Students from all over the World come to Chilcotin Holidays to practice their English and meet new Friends

Just like every year, we have amazing staff from around the world working an enjoying the outdoor lifestyle here at Chilcotin Holidays. This year, two of our staff came from Germany. Isabella and Isabel were in Canada practicing their English skills and we think they’ve done an excellent job. Here is what they wrote about their experiences at the ranch:

Our names are Isabella Pucyk and Isabel Semp, and we are from Germany. We are both 24 years old and we study at a German University. The reason why we came here was to improve our English skills and try something totally different. We always wanted to come to Canada, it is one of our favourite countries, and we did not want to see all the usual tourist stuff. Above that, we thought, that on ranch like this you have a better opportunity to practice your English, because you are forced to speak English.

Our most favourite activities at the ranch have been to dig a hole with an excavator, to ride a lot, and to take part in a horse pack trip to two different camps. There we saw a female grizzly bear with 2 cubs, and many chipmunks! It was a real great experience. Besides this we saw a couple of hummingbirds. Another interesting thing was to see how to pack the horses for a pack trip and how the horses dealt with the very narrow trails in the mountains. The first shower after the trip was the best shower ever!

After our first week we knew all the staff members and everyone was really nice and caring. We had a lot of fun in the ranch kitchen and during our pack trip.

In the evenings we watched movies or did some other activities, like log climbing, taking the dogs for a walk or having a camp fire. Even looking at the stars was pretty exciting, because you can see a couple of falling stars.

To sleep in the tents was also very adventurous, but funny at the same time, because of all the nice neighbours in this nice little village. During our six weeks here at the ranch we learned a lot about ourselves, and where our real borders are. We found a lot of new good friends from all over the world. This stay at the ranch is one of the best experiences we’ve had in our life so far.

English Skills

Simon Zemp – 15 May 1989
My name is Simon, and I am from Switzerland. I finished school last summer. Afterwards I did my military service, which I finished in November. I’ve worked for different companies as a cleaner and as a data collector to save money for my Canada trip.
On January 10th I few to Vancouver where I was studying at an English School during the following nine weeks. I had several reasons to come to Chilcotin Holidays. Firstly I wanted to see an other side of Canada (wilderness after bustling city life), secondly I wanted to become a more well rounded person in life! And finally it is also a good opportunity to have a good an exciting time without spending a lot of money. In my spare time I had quite a lot of interesting things to do. First of all I learned to ride. I was a greenhorn at the beginning, so I am now almost a cowboy! Furthermore I learned to drive a skidder, snow mobile and I improved my modest cooking skills. And the whole time my English was getting better and better.
The relationship with the other staff was always good. I was helped when I needed something. The talks were always fun at the ranch

International ESL Students

Raffael Schwarz

My name is Raffael. I’m 19 years old and I am from Switzerland. I finished my apprenticeship this summer in an office.
I came to Canada to improve my English. First I went to an English School in Vancouver and after that I came to Chilcotin Holidays. I chose Chilcotin Holidays because my travel partner wanted to go there and also to see another part of Canada and to get some experience with horses.
In my three weeks at the farm I did a lot of interesting things. For example: horse riding, driving snowmobile, skidder driving and cooking. In the evening we had a good and funny time with the other guys.
The relationship with the other staff was always good. I had a fun time. I will stay in Canada for another 6 weeks, then I will go back to Switzerland and search for a job.

Back to Canada, eh!

It’s a time of year when many university students like to take it easy and catch their breath, before the next semester starts. Not for Samuel! He came to the ranch last spring with a working holiday visa. He wanted to spend the summer working abroad to practice his English skills, before starting university in the fall. Last summer he learned how to be an exceptional ranch hand and assisted on building our new office building, in addition to helping out on some of our pack trips. We also noticed an improvement in his English skills throughout the summer. This busy worker bee has returned to the ranch to work and brush up on his English until the end of April, when his second semester begins at the University in Hohenheim. Welcome back, Sam!

ESL Training and Job Placements in the Canadian Wilderness

International students seeking ESL instruction want to spend more time in the country they’re visiting by working as volunteers, interns, or taking part in co-op and practicum programs. At Chilcotin Holidays we not only offer ESL classes by qualified instructors, we have a variety of volunteer positions available for students to improve their English skills without worrying about paying for long-term accommodation in a foreign country.

Anyone traveling through Canada on a Visitor’s Visa is eligible for this program option. For students interested in career training, we also offer professional internships and job training in lodge management as well as wilderness stewardship.

We provide both -- quality language instruction and free room and board for our ESL school graduates while they work at the ranch! This enables students to fine tune their language skills and experience the best of what the Canadian Wilderness has to offer. Contact us for more details.

ESL Program Launch

Knowing the personal growth many guests, staff, and guide-school students have benefited from while being at Chilcotin Holidays, we’ve created an ESL Wilderness Ranch Program. Foreign students have the opportunity to learn English and practice it in a wilderness ranch setting – with horse riding as a key focus. We think this is much more appealing than studying indoors in downtown Vancouver!

Click here for more info on our ESL program.