1. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute OBJECTIVES You will understand: 1. The rationale behind having a standard measure of language ability. 2. The history and rationale of the Common European Framework used in the European Union. 3. The history and rationale of the Canadian Language Benchmarks used in Canada. You will be able to: 1. Understand the similarities and differences between the CEF and CLB.

2. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute A STANDARD MEASURE OF LANGUAGE ABILITY After World War Two, as more and more people migrated from one country to another, it became apparent to governments in the countries receiving these immigrants that some type of measure of language ability was necessary. This measurement was to establish a common baseline of language competency in order to function effectively in the receiving country. Looking specifically at English, there was no way to measure language ability as it related to success or failure in an English-speaking society. There were standardized tests to measure English ability as it related to an academic context (for example TOEFL); however, none measured an individual’s ability to function on a day-to-day basis in English. The Canadian Language Benchmarks are applicable to the two official languages of Canada: French and English. The Common European Framework is applicable to any language spoken within the European Union.

3. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute THE CANADIAN LANGUAGE BENCHMARKS BEGINNINGS In 1992 the Government of Canada undertook to enhance and support language training and to address the adult immigrant’s individual needs. Through the federal department now known as Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), the government funded a project to develop national standards, beginning with consultations with experts in second language teaching and training, testing and measurement. The consultations confirmed that no one instrument, tool, or set of “benchmarks” was widely used or appropriate to Canadian newcomers’ needs. Regional workshops with ESL/EFL practitioners and administrators, learners, immigrant serving agencies, and government representatives explored the interest in and affirmed the potential for the development of a set of benchmarks.

4. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute ESTABLISHING THE BENCHMARKS AND CCLB In March 1993, CIC established the National Working Group on Language Benchmarks (NWGLB) to guide the development of the benchmarks, and in 1996 the first working copy of the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) was made available. At a 1996 conference, CIC, in partnership with the provincial governments of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan, identified the need for an institution outside government to take responsibility for the Canadian Language Benchmark project. In 1998 the Centre for the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB) was created. It is a national, not-for-profit organization whose board of directors represents both provincial and federal governments, ESL and FSL professionals, and language assessors. The CCLB’s mandate is to aid and maintain the benchmarks for stakeholders in the education, settlement, job training, and workplace sectors.

5. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute ESTABLISHING THE FRENCH BENCHMARKS After the implementation of the CLB, it became clear that a comparable set of benchmarks would also be beneficial for the French-speaking community serving immigrants. In 2002, the first version of French as a Second Language standards, based on the CLB, was created and titled Standards Linguistiques Canadiens 2002. Following feedback from the FSL community, CIC adapted this first version and renamed it Niveaux de Compétence Linguistique Canadiens (NCLC) 2006. Today, the CCLB is the national standard-setting body for both the CLB and NCLC. The benchmark sets are recognized as the official Canadian standards of language proficiency for all current and future adult immigrants in both English and French.

6. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute CLB REVISIONS Since they were set in 1996, the CLB have undergone several revisions. The latest began in 2010 when the CCLB wrapped up its National Consultation on the CLB 2000 and NCLC 2006. Over the course of this project, CCLB organized consultations with various stakeholders across the country. This consultation allowed the CCLB to explore how the CLB and NCLC could be revised to better respond to the changing landscape of Canada’s growing ESL community. The National Consultation also allowed the CCLB and stakeholders to develop a shared understanding of the use of these standards, benchmarks, related tools and resources, as well as to identify potential new uses for them.

7. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute EMERGENCE OF THE UPDATED CLB Acting upon the recommendations that emerged from the National Consultation, a new version of the CLB/NCLC was developed. It has been rolled out in federally and provincially funded ESL and FSL programs across Canada. The changes have made the document more user-friendly and streamlined how the benchmarks are presented. In addition, the theoretical framework that underpins the benchmarks has been brought more to the fore, to inform stakeholders of the rationalization behind the benchmarks. In addition to the revised CLB, The CCLB has also set up a new website called bookshelf.language.ca. This website provides information regarding the new CLB document, as well as a variety of support material and resources.

8. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute APPROPRIATE USES OF THE CANADIAN LANGUAGE BENCHMARKS GUIDELINES AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS PURPOSE OF THE CLB AND NCLC The Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) and Niveaux de Compétence Linguistique Canadiens (NCLC) are the national standards for describing, measuring, and recognizing the second language proficiency of adult immigrants and prospective immigrants for living and working in Canada. The benchmarks provide a national framework of reference for the development of language learning programs, curricula, and materials relevant to the needs of adult newcomers to Canada during the process of settlement and integration. Therefore, the benchmarks and the assessment tools that have been designed to accompany them are intended to aid in settlement and successful integration of adults who have immigrated to Canada.

9. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute INTENDED AND ALTERNATIVE USES OF THE CLB The benchmarks are utilized as a curriculum/assessment tool with a wide variety of student populations, in addition to adult immigrants in Canada. In some cases, adult immigrant learners and learners from one or more other populations may be studying English or French within the same programs, or the CLB are used in classrooms serving no adult immigrant learners at all:  international college and high school students who may or may not be intending to immigrate overseas  learners of English or French for work-related purposes  children and young teens who may be immigrants and/or children of immigrants  employment preparation program participants  Aboriginal Canadian learners of English or French as a second language or skills development  other adult Canadian-born learners who are learning an official language other than their first language  Adult Basic Education students who may be native speakers of the locally dominant official language, (in the case of the Literacy Benchmarks)

10. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute A FINAL NOTE ON USAGE The Benchmarks assessment tools were originally intended for use only in Canada, but they are now being used outside of Canada to set the levels of language proficiency required to obtain points for those seeking entry to Canada under the Skilled Worker Class of Immigrants. For curriculum planning purposes, such alternative uses may be appropriate and encouraged as long as the planner understands that the benchmarks can serve only as a guideline, and that due consideration must be given to the developmental and linguistic needs of the learners.

11. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute THE COMMON EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK, A BRIEF HISTORY The Common European Framework (CEF) was developed to assist Europeans in demonstrating their linguistic capabilities to prospective employers and to academic institutions. Linguistic capability in multiple languages is far more prevalent in Europe, given the close proximity of so many language groups. The CEF therefore needed to be able to describe ability in any language, not just English or French. A key tool in the use of the Common European Framework is the Language Passport. The Language Passport is a document that individuals use to keep track of their language learning and proof of their language abilities. The CEF, while originally developed as a way to strengthen ties among the different language groups in Europe, is now being used worldwide as a standard measure of language ability. Most standardized tests in English, for example, are now equated to one of the CEF language levels.

12. ACE TESOL Diploma Program – London Language Institute Complete Task Journal question 1 and either submit by email to jenrjones@rogers.com, or in person.jenrjones@rogers.com