EAL Literacy:
Banking and Numeracy
This theme focuses on the communication skills needed to understand and use numbers, particularly related to home finances. Find out more about this theme at Language for Success and Skills for Success.
Choose a CLB level by clicking below to access information about Real-World Tasks and Detailed Sample Tasks for this theme.
Helpful Hint
You would benefit from familiarity with Literacy Learner Considerations for each level as you navigate the Sample Real-World Tasks below.
Listening
CLB Foundation L
Listen to a very short password to enter
the letters and numbers in the field.
Comprehending Instructions
Understand very short, simple instructions, commands and requests related to immediate personal needs.
- Identifies words or phrases that indicate positive or negative commands.
- Indicates comprehension with appropriate verbal or non-verbal requests.
Listen to a bank teller to find out the monthly
fee for a chequing account for newcomers.
Comprehending Information
Understand very simple information about highly familiar, concrete topics.
- Identifies a few obvious factual details, such as numbers, times and dates.
- Identifies a few simple key words and short expressions.
CLB 1L
Listen to a very short password to enter
the letters and numbers in the field.
Comprehending instructions
Understand very short, simple instructions, commands and requests related to immediate personal needs.
- Identifies words or phrases that indicate positive or negative commands.
- Indicates comprehension with appropriate verbal or non-verbal requests.
Listen to a bank teller to find out the monthly
fee for a chequing account for newcomers.
Comprehending Information
Understand very simple information about highly familiar, concrete topics.
- Identifies a few obvious factual details, such as numbers, times and dates.
- Identifies a few simple key words and short expressions.
CLB 2L
With visual supports, follow a few, short
steps to set a password.
Comprehending Instructions
Understand short, simple, common instructions, commands and directions requests related to immediate personal needs.
- Identifies numbers.
- Identifies words or phrases that indicate positive or negative commands.
Listen to a bank teller to find out the monthly
or annual fee for a credit card.
Comprehending Information
Understand simple information about familiar, concrete topics.
- Identifies specific factual details, such as numbers, letters, time, place.
- Identifies key words and expressions.
CLB 3L
Follow 2 to 4 steps to set a strong password.
Comprehending Instructions
Understand instructions and direction requests related to familiar, everyday situations of immediate personal relevance.
- Identifies basic connectors related to time (now, then, before, after) and place (this, that, here, there).
- Responds with correct actions to instructions.
Listen to a short simple description on the
costs of payday loans.
Comprehending Information
Understand short, simple, descriptive communication about a person, object, situation, scene, personal experience or daily routine.
- Gets the gist.
- Identifies key information and main idea.
CLB 4L
Listen to a short description of banking safety
tips to share with your children/ friends.
Comprehending Information
Understand short descriptive or narrative communication on topics of personal relevance.
- Responds with appropriate actions to instructions.
- Recognizes and identifies the correct sequence of steps.
Listen to the costs of payday loans and the
cost of borrowing money on a credit card
to compare.
Comprehending information
Understand short, descriptive or narrative communication on topics of personal relevance.
- Identifies factual details (who, what, where and when).
- Identifies some implied meanings, key words, and expressions.
Speaking
CLB Foundation L
Ask for assistance using the ATM.
Getting Things Done
Make and respond to simple requests related to immediate personal needs.
- Uses appropriate single words, phrases, memorized expressions and courtesy formulas.
- Uses expressions for money and amounts.
Show a friend in one or two words, how to find the total cost on a sales receipt.
Giving Instructions
Give brief, simple, common, routine instructions to a familiar person.
- Use imperative forms and memorized stock expressions.
- Use appropriate courtesy formulas.
CLB 1L
Ask for assistance using the ATM.
Getting Things Done
Make and respond to simple requests related to immediate personal needs.
- Uses appropriate single words, phrases, memorized expressions and courtesy formulas.
- Uses expressions for money and amounts.
Give 1 to 2 instructions to a friend on how
to sign into online banking.
Give brief, simple, common, routine instructions to a familiar person.
- Use imperative forms and memorized stock expressions.
- Use appropriate courtesy formulas.
CLB 2L
Request to withdraw some cash at a bank.
Getting Things Done
Make and respond to simple requests related to common everyday activities.
- Uses appropriate memorized expressions, simple sentences and courtesy formulas.
- Relies on gestures to convey meaning.
Give 2-3 instructions to a friend on how to
deposit a cheque using a banking app.
Give short, simple, common, routine instructions to a familiar person.
- Use imperative forms, memorized stock expressions and use appropriate courtesy formulas.
- Give both positive and negative commands.
CLB 3L
Ask a bank teller if there are ATMs for customers who are visually impaired.
Getting Things Done
Make and respond to an expanding of simple requests related to everyday activities.
- Uses simple sentences and question formations.
- Repeats and attempts to explain when necessary.
Share 2-3 sentences with a classmate about when and where they can attend a free tax clinic in either official language.
Sharing Information
Ask for and give information about immediate needs and some feelings related to common everyday activities.
- Asks and answers simple, factual questions.
- Expresses very simple immediate needs, wants and plans.
CLB 4L
Ask a teller at your local bank branch where
you can access financial planning services
in French.
Getting Things Done
Make and respond to a range of requests and offers.
- Asks questions and makes requests politely and appropriately.
- Facilitates the listener’s comprehension by repeating and explaining.
Tell a friend how to get ready for the upcoming
tax season like deadlines, tax clinics to help
and websites.
Sharing Information
Ask for and give information about needs and feelings related to everyday activities.
- Asks and answers simple, factual questions.
- Expresses feelings, needs, preferences, satisfaction and dissatisfaction.
Ask a teller if they have an English only form
because the bilingual form is confusing.
Getting Things Done
Make and respond to a range of requests and offers.
- Asks questions and makes requests politely and appropriately.
- Facilitates the listener’s comprehension by repeating and explaining.
Reading
CLB Foundation L
Find your own name and the total amount payable on a highly simplified utility bill.
Read your own name and friend’s name in a one-line message from a classmate inviting you to a workshop about using computers.
CLB 1L
Find the total amount due on a utility bill.
Getting Things Done
Get information from very short, simple, common, formatted texts.
- Identifies numbers (amounts, dates).
- Identifies familiar information (addresses, city, names).
Read a one line message from a classmate
inviting you to a workshop about online safety.
Interacting with Others
Understand short greetings and simple goodwill messages.
- Identifies specific goodwill expressions and their meanings.
- Locates dates, times, addresses, and phone numbers.
CLB 2L
Find the total amount due and due date
on a utility bill.
Getting Things Done
Get information from simple formatted texts.
- Recognizes layout of the bill.
- Scans text to find specific simple details.
Read a short personal message from a family
member telling you about a common scam.
Interacting with Others
Understand short greetings and other goodwill messages.
- Gets the gist.
- Identifies when and where.
CLB 3L
Read a few short sentences about the options for how to pay your utility bill.
Getting Things Done
Get information from simple formatted texts.
- Identifies words and phrases that indicate amounts.
- Identifies basic connectors related to time (now, then, before, after) and place (this, that, here, there).
Read a message from a family member or friend warning you about a scam targeting newcomers.
Interacting with Others
Understand short personal social messages within predictable contexts of daily experience.
- Gets the gist.
- Identifies some specific details and information.
CLB 4L
Read a utility bill to find out how much
the late payment penalty charge is and
find the total amount that will be due after
that date.
Getting Things Done
Get information from simple formatted texts.
- Identifies the type and purpose of the document.
- Compares information to make choices.
Read a message from a family member asking for advice about a possible scam targeting newcomers.
Interacting with Others
Understand simple personal social messages within predictable contexts of daily experience.
- Gets the gist.
- Identifies specific important details (such as sender, date and response required).
Writing
CLB Foundation L
Write a shopping list of 4 to 5 items by copying food words from a picture dictionary.
Write 2 to 3 highly familiar personal information details to complete a very simplified form to register for a financial literacy workshop for women.
CLB 1L
Write a shopping list of 5-10 items by copying food words from a picture dictionary.
Reproducing Information
Copy numbers, letters, words, short phrases and sentences from simple lists or very short passages for personal use.
- Copies or records letters, numbers and words, including capitalization and punctuation.
- Copies text legibly; readers may still have difficulties decoding some numbers or letters.
Write 2-3 highly familiar personal information
details to complete a very simplified form
to register for a financial literacy workshop
for women.
Getting Things Done
Complete very short, simple or simplified forms that require only basic personal identification information.
- Writes basic personal information in appropriate sections.
- Follows some conventions for addresses, telephone numbers, etc.
CLB 2L
Copy prices, next to food pictures, from a
teacher-adapted store flyer to budget for
grocery expenses.
Reproducing Information
Copy a range of information from simple lists or very short passages for personal use.
- Copies or records letters, numbers and words correctly.
- Copies text legibly; readers may still have difficulties decoding some numbers or letters.
Complete a simple guided text of 5-7
sentences about paying for groceries like
cash, debit or credit card.
Sharing Information
Write a few words to complete a short, guided text to answer simple questions to describe a personal situation.
- Writes personal details in response to a few short questions.
- Follows some spelling and punctuation conventions.
Fill out up to 10 items of personal information
on a form to register for a financial education
workshop for women.
Getting Things Done
Complete short, simple or simplified forms that require only basic personal identification or familiar information.
- Follows some conventions for addresses, telephone numbers, etc.
- Follows some basic spelling conventions.
CLB 3L
Copy a list of monthly expenses from
a template.
Reproducing Information
Copy or record a range of information from short texts for personal use.
- Copies or records letters, numbers and words with no major omissions.
- Copies text legibly, causing only slight uncertainty in decoding for the reader.
Fill out 12-15 items on a short, simple form
to apply for a banking product for newcomer women.
Getting Things Done
Complete short, simple forms that require basic personal or familiar information and some responses to simple questions.
- Follows appropriate conventions for addresses, telephone numbers, etc.
- Follows most spelling conventions.
CLB 4L
Prepare a monthly budget using information
from a template.
Reproducing Information
Copy or record an expanded range of information from short texts for personal use.
- Accurately copies elements of formatting from template.
- Copies information with no major omissions.
Fill out 15-20 items on a simple form to apply for a micro-loan for newcomer women.
Getting Things Done
Complete simple forms that require basic personal or familiar information and some responses to simple questions.
- Follows appropriate conventions for addresses, telephone numbers, etc.
- Follows most spelling conventions.
Write your bank representative an email
and ask them to correct the spelling of
your name.
Getting Things Done
Write simple business or service messages
- Conveys main ideas and supports them with some detail in a basic paragraph structure.
- Uses language and content that are appropriate to the purpose, intent and social context.
Literacy Learner Considerations
CLB FL Literacy Learner Considerations
Listening and Speaking
For listening and speaking, Foundation L learners vary in their abilities. It is important for them to build oral language related to the task or theme. This will help them understand the structure of the language, cultural-specific ways of communication, and to recognize the same language in print.
Reading
To prepare for CLB 1L reading tasks, Foundation L learners can work towards foundation reading skills, in the context of real-world tasks, such as:
- developing oral vocabulary related to the task or text
- recognizing letters of the alphabet
- connecting letters and corresponding sounds
- attending to first sound when learning new oral vocabulary
- attending to the first letter and corresponding sound when locating a familiar word
- recognizing numbers 1-10
- recognizing date and date of birth formats
- recognizing their own name in print
- recognizing a few common sight words related to the task
Writing
To prepare for CLB 1L writing tasks, Foundation L learners can work towards foundational writing skills, in the context of real world tasks, such as:
- developing oral vocabulary related to the task or text
- gripping a pen or pencil effectively
- forming the letters of own name legibly, and orally spelling own name
- using letter counting to check accuracy while copying
- forming capital and lowercase letters from a model
- creating a reference card with personal identification information
- forming numbers 1-10
- tracing and copying words
- labeling a picture or diagram
- filling in missing first letter of a dictated familiar word related to the task
- attending to the first sound when attempting to write words
CLB 1L Literacy Learner Considerations
Listening and Speaking
1L learners are meeting the requirements of CLB 1 in listening and speaking. It is important for 1L learners to develop all new languages orally first so that it is familiar to them when they learn to recognize it in print. Listening and speaking should be taught and assessed orally and not through the skills of reading and writing. There is a focus on learning basic and immediately relevant vocabulary and beginning to learn the sounds of the language, including the ability to break words into sounds and to blend sounds into words.
Reading
To be successful in 1L reading tasks, 1L learners can work towards the development of reading skills in the context of real-world tasks, such as:
- developing oral vocabulary related to the task
- recognizing that letters have distinct sounds
- connecting letters to sounds
- reading own name and recognizing own address and personal information
- developing first sight words
Writing
To be successful in 1L writing tasks, 1L learners can work towards the development of writing skills in the context of real-world tasks, such as:
- developing oral vocabulary related to the task
- forming lowercase and uppercase letters
- identifying the first sound and some other sounds in a familiar word
- copying words
- writing own name and personal information
CLB 2L Literacy Learner Considerations
Listening and Speaking
2L learners are meeting the requirements of CLB 2 in listening and speaking. It is important for 2L learners to develop all new languages orally first so that it is familiar to them when they learn to recognize it in print. Listening and speaking should be taught and assessed orally and not through the skills of reading and writing. There is a focus on increasing basic, immediately relevant vocabulary and learning the sounds of the language, along with the ability to break words into sounds and to
blend sounds into words.
Reading
To be successful in 2L reading tasks, 2L learners can work towards the development of reading skills in the context of real-world tasks, such as:
- developing oral vocabulary related to the task
- using short vowel sounds to differentiate between a few short, highly familiar words
- beginning to blend sounds to read very simple words
- recognizing familiar repeated sentence stems
- developing some very basic sight words
Writing
To be successful in 2L writing tasks, 2L learners can work towards the development of writing skills in the context of real-world tasks, such as:
- developing oral vocabulary related to the task
- using a mature grip on a pencil or pen
- forming all letters and numbers with increasingly consistent size
- filling in missing initial and final sounds of dictated familiar words
- spelling own name and a small set of short, familiar function words from memory
CLB 3L Literacy Learner Considerations
Listening and Speaking
3L learners are meeting the requirements of CLB 3 in listening and speaking. It is important for 3L learners to develop all new languages orally first so that it is familiar to them when they encounter it in print. Listening and speaking should be taught and assessed orally and not through the skills of reading and writing. There is a focus on widening basic vocabulary and learning grammatical structures through rhythm and repeated patterns.
Reading
To be successful in 3L reading tasks, 3L learners can work towards the development of reading skills in the context of real-world tasks, such as:
- developing oral vocabulary related to the task
- categorizing familiar single-syllable words by rime (make, take, lake)
- recognizing diagraphs as a single sound while reading familiar words (fish, church, think)
- attending to initial, medial and final sounds when reading familiar words
- recognizing inflectional endings (-ing, -ed, -s)
Writing
To be successful in 3L writing tasks, 3L learners can work towards the development of writing skills in the context of real-world tasks, such as:
- developing oral vocabulary related to the task
- forming letters and numbers in consistent, adult-like size
- writing with consistent spacing
- developing a larger rote spelling repertoire including multisyllabic words
- using long vowel conventions in spelling
CLB 4L Literacy Learner Considerations
Listening and Speaking
4L learners are meeting the requirements
of CLB 4 in listening and speaking. It is important for 4L learners to develop all new languages orally first so that it is familiar to them when they read it and use it in print. Listening and speaking should be taught and assessed orally and not through the skills of reading and writing. There is a focus on an increasingly broad vocabulary for basic communication and a wider range of grammatical structures that are familiar through rhythm and repeated patterns.
Reading
To be successful in 4L reading tasks, 4L learners can work towards the development of reading skills in the context of real-world tasks, such as:
- developing oral vocabulary related to the task
- applying onset-rime knowledge to decode unfamiliar words in context
- attempting to break unfamiliar multisyllabic words into syllables while reading in context
- beginning to recognize common but irregular spelling patterns (height, although)
- identifying contractions and their connection to long forms
Writing
To be successful in 4L writing tasks, 4L learners can work towards the development of writing skills in the context of real-world tasks, such as:
- developing oral vocabulary related to the task
- forming letters and numbers with automaticity
- varying writing size and line spacing depending on context
- using root words to attempt to write new words independently (happy, happiness)
- applying spelling rules for inflectional endings with accuracy
Sample Real World Tasks
This information is aligned with the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) and is designed to help guide you in the planning process. You can use these sample real-world tasks to guide and inform your selection or creation of skill-building activities, skill-using tasks and assessment tasks
These sample real-world tasks include the following: skill, real-world task, competency area, one competency statement and two sample indicators of ability. This is not an exhaustive list: there are more indicators of ability and information about this CLB level in Canadian Language Benchmarks English as a Second Language for Adults. Consult this resource for more information and to select your own competencies or indicators of ability. Remember, you can use more learner-friendly language in your materials and assessments.
This is NOT a lesson plan, module plan or curriculum.
