Detailed Sample Task: Stage I

CLB 4 -Speaking
Giving Instructions

Banking & Numeracy

Real-World Task

Give short instructions to a friend or family member about how to get ready for the upcoming tax season like deadlines, tax clinics to help, or websites.

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

Vocabulary related to finances, banking and taxes, such as receipts, income, and so on.
Knowledge of the basic idea of tax season in Canada, including why taxes must be filed and the important deadline of April 30. Learners also need to know where they can get free help, such as tax clinics or the CRA website.

Context:

Taxes must be filed every year in Canada. Tax season usually refers to the months between February to April. When you file taxes in March of one year you are reporting your income for the previous calendar year.
The deadline for most people to file their taxes is April 30. If you file your taxes after the deadline, filing late may result in penalties to pay.
In Canada, most adults who have income including Permanent Residents, refugees, temporary workers, international students must pay taxes.
When you file your taxes, you may receive a refund or other benefits such as child tax benefit.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Sample Vocabulary:

Sample Grammar:

Imperative forms for instructions (including negative structures): check, collect, don’t forget, and so on
Sequencing connectors: First, then, after that, and so on.
Modals for polite suggestions: could, can and so on.

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

Connective words and phrases to indicate chronology.
Genres such as giving instructions.

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

Socio-cultural conventions for giving instructions and talking about sensitive topics such as household finances.
Some cultural information about degrees of sharing personal information.

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Discuss as a class: What is income tax?
Do you pay income tax in your country of origin? Has anyone in your household paid income tax in Canada yet? Why do Canadians pay income tax? How much does income tax cost? What is the deadline for filing your taxes in Canada? What are some benefits of filing your taxes?
Match picture flashcards to vocabulary word lists. Then in pairs match words and images to a third set of cards with definitions of the terms.
Working with a partner, write one sentence using each vocabulary word. Share one of your sentences with the class.
Read a simple poster for a Newcomers’ tax clinic. Review: What is a tax clinic? Use internet search terms to find local tax clinics available.
In small groups, make a list of questions you have about filing taxes in Canada. Discuss these questions as a group. Instructors can use these questions to create a simple reading text about commonly asked questions about filing taxes in Canada.
Read a simple instructor-made text about how to prepare for tax season. Circle all of the vocabulary words in the text. Work with a partner to answer comprehension questions.
Read a short instructor-made story about preparing for tax season.Listen to the instructor read the text, echo and choral read the story. Read several times over the course of several lessons, as a class, with a partner or on your own, to practice pronunciation, intonation and fluency.
Reread the story and identify the vocabulary words. Answer short, simple comprehension questions.
Discuss how much information Canadians typically share about their finances. Discuss ways to ask questions about your household finances and budgeting without disclosing an inappropriate amount of information. Look at a set of sentences stating information about personal finances. Discuss which ones are appropriate and which ones may share too much information.
Listen to a short dialogue (instructor-made if necessary) between two Newcomers discussing the upcoming tax season and how they are preparing for it. Answer a set of simple multiple choice questions about the text, focusing on the main topic, then details.
Review sequencing words. Listen to the dialogue again and identify the sequencing words.
Complete a chart of the steps discussed in the dialogue and using sentence cards, put the steps in the correct order.
Review the grammar rules for modals. Focus on the different ways to use modals for polite suggestions. Organize sets of word cards to create sentences using modals for suggestions and advice. Put the words into the correct order. Copy the assembled questions into a notebook or digital document. Working with a partner, take turns reading the sentences aloud.
Review modal verbs and elicit examples from learners using can or should about finances. Complete various activities to practice modals when you are giving helpful advice about budgeting.
Review the grammar rules for using the imperative for instructions. Practice with various activities and worksheets.
Read the transcript of the above dialogue. Identify the modals and the imperatives. Discuss as a class what other phrases and verbs could be used while still having meaningful sentences.
Practice giving instructions in a variety of other contexts such as submitting an online homework assignment or signing up for a free conversation class.
Role play the dialogue, modeling the instructor for pronunciation, intonation and fluency. Practice multiple times over the course of several lessons.
Listen to an instructor-created dialogue between a settlement worker and a LINC learner with information about an upcoming tax clinic for Newcomers. In pairs, one learner plays the role of the Newcomer asking for the information. The other learner responds with several suggestions. Use sequencing words. Switch roles.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Using flash cards, circulate the room asking classmates what they need to do to prepare for tax season, as indicated by the flashcard. Classmates respond with two or 3 instructions about how to prepare.

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Give short instructions to a friend or family member about how to get ready for the upcoming tax season like deadlines, tax clinics to help, or websites.

Teaching Considerations

Cultural Considerations:

Some newcomers may come from countries where only employers handle taxes, so filing a personal tax return may feel unfamiliar or worrying. Others may feel uncomfortable discussing money, income, or government services, so it helps to reassure learners that in Canada filing taxes is normal, private, and necessary to receive benefits.
People from different cultures may have different experiences with income tax. Some learners may not have had to pay income tax before. Some learners may come from countries with higher levels of corruption and may be concerned about giving money to the government.

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 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.
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.
Share information with learners about free tax services they may qualify for.

Trauma-informed Strategies:

Possible Trauma triggers:

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.
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.

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:

Invite a local settlement agency to talk about taxes and the availability of free clinics for Newcomers.
Invite someone who specializes in financial literacy to the class to talk about income and taxes.

Realia:

Information on where to get help with taxes in the local area
Posters for tax clinics
CRA Website
Play money

Units and Modules:

Lessons and Activities:

Tutela: Banking and Money: CLB 3/4 (Not literacy but can be adapted)
Tutela: Norquest LINC Phonics Curriculum: CLB 4L
LINC 4 Classroom Activities: Banking (p. 41-84) (Not literacy but can be adapted)
A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.

Multimedia: