CLB Test Takers’ Sociolinguistic Characteristics

Albert Maganaka

As a language assessor, I assess the English language proficiency of newcomers and refugees in Canada, using the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) yardstick. The CLB standard is a descriptive scale of language ability in English as a second language (ESL). The CLB provides a common national framework for describing and measuring the communicative ability of ESL learners and is the foundation for Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) classes funded by the Settlement Program of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

As reflected in our Public Report https://larcc.cssalberta.ca/About-Us/Public-Report-2021-2022, we served 8.062 clients: 35% were males while 65% were females from March 2021-March 2022. Undeniably, more women took the assessment than men. Why is this so? Does it mean that women have a knack for language? Why only a few men took the test? Exact reasons for this are unknown, though anecdotally, many women who come for service fill the role of homemaker in the family system and demonstrate less familiarity with English. In terms of language acquisition, females dominate especially in secondary education. In fact, Rogers (2006:135) disclosed that “language is the most feminized field in secondary education.” According to gostudylink (n.d.) that “the main reason why females are better at language learning than males lies in their brains that process language. While the structure of the brain is divided into two hemispheres: left (analytical and logic function) and right (musical, visual and non- linguistic processes), females use both hemispheres when talking, whereas males use only one. Thus, females are more creative and engaged in learning than males. Males learn better with the help of visualization and hearing, while females process languages more efficiently.” What is your opinion: do you believe that women excel in language over their men counterparts?

Vis-à-vis first language/mother tongue, most test-takers were Tigrinya, Somali, Arabic, Spanish, Oromo, and Tagalog speakers. This implies that they have a rich language repertoire. They took the assessment to know their English level, so that they will be placed in a LINC or an ESL class properly. Their multilingual background should be celebrated. Cenoz and Gorter (2019) disclosed that “second language learners are real people who are not deficient speakers but multilinguals or emergent multilinguals who can be native speakers of other languages.” Others took the test as an entrance requirement for a postsecondary program, so they could work and be part of the Canadian mainstream. This connects to Oakes and Peled (2017) that the benefit of linguistic integration is for immigrants to participate fully in civic life and act as full collaborators in the shaping of the society. Finally, Norton’s (2011) construct on imagined communities and imagined identities relate on how the test takers foresee themselves in Canada. They treat their current transitional jobs like janitors or caregivers as temporary. They endeavour to return to the profession they were trained for and had experience from their home country.

References:
Cenoz, J. & Gorter, D. (2019) Multilingualism, Translanguaging, and Minority Languages in SLA. The Modern Language Journal, 103(S1), 130-135. https://mcgill.on.worldcat.org/oclc/7975134002
Gostudylink (2022 October 27). Women are better language learners than men!? Retrieved from https://gostudylink.net/en/blog/women-are-better-language-learners-than-men#:~:text=The%20main%20reason%20why%20females,and%20non%2D%20linguistic%20processes.
Norton, B., & Toohey, K. (2011). Identity, language learning, and social change. Language Teaching, 44(4), 412-446. https://mcgill.on.worldcat.org/oclc/783626133
Oakes, L., & Peled, Y. (2017). Chapter 4: Linguistic citizenship: identity, integration and interculturalism. In L. Oakes & Y. Peled (Authors), Normative language policy: ethics, politics, principles. Cambridge University Press. https://mcgill.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1013889112
Rogers, R. (2006). Women in modern language teaching: elements for a story to be built. ELA Applied Linguistics Studies, 142(5), 135-149.