Module
Planning

Instruction in LINC can be organized into manageable “chunks” of teaching, such as units or modules. Modules can have different ways 
of organizing content but the common one in LINC is themes. A typical module has a distinct theme and is developed around authentic real-world tasks which reflect learners’ communication needs and are connected to community or employment.

A key part of module planning is needs assessment. For some classes, 
a needs assessment can help you to identify the themes, areas of a theme or specific tasks that are relevant to the learners. For courses 
with predetermined content, needs assessment can help you get to know learners in order to tweak the content and relate it to learners’ lives. Your needs assessment results can inform your selection or development of modules.

There are ready-made modules developed for LINC programs on Tutela and Avenue. You can select and adapt modules that are relevant to learner needs or develop modules of your own. To develop your own, you can use a backwards-design approach using the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) to ensure that all parts of the module are aligned with the learners’ target CLB. Begin by choosing the real-world tasks for the skills your course addresses and then consider the final skill-using and assessment tasks. Next, analyze the real-world tasks and identify relevant language elements the learners will need to practice, such as grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and strategies. In a LINC class, these elements are taught as needed within the context of a real-world task and are practiced as skill-building activities. Once you have identified the tasks and skill-building activities, you can find or create appropriate learning resources.

When you are planning a module, consider the following:

• Include authentic (or authentic-like) models of the communication 
for learners to analyze
• Ensure that any learning materials (including your own instruction) are free of bias and inclusive
• Create opportunities for learners to practice each element of the real-world task, including vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and strategies
• Build opportunities for assessment for learning (AFL) into the module plan
• Keep the plan flexible and adjust how much time learners need to practice
• Make sure each skill-building activity or skill-using task is exactly 
the same; use different scenarios or slightly different (though familiar) language
• Do not add new information or expectations in the assessment task

A module should address the key communication skills needed to complete the real-world tasks but it doesn’t need to include all the language skills or all the competencies for each skill. Any given module might include several tasks in one skill or competency. The focus should be on authenticity in the tasks and the relevant language. However, over the course of several modules, ensure that learners complete tasks over a range of skills and competencies. The length of the module depends 
on many factors, including the type of program, learner level, prior knowledge and familiarity, and the skills addressed. Be aware of “module fatigue” which can occur when learners spend too much time on one theme.