| From ELSA 3 to ABE by Yvonne Chard English Language Services for Adult (ELSA) providers all over the province often express their concern that there is "nowhere for their graduate students to go". I sent several questions to educators around the province and many people responded. I am writing a summary of what I was told. I do not guarantee that the statements are all accurate. Information was contributed by individuals working in the programs. The responses were sometimes from administrators, and other times from instructors. Some areas did not respond. I want to thank those who replied to my questions. I appreciate the time people took to answer and regret that there isn't space to include all the comments I received. I hope that this article will provide people with food for thought and will also help some potential ABE students to find a program to attend. Background ABE (Adult Basic Educator) My interpretation of Adult Basic Education is education for people from basic reading and writing to high school graduation level. In talking to a lot of educators around the province. I feel, as someone wrote to me, "the threshold of ABE is getting higher". A lot of programs do not accept students who are functioning lower than a grade 4 or 5 level. ELSA replaced LINC. This is the provision of English Language Training to newcomers to Canada. There are classes for immigrants to a level 3 graduation level (limited by an hourly allotment). Most of the graduates test out between a school equivalent grade 2-4, although there are a lot of variables in the abilities of the graduate students. Note: Most English Language (ESL or ELT) programs cost $2.50 -$5.00 per hour Most Adult Basic Education (ABE) courses are fee free. .Colleges (not school districts) have access to funding for low income students. Answers I sent the following two questions to educators
around the province: Q: Do you currently receive ELSA graduates into your ARE program? Following is a brief summary of the answers I received. Abbotsford Gladwin Language Centre: There is a large ESL program at University College of the Fraser Valley where they currently offer an Intermediate level (equivalent to ELSA Level 4) multi- skill class. They also offer an Upper Beginner (equivalent to ELSA 2/3) class for clients who have used their ELSA entitlement but not completed Level 3. These are low-cost evening classes offered two nights per week in the same location as the ELSA evening classes. Burnaby Burnaby College Metro Town: ELSA graduates usually go to Vancouver Community College or Options. Burnaby Open Learning Agency: The ABE programs begin at Grade 10. However, OLA offers two functional level English courses: Adult Basic Literacy I and II for adults learning to read (i.e. grades 2 -5) as well as English 002 (Grade 6) and Math 002 (Grade 9). Some ELSA 3 graduates are able to enroll in these distance courses. Burnaby School District -North Burnaby Adult Education Centre and Edmonds Education Centre: ELSA graduates join upper intermediate or advanced ESL offered through the ELSA department, not ABE. Occasionally there are students who are ready for the Grade 10 level right away. They do offer an English 10 ABE class that typically enrolls many ESL students who have usually completed an English 10 ESL Transition course first. ELSA 3 graduates do not go into ABE. There is an extensive ESL program with classes located throughout Burnaby. Level 3 grads can be placed in an Upper Intermediate or possible Advanced level ESL class. Campbell River Elm Centre: Graduates would likely go to ABE. North Island College: ELSA 3 graduates would join the high intermediate to advanced ESL range. ABE programs are available when students reach the advanced level. Chetwynd Northern Lights College: Fundamental Level ABE suits ELSA graduates. They have 5 ELSA students at NLC in Chetwynd per year. Coquitlam Coquitlam School District, Continuing Education: ELSA graduates usually go into the ESL Intermediate Program as their skills are/should be too low for ABE, unless it is the fulltime ESL academic stream. Many of their ELSA students do not go into fee-paying courses. There are literacy classes, but ELSA students are not usually referred to them. CRMISA: Sometimes ELSA grads go on to Continuing Education or to the college for intermediate and advanced ESL. Dease Lake Northern Light College: ELSA graduates go from ELSA to the Intermediate level ESL program. Occasionally this might be augmented with ABE programming but usually this occurs when students reach the advanced level. Since there isn't an Adult Special Education program running or a literacy program anyone with a low skill level is placed in ABE. Delta Delta School District: Some ELSA graduates are high enough to join ABE courses. There is nothing suitable for students in ELSA who run out of hours below Level 3. There are no fee paying ESL classes due to a low demand in the area. Duncan Malaspina University College: ELSA grads usually join the literacy program. Fraser Valley University College of Fraser Valley: UCFV does most of its less-than-grade 5 reading level with community tutors. There are some ABE classes suitable for ELSA grads, both on-campus (UCFV) and in a local community school. Grand Forks Selkirk College: There is a proposal for joint funding between ELSA and Selkirk to perhaps run a multi-level class for ESL and ELSA students. If this does not happen, there is not really a suitable place for ELSA grads and they will probably be placed in the fundamental level classes. Heiltsuk Heiltsuk College: Some immigrants join ABE at the fundamental and advanced levels leading to Adult Dogwood Grade 12. The fundamental level is limited by the lack of funding resources. Houston Northwest Community College Houston Campus: Some ELSA program graduates can attend Carer and College Prep (ABE). Kitimat Literacy Kitimat: A few ELSA grads continue in college (Northwest Community College) and some study through correspondence. Kitimat Community Services: Some clients take upgrading to Grade 10 level, then have support during Grade 11/12 studies. Langley Kwantlen University College: ESL learners whose reading scores and auditory vocabulary scores were Grade 5 or better, and whose score on the informal listening comprehension screen was 50% or better enter ABE. Lillooet Adult and Continuing Education Centre: There is an ESL correspondence course. Mackenzie College of New Caledonia, Mackenzie Campus: College and Career Prep start at the 020 level Maple Ridge Arthur Peake Centre, SD 42, Maple Ridge Community Education, Pitt Meadows: There is further ESL available. Clients then move on to English upgrading 2 and 3, and then to other traditional adult academic classes either in preparation for GED or adult graduation program. Some continue on in credit programs. New Westminster SD#40 Community Education, Pearson ALC, Columbia Square ALC, Urban First Nations Learning Centre: They offer literacy to Grade 12. Okanagan Okanagan University College: ELSA grads often go into ABE and other post- secondary courses. ELSA students consider joining Fundamentals even though Fundamentals is at a lower academic level. Prince George College of New Caledonia, Prince George 'Campus: After ELSA, students go to jobs, to ABE, to other programs. Prince Rupert Northwest Community College: There is a fundamental level to accommodate these students. Quesnel Quesnel School District Continuing and Adult Education: Sometimes an ELSA graduate can go on to the College of New Caledonia for ABE 020 programming. Richmond School District Continuing Education: Intermediate ESL is available. ABE currently requires a Grade 5 entry level. Windsor Education Academy: There are advanced programs and a conservation class. Squamish and Sechelt Campuses Capilano College, ABE and Foundation Initiatives Department: Yes. Fundamental level ABE classes. Surrey Kwantlen University College, Newton Campus, Academic and Career Preparation: ELSA grads take ELT leve14 or 5. With both ELT and ESL classes, ESL students at that level are encouraged to register in these classes first. It is preferable not to take ESL students who are below a Grade 4 level into ABE. Newton Continuing Education: If high enough, ELSA 3 graduates move into the Literacy Program which is an integrated language development program designed for adults who have some listening and speaking skills, but need to upgrade their reading and writing skills as well before moving into ABE. PICS (Progressive Intercultural Community Services) ELSA grads possibly upgrade their English at Kwantlen or Continuing Education. Surrey -Invergarry Adult Learning Centre: Has a lot of ELSA graduates taking Literacy A, B, C, D. Vancouver Canadian Business English Institute: Usually their ELSA grads go on to the King Edward Campus of Vancouver Community College and job clubs. Vancouver Community College: ESL programs have levels available up to completion of first year university level English. Vanwest College: There is nothing suitable, although there are International ESL classes at higher levels than ELSA 3 (TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) preparation, Business English, etc.). Roberts Education Centre: Some ELSA grads are entering ABE programs. Victoria Camosun College: Program offers levels up to a CLBA (Canadian Language Benchmark Assessment) benchmark 7 approximately (roughly equivalent to Grade 8). Most ELSA students move into the College Prep ELSA 070 class, a few students move into ABE. They are usually placed in the 050 level of ABE, although often the reading level comes out closer to 040. Victoria Read Society: Individual programs are developed and to date 5 students have participated. Graduates are referred to Camosun ESL, S .J. Willis High School ESL, READ ABS. Waglisla ABE fundamental level is geared to Grade 8-9, but several students do test at a lower academic skills level. There are some special needs learners. Those who miss out ELSA graduates usually need to take further ESL training. In many areas, there is none available. Where it is available, the immigrant often bears the financial burden personally. There are a few Canadian citizens who for various reasons do not speak English. In many areas there are no ESL classes for them to attend. Claimant refugees and international students also have limited access to programs outside the major cities. ELSA limits the number of hours students can attend the program. Those slower learners who cannot complete level 1 or 2 in their designated hours are often unable to find other programs suitable for them. -Yvonne Chard is an ELSA coordinator with the Delta School District Continuing Education.
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