The Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment (CLBA) is a nationally
recognized standard for assessment of Adult English as a Second Language in
Canada. The CLBA was developed under the sponsorship of Citizenship and Immigration
Canada and provincial governments of Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta.
CLBA:
a task-based assessment instrument
assesses English proficiencyon the scale from Benchmark 1 to Benchmark 8
tests English Listening / Speaking through one-on-one interview
tests Reading by means of passage and response to short answer / multiple choice questions
tests Writing by means of authentic, life-applicable tasks
The CLBA is recognized by language and adult training providers cross Canada and has attracted international interest.
Assessment Overview
Listening / Speaking
a progressive interview where each client is engaged in a series of tasks
conducted by a certified CLBA assessor
prompts include:
assessor questions
photographs
video task
audio tasks
task types include:
follow and respond to simple questions and instructions
take part in a short conversation
tell as story
relate video-mediated information
discuss concrete information on a familiar topic
synthesize abstract ideas on a familiar topic
approximate time: 15 - 35 minutes
Reading
a series of tasks in two test packages: Stage I (Benchmarks 1 - 4), Stage II (Benchmarks 5 - 8)
can be administered individually or in a group
task types include:
instructions
formatted text
unformatted text
information
response format: multiple choice and short answers
approximate time: 45 min - 1 hr 45 min
Writing
a series of tasks in two test stages: Stage I (Benchmarks 1 - 4), Stage II (Benchmarks 5 - 8)
