Detailed Sample Task: Stage I
CLB 2 - Listening
Comprehending Information
Indigenization
Real-World Task
Listen to a teacher welcoming an Elder to the class before a presentation to understand their name, the nation they are from and where they live.
Planning Context
Helpful Knowledge:
- Vocabulary related to Indigenous peoples in Canada.
- Common expressions for welcoming guests.
Context:
- Indigenous beliefs and knowledge are often communicated through oral storytelling.
- Indigenous elders are respected members of the community. The meaning of the term can vary depending on the context and region.
- Introductions are a way to show respect to Indigenous people and should be carefully thought through to include the information important to that individual.
Vocabulary and Grammar
Sample Vocabulary:
- Indigenous / Metis / Inuit
- elder
- nation
- land
- treaty
- storytelling
- settler
Sample Grammar:
- Basic syntax such as word order; indications of a statement
- Words and expressions relating to basic, personally relevant facts
- Words to describe people, objects, situations.
Knowledge and Strategies
Textual and Functional Knowledge:
- Common expressions for greetings and responses.
- Common language functions for making introductions.
- Common language functions for expressing appreciation.
Sociolinguistic Knowledge:
- Intercultural communication:
- formality/ informality
- politeness around thanking
- socio-cultural information relating to social interactions
Activities and Tasks
Sample Skill-Building Activities:
- Elicit from learners what language might go into an introduction for a visitor to the class.
- Compare introductions in Canada with other countries learners have experienced.
- Listen to an introduction and circle key words.
- Take turns introducing each other in small groups.
- Complete a script by filling in the missing words for an introduction.
- Describe what information might be important for an Indigenous visitor to the class.
- Give information about the lands where you live belonging to the Indigenous peoples.
- introduce the local Indigenous groups, their nations and the names of the communities where they live.
- Match Indigenous groups, nations and communities.
Sample Skill-Using Tasks:
- Listen to a simple introduction and circle one word from each sentence in the introduction.
- Match visuals when listening to simple introductions.
Sample Assessment Tasks:
- Listen to a teacher welcoming an Elder to the class before a presentation to understand their name, the nation they are from and where they live.
Teaching Considerations
Cultural Considerations:
- It is optimal to ask an Indigenous person to share their Indigenous stories and knowledge; however, at CLB 2 this may present some challenges for learners. The communication for CLB 2 is expected to be spoken at a slow rate and short. The communication should use short phrases and simple sentences.
Digital Literacy Strategies:
Successful completion of some tasks may require some baseline digital knowledge and skills.
Learners may need to:
- Use videoconferencing technology for online meetings.
- Navigate and use online learning management systems (LMS) such as Avenue.
Instructors can:
- Introduce tools and apps that can aid learners in coping with communication barriers, such as translation, pronunciation, text to speech, speech to text tools and so on.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:
Instructors can:
- Use diverse representations of people in all your learning resources and images, including people who are Indigenous.
- Ensure that the images and cultural representations of Indigenous peoples are free from stereotypes and biases.
- Raise learner awareness of the need for using appropriate language when discussing and addressing Indigenous peoples.
Trauma-informed Strategies:
Possible Trauma Triggers:
- Newcomers who come from Indigenous groups in their home countries may be triggered by considerations of the experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada.
- Teaching an Indigenization theme will result in some difficult conversations and may revisit past trauma, oppression and discrimination your learners have experienced.
Strategies:
- Create a safe and supportive classroom environment by establishing familiar routines, repeated activities, and model friendly and non-evaluative interactions; learners who have experienced trauma often benefit from having routine.
- Recognize and respect learners’ right to choose if, when and what they share about themselves and their routines.
- Make space for learners to feel safe and recover from the experience of sharing their experiences.
Resources
Outings, Guest Speaker Suggestions, Extension Activities:
- Visit local Indigenous cultural sites or museums.
- Invite speakers to demonstrate blanket ceremonies.
- Attend public celebrations on National Indigenous Day (June 21).
- Include Indigenous stories in class reading materials.
- Build class activities around Orange Shirt Day.
Realia:
- Indigenous stories on YouTube
- Indigenous art
Lessons and Activities:
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.
