What are the Canadian Language Benchmarks?

The Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) are the national standard used in Canada for describing, measuring and recognizing the second language proficiency of adult immigrants and prospective immigrants for living and working in Canada.  The Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB) promotes and supports the recognition and use of the CLB as a practical, fair and reliable national standard of second language proficiency in educational, training, community and workplace settings.

The CLB provide a descriptive scale of communicative proficiency in English as a Second Language, expressed as benchmarks or reference points.  They cover four skill areas:  reading, writing, speaking and listening, and use real life language tasks to measure language skills.

The CLB provide a framework of reference for learning, teaching, programming and assessing adult English as a Second Language in Canada, a national standard for planning second language curricula for a variety of contexts, and a common "yardstick" for assessing the outcomes.

Application & Uses

Where are the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) being used?

Since the CLB were introduced in 1996, increasing numbers of language training programs have begun applying the CLB in assessing and instructing ESL learners. Existing curricula and classes have been "Benchmarked" and new materials have been developed to assist teachers in applying the CLB. Across Canada, the CLB are used:

• in Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) programs in the Maritime Region, Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan
• in all British Columbia (ELSA) and Manitoba (MIIP) federal-provincial language-training programs
• in several provincially-funded ESL programs in post-secondary and private programs
• in Enhanced Language Training (ELT) programs across Canadian many TESL/TESOL teacher- training programs
• in employment and training programs to help determine articulation standards in order to set standards to facilitate access to numerous professional and trade programs
• in colleges and universities to understand the language proficiencies needed for admission
• in over 70 federally-funded national assessment centres

Retrieved from www.language.ca on April 17, 2009.