Real-World Task Guidelines:
EAL Literacy
CLB 2L
Canada
Possible Topics
This theme may include these topic areas:
Planning Context
Learners may require the following:
- Slower rate of speech
- Face-to-face or one-on-one digital interactions
- Short and supportive interactions
- Texts which are clear, sparse and very easy to read
- Texts which are supported by visual clues (for example, pictures)
- Very short texts which are limited to everyday words and phrases
- Non-demanding contexts
- Topics are related to immediate personal needs
Instructors may need to:
- Slow their rate of speech
- Use everyday common speech and text
- Create simplified versions texts and audio clips/ recordings
- Modify instructions to limit to simple imperative sentences
- Use increased white-space, large font size, a literacy-friendly font and clear images
- Provide extensive scaffolding and support
Comprehending Information
Understand simple information about familiar, concrete topics.
- Identifies simple factual details, such as numbers, letters, time, place, key words and expressions.
- Identifies words related to personal identification information.
Comprehending Instructions
Understand short, simple common instructions, commands, requests and directions related to immediate needs.
- Identifies words or phrases that indicate positive or negative commands.
- Responds verbally or with actions.
Interacting with Others
Use and respond to courtesy formulas and greetings.
- Opens a short conversation.
- Indicates communication problems verbally, if needed.
Giving Instructions
Give short, simple, common, routine instructions to a familiar person.
Instructions are short phrases or imperative sentences.
- Uses imperative forms, memorized stock expressions, and appropriate courtesy words (such as please).
- Gives both positive and negative commands.
Interacting with Others
Understand short greetings and other goodwill messages.
- Finds a few simple details.
- Gets the gist.
Getting Things Done
Get basic information from short, simple business or service notices.
- Scans text to find specific details.
Sharing Information
Write a few words to complete a short, guided text or answer simple questions to describe a personal situation.
- Follows some spelling and punctuation conventions.
- Writes legibly.
Getting Things Done
Complete short, simple or simplified forms that require only basic personal identification or familiar information. Forms contain up to about 10 personal identification or familiar information.
- Includes the required basic information.
- Follows standard conventions for capitalization and punctuation.
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 language 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
Additional Sample Real-World Tasks and Competency Areas
Listen to a Canadian introduce themselves and say where they are from and where they live now. (Interacting with Others)
Say your favourite season in Canada and say 1 thing you can do in that season. (Sharing Information)
Read 1-4 simple instructions for building a campfire. (Comprehending Instructions)
Copy a few details about your province in Canada. (Reproducing Information)
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.
- Fill in a form online
Instructors can:
- Introduce websites that are relevant to the task(s).
- Show learners how to send and receive text messages.
- Show learners how to find a website.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion 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 and teach learners that Canada is a diverse place and has people from many different cultures. Canadian culture includes the cultures of all people in Canada.
- 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
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.
- Learners who have experienced trauma may not want to talk about why they came to Canada.
- Give learners advance warning of these topics and be aware that there may be learners who require support.
Strategies:
- Learners who have experienced trauma often benefit from having routine.
- Learners who have experienced trauma benefit from having choices.
- Allow learners to choose how and whether they would like to participate in sharing about themselves.
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.
