Critical Thinking Sample: Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada
A crucial Analysis of the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC)
Program
Background
The Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program is a Canadian federal Government initiative started in 1992 with the objective of facilitating the cultural, social and economic integration of refugees and immigrants in to Canada. This system offers language instructions in either French or English to newcomers in Canada. This program is funded by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), and it is provided free of charge (CIC, 2011).
The LINC Program offers regular, part time and distance learning classes for language instruction. For a person to be eligible for LINC classes, she or he must be a permanent citizen of Canada or a refugee. Persons whose permanent resident status is under review can also be entitled to this program after approval by the CIC. A person additionally needs to be aged eighteen years. The people prepared to take the LINC classes must undergo a LINC assessment test to determine which level of language instruction is right for them (CIC, 2010).
The LINC program also includes in the language classes, information regarding helping newbies settle in Canada. This program orients newcomers with just how of life in Canada. The providers of LINC programs are educational institutions, Municipal governments, NGOs and businesses. The Citizens and Immigrations Canada is responsible for selecting participating businesses, funding of the program monitoring and evaluation, assessing of community needs and Promoting the LINC program to the public (Dempsey et al, 2009).
The LINC program has might stakeholders and contains many activities in many territories and provinces in Canada (Galiev & Masoodi, 2012). The highly complicated nature of the programs means that adequate monitoring and evaluation activities are needed to make sure that the program achieves its objectives.
The LINC program involves three major quantities of activity
1) Language assessment. The clients of the program are first of all evaluated using a standard benchmark the Canadian language benchmarks framework for English, and the SLC, the standards linguistiques Canadiens for French to look for the level of language proficiency (Zikic et al, 2010). Caused by the language test are then utilized in determining the degree of needs of clients and placing them with an appropriate language trainer in their community (TCSB, 2000).
2) Language training. Language training is offered entirely time, part-time and learning online modes. The trainees are awarded certificates based on the successful completion of training (TCSB, 2000).
3) Delivery assistance. Funding can be obtained to improve the delivery of LINC activities for the main benefit of the clients like development of training materials (Gilroy, 2000).
Evaluation issues and objectives
The evaluation of the LINC program followed three main steps. The initial step was an assessment assessment phase that identified the main questions and problems that were addressed in this study. This also identified the suitable types of gathering evidence on the identified dilemmas. The next step was the evaluation study where data was collected and analyzed to look for the findings in regards to the issues under review. The last step was utilising the findings to produce conclusions and recommendations.
The LINC program was evaluated based on five issues.
I) Outcomes. This dilemma entails the evaluation of the some great benefits of the program to its customers and the related outcomes like job creation, improvement of social welfare and negative effects on clients.
II) Program rationale, delivery and continued relevance. This is the extent to that your program is still very highly relevant to the priorities and the requirements of the federal government and the citizens.
III) Results and success. This matter examined the extent to which the LINC program fulfills its objectives within the budget and without having many unintended consequences.
V) Cost effectiveness. This is the extent to that the LINC program utilizes the best and economical method in fulfilling its objectives. This entailed analyzing whether you will find more cost effective methods for implementing the present programs and looking into whether there are alternative ways of attaining the intended link between the program.
Methodology
The evaluation of LINC followed two lines of evidence:
- Overview of LINC data and related documentation from the CIC and other sources.
- One-on-one interviews with stakeholders mixed up in implementation of the program. These included 10 CIC officers in local and regional offices and 10 language trainees in various locations.
The findings of the study
1) Program rationale and relevance
There's a very clear rationale and continued need for language training in both French and English for new immigrants in Canada. The views of the CIC staff and the interview with the graduates of the LINC program indicated that the program addresses the need of developing sufficient language skills to newcomers in Canada. The LINC program also helps new immigrants integrate in the Canadian society (Gilroy, 2000). The interviews revealed that a lot of people adjust to Canadian life and gain employment faster after graduating from the LINC program. This program is therefore very closely aligned with the priorities of the Government for successful and fast integration of immigrants into Canada.
Based on CIC (2011), language could be the biggest barrier that newcomers face in furthering their education and gaining employment in Canada. The role of the us government in providing language training is therefore very appropriate through LINC. The LINC program can also be designed to meet with the needs of the students and it is a course of a top quality with qualified instructors, good curriculum and instruction materials (Dempsey et al, 2009)…
