Real-World Task Guidelines:
Stage II
CLB 7
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 to confirm or clarify meaning
- Some support understanding faster conversations or abstract, idiomatic and colloquial language
- Some support understanding appropriate levels of formality and tone, especially in relation to hierarchy and relationships in the workplace
- Some 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 some 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, including simulations that allow learners take on different roles and understand different perspectives
- 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 moderately complex social exchanges.
- Identifies emotional state, mood and attitude from tone and intonation.
- Interprets feelings such as gratitude, hope and appreciation.
Interacting With Others
Participate in less routine social conversations for many everyday purposes.
- Opens and maintains a short formal conversation, closing with 3 customary steps (pre-closing, closing, leave-taking).
- Asks follow-up questions to keep the conversation going.
Comprehending Instructions
Understand moderately complex directions and instructions for technical or non-technical tasks.
- Follows sequence markers, cohesive devices (connecting words, reference, parallel structure, substitution) or other linguistic clues to infer order of steps.
- Responds with actions to directions and instructions.
Giving Instructions
- Uses clear references and provides necessary details.
- Uses sequencing intonation so that the listener can follow.
Sharing Information
Give detailed information; express and qualify opinions and feelings; express reservations, approval, disapproval, possibilities and probabilities one-on-one and in small group discussions or meetings.
- Provides necessary information.
- Asks and addresses relevant questions.
Getting Things Done
Get information from moderately complex business/service texts containing assessments, evaluations and advice.
- Identifies main ideas, key details and some implied meanings.
- Scans text and makes inferences to select relevant information.
Getting Things Done
Get information from moderately complex business/service texts containing assessments, evaluations and advice.
- Identifies main ideas, key details and some implied meanings.
- Identifies the writer’s purpose, intent, mood and attitude in sections of text.
Comprehending Information
Understand moderately complex extended descriptions, reports and narrations on familiar topics.
- Distinguishes facts from opinions.
- Evaluates ideas in text to draw conclusions.
Comprehending Information
Access, locate and integrate information from online reference sources.
- Accesses relevant information using effective search strategies.
- Compares 3 or 4 pieces of information from different reference sources.
Reproducing Information
Reduce a text of up to about 2 pages to an outline or summary.
- Reduces information to important points with accurate details and no major omissions.
- Conveys the essential information.
Getting Things Done
Write business or service correspondence for a range of routine and less routine purposes.
- Conveys a clear message.
- Conveys a sense of audience in language and format.
Additional Sample Real-World Tasks and Competency Areas
Listen to suggestions from a job counsellor about how to improve soft skills such as adaptability or time-management to increase employment readiness. (Getting Things Done)
Give a detailed update to a job counsellor about your job search. (Sharing Information)
Read an email from a hiring manager with steps to complete an in-depth application before a deadline. (Comprehending Instructions)
Write a message to a friend informing them about the job market in your area and the job search process. (Sharing Information)
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 job interview situation and make sure learners understand the purpose of the activities.
- Discussions of police checks may be triggering for learners who have experienced trauma. Give learners advance warning of this topic and be aware that there may be learners who require support.
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.
