Real-World Task Guidelines:
Stage I
CLB 3
Employment - At the Workplace
Possible Topics
This theme may include these topic areas:
And so on
Planning Context
Learners may require the following:
- Very clearly formatted texts with clear font or printing
- Frequent use of common and familiar visuals in reading texts
- Visual clues such as accompanying video for listening texts
- Very slow, clear speech in listening texts
Instructors may need to:
- Limit answers that require writing; use tasks that require circling, matching, etc.
- Ensure texts include familiar words and phrases
- Ensure topics are very familiar and concrete
- Repeat listening texts
- Give a lot of support to learners in dialogues
Comprehending Information
Understand short, simple, descriptive communication about a person, object, situation, scene, personal experience or daily routine.
- Gets the gist.
- Identifies factual details, key words and expressions as required.
Getting Things Done
Understand expressions used in familiar everyday situations (such as requests, permissions and warnings).
- Identifies phrases and sentences related to simple persuasive functions.
- Understands the gist and an expanding range of factual details.
Giving Instructions
Give simple, common, routine instructions and directions to a familiar person.
- Uses appropriate courtesy forms and structures.
- Expresses movement and location.
Interacting with Others
Use a range of courtesy formulas and greetings in very short, casual, face-to-face interactions. [Interlocutors are familiar and supportive.]
- Initiates and responds appropriately to introductions and leave-takings.
- Uses simple questions to ask about another person.
Comprehending Instructions
Understand short, simple, clearly sequenced instructions for familiar everyday situations.
- Recognizes individual words, phrases and symbols commonly used in instructions.
- Follows instructions in the sequenced order.
Getting Things Done
Get information from simple formatted texts.
- Identifies layout and specific information.
- Scans formatted text to find specific information.
Comprehending Information
Understand the purpose, main idea, key information and some details in simple, short texts related to everyday familiar and personally relevant situations and topics.
- Gets the gist.
- Identifies key information and main idea.
Interacting With Others
Convey short, personal and informal social messages on topics related to familiar everyday situations (such as invitations, thanks, updates, cancellations and apologies).
- Uses language and content that are appropriate to the intent of the message and the social context.
- Describes some feelings appropriate to the occasion.
Getting Things Done
Complete short, simple forms that require basic personal or familiar information and some responses to simple questions.
- Follows appropriate conventions for addresses, telephone numbers, etc.
- Follows most spelling conventions.
Reproducing Information
Copy or record a range of information from short texts for personal use.
- Copies or records letters, numbers, words, and sentences with correct capitalization and punctuation.
- Copies legibly, causing only slight uncertainty in decoding for the writer.
- Copies text with no major omissions and only occasional copying mistakes.
Additional Sample Real-World Tasks and Competency Areas
Listen to a request from a coworker for help with a task. (Getting Things Done)
Make a simple request to your supervisor to leave work early for an appointment. (Getting Things Done)
Read an invitation to a company event promoting diversity in the workplace and find details like the location, time and how to RSVP. (Interacting With Others)
Write a short note to a coworker explaining how to lock up the workplace. (Getting Things Done)
Additional Resources
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.
- Fill in forms online.
- Have an email address and be able to navigate email proficiently.
Instructors can:
- Use digital tools such as translation or pronunciation tools to support language learning and foster autonomous learning.
- Introduce websites that are relevant to the task(s).
- Refer learners to programs to improve their digital skills.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion 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.
- Teach that race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics and disability are all protected grounds under the Canadian Human Rights Act.
- Recognize that learners with disabilities and learners who are neurodivergent may need accommodations in the workplace; when possible, help learners of all abilities understand their rights in the workplace.
Trauma-Informed Strategies
Triggers:
- Learners who have experienced trauma can be triggered by people in positions of authority; make sure learners understand their rights in the workplace and give strategies for making polite requests.
- Filling in forms and dealing with authority can be triggering for learners who have experienced trauma, especially for learners who have been in unsafe situations or have been in a political regime. Make sure that learners are always aware of the purpose of the form and be ready to provide support if needed.
- Questioning can be triggering for learners who have experienced trauma; be careful with the tone of questions in any kind of mock job interview situation and make sure learners understand the purpose of the activities.
- Discussions of income, payment and money may be triggering for learners who have experienced trauma, especially those who have lost their homes, possessions, and/or money. Make space for learners to feel safe and recover from the experience of sharing their experiences.
Strategies:
- Learners who have experienced trauma often benefit from having routine.
- Learners who have experienced trauma benefit from having choice.
- Give learners advance warning of discussions of this topic.
- Giving learners the knowledge, skills and language to access resources can be empowering.
Sample Real World Tasks
This information is aligned with the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) and is designed to help guide you in the planning process. You can use these sample real-world tasks to guide and inform your selection or creation of skill-building activities, skill-using tasks and assessment tasks.
These sample real-world tasks include the following: skill, real-world task, competency area, one competency statement and two sample indicators of ability. This is not an exhaustive list: there are more indicators of ability and information about this CLB level in Canadian Language Benchmarks English as a Second Language for Adults. Consult this resource for more information and to select your own competencies or indicators of ability. Remember, you can use more learner-friendly language in your materials and assessments.
This is NOT a lesson plan, module plan or curriculum.
