Call for Proposals, Citizenship and Immigration Canada ...



Call for Proposals

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Development of Curriculum Guidelines for Teaching LINC Levels 6 and 7

Background and Objectives

The Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program provides basic language training for newcomers in one of Canada’s official languages with the aim of facilitating their economic, social and cultural integration into Canada. The current LINC program comprises language courses ranging from Level 1 to 5, whose outcomes at each level are measured by the Canadian Language Benchmarks. These Benchmarks provide a basis for curriculum and syllabus development, lesson planning, materials development and resource selection.

The Toronto Catholic District Schoolboard has developed LINC Curriculum Guidelines for Levels 1 – 5, based on the 2000 version of the Canadian Language Benchmarks. The guidelines are available in the form of an on-line curriculum resource and are easily accessible on the following website: .

The present call for proposals has the objective of identifying a contractor who will develop curriculum guidelines for teaching Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada in English at Levels 6 and 7. The objective of these guidelines is to provide a tool that will assist instructors in teaching those levels and make LINC programs coordinated and consistent across the province of Ontario.

The courses at Levels 6 and 7 will aim at enhancing the learners’ ability to communicate effectively in the demanding environments of the workplace and of Canadian communication culture. The courses will be based on a modular approach in order to address the specific language needs of learners at LINC Levels 6 and 7, ranging from generic employment to specific language skills. The curriculum guidelines will provide a planning and teaching tool for courses at LINC Levels 6 and 7 that are consistent across Ontario.

Activities

The successful candidate will undertake the following activities:

1. Review the LINC Curriculum Guidelines for LINC Levels 1- 5 in order to build on their thematic and structural content and ensure continuity in the process of expanding the learners’ linguistic competence and socio-cultural knowledge through the curriculum for LINC Levels 6 and 7

2. Review the Canadian Language Benchmarks for reading/writing and listening/speaking skills that correspond to LINC Levels 1 to 5 in order to propose Canadian Language Benchmarks that will correspond to LINC Levels 6 and 7. The candidate will need to ensure that the curriculum content for these levels provides adequate material and suitable tasks aimed at achieving the established benchmarks

3. Develop a plan for an analysis of the learners’ needs based on identifying the following priorities:

a) enhanced language skills for general or academic purposes;

b) particular language skills (reading, writing, listening and/or speaking) that need improvement;

c) employment focused communication practices

4. Suggest a strategy for determining a critical mass of learners for each of the areas of language learning outlined in 3. a), b) and c).

5. Research existing resources in order to identify the most appropriate content for curriculum guidelines to LINC Levels 6 and 7 with a particular focus on the development of linguistic competences within a Canadian socio-cultural context and an emphasis on communication in the workplace. The curriculum guidelines could integrate some or all of the following components:

a. specific areas of language acquisition with the purpose of improving one or more of the four language skills, reading/writing, listening/speaking (e.g. grammatical structures, vocabulary, and/or pronunciation for the purpose of achieving accuracy in writing and clarity of speech)

b. communication techniques taught through suitable communication tasks that reflect the communication practices of a workplace environment (e.g. mock interviews; presentations; communication in a simulated work environment; discussions based on work related topics; writing summaries of reports and/or articles; researching and writing reports on topics of professional interest; writing reviews of articles written by others; editing other students’ writing)

c. communication practices geared towards social interaction based on topics of general interest with the purpose of teaching students to interact effectively within a Canadian socio-cultural context (this focus on communications could include: conversation classes; the use of language labs for enhancing pronunciation; assignments aimed at enhancing written communications)

d. use of technology as a tool to research, write and edit reports and articles (Internet, word processing, Powerpoint presentations etc.)

e. suggested materials that can be used for independent study

The curriculum guidelines will be expected to improve the learners’ communication skills and suggest specific examples of communication tasks that the students will be asked to perform at each level

6. Research and identify the most appropriate themes that will inform the content of the Curriculum guidelines for LINC Levels 6 and 7. The following are suggested topics that learners at these levels may be interested in:

a. themes of general interest conducive to a better understanding of the Canadian context (Canadian history and geography; social issues; cutting edge scientific and technological developments; the media as a learning tool; literature; music; art; popular culture; Canadian politics; civic engagement; current events; the environment)

b. employment focused topics, such as workplace culture in Canada, workplace culture across occupations, cross-cultural communications, business communications

7. Suggest separate curriculum modules for different types of learners:

a. a module with an emphasis on workplace communications and employment-related communication tasks for those destined to the Canadian labour market

b. a module for learners who aim at enhancing their language skills for the purposes of higher education or effective social interaction

c. a module for skills-specific programs designed for learners who need to enhance one or more of their reading, writing, listening or speaking skills

8. Create curriculum guidelines for classes that can be delivered through a flexible teaching schedule (classes with continuous intake; part-time, evening and/or week-end classes; short-term courses; workshop based classes)

9. Establish an advisory committee of experts who have a demonstrated expertise in Canadian Language Benchmarks, curriculum development and cultural appropriateness

10. Prepare a draft of the Curriculum guidelines for LINC Levels 6 and 7 by consulting with the advisory committee on a regular basis

11. Submit the curriculum draft to the advisory committee for comments, suggestions, and revisions

12. Revise the draft of the Curriculum guidelines by taking into consideration the feedback of the advisory committee

13. Field-test the Curriculum guidelines by using an appropriate group of LINC students at levels 6 and 7

14. Publish the Curriculum guidelines and make them available in hard copy and electronic format. We will ask the organization contracted to develop the Guidelines to produce 150 hard copies and a CD-ROM of the document. The organization will also be responsible for the distribution of all hard copies to LINC providers.

Proposal requirements

Proposals should be submitted for consideration in response to this call, and they should include the following:

• Demonstrated understanding of the objectives of the call for proposals, of the activities to be undertaken, and of the expected deliverables

• Demonstrated expertise necessary to undertake the development of this project: examples of similar projects, including the development of curriculum for the purposes of language teaching

• Information about the professional experience of the personnel involved in the development of the Curriculum guidelines

• Evidence of project management expertise demonstrated through the successful completion of previous projects by meeting expectations and deadlines

• A detailed work plan, incorporating the activities outlined in this call for proposals, with timelines for the completion of each stage of the project, involving planning, management of human and financial resources, administration, and reporting.

• A statement regarding real, perceived or potential conflicts of interest

• A detailed budget with a breakdown of each element required for the completion of the project

Review Process

Receipt of your application will be acknowledged with a letter from CIC. All candidates will be notified of the results of the competition. Please note that we will be unable to respond to individual inquiries regarding the status of your application during the review process.

Timeframe for the project

The development of this project will be contingent upon funding. CIC’s timeline may vary, depending on the availability of funding.

The deadline for submitting proposals is July 24, 2006.

Please send 4 (four) hard copies and an electronic copy of your proposals on a diskette or CD to:

Elizabeth Gryte

Director, Settlement Programs

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

130 Adelaide Street West, Suite 1500

Toronto, ON M5H 3P5

Please direct all questions regarding this proposal to Irena Nikolova at Irena.Nikolova@cic.gc.ca. In order to ensure that all candidates receive the same additional information, we will not be replying to individual requests. A document entitled Questions and Answers related to this call for proposals will be made available to all candidates on atwork..

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