Detailed Sample Task: Stage II
CLB 7 - Listening Comprehending Instructions
Products and Services
Real-World Task
Attend a webinar or presentation on the steps to filling taxes.
Planning Context
Helpful Knowledge:
- Some knowledge of what taxes are and why they are paid in Canada.
- Some knowledge of webinars or presentations.
Context:
- Many people need information about filing taxes, because it is a complicated process. Many organizations, such as tax clinics and community organizations hold webinars or presentations about how to file taxes.
Vocabulary and Grammar
Sample Vocabulary:
- file taxes
- tax return
- declare
- report
- income
- interest
- expenses
- claim
- tax benefit
- tax credit
- caregiver
- disability
- dependent
- documents
- receipts
Sample Grammar:
- Passive voice, for example, “declaring taxes is required”, “a child is considered a dependent”, and so on.
- Conditional sentences, for example, “If you have additional income, you must declare it.”, “If you have expenses related to your job, you can claim.” and so on.
Knowledge and Strategies
Textual and Functional Knowledge:
- Speaking conventions in business presentations (such as introductions or closings).
- Cohesive devices in a presentation to show agenda or order of ideas such as “First, we’ll address…”, “Then, we’ll move on to…” and so on.
Sociolinguistic Knowledge:
- Some knowledge of the importance of paying taxes and what they fund in Canada.
- Some knowledge of presentation or webinar etiquette as an audience member.
Activities and Tasks
Sample Skill-Building Activities:
- Brainstorm ideas about why people pay income tax in Canada and some examples of what they fund.
- Read or listen to an explanation about taxes in Canada, and compare to ideas and predictions.
- Read examples of tax-related vocabulary and definitions. Listen to example sentences or videos and answer comprehension questions based on the vocabulary.
- Review modals and phrases of obligation, such as must / should / have to / need to / have got to, and so on.
- Listen to examples of important steps when filing taxes, for example, “You must gather important documents.”, and identify the steps you must take.
- Read examples of passive sentences and learn about how the passive voice is formed.
- Listen to examples of important steps when filing taxes using the passive voice, for example, “Declaring all income, including overseas, is required”, and identify the steps you must take.
- Look at examples of T4s and tax return documents, and listen to explanations to identify how they are used when filing taxes.
- Listen to examples of presentations and identify the parts of a presentation, such as introductions, agendas, conclusions, questions and so on.
- Learn about different platforms for webinars and the steps for signing up, logging in, using links and so on.
- Practice clicking on a link and accessing a webinar.
- Learn about good webinar and presentation etiquette.
- Watch videos and identify whether the speaker is using good etiquette or not.
Sample Skill-Using Tasks:
- Attend a presentation on the steps to filing taxes and answer comprehension questions about the content.
- Watch a video on the steps to filing taxes and answer questions about the steps you must take or summarize the information.
Sample Assessment Tasks:
- Attend a webinar or presentation on the steps to filing taxes.
Teaching Considerations
Cultural Considerations:
- Have learners compare and contrast different publicly-funded programs and services from their own countries and Canada to develop intercultural awareness.
- Explain to learners that people who have lived in Canada for a long time often find tax season stressful and that there are many resources available for education and help.
- Teach some etiquette and cultural norms around asking permission to record meetings or presentations, and asking questions.
Digital Literacy Strategies:
Successful completion of some tasks may require some baseline digital knowledge and skills.
Learners may need to:
- Use phone or videoconferencing technologies for phone or online meetings.
- Understand and use meeting etiquette.
- Use online recording tools.
Instructors can:
- Introduce websites that are relevant to the task(s).
- Support learners in finding, navigating and using websites.
- Teach reading strategies such as skimming and scanning to find information on websites.
- Refer learners to programs to improve their digital skills.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:
Instructors can:
- Use diverse representations of people in all your learning resources and images, including people who are 2SLGBTQIA+, Indigenous, Francophone and of other cultures, and people who have disabilities or who are neurodivergent.
Trauma-informed Strategies:
Possible Trauma Triggers:
- Discussions of income and money may be triggering for learners who have experienced trauma, especially those who have lost their homes, possessions, and or money. Make space for learners to feel safe and recover from the experience of sharing their experiences.
- Learners who have experienced trauma can be triggered by people in positions of authority; make sure learners understand the purpose of paying taxes in Canada, and that the Canadian government will not be overly punitive about mistakes.
Strategies:
- Learners who have experienced trauma benefit from having choice.
- Give learners advance warning of discussions of this topic.
- Allow learners choice:
- the choice to share or not share their own experiences
- the choice to work alone or to work with others
- the choice to take care of themselves
- the choice to step out of the learning environment
- Learners have the right to choose if, when and what they share about themselves.
- Make space for learners to feel safe and recover from the experience of sharing their experiences.
- Giving learners the knowledge, skills and language to access resources can be empowering.
Resources
Outings, Guest Speaker Suggestions, Extension Activities:
- Invite a volunteer from a tax clinic or similar to give a presentation to students.
- Using case studies or scenarios, practice completing a tax return on paper or online.
- Have learners go to a local tax clinic or tax information centre and find information for classmates or collect brochures to bring to class.
Realia:
- Authentic tax forms, available on the Government of Canada website
- CRA account on YouTube
- Government of Canada: Lesson Plan: Preparing to Do Your Taxes
Units and Modules:
(Adapt for the CLB level you teach)
Lessons and Activities:
(Adapt for the CLB level you teach)
Detailed Sample Task
This exemplar is aligned with the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) and is designed to guide and inform your lesson and module planning. Consult the Canadian Language Benchmarks English as a Second Language for Adults for detailed performance descriptors at this benchmark and skill.
The information in this document is not exhaustive and can be expanded on. As well, you can use more learner-friendly language in your materials and assessments.
This is NOT a lesson or module plan.
