Considering the roles of human capital and social capital in LINC Programming for newcomers in Canada

Being able to speak English is one of the most important skills for newcomers who arrive in Canada without compentency in these language abilities. There are several formal services in Canada offered to newcomers for learning English, including Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC), which is delivered by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). In addition to LINC, several community English-language programs have been developed in Toronto for different newcomer groups. Thus, to contribute to best practices for

integrating newcomers, particularly refugees, into Canadian society through language training, the author will conduct an exploratory investigation of LINC and other language training programs, through the theoretical lenses of human capital and social capital. This dissertation will compile a list of actionable items that could be pursued to enhance the federal government’s LINC program and, ultimately, better serve the both the educational and community needs of newcomers to Canada.

Keywords: human capital, social capital, LINC, ESL/EAL, language training, newcomer integration, settlement services