New Location!

As of Summer 2008, we will be located at the Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL) at Trinity Western University, Langley, British Columbia, Canada.

Located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest region, The quaint township of Langley, British Columbia, Canada (population 111,000) is sandwiched between the magnificent peaks of the volcanic Cascade Mountains and the beautiful British Columbia coastline. Langley is centrally located in the lush Fraser River Valley, which is known as the "wine country" and equestrian capital of Southern British Columbia, Canada. The region is a place of scenic beauty and offers many opportunities for nearby outdoor activities such as hiking, rafting, mountain climbing, fishing and camping. The spectacular scenery of the Cascades (mountains, lakes and waterfalls) and the British Columbia coast are both within an hour drive of Langley. We will be organizing two day trips this summer, one to the mountains and one to the coast to enjoy the stunning local beauty. Many students and staff also use these getaways to add a weekend camping trip to their British Colombia experience.

The Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL) is situated on the picturesque campus of Trinity Western University, a small liberal arts university located in a rural setting on the outskirts of Langley.

Trinity Western University, established in 1962, has an enrollment of over 3500 of which approximately 25% are Americans. The University offers 38 undergraduate majors and 14 graduate programs and 80% of its faculty hold PhDs.

The Trinity Western University campus includes beautiful trails winding through thickly forested tracts behind the campus, Trinity Lake at the front of the campus, a self-guided nature trail running through a natural area along the banks of the Salmon River (part of the Fraser River Salmon Enhancement Program) as well as multiple open sports fields to enjoy soccer, football or ultimate Frisbee or an evening stroll.

Langley is a place of history, culture and recreation and is a popular tourist destination . Nearby historic Fort Langley was the first European settlement in lower British Columbia and served as the launching off point during the Fraser River Gold Rush of the 1850's.

Winter rains and cool temperatures create an abundance of greenery during the summer and the Summers in Langley usually see very little rain, with an average temperature of 62.5˚F.

Although set in a rural atmosphere, the TWU campus is only a 45 minute drive from downtown Vancouver, one of the world's most spectacular cities. Hemmed in by the shores of the Pacific Ocean on one side and the towering slopes of the Coast Mountains on the other, Vancouver, Canada's third largest metropolis (over 2 million reside in the greater Vancouver area), was recently designated the World's Most Livable City and Top City in the Americas by two well-known publications. Vancouver boasts of being one of the only places in the world where it is possible to golf, hike, ski and swim (outdoors) all in the same day; it is a recreationalist's paradise.

Vancouver is also well known for its magnificent cityscape and ethnic diversity (over half its population speak something other than English as a first language). The city boasts a plethora of exquisite ethnic dining and shopping opportunities, not to mention numerous beautiful open spaces, lush parks and spacious waterfronts. Regional attractions include verdant rain forests, world-class parks, zoos, gardens and museums.

British Columbia is also world-renowned for its majestic mountains and beautiful coast line. Vancouver is also well-known for its nearby alpine skiing at Whistler, British Columbia, and Vancouver (and nearby Whistler) will serve as host for the 2010 Winter Olympics. There is much natural beauty nearby and we plan several weekend getaways (including campouts) together to enjoy the scenic mountain and coastal beauty as well as day trips to local communities to enjoy the multi-cultural urban diversity, all located just a short drive from campus.

Vancouver is an easy destination for foreign travelers and Langley is easily accessible from Vancouver's International Airport . Although located in Canada, Vancouver is also easily accessible for Americans traveling from Seattle as an inexpensive bus service runs between the two cities.

Cost

Generous Financial Aid Available!

CanIL, through the Beyond Price Bursary Program, is able to greatly assist many students so that their actual total costs for summer tuition, room and board are at or near ORSIL's former costs (US$ 2300). In some cases the costs could be even below that level. Bursaries will be granted based on needs and other criteria. All may apply. For more information see http://www.canil.ca/admissions/fees.html

Schedule

Dates for the 2008 CanIL Summer Session are June 16^th through August 15, 2008

Community

We are changing location but sense of community will still define us!

A strong sense of community has always been a fundamental part of the ORSIL experience: and it will continue to be a central to our ethos as we move our summer program northward to Canada. Since most of us (staff and students) are not from Langley, we form a closer bond every summer by sharing every aspect of our lives together. We have classes together, live in tight dormitory quarters together, eat together, play together, hang out together and worship together. This creates a unique environment in which students can grow spiritually as well as academically. In my experience I have not seen this special sense of community easily replicated elsewhere. Our school feels more like a family. It was this unique atmosphere of fellowship that first attracted me to SIL some 20 years ago when I took my first set of courses at this same school (then held in Seattle). The staff made a special effort to help me succeed and it is for this reason that I have returned to teach and direct the ORSIL (and now CanIL) summer program. My subsequent training experiences at other SIL schools have lacked this same experience. We have a unique legacy of koinonia at ORSIL and it has become an important distinctive of the ORSIL program that we strive to continue.

The "fun school"

In no way do I mean to imply that the other SIL schools are not fun, but we have come to be known as the "fun school." Perhaps this is due to the fact that we have lots of parties. We have a staff party (a party for the students performed by the staff) and a student party (a party for the staff performed by the students) yearly that is followed by the subsequent outings noted above. Our other various other extracurricular activities such as snacks and picks (where staff show slides of their field locations), Wycliffe information night, or movie nights always seem to involve ice cream and a party. We also have a tee-shirt design contest to decide the school tee-shirt each summer.

Or perhaps the reputation is due to the pleasant climate or proximity to the coast and mountains, which allows for many other extracurricular outdoor activities. Besides the trips to the mountains and the coast and the climbing and sight seeing available nearby we regularly have volleyball in the evenings and usually a weekend round or two of ultimate Frisbee. For the musically inclined we utilize students to lead in worship during our daily chapel services and even have a choir that performs periodically at our chapel. And there are plenty of local and regional events during the summer that add to the fun.

Continued commitment to academic excellence

We remain committed to academic excellence! We have a highly-qualified faculty that enjoys interacting with students. The merger between ORSIL and CanIL will continues and strengthens our commitment to academic excellence by increasing the number of qualified staff and course options.

Transfer credit

CanIL courses are accredited through Trinity Western University. TWU is a member of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) as well as the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC - Canada's highest level of accreditation for colleges and universities). TWU is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (http://www.twu.ca/sites/media/fact-sheet.aspx ). TWU/CanIL classes are accredited at the highest level across North America. For TWU students planning on transferring credits to another university, it is recommended that approval be made with the receiving institution prior to attending classes to ensure that class content matches the destination university for maximum transference, etc.

Visa Information

Although attending the new ORSIL will involve a trip across an international border (Canada) the process is relatively easy for Americans. A valid US passport is currently required to enter Canada. Currently it is taking 10-12 weeks (routine service) or 2-3 weeks (expedited) to obtain a passport so applicants should allow sufficient time for this process. For the most recent passport information check here . Nationalities other than Americans should check with CanIL to determine requirements.

After acceptance, students will receive a letter from CanIL that will suffice for attending the nine week summer session. Currently no special student visa is required for an American to study at CanIL during the summer session (you simply show the letter along with your passport at the border). Again, nationalities other than Americans should check with CanIL to determine if there might be other requirements.

Interested?

If you are interested in joining us next summer or have questions, feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

David Beine
Oregon SIL/ CanIL Summer Session Director