If you are thinking of going to Canada, you might be familiar with the term CLB or Canadian Language Benchmarks.
CLB is a standard that is being used in Canadian immigration applications to give descriptions to the various 12 levels of language with the ability to speak, write, listen, and read.
Canadian Language Benchmarks are not tests; they are only a way of describing the outcome you would get on various language tests.
A good example of this test is the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP).
Therefore, there is nothing like a CLB test, but your language test results can be used to evaluate your language level according to the Canadian Language Benchmarks.
History of Canadian Language Benchmarks
The Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) was formed in 1992 as a federal government initiative.
The main aim of CLB is to assist the language learning demands of immigrants to Canada. In 1993,
Citizenship and Immigration Canada founded the National Working Group on Language Benchmark.
In November 1996, they introduced the Working Document for Canadian Language Benchmarks.
This working group was meant to become the managing board for the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB).
The CCLB became chartered as a non-profit agency in March 1998.
In the year 2000, Grazyna Pawlikowska-Smith published his own Canadian Language Benchmarks.
This was based on expert research and is becoming famous among institutions, teachers, and students.
In 2012, another revised version of the Canadian Language Benchmark was published along with a theoretical framework.
A team of language experts and writers worked together on the revision in French and English.
The NCLC/CLB theory was evaluated against the Common European Framework for Language, Quebec, and the ACTEFL version of language benchmarks.
The validation has proven that NCLC and CLB are reliable and valid for high stakes in various contexts, including the workplace, community, and academy.
In 1996, a group of benchmarks for literacy learners or individuals whose English happens to be their second language was created and revised in 2000 by the federal government of Manitoba.
In 2013-2014, the revised version of the new literacy benchmarks was carried out in fiscal and was available after the validation in 2014.
Reasons to Know Your CLB Level
You must know your CLB level if you plan to travel to Canada. Applicants who apply for a Canadian permanent resident status via any programs being managed under the Express Entry system are required to show a minimum CLB under a ranking system called Comprehensive Ranking System of 5 or higher in their second official language.
Any supporting spouse can also obtain more CRS points based on their language level, which must be shown with a Canadian Language Benchmarks level.
The CLB may be wanted in other Canadian Immigration Programs: for instance, applicants get points under the QSW points system for a Canadian Language Benchmarks level of 5 and above.
It is good to know the Canadian Language Benchmarks will also assist you if you are thinking of studying in Canada.
The CLB has been used as a framework in the English Language and has second language teaching in Canada.
How do CLB Levels Work?
There are 12 different levels we have in the Canadian Language Benchmarks.
They go from (CLB 1) to advanced (CLB 12).
They are separated into three stages: basic, intermediate, and advanced.
Furthermore, each stage has four benchmarks: initial, developing, adequate, and fluent.
Each of the Canadian Language Benchmarks applies to the four core areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Each area has detailed descriptions of each level, which can be found on the CLB website.
The Canadian Language Benchmarks provide more details on every aspect, and if you want to know your CLB level, then taking the test is inevitable.
What is The Level of My CLB?
Canadian Language Benchmarks is not a test of any sort. If you participate in a language test such as IELTS, there is no way you will see your CLBs on the certificate.
It should also be noted that the level needed to be eligible or immigrate via one of the programs controlled by the Express Entry System depends on the class you will be filing your application for, such as Canadian Experience Classes, Federal Skilled Trades, and Federal Skilled Workers.
Different Language Test
The following are examples of a language test for anyone who wants to go to Canada, and here they are:
1. IELTS
IELTS is the acronym for the International English Testing System.
It is an international test for non-English language speakers to test their proficiency in the English language.
It is one of the world’s languages.
It is the only language test that has been approved by the United Kingdom Visas and an immigration test for people applying both inside and outside of the United Kingdom.
2. CELPIP
CELPIP, an abbreviation for the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program, is an English language assessment tool that helps measure reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities.
It is administered by Paragon Testing Enterprise, a subsidiary of the University of Columbia in Canada.
This English test has two different versions: CELPIP-General and CELPIP-General LS.
3. TEF
TEF means Test d’ évaluation due to français, is a fluency test in French for non-french speakers., and the CCIP is awarding it.
The language test has three major mandatory and optional sections.
The mandatory section comprises listening, vocabulary, reading, and grammar, while the optional section comprises speaking and writing.
4. TFC
TFC is Test de Connaissance due to Français, a test in proficiency in the French language to meet the standard of immigration officers in Canada.
One of the major purposes of the test is to obtain Canadian citizenship.
It comprises four compulsory sections: speaking, listening comprehension, writing, and reading comprehension.
Assessment of Canadian Language Benchmarks
The Canadian Language Benchmarks have been in operation since 1996.
The CLB-based assessment shows what a second language speaker can offer in terms of communication and language.
In general, it covers four skills: reading, listening, speaking, and reading.
It has been used for summative and formative assessments and in defining higher or lower stakes.
Examples of Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessments Include:
- The Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment (CLBA).
- The Canadian Language Benchmarks Literacy Assessment (CLBLA).
- The Canadian Language Benchmarks Placement Test (CLBPT).
- Literacy Placement Tool: Volume I.
- Literacy Placement Tool: Volume II.
- Canadian English Language Benchmarks Assessment for Nurses (CELBAN).
- Milestones (a high-stakes test in development for Citizenship & Immigration Canada)
This article should help guide you through CLBs.
If you have any questions, let us know in the comment section, and we will be glad to help.
