Detailed Sample Task: Stage I

CLB 1 - Reading
Interacting with Others

Home and Neighbourhood

Real-World Task

Read an invitation to a neighbour’s barbecue to find the date and time.

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

Vocabulary related to invitations.

Context:

In Canada, it is common to invite someone over. It is a little less common to come by without making plans, even with good friends.
Neighbours are often friendly with each other.
A BBQ is a common way to share food in Canada, particularly in summer months.
It is a good idea to confirm if the time given on an invitation is when you should plan to arrive.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Sample Vocabulary:

Dear
Hi
BBQ
Invitation
Time prepositions, such as on, at, and so on
RSVP
See you soon

Sample Grammar:

Basic syntax, such as word order and indications of a statement or question.
Basic words and expressions about essential everyday experiences.
Simple yes/ no questions.
Simple prepositions related to time (on Saturday, at 5:30pm).

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

Main idea and text types.
Textual and contextual clues to interpret the purposes of text.

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

Socio-cultural knowledge to interpret intended meanings in written texts.

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Have a warm up discussion about invitations and how to invite friends and neighbours.
Compare social events in Canada and other countries where learners have lived. Elicit how invitations are made in other places.
Create a sight word wall to include all the vocabulary of an invitation.
Use image cards to match words on an invitation to their meaning.
Look at different messages (e.g., congratulations, thank you, get well, invitation) to identify the purpose of each message.
Listen to an invitation read aloud and highlight the date and time on the text.
Copy a simple invitation to an event.
Highlight the different items on the copied invitation including date, time, location, salutations, and so on.
Create a short, simple instructor-made story on the topic, and have learners listen as the instructor reads, following with their finger. Have learners repeat after the instructor to match intonation and fluency. Finally, have learners read the story as a group, and then individually. These activities practice vocabulary in context, show relevancy of the language and improve fluency.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

In pairs, read a simple invitation and together answer a set of simple true false questions.
Read an invitation and highlight the important information.
Read an invitation and answer a set of simple questions.

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Read an invitation to a neighbour’s BBQ to find the date and time. Responses may be spoken to indicate comprehension.

Teaching Considerations

Cultural Considerations:

In Canada, it is common to invite someone over. It is a little less common to come by without making plans, even with good friends. Neighbours are often friendly with each other.
A BBQ is a common way to share food in Canada, particularly in summer months.
Often in Canada the time given on an invitation is when you should plan to arrive.

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.
Have an email address and be able to navigate email proficiently.
Send and receive text messages.

Instructors can:

Provide time to improve keyboarding skills.
Refer learners to programs to improve their digital skills.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:

Instructors can:

Use diverse representations of people in all your 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:

Meeting new people may be triggering for learners who have experienced trauma.
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:

Create a class poster for an end of term celebration.
Class-created invitations to another class inviting them to a class party.

Realia:

Sample invitations filled in for different events
A class calendar to record upcoming events
Blank invitations which can be filled in for different events such as birthdays, festivals, and so on

Units and Modules:

ISSofBC. CLB 1-2 Invitations.
Settlement.ORG. Celebrations LINC 1.
Manitoba Immigration. Module planning framework CLB 1.

Lessons and Activities: