Language for Work: CLB and Essential Skills

1. Language for Work: CLB and Essential Skills For ESLInstructors -Colette Pépin, Project Officer, CCLB

2. Outline • Essential Skills Initiative (3 guidebooks) • Guidebook for ESL Instructors • Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB), Essential Skills (ES) and how they relate • Lesson Plans (template and rational) • Approaches to Incorporate ES

3. Tools and Resources to Support the Use of Essential Skills • Project aims to support three groups • Job analysts • Workplace trainers • ESL/FSL instructors • Three guidebooks entitled • Language for Work: CLB and Essential Skills

4. 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

5. Language for Work - what’s inside? • Section II- Resources for planning • The Comparative Framework • CLB 3 – 12 • Foundational Framework • CLB 1-5 • Links to additional resources • A variety of authentic workplace-related materials for all CLB levels

6. 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

7. CanadianLanguage Benchmarks • For adult ESL learners • Illustrates communicative proficiency in progressively • Demanding tasks • Demanding contexts • Higher performance expectations

8. 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 • “Essential Skills are the skills needed for work, learning and life.” • - ES Website

9. Understanding Complexity Levels • Oral Communication : • Find out which global issueconcerns 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)

10. Understanding Complexity Levels (cont’d) • Convince your colleague that your issue is more important than theirs, without disregarding their opinion. Try to anticipate their reactionand consequently adapt your approach in trying to persuade them. (Persuades. Exchanges detailed complex information and opinions; ES 3) • Manage a discussionwith a multi-stakeholder population. Present a global issue and suggest possible solutionsthat can accommodateas many peopleas possible. (Facilitates complex group problem solving and decision making; ES 4)

11. Reading Text Document Use_(ex) Writing Numeracy_(ex) Oral Communication Thinking Skills (6 types) Working with Others Computer Use Continuous Learning Nine Essential Skills www.hrsdc.gc.ca

12. CLB and ES: Matching the Skills CLB Speaking = ES Oral Communication CLB Listening = ES Oral Communication CLB Reading = ES Reading Text and ES Document Use CLB Writing = ES Writing and ES Document Use

13. Resources for CLB and Essential Skills • The Comparative Framework (2005) • Illustrates what CLB levels are required to be able to demonstrate Essential Skills

14. CLB & ES Comparative Framework Overview (2005)

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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.

18. Approaches to Incorporate ES Two starting points: CLB tasks or language function 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!

19. Approaches to Incorporate ES: Example CLB or Language Function

20. Workplace Culture and Debriefing - 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.

21. Approaches to Incorporate ES: Example Essential Skills, workplace tasks or authentic materials

22. 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

23. Language for Work: CLB and Essential Skills for ESL Instructors • The guidebook contains: • Information on the relationship between CLB and ES • Resources to support teachers in planning; • Practical tips for incorporating Essential Skills

24. How can I get a copy? • Guidebook and lesson plans are free • Available March 2009 • www.itsessential.ca • www.language.ca • Thank You!