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Frequently asked questions
Registration, Payments, and Cancellations
1. Use your Google account to create an online account Our online platform is supported by Google; you therefore need a Google account and Gmail email address to register and take online or in-person courses at the Y. The registration process is done entirely online in just a few steps.
2. Take a placement test The oral and written placement test is required for your first English course, regardless of the level. For the other languages taught, the placement test is required to register if the school has not assigned you a level yet or if your last course ended over 6 months ago.
3. Register for the language course you want according to the level assigned to you by the school Now that your language level has been confirmed, you can choose one of the group courses corresponding to your level.
The registration process is done entirely online, thus credit cards are the preferred method of payment. We accept most credit cards. However, you can pay by cash or debit card by stopping by the YMCA International Language School. Please note that in case of cancellation, payments made by cash or debit card will take longer to refund.
Important: your registration in a course will only be confirmed once the payment is received.
The YMCAs of Québec is committed to making language courses accessible to students and takes into account their financial situation. To make a request for financial assistance for the YMCA International Language School, please first contact us by telephone at 514-687-9622 (Montréal) or 1-833-505-9622 (outside Montréal) to confirm your eligibility.
If your cancellation request is made before the start of the session, you will be refunded in full. If the request is made once the session has already started, the refund will be prorated based on the classes remaining from the date and time the cancellation request is received and minus a 10% administrative fee. You must fill in a cancellation request form for your cancellation to be processed. Click here to fill in the cancellation form.
Placement tests
Yes, assessing your language level is required to ensure the level matches our school’s standards. The tests are free and done entirely online.
You do not need to take a placement test to register for most of our beginner level language courses, except for our English courses.
Courses
Our group courses welcome between 4 and 20 students.
The names of teacher cannot be known before the course starts. The pedagogical team takes care of distributing courses and levels to teachers right before the session starts based on our needs and the number of courses offered that session. Our entire teaching staff is made up of highly qualified teachers who will support you throughout the session.
The cost of the majority of courses includes teaching materials, with the exception of Arabic courses. Teaching materials will be handed out on the first day of class.
You must attend at least 80% of classes to avoid being penalized and to receive your progress report for the next session. You must advise your teacher of your absence. Missed classes cannot be refunded.
The teacher emails a progress report at the end of each session, once the student has completed the course. The YMCA International Language School does not issue certificates for completed courses. However, it is possible, upon request, to receive proof that you took a course in addition to the progress report provided at the end of the course.
Every member of our teaching staff has a university diploma and teaching certificate. Our teachers come from all over the world. They all have the required language training and an excellent command of the language they teach.
Group courses are cancelled on holidays.* However, the content of any cancelled class is made up in other classes in the session to ensure the entire program content is covered. This reorganization of the material guarantees that all the pedagogical content is covered during the session without compromising the course’s established learning goals.
*For evening group courses, the course is postponed.
Closure of the International Language School on December 19, 2025
Yes, this is correct. The YMCAs of Québec’s International Language School will permanently cease operations on December 19, 2025, coinciding with the end of the 2025 fall semester.
The 2025 fall semester’s courses will therefore continue as normal until Friday, December 19, 2025. After that date, no other sessions or programs will be offered.
The YMCA International Language School has been an important part of the YMCAs of Québec’s and Montréal’s history for over 60 years. We recognize the importance of this institution and the pride it represents. Unfortunately, for several years now, the school has been struggling financially.
Despite the team’s substantial efforts and repeated financial support from the YMCA, the school is today dealing with a net deficit that is too large to continue its activities.
Yes. We worked actively to try to reestablish the school’s viability, and several avenues were explored.
We recognize that this is a difficult decision, but it reflects our collective responsibility: to protect the organization’s financial health so it can continue to fulfill its mission with the majority of the communities we serve.
Yes. All the cohorts that have already begun will continue until December 19, 2025, the date the school will close. We will thus do everything we can so that students can continue their language learning journey without interruption, out of respect for their commitment and progress.
Yes. Students who choose not to complete their course at the YMCA, despite the opportunity to do so by December 2025, can get a prorated refund for the remaining classes. Our goal is to be flexible and respect everyone’s choice.
There is no need to worry about this. If your session is canceled before the scheduled end date, your registration fees will be refunded on a pro-rata basis for the unused lessons.
Students who wish to continue their studies after December 2025 will not be left without a solution. We will support them to the best of our ability so that they can be redirected to other recognized institutions, based on their needs and preferences. Our goal is to make this transition as smooth and seamless as possible, avoiding any disruption to their language learning journey. Clear and accessible information will be provided to guide them toward available options.
