Stage II: Employment Readiness
This theme focuses on the communication skills needed to effectively find, acquire, and maintain a job.
Choose a CLB level by clicking below to access information about Real-World Tasks and Detailed Sample Tasks for this theme.
CLB 5
CLB 6
CLB 7
CLB 8
Listening
CLB 5
Watch a 5-minute video about registering for continuing education programs.
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.
Make small talk with a peer at a local employment event.
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.
CLB 6
Watch a 10-minute video describing continuing education programs and how to register for them at a local college.
Comprehending Instructions
Understand moderately complex directions and instructions for technical or non-technical tasks.
- Follows sequence markers or other linguistic clues to infer order of steps.
- Follows a range of cohesive devices indicating order and sequence.
Network with a peer at a local employment event.
Interacting With Others
Understand common social exchanges.
- Identifies specific factual details and implied meanings.
- Identifies mood, attitude and emotional states from tone and intonation.
Interacting With Others
Participate in routine social conversations for some everyday purposes.
- Uses and responds to small talk.
- Encourages conversation by adding supportive comments.
CLB 7
Watch a 15-minute video or presentation describing a bridging program or education pathway and understand the prerequisites.
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.
Network with a potential employer at a local employment event.
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.
CLB 8
Watch a 20-minute video or presentation describing a bridging program or education pathway and understand the prerequisites and the steps to register.
Comprehending Instructions
Understand extended multi-step directions or 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.
Network with a group of potential employers at a local employment event.
Interacting With Others
Understand moderately complex social exchanges.
- Identifies speakers’ purpose and intent.
- Identifies emotional state, mood and attitude from tone and intonation.
Interacting With Others
Participate in less routine social conversations for most everyday purposes.
- Holds the floor, interrupts appropriately, and resumes after an interruption.
- Uses appropriate levels of formality with increased ability.
Speaking
CLB 5
Give a friend instructions for how to find a volunteer position at a women’s community centre.
Giving Instructions
Give instructions and directions for everyday activities and processes.
- Uses appropriate courtesy forms and structures.
- Uses appropriate expressions to sequence instructions.
Participate in a short phone/ online pre-screening for a job.
Sharing Information
Ask for and give information related to routine daily activities in one-on-one interactions.
- Provides necessary information.
- Expresses opinions and feelings.
CLB 6
Give a friend instructions for how to apply for a volunteer position at a community centre for newcomer support.
Giving Instructions
Give sequential instructions and directions for everyday activities and processes.
- Uses clear references.
- Uses sequencing intonation so that the listener can follow.
Participate in a short job interview.
Sharing Information
Ask for and give information in some detail; express opinions, feelings, obligation, ability and certainty one-on-one and in small group discussions or meetings.
- Provides necessary information.
- Asks relevant questions.
CLB 7
Give a friend instructions for how to apply for a volunteer position at an organization offering support for Indigenous youth and apply for a police check.
Giving Instructions
- Uses clear references and provides necessary details.
- Uses sequencing intonation so that listener can follow.
Participate in a behavioural job interview.
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.
CLB 8
Give a friend detailed instructions for how to apply for a supervisory volunteer position at an organization offering support to unhoused people and apply for a police check.
Giving Instructions
Give instructions and directions for a broad range of technical and non-technical tasks, procedures and processes.
- Uses correct sequence of steps.
- Uses clear references and provides necessary details.
Participate in a behavioural job interview with a panel.
Sharing Information
Give detailed information; express and qualify opinions or concerns; present solutions and options; indicate opposition or support for a stand in one-on-one interactions and small group discussions or meetings.
- Provides detailed information and presents options as needed.
- Expresses and qualifies opinions, feelings, doubts and concerns.
Reading
CLB 5
Read a short job posting and review the skills needed for the position.
Getting Things Done
Get information from simple to moderately complex business or service texts.
- Gets the gist.
- Identifies key information and finds specific details.
Read a social media post about an upcoming professional networking event for women to find out what the event is and some 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.
Read an article to understand how AI is used to remove hiring bias.
Comprehending Information
Understand simple to moderately complex descriptive or narrative texts on familiar topics.
- Identifies organization of text and links between paragraphs.
Find two jobs you would like to apply for on a job search website, check to see if they require you to be bilingual.
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.
CLB 6
Read a job posting to understand the skills and qualifications needed for the position.
Getting Things Done
Get information from moderately complex business/ service texts containing advice, requests or detailed specifications.
- Identifies main ideas, factual details and some implied meanings.
- Identifies the writer’s purpose, intent, mood and attitude in sections of text.
Read a website about an upcoming professional networking event for women to understand what will happen at the event and whether you would like to attend.
Getting Things Done
Get information from moderately complex business/ service texts containing advice, requests or detailed specifications.
- Identifies main ideas, factual details and some implied meanings.
- Identifies the writer’s purpose, intent, mood and attitude in sections of text.
Read a short article about how AI is used to remove hiring bias and understand how this benefits BIPOC job seekers.
Comprehending Information
Understand moderately complex descriptive or narrative texts on familiar topics.
- Distinguishes facts from opinions.
- Retells or summarizes.
Compare and contrast the requirements of several jobs on job search websites, including bilingualism.
Comprehending Information
Access, locate and compare 2 or 3 pieces of information from online reference sources.
- Accesses relevant information using effective search strategies.
- Identifies purpose, main ideas and key details in prose or formatted texts.
CLB 7
Read a detailed job posting to understand and determine if you have the skills and qualifications needed for the position.
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.
Read a blog post about professional networking events for women and understand
why they are important and helpful for job seekers who identify as women.
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.
Read an article about how AI is used to remove hiring bias and consider some of the challenges BIPOC job seekers have faced.
Comprehending Information
Understand moderately complex extended descriptions, reports and narrations on familiar topics.
- Distinguishes facts from opinions.
- Evaluates ideas in text to draw conclusions.
Compare several job opportunities and highlight the requirements you meet for them,
including bilingualism.
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.
CLB 8
Read a detailed job posting to understand the hard skills, soft skills and qualifications needed for the position.
Getting Things Done
Get information from moderately complex business/ service texts containing proposals, recommendations and statements of rules, regulations or policies.
- Identifies main ideas, key details and implied meanings.
- Scans text and makes inferences to select the relevant information.
Read a blog post recommending professional
networking events for women, understand
why they are important and helpful for job
seekers who identify as women and consider
how it could help in your own job search or
the job search of a woman you know.
Getting Things Done
Get information from moderately complex business/ service texts containing proposals, recommendations and statements of rules, regulations or policies.
- Identifies main ideas, key details and implied meanings.
- Identifies the writer’s purpose, intent, mood and attitude in sections of text.
Read an article about how AI is used to remove hiring bias against BIPOC job seekers and consider the effect this will have on
diversity in the workforce.
Comprehending Information
Understand moderately complex extended descriptions, feature articles, reports and narrations.
- Follows sequences of narrations or processes.
- Evaluates ideas in text, draws conclusions, compares with own opinion.
Compare multiple job opportunities to determine if you meet their requirements, including bilingualism, and highlight the skills you will focus on in your resume and cover letter.
Comprehending Information
Access, locate and integrate several pieces of information from relevant online reference sources.
- Accesses information using effective search strategies.
- Evaluates ideas in text, draws conclusions, compares with own opinion.
Writing
CLB 5
Copy information from a resume into a short
job application form.
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.
Write a one-paragraph expression of interest in a position.
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.
CLB 6
Copy information from a resume into a job application form.
Reproducing Information
Reduce a page of information to an outline or summary.
- Takes notes and reduces written or oral information to important points with accurate details.
- Records details (such as names, addresses, dates, times and directions) legibly and with correct spelling, capitalization and punctuation.
Write 1-2 paragraphs as an expression of interest in a position.
Getting Things Done
Write short business or service correspondence for routine purposes.
- Conveys a sense of audience in language and format.
- Conveys the intended message.
CLB 7
Adapt a long form resume to a standard Canadian 1-2 page resume.
Reproducing Information
- Reduces information to important points with accurate details and no major omissions.
- Conveys the essential information.
Write a formal multi-paragraph cover letter for a position.
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.
CLB 8
Adapt a long form resume to a standard Canadian 1-2 page resume for a specific position.
Reproducing Information
Reduce a text of up to about 2 pages to an outline or summary.
- Reduces information to main points with accurate supporting details and no major omissions.
- Conveys essential information.
Write a formal multi-paragraph cover letter as a part of an application for a specific position.
Getting Things Done
Write business or service correspondence for an expanding range of purposes.
- Conveys a clear message to the reader.
- Conveys a sense of audience in language and format.
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.
