An Introduction to the Canadian Language Benchmarks

Anne Senior, Specialist Consultant Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks

AgendaAgendaWhat are CLB?Why were they developed?How have they evolved?How are they used ?

What are the CLB?What are the CLB?The Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) are a

set of national standards for adult immigrants and prospective immigrants for living and working in Canada.

The French benchmarks are called les Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC).

CLB/NCLC are used across Canada as the basis for language assessment, the teaching of English or French as a Second Language, resource development as well as increasingly for high-stakes applications.

Why were they developed?Why were they developed?The CLB were developed by CIC in the mid-1990s to

meet the needs of stakeholders working with adult immigrants in Canada:To provide a common framework for second language

teachers/administrators across Canada on which to develop classroom curricula and assessment tools.

For use across community, work and school contexts.For use in provincial and national language training

programs.NCLC developed later.

Communicative competenceCommunicative competenceCLB describe language in terms of communicative competence: Language users are able to express themselves in spoken and written

texts, to interact with other speakers and writers, and to negotiate with others in a range of specified situations and settings.

Understanding that learning a language involves developing both communicative performance and communicative knowledge.

Taking into account socio-linguistic competence, pragmatic competence, and grammatical competence, etc.

Essential to the notion of communicative competence are: the important role played by the context of discourse; the concept that language takes places in a setting and occurs for a

purpose; and language speakers should be evaluated on their ability to use language to

accomplish a set of tasks, under specifically defined performance and situational conditions.

CLB structureCLB structureProgression is based on 3 factors:

Progressively more demanding communication tasks.

Progressively more demanding contexts.

Progressively higher expectations of effectiveness and quality of communicative performance.

Describe competency in four skill areas:

Performance complexityPerformance complexity  Stage 1/CLB 1 Stage 2/CLB 6 Stage 3/CLB 12Competency: Reading - Comprehending Instructions

Understand very short, simple instructions for common, familiar everyday situations.

Understand moderately complex instructions and instructional texts for multistep procedures related to everyday situations, where the sequence must be inferred.

Understand complex instructional texts and evaluate and revise them for clarity.

Sample task Read and follow a 1-line instruction in a simple common phrase for an everyday activity. (Take one pill. Pay server.)  

Read and follow instructions and warnings on a label for a common chemical product (such as cleaning products, paint thinner) used at home or at work.  

Review detailed, extensive, complex, written instructions on complex tasks (such as how to balance a budget, conduct a staff briefing session, construct a spreadsheet, or conduct and report an experimental study) to ensure accuracy and usability.  

Competency: Writing – Reproducing information

Copy numbers, letters, words, short phrases or sentences from simple lists or very short passages, for personal use or to complete short tasks.  

Reduce short, factual oral discourse (such as live or recorded phone messages, pre-recorded public information lines, podcasts and short presentations) to notes or messages.  

Reduce and synthesize very complex and extensive information from multiple sources into a variety of formats (such as point-form notes, minutes, outlines, summaries, reports, abstracts or charts).  

Sample task Copy information from an identification document onto a form.  

Take notes from a short information session about a college program to share with a friend.  

Write an abstract, including a chart, of an extensive statistical report.  

The following table illustrates how similar competencies require increasing complexity of performance across the three stages of proficiency.

MaturationMaturation

Increased rigorIncreased rigorAs a result of a National Consultation in 2012, CLB and NCLC were revised and renewed to reflect their increasing use in a variety of different contexts including high-stakes ones.

The new versions are the result of a well planned revision process which included the development of a common theoretical framework based on a communicative competency model.

The final stage of the revision/renewal process was a comprehensive validation process.

Theoretical framework behind Theoretical framework behind CLB/NCLCCLB/NCLC

Reflects models of language ability promoted

by Bachman (1990), Bachman & Palmer (1996, 2010)

and Celce-Murcia et al. (1995).

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ValidationValidation1. Draft of a common theoretical framework based on accurate

revision of existing CLB and NCLC theoretical frameworks2. Validation of by independent experts of:

a) the theoretical framework

b) the CLB/NCLC content against the framework3. Concurrent validity study against:

a) CEFR

b) ACTFL Guidelines

c) Échelle québécoise 4. Validation of CLB/NCLC content against authentic production

samples and tasks5. Final revisions of the CLB/NCLC

FindingsFindings

The CLB/NCLC are reliable and valid:Are criterion-referenced and measure language progress of adult learners in all settings.Are empirically validated, transparent and user-friendly.Being context free, can be used to develop or

assess learning whatever the context or program.

Uses of CLB/NCLCUses of CLB/NCLC

Suite of assessment tools in English and French: some for classroom use – others by assessors:CLBA, CLBPT, CLBLA,CLB-LPT, WLA, ELTPA, BTC,Exit Tasks, SAM

High stakes testsMilestones, BTR, CELBAN,ECLAB

Remote assessmentPBLA

AssessmentAssessment

PBLAPBLA• Portfolio Based Language Assessment (PBLA) is a

standardized approach to teaching and assessment where teachers and students collaborate – on setting language learning goals,– on compiling evidence of acquired language skills in

a variety of contexts over time, and – on analyzing and reflecting on progress.

• Introduced April 2014 • National roll-out over three years

Other tools and resourcesOther tools and resources

Guide to implementationSupport kitCurriculum GuidelinesLesson plansCan Do statements

For assessors and practitioners in person and on-line Revised CLB and Support Kit Training PBLA Integrating Assessment into the ESL Classroom Summative Assessment Manual (SAM) for CLB 1-4 CLB 5-10 Exit Task Training Can Do Statements Placement tests Tutela.ca

Professional development/trainingProfessional development/training

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CLB: ESL for ALL

Possible future directions:Support kitOrientation and Training (in-person &/or online) Articulation of CLBLA, CLBLPT results to new standardDevelopment of briefer literacy assessment French version proposed

LiteracyLiteracy

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Language standards and Language standards and employment employment

CCLB Works with employers,

sectors, counsellors

Uses experts to correlate language standards with Essential Skills or to benchmark occupations

Develops tools for training, assessing, and analyzing language levels for workplace/ pre-employment training

Result Higher stakes application of

the CLB/ NCLC

Increased knowledge of the language demands of benchmarked occupations

Accountable tools that fairly assess language according to the needs of the occupation

Support for employment and training decisions

Occupational Language Analysis (OLA)Occupational Language Analysis (OLA)

An OLA* is a description of language competencies linked to success in one occupation.

Referenced to the CLB, it outlines in a standardized format, speaking, listening, reading and writing competencies and related sample tasks for a given occupation.

OLAs are based on 3 national sources:◦ Canadian Language Benchmarks ◦ Essential Skills Profiles◦ National Occupational Standards

* Requires an Essential Skill Profile and

a National Occupational Standard (NOS) from the sector

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www.itsessential.ca

BenchmarkingBenchmarkingBenchmarking of language demands establishes

language requirements that clearly show the language skills needed to work in an occupation or profession (can be for entry or full-working).

Data collection is key - benchmarking is the only true primary source of data collection.

Results in assigning benchmarks for the tasks. Benchmarkers analyze data and present report. How these benchmarks are used depends on the

organization. Analysis of data informs tool development (tests,

OLAs*, curricula).

Academic contexts

Benchmark Levels Required for Entry into First-Year University English course:*◦ Speaking Benchmark 8◦ Listening Benchmark 8◦ Reading Benchmark 9/10◦ WritingBenchmark 8/9◦ CIITE benchmarking of programs in Ontario

community colleges; Vancouver Community College , “Modelling the use of a CLB framework for a post-secondary context.”

* © Copyright 2012 British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer. http://www.bccat.ca/pubs/ESL.pdf

Any questions

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