1. 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

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

3. 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.”

4. Settlement Evaluation 2017
Covered the period
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

5. 2017-2018: Settlement Program Participants by Immigration Category
Source:

6. Usage of Settlement Program Services
Language training clients by immigration category
Fiscal Year
Economic
32%
Resettled Refugee & Protected Person in Canada
36%
Sponsored Family
31%
Source:

7. 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

8. 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)

9. 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)

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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.

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. Thank you Yves Saint-Germain
Director, Language Policy, Francophone Communities
Settlement and Integration Policy
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
To view the language training video, visit the IRCC website:
English:
French:
Or the IRCC YouTube channel:
English:
French:
Arabic:
Mandarin:
Spanish:
Hindi:

18. Copyright [Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2018]
Copyright [Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2018]. 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.