Detailed Sample Task: Stage II
CLB 8 - Listening Comprehending Instructions
Collaboration and Teamwork
Real-World Task
Follow instructions from colleagues to complete a complex, multi-step workplace task together, such as checking and submitting weekly payroll.
Planning Context
Helpful Knowledge:
- Awareness of common expectations and written and unwritten rules regarding collaboration, teamwork, transparency in completing tasks, reporting to superiors and so on.
Context:
- In the Canadian workplace, employers value a willingness to seek help and learn from others. Collaboration, teamwork and working well with others is highly valued and colleagues often work together to problem solve or help others complete a task.
Vocabulary and Grammar
Sample Vocabulary:
- Sequencing vocabulary such as:
- first
- to begin with
- next
- after that
- by this point
- in addition
- finally
- Verbs in the imperative form for direct orders
- Modal auxiliary verbs for indirect orders or requests
Sample Grammar:
- Present conditional to express an action and its consequences, for example, “If you don’t do this first, this will happen…
- Indirect language to ask for help, for example, “Do you know anything about ‘x’?” or “What do you know about ‘x’”.
- Common questions or phrases for clarification and repetition, for example: “When you say ‘x’, do you mean ‘x’? or “What do you mean by ‘x’?”
- Indirect language to give instructions to convey collaboration rather than giving orders, for example, “Have you thought about…?” or “Why don’t you try it this way?”
Knowledge and Strategies
Textual and Functional Knowledge:
- Identify prepositions of location to navigate on a website or form.
- Identify signposts to separate actions as steps.
- Identify sequence vocabulary or phrases to complete actions in the correct sequence.
- Ability to ask clarification questions.
- Ability to repeat instructions to confirm understanding.
Sociolinguistic Knowledge:
- Awareness of the unspoken dos and don’ts of the Canadian workplace.
- Appropriate tone and phrasing when asking for help or asking for clarification.
- Awareness of employee resources/ assistance in the Canadian workplace such as employee manuals, HR personnel, colleagues, mentors, management and so on.
Activities and Tasks
Sample Skill-Building Activities:
- Elicit common expressions used when giving instructions.
- Identify direct and indirect language in model conversations between colleagues working together on a workplace task and giving instructions.
- Provide examples of sets of instructions using imperatives; have learners change them into indirect, collaborative language.
- Elicit common vocabulary or expressions used when giving instructions.
- Identify signposts in excerpts of different types of instructions (live or audio recordings).
- Listen to samples of instructions using imperatives and identify grammar forms used.
- Discuss communication styles to convey collaboration and teamwork in the workplace.
- Elicit common ways to ask a colleague for help, either directly or indirectly.
- Review ways to ask for clarification and confirm understanding.
- Present model conversations and have learners identify the strategies used.
- Role-play listening to a colleague’s instructions and repeating the instructions back as confirmation.
- Role-play listening to a colleague’s instructions and asking clarification questions.
Sample Skill-Using Tasks:
- Listen to a colleague describe the steps to navigate an employer portal, access an online form and follow directions to complete it.
Sample Assessment Tasks:
- Follow instructions from colleagues to complete a complex, multistep workplace task together, such as checking and submitting weekly payroll.
Teaching Considerations
Cultural Considerations:
- Teamwork and collaboration may not be as highly valued in all cultures. Review and discuss these concepts and their value in the Canadian workplace and educational contexts.
- Be aware that collaboration, group work and giving feedback can be viewed and implemented very differently in different cultures. Offer a neutral, judgement-free learning environment and introduce typical Canadian attitudes towards polite and constructive feedback and collaboration.
Digital Literacy Strategies:
Successful completion of some tasks may require some baseline knowledge and digital skills.
Learners may need to:
- Locate, navigate and use websites.
- Create accounts and log in to an account.
- Use videoconferencing technology for online meetings.
- Understand and have good (email, meeting) etiquette.
- Navigate and use online tools for collaboration such as Trello or Google docs.
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.
- Share knowledge and strategies to ensure online safety.
- 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.
- Recognize and teach learners that Canada is a diverse place and has people from many different cultures. Canadian culture includes the cultures of all people in Canada.
- Recognize that learners with disabilities and learners who are neurodivergent may need accommodations in the workplace; when possible, help learners of all abilities understand their rights in the workplace.
Trauma-informed Strategies:
Possible Trauma Triggers:
- Learners who have experienced trauma can be triggered by people in positions of authority; make sure learners understand their rights in the workplace and give strategies for making polite requests.
Strategies:
- Learners have the right to choose if, when and what they share about themselves.
- Incorporate learning materials learners can access independently related to language for collaboration and teamwork. Sharing knowledge, skills and language about how to access resources can be empowering.
Resources
Outings, Guest Speaker Suggestions, Extension Activities:
- Expand context to listening to the instructions on the phone; include and use common expressions for communication over the phone.
- Read articles or blogs on teamwork and collaboration in the Canadian workplace.
- Follow instructions to complete complex workplace forms or documents such as inventory.
Realia:
- Formatted instructional text examples such as employee manuals, product instruction manuals, online guides and so on
- Sample employee website or portals
- Sample employee forms
Units and Modules:
- Avenue Course Builder: Select the theme “Workplace Communication – General” and “Employment”, and CLB 5, 6, 7 and 8 for units related to listening to instructions or communicating at work (adapt for the CLB level you teach).
- CLB 5 Giving Instructions for a Workplace Device
- CLB 5 Pathways to Employment: Workplace Communication and Teamwork
- CLB 5 Giving Instructions to a Co-Worker About a Process at Work
- CLB 5+ Instructions and Procedures at Work
- CLB 5+ Taking Notes While Listening Culture
- Bow ValleyCollege: In the Workplace: An Intermediate Integrated Skills Textbook
Lessons and Activities
- Ellii. CLB 5-7 Asking for Clarification (adapt for the CLB level you teach)
- Norquest College: Critical Incidents for Intercultural Communication in the Workplace
Instructor Resources and References:
- Framework – Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks
- Skill components and proficiency levels – Canada.ca
- UP Skills for Work Get Started: Collaboration
- Free Employee Training Resources l UP Skills for Work
- Skills for Success: Collaboration – alis (alberta.ca)
- Employment Archives – New Canadians
- Skilled Worker
- Ten tips to manage your career transition as a newcomer to Canada | Canadian Immigrant
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.
