PDF-E-031 | Developing an Occupation-Specific Language Assessment Tool

Developing an Occupation-Specific Language Assessment Tool Using the Canadian Language Benchmarks: A Guide for Trades and Professional Organizations was written to provide guidelines for the development of occupation-specific language assessment tools which are needed to address issues related to the recognition of the English language proficiency of internationally educated professionals working or seeking work in Canada. This guide was based on the successful process used in the project, Benchmarking the English Language Demands of the Nursing Profession across Canada1, which was initiated by the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB)2, and it provides a framework for trades and professional organizations to create their own occupation-specific language assessment tools. It was written by the test developers of the Canadian English Language Benchmarks Assessment for Nurses (CELBAN), a nursing-specific English language assessment tool. A separate report describes Phase II of the project, The Development of CELBAN: the Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses. The CELBAN was developed to assess the English language proficiency of internationally educated nurses whose native language is not English. The contents of the CELBAN reflect the Canadian nursing context, and the results are reported as CLB Levels in four skill areas: speaking, listening, reading and writing.