Temporary Activity visa Subclass 408

This visa allows you to come to Australia to do specific types of work on a short-term, temporary basis.

Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408)

Special Program

This visa lets you stay in Australia to take part in an approved special program. Special programs can include youth exchange, cultural enrichment or community programs, school language assistants or "gap year school volunteering ".

Stay

Up to 12 months

Cost

From AUD310

Processing Time

We process:

• 75% of applications: 45 days
• 90% of applications: 50 days

• Take part in a special program in Australia to exchange culture, knowledge and social experiences
• Stay in Australia for usually up to 12 months with members of your family unit
• Apply for the visa in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance

With this visa the applicant can

• Take part in a special program in Australia to exchange culture, knowledge and social experiences
• Stay in Australia for usually up to 12 months with members of the family unit
• Apply for the visa in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance

See all conditions

Check your eligibility

You must

• have an invitation to participate in an approved special program
• be supported or sponsored depending on your circumstances
• apply online

With this visa, you can

• stay in Australia for usually up to 12 months
• travel to and from Australia as many times as you want
• include members of the family unit in your visa application

This activity aims to enhance international relations and cultural exchange by allowing people to share cultural and social experiences and knowledge in the Australian community through participation in activity-specific programs.

Cultural exchange should be the main purpose of the program.

There are 4 special program types under this visa.

Cultural enrichment or community benefits program

Other Programs

This program type lets you take part in activities in Australia to exchange ideas, beliefs, rituals, customs and traditions with people of different or similar ethnic or social backgrounds.

We encourage approved Australian organisations to promote these exchanges to foster mutual understanding and tolerance in the Australian community.

The program should last between 3 and 12 months.

Your activities might include:

• learning about Australian Indigenous languages and cultures
• pastoral care, religious teaching or evangelism
• social research, environmental conservation or outdoor education
• teaching other languages and cultures
• volunteering with a charity to do outreach work

You can't undertake training or tourism as your primary activity.

Your sponsor must sign a special program agreement with us.

School Language Assistants program

This program type lets you assist an Australian language teacher at an Australian school for up to 12 months.

You must intend to pursue a career in teaching.

You must only work as a teaching assistant at the school. You will assist qualified Australian language teachers in language and cultural matters.

The Australian school does not need a special program agreement with us.

School-to-school Interchange program

This program lets you to come to Australia as a school assistant for up to 12 months.

You must have recently completed your schooling and be on a gap year before starting work, further studies or training.

You will work as a voluntary assistant. You will not replace qualified teaching staff or take formal classes by yourself.

Your home school (usually a boarding school) does not need a special program agreement with us

Youth exchange program

This program allows for stay in Australia for between 3 and 12 months to partcipate in a youth exchange program. Your sponsor must be part of a broader organisation that sends young Australians overseas for a similar experience. Your sponsor must have a Special Program Agreement with us.

The program should usually last between 3 and 12 months.

Your home organisation must allow an Australian to have a similar experience in a foreign country.

Your sponsor must sign a special program agreement with us.

How long you can stay

This is a temporary visa. We grant the length of stay based on the activity we approve you to do on the visa.

We usually grant this visa for no more than 12 months.

The visa is granted with multiple entry. You can leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you want while the visa is valid.

If you are overseas when the visa is granted, the visa stay period starts on the day that you enter Australia. If you are in Australia, the visa starts on the day that it is granted.

Your visa grant letter will tell you how long you can stay.

Stay longer

You can't stay in Australia longer by extending this visa. Explore your visa options.

Include family

You can:

• include members of the family unit in your application when you apply, or
• add family members to your application at any time before we make a decision

Family members who apply for the visa with you must also meet our health and character requirements. 

Subsequent entrants

If we grant you the visa, your family members might be able to apply to join you in Australia later as subsequent entrant. 

Cost

The visa costs AUD310 for the main applicant.

There is also a charge for each family member who applies for the visa with you.

You might also have to pay other costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.

To work out what your visa will cost use the Visa Pricing Estimator. The estimator does not take into account the other costs.

Apply from

You can be in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when you apply for the visa and when we decide on your application.

Processing times

Your application might take longer to process if:

• you don't fill it in correctly
• you don't include all the documents we need, or we need more information from you
• it takes us time to verify your information

We can't process your application if you don't pay the correct visa application charge. We will let you know if this is the case.

Your obligations

Your activities must not harm the work, training or job conditions of Australian citizens or permanent residents.

You and your family must meet all visa conditions and follow Australian laws.

Learn more about conditions for this visa.

If your sponsor, supporting organisation or individual stops your activity or employment, you must do one of the following:

• if eligible, apply for a new visa; or
• leave Australia within 28 days of stopping work for your sponsor/supporter, or earlier if your visa is expiring

Travel

You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want while the visa is valid.

The time you spend outside Australia does not extend the visa.

Visa label

We will digitally link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.

If we grant you a visa, we will send you a grant notification letter containing the visa grant number. You can use this number to access your digital visa record.

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Spoken English

Spoken English

This course is designed for students and employees who are keen to improve their knowledge of English vocabulary and grammar in general and communicative ability in particular, so that they may be able to communicate in English with confidence. Students successfully completing this course will always find themselves well-equipped in terms of effective communication skills.

Beginners’ Level

Who should attend?

Students (any discipline), Teachers, Professionals or anyone interested in development of his/her language skills This course is primarily for those having basic knowledge of English (the starters).

Course Contents

• Basic Grammar (strong grip on structural and functional grammar).
• Rich Vocabulary.
• Received Pronunciation.
• Communication skills through group work / pair work . Role-plays, Jig-Saw activities, Discussions, Debates etc.
• Writing Applications, Formal letters, Essays, Stories, Poems, Book reviews and day-to-day accounts.
• Listening skills polished through typescripts in language labs.

Corporate Counsel’s own Resource Material

Corporate Counsel ’s research & development (R&D) wing has developed customized and focused course material to meet the needs of each specialized course. These Books enhance all four language skills (i.e listening, reading, writing and speaking) and are specifically developed and designed by

Corporate Counsel Linguistic Center to meet all the requirements of language learners.

• Gateway to the English Language (GEL).
• Beginners’ Dimension to the English Language (BDEL) student’s handbook.
• Advanced Dimension to The English Language (ADEL) Student’s Handbook.
• Professional Dimension to The English Language (PDEL)
• Student’s Handbook .
• Simple English Lexicon (SEL).
• Writing in the English Language (WEL).

Advanced Level

Who should attend?

Students, Teachers, Professionals or anyone interested in the development or improvement of his/her language skills. This course is primarily for those having completed beginners’ level English course or those having a reasonably good knowledge of English Language.

Course Contents

• Detailed grammar (thorough grounding in structure).
• Detailed study of Received Pronunciation.
• Command on Simple English Lexicon (SEL).
• Communication skills through Role-plays, Jig-Saw activities, Discussions, Debates, Speeches etc.
• Intense reading plus pleasure reading activities.
• Mature writing including writing Articles, Poems, Book reviews etc formal / informal letters.
• Listening skills polished through typescripts in language labs and telephonic conversations.

Professional Level

Who should attend?

Professionals, salespersons, bankers, marketers, managers, teachers and office workers etc.

Course Contents

• Proficient communication skills both at academic and professional level.
• Speaking through Role-plays, Jig-Saw activities, Discussions, Debates, Speeches and presentations.
  CV, Resume writing, Cover and reference letter writing.
• Professional tips for job interviews and exemplary performance at work place.
• Tips for preparing and delivering breath-taking presentations both at academic and professional level and Chairing meetings with expertise.
• Listening skills polished through recorded presentations, lectures of professionals and telephonic conversations.
• Note: Students’ performance and progress is regularly assessed by the NICON trainers. Students are given ample opportunities to participate in diverse co-curricular activities e.g. inter campuses writing and speech competitions etc.
• Rewards: Students are also awarded on showing stupendous Performance.

Talk in English in 60 Days

Being a student you should be able to talk in English. But question is how to talk in English, how a student of fifth grade can learn to talk in English. Adopting English as a second language is an easy talk; a student can learn how to talk in English in 60 days. Even if a new learner can also talk fluently in English.

For more Information Call or Visit Our Website / Office.

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IELTS

IELTS

IELTS is the International English Language Testing System which tests English proficiency across the globe. Conducting 2 million tests in the past year, IELTS is the world’s most popular high stakes English-language test for study, work and migration.

IELTS | Test Takers – Why choose IELTS?

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IELTS scores are accepted by over 9,000 organisations worldwide, including universities, employers, immigration authorities and professional bodies.

IELTS is designed by experts to fairly assess the language ability of candidates who want to study or work where English is the language of communication.

International English

IELTS recognises both British and American English in terms of spelling, grammar and choice of words. It also incorporates a mix of native speaker accents from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and US in the Listening component.

International content

The IELTS approach is recognised as being fair, reliable and valid to all candidates, whatever their nationality, cultural background, gender or special needs. The test questions are developed by a network known as the IELTS item writers in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK and the US. They are based on real life sources (for example, advertisements, books, newspapers and company policies), so ensuring that they are always fit for purpose.

International consultationIELTS has been developed in close consultation with academics, professional bodies and immigration authorities from around the world.

International partners

IELTS is owned by a global partnership of education and language experts: the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and the Cambridge English Language Assessment. These bodies are dedicated to academic excellence, cultural understanding, student recruitment and creating success worldwide.

Choose from more than 1,000 locations worldwideIELTS tests are offered up to four times a month in over 900 test venues in more than 140 countries. The cost of taking the test is set locally and payable in the local currency, making registration convenient. Results are issued 13 calendar days after the test. Official IELTS test centres can send Test Report Forms directly to your organisation or institution (provided it has been nominated), either by mail or as an electronic download.

IELTS | Test Takers – Academic or General Training?

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There are two versions of IELTS to choose from:

IELTS Academic

IELTS General Training

The following definitions are to be used as a general guide only. Check with the organisations you wish to apply to before you book your test.

IELTS Academic – Institutions of Higher and Further EducationThe Academic format is, broadly speaking, for those who want to study or train in an English-speaking university or Institutions of Higher and Further Education. Admission to undergraduate and postgraduate courses is based on the results of the Academic test. IELTS Academic may also be a requirement to join a professional organisation in an English-speaking country.

General Training – for school, work or migrationThe General Training format focuses on general survival skills in broad social and workplace contexts. It is typically for those who are going to English-speaking countries to do secondary education, work experience or training programs. People migrating to Australia, Canada and New Zealand must sit the General Training test.

Check with your organisationEvery organisation sets its own entry requirements. In some cases both versions of IELTS may be accepted. Visit who accepts IELTS? to search for the organisations you want to apply to, and find out which version you need.

While the IELTS Global Recognition System is committed to maintaining an up to date record of English language requirements, it is strongly recommended that you also check the English language requirements with the recognising organisation, by visiting their website or contacting them directly.

> Find out who accepts IELTS.

> Find out  who accepts IELTS.

Download theInformation for candidates booklet (PDF, 790KB).

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You have a choice of two versions of IELTS: Academic or General Training.

Everybody takes the same Listening and Speaking components. It is the Reading and Writing components that differ.

You will take the Listening, Reading and Writing tests all on the same day one after the other, with no breaks in between them.

Your Speaking test will either be after a break on the same day as the other three tests, or up to seven days before or after that. This will depend on your test centre.

Understanding the format of each section Listening Reading Writing Speaking

Listening 30 minutes You will listen to four recorded texts, monologues and conversations by a range of native speakers, and write your answers to a series of questions. These include questions which test your ability to understand main ideas and detailed factual information, ability to understand the opinions and attitudes of speakers, ability to understand the purpose of an utterance and the ability to follow the development of ideas. A variety of voices and native-speaker accents are used and each section is heard only once. Section 1 A conversation between two people set in an everyday social context. Section 2 A monologue set in an everyday social context e.g. a speech about local facilities. Section 3 A conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training context, e.g. a university tutor and a student discussing an assignment. Section 4 A monologue on an academic subject e.g. a university lecture.

Reading 60 minutes The Reading component consists of 40 questions. A variety of question types is used in order to test a wide range of reading skills. These including reading for gist, reading for main ideas, reading for detail, skimming, understanding logical argument, recognising writers’ opinions, attitudes and purpose. IELTS AcademicThe Academic version includes three long texts which range from the descriptive and factual to the discursive and analytical. The texts are authentic and are taken from books, journals, magazines and newspapers. These have been selected for a non-specialist audience but are appropriate for candidates entering university courses or seeking professional registration. IELTS General Training The General Training version requires candidates to read extracts from books, magazines, newspapers, notices, advertisements, company handbooks and guidelines. These are materials you are likely to encounter on a daily basis in an English speaking environment.

Writing 60 minutes IELTS Academic The Writing component of IELTS Academic includes two tasks. Topics are of general interest to, and suitable for candidates entering undergraduate and postgraduate studies or seeking professional registration. Task 1 You will be presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram and asked to describe, summarise or explain the information in your own words. You may be asked to describe and explain data, describe the stages of a process, how something works or describe an object or event. Task 2 You will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. Responses to both tasks must be in a formal style. IELTS General Training The Writing component of IELTS General Training includes two tasks which are based on topics of general interest. Task 1 You will be presented with a situation and asked to write a letter requesting information, or explaining the situation. The letter may be personal, semi-formal or formal in style. Task 2You will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. The essay can be slightly more personal in style than the Academic Writing Task 2 essay.

Speaking 11 to 14 minutes The Speaking component assesses your use of spoken English, and takes between 11 and 14 minutes to complete. Every test is recorded. The Speaking component is delivered in such a way that it does not allow candidates to rehearse set responses beforehand. Part 1The Examiner will ask you general questions about yourself and a range of familiar topics, such as home, family, work, studies and interests. This part lasts between four and five minutes. Part 2 You will be given a card which asks you to talk about a particular topic. You will have one minute to prepare before speaking for up to two minutes. The examiner will then ask one or two questions on the same topic to finish this part of the test. Part 3 You will be asked further questions connected to the topic in Part 2. These questions will give you the opportunity to discuss more abstract ideas and issue. The part of the test lasts between four and five minutes.

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Scope of Language

Scope of Language. 

Language is our primary source of communication. It’s the method through which we share our ideas and thoughts with others. Some people even say that language is what separates us from animals and makes us human.

There are thousands of languages in this world. Countries have their own national languages in addition to a variety of local languages spoken and understood by their people in different regions. Some languages are spoken by millions of people, others by only a few thousand.

Why Learn English?

English was originally the language of England, but through the historical efforts of the British Empire it has become the primary or secondary language of many former British colonies such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and India. Currently, English is the primary language of not only countries actively touched by British imperialism, but also many business and cultural spheres dominated by those countries. It is the language of Hollywood and the language of international banking and business. As such, it is a useful and even necessary language to know.

Education

English is also essential to the field of education. In many countries, children are taught and encouraged to learn English as a second language. Even in countries where it is not an official language, such as the Netherlands or Sweden, we will find many syllabi in science and engineering are written in English. Because it is the dominant language in the sciences, most of the research and studies you find in any given scientific field will be written in it as well. At the university level, students in many countries study almost all their subjects in English in order to make the material more accessible to international students.

List of Countries by English Speaking Population

(click column header to sort results)

Country	% English Speakers	Total English Speakers
United States	94.2	298,444,149
India	10.35	125,226,449
Pakistan	49	92,316,049
Nigeria	53	82,941,000
United Kingdom	97.74	63,962,000
Philippines	56.63	57,292,884
Germany	64	51,584,000
Bangladesh	18	29,398,158
Canada	85.63	28,360,240
Egypt	35	28,101,325
France	39	25,500,000
Italy	34	20,300,000
Ghana	66.67	18,000,000
Australia	97.03	17,357,833
Thailand	27.16	17,121,187
South Africa	31	16,424,417

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_English-speaking_population\

Travel and Business

With good understanding and communication in English, you can travel around the globe. Because it is the international language for foreigners, it’s easy to get assistance and help in every part of world. You can test it by online travel. Any travel booking site you can find will have English as a booking option.

English skills will also help you in any business venture you choose to follow. If you visit some offices, companies, governmental organizations, or even math or engineering companies, you will see the importance of English. Any big company will hire their professional staff after getting to know whether the people they are hiring are good at English or not. Companies who want to function at an international level only consider their staff well educated if they are good English speakers, writers, and readers.

The Language of Hollywood

Everyone knows that Hollywood is in the United States, and that the biggest television and music industries in the world are based there. As I mentioned above, TV and movies are a great way to practice your English once you start learning. What’s more, knowing English opens up thousands of movies, television shows, and games for your enjoyment. If you want to one day work in the entertainment industry, English is even more essential.

Those who are still unaware of the importance of English should start learning it, as a time will come when everything will be understood, spoken and written in English. In a lot of ways, that time is already here. Go ahead, watch some media, and get an idea of the language. You won’t be disappointed.

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