Real-World Task
Read your own name and friend’s name in a one-line message from a classmate inviting you to a workshop about using computers.
Planning Context
Helpful Knowledge:
- Most capital and lowercase letters
- Names of classmates
Context:
- Many organizations hold workshops for Newcomers to learn about computers.
- We often send messages to friends to invite them to something.
Vocabulary and Grammar
Sample Vocabulary:
- name
- invitation
- class
- computers
- learn
- come
Sample Grammar:
- Format of a message with the name of recipient at the top and the name of sender at the bottom
- Format of a question, learned as a phrase rather than discrete grammar points: Can you come…?
Knowledge and Strategies
Textual and Functional Knowledge:
- A message has important information and can be an invitation.
Sociolinguistic Knowledge:
- You can use a message to invite a friend or classmate to do something with you.
Activities and Tasks
Sample Skill-Building Activities:
- Discuss with learners if possible: what is a computer? Is there a computer in the classroom or in the school/organization? Do they have a computer at home or does anyone in their family have a computer? What do we use computers for? Is it important to learn about computers? If oral skills are very low, show pictures of computers and find out if learners have used or can use a computer.
- If possible, visit a computer lab with learners and play basic language games such as the vocabulary games on Games to Learn English, Learning Chocolate, or books on Unite for Literacy.
- Play the invitation game: give one learner a handmade invitation with one-sentence: Can you come to a party? Have the learner give the invitation to a classmate and say the sentence. Both learners go and sit in the “party” and put on party hats and mime being at a party. You can decorate the “party” area if possible with a streamer or a balloon. The learner who was invited now takes the invitation and gives it to another learner, saying the sentence. That learner joins the “party” and puts on a party hat. Repeat until all learners have practiced the invitation. If possible indicate that children often get invitations to birthday parties. Show a sample if possible.
- Play a second round of the invitation game using an invitation to a computer class. Now, instead of wearing party hats, learners mime typing on a computer when they join the “computer class.”
- Practice the letter c. Trace and copy the letter. Make the (hard) /c/ sound.
- Look at the sentence Can you come to a computer class? and circle every letter c.
- Copy words with c, such as can, come, class.
- Incorporate other phonics activities using vocabulary items and other vocabulary related to the topic.
- Trace and then copy own name.
- Out of a list of 3-4 names of learners in the class, find and circle your name.
- Trace and copy the name of 2-3 classmates.
- Give each learner a “mailbox” (such as a file folder with the sides taped shut). Have them copy their names onto the mailbox. If possible, have them decorate their mailboxes with stickers.
- Practice the idea that messages are from one person to another. Give each learner several pre-made simple messages, such as You are nice or Thanks for being my classmate. Have them copy the name of a classmate at the top and their own name at the bottom. Have them deliver the message to the correct learner by placing the message in the learner’s mailbox.
- Give learners a sheet with 4 clear pictures on it: a party, a computer class, a coffee cup, and lunch. Practice the phrases: Can you come…to a party/to a computer class/for coffee/for lunch? Call out one of the phrases and have learners point to the correct picture.
- Have learners work with a partner to say invitations using the 4 pictures: Can you come…to a party/to a computer class/for coffee/for lunch?
Sample Skill-Using Tasks:
- Read your own name and a classmate’s name in a one-line invitation to a party: Hannah, Can you come to a party? Abdel. Show comprehension by pointing to your name and saying the classmate’s name.
Sample Assessment Tasks:
- Read your own name and friend’s name in a one-line message from a classmate inviting you to a workshop about using computers. Show comprehension by pointing to your name and saying the classmate’s name.
Teaching Considerations
Cultural Considerations:
- Some learners may come from cultures where an invitation holds certain expectations, such as if you invite a friend to coffee, you are offering to pay for their coffee. Many people in Canada believe that if you are invited to a friend’s house for dinner, you should bring a gift such as flowers, chocolates, or something to drink. Discuss these expectations as a class.
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.
- Type information to appear on screen.
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.
- Show learners that the size of an image on the screen can be adjusted.
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.
Trauma-informed Strategies:
Possible Trauma Triggers:
- 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:
- If possible, hold a computer class for the learners. Bring in a guest speaker or hold the class yourself, working on basic skills such as moving the mouse and clicking.
- Hold a class event and have learners copy invitations and distribute them to their classmates.
Realia:
- Instructor/learner-made mailboxes
- Invitations
Units and Modules:
- Tutela (CCLB): Greetings and Introductions: CLB 1L/2L (Not the right level but can be adapted)
Lessons and Activities:
- Tutela: Norquest LINC Phonics Curriculum: CLB FL
- The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Reading Skills Stories
- The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Adults Learn to Print
- Tutela (Archway): Personal Information: Numeric Focus: CLB 1L/2L (Not the right level but can be adapted)
- Tutela (Archway): Personal Information: Alphabetic Focus: CLB 1L/2L
- A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that 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.
