Detailed Sample Task: EAL Literacy

CLB 4L - Writing
Recording Information

Global Citizenship

Real-World Task

Copy information about the Official Languages Act and the right to primary and secondary education in French.

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

Simple present
Capitals and basic punctuation

Context:

French and English language rights are guaranteed in Canada, and minority language education rights are a part of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Francophone people, and those whose first language is French, have the right to have their children educated for primary and secondary school in French where numbers warrant.
This task reflects the intention to include all people in Canada in the themes. The language skills in this task could be applied to other contexts.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Sample Vocabulary:

Sample Grammar:

Coordinating conjunctions: and, or, but, so
Subordinating conjunctions: because
Statements of fact (such as laws) are given in the present simple

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

Laws and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms tells you your rights and responsibilities in Canada.

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

There are two official languages in Canada, and French and English parents have the right to have their children educated in their own language. Newcomers to Canada who speak French as a first or second language may also wish to have their children educated in French.

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Discuss as a class: what language(s) do children in Canada speak in school? Elicit from learners that there are French and English schools. Some communities also have bilingual schools that are either French or English plus an additional language, such as Chinese or Spanish. Have learners name French and English schools in your community.
Ask learners what the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is. Elicit from learners some of the frights and freedoms guaranteed by the Charter. Look at an instructor-made, simplified version of the right to minority language education. Read this right together and discuss what it means.
Discuss in small groups: is it important for children to be educated in their own language? Why or why not? Why is it possible to educate children in either French or English in Canada? Have groups report back to the class what they have discussed.
Review a simplified, instructor-made paragraph about the Official Languages Act in Canada. Discuss what it means to have an official language. Elicit from learners the official languages of their countries of origin. Discuss: are there also other languages spoken in those countries beyond the official languages? Are there other languages spoken in Canada beyond the official languages? Elicit from learners the many languages spoken in Canada, including Indigenous languages.
Review the module vocabulary and have learners copy words to complete a mini-dictionary. Complete activities to practice the vocabulary such as fill in the blanks, matching, and crossword puzzles.
Incorporate phonics activities based on vocabulary words and other vocabulary related to the topic.
Re-read the simplified material on language rights as a class. Elicit from learners the tense that is used for the material (present simple). Review using the present simple for statements of fact and elicit other examples, such as Water boils at 100 degrees. The most snow falls in January and February. The sun rises later in the wintertime.
Give learners a bank of prompts (speak, get up, go to bed, live, eat, study, and so on) to write sentences about themselves to describe facts (e.g. I speak Farsi and English.) or their routine (e.g. I get up at 6:30.)
Review coordinating conjunctions and, or, but, so and complete grammar activities.
Review subordinating conjunction because and write sentences to give reasons using because.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Copy information about the construction of a French school.

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Copy information about the Official Languages Act and the right to primary and secondary education in French.

Teaching Considerations

Cultural Considerations:

Learners may come from countries where they speak the official language, or they may speak a minority language (even if it is a language with a large number of speakers). Learners may not be familiar with language rights and may have experienced “official language acts” as a means of oppression of minority languages rather than guaranteeing language rights.

Digital Literacy Strategies:

Successful completion of some tasks may require some baseline digital knowledge and 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
Send and receive email messages
Navigate and use online learning management systems (LMS) such as Avenue.

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.
Show learners how to move to different fields in an email.
Use digital tools such as translation or pronunciation tools to support language learning and foster autonomous learning.
Share knowledge and strategies to ensure online safety.
Refer learners to programs to improve their digital skills

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:

Make sure to acknowledge that while French and English are the official languages of Canada, people in Canada speak many different languages, and as of 2021, there were more than 200 first languages spoken in Canada (see Canadian Language Statistics), including Indigenous languages.
Make sure to discuss the role of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and how it impacts learners and guarantees their rights in Canada.
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.

Trauma-informed Strategies:

Possible Trauma triggers:

Learners who have been persecuted for their culture may be triggered by discussions of minority cultures and rights in Canada, or they may feel empowered to learn about the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
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:

Have learners take turns to conduct a mini-lesson in their first language to the class.
Post a large map of the world on the wall and insert flags for each learner and where they are from and the first or official languages
Count the languages spoken in the class as first and second languages and create a simple bar graph as a class. This can be done by giving each learner a sticky note to write their first language on and then stacking the sticky notes for each language together on the board.

Realia:

Flags
Simplified versions of the Official Languages Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Units and Modules:

Lessons and Activities:

LINC 4 Classroom Activities Canada (p. 85-140) (Not literacy but can be adapted)
LINC 4 Classroom Activities Canadian Culture (p. 141-196) (Not literacy but can be adapted)
LINC 4 Classroom Activities Canadian Law (p. 197-250) (Not literacy but can be adapted)
Tutela: Following Instructions: Canadian Citizenship: CLB 3/4 (Not literacy but can be adapted)
Tutela: Norquest LINC Phonics Curriculum: CLB 4L
A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.

Multimedia:

Government of Canada: Official Languages Act (Language is high but instructors can use this to make a short, simplified version on minority language education rights.)
Charter of Rights and Freedoms: Graphics and Learning Resources (Language is high but instructors can use this to make a short, simplified version on minority language education rights.)
Guide to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Language is high but instructors can use this to make a short, simplified version on minority language education rights.)
Some Facts on the Canadian Francophonie
YouTube: This Land is Your Land (Canadian Version)