Detailed Sample Task: EAL Literacy

CLB 4L-Speaking
Getting Things Done

Banking and Numeracy

Real-World Task

Ask a teller at your local bank branch where you can access financial planning services in French.

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

Yes/no questions in the simple present
Information questions in the simple present

Context:

In many communities in Canada, it is possible to access services in both French and English, and often possible in other languages as well.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Sample Vocabulary:

services
available
teller
bilingual
financial planning
phrases for polite requests: Excuse me, could you help me, I was wondering, I would like to…

Sample Grammar:

Modal verbs: could, would

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

Polite requests include a politeness phrase and clear information about what you are requesting.

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

Using a polite tone and softening language to ask for assistance.
Phrases for polite requests such as Excuse me, could you help me, I was wondering…

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Discuss in small groups: What services do banks provide? What kinds of information do you need to give bank tellers? What language services are available at local banks? Can you get forms in different languages? Ask learners about the importance of understanding financial information in your own language.
Discuss as a class: What languages are spoken in Canada? What are the official languages? Which provinces are English? Which province is French (Quebec)? Which province is bilingual (New Brunswick)?
Review bank vocabulary and practice using matching, fill-in-the-blanks, and games such as Memory or Bingo.
Discuss as a class: What is financial planning? What does it mean to save money? What sorts of things do you save money for? Who can help you to save money? What is budgeting? Is budgeting the same as saving?
Read a simple instructor-made story about planning for the future. Match vocabulary to the story. Complete fill-in-the-blanks exercises about the story.
Read a simplified pamphlet from a bank about financial planning and find vocabulary words.
Review modal verbs and elicit examples from learners using could or would. Complete various activities to practice modals.
Brainstorm expressions for polite requests and make a list on the board. Have learners work with a partner to create a dialogue with polite requests.
Listen to a dialogue between a bank teller and a customer. With a partner, identify the phrases used for the polite request and what was requested. Compare with other pairs of learners.
Look at a banking website or app and locate key information.
Discuss online safety with banking. What information should you share? Who should you share it with?
Work in a small group. Look at prompts for requests at the bank (e.g. forms in other languages? all-gender washroom? information about credit cards?) Practice making polite requests. Share your requests with the class.
With a partner, create a role play of making a request at a bank, using courtesy formulas and a polite request. The reply can be an invented response with instructor support if necessary.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Role-play a variety of requests at a bank with a classmate. Perform your role-play for the class.

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Ask a teller at your local bank branch where you can access financial planning services in French.

Teaching Considerations

Cultural Considerations:

People from different cultures may have different expectations of how to manage their finances. Some may not have experience with banks or may not trust banks.

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 relevant to the task.
Use familiar apps, social media platforms and web pages relevant to the task.
Read information from a screen.
Navigate camera and microphone.
Adjust volume on device.
Navigate forms.

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 relevant to the task.
Support with clicking on appropriate fields for an online form.
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.
Share knowledge and strategies to ensure online safety.
Refer learners to programs to improve their digital skills.

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 identify as women may not have had access to their own finances. Make sure that all learners are aware of their rights in Canada and are aware of services and resources that can help them.

Trauma-informed Strategies:

Possible Trauma Triggers:

Learners who have lived or are living in poverty and learners who have lost their homes and possessions may find discussions around banking, money, or finance triggering.
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:

Visit a local bank.
Invite someone who specializes in financial literacy to speak to the class.
Have learners create posters about different types of accounts or products available at a bank and hold a financial poster fair.

Realia:

Pamphlets for local banks
Sample forms from local banks
Websites and/or apps for local banks

Units and Modules:

Tutela (CCLB): Reporting a Lost/Stolen Bank/Credit Card: CLB 3/4 (Not literacy or the right level but can be adapted)
Tutela (CCLB Blended Modules): Reporting a Lost/Stolen Bank/Credit Card: CLB 3/4 (Not literacy or the right level but can be adapted)

Lessons and Activities:

Tutela: Basic Banking: Module Plan and Assessment Tasks: CLB 4 (Not literacy but can be adapted)
Tutela: Banking and Money: CLB 3/4 (Not literacy but can be adapted)
Tutela (OCDSB): Collecting Information About Banks: CLB 4 (Not literacy but can be adapted)
LINC 4 Classroom Activities: Pre-Authorized Payment Plan Application Form (p. 70) (Not literacy but can be adapted)
A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.

Multimedia:

Tutela: ESL Image Bank: Banking and Finance