• Immigrant students applying to an English for Academic Purposes program need better pre- enrollment counseling regarding the length of time required to become proficient. It is difficult for the older immigrant who has given up a career and is perhaps well-educated in his or her first language to accept that it can take as long as five years or more to develop the requisite academic language skills.
• There is a need to be in constant touch with the language development and post-secondary training needs of the immigrant community to ensure appropriate programming and services are available to immigrant students.
• It is important to remember not to trust the score on high school examinations in terms of an individual’s ability to converse and function in English in the workplace. For example, immigrants may score 100 percent on a written exam but still have difficulty conversing and functioning in English once in the workplace.
• Language programs that have independent language labs have provided more flexibility for immigrant learners. For example, Camosun College has a student-centered language lab that allows students to work independently, almost in a self-paced approach with instructor and instructional assistant support. This works well for immigrants who have been in Canada for some time, and who possess oral skills that surpass their written and reading skills.
• There is a need to work with federal and provincial governments and immigrant sponsoring agencies to ensure that language training programs include aspects appropriate to the needs of particular groups of immigrants to particular areas of the country.
• Programs such as Language Partners or Cultural Exchange Mentors have been very beneficial for immigrant students both in terms of building on their language capacities and providing them with a Canadian mentor. It has also been beneficial for Canadian students in terms of enhancing their cultural knowledge and awareness.
• It is important to address the needs of newcomers with low levels of literacy in their original language.
• Bridge programs should be developed for immigrant students graduating from Canadian high school who may have English writing/reading skills deficits.

Career/Technical Programs

• It is important to determine the English language demands of career programs and use this information to set fair language entrance requirements for immigrants.
• Career and technical training program areas need to accommodate for the language requirements of immigrants.
• In addition to bridging programs, there is also a need to build into existing career and technical programs specialized English or French courses and additional modules that can provide immigrant students with opportunities to upgrade their understanding of the Canadian workplace. VCC’s Social Cultural Competencies program, described on page 5, provides an example of how such modules can be integrated into the curriculum of regular career/technical programs.
• Red River College has found that immigrant students in career or technical programs benefit from targeted support services, for example through higher level workshops in areas such as Advanced Pronunciation, Test Taking, Creative Writing etc.
• More flexibility in offering programs on a course-by-course basis and/or lengthening programs with built-in supports would be beneficial.
• Combined skills program models such as the Registered Care Program offered by Camosun College and the Langara College Resident Care Aid program have proven effective in facilitating the integration of newcomers into the workforce.