Detailed Sample Task: EAL Literacy

CLB 2L - Listening
Comprehending Instructions

Employment - At the Workplace

Real-World Task

Listen to a supervisor tell you about clocking in at the start of the shift in a few short, simple sentences.

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

Present simple: to be
Times and numbers 1-12
Basic jobs vocabulary: teacher, cleaner, kitchen helper, security guard, nurse, and so on

Context:

It is common to have a procedure at the start of a shift such as clocking in.
Clocking in is often handled with an app from your own phone or by clocking in on a tablet or computer when you arrive at work.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Sample Vocabulary:

Sample Grammar:

Imperative voice for instructions

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

Instructions are usually given in the imperative voice.

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

In Canadian workplaces, there is a strong expectation that all workers will be on time (or even a few minutes early).

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Discuss as a class: Who has a job right now? What do you do? Who has had a job before, either in Canada or in another country? What did you do?
Review numbers. Sing and work out to Count by 1s to 10.
Review times. Practice reading times from digital clock faces. Review am and pm and discuss which one is which.
Work with a partner. Answer questions about times such as What time do you get up? Go to bed? Start school? Eat lunch?
Discuss as a class: What does it mean to be on time? What does it mean to be late? What is the expectation in Canada when you have to go to school, work, or an appointment?
Learn vocabulary with TPR (Total Physical Response). Give each word a physical action. Call out a word and have learners respond with the physical action.
Use vocabulary cards with words and clear pictures to practice task vocabulary. Do different activities such as matching and copying.
Incorporate phonics activities based on the vocabulary words and other vocabulary related to the topic.
Review the imperative voice for instructions. Use TPR with common classroom actions (stand up, sit down, open your binder, wave to your classmate, and so on) to practice the imperative voice. After a few rounds, have learners work in small groups and take turns calling out the commands.
Read a very simple, instructor-made story about clocking in at the start of shift. Match vocabulary cards to words in the story. Sequence the events in the story using picture cards with sentences from the story.
Listen to a dialogue between a supervisor and an employee about clocking in at the start of the shift. Practice the dialogue with a partner.
Practice following commands such as tap by doing activities online such as Games to Learn English or Learning Chocolate.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Listen to a dialogue between two
co-workers about the start of shift. Demonstrate understanding by answering simple comprehension questions orally
or by circling pictures.

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Listen to a supervisor tell you about clocking in at the start of the shift in a few short, simple sentences. Demonstrate understanding by answering very simple yes / no comprehension questions.

Teaching Considerations

Cultural Considerations:

Learners may come from places where there is little or no protection for workers and may not be aware of their rights in Canada. Help learners to understand what their rights are.
Learners may come from cultures with a different relationship to time than the strict punctuality of Canada. Help learners to understand the expectations in Canada.

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.
Use familiar apps, social media platforms and web pages.
Type information to appear on screen.

Instructors can:

Dedicate time to improve digital literacy for learners.
Make and/ or adapt digital materials.
Introduce websites or apps that are relevant to the task(s).
Support learners in finding, navigating and using websites or apps.
Show learners how to change the speed on an online video.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:

Learners who work in typically less-regulated industries, such as those who take care of children in someone’s home, are at a greater risk of being taken advantage of. Learners who work in under-the-table or cash-in-hand jobs are at a greater risk of being taken advantage of. Help learners to understand their rights but be aware that learners may be reluctant to challenge their employers for fear of losing their jobs.
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. Consider this diversity as you choose names for characters in stories you create as well.

Trauma-informed Strategies:

Possible Trauma Triggers:

Learners who have experienced trauma may be triggered by overly authoritative approaches. Watch out for learners who are stressed or upset by this topic.
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:

Create a simple “time sheet” on a clipboard with the list of learner names and a column for the time. Practice “clocking in” by having each learner sign their name in the correct space and write
down the current time.
Have learners work in small groups to create dialogues of their own about clocking in. Perform your dialogue for the class.

Realia:

Clocks
Sample time sheets
Apps

Units and Modules:

Lessons and Activities:

The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Reading Skills Stories
The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Adults Learn to Print
Tutela: Norquest LINC Phonics Curriculum: CLB 2L
Tutela: Foundation L-CLB 2L Phonics Curriculum
A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.

Multimedia: