Language for Work: CLB and Essential SkillsFor ESL Instructors

-Colette Pépin, Project Officer, CCLB

Outline

1. Essential Skills Initiative (3 guidebooks)

2. Guidebook for ESL Instructors

3. Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB), Essential Skills (ES) and how they relate

4. Lesson Plans (template and rational)

5. Approaches to Incorporate ES

Tools and Resources to Support the Use of Essential Skills

• Project aims to support three groups

o Job analystso Workplace trainerso ESL/FSL instructors

• Three guidebooks entitledLanguage for Work: CLB and Essential Skills

Language for Work - what’s inside?

Section I - Information• CLB, ES and their relationship

• Employers expectations (communicative performance)

• Transferable skills (workplace to workplace)

• Language skills in the classroom versus in the workplace

Language for Work - what’s inside?

Section II- Resources for planning• The Comparative Framework

o CLB 3 – 12

• Foundational Frameworko CLB 1-5

• Links to additional resourceso A variety of authentic workplace-related

materials for all CLB levels

Language for Work - what’s inside?

Section III – Ideas and tips

• Approaches in creating lesson plan

• Tips to incorporating Essential Skills

• 10 sample lesson plans

Canadian Language Benchmarks

•For adult ESL learners

•Illustrates communicative proficiency in progressively

•Demanding tasks

•Demanding contexts

•Higher performance expectations

Essential Skills

•Not created for ESL learners

•Describe tasks rather than a person’s ability to demonstrate a task

•Not technical skills, apply to all occupations

•Complexity ratings 1-4 or 5

* Except Working with Others and Continuous Learning

“Essential Skills are the skills needed for work, learning and life.”

- ES Website

Understanding Complexity Levels

Oral Communication :

• Find out which global issue concerns your neighbour the most.(Obtains specific information; ES 1)

• Converse with your neighbour to learn why this issue is the most important and follow-up with a question.(Exchanges information; ES 2)

• Convince your colleague that your issue is more important than theirs, without disregarding their opinion. Try to anticipate their reaction and consequently adapt your approach in trying to persuade them. (Persuades. Exchanges detailed complex information and opinions; ES 3)

• Manage a discussion with a multi-stakeholder population. Present a global issue and suggest possible solutions that can accommodate as many people as possible.(Facilitates complex group problem solving and decision making; ES 4)

Understanding Complexity Levels (cont’d)

Nine Essential Skills

1.Reading Text

2.Document Use_

(ex)

3.Writing

4.Numeracy_ (ex)

5.Oral

Communication

6.Thinking Skills (6

types)

7.Working with Others

8.Computer Use

9.Continuous Learning

www.hrsdc.gc.ca

CLB and ES: Matching the Skills

CLB Reading = ES Reading Text and ES Document Use CLB Writing = ES Writing and ES Document Use

CLB Speaking = ES Oral CommunicationCLB Listening = ES Oral Communication

Resources for CLB and Essential Skills

1. The Comparative Framework (2005)

• Illustrates what CLB levels are required to be able to demonstrate Essential Skills

CLB & ES Comparative Framework Overview (2005)

ES Oral Communication 1 2 3 4

CLB Speaking 5-6 6-8 9-10 11-12

CLB Listening 5-7 7-8 9-10 11-12

ES Reading 1 2 3 4 5

CLB Reading 3-5 6 7-9 10 11-12

ES Writing 1 2 3 4 5

CLB Writing 4-5 6-7 8 9 10-12

ES Document Use 1 2 3 4 5

CLB Reading & Writing 3-5 5-6 7-8 9-10 11-12

ES Oral Communication 1 2 3 4

CLB Speaking 5-6 6-8 9-10 11-12

CLB Listening 5-7 7-8 9-10 11-12

Comparative Framework Online

www.itsessential.ca(go)

Can be used to: • See how the CLB and ES levels correlate• Place CLB descriptors in a workplace

context

Lesson Plans

• 10 lessons (1.5 – 3 hrs each)

• Range of lower-level CLB

• Transferable skills

• Essential Skills that correlate with CLB skills

• Materials are provided

• Available from www.itsessential.ca (Feb./Mar. 09)

• Template_link

Examples

Workplace Culture:

In the Canadian workplace:

Workers are expected to report problems that prevent them from doing their work.

Reflective Evaluation:

Circulate while learners are working to determine if learners:

Are able to communicate that they are experiencing a problem;

Are able to articulate the type of problem using appropriate phrases.

Debriefing/Wrap up:

Point out the three steps to reporting problems seen in class can be used in a variety of settings. Illustrate this by practicing the three steps in contexts provided by the learners.

Approaches to Incorporate ES

Two starting points:

1. CLB tasks or language function

2. Essential Skills, workplace task or authentic document (available from the Comparative Framework, Essential Skills Profiles or workplace documents available online)

Different starting point – similar result!

Approaches to Incorporate ES: Example

CLB or Language Function

Lesson Title

Asking for Clarification: Understanding the MessageObjectives (Transferable Skill)

To assist learners in asking for clarification when they do not understand, whether due to lack of understanding the meaning or because they could not hear what was said

To assist learners in politely interrupting when they need clarificationIn pairs…•Provide activities that link this to the workplace (C.F. can help with this)

•Workplace culture?•Debriefing activity (Emphasizes transferability from workplace to workplace)

Workplace Culture and Debriefing

Lesson Title

Asking for Clarification: Understanding the Message

Workplace Culture- In Canada, employees are expected to ask for clarification when they don’t understand.

Debriefing/Wrap-up

- Discuss importance of information accuracy and safety.

- Offer case studies, e.g., a worker who does not understand instruction

about a meeting and ends up missing it.

- Ask learners to brainstorm similar possible situations in their place of

work.

- For lower levels where discussion is less fluent, use pictures to illustrate a

similar situation in a multitude of workplaces.

Approaches to Incorporate ES: Example

Essential Skills, workplace tasks or authentic materialsLesson Title Reading WHMIS Information on Product Labels

Objectives

To understand what WHMIS is and to recognize and understand WHMIS symbols

To understand what kind of information is available on a WHMIS label

To learn where to find information on a workplace label In pairs…•Provide activities that practice the language related skills required to demonstrate this task•Workplace culture?•Debriefing activity (Emphasizes the transferability from workplace to workplace)

Lesson Title

Reading WHMIS Information on Product Labels

Workplace Culture- In Canada, employees are expected to follow written instructions regarding safety.

Debriefing/Wrap-up

Workplace Culture and Debriefing

- Show pictures/provide descriptions of a variety of jobs where learners are

expected to understand symbols

--for safety

--for information

-Discuss potential consequences if a symbol is misunderstood

-Examine a variety of symbols in everyday Canadian life

The guidebook contains:• Information on the relationship between

CLB and ES

• Resources to support teachers in planning;

• Practical tips for incorporating Essential Skills

Language for Work: CLB and Essential Skills for ESL Instructors

How can I get a copy?

• Guidebook and lesson plans are free

• Available March 2009

www.itsessential.ca

www.language.ca

Thank You!