For more information, contact:

Laurie McVittie (905-279-0024 ext. 1268)

Links

• Assessment Centres in Canada (Outside Ontario)
• ELTPA Inter-Rater Reliability Study 2010
• TESL Presentation 2009

Other websites:

• Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB)
• Citizenship & Immigration Canada (national site)

Citizenship & Immigration Canada - Provincial/Territorial sites:

• British Columbia; www.gov.bc.ca
• Manitoba: www.gov.mb.ca
• New Brunswick: www.gov.nb.ca
• Newfoundland and Labrador: www.gov.nf.ca
• Nova Scotia: www.gov.ns.ca
• Nunavut: www.gov.nu.ca
• Ontario: www.ontario.ca www.settlement.org
• Prince Edward Island: www.gov.pe.ca
• Quebec: www.souv.gc.ca
• Saskatchewan: www.gov.sk.ca
• Northwest Territories: www.gov.nt.ca
• Yukon: www.gov.yk.ca
• Alberta: www.gov.ab.ca

• Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment (CLBA)
• Canadian Language Benchmarks Placement Assessment (CLBPT)
• Canadian English Language Benchmarks Assessment for Nurses (CELBAN)

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ELTPA FAQ

Operational

1. Is the assessment appropriate for our clients?
   1. The ELTPA (6-10) is intended for previously assessed clients who have achieved Benchmark 6 or higher on a CLB- based assessment (CLBA, CLBPT or CELBAN) within the past 6 months, and who are candidates for ELT/HLLT, employment related language training programs. In some jurisdictions, teacher-assigned CLB proficiencies may also be used within the above-stated criteria.
2. If this is what you’re assessing and they can do it, what are we supposed to teach them?
   1. An assessment is a predictor of success in a given program.  It answers the question:  Does the individual meet the language requirements necessary to succeed? This assessment measures how well they accomplish the tasks on a range of bands in relation to CLB.
3. Entrance to ELT used to be 6, will it be changed?  In some jurisdictions, there’s a broad spectrum, from Bmk4 for hospitality to more enhanced levels of ELT.
   1. Assignment of Benchmark 6 or lower in any competency suggests that the client has not met the global indicators for Benchmark 7.  At this time, the pre-requisite of a minimum of Benchmark 6 in all competencies (using the CLBA or CLBPT) prior to attempting the ELTPA (6-10) simply means that candidates will not necessarily need to take the ELTPA if the program for which he is destined accepts Benchmarks lower than Benchmark 7.
4. What do you do with mixed scores?
   1. The ELTPA (6-10) identifies individual benchmarks achieved in each competency from the context of workplace-based tasks. Programs are contracted to address the needs of foreign trained individuals in each region. A CLB is a description of a person’s ability to use the English language to accomplish a set of tasks.  If a learner is assessed to be at different Benchmark levels in each skill (e.g., in speaking, listening, reading writing), he/she should be referred to a program that suits his/her learning needs and personal goals and that is most likely to facilitate learning and the achievement of outcomes. The Enhanced Language Placement Assessment reports separate scores for each competency, Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing.
    
   2. The National ELTPA Support Services offers ongoing support to assessors through professional development activities, including calibration/recertification as well as access to trainers, should queries arise from the assessment.   
5. Do you ever work with professional organizations so that candidates can be recognized through ELTPA (outside of TOEFL)?
   1. The ELTPA (6-10) is a low-stakes placement tool to be used prior to a candidate’s intake into an ELT/HLLT workplace-related training program.  It is not intended to take the place of any recognized high-stakes assessment tool.
6. Are there other kinds of tests besides the sub-tests mentioned?
   1. At this time, the ELTPA is the only assessment in use for placement of candidates in ELT programs.  While a number of ELT programs accept candidates whose Benchmarks are below Benchmark 8, the question remains as to the actual Benchmark on any sub-test where the candidate has received Benchmark 8 on CLBA, CLBPT or CELBAN, as these assessments do not identify Benchmark higher than 8. 
7. How did you choose the pilot projects?
   1. The validation of the ELTPA was funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, with in-kind contribution from the Centre for Education & Training.  Candidates for the validation study were attending current programs and had been previously assessed at Benchmark 5 or higher using the CLBA or CLBPT.  Candidates received a small token in appreciation for their participation in the study.
8. Why are some ELT–type programs not included under the ELT funding- like nursing?
   1. The ELTPA is primarily intended for language assessment of candidates destined for ELT programs.  Candidates for these programs are required to fall within the immigration eligibility requirements for CIC-funded programs.  It is hoped that a national advisory/discussion group will identify and define the issues around usage in the various jurisdictions across Canada.
9. Would this eliminate Canadian Citizens from the program? (Validity Study)
   1. Yes.  During the Validation phase of the development of the ELTPA, some candidates may not have fully met the immigration criteria for eligibility for the ELT program.  It was necessary to administer the assessment to a wide range of candidates to ensure that it met the rigorous demands of ELT programs and the Canadian workplace
10. Did they have to be in the program at the time they take part in the validity study?
    1. Ideally, all candidates assessed would first have valid CLBA/CLBPT/CELBAN scores within six months prior to taking the ELTPA.  While this ideal did not necessarily guarantee that candidates were or were not currently attending language classes, it was easier to manage simply due to logistics and the number of samples that were required.
11. CLBA/PT/CELBAN assesses what they’re working toward.  What about ELTPA?
    1. The ELTPA is referenced to the CLB 2000 and is designed to identify competencies within the four language skills.  While it is not possible in a linear assessment to evaluate all Global Descriptors of each Benchmark, the ELTPA uses bands that identify enough ‘can do’ statements to assign benchmarks that reflect the candidate’s general proficiencies relevant to workplace communication.  All CLB-referenced assessments essentially do this.
    2. “An increase in a Benchmark level may not be the goal of a course of study….There is ample room for ‘lateral development and progress within a Benchmark for every learner.  This is particularly true for higher levels of proficiency.” - Canadian Language Benchmarks 2000, Lateral development within a Benchmark, page IX.
12. The time required to complete the ELTPA seems lengthy.  Is there a way of shortening it, taking into consideration that the candidate has already had a CLBA/CLBPT/CELBAN?
    1. Both the Reading and Writing can be administered to groups of candidates, using a proctor.  The booklets can then be scored after the candidate has completed the full assessment when the assessor is able to devote full attention to them.  The Speaking Assessment may take up to 15 minutes with the onus on the assessor to manage the interaction, moving to threshold as efficiently as possible.  As the Listening Assessment is audio-mediated and the assessor must allow for independent production prior to seeking guided responses, this segment of the assessment may take up to 20 minutes. 
    2. Some research has taken place on the use of the screener in the Speaking assessment to eliminate those candidates from having to take the full assessment.  However, further refinements to the original ELTPA may be required after more extensive research.

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