Indigenous Languages and International Languages - FAQs

Elementary registration is now open. If you have an Edsby account and are using a smart device and cannot find our courses on the mobile app, please access the registration using this link, which is also provided on the Elementary webpage.


2023-2024 School Year

No. At this time there will be no in-person registration at the language sites. This is why it is important to register online as soon as possible.

For more information on how to register, please see information on elementary programs and secondary programs.

​Registration information can be found on the elementary programs and the secondary programs pages.

Elementary registration is on-going.

Secondary registrations will not be accepted after the third class.

Please check elementary program page for more information.

For the specific date of the first day of class and times of each language class, please see the list of elementary programs and look under “Start Date” or check the online site calendars are also available online.

The first day of class for each secondary program starts on a different date, but all programs begin in September and end in June. For the specific date of the first day of class and times of each language class, please see the list of secondary programs and look under “Course Dates and Duration." 

Site calendars are also available online. Students will not be contacted regarding the first day of classes; the date and time of the first class are available on our program flyer and on our webpage.

​Students will not be contacted regarding the first day of classes; the date and time of the first class is available on our webpage.

Site calendars are also available online.

​​This program is only available for secondary students. We do offer a grade 8 Reach Ahead course for students interested in taking a grade 9 summer credit language course. We offer Farsi, Spanish and Simplified Mandarin (Level B or Level C).

More information is available from the Continuing Education webpage.

Site calendars are available online, or at the International Languages Program site office during class hours.

​Yes. For example, your child can take Spanish on Tuesday night and also take Greek on Thursday night. You will need to pay a $20 consumable fee for each class taken.

​​If a student wishes to take an additional class of the exact same language, applicable fees will be charged. The Ministry of Education only funds one language class, of the same language, per student. Please email ilil@yrdsb.ca for information regarding additional fees.

No. Students do not have to speak the language to enrol in a language class. Please note that instructors will differentiate to meet your child's language learning needs. It is important to set realistic language learning expectations for your child as this program runs only once per week, and it is not an immersion program.

​If Continuing Education programs/classes are cancelled, no classes will run onsite for Elementary courses. Instead, learning materials will be available online, asynchronously. Teaching staff will post learning activities in the student’s ILIL Google Classroom.

When evening classes are cancelled due to inclement weather, the decision will be made by 2 p.m. on the day of the class. Information can also be found on:

For the secondary credit courses, online classes will continue as usual.

​No. Classes do not run on days when the school is closed for a statutory holiday. Also, classes on the Friday and Saturday of a long weekend do not run.

​Yes. Classes run, as usual, on PA Days.

Elementary courses - international fee-paying visa students are required to pay a $20 non-refundable consumable fee and an additional fee of $225 (total $245) for each course taken. 

Secondary credit courses - international fee-paying visa students are required to pay a $20 non-refundable consumable fee and an additional fee of $500 (total $520) for a credit course taken. 

​Yes, for grade 8 Reach Ahead, and for grade 9 to 12 students. We offer Farsi, Spanish and Simplified Mandarin (Level B or Level C).

More information is available from the Continuing Education webpage.

Students are scheduled into age-appropriate classes (day school grade) regardless of level of fluency; teachers will differentiate instruction based on student needs.

Elementary classes are held in York Region District School Board schools and buildings. See the list of elementary programs to find the location, the date and time of each class, as well as a list of languages offered.

Secondary programs are held online for the 2022-2023 school year.

Email us at ilil@yrdsb.ca.

Please go to the EDSBY resources link, scroll down and you will see information to help you with your issue along with commonly asked questions and answers.