ELS is an academic support service for non-native speakers of English enrolled in courses at Capilano University. ELS is designed to assist students with their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.
Student Support
ELS provides 30-minute one-on-one learning support sessions with an instructor who has expertise in language learning. The sessions are by appointment only (see schedules below) and are either online through video conferencing or in person in the Learning Commons in the Library Building, LB 126.
Types of Support Offered
| Reading/Vocabulary | Grammar/Writing | Listening/Speaking |
|---|---|---|
|
Clarification of course assignments |
Overview of academic writing styles |
Overcoming pronunciation challenges |
|
Academic text comprehension |
Academic writing/grammar |
Conversation confidence building |
|
Guidance with critical thinking |
APA and MLA citation |
Academic listening strategies |
|
Learning and retaining new vocabulary |
Sentence structure |
Group discussion strategies |
|
Editing checklist development |
Summer 2025 Schedule
General ELS
General ELS support is for Capilano University students who are non-native speakers of English and registered in academic programs at the University.
Summer 1: ELS is available from Thursday, May 15, until Wednesday, July 2.
|
Day |
Time |
Instructor |
|
Monday |
10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 4 - 5.30 p.m. |
Ferdos Jamali (online only) Ferdos Jamali (online only) |
|
Tuesday |
10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1 - 3 p.m. 4 - 5:30 p.m. |
Ferdos Jamali (online only) Nicholas Jennings (online only) Ferdos Jamali (online only) |
|
Wednesday |
1 - 3 p.m. |
Nicholas Jennings (in-person in LB 126 or online) |
|
Thursday |
10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1 - 3 p.m. 4 - 5:30 p.m. |
Ferdos Jamali (online only) Nicholas Jennings (online only) Ferdos Jamali (online only) |
Summer 2: ELS is available from Thursday, July 3, until Friday, August 15.
| Day | Time | Instructor |
|---|---|---|
| Monday |
10 - 11:30 a.m. 1 - 2:30 p.m. |
Ferdos Jamali (online only) Ferdos Jamali (online only) |
| Tuesday |
10 - 11:30 a.m. 1 - 2:30 p.m. |
Ferdos Jamali (online only) Ferdos Jamali (online only) |
Note: Limit your ELS appointments to two 30-minute support sessions a week.
If you would like to go over a writing assignment, send the instructor a digital copy of the draft and the assignment instructions before the appointment time.
How to Book an Appointment
- Click on “Book An Appointment.” You will be sent to a separate page with a calendar. Choose an instructor and an appointment day and time.
- Fill in your personal information carefully; be sure to use your CapU email address, provide a current phone number, and indicate the appointment type (online or in-person), program, course number and instructor’s name. Click "Submit."
- You will receive 2 emails (see A & B below) when making an in-person appointment and 3 emails (see A, B & C below) when making an online support appointment.
Confirmation emails
A. Appointment confirmation email: If you need to cancel your session, please use the link provided.
B. ELS instructor email: An ELS instructor will contact you a day or two before your appointment to request a digital copy of your assignment and the instructions.
C. MS Teams notification email: You will receive a notification that your ELS instructor has created a private MS Teams link for you to use for ELS sessions.
- Click "Open Microsoft Teams" button;
- Click "Accept";
- Open MS Teams in the web app or download the MS Teams app to your desktop (preferred);
- Use your CapU email information to log in;
- Your meeting will begin at the scheduled time.