VESL Network

Welcome to the Volunteer ESL Tutor Training Project, referred to as VESL.

Since 2005, VESL has supported the professional development of volunteer ELL tutors throughout the city of Calgary. The project is supported by Calgary Learns with funding support provided by Alberta Advanced Education. VESL is the collaborative effort of three Calgary ELL service providers with long standing volunteer programs: Bow Valley College, the Calgary Public Library, and the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society. 

The project offers six face-to-face training workshops throughout the year that are offered free-of-charge to volunteers who support language learners in organizations throughout Calgary. 

The training VESL provides has been integral in offering added support to numerous volunteer programs and in building a community of volunteers who support one another through the sharing of ideas, insights, and knowledge. The result has been a project that has increased volunteers’ abilities to better address the needs of the learners they support.

In 2015, VESL was the proud recipient of the Calgary Learns Life of Learning Award (LOLA) in the category of Learning Communities. 

  • VESL Network
  • VESL Network
  • VESL Network
  • I learn so many valuable techniques and ideas in the VESL workshops and I use them in my tutorials. I wouldn’t miss the workshops for anything!
    Workshop participant
  • I’ve participated in several of these workshops and enjoyed them all. Not only can you learn new ideas and techniques, but they can affirm one’s own approaches which is very constructive and rewarding.
    Workshop participant

Upcoming Events View all

Tuesday May 1, 2018

VESL Workshop: Conversation Ideas for Low-level Learners
6:00pm to 8:30pm

Upcoming VESL Training

Participate in our upcoming workshops

Since 2005, VESL has offered free training workshops to volunteers working with English language learners.

VESL workshops support the growth and development of the volunteer ELL community in Calgary and provide volunteers with the opportunity to connect with each other. VESL workshops are practical and hands-on and provide you with the strategies, tutoring tips, and resources that you can use in your tutoring sessions.

Contact your volunteer coordinator to register.

For more information, contact Shelagh Lenon: slenon@bowvalleycollege.ca

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Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Verb Tense Refresher

Tuesday, March 6, 2018
6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Bow Valley College,
North Campus
332 6 Avenue SE
Room N428

In this workshop, you will explore some common English verb tenses and learn some strategies and activities to use with your learners.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Using Music & Singing

Tuesday, April 10, 2018
6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Bow Valley College,
North Campus
332 6 Avenue SE
Room N428

Music can play an important part in language learning. In this workshop, you will learn about benefits, techniques., and activities for using music and songs.

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Conversation Ideas for Low-level Learners

Tuesday, May 1, 2018
6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Bow Valley College,
North Campus
332 6 Avenue SE
Room N428

Learn strategies and activities for engaging beginner language learners in conversational English.

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Verb Tense Refresher

Tuesday, March 6, 2018
6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Bow Valley College,
North Campus
332 6 Avenue SE
Room N428

In this workshop, you will explore some common English verb tenses and learn some strategies and activities to use with your learners.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Using Music & Singing

Tuesday, April 10, 2018
6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Bow Valley College,
North Campus
332 6 Avenue SE
Room N428

Music can play an important part in language learning. In this workshop, you will learn about benefits, techniques., and activities for using music and songs.

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Conversation Ideas for Low-level Learners

Tuesday, May 1, 2018
6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Bow Valley College,
North Campus
332 6 Avenue SE
Room N428

Learn strategies and activities for engaging beginner language learners in conversational English.

Workshops

Tutor Tips

Get a new idea, activity, or resource

The VESL Tutor Tips document is a collection of activities and games created by ELL instructors who have faciliated previous VESL workshops. 

Tutor Tips

Do you have an activity or idea you would like to share with other volunteers? Have you found an interesting book or website to share? Contact us and let us know about it.

Stories from the BlogView Centre blog

Interested in Volunteering?

Learn about volunteer opportunities
Bow Valley College

Volunteers participate as ELL classroom assistants on weekdays and evenings. Volunteers also participate in small group tutoring with immigrant seniors on Tuesday or Thursday. 

Contact Joanne Robarts, Volunteer Facilitator jrobarts@bowvalleycollege.ca

Calgary Catholic Immigrant Society

This program matches volunteer tutors with immigrant seniors who want to learn basic English and/or improve their English language skills. 

Contact Marion Christensen, Senior Connections Program Coordinator sreduc@ccis-calgary.ab.ca

Calgary Public Library

Volunteers participate in the ESL Conversation Club for new Canadians with intermediate speaking and listening skills hosted at different library branches. 

Contact Azmin Poonja, Volunteer Resources Manager  Azmin.Poonja@calgarypubliclibrary.com

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