Language Themes and Sample Real World Tasks
The precarity of refugee claimants’ legal statuses in Canada necessitates an accelerated curriculum, focused on providing content relevant to the immediate needs of RC students. With such dramatic changes in life circumstances happening in such a short amount of time, BC Safe Haven teachers need to prioritize lessons that provide RCs with the toolkits they will need on their paths to settlement and survival, while at the same time taking care not to overwhelm these already vulnerable clients. While teachers are encouraged to conduct regular needs assessments to determine students’ diverse learning needs, research indicates three main areas of particular importance:
- Employment-related training, both for Core and Employment-focused classes, which would include language and skills relevant to both looking for a job and succeeding in the workforce.
- Language skills necessary for successfully navigating everyday life in a new cultural environment, or Survival English, which could include common LINC themes like Financial Literacy, Housing, Health & Wellness, Community Engagement and/or others. Selecting themes and tasks from this area should be based on student-stated learning needs, or teachers’ best observations of the immediate needs of their students.
- The embedded themes of Canadian Culture (with specific focus on areas like Diversity and Inclusion, multiculturalism, and Indigenization) and Digital Literacy, which provide students with the tools and cultural awareness to successfully integrate into their communities, workplaces, and Canadian society.
A Resource Hub is provided later in these guidelines for ready-made lesson plans, assessment tasks, and modules organized according to these themes and student CLB levels.
The following table offers examples of Real-World Tasks (RWTs) to help teachers choose and/or develop content relevant to the needs of RC students. Though many real-world tasks that refugee claimants need to complete will overlap with the broader experiences of other newcomers, these example tasks support RCs in navigating their unique and often urgent employment and day-to-day situations. The listed tasks are not exhaustive and serve as samples only, to point out to teachers the differences between refugee claimant students and permanent resident students. Teachers are encouraged to adapt the listed tasks to ensure accessibility for learners at different proficiency language levels.
Finally, it is highly important to distinguish the role of the English teacher from that of settlement staff, employment specialists, or legal professionals. Teachers should focus on the tasks to develop essential language skills and support immediate communication needs only, and never offer settlement, employment, or legal advice, however well-meaning. Instead, teachers should work with their organizations to offer referrals for this type of support to RC students. The section titled “Materials for Community Engagement” later in this document provides guidance in this area.
Table: Real-World Tasks
| Theme | Tasks for Core (CLB 1-4): | Tasks for Employment (CLB 3-6): | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMPLOYMENT | Job Search | – Answer some common job interview questions, including about your eligibility to work in Canada. – Fill out a work permit application form. | – Read your work permit to understand the duration and conditions. – Tell a prospective employer about your legal status in Canada. |
| At Work | – Answer an employer’s question about the expiry date of your SIN. | – Politely leave a casual but triggering conversation at work. – Reach out to your supervisor to request a day off to attend your hearing. |
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| SURVIVAL ENGLISH | Financial Literacy | – Speak with a bank teller about opening a Vancity account for refugee claimants. – Fill out an application form for income assistance. | – Read about Vancity bank accounts for refugee claimants. |
| Health & Wellness | – Fill out simple medical forms, like IFHP registration. – Listen to instructions on how to complete the Immigration Medical Exam (IME). | – Ask a pharmacist about IFHP coverage and payment. – Listen to a healthcare provider explain how to access health services through IFHP. |
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| Housing | – Read a “house rules” poster for supportive housing. – Describe your housing needs to a Settlement Worker for transitional housing applications. | – Ask a shelter worker about the services available for refugee claimants staying in the shelter. | |
| Community | – Talk to an operator on the bc.211.ca website about the services they can help refugee claimants with. | – Read about different service providers offering BC Safe Haven employment services on the bc.211.ca website. – Call the nearest community center to inquire about the Out of School Care program for kids to ask if they have special prices for refugees. |
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| Other (e.g. Transportation, Food & Nutrition) | – Call a food bank for information. – Call IRCC automated phone service and follow the instructions to check an application status. | – Read the Notice to Appear to find information about the location of your hearing. | |
| EMBEDDED THEMES | Canadian Culture | – Understand a land acknowledgment in a public meeting. – Listen to your counsel’s advice about what to wear for your hearing and how to address people in public service. | – Talk to your supervisor about feelings of discrimination in the workplace. – Express gratitude to your coworker who switched shifts so you can attend your hearing. |
| Digital Skills | – Use a search engine to find community services for RCs in BC. | – Listen to instructions on how to attach your work permit to an online job application. – Read and recognize a job scam ad. |