Canada: Bilingual Nation

Canada has two official languages – English and French. Though a bilingual country, the large majority of the staunch French speaking population is found in Quebec, with a few scattered communities around the rest of the country. A whopping 83% of Quebecers speak French at home and are proud of it!

As a bilingual nation, Canada also offers superior English as a Second Language (ESL) and French as Second Language (FSL), training for students wishing to learn either or both languages. It is estimated that some 800 million people speak English and 250 million speak French

Environment Of Canada

Welcoming Environment

Canada is a melting pot of various cultures. It has migrants from all over the world who lend their cultural hues to the country whilst retaining their individuality. You will see this present in the vibrant range of cuisines and various clubs and associations of different communities.

All major cites have a variety of amenities that help a student adjust to the new country – Shopping malls, entertainment in the form of theatres, restaurants, art galleries, museums and several parks where many cultural events are held during the warm weather. Winter too has its own kind of charm with ice skating and other winter sports being pursued.

Beautiful Environment

Native Canadians value their beautiful natural environment. Endowed with beautiful landscapes, Canada has several national park reserves, forests, beaches and gardens allowing the locals and visitors a host of recreational activities. Besides Jasper and Banff National parks, which are well known tourist destinations, there at least another 25 plus that are open to the public. A student can experience the vast diversity of this country from rugged mountains, limestone landscapes, wildlife reserves and forests to snowbound ski jumps as well as – yes – beaches!!

Little known to most, Canada can boast of the largest shoreline in the world and some great beaches. Long Beach (Vancouver Island), ParleyBeach (New Brunswick), MagdalenIslands, TribuneBay (British Columbia) is some of the most visited.

Students can avail of local guided tours that give an insight into the country’s culture and social life. Maple syrup tasting tours, vineyard tours and Native Indian Reserve tours are a pleasant way of learning more about this country.

Leisure In Australia

Sports and Recreation

Australians are very keen on sport and outdoor activities and have gained a worldwide reputation, both as individuals and as teams. Hosting the Year 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney highlights Australia as a leading destination for international events.

Australia has more than 120 national sporting organisations and thousands of state, regional and club bodies. It is estimated that 6.5 million people, about a third of the population, are registered sports participants. While there are over 120 sporting organisations, Australians also take part in bushwalking, fishing, boating and water sports.

Entertainment

Campuses offer spacious surroundings suitable for social, sporting and other outdoor activities. They are also centrally located for students to experience the sophistication of our cities and excitement of our entertainment facilities. There are plenty of opportunities for international students to have an enjoyable time with friends.

Travel

During semester breaks, you may like to venture beyond the capital cities to experience more of Australia’s spectacular natural environment and great physical beauty-national parks, The Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu, Uluru and the Tasmanian Wilderness.

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Shopping

Australia’s major centers and capital cities have world-class shopping facilities

General shopping hours
9.00 am – 5.30 pm	Throughout the week
Late night shopping until 9.00 pm	Thursday or Friday
Some supermarkets are open 24 hours a day	7 days a week

Telephones

Australia has a modern telephone system. Many private households now also have internet access. Public telephones are available at all Post Offices, shopping entrees. Public pay phones accept a variety of coins and Phone cards. Phone cards are pre-paid for use in public pay phones and can be bought at a large number of retail outlets in denominations of $A5, $A10, $A20 and $A50. Credit phones take most major credit cards such as American Express, Visa, Master card and Diners International and can be found at international and domestic airports, central city locations and hotels.

Mobile phones are very popular and can be purchased from a number of retailers.

Australian Weather

Australia is diverse in its geography and climate. Being in the southern hemisphere Australia’s seasons are reversed. Summer starts in December and winter in June. Nearly a third of Australia is in the tropics where the average temperatures are in the mid 20 degrees Celsius. The southern areas are in a temperate zone.

Australian Geography

Australia is a land of contrasts: sweeping golden beaches, coral reefs rich with marine life, tropical rainforests, mountain ranges, vast grazing lands and sparse deserts.

One of the oldest continents, Australia is as wide as the distance from Kuala Lumpur to Taipei and as long as the distance from Singapore to Manila. It is the only country to occupy an entire continent.

Surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Australia has many animals and plants, which are unique on the planet.

Lifestyle In Australia

Clean, Safe, Cosmopolitan

Students from all over the world come to Australia to take advantage of our top-notch education and enjoy our friendly hospitality and cultural diversity. Australia has low crime rates and strict gun control laws providing a safe environment in which to learn and travel. With one of the highest standards of living in the world, Australia offers modern transport systems, convenient telecommunications, cosmopolitan shopping complexes and excellent medical services.

Visitors from many parts of the world are attracted by Australia’s spectacular natural environment and the warmth of the Australian people. Australia is rich in the arts and is keen to preserve and display its diverse culture.

Australians are also environmentally conscious and keen to preserve the country’s natural beauty and scenery. Our Clean Up Australia campaign is being adopted worldwide.

Health Care

Australia has a very good health care system. All Australians pay a Medicare levy (additional tax) to fund the public health system and ensure everyone gets access to public system doctors, hospitals and other health care services. People who pay extra into a private health insurance fund receive certain privileges when they use private health care services.

International students studying in Australia are required to have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of their student visa.

Food

Australia has a fantastic variety of food. Our top quality meat, fish, fruits and vegetables are exported globally. There is a large range of fruit and vegetables available at Australian produce markets. You should have no difficulty in finding the foods that you are used to at home.

You can sample almost every type of cuisine available throughout the world in our many restaurants. There are elegant restaurants or typical Aussie pubs. Ethnic restaurants offer international cuisines. Good food at reasonable prices can be found at bistros or cafes. And for those who like takeaway, most of the major global fast food chains are well represented.

Electricity

The electrical current in Australia is 240/250 volts AC, 50 cycles. The Australian 3 pin plug is very safe. Adaptors are usually required for most foreign appliances. A transformer may be required if you bring an appliance from overseas that operates on a different voltage.

Transport

With one of the highest standards of living in the world, Australia offers modern transport systems. Australia has an extensive public transport network that includes trains, buses, tramways, ferries, two major national airlines and a number of regional airlines. Metropolitan areas are divided into zones and your ticket type and cost is contingent on which zone you are going to travel in and for how long. Tickets can be bought at train stations, on buses and trams and at news agencies.

Tourist students may drive in Australia on a valid overseas drivers licence but if the document is not in the English language the visitor must carry a translation with the licence. An international driving licence is not sufficient.

Metered taxicabs operate in all major cities and towns. You will find taxi ranks at transport terminals, main hotels or shopping centers or you can call taxis in the street. A light and sign on the roof indicates cab vacancy. There is a minimum charge on hiring and then a charge per kilometer travelled. Taxi drivers do not have to be tipped.

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