English Conversation Partners Program
The English Conversation Partners Program is a unique cross-cultural experience that pairs SAIT students who speak English as an additional language (EAL) with a student, alumnus/a or employee who is fluent in English.
Join the program as an EAL student
Improve your spoken English. Meet new people. Share cultural experiences.
Connect with your community while practicing your English skills! The English Conversation Partners Program is open to SAIT students in any program. Students must have a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark Assessment (CLB) 7 or IELTS Band 5.
Students may be waitlisted depending on the number of available volunteer partners.
EAL student registrations for the Fall 2023 semester are now closed. Registrations for the Winter 2024 semester will open on Dec. 11, 2023.
Join the program as a volunteer
Expand your global perspective. Build community. Support student success.
Take part in a memorable cross-cultural experience while helping a SAIT student practice their English language skills!
Volunteers can be students in any program, alumni or SAIT employees. You must be fluent in English, ready to share your Canadian cultural experiences and learn about other cultures.
Participating as a student volunteer in the program is a recognized co-curricular activity.
Volunteer registrations for the Fall 2023 semester are now closed. Registration for the Winter 2024 semester will open on Nov. 20, 2023.
Program details
Program participants can expect to connect with their conversation partners for about one hour of informal conversation each week throughout the semester.
There is no formal schedule or method for conversation. Meet in person. Use MS Teams, Zoom or a phone call. Chat once a week or every day. Exchange recipes, talk books or share travel experiences. We’ll provide some conversation starters and other helpful tools.
EAL students will be asked to complete an entry and exit survey and all participants will be asked to complete a semester-end survey.
ℹ️ This program is not a tutoring or counselling service. If you are in need of these services, please contact Academic Coaching, Tutoring or Student Development and Counselling.