Language Fluency Policy

Background

Effective communication is essential for the provision of competent, safe and quality Massage Therapy services. Language fluency enhances public protection by ensuring that registrants can communicate effectively with the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (the College), clients and other members of the healthcare team.  The College’s Certification Examinations are not designed to test language fluency and do not require any writing activities. For this reason, candidates must meet the College’s language fluency requirement prior to attempting the Certification Examinations.

Policy

According to CMTO’s Registration Regulation (O. Reg. 30/24.4), an “applicant must possess sufficient language proficiency, in either English or French, to be able to communicate and comprehend effectively, both orally and in writing.”

A candidate may meet the language requirement in the following ways:

1. A candidate’s first language is English or French
2. A candidate has completed secondary school education in English or French^[1]
3. A candidate has completed a standardized English or French language test approved by the College within the past two years and achieved the required scores set by the College
4. The candidate has successfully completed an approved Massage Therapy program that had a minimum language fluency requirement for admission AND the program’s curriculum
   included at least two full (e.g. 3-credit or 30-hour) mandatory courses in English, French or health-related communications that were successfully completed by the candidate (education programs must first have confirmation from CMTO that their mandatory communications courses meet this requirement)

A candidate may meet the requirement by doing one of the following:

1. Signing a self-declaration indicating that their first and primary language is English or French.
2. Signing a self-declaration indicating that their secondary school education^[2] was completed in English or French and indicating the name and location of the school; if the applicant completed their education outside of Canada in a country where neither English nor French is the primary language of communication and employment, they may be required to provide verification from the school regarding language of instruction.
3. Providing test results from an approved standardized language fluency test demonstrating that they have achieved the minimum scores determined by the College. This report must be submitted directly from the language testing agency to the College, as is the conventional practice. An applicant must meet College-approved minimum scores in each area of one test and test results will be considered valid for two years from the date the test was administered. The accepted tests are:

4. Providing evidence in the form of an original transcript from a recognized Massage Therapy education program that has a minimum language fluency requirement for admission, and the original transcript shows successful completion of at least two full (e.g. 3-credit or 30-hour) mandatory courses in English, French or health-related communications.
5. Providing to the College other compelling evidence of language fluency. This could be, for example, evidence that the applicant completed a university degree in English or French.

Possible Outcomes:

1. A candidate who provides acceptable evidence of fluency by way of one of the five methods listed above will be permitted to register for the Certification Examinations. However, despite a candidate having provided such evidence, if the College obtains reasonable grounds to indicate that the candidate may not in fact be reasonably fluent in either English or French, the candidate will be required to submit proof that they have obtained the minimum scores determined by the College on an approved standardized language fluency assessment in order to apply for a Certification Examination and/or complete the registration process.
2. A candidate who cannot provide sufficient evidence of fluency will be notified that they cannot attempt the Certification Examinations until they have met the language fluency requirement.

Adopted: July 1, 2014 (valid until May 1, 2016)
Revised: November 27, 2015 for implementation February 1, 2016, January 18, 2021, December 9, 2022, March 25, 2024, July 1, 2024, September 30, 2024, November 1, 2024
Reformatted: August 6, 2019
Updated to reflect wording and numbering of amended Registration Regulation: July 1, 2024

^[1] Please note that this refers to graduation from a secondary school program, not completion of a high-school English or French course.

^[2] Thus includes a minimum of three years’ education in the required language. Completion of single course is not acceptable.

^[3] IELTS One Skill Retake test must be taken within 60 days of the individual’s full IELTS test.