Pass your SLE.
Move your career forward.

Yes — this is one of the most common requests we receive from federal employees in Ottawa. Moving from B to C, particularly in oral proficiency, requires very targeted work on fluency, register, and spontaneous production under evaluation conditions. Our instructors know exactly where B-level candidates lose points at the C threshold and build your programme around closing those specific gaps. A realistic timeline depends on your current oral level and your weekly training hours — your advisor will give you an honest assessment at your free consultation.

Yes — and this is the most common payment arrangement for our federal employee clients. Berlitz Ottawa works with departmental training coordinators and learning budgets across the Government of Canada. Many employees have their SLE preparation fully funded through their department's official languages training allocation or discretionary learning budget. Your advisor will provide the documentation your coordinator needs to process the funding request.

With our intensive programme (30–45 hours per week), most federal employees move one full SLE level in 8–10 weeks. With regular sessions (approx. 4–5 h/week), the same progress typically takes 20–28 weeks. Private one-to-one tutoring can significantly accelerate these timelines compared to group training. Your advisor will give you a realistic estimate at your free consultation, based on your current level across all three SLE components and your evaluation date.

Yes. Our live online format delivers the same SLE-aligned instruction as our in-person sessions at Sparks Street — with a certified Berlitz instructor via a secure video platform. This is ideal for federal employees working remotely, based in Gatineau, Kanata, Barrhaven, or Orléans, or on hybrid schedules. Many of our federal government clients combine in-person sessions when downtown with online sessions on remote days.

100% free and with no commitment. A Berlitz advisor — a real person familiar with the federal government language requirements — will contact you within 1 business day. In a 20-minute call, they'll discuss your current SLE levels, your target designation, your evaluation timeline, and your preferred training format. They'll recommend the right programme and provide the information you need to process departmental funding if applicable. You only enrol if it feels right.

Yes. Holding a language designation is one thing — keeping it current is another. Our maintenance programmes are designed for public servants who already hold an SLE designation and want to stay sharp between evaluations. Sessions focus on oral fluency, written expression practice, and reading comprehension at your designated level, on a schedule that fits your departmental commitments. Available in-person at Sparks Street or live online.