Our Director at Connect is James Rice. He is a pioneer in the Toronto ESL community with many language schools and universities following his ideas and theories.

James Rice has been the Director of Connect since 2002. Prior to working at Connect, he was the Vice-President of another language school in Toronto. He first began teaching in Japan and quickly moved from being an ESL teacher into curriculum design and training.

An Interview with James Rice

How long have you been in the language school industry in Canada?

I have been in the industry in Canada for over 15 years.

What is the biggest change you have seen in the industry?

The biggest change has been the class size. When I first came back from teaching overseas, the class size was over 20 students per teacher. It was far too big to help students improve their English skills. It was difficult to find student’s errors. It was difficult to correct their errors. It was hard for students to improve.

What was your solution to the problem?

With the first opportunity I had in management of a language school, I decided to cut class size to 6 to 8 students in class. This size is much more manageable for teachers. It also guarantees success for students to improve quickly. When we started to have some success, other schools quickly changed their philosophy and cut their class size. The result has been a much better educational experience in Canada for students.

In your opinion, is class size the most important choice for students when deciding a school?

Yes and flexibility. Students should choose a school that offers a small class size and flexibility in the choice of classes. At Connect, we have both. And that is why students are very, very satisfied with their experience at our school.

Did you create all the curricula at Connect yourself?

With the help of my staff and Academic Director, we created the entire curriculum for all of our programs. We have created many new and exciting programs that were never offered before such as Speaking Clearly, Idioms and Listening Class. I most proud of our Idioms classes because we were one of the first schools to introduce movies and T.V. shows into the class as way to study languages. Since then, I have learned that many universities are now using this technique in their schools. Also, our Speaking Clearly program was used by a Fortune 500 company for 2 years to help train over 1000 of their employees. The program was credited with helping to breakdown the walls that separated many of the cultures that existed in the company and create a more motivated workforce.

Finally, what is your advice to students who are thinking about studying abroad?

Go for it! Studying abroad is difficult but incredibly rewarding. It will change your life. You will make wonderful friendships that will last your entire life. I know that it has changed my life. From the first day you arrive to the last day you leave, Connect wants you to enjoy your life in Canada. Our friendly school will quickly give you the confidence and the skills you need to improve your English skills.