Welcome to the creative speak website

Creative Speak is a project-based class designed to help students develop ESL skills. The students bring different talents, interests and experiences to the project. Each class is unique, having a project to complete is the only constant, and it is an important one.

The students, as a group, must decide what they want to do. To make that decision they must get to know each other and explore their creative talents and experiences. The group do this inside and outside the classroom. This exploration can be just as rewarding as the final project.

When a project is decided the work of making it a reality begins. Students must communicate how they will accomplish this: setting deadlines, delegating tasks, sharing ideas and opinions, finding resources and engaging support from outside the classroom. The role of the teacher is to guide students through this process, perhaps offering suggestions along the way, but the decisions are made among the participants. This allows students to practice real-world skills and to build confidence in English and themselves as they meet these challenges.

We wanted to make a contribution with our personal experiences, so you can feel closer to Montreal even before arriving.

We chose this project because we felt something was missing for people outside Montreal, who were interested in having more information about real life in this city. We have all learned a few things the hard way...we wanted to make it easier for you to learn from us.

On this webpage you will find a guide with helpful information about "where and how", opinions, and tips and stories about what we have experienced during our stay here in Montreal.

This website has been created by YMCA students for new potential students. We hope that this site encourages you to come and enjoy your own YMCA experience!

Please get in touch and share your ideas with us. Tell us what you think of our website. If you have any questions that aren't answered here, please ask. If you have any tips or advice, please share. Your ideas and comments will help us to improve the site and help others to make the most of their Montreal student experience. Please write to us at talkback@yspeakmtl.org. We would love to hear from you!