Detailed Sample Task: EAL Literacy
CLB 4L - Listening
Comprehending Information
Canada
Real-World Task
Listen to up to 10 sentences about equity, diversity and inclusion in Canada, including rights and freedoms of different diverse groups.
Planning Context
Helpful Knowledge:
- Simple present for statements of fact
- There are many diverse groups of people in Canada.
- Diverse groups are protected in Canada.
Context:
- People in Canada have the right to no discrimination, and there are protected grounds in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
- Canada is a diverse, inclusive country, and there is an expectation of equity and inclusion in Canadian schools, workplaces, and communities.
Vocabulary and Grammar
Sample Vocabulary:
- culture
- equal
- diversity
- include, inclusion
- together
- group
- Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- responsibility
Sample Grammar:
- Coordinating conjunctions: and, or, but, so
- Subordinating conjunctions: because
- -ion ending indicates nouns
Knowledge and Strategies
Textual and Functional Knowledge:
- A speaker will usually share the main idea of their talk in the first few sentences.
- Speakers use because to introduce reasons.
- Speakers use examples to illustrate and explain their ideas.
Sociolinguistic Knowledge:
- We watch a speaker and nod occasionally to show interest and respect.
- We all have a right to an opinion. However, discrimination, racism, and hate speech is not acceptable.
Activities and Tasks
Sample Skill-Building Activities:
- Discuss as a class: What does diversity mean? Is Canada a diverse country? What are some different kinds of diversity? Elicit from learners ways in which Canada is diverse, including cultures,
races / ethnicities, languages, genders, gender expression, sexuality, faith, and so on. What is diversity like in their countries of origins? - Read a learner-friendly summary of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and discuss the protected grounds.
- Use cards with words, meanings, and pictures to practice vocabulary words. Do a variety of activities, such as matching, memory, and having learners explain their word to their group.
- Practice a dialogue between two people discussing diversity in their community.
- Review coordinating conjunctions (and, or, but, so) and practice forming compound sentences.
- Review what a noun is (usually a person, place, thing, or idea). Review -ion and other common noun endings. Have learners circle all the nouns on a list based on their endings.
- Read sentences with because and circle the reason.
- Listen to a dialogue between two people introducing themselves including their preferred pronouns.
- Work in small groups to make a poster about 2-3 rights on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
- Read a poster for a multicultural event in your community.
Sample Skill-Using Tasks:
- Listen to a short presentation about the community and answer comprehension questions.
- Listen to a presentation on EDI initiatives in a local school or community organization. Make a list with a classmate.
Sample Assessment Tasks:
- Listen to up to 10 sentences about equity, diversity and inclusion in Canada, including rights and freedoms of different marginalized groups.
Teaching Considerations
Cultural Considerations:
- People from different cultures may have different expectations around human rights. Affirm the protected grounds under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Make sure all learners understand which grounds are protected and why. Affirm that all people in Canada benefit from an inclusive environment.
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.
- Read information from a screen.
- Navigate camera and microphone.
- Adjust volume on device.
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.
- Teach reading strategies such as skimming and scanning to find information on websites.
- 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:
- 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.
- Race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics and disability are all protected grounds under the Canadian Human Rights Act.
- When discussing diversity in Canada, include Indigenous Peoples and Francophone Canadians.
Trauma-informed Strategies:
Possible Trauma Triggers:
- Learners who have experienced discrimination may find this discussion triggering. Give learners advanced warning of this topic and be aware that there may be learners who require support.
- 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:
- It is sometimes easier to discuss challenging topics using fictional characters rather than real people. Look for or create gentle, inclusive stories to present the information you wish to discuss.
- Never require learners to share their stories. Learners may not feel comfortable identifying their gender, sexuality, religion, culture, etc.
- 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:
- Invite a speaker from Learner Services or Administration in your school or organization to discuss the learner code of conduct, if you have one.
- Visit a multi-cultural event in your community.
- Have learners work together to create a set of guidelines for the
class / learning environment.
Realia:
- The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- Posters from inclusive events such as multi-cultural festivals, Francophone events, or Pride events
Units and Modules:
- Tutela (CCLB): Socializing with Others: CLB 3/4 (Not literacy but can be adapted)
- Tutela (ATESL): Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism: CLB 3/4 (Not literacy but can be adapted)
- The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Going to a Powwow: CLB 3L/4L
- Tutela (TCDSB): Canada and Diversity
Lessons and Activities:
- Tutela (Norquest): Diversity and Inclusion Materials for the EAL Classroom: CLB 3-6 (Not literacy but can be adapted)
(Not literacy but can be adapted) - Tutela: Norquest LINC Phonics Curriculum: CLB 4L
- A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.
Multimedia:
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.
