Tips for learning Canada’s official languages

Summary: Before your arrival to Canada, it is important to start practicing English or French, depending on where you’ll be settling. By improving your language skills, you inevitably improve your chance of getting employment. As a newcomer to Canada, there are many resources available for before and after your move that will enable you to get more comfortable with Canada’s official languages. Read more about how practicing English or French and visiting a Language Assessment and Referral Centre can help you.

Moving to Canada is not an easy task, especially when English or French is not your first language. Unfortunately, a requirement for most Canada-bound immigrants is that they have a minimal language level for one of our official languages. This places a very difficult barrier for a variety of potential newcomers and although you may meet these minimal requirements, there is then the challenge of integrating into your new community and into the workplace. Your language skills that made you eligible to immigrate to Canada may not be advanced enough to work in your profession.

Employers tend to seek employees who can fluently express themselves on the language most prevalent in your location of settlement due to various factors, including health and safety in the workplace. If you cannot comfortably converse and understand, how can you safely work in a manufacturing, construction, or other type of worksite? How do you follow instructions or have your ideas heard?Before your arrival to Canada, you should start practicing English or French, depending on where you’ll be settling. Accessing online content can help you improve your listening skills. Various apps are available for download that enables you to practice your listening, reading, writing and communication skills, such as Mauril, YouTube, Duolingo, HelloTalk, and Tandem*. As we have gravitated towards more online services, you may find more extensive online language supports available to you before your arrival to Canada. The Language Portal of Canada is a Government resource that offers information about grammar and spelling, translation of terms used in specific fields, articles on the Our Languages blog, quizzes to test your language knowledge, and links to glossaries and dictionaries. Once in Canada, one of the first places you should visit is a Language Assessment and Referral Centre, where you can have your language proficiency assessed by certified trainers to determine your Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level. If it is determined that you need language classes, the Language Assessment and Referral Centre where you were assessed can refer you to the appropriate classes. As a permanent resident, you qualify for free government-funded language training. These include:

• ESL/FSL - English/French as a Second Language

• LINC - Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada

• BTW - Bridge to Work Programs/Placements

• ELT - Enhanced Language Training (higher-level language training)

• OSLT - Occupation-Specific Language Training

Before doing a formal language test, you can do a self-assessment test to find out your current language level. This is not an official test; rather it is an approximate benchmark range to give you an idea of your language proficiency. Please keep in mind the self-assessment results are not official, therefore you’ll still need to go have your language proficiency tested at an official Language Assessment and Referral Centre in your settlement location.By improving your language skills, you inevitably improve your chance of getting employment. If you are already able to speak one of Canada’s official languages, consider learning the other one. Knowing both official languages will definitely provide you with a stronger advantage with settling in your community and finding employment.   *Please note these apps are suggestions that will help with learning English. The YMCA is not affiliated with any of these apps. Most of these apps are available in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. These apps are free or have free versions, however if there is any cost associated to these apps the YMCA is not responsible for any costs incurred.