(A) Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) 

• Full-time, part-time day, evening and weekend LINC classes from Literacy to Level 7 available 7 days a week
• FREE TTC Tokens for eligible applicants upon application
• FREE Childminding Program for children aged 18 months to 6 years (up to 12 years for night and weekend classes)
• Computer-assisted learning

1. Objective & Eligibility

With funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, LINC is a language training program offered at no cost to newcomer adult learners since 1992. The objective of the LINC Program is to provide English language instruction to adult immigrants to facilitate their social, cultural, economic and political integration into Canada. To be eligible, applicants must:

1. Be an adult immigrant 18 years of age or over;
2. Be a permanent resident, convention refugee or a newcomer allowed to remain in Canada to whom Citizenship and Immigration Canada intends to grant permanent resident status;
3. Have their language ability rated by an assessment centre.

To obtain an English assessment appointment, please call the YMCA Assessment Centre at 416-925-5462.

2. Program Features

Distinctive features of the program include:

1. Transportation assistance for needy students upon application;
2. Provision of free childminding service while parents attend classes;
3. Flexible class schedule 7 days a week catering to individual needs;
4. Access to a computer laboratory facilitating interactive learning;
5. Experienced and committed teachers adopting student-centred approaches in the learning process;
6. Access to settlement orientation, information and awareness services, as well as welcoming communities programming at all LINC sites.

To facilitate language learning through multimedia, two of our LINC class locations have a computer laboratory equipped with 21 computers to facilitate computer-assisted learning. The variety of software available makes the learning of the English language and cultural knowledge interactive and fun.

As the LINC Program aims to facilitate the integration of newcomers, special events are regularly organized to enrich our students’ understanding of the Canadian way of life. These include field trips to community resources such as public libraries, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, as well as cultural events and festivals like the maple syrup festival and visits to national parks.

On a regular basis, we organize class presentations to pass on updated settlement information to our students.  Sessions on financial planning, health awareness and workers’ safety and insurance have been organized in the past.  As well, we have run flu shot clinics in conjunction with the West Hill Community Health Centre for the benefit of our newcomer students.

For details about the LINC Childminding Service, click HERE to download the flyer.

3. Locations & Class Schedule

Currently, a total of 43 full-time and part-time classes operate out of our three LINC sites in Scarborough:

For details of the LINC Class Schedule at various sites, click HERE to download the information sheet.

4. Integrated Settlement Services for Newcomers

Clients and students coming from different source countries help make our LINC Centre a multicultural hub.  The key languages spoken by our LINC students include Dari/Pashto, Hindi, Persian/Farsi, Arabic, Spanish, Tamil and Urdu.

In order to link up our newcomer students to settlement support and information, CICS settlement workers provide supportive counselling services out of our 3 LINC Centres.  On a regular basis, our LINC clients are invited to join information sessions on a variety of settlement topics and attend Job Search Workshops on site.  Our newly established Host Program helps match the newcomer students with volunteers to encourage community participation and engagement. Our LINC students are informed of the variety of CICS educational and recreational community service programming organized for children, youth, families, seniors and women.

5. The LINK Student Club

Objective, Eligibility & Activities
The LINK Student Club is open to all CICS LINC students and is set up to meet the perceived needs of newcomers. The objective of the Student Club is to encourage networking and interaction between graduates, former students and current students of our LINC program. It is hoped that the club can provide opportunities for our LINC students to gather together to have fun and friendship, to share information on job search and other settlement issues, and to use their talents and strengths in serving the community. Reunion parties, outings, English conversation groups and interest classes are among the activities organized for members of the student club.

For general information and eligibility, click HERE for the flyer.

Student Club Membership Application
Student Club Membership registration is ongoing. Anyone who is currently a CICS LINC student or those who have left our program but were once our LINC students are welcome to register any time. For membership application, click HERE to download an application form. Completed forms can be returned to the CICS front desk at various locations, faxed to 416-299-7898, or emailed to Jessica Kong at j.fu@cicscanada.com.  Please write “CICS Student Club Membership Registration” on the subject line of your email.

(B) English as a Second Language (ESL) Classes

1. ESL Classes
These classes are available in the community for everyone including newcomers and citizens who wish to improve their English skills. In conjunction with the Toronto Catholic District School Board, classes are held in various TTC-accessible community sites in Scarborough in addition to a number of class locations in schools. For the times and locations of these ESL classes, please click HERE.

2. Citizenship Classes
In conjunction with the Toronto Catholic District School Board, clients are referred to citizenship classes where qualified ESL teachers help you prepare for the Citizenship Test. For times and locations of citizenship programming, please click HERE.

You are also welcome to join our new citizenship class organized in partnership with Toronto Public Library. For more details, please click HERE.

3. Look out for our upcoming calendar on a variety of skills building courses for both children and adults. Through these focused training classes, we hope to enhance children’s cognitive and social skills.  For adults, the training focuses on strengthening the participants’ soft skills as well as their ability to communicate in both social and work situations.

(C) Enquiries and Registration for all programs at the Language and Training Unit

Please call 416-299-8118 ext “0” for registration & enquiries

The Sheppard Site, where the majority of our LINC classes are located, is open 7 days a week for in-person or telephone enquiries about language training and settlement information.  Please call (416) 299-8118 for details about LINC class registration or drop by during the opening hours:

The Midland Site is open Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for enquiries. Please call (416) 292-7510 ext. “0”.

At the Woodside Site, the front desk is open Monday to Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed for lunch 12:30 – 1:30). Please call (416) 292-6558.