This webinar will educate settlement and LINC staff on the roles of LINC assessors and the Canadian Language Benchmarks Placement Test (CLBPT) in LINC service delivery. The webinar will identify and extrapolate on the sequence of:

• Placement assessment (CLBPT) in different regions
• LINC classroom formative assessment
• Summative assessment (PBLA) and
• Official language testing for citizenship purposes.

The webinar will also distinguish the CLBPT from other IRCC testing methods including the Literacy Placement Tool Assessments (CLB-LPT, NCLC-OCA).

Event Details:

Date: Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM (PST)

Register by clicking here. *Please note, the registration deadline is January 14, 2019.

Presenters:

Krista Walsh-Murray has been working as a project manager with the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB) since 2012. Primarily, she oversees the Centre’s projects related to the development and implementation of CLB assessment tools and training. These include the CLBPT, CLBPT Remote, Literacy Placement Test and Milestones test. As part of CCLB’s collaboration with The Centre for Education and Training (TCET) on the new CLBPA placement test, she is currently overseeing the reading and writing development. Krista holds a Master of Education, TESL certification and has over 10 years of experience in the fields of ESL, settlement and employment services.

Vasso Vahlas has been operating the Surrey Language Assessment Centre since 2005. She was the LINC assessor for Northern BC from 1993 until her relocation to the Lower Mainland in 2000. As a partner in Anne Jeffrey and Associates in Prince George, Vasso worked on Canadian Job Strategies projects, targeting immigrant and mainstream displaced workers and developed the curriculum for employment search programs. She also took part in the production of Detailed Training Design for underemployed immigrants in Northern BC including the designing and development of the career exploration center. She is currently serving on the Settlement Language Working Group and the City of Surrey’s immigrant and refugee advisory committees. 

Marie Irving has close to two decades of teaching experience. Before moving to Vancouver Island, Marie worked at Langara College in Vancouver as an instructor in an academic English language program.  After moving to the Comox Valley, she was employed as a LINC instructor at North Island College and then hired in 2017 by the Immigrant Welcome Centre in North Vancouver Island to assist in creating their first-ever, newly funded LINC offering. Marie is the LINC Coordinator and Instructor for the Comox Valley branch, Lead Teacher for the organization, a certified CLBPT Assessor, and Team Manager and Community Liaison for the Comox Valley Branch.  Marie assesses approximately 30 newcomers per year.

Wes Schroeder has been an ESL instructor, coordinator and assessment specialist since 1979, having spent a number of years at the University of British Columbia English Language Institute and Vancouver Community College (VCC). He managed the first LINC assessment centre in Canada while at VCC and established Western ESL Services (LINC Assessment and Referral Centre) in 1992. Since then he has been responsible for eligibility determination, assessment and referral for approximately 200,000 LINC clients. He is certified by the CCLB as the national master and regional trainer for the CLBPT and for the speaking assessment of the Milestones Test.