The story of Karla Ojeda, a Venezuelan who decided to study languages in Canada

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Beyond statistics and data, it is the actual voices of students that best capture the essence of an educational experience abroad. 

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In this article, we invite you to immerse yourself in the authentic experiences of an international student who chose Canada as her language learning destination. Through her experience, you will discover the challenges, moments of triumph and cultural connections that enriched her life while studying in this fascinating country. This engaging personal account will give you a unique perspective on the valuable significance of studying languages in Canada. 

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Get ready to be inspired by the story of Karla Ojeda, a native student from the state of Táchira, Venezuela, who went on an exciting journey of learning and self-discovery in Canada!

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"Hi! My name is Karla and I was an exchange student in Canada, specifically in the province of Ontario, thanks to the Rotary Club.

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Before telling my experience, I want to thank the Rotary Club for this initiative of sponsoring international exchanges between young people from 15 to 19 years old in more than 100 countries. I was part of this program when I was a minor and it was one of the most enriching experiences I had during my school years.

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You may wonder why I chose Canada and not another country, in fact, I had read a lot about its reputation as a friendly, multicultural and safe country. Besides, the natural beauty and the Canadian quality of life were factors that attracted me a lot because it was what I was told by friends who had had the opportunity to go and their fun experiences influenced me to also dare to travel and have my own adventure, so Ontario was my destination, the most populated province of the country located between the United States and the Great Lakes.

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The Canadians made me feel at home

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From my experience I can say that I would do it again and again. Canada is a wonderful and multicultural country that is characterized by the kindness of its people; it is a country to learn from and to teach you things about our Latin culture because the Canadian population also learns a lot from us foreigners and values it. In fact, Canadians are some of the kindest and most helpful people I have ever met. From the very beginning they made me feel at home and I, for one, expanded my world view by seeing so many people from other countries. Also, you are almost certain to learn other languages because Canada is a bilingual country and, depending on the region you are in, the exposure to the French language is more accentuated so you can unknowingly learn two languages at the same time.

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From basic English to mastering the language and recognizing my capabilities

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Since it was a cultural exchange through the Rotary Club, they connected me with my host family who did the class registration for a semester at a public high school.

In principle, the exchanger has a basic knowledge of English, that was my case too, however, I decided to improve my skills from scratch to make the most of the immersion in the Canadian language. 

My biggest challenge was adapting to a new education system and Canadian accent. I also struggled at first to express myself fluently in English, but with dedication and constant practice I overcame this challenge, and while I did not set a specific time when I felt completely confident speaking English, I did notice a huge improvement after about six months of daily study and practice.

As an exchange student, I can safely say that it has been one of the most challenging experiences I could have had because I proved to myself that I could learn a new language, that venturing into the unknown was a transformative experience and that I had to recognize myself as a strong and adaptable person, something I did not know so much about myself. In addition, I learned to develop a new perspective on life and culture, and my mind was opened to new possibilities. Being away from my country, Venezuela, made me more independent and self-confident and I now have a great appreciation for the differences that make the world so fascinating. 

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A new family and valued friends

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During my stay in Ontario, I made friends from all over the world and I am very happy that they enriched my experience even more, as we shared different cultural perspectives and traveled together across Canada. A memorable anecdote was my trip to the Rocky Mountains, where we enjoyed breathtaking scenery and outdoor adventures. I fell in love with Canada so much that I now live and work in this beautiful country. 

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In short, studying languages in Canada has opened many job opportunities for me and at the same time gave me a new family and friends from other countries. If you identify with this story and are thinking of learning languages in Canada, I recommend that you explore the options offered by this first world country. 

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I want to thank Immiland Canada for allowing me to tell my story and encourage my fellow Venezuelans and brothers and sisters from different countries to write their own experience.

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Success to all! "

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Karla Ojeda

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This story is part of one more success story of foreigners who want to live the Canadian dream and dare to explore their own skills to better themselves by bringing the best to their environment and allowing others to nurture their knowledge as well. For us it is satisfying to know that many students want to develop new skills and decide to challenge themselves by going beyond the boundaries of language and their idiosyncrasies to weave threads of knowledge, friendship and personal growth. Thank you, Karla, for reaching out to us and telling your story.

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If you would like to know more about our agreements with language institutes in Canada and abroad, you can click here. We also invite you to explore our language courses in Canada.

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With love,

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Immiland

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