Real-World Task Guidelines:
EAL Literacy
CLB 4L
Health and Wellness
Possible Topics
This theme may include these topic areas:
And so on
Planning Context
Learners may require the following:
- Slow to normal rates of speech
- Face-to-face or digital interactions (that are usually one-on-one or in small groups)
- Personally-relevant topics
- Non-demanding contexts
- Relatively short texts
- Vocabulary limited to common, factual, and concrete terms
Instructors may need to:
- Teach all concepts and vocabulary orally first
- Create simplified versions of stories, texts and audio clips/ recordings
- Adapt resources to simplify social interactions
- Modify instructions to limit to 4 to 5 steps
- Speak clearly at a slow to normal rate
- Provide texts which are clearly organized and easy to read with simple layout
- Provide scaffolding and support
Comprehending Information
Understand short descriptive or narrative communication on topics of personal relevance.
- Identifies factual details, some implied meanings, key words and expressions.
- Compares simple information.
Comprehending Instructions
Understand common, sequentially presented instructions and directions related to familiar, everyday situations of personal relevance.
- Identifies words and phrases that indicate manner and frequency.
- Recognizes and identifies the correct sequence of steps.
Comprehending Information
Understand short descriptive or narrative communication on topics of personal relevance.
- Identifies factual details, some implied meanings, key words and expressions.
- Compares simple information.
Interacting with Others
Participate in short, very simple phone calls.
- Asks and responds to routine questions.
- Uses a range of small talk phrases and expressions.
Sharing Information
Give information about needs and feelings related to common everyday situations.
- Answers simple, factual questions.
- Expresses feelings, needs, and preferences.
Comprehending Information
Understand the purpose, main idea, key information and specific details in simple short texts related to everyday familiar and personally relevant situations and topics.
- Identifies the type and purpose of the text.
- Finds key information and specific details.
Comprehending Instructions
Understand short, simple, clearly sequenced instructions and instructional texts for familiar everyday situations.
- Identifies sequence signals (such as first, next, before).
- Recognizes common sentence patterns, phrases and symbols commonly used in instructions.
Comprehending Information
Understand short descriptions or narrative communication on topics of personal relevance.
- Gets the gist
- Identifies factual details some implied meanings, key words and expressions.
Getting Things Done
Complete short, simple forms that require basic, personal identification or familiar information.
- Includes the required basic information with no major omissions.
- Follows standard conventions for capitalization and punctuation.
Getting Things Done
Complete simple forms that require basic, personal identification or familiar information.
- Includes the required basic information with no major omissions.
- Follows appropriate conventions for capitalization and punctuation.
Reproducing Information
Copy or record an expanded range of information from short texts for personal use.
- Follows standard conventions for capitalization and punctuation.
- Copies text with no major omissions and only occasional copying mistakes.
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 language 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
Additional Sample Real-World Tasks and Competency Areas
Listen to a conversation between a nurse and a patient to determine the reason for the visit and some details from the communication. (Getting Things Done)
Give a short set of instructions to a friend about how to keep your teeth healthy. (Giving Instructions)
Read a notice about a free eye-testing clinic in your community which is being offered in both official languages, French and English. (Getting Things Done)
Write to a friend to tell them about the new healthy habits you have started. (Sharing Information)
Additional Resources
- Avenue
- CCLB
- Tutela
- CIWA. Health Literacy Resources.
- CCLB. At the walk-in-clinic: A CLB 3-4 module with teaching materials.
- Burnaby English Language Centre. Health and Safety Curriculum Theme with RWT and resources for CLB 4.
- Canadian Mental Health Association Nova Scotia. Refugee Men’s Health and Well-being: Strategies for Language Instructors.
- Burnaby English Language Centre. Health and Safety: Teaching resources CLB 1-4.
Digital Literacy Strategies
Successful completion of some tasks may require some baseline digital knowledge and skills.
Learners may need to:
- Look at a website.
- Read information from a screen.
- Send and receive text messages.
- Locate, navigate and use websites.
- Have keyboarding and typing skills.
Instructors can:
- Introduce websites that are relevant to the task(s)
- Support learners in finding, navigating and using websites.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategies
Instructors Can:
- 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.
- Recognize that people who identify as women may not have had independent access to medical professionals and health care. Make sure these learners are aware of their rights in Canada and the resources that are available to them.
Trauma-Informed Strategies
Triggers:
- Learners who have experienced trauma can be triggered by people in positions of authority; make sure learners understand their rights in the healthcare system and give strategies for making polite requests.
- Learners who have experienced trauma may find discussions of health care triggering.
Strategies:
- Learners have the right to choose if, when and what they share about themselves.
- Giving learners the knowledge, skills and language to access resources can be empowering.
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.
