Detailed Sample Task: EAL Literacy
CLB 3L - Writing
Recording Information
Employment:
At the Workplace
Real-World Task
Copy a list of strategies for including 2SLGBTQIA+ people in the workplace.
Planning Context
Helpful Knowledge:
- Basic knowledge of 2SLGBTQIA+ as a concept of diversity in gender and sexuality
Context:
- Workplaces often have diversity policies to intentionally include everyone.
- 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:
- include, inclusion
- workplace
- diversity
- 2SLGBTQIA+
- code of conduct
- ally
- support
Sample Grammar:
- Imperative voice
Knowledge and Strategies
Textual and Functional Knowledge:
- It is easiest to copy if the source is directly above where you’re writing. Try folding the source so that you can copy one line at a time.
Sociolinguistic Knowledge:
- Canadian workplaces are inclusive to all. There is no discrimination tolerated, and there can be significant consequences to discrimination in the workplace, including dismissal.
Activities and Tasks
Sample Skill-Building Activities:
- Discuss as a class: What does 2SLGBTQIA+ mean? Teach/review that it means that some men love/marry women, some love/marry men, and some women love/marry men or love/marry women. Other people are born as a boy or girl but feel they are a different gender inside. Teach that gender, gender expression, and sexuality are protected grounds in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
- Discuss as a class: Is it important to have diversity in the workplace? Teach that Canadian workplaces are inclusive to all: people of different genders, gender expressions, sexualities, cultures, ages, faiths and religions, and abilities. Teach learners that in Canada they will likely work with a very diverse group of people. Elicit from learners that the consequences for discrimination in the workplace can be severe, including losing your job.
- Review the new vocabulary. Have learners copy words and meanings to complete a mini-dictionary.
- Practice new vocabulary using word cards with simple explanations. Have learners work in small groups and quiz each other about the meaning of the words.
- Complete a fill-in-the blanks activity to use the new vocabulary in context.
- Review the imperative voice. Use TPR (Total Physical Response) and common classroom instructions (sit down, open your book, pick up your pencil) to practice. Split into small groups and have learners take turns calling out the commands.
- Work with a partner to rewrite suggestions using You can… into the imperative voice, e.g. You can open the window → Open the window.
- Read a simple, instructor-made code of conduct about inclusivity in the workplace. Match vocabulary words and answer simple comprehension questions. It can include statements such as We respect all people. All people are welcome here.
- Discuss in small groups: What are strategies for making a classroom an inclusive environment to all? Share your strategies with the class. Elicit some responses such as: We respect each other. We listen when someone is talking.
- Read a simple, instructor-made story about inclusivity in the workplace that uses the task vocabulary and simple and some very simple compound sentences. Answer comprehension questions.
- Incorporate phonics activities based on vocabulary words and other vocabulary related to the topic.
Sample Skill-Using Tasks:
- Copy a list of strategies for including people of all cultures and faiths in the workplace.
Sample Assessment Tasks:
- Copy a list of strategies for including 2SLGBTQIA+ people in the workplace.
Teaching Considerations
Cultural Considerations:
- Some learners may come from cultures where women do not work outside the home and/or may have gendered expectations of who does what kind of work. You can be sensitive to their differing opinions and to different choices, but make sure that all learners understand their rights in Canada.
- Some learners may come from cultures where it is illegal to be 2SLGBTQIA+ and there is significant discrimination and/or violence towards members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Gently teach learners that Canada is inclusive to all people, and that gender, gender expression, and sexuality are protected grounds in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Also teach learners that there is a consequence to discrimination in the workplace, including dismissal.
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, such as employment payroll programs.
- Read information from a screen.
Instructors can:
- Dedicate time to improve digital literacy for learners.
- Make and/or adapt digital materials.
- Introduce websites and/or apps that are relevant to the task(s).
- Support learners in finding, navigating and using websites.
- Teach reading strategies such as skimming and scanning to find information on websites or apps.
- Introduce tools and apps that can aid learners in coping with communication barriers, such as translation, pronunciation, text to speech, speech to text tools and so on.
- Share knowledge and strategies to ensure online safety.
- Refer learners to programs to improve their digital skills.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:
- 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.
- Some learners may experience changes to gender roles when they come to Canada. For some, this may be a welcome change, but for others it may be challenging. Address their concerns with sensitivity but teach that Canada is equitable and inclusive to people of all genders.
Trauma-informed Strategies:
Possible Trauma triggers:
- Learners who have experienced discrimination for their gender, gender expression, or sexuality may find this topic triggering. They may also feel empowered by learning what their rights are. Learners may not feel safe to talk about their identities. Never require learners to identify their gender or sexuality.
- 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
- Allow learners choice:
- 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:
- Create a classroom code of conduct for inclusivity.
- Go on a community walk and identify 2SLGBTQIA+ symbols, such as rainbow crosswalks and Pride stickers in windows.
- If your school or organization has a student code of conduct, review it together in simple language.
- Create some class posters that highlight the diversity in the class. Include such things as male/female, faiths, countries of origin, languages and so on.
Realia:
- Pride flags
- Student code of conduct
- Clear photographs of people in different relationships, e.g. a straight couple, a gay couple, and a lesbian couple; avoid using stereotypical images.
- Clear photographs of other factors of diversity such as different faiths, countries or origin and culture, skin colour and so on.
Units and Modules:
- Tutela (ATESL): Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism: CLB 3/4 (Not literacy but can be adapted)
- Tutela (CCLB): Making Requests in the Workplace: CLB 3/4 (Not literacy but can be adapted)
Lessons and Activities:
- LINC 3 Classroom Activities: Employment (p. 343-390) (Not literacy but can be adapted)
- Tutela (Archway): Introduction to Employment Centres: CLB 3L/4L
- Tutela: Norquest LINC Phonics Curriculum: CLB 3L
- A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.
Multimedia:
- Tutela: ESL Directions: Money and Banking (Not literacy but can be adapted)
Detailed Sample Task
This exemplar is aligned with the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) and is designed to guide and inform your lesson and module planning. Consult the Canadian Language Benchmarks English as a Second Language for Adults for detailed performance descriptors at this benchmark and skill.
The information in this document is not exhaustive and can be expanded on. As well, you can use more learner-friendly language in your materials and assessments.
This is NOT a lesson or module plan.
