College of Midwives of British Columbia

Professional Communication for Internationally Educated Health Professionals (IEHPs)

  1. Do I need the Course?
  2. What's the Approach?
  3. Who is Elligible?
  4. Course Location
  5. Course Length
  6. Course Start and End Dates
  7. Course Fees
  8. How to Apply

1. Do I need the Course?

For entry into bridging/refresher programs and professional practice do you need to:
  • Improve your communication for entry into professional practice?
  • Improve your pronunciation?
  • Expand your health and idiomatic vocabulary?
  • Improve your written skills for documentation?
  • Increase your awareness of communication styles?
  • Increase your understanding of culturally expected behaviors of the Canadian health care system?

2. What's the Approach?

This is a performance-based course. The performance based approach includes:
  • Communication practice (language and behaviour) of role-plays: clients, families and health teams
  • Coaching of role-plays
  • Filming of rehearsed and unrehearsed role-plays
  • Use of standardized patients/actors
  • Feedback and self reflection.
The content is organized in a hierarchy of increasing communicative complexity.


3. Who is Elligible?

Internationally Educated Health Professionals who:
  • have been assessed using the Canadian Language Benchmark Placement Test at the CLB 6 - 9 levels with a minimum score of 6 in Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening
  • can make a commitment to attend the program and are able to attend class Monday - Friday for 15 weeks.
  • Are Canadian citizens or landed immigrants.

4. Course Location

The course will be held at:
Kwantlen Polytechnic University
12666 - 72nd Avenue
Surrey, BC

5. Course Length

The course is 15 weeks long and will run for:
5 days a week for 4 hours per day
Time: 8am - 12 noon


6. Course Start and End Dates

Course 1: In process

Course 2: May 4th - August 14th, 2009

Course 3: September 7th - December 18th, 2009

7. Course Fees

There are no tuition fees for these courses.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University Application and Other Student Fees: $105


8. How to Apply

Step 1

Take the Canadian Language Benchmark Placement Test (CLBPT) at any one of the following locations. The test takes 2 hours:

Surrey Language Assessment Centre
202-7337 137 Street
Surrey, BC
V3W 1A4
(604) 507-4150
Fee: $100

Immigrant Services Society of BC, Language College
# 501 - 333 Terminal Ave.
Vancouver, BC V6A 2L7
(604) 684-2561 ext. 1182
Contact: Lois Armerding lois.armerding@issbc.org
Website: www.issbc.org
Fee: $100

MOSAIC Language Centre
CLBPT
301-2730 Commercial Dr.
Vancouver, BC V5N 5P4
Tel.: 604-684-8825
Website: www.mosaicbc.com
Fee: $100

Vancouver Community College Assessment Centre
Broadway Campus
Room 4027 4th Floor 1155 East Broadway
Vancouver, BC V5T 4V5
Open Mon, Tue + Thu 9-4 Wed 1-7pm Closed Friday.
Appointments must be made in person and student must present photo ID (permanent resident card). Cost is $30 for admissions and $50 for assessment.
Tel.: 604-871-7093
Email Address: assessments@vcc.ca
Website: www.vcc.ca/assessments
Total Fee: $90

Step 2

Download the Application Form:
Fill in the Application Form and return by email to: sandyberman@shaw.ca or fax to: 604-874-8654

You will need to fax a copy of your CLBPT results with your application clearly identifying your name on the top.

Deadline for Applications for Course 2: March 27th, 2009

Step 3

If you are accepted into the Workplace Communication Skills Course, you will be required to complete an application to Kwantlen Polytechnic University

For more information call Sandy Berman at 604-873-8545


Midwifery Specific Test of English

The British Columbia Midwifery Language Proficiency Examination (BCMLPT) is not being offered at the present time.