Aligning CLB and CEFR

The recent research report, “Aligning the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)”, by Dr. Brian North and Dr. Enrica Piccardo, is now available. The report has implications for the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC).

Writing effective CLB-aligned comprehension items

Written by – Lisa Herrera, Consultant In a report completed for the Canadian government, Makosky (2008) indicated that, at the time of writing, exit test results from LINC programs across the country were “deemed to be subjective/situational and not comparable to any common standard,” with the result that “exit rating and feedback to newcomers may be inconsistent and the results not as portable as newcomers, instructors and program managers would like” (p. 2). Because of the lack of transparent, reliable outcomes, LINC’s funder, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (now Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada), determined that a consistent standard of exit