Students spend summer exploring language and culture across Canada, free of pandemic's shadow

Shortly after arriving in the small town of Trois-Pistoles, Que., for a French-immersion program, Carolyn Moore called her mom.

"I'm in a level that's way too advanced for me. Everyone is way better. I'm completely out of my depth," she recalled saying. 

Now, after winning the program's award for extraordinary progress, she's sticking around Trois-Pistoles for the summer, to work at a cider brewing co-op.

"The people here, they're so generous and patient," she said. "It's been a wonderful experience."

Moore has just completed the Explore Program, a language exchange offered in all 10 provinces. Students travel to another part of the country for a five-week immersion course in either English or French.

Programs like Explore faced challenges during the pandemic amid restrictions against travel and large gatherings. Some institutions have since stopped offering the program entirely, citing rising costs and difficulties finding host families. Most Explore programs have managed to come back, however, and students and teachers say the lessons learned this summer go beyond language.

Founded in 1971, the federally funded Explore programs offer, via post-secondary schools, students a bursary which covers the cost of tuition (less a deposit of around $300), food and lodging during their stay. Students live either with a host family or in residence.

"During the pandemic years… what we had to actually do was against everything that we normally do," said Kathy Asari, co-ordinator of the Trois-Pistoles program 

"We have a lot of excursions and outings, a lot of things that were meant to give the participants the opportunity to make new friends, to mix with the local population, to go visit different places," she said.

"That, of course, is completely opposite of what all the health regulations were."

Explore programs were cancelled across the board in 2020 and, with a few exceptions, held online in 2021. Most institutions returned to in-person formats in 2022, although pandemic-related concerns still played a role.

"Last year didn't quite feel like it was at that same stage. There was still a hesitation," said Jas Gill, director of the University of British Columbia's Explore program. "But this year, right from the beginning, we had just so much interest."

Camille Hains is attending UBC's Explore program to work on her English. She's on summer break from an accounting program at the University of Quebec in Lévis. 

Hains says her high school English classes were very focused on reading and writing. She says the Explore program is much more focused on speaking.