ESL Educational Ranch Holiday and Wilderness Holiday Options
This is your opportunity to turn learning English into the ultimate adventure.
Live an ESL ranch adventure with 15 hours of classroom study per week.
Students arrive for lunch on the first Sunday of the month and spend the afternoon getting acquainted with the ranch, each other, and get an introduction to the program.
Work in the classroom begins Monday morning.
Workshop-style classes focus on conversational English as well as academic skills such as reading, writing, and listening.
Afternoons are spent practicing English in fun, interactive activities around the ranch. Whether it be learning the parts of a horse, riding a horse to a hilltop to look out and describe the valley, hiking through the forest to look for animal tracks in the snow, or learning how to throw a lasso, students will go through many exercises to improve their communication skills.
Spend your afternoons participating in activities designed to help you practice your English skills and develop conversational fluency. At the same time, you’ll learn how to saddle a horse and then have the confidence to explain the procedure to your partner. Go on a scavenger hunt through the ranch property following increasingly, difficult instructions. Tell your fellow students about the mule deer you saw playing in the back pasture.
You have the opportunity to go all out on the weekends with optional camping trips or take the opportunity to get involved in ranch activities and work with the horses. In the summer, you can visit a nearby lake and spend the day swimming, or go out wildlife viewing (for Grizzly and Black Bear), wolf calling, gold panning, fishing or visit an area museum. In the winter, try snowshoeing, skiing, a snow machine or wolf calling. After completing the ESL program, you can use your freshly-honed English skills to enjoy one of our many holidays such as a Wilderness Guest Ranch Stay, a Pack Horse Trip or a Wilderness Alpine Hike. At the end of the program, students are given a certificate in recognition of their achievements.
Students can also continue their Wilderness Ranch experience by joining one of our Wilderness Trips. Your authentic western dude ranch adventure awaits you in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Enjoy mainly a sunny dry climate, panorama views of the Coast Range Mountains, spruce forests, flower-blanketed alpine meadows, and almost no bugs in the rain shadow of the South Chilcotin Mountains. A perfect combination for a horse riding vacation based from our Guest Ranch or a mountain horseback trail trip from one of our permanent alpine camps.
Summer program (June-September)
During the summer and early fall months, students can stay on the ranch property or head out to one of our wilderness camps. Facilities include shared bathrooms and showers, laundry facilities, and a TV room with a large selection of English movies and books. Activities include horseback riding or hiking through the valleys, swimming in a nearby lake, or fishing in one of the many creeks surrounding the ranch.
Fish Resort Summer program (June-September)
Try an ESL Course on Chaunigan Lake, with world class wild rainbow trout Fly to ancient, Chilcotin glaciers. Ride the lakeside trails on horseback with your very own guide. Take your time hiking to spectacular viewpoints. See the local wildlife in their natural surroundings. Do nothing at all for a change, but relax in the comfort of the Lodge and enjoy our legendary hospitality. This is much more than simply an incredible fishing trip. There’s an adventure for everyone! Try flyfishing, fresh water fishing, hiking, nature trails, canoeing, kayaking, horseback riding, mountain biking and much more. Accommodation is in cozy cabins.
Camp-Based Wilderness Accommodations (June-September)
Make your English learning experience truly unique by hiking up to one of our alpine camps, during the summer months. Students can choose to spend one or two weeks, or their entire program at camp. You’ll practice your English skills while learning wilderness skills at the same time.
Get involved in camp cooking and learn about the plants and animals that surround you in the picturesque valleys. Use a field guide to study the colourful mosaic of alpine wildflowers across the valleys and observe grizzly bear feeding on cow parsnip. You can get involved in a building project to leave your mark on the camp or learn how to direct a team. Your accommodation consists of cozy, tent cabins with foam mattresses at fully equipped wilderness camps that include a kitchen area, outhouse, and picnic table.
Winter Program (October-May)
When the frost and snow hit, students stay at the main lodge in comfortable rooms with off-suite bathrooms and a communal dining area. Relax around the fireplace while you practice your English skills. Winter activities include horse back riding or cross-country skiing through snow-covered forests, hiking through the valley to look for animal tracks, or, for a special treat, take a snowmobile ride over a mountain top. Build a snow shelter, have a snowball fight. You can do both and play out an epic battle in the white powder. Every activity provides another opportunity to improve your conversation skills.
More Information
| Course Length* | 1, 2, or 4 weeks |
|---|---|
| Age of students | 18+ |
| Levels | Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced |
| Teacher Student Ratio | Up to 10 students to 1 teacher |
| Teacher Qualifications | TEFL, First Aid |
| Classroom Hours/Week | 15 |
| Start Dates | First Monday of each Month, for 4 weeks |
Program Fast Facts
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15 Hours a Week of Class — Get all the conversational basics, grammar and vocabulary during morning classes.
- Hands-on Task-based — Reinforce morning class exercises with daily Ranch activities.
- Immersion Conversational English — Fill your days with English conversation, association and tasks.
- Ideal Base for Further Education, Employment or Travel — Increased English retention during immersion improves all areas of usage.
- Increase Comfort Level — A solid or strengthened English base promotes confidence and increases language usage.
