Detailed Sample Task: EAL Literacy

CLB 4L-Writing
Reproducing Information

Shopping

Real-World Task

Copy prices and product information from several different stores to compare and find the best deals.

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

Numeracy – prices.
Words to describe product items and details.
Some familiarity with how to look for and find product information.

Context:

Many people “shop around” before buying products to find the best deal.
Different retail stores offer different prices and have different sales and promotions.
Comparing prices and product information is often more important for higher priced items such as electronics, furnitures and so on.
Shopping online may allow quick product and price comparisons to be made without having to collect flyers or go from one retail store to another.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Sample Vocabulary:

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

Uses a chart or template to organize information in a logical order.
Uses proper formatting for lists, prices, short form and so on.
Ability to check spelling and accuracy by referring back to the original source.

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Elicit background knowledge and experiences related to shopping at retail stores and online.
Discuss the process of choosing a product and identify factors that influence a decision.
Review a simple product description and identify different text features such as the product name, price, description, pictures and so on. (Consider finding, adapting or creating a product description using a flyer from a local retailer an an online shopping website.)
Read a simple chart comparing two similar products from different stores and scan to find details. Using a list of important factors to consider, decide which product to buy and tell a classmate the reason you selected  the product.
Copy information about two products into a simple table.
Refer to the original product descriptions and peer review a classmates chart using a checklist.
From a short, simple instructor-made story on the topic, have learners listen as the instructor reads, following with their finger. Have learners repeat after the instructor to match intonation and fluency. Finally, have learners read the story as a group, and then individually.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Copy prices and product details from a simple product description to decide if it meets your criteria for buying it.

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Copy prices and product information from several different stores into a table to compare and find the best deals.

Teaching Considerations

Cultural Considerations:

Many people “shop around” before buying products to find the best deal.
Different retail stores offer different prices and have different sales and promotions.
Comparing prices and product information is often more important for higher priced items such as electronics, furniture and so on.
Shopping online has become a way to allow product and price comparisons to be made quickly without having to collect flyers or go from one retail store to another.
Return policies, delivery, shipping costs and availability may also be factors shoppers consider when choosing a product to buy.
One’s location (rural or urban) may impact the availability of certain products.
Ethical shopping choices (local, equitable manufacturing process and so on) are factors some may consider when making product choices.

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 and web pages.
Use videoconferencing technology for online meetings.
Navigate and use online learning management systems (LMS) such as Avenue.
Scan online resources to find information.

Instructors can:

Introduce shopping websites that are relevant to the task(s).
Teach reading strategies such as skimming and scanning to find information on websites.
Support learners in finding, navigating and using shopping websites.
Teach reading strategies such as skimming and scanning to find information on shopping websites.
Share knowledge and strategies to ensure online safety.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:

Instructors can:

Use diverse representations of people in all 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 some learners may have different views. You can be sensitive to their differing opinions, but all learners benefit from EDI, and all learners have the right to an inclusive and equitable learning environment.

Trauma-informed Strategies:

Possible Trauma Triggers:

Learners may have experienced misogyny, homophobia, transphobia and/ or racism in the community.
Discussions of gender, sexuality, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia may be triggering for learners who have experienced trauma.
Give learners advance warning of these topics and be aware that there may be learners who require support.

Strategies:

Create a safe and supportive classroom environment by establishing familiar routines, repeated activities, and model friendly and non-evaluative interactions; learners who have experienced trauma often benefit from having routine.
Recognize and respect learners’ right to choose if, when and what they share about themselves and their routines.

Resources

Outings, Guest Speaker Suggestions, Extension Activities:

Visit retail local stores to compare similar products.
Do a mini digital skills lesson on navigating an online shopping website to find product information.
Have learners visit one retailer on the weekend and record product information. Have learners create a class chart comparing all the products.
Have learners read shopper profiles to select the best product based on their needs.

Realia:

Specific products
Authentic websites for shopping online
Charts to organize information

Units and Modules:

Lessons and Activities:

Multimedia:

Instructor Resources and References: