Detailed Sample Task: EAL Literacy

CLB 2L - Speaking
Getting Things Done

Employment - At the Workplace

Real-World Task

Ask a supervisor for a day off because you have an appointment.

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

Present simple
Questions in the present simple: to be
Basic jobs vocabulary: teacher, cleaner, kitchen helper, security guard, nurse, and so on

Context:

It is common to request time off for an appointment.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Sample Vocabulary:

Sample Grammar:

Questions with modal verbs: can

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

People in Canada often use can to make requests.

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

You can soften a request by using could or by using a polite interruption such as excuse me.

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Discuss as a class: Who has a job? What do you do? Who has had a job in the past? What did you do? Brainstorm a list of common, familiar jobs on the board.
Discuss as a class: What do you do as a student when you have to miss class? Elicit the language you use to ask / tell your instructor. Ask learners: What are good reasons to miss class? Make a list of acceptable reasons for missing class.
Discuss as a class: What do you think you should do if you have to miss work? Who should you ask? What should you say?
Use vocabulary cards with words and clear pictures to learn the task vocabulary. Do activities such as matching and copying words next to the correct picture.
Use TPR (Total Physical Response) to practice task vocabulary. Give each word an action, call out the word, and have learners respond with the correct action.
Incorporate phonics activities based on the vocabulary words and other vocabulary related to the topic.
Review the modal verb can. Practice using can to talk about abilities. Have each learner give an example of something they can do, e.g. I can speak Arabic. I can speak to the doctor in English. I can sew a dress.
Work with a partner. Look at a list of things people can do, illustrated with clear photographs, e.g. Faith can bake bread. John can paint. Maria can speak Spanish. Ask your partner if they can do each of these things.
Read a simple, instructor-made story about an employee asking for a day off. Read the story to learners and then choral and echo read the story. Work with a partner to read the story together. Match pictures from the story to vocabulary words. Answer very simple yes / no comprehension questions about the story.
Work with a partner. Role-play a situation in which you are asking for a day off. Practice several times. Perform your role-play for the class.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Tell your instructor you will be absent from school because you have an appointment.

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Ask a supervisor for a day off because you have an appointment.

Teaching Considerations

Cultural Considerations:

Some learners may have gendered ideas of work and jobs and assume that supervisors are always men. Help learners to understand that in Canada, anyone can do any job.

Digital Literacy Strategies:

Successful completion of some tasks may require some baseline knowledge and digital 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.

Instructors can:

Dedicate time to improve digital literacy for learners.
Make and/ or adapt digital materials.
Introduce websites or apps that are relevant to the task(s).
Support learners in finding, navigating and using websites or apps.
Show learners how to change the speed on an online video.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:

Make sure you use a variety of jobs in your examples, including many entry-level or so-called “unskilled” jobs that are more accessible to learners at this level.
Use images of men and women doing a variety of types of jobs.
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. Consider this diversity as you choose names for characters in stories you create as well.

Trauma-informed Strategies:

Possible Trauma Triggers:

Learners who have experienced trauma may be triggered by overly authoritative approaches. Watch out for learners who are stressed or upset by this topic.
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:

Work with a small group to make a poster about asking for a day off. Include the words to use and cut out pictures from magazines or print from online to illustrate the poster.
Practice days and dates, and then practice a dialogue in which you ask for a specific day off.

Realia:

Examples of schedules
Calendars

Units and Modules:

Lessons and Activities:

The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Reading Skills Stories
The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Adults Learn to Print
Tutela: Norquest LINC Phonics Curriculum: CLB 2L
Tutela: Foundation L-CLB 2L Phonics Curriculum
A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.

Multimedia: