Thank you.
Good afternoon. I'm an assistant superintendent in the Burnaby School District, and I work in the area of settlement services, supporting both settlement workers in schools and language instruction for newcomers to Canada.
LINC began in Burnaby in 1992. It was federally managed and funded. In the year 2000, the federal government turned our funds over to the province to manage. In 2014 the federal government repatriated the language instruction as part of the settlement umbrella.
As with the SWIS, we feel that the current contribution agreement restricts the movement of funds and has onerous reporting schedules. We are not assured that enough funds or resources would be available for unexpected situations. We believe a more flexible model is needed.
Language training benefits newcomers by helping them develop the skills to successfully integrate and contribute to Canada, both socially and economically. Language is social currency.
From the graph, you can see that we have a diverse population of students from around the world. This is also reflected in the fact that 33% to 38% of our students are refugees and require more support for learning. A student is not a student, is not a student. They are funded the same way, but they need more time and resources. We're finding that more of our students arriving are unable to read and write and have no numeracy or literacy skills, or general knowledge.
The LINC classes have some options. Students can attend full-time or part-time, have face-to-face or blended programs—some are face to face, and some work online. They can attend day or evening classes. There are general language classes that focus on listening, speaking, reading and writing—from literacy to level eight. The instruction focuses on literacy and language for clients who have trouble reading and writing in any language, and on advancing job-specific language skills to help clients succeed in the workplace.
All LINC classes include a focus on real-world tasks and deal with practical topics and applications. Students are assessed on reading, writing, listening and speaking. Some tasks are designed so that more than one literacy component can be assessed at once. For example, you could take a 911 call, where the students are assessed on their ability to listen and speak. Reading and writing may also be required for this task.
Assessment is based on the evidence in the students' binders. Students are assessed on proficiency skills, as described in the Canadian language benchmarks guide, by completing the required number of successful artifact tasks. The goal is to have students take ownership and responsibility for their learning. Students also complete both self-evaluations and peer evaluations.
In the classroom, they have access to laptops and iPads, and are able to use their own devices.
Students improve their English language literacy through community involvement and making connections to Canadian culture. They go on field trips and have guest speakers. We've had the RCMP in and the British Columbia Institute of Technology and Nursing.
Students in one of the LINC classes took it upon themselves to raise money for the Fort McMurray fire victims. Although they have very little themselves, they raised $700 for this cause.
Licensed childminding provides a setting where young children are cared for down the hall from where parents are learning. This is extremely important for mothers and fathers who have lived through war and experienced trauma first-hand.
There are also situations where there are multiple children in the home, and it makes it very difficult for these newcomers to find child care and to be able to learn. We have Afghan families that have an average of seven children. Without this service, it would be impossible. Meanwhile, their children are down the hall in the childminding room, and they're learning how to work with other children and practise their English language literacy skills.
With regard to the benefits of a blended model, from September 2017 to June 2018 our district was involved in a research demonstration project funded by the IRCC to examine and demonstrate the effects of blended learning for students, teachers and the program. It involved three classes and 45 students. Students noted from this that they developed knowledge and confidence in using technology for language learning and settlement needs. They were more engaged and motivated in the learning process. Tasks had real-life application. Online platforms created both formal and informal learning opportunities and connections with other students. They could do advanced learning online to better prepare for face-to-face classes and learn new vocabulary and pronunciation. Flexible schedules allowed students to maintain much-needed employment while learning English. Online assignments teach students how to work on a platform. They in turn can help their own children with these things. Teachers noted a higher level of student engagement in learning and retention, better attendance rates due to flexibility in online learning and childminding, and improved student access to settlement and language with increased opportunities for blended learning. They felt it empowered the students in both English-language learning and technology skills. As one of the LINC students put it, it's the best method for learning in a modern society.
As for the challenges, teachers reported that the type of planning needed for online lessons or for a blended approach took a lot of time. More time was needed for paid preparation and professional development. They also needed to learn how to teach students to read and write, because a number are at a low level. Students reported that more extended opportunities at LINC 7/8 would be valuable for them, as would more inclusion of blended activities accessed via mobile devices and apps.
I will leave you with a bit of a testimonial from one of our students. I won't read the whole thing, but the last line says, “We will do our best to help others and to contribute to Canadian society.” I'll leave it to you to read the rest.
Thank you.