Real-World Task Guidelines:
Stage II
CLB 5
Employment Readiness
Possible Topics
This theme may include these topic areas:
And so on
Planning Context
Learners may require the following:
- Use of a unilingual dictionary
- Support understanding faster conversations or abstract, idiomatic and colloquial language
- Support understanding appropriate levels of formality and tone, especially in relation to hierarchy and relationships in the workplace
- Explicit language instruction to convey respect, appreciation and inclusivity
- Information on resources, supports, services and programs related to the theme
Instructors may need to:
- Explain abstract, idiomatic or colloquial language and/ or cultural references
- Include teaching of pragmatics, strategic competence and sociolinguistic knowledge (cultural references, non-verbal communication, sociolinguistic norms and attitudes, speech styles and registers)
- Include collaborative group and pair work to apply the learned skills and promote the development of communication skills and teamwork
- Adapt online resources for accessibility/ use in the classroom and explain that certain tasks are authentically completed online
- Incorporate learning of background information related to the theme
Interacting With Others
Understand the gist and some details in moderately complex common and predictable social exchanges.
- Identifies specific factual details and implied meanings.
- Interprets feelings such as interest, likes/dislikes, preferences.
Interacting With Others
Participate in basic social conversations for some everyday purposes.
- Opens and maintains a conversation.
- Responds to small talk.
Comprehending Instructions
Understand simple to moderately complex directions and instructions for generally familiar and relevant procedures.
- Follows a range of basic cohesive devices indicating order and sequence.
- Responds with actions to directions and instructions.
Giving Instructions
Give instructions and directions for everyday activities and processes.
- Uses appropriate courtesy forms and structures.
- Uses appropriate expressions to sequence instructions.
Sharing Information
Ask for and give information related to routine daily activities in one-on-one interactions.
- Provides necessary information.
- Expresses opinions and feelings.
Getting Things Done
Get information from simple to moderately complex business or service texts.
- Gets the gist.
- Identifies key information and finds specific details.
Getting Things Done
Get information from simple to moderately complex business or service texts.
- Gets the gist.
- Identifies key information and finds specific details.
Comprehending Information
Understand simple to moderately complex descriptive or narrative texts on familiar topics.
- Identifies organization of text and links between paragraphs.
Comprehending Information
Access and locate basic information from reference sources.
- Accesses relevant information through a navigational source (Internet search engine, website, table of contents, index, glossary).
- Locates 2 relevant pieces of information in reference sources.
Reproducing Information
Reduce a page of information to a list of important details.
- Includes important points with accurate details.
- Records details (such as names, addresses, numbers, dates, times and directions) legibly, with correct spelling and other standard conventions of capitalization and punctuation.
Getting Things Done
Write short business or service correspondence for routine personal needs.
- Conveys a sense of audience in language and format.
- Conveys the message clearly.
Additional Sample Real-World Tasks and Competency Areas
Listen to a phone message from a receptionist detailing the time, date and name of the interviewer for a job interview. (Interacting With Others)
Answer the phone and provide basic information to a recruiter/hiring manager. (Interacting With Others)
Read some tips and strategies for responding to interview questions and prepare sample responses. (Comprehending Information/Sharing Information)
Write a resume for a job using the language embedded in the job posting. (Getting Things Done/ Getting Things Done)
Additional Resources
- Alberta ALIS: Develop Your Core Skills and Traits – alis
- Avenue
- AWES: The First Day at a New Job–AWES
- Career Beacon: Search for Jobs on CareerBeacon | Find a Job You Love
- CCLB: Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks
- ELLII Functional Business: Functional Business–Ellii (formerly ESL Library)
- Government of Canada: Explore careers by essential skills – Job Bank
- Government of Canada: Look for jobs in Canada
- Government of Canada: Prepare to work in Canada
- Government of Canada: Newcomers to Canada – Job Bank
- Government of Canada: Skills for Success
- Indeed: Job Search Canada | Indeed
- New Canadians Employment: Employment Archives – New Canadians
- Tutela: Tutela.ca | PublicHomePage
- Tutela Collections – Employment/Work: Tutela.ca | Collections
- UVIC Career Services: Succeed at work – Career Services – University of Victoria
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.
- Locate, navigate and use websites.
- Use videoconferencing technology for online meetings.
- Understand and use email and meeting etiquette.
- Fill in forms online.
- Effectively navigate job search websites.
Instructors can:
- Introduce websites that are relevant to the task(s).
- Support learners in finding, navigating and using websites.
- Teach reading strategies such as skimming and scanning to find information on websites.
- 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.
- 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.
- Use gender neutral titles when addressing people.
Trauma-Informed Strategies
Triggers:
- 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 pre-screening situation and make sure learners understand the purpose of the activities.
Strategies:
- Give learners advance warning of discussions of this topic and these activities.
- 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.
