Detailed Sample Task: Stage I
CLB 4 - Writing
Reproducing Information
Banking and Numeracy
Real-World Task
Prepare a monthly budget using information from a template.
Planning Context
Helpful Knowledge:
- Knowledge of numbers and amounts.
- Knowledge of conventions of writing prices and amounts.
- Some knowledge of the concept of budgeting.
Context:
- A budget is a plan that you write down to decide how you will spend your money and what is important for you. Many budgets are organized by month.
Vocabulary and Grammar
Sample Vocabulary:
- limit
- need
- debt
- income
- set aside
- expense(s)
- plan
- goals
- save
- emergency fund
- rent
- loan
- pay off
Sample Grammar:
- Knowledge of spelling and punctuation conventions.
- Knowledge of price and number writing conventions.
Knowledge and Strategies
Textual and Functional Knowledge:
- Ability to use budget template format, such as reading titles of rows and columns.
Sociolinguistic Knowledge:
- Knowledge of norms and attitudes around money, which is normally a personal and private topic in Canada.
Activities and Tasks
Sample Skill-Building Activities:
- Brainstorm general ideas about budgeting in a group, such as why they are useful or when people make them.
- Look at the “needs” and “wants” on the whiteboard. Elicit the meaning of these words. Work in groups to sort examples of purchases into each category.
- Learn about savings and the importance of saving even a small amount if you are able. In groups or pairs, brainstorm some examples of things people commonly save for. Read a short list and compare the list to your predictions.
- Learn that money and budgets are very personal topics in Canada, so avoid talking about personal finances in general conversation. Read or listen to information that creating a budget is based on personal income or budget.
- Learn and practice some simple idioms or expressions related to budget or money, such as “not in the budget”, “to nickel and dime someone”, “to pinch pennies”, “to tighten your belt”, “to be in the black/ red”, and so on.
- Look at a table and learn about each part, such as the rows, columns, titles above rows, the cells with the total. Look at a new example and label each part and/ or answer comprehension questions.
- Learn about the importance of copying numbers accurately, paying attention to decimal points, and so on. Review/ learn the meaning of decimal points in prices and amounts.
- Look at handwritten notes for a budget and compare it to the same information written in a template. Compare the headings in the notes to the titles on the rows and columns, ingoing/ outgoing expenses, and so on.
- Look at different examples of budget templates. Discuss in groups or pairs which template you prefer and why.
Sample Skill-Using Tasks:
- Look at an example of budget information and copy it into a template.
Sample Assessment Tasks:
- Prepare a monthly budget using information from a template.
Teaching Considerations
Cultural Considerations:
- Have learners compare and contrast norms and attitudes around money from their own countries and Canada to develop intercultural awareness.
- Be aware that money can be a very sensitive issue for learners. Be sensitive in your explanations and monitor group discussions.
Digital Literacy Strategies:
Successful completion of some tasks may require some baseline digital knowledge and skills.
Learners may need to:
- Fill in forms online.
- Scan online resources to find information.
Instructors can:
- Introduce websites that are relevant to the task(s).
- 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.
- Use diverse representations of people from different income backgrounds in all your learning resources.
Trauma-informed Strategies:
Possible Trauma Triggers:
- Discussions of income and budgeting 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:
- Give learners advance warning of discussions of this topic.
- Learners who have experienced trauma benefit from having choice.
- Allow learners choice:
- 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
- Learners have the right to choose if, when and what they share about themselves.
- Make space for learners to feel safe and recover from the experience of sharing their experiences.
- Giving learners the knowledge, skills and language to access resources can be empowering.
- 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.
Resources
Outings, Guest Speaker Suggestions, Extension Activities:
- Invite an accountant, financial planner or settlement worker who works with money/ budgeting to give a presentation about budgeting or saving.
- Do a “supermarket sweep” activity or similar, where learners go to a grocery store and look at price labels to think about what they can purchase on a specific budget. Make it a competition between groups to find the best prices or purchase the most on a certain budget.
- Practice listening to numbers and writing them down.
- Learn about savings, RESPs, and so on.
- Learn about credit cards, compare rewards, and so on.
Realia:
- Authentic examples of household or personal budgets
- Authentic examples of budget or financial templates
Units and Modules:
- Avenue, CLB 4, Getting Tips for Budgeting
Lessons and Activities:
- Tutela, CLB 4 and 5, Food Budget (Adapt for the CLB level you teach)
Multimedia:
- YouTube, Budgeting for Beginners (Adapt for the CLB level you teach)
Instructor Resources and References:
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.
