Detailed Sample Task: Stage I
CLB 2 - Speaking
Interacting with Others
Education & Learning
Real-World Task
Introduce yourself to your child’s teacher at a parent-teacher conference and ask them to speak slowly to help you understand.
Planning Context
Helpful Knowledge:
- Some basic vocabulary related to school and teachers meetings
- Some introductory awareness of introductions and how to respond to another person introducing themselves.
Context:
- In Canada, parents often need to meet their child’s teachers at school. It is important to introduce yourself to the teacher and respond to their greeting. Sometimes it is difficult to understand faster English. Asking to speak slowly helps to feel confident with speaking skills and ensures clearer communication.
Vocabulary and Grammar
Sample Vocabulary:
- Hello / HI
- My name is ___ / I am ___ (first name).
- My child is
- teacher
- parent
- mother/ father
- Nice to meet you. / Nice to meet you, too.
- Please
- speak slowly
- I don’t understand
- Thank you
Sample Grammar:
- Simple Introductions- My name is …, I am
- Possessives… My child, Her name is … His favourite subject is….
- Polite requests with “please”
- Simple questions – “Are you the teacher?”
Knowledge and Strategies
Textual and Functional Knowledge:
- Convey intended purpose of an utterance through intonation, language, body language and so on.
- Use common expressions for specific purposes such as making introductions and greetings.
Sociolinguistic Knowledge:
- Beginning ability to use culturally appropriate non verbal communications strategies.
Activities and Tasks
Sample Skill-Building Activities:
- Welcome learners to class everyday with various greetings such as Hi, Hello, Good morning, and so on.
- Discuss as a class: How do you introduce yourself to a new classmate or neighbour? Do you find introductions difficult? What parts do you find hard? What are some phrases we can use every time we meet a new person? How can we respond to a person who introduces themselves to us?
- Read a simple introduction which has some key vocabulary words missing. Complete the introduction and compare the completed text with a partner.
- As a class, practice introducing selves and each other. My name is Karla. Her name is Mariam.
- Practice vocabulary using flashcards and word cards. Match the words with images, Orally create simple sentences using the vocabulary.
- Incorporate phonics activities based on vocabulary words and other vocabulary related to the topic.
- Listen to a short audio with two people meeting for the first time. Answer three simple true / false questions about the audio. Discuss as a class appropriate body language during introductions such as smiling, nodding and making eye contact.
- Now read the transcript of the above conversation. Practice reading it with a partner. Now copy the transcript into a notebook or a digital document.
- Review the rules for word order of simple statements, such as “My name is _______.” or, “My child is Ali..” Look at a set of simple sentences and highlight the subject of the sentence, underline the verb, and circle the punctuation.
- Take word card sets of jumbled simple sentences. In pairs, re-order the word cards to create simple introductions.
- Listen to an audio of a short introduction conversation between two new learners in a LINC class. Listen again and read along with a text of the conversation. Read aloud as a class, practice matching the intonation and rhythm of the conversation. In pairs, take turns reading aloud the conversation trying to match the pronunciation of the original.
- Talk about the speed of the recording. Was it fast, or slow? Ask what they do if a speaker is speaking English too quickly. Brainstorm ideas to support beginners. Introduce the courtesy phrases with Please and Thank you, explaining they are used for requests. Please pass me the pencil. Here you are. Thank you. And so on. Introduce the phrase Please speak slowly.
- Create new dialogues incorporating introductions and asking the listener to speak slowly, Share new dialogues with the class. Settle on a final version and practice as a group. Instructor models speed and intonation. Learners repeat as a group and then individually
- Learners practice as role plays and perform for the class.
- Create a set of five cards each with a different sentence you could use in an introduction, such as “I’m _____.” or, “Nice to meet you.” Practice saying the sentences and then introduce yourself to five classmates. Each time you make your introduction, try to speak a little faster and use your cards a little less each time.
Sample Skill-Using Tasks:
- Role play starting a conversation with a new LINC classmate and indicate non-understanding if needed.
- Role play starting a conversation with another parent at your child’s school and respond to their introduction.
Sample Assessment Tasks:
- Role play introducing yourself to your child’s teacher at a parent-teacher conference. Ask them to speak slowly to help you understand.
Teaching Considerations
Cultural Considerations:
- In some cultures, first names are used only with friends/family; in Canada it is common to introduce yourself by first name even to neighbours. In Canada, introductions usually stay short and casual (name, where you live, maybe country of origin).
- In Canadian culture, a handshake or wave may be used, but it is not required. Some learners may come from cultures where physical contact between men and women is not appropriate, so alternatives (smile, nod) should be respected.
- Silence or avoiding eye contact may be seen as unfriendly in Canada, though in other cultures it shows respect. Learners may need reassurance that smiling and brief responses are valued in Canada.
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.
- 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).
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.
- Recognize and teach learners that Canada is a diverse place and has people from many different cultures. Living in Canada includes interacting with a wide range of people in Canada.
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:
- Recognize that not everyone will feel comfortable with the idea of meeting strangers; adapt tasks to meet “safer” people such as classmates or other teachers as needed.
- 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:
- Visit another LINC class and introduce yourself to five learners from that class.
- Invite a guest speaker from a settlement agency to simply explain what community events are upcoming as great places to meet new people.
- Create posters / infographics with as many phrases useful for introductions as possible and share the posters with another class.
Realia:
- Name tags
- Community flyers or notices
Units and Modules:
Lessons and Activities:
- Tutela: Speaking Assessment Role-play:Getting to know each other for CLB 2
- 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.
