Creating Learning Partners: A facilitator’s guide for training effective adult literacy tutors

Activity C

Understanding individual learner needs

This covers some informal assessment tools that will help tutors plan and give them some insight into their learners’ lives.

Option 1 Mapping technique using handouts and discussion
Why choose this option? Tutors can use the mapping technique even with beginner learners. Materials and equipment Handout 11.7: Mapping Technique Handout 11.8: Language Needs Grid Flip chart and markers Preparation Decide if this is the session during which you will talk about any formal assessments that your program uses. If you decide to talk about them now, plan where this discussion would fit in the session. For example, the mapping technique would be a good introduction to the Canadian Language Benchmarks. Pull out samples, plan training activities around these assessment techniques, and increase the expected time for the unit. Look over the Mapping Technique handout. You will be starting the activity by drawing a simple map of some of the places that you visit during a specific day. You might want to draw this map, based on your life, ahead of time. Copy handouts. STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS Distribute the Mapping Technique handout. Introduce the mapping technique as a way to gather information from learners who cannot explain their needs in English. Read over the three introductory paragraphs and the sample with tutors. Explain that they are going to look at language needs for a specific place. Draw on the flip chart a map of some places that you visit in your daily life, or use the map you have already drawn. Pick a particular day where you don’t visit a lot of places. As a group, choose one place from the map to use for the exercise. Hand out the Language Needs Grid blank chart. Tell tutors that they will be filling out the grid based on the place that the group chose. Ask them to fill in the place name under the “where” column and give a reason for being there under the “why” column. Brainstorm ideas for the other columns as a whole group if you have fewer than four tutors or divide tutors into small groups. Make sure that you cover the language needs for all four of the different language skill areas (listening, speaking, reading and writing). If you have four groups, for example, each group will brainstorm the language needs for one of the skill areas. Ask tutors to give some specific examples. For example, knowing adjectives to describe what kind of haircut someone would like at a hair salon would be a language need. Take only five or so minutes for this, as the list doesn’t have to be very long to demonstrate this technique. Get together and have a spokesperson for each group share their list. End this part by pointing out that even the simplest of tasks may require a variety of language skills. If you are working with a task-based assessment tool like Canadian Language Benchmarks in your program, this would be a good time to introduce this assessment tool because this grid leads into thinking about the language needs to accomplish specific tasks.

Option 1 Mapping technique using handouts and discussion

Why choose this option?

Tutors can use the mapping technique even with beginner learners.

Materials and equipment

Handout 11.7: Mapping Technique
Handout 11.8: Language Needs Grid
Flip chart and markers

Preparation

Decide if this is the session during which you will talk about any formal assessments that your program uses. If you decide to talk about them now, plan where this discussion would fit in the session. For example, the mapping technique would be a good introduction to the Canadian Language Benchmarks. Pull out samples, plan training activities around these assessment techniques, and increase the expected time for the unit.

Look over the Mapping Technique handout. You will be starting the activity by drawing a simple map of some of the places that you visit during a specific day. You might want to draw this map, based on your life, ahead of time.

Copy handouts.

STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

Distribute the Mapping Technique handout. Introduce the mapping technique as a way to gather information from learners who cannot explain their needs in English.
Read over the three introductory paragraphs and the sample with tutors.
Explain that they are going to look at language needs for a specific place. Draw on the flip chart a map of some places that you visit in your daily life, or use the map you have already drawn. Pick a particular day where you don’t visit a lot of places. As a group, choose one place from the map to use for the exercise.
Hand out the Language Needs Grid blank chart. Tell tutors that they will be filling out the grid based on the place that the group chose. Ask them to fill in the place name under the “where” column and give a reason for being there under the “why” column.
Brainstorm ideas for the other columns as a whole group if you have fewer than four tutors or divide tutors into small groups. Make sure that you cover the language needs for all four of the different language skill areas (listening, speaking, reading and writing). If you have four groups, for example, each group will brainstorm the language needs for one of the skill areas. Ask tutors to give some specific examples. For example, knowing adjectives to describe what kind of haircut someone would like at a hair salon would be a language need.
Take only five or so minutes for this, as the list doesn’t have to be very long to demonstrate this technique.
Get together and have a spokesperson for each group share their list.
End this part by pointing out that even the simplest of tasks may require a variety of language skills.
If you are working with a task-based assessment tool like Canadian Language Benchmarks in your program, this would be a good time to introduce this assessment tool because this grid leads into thinking about the language needs to accomplish specific tasks.