Angel Yuan is our teacher at Key Language. To catch up with group classes that had already started…read moreI had two one-on-one lessons, then joined the class. It was obvious from the first one-on-one session that she was a first class teacher. Angel standards are high, it reflects in the level of teaching! With a high competency in English, this transfers into making the Mandarin relevant for day to day use. The material from Key Language is detailed on the structure of the language, good vocabulary, and relevant exercises that push you, and enable you to bring together what is being taught in each module. Angel is an enthusiastic teacher, personable, patient, and thorough. I have come to realize that learning Chinese requires hard work, but it is not hard to learn! This 5 star review is fully earned, and justified.

I am fluent in Cantonese and English and I have been a REALTOR in Alberta for 23 years and recently…read moremoved to Greater Vancouver where I found learning Mandarin is a must. So I search on line and found this course called "Mandarin for REALTOR" by Key Language Training. The material in this course are 100% tailor made for REALTOR. I learned a lot of vocabulary and conversation, the key to success like everything else, we got to practice, practice and practice.

This is a review for the Japanese General Level 1 language course…read more Currently halfway through the course (week 4) but so far, the course has been amazing! Class size maxes out at 10 people so classes are intimate and you get to know your fellow classmates. Apparently the course still runs if minimum 2 people are registered in the course! Price remains the same but it's considered semi-private lessons and are 1.5 hours long. If 3 or more people register, it goes back to being 2 hours long. Yoshiko, our instructor, is fabulous, always making sure we understand before moving on to the next part of the lesson. Classes are a blend of conversational and writing, 60/40 mix. For the Japanese General courses, they cover two chapters of GENKI I textbook (textbook has 12 chapters, good for the first 6 levels of Japanese at IH!). By the end of level 1, we are suppose to know hiragana, katakana and also be introduced to kanji! It's no cakewalk, do expect to put in some effort but it's totally worth it! I've taken many language courses in high school, undergrad and continuing ed (e.g. french, mandarin, latin) but this course is my favorite hands down! Because the course is during November/December session, it is only 7 weeks long instead of the regular 8 weeks (due to Christmas break). Regardless, 2 chapters are still going to be covered! Price is reasonable, $195+tax and textbook if you don't have your own copy (+ $75). In regards to the admin staff, I have had no problems with them. Course registration was painless, and they were able to provide me with an official invoice/receipt for work purposes. Overall I am extremely happy with the quality of language instruction and small intimate class sizes. It's also located at a convenient location downtown, close to Stadium-Chinatown skytrain station. That being said, I'm definitely continuing on to Level 2 in the new year =D

Took an intro Mandarin course thinking it'd be an easier transition coming from a Cantonese…read morebackground. The entire operation was pretty smooth from registration through to the end of the course. Registration online is easy. However, I would recommend that they differentiate International House Vancouver (ihvancouver.com) offering more than just language training -- homestays, volunteering, work experience, etc. from the modern languages area (languages-vancouver.com). Both are based out of the same office, but becomes confusing for those looking for just one or the other. A quick assessment test over the phone pretty much determines which level you would be appropriate for. The curricula are set up so that you can progress at your own pace since it is a rolling schedule. The classes themselves are small with (based on my observation) student-teacher ratios no more than 15:1. This is essential to getting enough attention from the teacher especially in the critical level 1 classes where you're learning the foundations of a language. Classes can be as small as 3 but I've never seen classes larger than 15. The instructors (which really make up the majority of your experience with the school) are great. I've only ever had one but the quality of instruction is on par with what you'd experience at a continuing ed course at a local college or university. The program also offers instructor feedback which indicates they take their quality of instruction seriously. I'm already signed up for level 2 but I encourage anyone looking to learn or improve their language skills to give IH a good hard look. They provide solid teaching & structured learning for good value vs. other institutions in the city.

I had a very positive learning experience at DEA Canadian College. The college provides a…read moreprofessional teaching environment, supported by modern technology and knowledgeable, well-trained instructors. I learned a great deal about ECEA during my time there. I would especially like to express my sincere appreciation to my teacher, Miss Arezoo. She is an exceptional instructor who teaches clearly, professionally, and effectively. Her guidance helped me learn a lot and made my experience even more valuable. Thank you, DEA Canadian College, for your support and quality education.

From the owner: DEA Education Centre is the best language school in North Shore. It's a professional language…read moreschool that provides instruction in English, French, Spanish, Mandarin,and Farsi. We also have Language classes for kids. English language skill courses are an integral part of our program. They are designed to complement the morning courses, covering specific areas of English or academic study. These courses are for students who need to learn the communication skills needed in a variety of professional and work situations; and, most importantly, they are for students who want to learn more English, more quickly. They are the perfect solution for those who need to refresh their knowledge of English or improve their performance in particular areas necessary to their professional career or academic goals. The courses offered are: Speaking Development - Everyday situations, Speaking Development: - Discussion, Listening Development, Vocabulary Development, Pronunciation Development, Writing Development, and Higher / Advanced Skills Development.

This dump is neither neither a school or an academy. it claims it has accreditation by the…read moreMinistry of Advanced Education and many courses are being taught - but tits not true. The owner is one person with his wife and they do not have the proper qualifications or personality to run a good and decent business or act truly professional. It's got a pretty website but the place is a wreck and not fit for human traffic. As a student I was in hot (no air conditioning) or cold (no heat during most of winter) room and there is old computer equipment in a broken down building with electrical problems and ceiling tiles falling down and never replaced, paint peeled along the walls, streaked with red walls, garbage kind of smell, noisy students along the halls who litter, yelling from an office at the front of the hall and the building has NO PARKING!.... Don't waste your time!!!! I wish I knew that beforehand. Even the Canada Gateway consulting (his partner/wife) needs a reality check - unprofessional and arrogant. His business literally has "THROWN UP" allover the place with posters, signs, balloons, boards, stand up signs (at his parking area, wall, lobby door, outside and inside, windows..), postings about his business. NEWSFLASH! You don't own the building and you don't run the city! Pedestrians and business owners are probably sick of this display of monopoly of signage from the front, side, back windows everywhere. Get a reality check buddy! You are not the only business in the city! You don't have the right to post everywhere and allover place. Imagine if everyone did what they wanted - this city would be the ugliest in the world if that continued.

As a GRE Testing centre, this place is more than adequate. It's in reasonably good repair; I mean…read moreit's an old building that's kind of ugly on the outside, I've definitely seen comparable buildings back on UBC. This building is on the corner of two busy streets (Lonsdale and 15th), so there is some traffic noise from the occasional bus and emergency vehicle, otherwise noise seems fine. I did come here in November, there weren't any strange smells, pests or anything like that. In fact, they share the space with a Young Drivers classroom, so realistically speaking, the building can't be in that bad shape. This centre features 3 classrooms, it seems, with 8 computers. Since the GRE is now computer based, I can safely say that the computers work reasonably well. They're not amazing, but then again, I'm not playing AAA games or rendering a video on them. They ran the test flawlessly. Classrooms look pretty standard, painted walls, wooden flooring and tables, the environment is by no means rundown. Bathroom facilities are shared with the entire building, and they are rather old, but again, they're functional and clean, so no complaints there. While I can't comment on the pedagogical strategies by the instructors or owners, they seemed nice enough.