CESBA Central Region Meeting. Canada s Directions in Settlement Language Training: Improving Newcomer Outcomes. May 21, 2015 Richard Lecours

Transcription

1 CESBA Central Region Meeting Canada s Directions in Settlement Language Training: Improving Newcomer Outcomes May 21, 2015 Richard Lecours

2 Copyright [Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2015]. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author. 2

3 Outline Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada Settlement Program Settlement Language Programming Standardization in Language Development Formal Language Training 3

4 Department of Citizenship and Immigration Selects foreign nationals and offers protection to refugees. Develops Canada s admissibility policy, which sets the conditions for entering and remaining in Canada. In collaboration with its partners, conducts the screening of potential permanent and temporary residents to protect the health, safety and security of Canadians. Helps immigrants and refugees settle and integrate into Canadian society and the economy, and by encouraging and facilitating Canadian citizenship. Reaches out to all Canadians and fosters increased intercultural understanding and an integrated society with equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, ethnicity and religion. 4

5 CIC s Settlement Program Assists immigrants and refugees to overcome barriers specific to the newcomer experience (such as a lack of official language skills and limited knowledge of Canada) so that they can participate in social, cultural, civic and economic life in Canada. Needs Assessments and Referrals Formal reviews of client needs, leading to referrals to settlement and other community-based services Information and Orientation Information to better understand life in Canada and make informed settlement decisions Language and Skills Development Supports to develop official language skills to live and work in Canada Employment-Related Services Skills and supports to find employment commensurate with skills and education Community Connections Services to connect clients with the broader community, public institutions and community organizations Support Services Childcare, transportation assistance, translation and interpretation, crisis counselling and provisions for persons with a disability 5

6 Settlement Language Programming Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) and Cours de langue pour les immigrants au Canada (CLIC) provide training, from literacy to advanced levels, to help newcomers develop the skills needed to function in Canadian society and contribute to the economy. Programming covers aspects of living in Canada, job search skills, and cross-cultural communication to help newcomers find work and integrate into their communities. Labour market focused language training offers job-specific programming (mainly at higher proficiency levels), coupled with mentoring and work placements to speed up the transition to employment. Occupation-specific language training assists newcomers at intermediate language levels who have training or experience in a specific occupation or sector with the language and workplace cultural skills required to communicate effectively on the job. 6

7 Standardization in Language Development Standardization and national consistency in the quality of programming supports strong newcomer language outcomes. LINC and CLIC apply the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) and Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) as the national standard for planning curricula and assessing learner progress. The CLB/NCLC include a number of descriptive statements called competencies. These competencies are organized in 12 Benchmark levels that describe what a learner can do in the four skill areas (speaking, listening, reading and writing) at increasing levels of complexity. The competencies provide a framework of reference for teaching and assessing adult ESL learners in Canada. 7

8 Formal Language Training Formal language training offered as LINC and CLIC (whether inperson, online, or a blend of both) must be: Task based instruction; Preceded by a CLB or NCLC-based placement assessment; Follow the National Language Placement and Progression Guidelines Guided by LINC, CLIC, or provincial CLB- or NCLC-based curriculum guidelines for newcomers; Led by a qualified teacher; and Concluded with an evaluation of evidence collected throughout the term to determine progress on the CLB or NCLC scale (Portfolio-Based Language Assessment) 8

9 Contact us Richard Lecours Manager, Operations, Integration and RHQ Multiculturalism Citizenship and Immigration Canada For more information on CIC s language programming, please visit: CIC s video on Language Training for Canada is intended to raise newcomer awareness on the importance of official language skills for settlement in Canada 9