Detailed Sample Task: Stage II
CLB 7 - Listening Comprehending Information
Global Citizenship
Real-World Task
Watch a news story on the housing problem in Canada to understand possible types of community housing solutions (subsidized housing, co-housing, co-ops and so on).
Planning Context
Helpful Knowledge:
- Knowledge of some different types of housing in Canada.
- Knowledge of different verified news sources in Canada.
- Basic phrases to introduce opinions.
Context:
- Housing supply and affordability is a serious issue across most of Canada. There are different ideas for ways to solve this crisis.
- Not all news sources are reliable and credible. You have to carefully evaluate different news sources to make sure you are getting accurate information.
Vocabulary and Grammar
Sample Vocabulary:
- subsidized housing
- co-housing
- co-operatives/ co-ops
- not-for-profit
- urban and rural Indigenous housing
- rent supplement
- resource
- discrimination
- disproportionate
- crisis
- poverty
- economy
- affordability
- address an issue
- project/ forecast
Sample Grammar:
- Reported speech to identify when a source is being quoted or referred to, for example, “He stated that he was unable to afford a home.”
- Abstract nouns and noun forms related to social issues, such as affordability, discrimination, trustworthiness and so on
- Phrases to introduce facts and opinions, for example, “It’s well established that…”, “It has been proven that…”, “I believe…” and so on
- Conjunctive adverbs to give examples/ proof of a statement, such as ‘for instance’ or ‘namely’
Knowledge and Strategies
Textual and Functional Knowledge:
- Identify facts and opinions using grammatical phrases.
- Identify markers of comparison and contrast, such as ‘conversely’ or ‘on the contrary’.
- Identify markers of cause and effect and interpret how these can denote factual information or opinions.
Sociolinguistic Knowledge:
- Identify paralinguistic signals, such as loudness and tone to interpret speakers’ attitudes.
- Comprehend cultural references to Canadian social issues, such as publicly-funded healthcare, Indigenous issues around housing, the Aboriginal Housing Services and so on.
Activities and Tasks
Sample Skill-Building Activities:
- Research different social issues in Canada and summarize findings and/ or present them to classmates.
- Research different kinds of housing and use critical thinking to match different kinds of housing to different situations, for example, a not-for-profit housing association for a low-income person.
- Read transcripts of panel discussions, news interviews and so on to identify discourse markers that show fact, opinion, cause and effect, comparison and contrast and so on.
- Express facts and opinions using correct discourse markers.
- Practise identifying the facts and opinions when classmates express facts and opinions.
- Use a dictionary to research related noun forms of words to identify the abstract noun used to describe a social issue.
- Practice using reported speech to relay classmates’ opinions.
- Watch or listen to short news stories on social issues to identify the causes and possible solutions, then read the transcripts to enhance comprehension.
- Listen to people expressing opinions about solutions to the housing crisis. Give your opinion on the solutions mentioned.
Sample Skill-Using Tasks:
- Listen to a short panel discussion about solutions to the housing crisis. Answer questions to show understanding of the topic and facts and opinions expressed.
- Watch a short news story about causes and solutions to the housing crisis. Summarize the issues.
Sample Assessment Tasks:
- Watch a news story on the housing problem in Canada to understand possible types of community housing solutions.
Teaching Considerations
Cultural Considerations:
- In recent years in Canada, there is increased homelessness, and significant rises in the cost of rent and mortgages. There are different types of housing programs that can alleviate these issues. Many organizations and different levels of government are trying to find solutions to the housing crisis. Ensure learners are aware of the issues and the efforts to resolve them.
Digital Literacy Strategies:
Successful completion of some tasks may require some baseline digital knowledge and skills.
Learners may need to:
- Identify safe and reliable sources of information and news.
- Understand safe use of the internet and social media.
- Navigate sections of videos / downloading videos.
- Scan online resources to find information.
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:
- Be aware of and use examples of how many housing issues disproportionately affect equity-deserving groups.
- Be aware of and include examples of accessible housing in learning resources.
- 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 affordability and homelessness 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 may have experienced discrimination, racism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny or gender-based violence, which are issues that can contribute to homelessness or economic vulnerability. Discussions of EDI may be triggering: be aware that there may be learners who need help, but it may also provide some comfort and support.
Strategies:
- Learners who have experienced trauma benefit from having choice.
- Give learners advance warning of discussions of this topic.
- Learners have the right to choose if, when and what they share about themselves and their experience finding or looking for housing in Canada.
- 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 guest speaker from a housing support group or program, such as a service manager, to speak about the issue and resources that are available for affected people.
- Create a panel discussion in class where learners discuss different social issues and express facts and opinions.
- Conduct a class survey to find which forms of housing learners think are the best solution to the housing crisis.
- Practice writing a letter or email to an elected representative requesting that they address the housing crisis and provide ideas for solutions.
Realia:
- Authentic government websites on different forms of housing
- Authentic websites from housing organizations or housing-related non-profit organizations
Units and Modules:
(Adapt for the CLB level you teach)
Lessons and Activities:
(Adapt resources for the CLB level you teach)
Instructor Resources and References:
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.
