The Queen's University International Centre (QUIC) has two services designed to assist degree students,
workers and their partners in improving conversation and pronunciation skills.
These services are free and provided by volunteers:
People who require formal English language training should contact
the Queen's University School of English.
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English Conversation Group
Our award-winning English Conversation Group meets every Thursday, 5 - 6:30 pm at the International Centre.
- The last meeting for academic year 2011-2012: June 7, 2012.
- After the Summer break, the Conversation Group will resume meetings in mid-September 2012.
The Group is intended to help degree students, workers and their partners who wish to improve their English grammar and pronunciation. Generally, the sessions include a group activity as well as small group discussions with volunteers.
The Group can be accessed on Facebook for event updates, session topics and photos. 
Students and staff (including spouses) are welcome to visit a group session at the QUIC any Thursday, 5 pm at the QUIC. Sign up is not required.
Here is what the Group facilitators have recenty told us: "Our topics range from the sublime and serious to the ridiculous and humourous. No matter what the theme, everyone laughs and enjoys themselves. In the past themes have ranged from staging mock debates in election years, to celebrating Chinese New Year by finding your perfect match according to the Chinese horoscope. We've discussed homesickness and culture shock, gotten dressed up for Hallowe'en, designed vacations for those wanting to flee winter, tackled stereotyping, gambling and old age. We love to have suggestions from our participants and are happy to design our sessions around them. With each topic we include a few related idioms, occasionally a pronunciation point and even a few songs during the semester. The scope of topics is as wide as the imagination."
The Group received the 2009 Queen's University Human Rights Office Initiatives Award in recognition of its long standing contributions to community building and support for international students.
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English Language Support One-on-One Assistance
Participants need to fill out the English Language Buddy Request and submit at the QUIC. Volunteers (Queen's students) work with learners for approximately one hour per week, focusing on conversation. Volunteers are not academic tutors or teachers, but they are friendly and competent in the English language. The individual assistance program runs mostly between September and April each year.
This program is available, free of charge, to researchers, scholars, postdoctoral fellows, students enrolled in degree programs and their families.
If you are interested in practising your English with a volunteer, please complete and submit the:
English Language Buddy RequestDo you have a question? Contact the program coordinator for more information.
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Volunteering with QUIC's English Language Support Program
If you are interested in volunteering with the English Language Support (ELS) program please complete and submit the application below:
Return the completed application to the main office of the Queen's University International Centre, JDUC (room 117).
Before you are matched with a Learner, it is important that you participate in both general and program specific training. During the program training session, you will have the opportunity to discuss the position, learn about resources that are available to you and review a volunteer contract.
An extensive volunteer resource site is available to assist you with planning and preparation.
