Canadian Language Benchmarks

1. Canadian Language Benchmarks

2. What is it? • The national standard in Canada. • Measures English language proficiency of adult immigrants who want to work and live in Canada. • Provides a scale which measures reading, writing, speaking, and listening. • Real life language tasks are used in CLB. • Scores are valid for 6 months.

3. CLB Content • Time: 2.5 hours. • Scale of 12 proficiency levels divided into 3 stages. • Measures proficiency from beginner to highly proficient level. • Benchmark 8 is required for to study at the university level.

4. CLB’s History • 1992 - Canadian government funded a project to create national standards. • 1996 – First copy of CLB made available. • 2000 – The current version was published. • Currently the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks maintains the CLB.

5. http://sait.ca/pages/cometosait/internationalstudents/pdf/CLBA1107.pdfhttp://sait.ca/pages/cometosait/internationalstudents/pdf/CLBA1107.pdf

6. What You’re Tested On

7. Communicative proficiency is described in relation to: • 4 language skills Speaking Reading Listening Writing • 3 stages of progress/ proficiency • Basic (Stage I- Benchmarks 1-4) • Intermediate (Stage II- Benchmarks 5-8) • Advanced (Stage III- Benchmarks 9-12) • 4 specific competency areas Social Interaction Following and giving advice Suasion Information

9. Listening • Performance conditions • Listen to a tape or watch a video and students have to identify specific details or make inferences. • Responses may be oral, physical, or written • Strategies to develop • Able to recognize suprasegmentals • Ability to listen and perform actions • Familiarity with language discourse format • Scoring • Percentage of the questions that you respond to appropriately

10. Examples of Listening Tasks (BM6) • Social Interaction • Listen to a videotaped casual dialogue and identify specific details and inferred meaning. • Instructions • Before depositing the slip in the deposit box, check if it is signed. The appliance must be disconnected prior to opening the cover. • Follow directions appropriately and complete task.

11. Speaking • Performance Conditions • Informal one-on-one interview with questions guided by the interlocutor. Instruction is 2-3 word utterances • To be successful you need a knowledge of • Task, purpose, audience, content/ topic and related vocabulary, and appropriate discourse format for a task • Scoring: 30% holistic and 70% analytic

12. Examples of Speaking Tasks (BM6) • Suasion • It’s cold—perhaps we should close the window. You shouldn’t…If we do X, Y will happen. I ordered X a while ago; I was wondering when it will be ready/ if it’s ready yet. • Make simple formal suggestions, predict consequences, request items or service needed. • Information • Call a library to inquire and obtain information about appropriate research materials and other availability. Reserve materials.

13. Reading • Performance conditions • Response may be short answer or multiple choice • Texts may be handwritten or printed • For lower levels, pictures accompany texts • Strategies to develop • Sight recognition of words and phrases in texts • Ability to use context clues to interpret texts • Ability to use different reading strategies • Scoring • Percent of questions answered correctly

14. Examples of Reading Tasks (BM6) • Social • Obtain information from authentic notes, e-mail messages and letters; identify correctly specific facts and inferred meanings. • Instructions • Explain instructions of use and warnings printed on the labels of common commercial/ industrial chemical products

15. Writing • Performance Conditions • Circumstances range from formal to informal • Generally topics are immediately relevant to everyday life • Skills to develop • Ability to record information • Familiarity with common formats of various texts • Writing and revising process • Scoring • 30% Holistic and 70% analytic

16. Examples of Writing Tasks (BM6) • Information • Give a detailed description of a simple process • Reproducing Information • Take notes from a 10-15 minute oral/ TV presentation on a general topic. Write down key information concisely and accurately

17. Promotes and supports the use CLB in educational, training, community and workplace settings. • These  Assessment Centres are located in every province of Canada where certified CLB assessors administer CLB “tools” to: • Test learners’ English communication skills • Assist with placement in scholastic or career-oriented programs

18. What are these CLB “Tools”? CCLB CLBAssessment (CLBA) Workplace Language Assessment (WLA) CLB Placement Test (CLBPT) Literacy Tests (LPT, CLBLA) Canadian Eng Lang Assessment For Nurses (CELBAN) CLBClassroom Assessment Test of Eng for Scholars & Trainees (CanTEST)

19. CLB AssessmentCLBALevels 1 – 8 • Designed in 1996, the first CLB tool • Measures what learners can do with English • Given individually (writing can be in a group setting) • Can take up to 4 hours • Perceived as the most effective tool • Recognized by all training providers across Canada

20. CLB Placement Test CLBPTLevels 1 – 8 • Streamlined placement test • Measures what learners can’t do • Can be given in group setting • Takes up to 80 minutes • Adaptable: 4 versions • Not accepted by all institutions

21. Literacy Tests • Literacy Placement Tool (LPT) • Canadian Benchmark Literacy Assessment (CLBLA) • Measure proficiency levels of literacy in the learner’s native language. • For placement of learners on the national literacy benchmark scale • LPT Volume 1 • Foundation and Phase I levels of the CLB 2000:  ESL For Literacy Learners.  • LPT Volume 2 • Foundation and Phase II levels • Available in 26 languages

22. CLB to assess communication skills of nurses whose native language is not English • Nurse’s workplace context • Canadian Eng LangAssessment for Nurses • CELBAN • Workplace LanguageAssessment WLA • CLB Classroom • Assessment • Canadian Test of Eng • for Scholars and TraineesCanTEST • Levels 7 – 10 • preparing newcomers for the Canadian workforce • Helps determine eligibility for work • CLB assessment of ESL learners in the classroom • University of Ottawa's CanTEST versions for CLBs.  • developed to parallel CanTEST and CLBs • levels 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11  • academic and professional • university admission • professional accreditation • vocational training.

23. Reading and Listening • English or French proficiency • Levels 1 – 9 • Unofficial: for personal, academic and employment goals • Provides information about • How CLBs are used • How to find language training in Canada • Credential requirements for professions • What skill levels are required for immigration, post secondary studies and professional programs • Can be used worldwide by • Prospective immigrants • Adult English are French learners abroad • ESL teachers and trainers • Resettlement councilors

24. Where are these Assessment Centres? • At settings for • Educational studies • Training • Community Services • Workplace • With certified CLB assessors • In every province of Canada

25. Examples:

26. Counseling Center Counseling Center Under 6 years Education in L1 CLBA Non-LINC Clients Higher Stakes Over 6 years Education in L1 Literacy Tests CLBPT

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28. Cons • Teachers lack necessary training to administer test. • No way of deciding if one items is more complex than another. • It does not seem to be regularly revised • Is much different from the TOEFL

29. References • http://www.language.ca/pdfs/comparison.pdf • http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/bench-m-l.asp • http://www.docstoc.com/docs/33393758/Canadian-Language-Benchmarks-Assessment • http://www.language.ca/display_page.asp • http://sait.ca/pages/cometosait/internationalstudents/pdf/CLBA1107.pdf • http://www.language.ca/pdfs/clb_adults.pdf • http://www.catholicsocialservices.ab.ca/CSSFindServicesbyCategory/ImmigrationandSettlement.aspx?id=178