Detailed Sample Task: EAL Literacy
CLB 3L - Reading
Comprehending Instructions
Employment:
At the Workplace
Real-World Task
Read instructions, of up to 5 steps, for how to use a point of sale machine at work.
Planning Context
Helpful Knowledge:
- Basic workplace vocabulary: workplace, coworker, employee
- Numbers and prices
Context:
- Many workplaces use a point of sale machine (the machine that you tap or enter information into to pay with a credit or debit card).
- Following instructions in a workplace and learning about technology are both useful skills that can be applied to different contexts.
Vocabulary and Grammar
Sample Vocabulary:
- point of sale
- cash
- debit card
- credit card
- press
- enter information
- amount
- tap
- receipt
Sample Grammar:
- Adverbs of sequence: first, second, third, next, then
- Imperative voice for instructions
- Questions with how: How do you…?
Knowledge and Strategies
Textual and Functional Knowledge:
- Instructions are given in sequential order.
- Instructions are often given in a list, with a new step on a new line.
Sociolinguistic Knowledge:
- You can ask someone for help if you don’t understand how to use technology.
- In the workplace, you can usually ask your supervisor or a coworker for help if you have any questions.
Activities and Tasks
Sample Skill-Building Activities:
- Discuss as a class: Have you ever worked with money or payments? What kinds of jobs involve money? How do you pay for things at a restaurant or in a store? Do you use cash? debit? credit card?
- Ask the class to explain how to pay for something using a debit or credit card. Write down the steps on the board from the perspective of a customer.
- Put up a large picture of a point of sale machine on the board. Elicit from learners what they know about these machines. Make a list of vocabulary. If possible, show several different types of point of sale machines.
- Discuss the vocabulary for the task. Write words and simple meanings to complete a mini-dictionary of task vocabulary. Practice this vocabulary using a variety of activities such as crosswords, matching, fill in the blanks, writing sentences, and games.
- Incorporate phonics activities based on vocabulary words and other vocabulary related to the topic.
- Review adverbs of sequence and practice completing sentences with these adverbs. Take a common familiar activity, such as making tea or coffee or ordering a sandwich, and explain it to a partner using adverbs of sequence.
- Review the imperative voice for instructions. Use TPR (Total Physical Response) with basic, familiar classroom actions to practice the imperative voice: stand up, sit down, open your book, point to a classmate, smile, stand on one foot, and so on. After a few rounds, break into small groups and have learners take turns calling out the actions.
- Read a short set of instructor-made instructions for using a cash register. Discuss as a class. Match vocabulary to the words in the instructions. Complete comprehension activities such as filling in the blanks and sequencing the steps.
- Practice the question how. Review the order of the words in the question: How do you…? Give learners each a prompt card with a very simple process written on it, such as make tea, make rice, make coffee, buy a bus ticket, order a kebab, and so on. Have learners walk around the class. One person asks, How do you…(e.g. make tea)? and the other person gives simple instructions.
- Read a short instructor-made story about a new employee learning to use a point of sale machine. Discuss as a class. Match vocabulary to the words in the instructions. Complete comprehension activities such as sequencing the steps and answering comprehension questions.
Sample Skill-Using Tasks:
- Read instructions, of up to 5 steps, for how to use a cash register. Demonstrate understanding through answering comprehension questions.
Sample Assessment Tasks:
- Read instructions, of up to 5 steps, for how to use a point of sale machine at work. Demonstrate understanding through answering comprehension questions.
Teaching Considerations
Cultural Considerations:
- Learners from some cultures may not be comfortable with using credit cards. Make sure to use examples with debit cards as well as credit cards, and teach learners the differences between a debit card and a credit card.
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:
- In your examples, include many different kinds of jobs and workplaces that may be familiar to literacy learners. Use examples of familiar local shops and restaurants.
- 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.
Trauma-informed Strategies:
Possible Trauma triggers:
- Learners who have experienced or who are experiencing poverty may be triggered by discussions of spending money.
- 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:
- Have learners role play point of sale transactions using a cardboard or paper representation of a point of sale machine.
- Have learners role play transactions using play money.
Realia:
- Play money
Units and Modules:
- Tutela (CCLB): Shopping for Groceries: CLB 3/4 (Not literacy but can be adapted)
Lessons and Activities:
- Tutela (OCDSB): Describing Future Employment Wants: CLB 3 (Not literacy but can be adapted)
- Tutela: Norquest: Setting Employment Goals: CLB 3 (Not literacy but can be adapted)
- LINC 3 Classroom Activities: Employment (p. 343-390) (Not literacy but can be adapted)
- 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 Image Bank: Banking and Finance
- Tutela: ESL Image Bank: People in Different Jobs
- YouTube: Bob the Canadian: Learn English in a Restaurant
- TCDSB Adult Education: At the Hardware Store: Do We Need Anything Else?
- Janis ESL ISSBC: Banking and Money (Not the right level but can be adapted)
- Learning Chocolate: Money Matters: ATM (Not the right level 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.
