Language lessons in Calgary

If you love being exposed to as many cultures and languages as possible, then Calgary is perfect for you. Located in the south of the Alberta province, Calgary is the third most diverse city in the country. This partly came as a result of the rising price of oil in the late 1990s and early 2000, which sparked an economic boom in the area, and caused the city to have one of the fastest populations in Canada.

Nowadays, almost 30 percent of the 1.4 million Calgarians are immigrants, so it should come as no surprise that more than 120 languages are spoken in the city. Among this wide variety of languages, English is the most commonly used, with 937,055 speakers according to the 2016 census. In second place we have Tagalog, one of the two official languages of the Philippines, with 40,960 total speakers. In third place is Punjabi with 38,840 speakers, closely followed by Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish and French.

As you can imagine, if you live in a multicultural city like Calgary, becoming multilingual can improve your life dramatically. Not only will your social life improve as you connect with more members of your local community, but you will also expand your mind and increase your employability in the area.

Where to study foreign languages in Calgary

If you are a language learner in Calgary, you’re in luck, as there are many excellent places to study in the city. Probably the most famous one is the University of Calgary, known for its prestigious language programs. At the university’s School of Languages, Linguistics, and Cultures you can study a vast array of languages such as Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, and even some of the Indigenous languages of Alberta.

However, enrolling in a university course is not for everyone. Fortunately, there are other options, such as visiting the Calgary Public Library, where you’ll find a lot of useful material such as language audio and e-books in many languages that will help you improve your communication skills.

Language exchange groups in Calgary

Every language learner knows that in order to capitalize on what you’ve learned, the best thing you can do is put your knowledge into practice by seeking real communication in the target language.  One of the best ways to do this is by attending a language meeting, where you’ll not only get to practice whatever language sparks your interest but also make new friends. Thanks to Calgary Bla Bla Language Exchange, you can do just that. This language group holds frequent events in local bars where you can meet people from all over the world who speak all sorts of languages. The events are completely free of charge, the only rule is you have to buy the host of the event a beer!

Cultural institutions and events in Calgary

One of the many advantages of living in a multicultural city like Calgary is that you get to immerse yourself in the traditions of many different communities without having to travel. To do this, there’s no event like the GlobalFest, an annual celebration of Calgary’s multi-cultural communities, where you can try international food, experience live performances, and enjoy the best music from all over the world. It features cultural pavilions that are scattered throughout Calgary, usually in various community halls, and is dedicated to celebrating, showcasing, and promoting Calgary’s cultural diversity. In short, this festival is the perfect opportunity to get a taste of all the vast communities that make the city such a distinctive destination.

Language jobs in Calgary

In addition to expanding your horizons and helping your social life to grow, learning a new language can be a great way to advance your career. In fact, many would argue that bilingualism is becoming an increasingly essential skill for anyone who wants to keep up with today’s global economy. Economic activity in Calgary is mostly centered on the petroleum industry, which means there are many job positions in oil and gas companies such as Business Development Manager, Analyst, and Crude Oil Scheduler. If you work in the Oil and Gas industry, learning Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Norwegian, Portuguese or Spanish is one of the best choices. These languages will help you build long-lasting professional relationships with people in international companies, especially from places like China, Russia, and Latin America, where not everyone speaks English.

No matter what type of career you’re seeking, learning a second language will make you more employable. For most job positions in the High tech Industry, for example, Mandarin Chinese is one of the languages most sought-after by companies. If you like Romance languages, you could also learn French which, being an official language in Canada, is bound to  bring you lots of jobs offers in most fields, especially in tourism.

However, if you want to go for a language that will make you stand out, then Arabic could be the perfect choice, as it’s among the least chosen by University students in CanadaAs a result, it could become that gold star in your CV that will land you a dream job in an international company.

Get started now!!!

Get one step closer to becoming multilingual right now! It doesn’t matter which language you want to learn, if you’re looking for a flexible, interactive course that will take your language skills to the next level, Listen & Learn is just for you! Contact us today and start your journey to become a proficient, fluent multilingual speaker.

First, take one of our free level tests so that we can assess your current language ability. You’ll be then paired up with one of our experienced native tutors who will design the language course that best suits your needs and interests! Lastly, send us a quick inquiry now and one of our team members will respond to you within 24 hours to answer all your questions about our language courses!