International and Indigenous Languages Elementary

Registration for the 2026-2027 IILE Program is now open!

The International and Indigenous Languages Elementary (IILE) program is available to students registered in Junior Kindergarten up to Grade 8 from all school boards. This program offers students the opportunity to learn to listen, speak, read and write in a new language or to maintain the language of their home or heritage. No prior knowledge of the language is necessary to enroll in these classes.

This program is offered by the Durham District School Board free of charge and children may enroll in only one language class.

In person classes are offered each Wednesday evening from 6:00pm to 8:30pm at R. S. McLaughlin Collegiate and Vocational Institute - 570 Stevenson Rd N, Oshawa, ON L1J 5P1.

A child must be four years old by December to be eligible for classes.

Registration Information

Please check back in January 2027 for more updates as the current registration is closed for September 2026.

Languages offered for the 2026/2027 School Year

Previous languages offered were:

Hindi

Malayalam

Mandarin

Marathi

Spanish

Tamil

Students will also have the option to provide a different language using the "other" box provided in the registration form as a waitlist request, but these other languages will be dependent on the number of requests for a specific language reaching enough to justify the class.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my child get school credits for this program?

No. This course is interest based and does not have any credits attached to it.

Is there a cost for this program?

No – this program is free for all qualified registrants – THERE ARE NO FEES.

My child is currently in grade 9 and wants to learn a new language but has no experience. Can they attend this program?

Unfortunately they cannot join this program as it is for elementary aged students enrolled in JK to Grade 8 only.

We don’t live in Durham Region – is this program still open to us?

The International Language non-credit program is open to any Ontario resident with Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status.

Upcoming Program Dates

Class starts - October 7, 2026

Final class - May 19, 2027

Registration Deadline

Registration deadline: September 18th, 2026 - Registrations after this date are subject to a waitlist
Courses with insufficient enrollment at this time will be cancelled.

Registration Information

Click here to Register!

Note: Parents/Guardians of students who do not go to a Durham District School Board elementary school will be required to provide Proof of Citizenship. Durham Continuing Education staff will be in contact with instructions on how to provide that information.

Additionally, registering your child does not guarantee a seat in a class. Sufficient student registrations and a qualified instructor are required to be able to offer a language class. The class may also be over-subscribed, in which case we will allocate seats in order of registration. An email will confirm receipt of your registration request after registration has closed. A further email will confirm your child’s seat in class.