Accent is a part-time work experience available to postsecondary students who are studying at an institution outside their home province or territory.

With Accent, you will lead classroom activities in English with elementary, secondary, or postsecondary Canadian students, eight hours per week, between September 1 and April 30.

Language assistants are paid $520* a month over eight months.
Not bad for a part-time job!

Accent is first and foremost a cultural experience. You get the chance to share your culture with young people in another part of Canada while discovering theirs. You also help students who are learning English to discover the richness of your language and culture.

* Please note that this amount is taxable.

Key facts

• As a part-time language assistant, you will work in an urban setting, close to the postsecondary institution you attend and outside your home province or territory.

• You could receive an allowance for return travel between your home province or territory and your assigned community. This is a lump sum allowance and may not cover all your expenses.

• You will receive relevant materials and training to help equip you for your work.

WHO?

Eligibility criteria

• English must be your first (dominant) language. You must be proficient in both oral and written English.

• You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Those studying in Canada on student visas are not eligible.

• You must have completed at least one year of postsecondary studies by June of the current year or, in Quebec, have at least your diplôme d'études collégiales (D.E.C.).

• You must be studying full time this coming September at any postsecondary institution in New Brunswick or Ontario, or at a university in Quebec, outside your home province or territory.

Why participate in Accent?

Accent gives you a chance to share your language and culture and to help young people in your host province discover them.

Working with young people as a language assistant will also help you fit in better and faster in your host community.

Please note that positions are available in Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick only.

Participate in Accent. Share your language and your culture.

ROLE

Make a difference in the lives of young people by helping them discover other aspects of the English language and anglophone cultural perspectives.

Accent language assistants work, first and foremost, to help students learn English.

Your role will be to

• support students as they learn English, emphasizing fluency in speech, and help motivate them

• organize cultural activities designed to help students discover the English language and encourage them to continue learning it and to improve their skills

• support teachers by organizing activities such as improv, quizzes, plays, and debates to help students discover and appreciate your language and culture

Language assistants are not intended to replace teachers.

Your role will be to encourage students to improve their knowledge of the language and culture — encompassing all forms of language, art, music, and the shared beliefs and values of a particular society — and to use the language on a daily basis.