Cover Story: Adult English Language Training in Canada

Institutions, organisations and businesses in Canada offer a range of language training opportunities for adult learners of English. Canada has a broad and sophisticated infrastructure by both public and private sector groups to respond to the needs of both immigrant or domestic learners of English as well as international learners.

French is the official language of Quebec, so adult language programs for immigrants there are in French. Adult education programs in English in Quebec are increasingly intended for individuals who have not completed their High School education and wish to get their secondary school graduation diploma.

English language programs for individuals under 16 years fall under provincial jurisdiction and vary from province to province since education in Canada is a provincial responsibility. English programs for adult immigrants are funded federally in some provinces, jointly in other provinces and both federally and provincially in other provinces. In 1992 the federal department of Citizenship and Immigration created the program LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada) and this program provides funding to both private and public organizations at the community level for any adult immigrant regardless of age or gender. There are no training allowances provided; however, in many cases support is provided for child minding and transportation.

In some provinces, management of federal language training funds has been transferred over by the province. As a result, the provincial government has responsibility for coordinating all language training, using either federal or provincial dollars or both in their jurisdiction. Funds for these language training services can support programs offered by publicly funded institutions, such as schools and colleges, community based organizations or private schools.

Publicly funded and private schools provide a wide range of language programs for students coming to Canada to study English to return to their home country or to provide access for further education in Canada. Many of the publicly funded schools at universities and colleges who provide language instruction to foreign students belong to the CSLPC (Council of Second Language Programs in Canada) and that group of programs offers a variety of training opportunities from coast to coast.

There are two organizations for private schools, PELSA (Private English Language Schools Association) and CAPLS (Canadian Association for Private Language Schools).

These organizations require minimum standards to be met by their member schools.

All provinces have professional associations for English language instructors. The largest of these are TESL Ontario, SPEAQ (Societe pour la promotion de l’enseignement de l’anglais langue seconde au Quebec), B.C. TEAL (in British Columbia) and ATESL (Alberta TESL). These groups provide a variety of professional development opportunities for ESL professionals.