Language lessons in Oshawa

Oshawa, located on the Ontario shoreline, is known for its vibrant lifestyle and culture. With a diverse population of 415,311 people living in the city’s metropolitan area that come from different parts of the world, it’s not unusual to run into local residents speaking non-official languages. In fact, according to the 2021 census, 12% of Oshawans speak a different language than English or French at home, most commonly Italian, Polish, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Dutch, and Tagalog. This makes the city a great place to meet people from other nationalities and expand your knowledge of other cultures, by attending the varied international events held in the city or visiting the local institutions, restaurants, and stores that are owned by immigrants. 

The great thing about learning a second or third country in Oshawa is that it will allow you to build more interpersonal or business relationships with members of the foreign-born community, while at the same time accessing better-paid job positions that require you to be bilingual. And if these weren’t good enough reasons, there are other advantages to learning languages, such as connecting with local tourists, expanding your business to reach international markets, and experiencing other cultures in a different way when you travel abroad. 

Where to study foreign languages in Oshawa

Have you decided to start learning a language in Oshawa? If so, you should visit the Delpark Homes Centre Library, located at 1661 Harmony Road, which has many interesting books and other resources like films and music that can help you develop your language skills. If you’re currently working on your Arabic, the library has great course books like Arabic for Dummies by Amine Bouchentouf and First Arabic Words by David Melling, which can really help you if you’re currently studying on your own and want to learn the basics of the language. On the other hand, if you want to improve your Mandarin, there are wonderful Chinese movies you can check out like Mountain Patrol, which tells the story of a Beijing journalist who arrives in a remote Tibetan village and finds himself in a relentless manhunt that will change the course his life and Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles, that explores the life of a fisherman who sets out to complete a documentary his estranged son, who is now gravely ill, was filming in rural China. In addition to these, you’ll find many other resources in other languages, including an app you can access from the library called Mango Languages, where you can learn more than 70 different languages. 

Language exchange groups in Oshawa

The best way to improve your conversational skills is to meet other local learners and native speakers in the city who enjoy having conversations in whatever language you’re interested in learning. For example, if you want to improve your Italian, the city has a wonderful Italian Cultural Centre where you can find like-minded people who gather to practice the language and explore the culture. In addition to fun language exchanges, they hold other kinds of events like retro pub nights, Italian picnics and even golf tournaments. What’s more, they provide local residents with an opportunity to experience and appreciate the Italian Cultural Heritage by showcasing writers, artists, performers and intellectuals that come from Italy or are part of the local Italian-American community. If you want to attend any of these events, pay a visit to the center, located at 245 Simcoe Street. 

Cultural institutions and events in Oshawa

A great place in the city where you can get to know the fascinating stories of the different immigrant groups that came to the city is the Oshawa Museum, located at 1450 Simcoe Street. Since 2021, they have an exhibition called Leaving Home, Finding Home in Oshawa: Displaced Persons and Stories of Immigration, where you can read about the life of many immigrants who came to the city after World War II. This exhibition was born out of an oral history project that the Oshawa Museum has been undertaking since 2016 to preserve the memories of foreign-born residents so that younger generations don’t forget what their ancestors had to go through and also to pay tribute to the different cultural groups that are part of the city. If you can’t make it to their museum, they have an amazing 360 tour of Leaving Home, Finding Home in Oshawa you can check out on their website. 

Language jobs in Oshawa

Oshawa has been ranked as one of the top five markets for tech talent growth across Canada, so there are many job opportunities to could take advantage of in this sector. However, because the local market is so competitive, if you truly want to stand out, being monolingual is not an option. In fact, if you decide to start learning languages like Mandarin, Arabic, Spanish, Russian or any others, you’ll access unique positions that require you to be bilingual, such as IT Technician for ProVision Staffing, IT Analyst for H20 Power and Web Developer for Ontario Tech University. Another great industry in the city is the automotive industry, and even if the job positions in this sector don’t require you to speak other languages, having French, Spanish or German on your CV will impress most employers and make you stand out in any job interview. On top of this, if you already have a job in Oshawa, learning a second or third language is a really smart way to attract more international clients and build better business relationships in the city and abroad, so no matter what it is you do, becoming multilingual will surely help you advance your career. 

Get started now!!!

Whether you’re trying to take your career to the next level or just want to expand your horizons, learning a language in Oshawa will improve your life in the city. If you’re wondering what the best place to study languages in the city is, the answer is Listen & Learn. Here you’ll find lessons that stand out from the rest because they’re completely based on your interests and goals, so no matter what kind of language course you’re looking for, one of our tutors will create the perfect one just for you. To start, simply send us a quick inquiry now, and before you know it you’ll be speaking in another language!