English Language Institute

Not available.

Sheng

When I studied in ELI, all my instructors were kind and patient to me, and provided me lots of useful information to enhance my English skills. Though I stayed here only for two months, I made many international friends, and I believed my English became better, especially speaking and listening. Thanks for giving me precious memories and experiences in Vancouver!

Eric Trying

Such a shame... just don't go! Worst experience ever, homestay is just dangerous... most of them peoples having issues.

Etienne Blais-Longtin

*BE CAREFUL* #1 Always switch on a surveillance camera with motion detector in your room when you leave your homestay. I attended the Explore Program administered by The English Language Institute (ELI) at UBC, and unfortunately, my experience was deeply disappointing and traumatizing. During my stay in Vancouver this spring I was placed in a homestay family on 7th Avenue in Kitsilano where I encountered highly concerning issues. The family provided inadequate basic nourishment, and on Monday, June 10, I recorded an incident where the host mother intruded into my room and rifled through my belongings without permission. Despite her assurances that she would not enter guests’ rooms, this breach of trust and of rules was captured on video. Which she was denying… Additionally, the host mother made many racist remarks about Asian individuals. This family has been a homestay family in Vancouver for the past 14 years and has been primarily hosting students of diverse Asian origins. I urge anyone considering participating in the Explore Program or staying with a homestay family to be extremely cautious. My host family on 7th Ave in Kitsilano may still be receiving students, and I fear that others may face similar issues. I hope my experience can help others avoid such a distressing situation.

Yang Erlang 杨二郎 (巨厨 Huge-Cook)

Hi ELI rep, I can not find a replay function on Google. So I decide to reply your response by editing my review here. What you responded to my review today was not really relevant to my review. All the schools have similia sets of procedures, and what you listed were regular & some are even minimum requirements for an education facility. These procedures/facts have nothing to do with wether an international student can have a good study experience and outcome. And if you felt sorry, you should feel sorry about my time at ELI wasn't up to MY schooling standard instead of not matching ELI's "Usual Standards". I feel the way that you were asking me to email your facility to improve your operations do make me feel that your action was selfish. I am still feeling that the school are putting your interest on top of mine, which is the same feeling like what I had back in ELI. My experience at ELI was 2008 June - December, which may not apply to the current ELI. I am 29 years old now and when I look back my time in life, the time at ELI was truly one of the worst period of my life so far. I still can not pass the upside feelings during the time at ELI and that was why I opened google and wrote an review. I am very sorry that my review is too late and may make people misunderstood about the current ELI when people try to see the reviews on Google. I really want to make one point: the main reason makes me feel ELI is the worst school ever is the whole school/system/requirements was designed for someone who only visit Vancouver/UBC for fun experience. All of my friends back there were all expecting to have some serious training on English and help us to get into UBC or other North American universities. None of us felt ELI was helpful. This is how I felt back in days. Things may changed a lot at ELI now. Somewhat the response from you still make me feel like it hasn't changed. I am not sure whether my feeling is correct since I am no longer a student any more. Above is my final review/opinion for ELI, I am sorry that I can not corporate with you by email you my opinions. I will not list detailed facts that reflect ELI's practices conflict my study goals due to the reason I had made my main point and your previous response was not really relevant. I will not response further discussion, and please feel free to leave your comments. Thanks! BELOWS was my original review on Aug 13, 2019: I should rate this place as Zero Star, however, due to the fact this is no Zero Star, so I will rate this place One Star. I had attended to 8 different schools from 2008 to 2016 at Vancouver as an international student. The ELI is the worst among them all, and I would think this is the worst school I have ever attended in my life. Regardless the tuition is very high, the teachers, the staffs and even policies did not benefit international students. Me and my friends over there, most of us did not get what we expected to learn. The students who had good outcome from this school are only those ones who did not need English training. For the one I knew that requires English training, I did not know anyone learn what they expected at this place. And the school will frustrate you at the very beginning to put you in a low level class so that they can collect the most tuitions. The teachers must fail certain students due to they need to collect the most tuitions. So... wether you will pass the course only depends on your teacher's target, not your English skills. Good luck for us that we learn this only after failing. Furthermore, two of the worst teachers I ever experienced are from this school. I wondered there was no qualification to be an English teacher there.