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TBC ESL Ministry
*In-Person Classes*

Below is information about the in-person classes at Trinity Baptist Church ESL Ministry. Please note that for in-person classes, registration must be done in-person (i.e., you cannot register online).

• In-Person Classes - Class Schedules
• In-Person Classes - Other Activities
• In-Person Classes - Registration process
• In-Person Classes - Transferring to another class
• In-Person Classes - Refunds
• In-Person Classes - Pre-Registrations
• In-Person Classes - Reservations & Waitlists

👤In-Person Classes - Class Schedules:

There are 3 terms for the ESL classes: Fall (September - November), Winter (January - March) & Spring (March/April - June). Each term is normally 10 - 12 weeks long. In-person classes are normally Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 am - 12 pm. We do not have classes on public/school holidays or the Lunar New Year Day.

Please note that our classes will have both English teaching and some form of Christian teaching (e.g., Christian songs, sharing, bible study, bible verses, stories, etc.). Also, we are not an accreditated ESL program and cannot provide certificates of English proficiency. However, we can provide certificates of attendance, if requested.

Other ESL Ministries: Please note that there are other churches in the Greater Vancouver area that offer ESL classes. If you would like to be referred to another church ESL ministry, please fill-in our General Contact form and request a referral. Please include which city you are in and the class level you want.

• Spring 2023 In-Person Classes
• Class Level Explanations (this will be brought up in a separate window)

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👤Spring 2023 In-Person Classes:

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In-person Classes - Other Activities:

The ESL normally has the following other extra activities on in-person class days:

• ESL choir - usually 9:30 am - 9:55 am before class
• Alpha Mandarin - an introduction to Christianity through DVD & discussion; usually 12:10 pm - 1:30 pm on Thursdays with a free lunch
• ESL Tea Time - 11 am - 11:15 am on class days in gym (tea, coffee, snacks)
• ESL library - Chinese & English Christian books and DVDs available for borrowing on class days (3 weeks for books, 1 week for DVDs)

We also usually have opening ceremonies on the first of terms (so students can meet their teachers and be guided to their classes) and end of term tea ceremonies (where classes can do presentations to show what they've learned).

Note: These activities are subject to availablility of volunteers and the current COVID-19 situation.

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In-person Classes - Registration Process:

This is information on how to register in-person for ESL classes at Trinity Baptist Church.

1. Come to the ESL office on registration days, or 30 minutes before classes begin on Tuesdays or Thursdays while ESL is in session.
   Note: ESL registration days are usually the Friday & Saturday before the Fall ESL term begins, and usually either a Friday or Saturday before the Winter and Spring ESL terms, 10 am - 12 pm. Please see the Class Schedules for the exact dates.
2. At the ESL front desk, the front desk volunteer will greet you and give you a registration form to fill in, as well as an ESL pamphlet with the class schedule and extra activites
3. Fill in the registration form.
   Note: Usually, you'll do this inside the gym as the front desk can get very busy.
4. If you are a previous student and want to take the same class as before, let the ESL front desk volunteer know right away.
   Note: If your teacher is still teaching, this may allow you to skip the interview and allow you to go directly to final payment. But if the class is full, you may need to join another class or be waitlisted.
5. If you are new student or you want to join a different class, your English level will be tested by our interviewers.
   Note: If it is busy, you'll need to lineup to be interviewed. Also, don't be nervous! Our interviewers are nice and understanding about people's English levels
   Special Note: If you choose to join a particular teacher's class without an interview and you are not a previous student, you may be ineligible to transfer to another class later on.
6. After you have been interviewed and your class assigned, then you will go into the ESL office to pay for your class.
   Note: We can only accept cash, e-transfers or cheque. No debit or credit cards. Cheques need to be made out to "English as a Second Language Group". You will be given a pink receipt -- keep it safe as it is useful for transfers, refunds and certificates of attendance.
7. Finally, check with either the ESL office staff or the ESL front desk person about where your class is.
   Note: On the first day of class, there is usually an opening ceremony in the church sanctuary. Afterwards, students meet their teachers and are led by their teachers to class to begin their lessons. If you are starting after the first day of the term, you'll need to go directly to your class.

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In-person Classes - Transfers to another class:

If you feel that the class you are in is not right for your level, you can transfer to another class (if there is space still available). A maximum of two transfers are permitted, so long as a teacher or interviewer has recommended the change. If you chose your class with no confirmation by the interviewers or teachers, your request to transfer may be denied and your only other option may be a refund.

1. Go to the ESL office and tell them you want to transfer to another class. If possible, bring along your pink registration receipt.
   • If you know which class you want to transfer to, you can ask to be transferred to that class.
   • If possible, discuss with your current teacher about the problems you are facing and to see if the teacher can recommend another class.
   • If you don't know or are unsure, an interviewer will discuss with you about your needs and will recommend another class.
2. Your registration will then be confirmed with the office's yellow registration copies & notes. If you brought along your pink registration receipt, this step will be much faster.
3. The ESL paperwork person will note which class you are transferring out of and which class you are transferring to.
4. If you brought it, your pink registration receipt will be updated with the new class info.
5. A new white transfer-in paper will be passed to you to give to your new teacher.
6. A note about you transferring out will be passed to your previous teacher directly by the ESL office staff.
7. You can now join your new class.

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In-person Classes - Refunds:

Please review the refund policy before requesting a refund to see if you are eligible.

Refund Policy:

While we do allow some refunds, our policy has been designed to create fair refund request policy that won't overly disturb our classes.

• If you cancel your registration before taking your class or within the first week of the ESL term, you are eligible for a full refund.
• If you register for a class, but request a refund on the same day, you are eligible for a full refund.
• If you cancel your registration within 3 weeks of the start of the ESL term, you are eligible for a partial refund ($10 administration fee).
• If you cancel after the 3 weeks of the start of the ESL term, you are not eligible for a refund. Late term registrations are NOT a valid reason for still being eligible for a refund.
• Transferring your registration payment to another term is not permitted.
• You can have a representative come in to request a refund on your behalf.
• If you are unable to come in and cannot send in a representative, you can send us a refund request. The refund amount will either be mailed to you or held in trust for you until you or your representative can come in.
• In the case of a class has been cancelled, students will be eligible for either a full refund or a transfer to another class (same term). The students can choose which they prefer.
• If a student has been expelled, that student is eligible for a full refund.
• Special refund exemptions can be pleaded to the ESL administrator or the church pastors.

Refund Process:

To request a refund, please follow the steps below:

1. Go to the ESL office and request a refund.
2. Special Note: If you have your pink registration, a refund can be processed faster.
3. The ESL office will have to look through their yellow registration copies for your registration. We will need your name and the class you registered for, as well as any classes you transferred to.
4. Once your original registration has been confirmed, we will issue the refund based on our ESL refund policy.
5. We will ask for your reason for refund, but this is optional.
6. We will ask for your signature for accepting the refund. We will also be keeping your pink registration copy (if you brought it in).
7. You will then be given your refund.
8. Extra Note: If there are any problems confirming your original registration, the ESL administrator may need to do a thorough examination of all the registration records to find your registration. This may take up to a week.

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In-person Classes - Pre-Registrations:

Pre-registration is a chance for current students to register early for the next term before any new students can join. This will allow current students to reserve their spots with their teachers into the next term.

• For current students in the Fall term, they are eligible for early registration ("pre-registration") for the Winter term. They can register during the second-to-last week and the last Tuesday of the Fall term.
• For current students of the Winter term, they are eligible for early registration ("pre-registration") for the Spring term. They can register during the second-to-last week and the last Tuesday of the Winter term.
• There is no pre-registration for the Fall term.
• New students and previous students that are not registered for the current term are not allowed to registered during the pre-registration period. This is to ensure that there is sufficient space for current students to continue next term in the same class.
• Students can automatically register for the same teacher if the teacher is still teaching next term.
• Students wanting to change to another teacher next term can pre-register, too. They may undergo a light interview check to ensure the level is appropriate. These students will be priority wait-listed for their new class as the students from that class has first rights to pre-register for the same class. These priority wait-listed students will also be given the option of pre-registering for their original class (to save their spot in case no space becomes available in the class they are trying to change to). After the first week of pre-registration is done, students on the priority wait-list will be registered into the class they chose based on their order on the the wait-list. Students can check in the last week of the term or at the start of the next term to see if their class change was successful.

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In-person Classes - Reservations & Waitlists:

ESL teachers are allowed to reserve spots in their classes. This effectively reduces the available spots for new students. These reserve spots are reserved only for a period of time; after that time, the spots become open for others to register.

If a class is full, but a student wants to register or change his/her registration to that class, that student can be put on a waitlist for the class. When space becomes available in that class, the first person on the waitlist will be notified about the space becoming available and will be given the chance to get into the class. This spot is only held for a day for that person -- if there is no response to communications or the student doesn't come in to complete their registration/change of class paperwork, the spot then becomes available to the next person on the list.

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If you have questions or comments, please contact us through our General Contact form.