How would you like to study in a place where you can have the choice of skiing or sailing on the same day? Where you can see wildlife such as deer, bears, eagles and whales? Where you can enjoy a beautiful winter in a sea of powder snow in one city or the mildness of no snow at all in another city? Where the majestic mountains and the Pacific Ocean meet to create breath-taking scenery?

If these ideas are grabbing your interest, then you should consider beautiful British Columbia, Canada as your study abroad destination - we have a nature-lover’s playground right in our back yards!

Contrary to common belief, not all Canadians live in igloos! In fact, in cities like Vancouver, you can enjoy both warm winters and summers. In wintertime, the temperature is pleasant at around 0º and it rarely snows in the city. Summertime is warm and balmy at temperatures of 25º and higher. And not to forget springtime, for which coastal cities such as Vancouver and Victoria are famous for their beautiful blossoming trees, blooming flowers and manicured gardens. This year in particular, with the climate changes el nifio has brought, spring is already here!

In addition to the agreeable climate, Vancouver boasts a wonderful multi-cultural community in which you are sure to find restaurants, theatres, nightclubs, shops and other amenities from nearly every ethnic background. As well, tourism is an industry in which Vancouver takes great pride. We welcome thousands of guests from all parts of the world, year-round. British Columbia, overall, has so much to offer its visitors. From the quaintness of classic Victoria, through Vancouver with its big-city flair and small-town friendliness, to the relaxing and picturesque beauty of the Interior’s wine-country, there is a city to study in to meet anyone’s liking and interests. And all this comes at a very affordable price to the international student. With the Canadian dollar being approximately 35% below the American dollar’s value, BC has become a choice destination for students from around the world.

Having become such an attractive place to study, Vancouver, and other cities throughout BC, offer a large number of excellent schools to choose from, each with its own special focus. Whether your interest is in exam preparation, strict academic focus, conversational English, English and excursions or English for special purposes, you’re sure to find a school of high standards suitable to your needs. With such a great number of choices, it is advisable to explore the options available to you at each institution and in each city, then choose the school and destination which fit you best.

The list of reasons really is endless as to why British Colombia is a perfect choice for your study-abroad experience - however, the best way for you to find out is to experience it for yourself. We welcome you to discover this enticing part of Canada and encourage you to embark on your own adventure of study and play in beautiful British Columbia!

For more information, please contact us through our website: http://www.csli.com

e-mail: esl@csli.com or at our address of #88 - 1155 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC, V6E 1B5

Tel: (604) 683-2754 - Fax: (604) 683-8667

The Author: Michelle Balogh, Manager, C.S.L.I. English Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada

This article first appeared in Studying Abroad LA2