersion program is offered in Toronto and Montreal.
• The French immersion program is offered in Quebec City and Montreal.
• The minimum duration is one week.
• The recommended weekly duration is 30 to 60 hours distributed over 5 or 6 days (excluding Sunday).
• In order to maximize the immersion session, we recommend a pre-intermediate level or higher.
• Language Courses normally begin on Monday, but other arrangements are possible.
• The immersion session can begin at any time during the year (except statutory holidays), whatever the duration. BLI is open all year round to provide our clients with maximum flexibility.

Description of the program

Placement evaluation
When necessary, BLI suggests remote evaluation of candidates for placement in groups. Contact us for details. In any case, all candidates are evaluated on their arrival and departure using our own tests to determine their progress.

Questionnaire d'orientation
BLI requests that candidates complete a questionnaire(PDF File, 68 Kb). This will indicate to us in exactly what circumstances the candidate will be using the target language and, therefore, his or her specific needs. This questionnaire enables us to be ready and effective from the moment of the client's arrival.

Methods
Courses can be entirely oral, entirely written or a combination of the two. We employ the following methods:

• Basic methods (textbooks and cassettes) which serve as a framework for general progress in English and French;
• Methods for business English and French (textbooks, exercises, cassettes, videos);
• Methods for telephone English and French. We have observed that most of our clients have more difficulty speaking the target language on the telephone than in person. We use telephones in the classrooms to simulate clients' real telephone conversations;
• Phonetic correction (pronunciation, rhythm, enunciation, accent, intonation, inflection, etc.);
• Simulation in class of real work situations.

Adaptation to specific needs

BLI's policy is to adapt its services to the needs of the client rather than to impose a one-size-fits-all method. Consequently, any of the previous methods can be changed or replaced to suit the client's requirements. For this, we use the orientation questionnaire mentioned previously.

Professional requirements

BLI has numerous complementary methods and materials to meet the needs of professionals working in various fields: accounting, marketing, banking, finance, publicity, engineering, tourism, hospitality, food services, etc.

Levels

We offer 6 levels, from beginner to expert.

Levels 1 to 3: beginner to intermediate.
Level 4: advanced intermediate.
Levels 5 and 6: advanced and expert.

Time allocation

Using as an example our most popular language immersion program, a 40-hour private course, allocated as follows:

• 7 hours a day from Monday to Friday;
• 5 hours on Saturday;
• 2 instructors share the teaching and work as a team.

Instructors' qualifications

Our instructors all hold a diploma in second or foreign language teaching (ESL or EFL in the case of English and FLS or FLE in the case of French). Their work is supervised by a pedagogical advisor.

Accommodations

BLI suggests the following accommodations:

1. Host family, English or French as appropriate
2. Hotel
3. Apartment
4. University residence (mid-April to mid-August)
5. Bed & Breakfast

Most of our clients prefer to stay with a host family, which allows them to practice the target language when they are not actually studying at BLI.