A new private language school in Moose Jaw, Sask. held its official grand opening with a multicultural meal for several dignitaries, students, and staff on Oct. 10.
A & L Royal Academy is a full-time school teaching English to international students through four three-month semesters per year, peppered with activities immersing them in Canada’s culture.
“This is my first time coming to Canada, and I really like life here,” said Patty Mohe, a 19-year-old student from China.
“We’ve learned some English reading, writing, speaking – many ways of English. And we also go out and have some activities,” she said, adding paintball is an activity she finds “very funny.”
Mohe has plans to go to high school and then university in Canada, and though she isn’t sure about what she’s going to study specifically, she does feel “confident,” in the trajectory she’s chosen – to learn English here first.
The school was started by a Toronto businessman named Wing Lam who moved to Canada from China 30 years ago. He struggled to find a language school when he moved here, thus creating the idea to open one.
“He went through high school here and experienced frustration learning the language and never forgot that,” said Jeff Mathison, principal of A & L Royal Academy.
Lam chose Moose Jaw because of its economic development opportunities and has visited Moose Jaw many times in the last few years, “He fell in love with the city,” Mathison said.
“We recruit our students from other countries – we have some students from China, some from Venezuela, to improve their English,” he said, “so they can further their education.”
Mathison said their goals are far from complete – in the 2020-21 school year, they hope to start a high school and add other programming in years after that.
“We’ll recruit students from around the world to study high school and they can graduate with a Saskatchewan diploma.”
Students are enrolled full-time in classes Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Along with learning English at A & L Academy, students are immersed in Canada’s culture.
“It’s very different studying English abroad. They’re immersed in English everywhere they go,” explained Mathison. “Our program is very intensive.”
Hannah Gao is a 23-year-old student from China, who has plans to take finance in university.
“I can practice a lot in speaking English and talking to people, make friends,” she said.
Gao said she’s enjoying Moose Jaw’s community, which she describes as a “small, quiet place.” Like Mohe, Her favorite activities have been the Terry Fox Run and paintball.
“People here are friendly. I’ve got a lot of help from people here,” Gao said.
There are five students enrolled now, and within two years, Mathison said the school hopes to have 175 students enrolled in the language school.
By year three, the hope is to have 90 students enrolled in their future high school program.
The Academy is located at 52 High Street West in the former RBC branch and has undergone extensive renovations to prepare for its opening.
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