Real-World Task
Read 2 to 3 highly familiar words in a very short message from a Francophone Canadian friend saying where they are from.
Planning Context
Helpful Knowledge:
- Some letter-sound correspondence.
- Awareness of the purpose of text.
- Awareness of directionality (left to right).
Context:
- There is a large Francophone community in Canada. There are some places with large Francophone communities, and there are also Francophone people living throughout Canada.
Vocabulary and Grammar
Sample Vocabulary:
- hi
- friend
- own name
- own country
- I am from
- 1 or 2 places in Canada with a large Francophone population
Sample Grammar:
- Reading words in a very simple sentence in present simple.
Knowledge and Strategies
Textual and Functional Knowledge:
- Words are made of letters, and letters correspond to sounds.
Sociolinguistic Knowledge:
- Friends often send messages to each other.
- Messages usually contain greetings and other courtesy formulas.
- You can be friends with people from different cultures.
Activities and Tasks
Sample Skill-Building Activities:
- Greet learners with the same few greetings and courtesy formulas every time they come into class.
- As a class, play a chanting game: I am from _________. (Call out a learner’s name). Where are you from? _________ is from __________.
- Put together a class book for the class with a page for each learner. Include a photograph of the learner, their name and where they are from. Read out loud to the class.
- Work with your own page from the class book and match highly familiar word cards, such as your own name, to the word on the page.
- Work with one letter at a time to practice tracing the letter with your finger, tracing the letter with a pencil and saying the letter sound.
- Read a very simple, repetitive story to the class with clear photographs: This is John. John is from Tanzania. This is Iftu. Iftu is from Eritrea. This is Maria. Maria is from Colombia.
- As a class, write a message to a learner in the class.
- Listen to the instructor talk about people in Canada in very simple sentences: There are people who speak English. There are people who speak French. There are people who speak many languages.
- Watch a short, very simple video about Francophone culture in Canada.
- Practice using your finger to point to the word you are reading.
Sample Skill-Using Tasks:
- Read 2 to 3 highly familiar words in a very short message from a friend.
- Read 2 to 3 highly familiar words in a very short message about where you are from.
Sample Assessment Tasks:
- Read 2 to 3 highly familiar words in a very short message from a Francophone Canadian friend saying where they are from.
Teaching Considerations
Cultural Considerations:
- Canada is a multicultural country, and Francophone culture is an important part of Canadian culture. There are Francophone people from many different cultures and countries, including recent immigrants and refugees.
Digital Literacy Strategies:
Successful completion of some tasks may require some baseline knowledge and digital skills.
Learners may need to:
- Read information from a screen.
- Send or receive text messages.
Instructors can:
- Show learners how to send or receive text messages.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:
Instructors can:
- Use diverse representations of people in all learning resources and images, including people who are 2SLGBTQIA+, Indigenous, Francophone and of other cultures, and people who have disabilities or who are neurodivergent.
- Recognize and teach learners that Canada is a diverse place and has people from many different cultures. Canadian culture includes the cultures of all people in Canada.
Trauma-informed Strategies:
Possible Trauma Triggers:
- Learners who have had to flee their countries may be triggered by discussions of different cultures in Canada.
- Learners who have experienced racism, misogyny, homophobia or transphobia may be triggered by discussions of these topics.
- Give learners advance warning of this topic and be aware that there may be learners who require support.
Strategies:
- Create a safe and supportive classroom environment by establishing familiar routines, repeated activities, and model friendly and non-evaluative interactions; learners who have experienced trauma often benefit from having routine.
- Recognize and respect learners’ right to choose if, when and what they share about themselves and their routines.
Resources
Outings, Guest Speaker Suggestions, Extension Activities:
- Visit a Francophone cultural centre or event.
- Invite a Francophone Canadian to visit the class and say a few simple things about their language and culture.
- Eat a food from Francophone culture, such as tourtière or poutine.
- Listen to a song in French.
- As a class, work together to write a message to a friend.
Realia:
- French music
- Foods from Francophone culture
- Small flags
Units and Modules:
Lessons and Activities:
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.
