Detailed Sample Task: Stage I

CLB 2 - Speaking
Getting Things Done

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Real-World Task

Ask your teacher for help if you can’t hear the lesson.

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

Vocabulary related to classroom learning, such as listening, noisy, quiet, talking, and so on.
Knowledge of polite requests in classroom contexts.

Context:

Neurodivergent people include those
who are Autistic, have ADHD or dyslexia. Neurodivergent people think, focus, or communicate in ways that are not the same as other people. Being neurodivergent is not a disability, it is being different.
Some neurodivergent learners experience the world more intensely than others. Their brains may not filter background sounds very well. This means that what feels like normal classroom noise to most learners can feel overwhelming, distracting, or even painful to them.
This task reflects the intention to include all people in Canada in the themes.
The language skills in this task could be applied to other contexts.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Sample Vocabulary:

Sample Grammar:

Adverbs with -ly to say how to do something
Modal verb: can
Question with can (learned as a phrase): Can you help me?

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

Use of common expressions for specific purposes, such as making requests

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

Culturally appropriate non-verbal communication strategies
Culturally appropriate strategies to convey politeness

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Discuss as a class: Do you ever have a hard time when you study? What are the biggest problems? What do you do to help you study? Do you listen to music or do you prefer silence? Can you watch TV when you are studying? Have you ever heard of ADHD or Autism? What do you know about them?
Match picture flashcards to words from
the vocabulary list. Now label an image of
a classroom full of learners working in
small groups with the adjectives on the vocabulary list, such as noisy group,
loud talking, and so on.
Listen to a short, simple audio of a conversation between two classmates talking about how they like to study. Answer simple true / false questions about the listening. Now, in pairs use the transcript of the audio to practice this as a role play.
Incorporate phonics activities based on vocabulary words and other vocabulary related to the topic.
Review the simple sentence structure for making polite requests using modal verbs and read some simple example requests together. For example, learners review sentences like, I can’t hear you. Can I please sit near the front of the classroom? and so on.
Review some basic phrases to make questions for polite requests, such as, Excuse me. I cannot hear the listening.
Can you play it again, please? Using an instructor-made handout, in pairs practice making these requests.
Look at a simple formatted table which lists different classroom problems and how we can solve them. Answer simple questions related to the table, such as, What can we do if we cannot hear? We need to study in the library.
With a simple instructor-created handout, complete polite requests with missing vocabulary list items. In pairs, find the correct missing word from a list provided to make sentences such as, Please can I sit in a quiet space? and so on.
Read a few simple sentences about how you can focus in a noisy place. Answer 1-2 simple multiple choice questions about the reading.
Copy the completed sentences from the reading above into a notebook or a digital document. Practice reading the sentences aloud.
Using photographs of different study spaces and sample sentence requests, role play asking your instructor to find a better place to study, such as “I cannot focus in this noisy place.” “Let’s go study in the library.” and so on.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Role play asking your instructor for help because the classroom is too noisy and you cannot focus.
Role play asking your instructor to help you find a quiet place to do your homework.

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Role play with your instructor asking for help because you can’t hear the lesson.

Teaching Considerations

Cultural Considerations:

In Canada, there is openness and inclusion around neurodivergent people and people with disabilities. In Canada, it is safe and acceptable to talk about being neurodivergent and to ask for support when needed. Everyone deserves equal access and respect in the workplace. In some cultures, there may be stigma around neurodivergence or asking for accommodations or support.
It is acceptable to let your instructor know if you are having problems studying. You can let them know what your problems are or how you need them to help.

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.
Read information from a screen.
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.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:

Teach learners that all people in Canada have the right to no discrimination.
Teach learners that many people still experience discrimination against people with disabilities in Canada, but that there are things that can be done if you have this experience.
Teach learners appropriate terms for neurodivergent people and people with disabilities.
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. Consider this diversity as you choose images for resources 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.
Never require learners to identify their own personal stories with neurodivergent friends or family members or to share their own stories or experiences if they do not want to.

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
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:

Take a field trip to a community employment resource centre to learn about supports for neurodivergent people in the workplace.
Invite a guest speaker who understands this level to talk about how classrooms can be accessible to more learners including neurodivergent learners.
Invite a neurodivergent guest speaker to speak simply about their experiences with studying and learning, and requesting accommodations.
Create mini-posters using a digital platform to share different ways to study.

Realia:

Units and Modules:

Tutela: LINC 2 Classroom Activities Education

Lessons and Activities:

Tutela: Sentence Structure Made Simple CLB 1-4
Tutela: Can You Please CLB 1/2 assessment
Tutela: Learning Strategies – Around Me Part 1 CLB 3 H5P
(Not correct level but can be adapted.)
A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.

Multimedia: