Canadian Language Benchmarks:
ESL for Adults and ESL for Literacy Learners

What is a Benchmark?

It is “a standard, a reference point, a criterion by which to measure something.”

What is a Canadian Language Benchmark for English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction?

It is a description of a person’s ability to use the English language to accomplish a set of tasks.

Why do we need a set of Canadian Language Benchmarks?

The teaching and learning of ESL for Adults in Canada involves tens of thousands of people in many different kinds of places: schools, colleges, community centres, universities, factories, offices, hotels, church basements, libraries and so on. Classes may be full or part time, days, evenings or weekends. Learners come from all over the world with a huge variety of languages and educational backgrounds.

With all these differences, it is not surprising that there has been no common set of standards for measuring language learning among adult ESL learners.

Without a common set of standards it is difficult:

• for a school’s ESL certificates to have any meaning beyond that school;
• for learners to transfer with credit,
  • between ESL schools, or
  • from ESL to regular classes;
• for employers to have an accurate picture of an immigrant’s language ability;
• to measure language acquisition in a manner which is accepted nationally.

What will Benchmarks give to Adult ESL instruction across Canada?

• Information to learners both on what they have learned and what they have yet to learn
• A clear statement of a person’s language ability to administrators, teachers, employers, settlement workers and so on
• A set of reference points for teachers to use when assessing a learner’s language abilities
• A common basis for assessment of both learners and institutions offering ESL

Are Benchmarks a type of test or curriculum guideline?

No, they are neither. However, they can be the basis for developing a language test or tests and/or locally-focused curriculum materials. The Peel Board of Education has already developed test instruments which place learners on Benchmarks 1 to 8.

What do Benchmarks describe?

There are four types of benchmarks and each describes ability within a specific area of language skill or combination of skills. The four skill areas are:

• listening
• speaking
• reading
• writing

How many Benchmarks are there?

There are twelve Benchmarks in each of the three areas, making thirty-six in all. An absolute beginner (literate in the Roman alphabet) would be at Benchmark One in each of the three areas.

What do Benchmarks look like?

Each Benchmark describes the competencies the learner should demonstrate at that Benchmark. Real life tasks are provided as examples of what can be accomplished by learners who are at that Benchmark.

Where did the Benchmarks come from?

In 1992, the Federal Government introduced a new Immigrant Language Training Policy, which stated in part that Canada should have a clear set of language performance standards as a basis for developing reliable tools to assess the language skills of learners.

In order to achieve this goal, the government formed the National Working Group on Language Benchmarks in March 1993. Made up of approximately 20 people (teachers, learners, administrators), its job was to oversee the design, field testing and revision of a set of Language Benchmarks and to make sure that there was enough input from the field. The group decided that the Benchmarks should be task based and that those tasks should be settlement focused.

In 1995, a draft version of the document was field tested across the country and 3,000 people participated (2,000 were learners, 500 were adult ESL teachers and the remaining 500 consisted of administrators of ESL institutions, curriculum developers, academics and so on). Revisions to the document were made based upon input received from the field test.

What about Literacy Learners?

There is a separate set of Benchmarks for literacy learners. These describe the progression in reading and writing of Adult ESL literacy learners. This progression is unique to this type of learner and not reflected in the reading and writing Benchmarks prepared for other Adult ESL learners. This separate set of Benchmarks is for ESL learners who are illiterate in their first language. It is also appropriate for learners who are not familiar with the Roman alphabet.

What’s next?

It is now hoped that the Adult ESL and immigrant-serving communities will put the Canadian Language Benchmarks to work, as a basis for the development of:

• assessment instruments;
• local curriculum materials;
• device(s) for the certification of learning;
• a common language for the entire immigrant-serving community.

It is important to note that feedback on these activities will be the basis for a revision of the Canadian Language Benchmarks in the future.

  

© Minister of Supply and Services Canada 1996
Cat. No. Ci63-14/1996
ISBN 0-662-62362-2
C&I-151-03-96

November 1998