IMPORTANT NOTICE: The tuition portion of PELD courses is free for Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and protected person/Convention refugee status. In addition, all students pay ancillary fees (student association fees, BCIT ID card fees, etc.).
Students may also apply for the Adult Upgrading Grant (AUG). This grant is intended to help support the costs associated with student fees, textbooks, unsubsidized childcare, and transportation for students in need of financial assistance. To learn more about the grant or to download the application form, see Upgrading and ESL Funding and submit the form to the Financial Aid office before the last day of your course.
PELD is a great option for EAL and non-EAL speakers who need an English upgrade to enter BCIT programs or other post-secondary programs at institutes across BC. It is a program designed for students who are at least at the upper-intermediate levels as a starting point; thus, no beginner or lower level courses are available.
Our courses include:
- practicing speaking to expert audiences
- reading in technical and business professions
- writing technical and business documents
- creating professional presentations
- actively listening in academic, technical, and business settings.
Please check with the program or institute you are applying for to make sure that COMM 0005 can be accepted as equivalent to English 12. Depending on interest, we offer in-person, online, or hybrid classes on weekdays, weeknights, and weekends to help fit your work-life schedule. Courses are also offered either at the Burnaby or Downtown campuses.
The reading and writing courses are about 6-8 weeks and 12-16 hours each week, while our speaking and listening courses can be between 5 to 15 weeks, depending on how many hours you do during the week. From start to finish, the program takes a maximum of 32 weeks of instructional time. So, if you would like to enter a BCIT program, you can do this with a maximum of one year in PELD classes.
Testimonial
“After settling in Canada, I decided to upgrade my skills and education at BCIT. PELD was very practical with great English instructors. By teaching me English so efficiently, PELD changed my life. I even made friends in my class, and they’ve helped me in achieving my goals.”
Amir, PELD student who proceeded into the Computer Systems Technology program