Mount Allison University will be offering language training for international students again in 2023 through the Summer Pathway Program (SPP).

Launched in 2021 with funding from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and the New Brunswick Department of Post-secondary Education, Training, and Labour, the SPP is an English language, academic, and cultural immersion program for students who meet academic requirements at either Mount Allison or the New Brunswick Community College (NBCC), but do not meet the English proficiency requirements. Nearly 60 students have completed the program over the past two years and are now completing their post-secondary studies in New Brunswick.

Robin Walker, Mount Allison International Affairs Co-ordinator, is coordinating the program at Mount Allison. She says this new program is helping students transition to their university studies and to living in Canada.

“Every year we see many students who are fantastic students, but their English language skills are not always at the level needed to begin post-secondary studies,” she says. “The Summer Pathways Program has allowed us to partner with NBCC to provide comprehensive, level-specific English language training and cultural programming to students and work with them, so they are better prepared to begin their studies in New Brunswick.”
 

Second-year Bachelor of Commerce, Aviation student Alisher Gaziev from Ukraine completed the SPP program in 2021.He says the program helped greatly in his transition to Mount Allison and studies in Canada.
 
“The program really helped me mentally prepare for life at Mount Allison. Coming from Ukraine, I knew little about studying in Canada,” he says. “The Summer Pathways Program allowed me to connect with other students before coming to campus, improve my English, and learn more about Canadian culture and general knowledge and expectations for studying in Canada.
 
In addition to English language training, students will also be introduced to the history, culture, and geography of Atlantic Canada. Guest speakers on services and support available through Mount Allison, New Brunswick Community College and other local organizations in the region will also meet with students to focus on topics such as wellness and career counselling to prepare students for both their studies and future job opportunities. Each week, the program invited guest speakers to the virtual classroom so that students could hear from professionals in the region that work in industries such as immigration, business development, federal government, health care etc.   

"These sessions really helped students see what their options could be for potential employment in New Brunswick, and in many cases it allowed students the opportunity to network with future employers and build skills required to enter the labour market in the coming years” says Walker. 
 
This year’s SPP program will be offered online so students from around the world can complete before the start of the academic years at Mount Allison and NBCC. More information, including how to apply can be found at: https://mta.ca/academics/programs-and-degrees/pathway-programs/english-language-programs#ESPP