TESL Ontario 2018 Conference Synergies of Language & Life Panel Discussion Yves Saint-Germain Director, Language Policy, Francophone Communities and Performance Measurement Settlement and Integration Policy November 2, 2018

Presentation Outline What we know How we are gathering information to move forward Ongoing work/priorities Where we are heading

Minister’s Mandate “Working with the provinces and territories, ensure a renewed focus on the delivery of high-quality settlement services to ensure the successful arrival of new Canadians.”

Settlement Evaluation 2017 Covered the period 2011-2016 Key language findings: Improved language skills Frequent use of official languages outside home Higher impact on younger clients Higher impact on newcomers with higher human capital (education, economic status, previous official language knowledge) Highest impact on language improvement was occupation specific language training Recommendations: New and innovative approaches to language training Implement a plan to optimize the benefits of employment-specific language training

2017-2018: Settlement Program Participants by Immigration Category Source: http://open.canada.ca

Usage of Settlement Program Services Language training clients by immigration category Fiscal Year 2017-18 Economic 32% Resettled Refugee & Protected Person in Canada 36% Sponsored Family 31% Source: http://open.canada.ca.

Snapshot of 2017-18 Language Training Clients Over 65% aged 25 to 44 years Two-thirds are women Over 25% have a university degree Arabic (20%) and Mandarin (19%) top two mother tongues China is top country of birth (18%) Close to 106,000 clients across Canada (outside of Quebec) Demand is increasing, but overall profile of clients has not changed significantly in last ten years Key challenge: Meeting the demands of clients, in terms of volumes and the range of newcomers’ needs Currently no limit on participation (e.g. cap on hours) for eligible clients When LINC was first launched in 1992, participation was “limited” to three years, but this was very difficult to operationalize However, most clients do not stay in language training for an extended period of time - more research is needed, but data suggests that most clients participate in early years after arrival - participation peaks in first year, followed by second year after arrival in Canada Operational challenge: matching local supply with local demand, particularly given the range of levels and individuals’ needs Fiscal limitations drive local and regional decisions, sometimes results in longer waitlists (e.g. Surrey) Note that “traditional classroom setting” is changing – but iCARE does not record informal use of educational technology and online learning tools used by instructors in classrooms, to supplement face-to-face activities

Sociolinguistic variables Factors Influencing Second Language Acquisition Cultural beliefs Cognitive variables Situation or context Affective variables Internal to learner Factors that the individual learner possesses and brings to the learning situation External to learner Factors that are outside of the control and influence of the learner that characterize the particular language learning situation Age Sociocultural experiences Intelligence Language aptitude Language learning strategies Attitudes Motivation Language anxiety Self-confidence Type (formal or informal) Curriculum Instruction quality Culture Values Gender Sociolinguistic variables Mother tongue Linguistic distance Interaction with native speakers Learner’s development in a second language (linguistic and non-linguistic outcomes)

An Overview of Partnerships and Relationships with Stakeholders Minister Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Deputy Minister Assistant Deputy Minister, Settlement and Integration Sector Director General, Settlement and Integration Policy Director, Language Policy and Francophone Communities Settlement Network Operations Directors, Eastern, Ontario and Western (PNT and BCY) Deputy Minister’s Advisory Council National Settlement Council Newcomer Language Advisory Body Service Provider Organizations Local Immigration Partnerships Regional and local planning tables Federal co-chair Federal co-chair (Language Forum) Provincial and Territorial ministries responsible for immigration, settlement and/or adult second language programs FPT Assistant Deputy Ministers Table Forum of Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers Responsible for Immigration FPT Policy and Planning Table FPT Language Forum Provinces and Territories Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Stakeholders Language sector stakeholders (including experts in teacher training, curriculum development, emerging learning technologies)

Current Focuses Setting Priorities (CFP 2019) Service Delivery Improvement Le Plan d’action pour les langues officielles Portfolio Based Language Assessment Towards an E-Learning Pathway

Priorities for Settlement Language Programming, 2020-2023 Waitlists Remote area programming Blended and on-line learning PBLA/ELBP Resources Employment focused language Special needs programming

Service Delivery Improvement SDI was created with the intended goal to invest strategically in projects that could lead to program design improvements and greater efficiencies in future

SDI Language Project Streams Youth Research and Analysis Newcomer wellbeing Pay for performance Employment Language acquisition Volunteers Of the 37 Language related projects we are moving forward with 10 are delivered in French (black) and 27 are delivered in English (blue). The graphic shows the distribution of the agreements across Canada. I like this visual, it shows a distribution very in line with Canada’s population distribution.

Official Languages Action Plan Funding for Language Training Increase awareness and referrals to French language training. Expand the availability of French and English assessment and language training services. Develop and deliver language training services adapted to learners in FMCs Support the development of resources that enhance program delivery Increase availability of and access to official language training adapted to the needs of Francophone immigrants

Portfolio Based Language Assessment Developed to more accurately measure language training progress Introduced as a standard feature in programming in 2013 400 lead teachers trained, 200 sites, 2500 classroom instructors, 10 regional coaches. More support being developed for instructors and administrators

IRCC’s Vision for the E-Learning Pathway Learning Management System Course Content (Offerings Aligned with Curriculum Guidelines and PBLA) Administrative Functions Blended Delivery (Online Complements F2F) Teacher-Led Virtual Classroom Self-Directed Online Potential Informal Language Training Options New Online Content (To be developed in alignment with Curriculum Guidelines and PBLA*) *Note: National Curriculum Guidelines are also intended to support traditional face-to-face classroom instruction. e-PBLA e-PBLA e-PBLA ? E-Learning Characteristics For Learners: Remote Placement Assessment Capacity Settlement-focused language training Customizable options and different learning pathways including: Blended delivery Virtual Classroom Self-directed learning E-portfolio capacity For Teachers: One door to all tools/resources Settlement-focused content that is customizable and sharable Capacity to attribute assessment task and monitor progress (artefacts in an e-portfolio) Capacity for course management/administrative functions

Thank you Yves Saint-Germain Director, Language Policy, Francophone Communities Settlement and Integration Policy Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada yves.saint-germain@cic.gc.ca To view the language training video, visit the IRCC website: English: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/multimedia/video/settlement-language/settlement-language.asp French: http://www.cic.gc.ca/francais/ministere/media/multimedia/video/etablir-langage/etablir-langage.asp Or the IRCC YouTube channel: English: https://youtu.be/epNZbEuC3YM French: https://youtu.be/IiWBN_lCdw0 Arabic: https://youtu.be/epNZbEuC3YM Mandarin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDfgZAtwXow Spanish: https://youtu.be/vJAfeFsubvs                                        Hindi: https://youtu.be/TmR5zy5KNUA                                      

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