Detailed Sample Task: EAL Literacy

CLB FL-Listening
Comprehending Information

Banking and Numeracy

Real-World Task

Listen to a bank teller to find out the monthly fee for a chequing account for newcomers.

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

Numbers 0-9
Whole round numbers to 100: 10, 20, 30 etc.

Context:

Bank accounts often have fees.
Some bank accounts have a monthly fee which allows a certain number of transactions such as taking money out, putting money in and so on.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Sample Vocabulary:

Sample Grammar:

Present simple
Question in the present simple: How much?

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

A bank teller gives you important information about how much things cost.

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

You can ask a bank teller for help with your banking.

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Show learners photographs of local banks in your community. Discuss: What is a bank? What do you do there? What is your bank?
Practice tracing and writing the numbers 0-9.
Sing and workout to Count to 100 by 10s.
Work with a partner to count clear objects on a sheet of paper and say or write the number.
Sing and workout to Work Out and Count to 100.
Listen to the instructor say a number between 0-9 and count out the correct number of objects (using pebbles, marker tops, or other small objects).
Discuss as a class: What is a bank account? What is it for? What is a bank fee?
Listen to and practice a very simple dialogue between a bank teller and a customer: I want a bank account. How much is the fee? The fee is $20 per month.
Role-play being at the bank. As the instructor, play the role of the teller. Learners have $100 in play money. Have each learner come up to the “bank” and open an account. Put $80 in an envelope that has the learner’s name printed clearly. This is their bank account. Put $20 in a box marked “fees.” After learners start to understand, have a learner take over and play the teller.
Read a very simple instructor-made story as a class about opening a bank account. Read the story to the learners and then echo read and chorus read the story. Ask learners: how much was the bank fee?

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Listen to a bank teller to find out the monthly fee for a chequing account for newcomers. Say what the amount is. (Same as assessment task. Vary the amount of money for the assessment task ,if needed.)

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Listen to a bank teller to find out the monthly fee for a chequing account for newcomers. Say what the amount is.

Teaching Considerations

Cultural Considerations:

The idea of keeping your money in a bank may be unfamiliar to some learners at this level; however, having a bank account is important as an adult in Canada to be able to receive money and pay for items. Help learners to understand that Canadian banks are very safe and secure.

Digital Literacy Strategies:

Successful completion of some tasks may require some baseline knowledge and digital skills.

Learners may need to:

Have keyboarding and typing skills.
Locate, navigate and use websites.
Type information to appear on screen.

Instructors can:

Dedicate time to improve digital literacy for learners.
Make and/or adapt digital materials.
Introduce websites that are relevant to the task(s).
Support learners in finding, navigating and using websites.
Show learners that the size of an image on the screen can be adjusted.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:

Use diverse representations of people in all your learning resources and images, including people who are 2SLGBTQ+, Indigenous, Francophone and of other cultures, and people who have disabilities or who are neurodivergent. Consider this diversity as you choose names for characters in stories you create as well.
Learners who are women may not have control of their own finances. Help learners to understand that in Canada all adults have access to their own money.

Trauma-informed Strategies:

Possible Trauma Triggers:

Learners who have experienced trauma or who have lived or are living in poverty may be triggered by discussions of money and finances. Learners who have lost their possessions or money may also be triggered by this topic. Be aware of this and be prepared to support learners as needed.
When teaching about Canada, you may teach about things that are triggering to learners who have experienced trauma. We can’t know what the triggers might be and what seems commonplace to us may have a triggering component for learners. Be aware of this and be prepared to support learners as needed.

Strategies:

Give learners advance warning of this topic and be aware that there may be learners who require support.
Learners who have experienced trauma often benefit from having routine. Create a safe and supportive classroom environment by establishing familiar routines, repeated activities, and model friendly and non-evaluative interactions.
Learners will benefit from positive relationships established in the classroom with the instructor and peers.
Learners who have experienced trauma benefit from having choices.
- Allow learners choice:
  - the choice to work on a different topic
  - 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
When learners have shared personal distressing or traumatic experiences, make space for learners to feel safe and recover from the experience of sharing their experiences. Follow the activities which may make learners feel vulnerable with routine, predictable and comforting activities.
Giving learners the knowledge, skills and language to access resources can be empowering.

Resources

Outings, Guest Speaker Suggestions, Extension Activities:

If possible, visit a bank lobby (you might want to notify the bank ahead of time and identify a quiet time to visit). With learners, note the ATMs and the tellers. Return to class and elicit an LEA (Language Experience Approach) story from the learners about the experience.

Realia:

Sand trays
Marker tops, pebbles, or other small objects
Magnetic numbers or number tiles
Play money

Units and Modules:

Tutela (CCLB): Reporting a Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Bank Card: CLB 1L/2L (Not the right level but can be adapted)

Lessons and Activities:

Tutela: Norquest LINC Phonics Curriculum: CLB FL
The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Reading Skills Stories
The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Adults Learn to Print
Tutela (Archway): Personal Information: Numeric Focus: CLB 1L/2L (Not the right level but can be adapted)
A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.

Multimedia: