To conclude this course, Resources Development and Integration, we were to create another lesson where we had to develop and adapt ESL materials.
I chose to create and adapt materials on the topic "Job Cover Letter" for CLB 6 Stage II.
On this lesson, you will see the context I chose for my students, and the criteria taken under account along with the rationale for selecting such materials.
Jenny Carmona
TESL 150 - Assignment #3
Adapting and Creating ESL Materials
Task-based Lesson Plan
Topic: Job Cover Letter
Classroom Context: 18 Students enrolled at a Community College in Winnipeg in the ELL Employment Program. The ages of the students vary from 20 - 48. Ss have been working on a unit about employment. Most students have been living in Canada for about a year and a half.
Time: 3 hours/Monday - Friday (mornings)
Length: 10 months (2 semesters).
CLB Level: 6 Stage: II
Students’ Background: Students are immigrants that have come through the Provincial Nominee Program (through their spouses) and government & private sponsored refugees. Many of these students hold professional and educational backgrounds.
Goals: Students are interested in improving their English level in all skill areas of Speaking, Listening, Writing, and Reading. They also want to feel confident enough to write their own cover letters and resumes with the purpose of obtaining employment.
Proficiency with technology: Students have access to school computers and most of them are very comfortable navigating the internet and using Word. For this assignment, a generic email account has been set up to have access to some of the applications that will be needed for this lesson.
Objective:
Writing: At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to convey a personal short letter expressing their desire to apply for a job, using modal verbs and character adjectives that best describe them.
*PBLA Task: Write a message (letter) to accompany a job application form. Express a desire for the job, provide contact details, and refer the reader to the attached application form.
Rationale for the materials:
The set of materials selected for this lesson are appropriate for the topic of “Job Cover Letter” and they have been chosen in accordance with the Canadian Language Benchmark. The materials provide the following principles:
- The materials have been chosen to be as authentic as possible for the students.
- The materials are task-based which will allow the student to take something away from this lesson.
- The materials help the learners use the language in situations they are likely to find themselves in the future.
- The activities used in this lesson are clearly linked to one another to help the students reach their objectives.
- The materials are clear and stimulate interaction.
- The materials provide an opportunity for feedback.
Grammatical Needs
Vocabulary
*Modals: should, would, could
*Character adjectives: diligent, confident, ambitious, hard-working, etc
*Modal verbs and character adjectives have been previously taught.
Materials
Whiteboard, markers, computer, projector, flipchart if necessary, Activity Sheets 1, 2, and 3, Exit Student Thoughts (sheet).
Lesson Procedure:
Take attendance and greet students (5 minutes)
Warm-Up (15 minutes):
❏ Show the following video to students
❏ (As a class) - Teacher and students to discuss what’s a cover letter and why is important to add one with a resume. This is to follow up with their unit about employment.
❏ Ss will generate what they know and the teacher will write all ideas on the whiteboard. T. will designate a small area on the whiteboard for new vocabulary.
Task (25 minutes):
❏ Using the classroom computer and projector, the teacher will show students a few examples of cover letters from the Dailyvitamint.com website.
❏ Provide students with copies of the letters being examined
❏ Discuss and identify the parts of the letter (letterhead, date, inside address, greeting, body, and closing).
❏ Ss will be encouraged to write notes on their letter samples for future reference.
Group activity: (25 minutes)
- Give students Activity #1. Pair students to work on this activity, making sure to blend high with low-level students.
- Ss will fill in the blanks with one of the words provided in the word bank.
- The T will walk around the classroom and check on each group - provide corrective feedback throughout the activity. (reading, speaking)
- As a class, correct all answers
Vocabulary-building Task: (25 minutes)
- Discuss character adjectives. Using the same Activity #1, students will identify character adjectives by circling them on the cover letter sample. They will also identify any modal verbs by underlining them on the sample. Modal verbs should be easy for Ss to identify as they have previously learned this.
- Ask Ss about character adjectives that best describe them (i.e. creative, organized, disciplined, hardworking). Make a list of character adjectives on a flipchart.
- The T will guide learners through positive and negative attributes
- Teacher to provide corrective feedback (speaking, grammar, and vocabulary)
Break: 15 minutes
Teach (20 minutes):
- Give students Activity #2 (Job Advertisement). Ss will work in groups of 3 and they will find all the adjectives described in the job advertisement. There are about 15 adjectives listed. Blend students in each group - high and low levels
- After the time is up, have students elicit their responses to the class. Were there any adjectives that the students missed?
Task (30 minutes):
- Students now will create their own cover letter using a formatted letter template. See Activity #3
- The T will provide a number of job advertisements from local newspapers.
- Ss will choose a job advertisement to write their own cover letter.
- Students to work individually
- Once Ss are done, the teacher will give corrective feedback - correcting any grammar mistakes in their letter.
- Have students write a second draft of their letter - adding any missing details and making sure the Ss have all grammar mistakes corrected.
Assessment: 20 minutes
Students will get a mark on their final draft of their cover letter. Did the student use descriptive adjectives and modal verbs on the letter? Are all grammar mistakes fixed?
Students will be asked to add their thoughts about this lesson as part of their exit activity.
Resources
Language Instruction Support and Training Network (LISTN), Uploaded: December 29, 2016, Tutela, Resources CLB 7 Module Employment, retrieved from https://tutela.ca/Resource_20543#preview
Simple Show Foundation, published on Jun 17, 2014, How to Write A Cover Letter, retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j66rpL6QGeY
ESOL Courses. Free English Lessons Online. A List of Positive Personality Adjectives To Use When Applying For Jobs.
Red River College
Winnipeg Free Press News: Market Place-Careers
GC Jobs: Job Search
Daily Vitamint: Free Cover Letter Samples
iSLCOLLECTIVE
Making a General Cover Letter
Cover Letter Now
Canadian Language Benchmark, retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/english/pdf/pub/language-benchmarks.pdf
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Tutela Address: https://tutela.ca/CreateGroupFile?organicgroup=22966
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