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- Title
Language Skills, Profiles, and Prospects among International Newcomers to Edmonton, Alberta.
- Authors
MAGANAKA, ALBERT; PLAIZIER, HEATHER
- Abstract
This article aims to build both community and scholarly knowledge of skills, aspirations, needs, and characteristics of the international newcomer adult population in Edmonton. It highlights the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) test scores, socio-demographic profiles, as well as goals and plans among adult immigrants and refugee clients of the Language Assessment, Referral, and Counselling Centre (LARCC) in Edmonton, Alberta. LARCC includes both provincially and federally funded programs. It provides immigrants and refugees with a recognized assessment of their current level of English language proficiency; knowledge of local options and resources for relevant English language and occupational training; and helps newcomers explore their educational and career goals/opportunities. This article is largely practical rather than theoretical, presenting a practitioners' perspective into how to better enhance the benefits of immigration for immigrants, in particular, and for the larger society as a whole. As such, following an empirical discussion, we conclude with recommendations based on concrete knowledge of language skill development challenges at different competency levels, and the labour market advantages of language proficiency. Likewise, we suggest concrete ways to better address the language, occupational skills, and integration opportunities afforded by having such a diverse new population arriving in Alberta.
- Subjects
EDMONTON (Alta.); CANADA; IMMIGRANTS; ENGLISH as a foreign language; SERVICES for immigrants; FOREIGN workers; LANGUAGE ability testing
- Publication
Canadian Ethnic Studies, 2015, Vol 47, Issue 1, p133
- ISSN
0008-3496
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1353/ces.2015.0010