Program Details
All Fall & Winter courses will only be offered online.
NAIT offers 6 levels of ESL. Levels 1, 2, and 3 are foundation-building courses for high-beginner to intermediate learners. Levels 4, 5, and 6 build academic English skills of intermediate to advanced learners. The program includes courses in Writing & Grammar, Listening & Speaking, and Reading & Vocabulary. Each course is taught by a different instructor. This allows you to experience different teaching styles and apply this to the post-secondary Canadian classroom or the workplace. Courses are available during the day.
What To Expect
Each term is 15 weeks long. The full-time program includes 4 hours of classroom instruction per day, Monday to Friday. Morning or afternoon schedules are available.
Entrance Requirements
- All students must apply online for NAIT's ESL program and then take the NAIT ESL online Placement Test.
- NAIT’s ESL Level 1 is not for absolute beginners. Students must have some ability in Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. Students who place below NAIT ESL Level 1 (equivalent to about CLB3) will not be eligible to register.
Tuition & Fees
Permanent Resident, Canadian Citizen
- $2,685.00 (full-time)
- $895.00 per course (per course)
International Students, Visitors, Temporary Workers
- $4,631.63 (full-time)
- $1,543.88 (per course)
Textbooks
- Approximately $400 (full-time)
Funding Options
Alberta Works funding is available to ESL students who are Alberta residents who are either a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or convention refugee. Find out more about eligibility and how to apply here.
Program Length
Program length is individual and will depend on your starting level and learning goals.
Intakes
Winter 2021:
January 5 – April 23, 2021
(Application and registration deadline is Tuesday, December 1st, 2020)
Spring 2021:
May 10 – August 20, 2021
(Application and registration deadline is Tuesday, April 6th, 2021)
Fall 2021:
September 7 – December 16, 2021
(Application/Cancellation/Deferral deadline is Tuesday, August 3rd, 2021)
Winter 2022:
January 5 – April 21, 2022
(Application/Cancellation/Deferral deadline is Wednesday, December 1st, 2021)
Spring 2022:
May 9 – August 18, 2022
(Application/Cancellation/Deferral deadline is Monday, April 4th, 2022)
Schedules:
- Morning 8:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.
Where It Can Take You
Students who pass Level 6 meet the English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirement for entrance into most NAIT certificate, diploma, or degree programs.
Conditional Admission
NAIT may grant ESL applicants conditional admission into the following programs:
To be eligible for conditional admission to these programs, applicants must:
- Have a score of 5.5 in IELTS (academic) or 70 in TOEFL iBT (not applicable to Business Administration applicants).
- Meet all the program’s entrance requirements other than English Language Proficiency and pay all fees and deposits by the deadlines.
- Place at ESL Level 5 or higher and apply for one of the programs listed above for a future intake. Prior to the start of the program, you must have completed ESL Level 6.
For example, a student who is scheduled to complete their ESL program in the Winter term would be eligible for conditional admission in the spring term.
How To Apply
- Make sure you meet the minimum entrance requirements for Conditional Admission listed above.
- Apply for either the Bachelor of Technology, Business Administration, or Bachelor of Business Administration program.
- Submit a separate application to ESL Level 6 for the term before the start date of your chosen program. ESL applications are submitted through NAIT Continuing Education.
- If you meet the requirements, you will receive a Conditional Admission into your program of choice.
- Keep up with your deadlines (enrolment, tuition, etc.) listed in your MyNAIT Portal.
Provisional Admission
NAIT may grant ESL applicants provisional admission into the following program:
To be eligible for the provisional admission to the program, applicants must:
- Meet all the program’s entrance requirements other than English Language Proficiency and pay all fees and deposits by the deadlines.
- Successfully completed ESL Level 5 or meet one of the other accepted English Language Proficiency requirements and apply for the Business Administration program above for a future intake.
How To Apply
- Make sure you meet the minimum entrance requirements for Provisional Admission listed above.
- Apply for the Business Administration program.
- If you meet the requirements, you will receive a Provisional Admission into your program.
- Keep up with your deadlines (enrolment, tuition etc.) listed in your MyNAIT Portal.
Take a quick lesson in English
All Fall & Winter courses will only be offered online.
Our 20-hour workshop-style courses allow you to focus on specific language needs. Improve your academic writing, or strengthen your pronunciation, listening, and speaking skills. Class sizes are small to ensure personal feedback from your instructor.
Current short course availability
Delivery Options: Online, Evening
Hours: 18
Fees: $295
Take the IELTS Academic English Language Test with confidence! Master tips and techniques that can help you improve your score, especially in the writing component, which tends to be the most...
View Course
Delivery Options: Evening, Online
Hours: 20
Fees: $205
Learn skills needed to write with confidence in academic settings. Learn structures and features of writing to communicate with coherence and unity.
View Course
Delivery Options: Evening, Online
Hours: 20
Fees: $205
Improve your overall English fluency by participating in this ESL listening and speaking class. Learn different communication strategies.
View Course
Delivery Options: Evening, Online
Hours: 20
Fees: $205
Prepare for the NAIT English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessment exam.
View Course
Delivery Options: Day, Online
Hours: 0
Fees: $175
The NAIT English Language Proficiency (ELP) Exam is for students applying to a NAIT credit program and need to submit proof of ELP as part of their application.
View Course
How to Apply and Enrol to ESL
Are You An International Student?
All Fall & Winter courses will only be offered online.
International students are students who either:
- Plan to study at NAIT for more than one Level of ESL and need a Canadian post-secondary study permit
- Plan to study at NAIT for only one level of ESL as a Visitor to Canada. Please meet with an advisor to find out more
International Students must apply online for NAIT's English as a Second Language (ESL) Program. International Students with a valid study permit are required to study full-time in NAIT's ESL Program.
Learn about the International Student Refund / Deferral Information
Minimum Language Requirements
The NAIT ESL program is not for beginners. Students must have some ability in English. To learn if you meet NAIT’s minimum language skills in Reading and Listening, you can take a free CLB online self-assessment. If you score lower than a CLB 3, you may not be ready to take ESL at NAIT. These results are not official and cannot be used for placement in NAIT’s ESL program. All students must take the NAIT ESL online placement test before they can enrol in classes.
How to Apply and Enrol to ESL