Detailed Sample Task:
EAL Literacy

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 relevant to the task.
• Use familiar apps, social media platforms and web pages relevant to the task.
• Read information from a screen.
• Navigate camera and microphone.
• Adjust volume on device.
• Navigate forms.

Instructors can:

• Dedicate time to improve digital literacy for learners.
• Make and/or adapt digital materials.
• Introduce websites that are relevant to the task(s).
• Support learners in finding, navigating and using websites relevant to the task.
• Support with clicking on appropriate fields for an online form.
• 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.

• Learners who are women may not have had access to their own finances. Make sure that all learners are aware of their rights in Canada and are aware of services and resources that can help them.
• There are often programs available to help learners with financial literacy and basic financial planning. Research programs in your area and share this information with the learners.
• Learners who do not believe in borrowing money may not identify with this task. Respect learners’ views on whether or not it is “right” to borrow money, and let learners use scenarios and prompt cards to complete the information rather than their own information. 
• 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.

Possible Trauma Triggers:

• Learners who have lived or are living in poverty and learners who have lost their homes and possessions may find discussions of banking, money, or finance triggering.
• 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:

• Allow learners to use fictionalized scenarios and prompt cards rather than their own personal information. 
• 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.