Are you learning English as a second language? We’re here to support you. The ESL Open Learning Centre offers free one-on-one or small group sessions for Glendon students. You’ll have the opportunity to improve your listening, reading, writing and speaking skills alongside a friendly, experienced language facilitator. Get support to better understand your assignments, expand your vocabulary and practise English grammar. While we don’t provide editing or proofreading services, you will gain life-long learning strategies to help you meet many of the challenges commonly faced by English language learners during their academic studies.
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Our Services
As a Glendon student, you can access free one-on-one or small group sessions to practise all aspects of English with a professional teacher. In addition to this, we occasionally offer workshops on helpful topics aimed at helping you hone your academic English skills. Such topics may include and are not limited to engaging with your audience during oral presentations, as well as editing and proofreading academic essays.
To sign up for a session, click here to access Glendon’s Writing Centre’s booking system and select a time that works for you.
Hours
Glendon ESL Open Learning Centre
Glendon College, York University
York Hall, A118
2275 Bayview Ave.
Toronto, ON M4N 3M6
416 736 2100
416 736 2100
Office Hours
Monday: 12 PM – 2 PM ( in-person )
Tuesday: 4 PM – 6 PM (remote via Zoom)
Thursday: 12 PM – 3 PM (remote via Zoom)
Friday: 3 PM – 6 PM (remote via Zoom)
Student Recruitment & Applicant Relations
Domestic applicants: liaison@glendon.yorku.ca
International applicants: international@glendon.yorku.ca
416-487-6710
Prof. Marlon Valencia
mvalen@glendon.yorku.ca
416-736-2100 x 88390
Meet Our Staff
ESL Open Learning Centre Director
Marlon was born and raised in Cali, Colombia, where he got his language teaching degree from Universidad del Valle in 2004. Soon after completing his teacher education program, he was awarded a visiting professorship at Spokane Falls Community College in Washington State. This experience stimulated his interest in the varied cultural traditions of Spanish speaking countries and their rich literary contributions. Marlon taught Spanish for two years at Washington State University, where he did his M.A. in Foreign Languages and Cultures. After finishing this degree, Marlon and his wife came to Toronto in 2008. In Toronto, Marlon completed his M.A. in Applied Linguistics at York University and his doctoral studies in Language and Literacies Education at the University of Toronto.
Marlon was a lecturer at Ryerson University where he taught a course titled Language and identity for several years. More recently he was a Professor of ESL at Sheridan College, where he also served as student advisor and acting coordinator
Marlon and his wife are raising two plurilingual children so their family interactions happen in English, French, and Spanish.
Last, but not least, Marlon is passionate about photography. You can see some of his photographs on Instagram.
Majid Farham
Ambassador
Hi there! I’m Majid Farham. Here’s a snapshot of my background:
I hold two MAs, one in TEFL (2006) and the other in Applied Linguistics (2021). Currently, I am a 4th-year Ph.D. candidate at York University in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics. My research interests include learning strategies, second language (L2) writing, and corrective feedback. My doctoral research is on learners’ engagement with written corrective feedback under the supervision of Professor Antonella Valeo. I hold both TESL Ontario (OCELT) and TESL Canada (Level 3) certificates and have been teaching a variety of courses including EFL, ESL, ESP, and IELTS preparation courses for the past two decades. I also served as a tenured professor in the English department at the Islamic Azad University (IAU) in Iran for 8 years.
Office Hours:
Monday:
- 10 AM – 12 PM (in person)
- 1 PM – 3 PM (in person)
- 3 PM – 5 PM (in person or via Zoom)
Tuesday:
- 9 AM – 12 PM (remote via Zoom)
Coming soon!
You’ll be able to visit our ESL Café to practice your English language conversational skills in an informal and relaxing atmosphere. You may also take exciting and informative workshops on topics as varied as classroom language, becoming an effective presenter, note-taking, and many more. Visit our page often for updates!
Events
Get involved in activities at the centre to further expand your English and put it into practice. Check out the latest happenings.
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