Name: Maya
Age: 65
Newcomer to Canada (arrived within the last 3 years). Originally from Afghanistan. Lived as a refugee in Pakistan for 10 years. 4 children (adults, the youngest is in college, the oldest is a mechanic in a car shop). Loves cooking. Worked as tailor, continues to provide tailoring services from home.
Multilingual.
Effects on lesson planning
· No mentioning of her past life experience
· Focus on immediate interests
· Vocabulary she can apply in her every day life
· Show a lot of encouragement and support
· Focus on speaking and vocabulary, not so much on grammar
· Show respect for her ability to combine many roles ( student, grandma, tailor)
· Let her choose how she wants to distribute her workload in your class
Education and Experience
First free classes of formal education in first language (Farsi). Reads and writes in a second language (Urdu). Fluent in Pashto.
· Very limited educated obtained, Maya might struggle with basic skills
· She is multilingual and can apply her own strategies in learning English
English Language Proficiency
Spoken - beginner, acquired from daily interactions. Written - alphabet, own name.
· Use lots of visual presentations
· A lot of repetition and reviews
· Address topics that are of interest for Maya
Digital Skills
Has never used a computer before. Has a cell phone, uses it to call family members
· Assignments on paper only.
· Won’t be able to participate in online sessions ( if any)
Learning Strategies
Limited, needs guidance from the instructor, has difficulties working on her own
· Make instructions very clear and easy to follow
· Praise her every time she does work independently and goes an extra mile
Cultural Considerations
Respect towards older members of the community, teacher is viewed as a master and transmitter of knowledge
· Create a warm and friendly atmosphere in the class
· Often double check to see if she has any questions
Motivation and Desires
Would like to learn English to be more independent in daily life (groceries, banking, doctor’s visits)
· Role play her everyday life situations
· Use relevant vocabulary
· Encourage her to use some practical language to describe her activities during the day
Goals and Expectations
Learn to read and write independently, progress to the next level by the end of the term
· Show a lot of support and praise for having a goal!
· Let everyone share their most helpful sources to learn English independently
Obstacles to Success
Irregular attendance
· Discuss the topic of the next lesson and explain its importance
· If she gets better with technology, she’ll be able to join online!
Unique Assets
Acquires oral language quickly, talkative and tries to use English whenever possible
· More speaking activities
· More group work for practicing.
Name : Andrew
Age :17
A teenager whose parents moved to Canada for work a couple of years ago. Speaks Russian and Ukrainian fluently. Attends high school and despite his language level, already has a group friends he likes to spend time with.
Andrew would like to become a Canadian citizen and obtain a degree from one of the Canadian universities. School he attended in Ukraine is very strong and he is used to study hard.
Effects on lesson planning
· Choose topics of immediate interest for him
· Self-motivated as his goal is clear and quite achievable.
· Multilingual so it will be easier for him to learn another language
· Don’t be afraid to challenge him to do more complicated assignments
· Include vocabulary that he is interested in
· Include more speaking activities in teenager – related topics
Education and Experience
Was attending high school in Ukraine when he left. He studied English back home for two years. Now he is a high school student in Canada.
· Encourage to move to the next level of English faster by reading books, watching TV shows and listening to podcasts in English
· Praise for his other strengths and abilities
English Language Proficiency
A2, basic user.
· Main focus on his immediate interests, his likes and dislikes
· Initiate discussions about his life in Canada
Digital Skills
Advanced, comfortable with all kinds of technology
· Can assign tasks on computer or tablet
· When missing a class, he can join by video
· Will be comfortable using other resources like youtube videos, movies, podcasts in his learning
Learning Strategies
Feels comfortable learning the language independently but still looks for some guidance from his teacher.
· More group and pair activities with clear instructions from the teacher.
· Use videos and other authentic materials, that will initiate interest
Cultural Considerations
More reserved than others, finds it hard to speak in front of the class but feels more comfortable in a small group settings
· Talk about things he likes/dislikes, that can spark some interesting conversations
· Include group problem solving
Motivation and Desires
Andrew needs to take an IELTS test to be able to apply to a University in Canada
· Include some techniques from IELTS exam like paraphrasing and skimming/scanning
· More focus on speaking, as it can’t be rehearsed like other parts of the exam
Goals and Expectations
Wants to become Canadian citizen
· Include topics that often appear in the exam
· Develop activities where he can learn some facts about Canada in a fun way
Obstacles to Success
Sometimes he feels discouraged that his progress is not as fast as he expects even though he lives in an English-speaking country
· Track his progress more often and give guidance when needed
· More group work with topics of interest for him
· Encourage and remind that consistency and patience will pay off
Unique Assets
Open and enjoys a variety of activities from drilling to projects that involve some critical thinking.
· Provide a variety of activities
· Give advice on how incorporate some activities ( e.g. reading) at home
Name: Nitin
Age: 43
Nitin is originally from India, immigrated to Canada 10 years ago with his family. Works for a delivery company but wants to start his own delivery business with his wife. Nitin has 3 children – all teenagers. He speaks three languages – Hindi, Bengali and English. Prefers not to speak about his past.
He is a friendly, hard working and kind man.
Effects on lesson planning
· His past is a sensitive topic, avoid questions about it
· Cater to his immediate needs Include vocabulary he needs for his business needs
· Focus on speaking and reading to help him handle simple interactions with his future customers
· Show support and encouragement, praise him for his hard work
Education and Experience
Nitin finished school in India but never continued his studies as his family needed financial support.
· Writing and reading will probably be most challenging.
· Will have to start with very simple constructions
· Use variety of activities
English Language Proficiency
High beginner, his vocabulary is limited to commonly-used words
· His language proficiency level is quite low so it will be a challenge to integrate some business into his English knowledge.
· Will first focus on bringing his English to a higher level, then integrate some business practice.
Digital Skills
Feels comfortable performing some simple tasks on a computer but still prefers print outs for homework.
· Can assign online tasks
· Can participate in online meetings
· Make instructions for online assignments very clear and straightforward
Learning Strategies
Can learn independently but still need some guidance from the teacher. Doesn’t want to “bother” the teacher with questions he has.
· Can expect him to work on the assignments independently
· Check in often to see if he has any questions
Cultural Considerations
Proud of his heritage and likes to share stories about India and how people live there
· Asking him to share stories with the class will help him feel proud of his home and keep his motivation high
Motivation and Desires
To be able to communicate with business partners and clients more efficiently
· Apply communicative language teaching techniques
· Appeal to his immediate interests
Goals and Expectations
To start and grow a successful business. Nitin needs to be able to understand contracts, talk with clients on the phone, add information to the website.
· Include activities like role play ( eg customer calling to find out about prices)
· Focus on business vocabulary
Obstacles to Success
Lack of time and a lot of responsibilities. Also, Nitin is very excited about his startup but worried his business idea won’t work out.
· Limit homework ( can some of it be done in class?)
· Create supportive atmosphere and remind him that the teacher is his partner and its ok to ask for help
Unique Assets
Very responsible
Open to help other students
Willing to learn and try new things
· Can rely on his help in class
· Assign tasks and expect that they will be completed
Name: Zofia
Age: 55
Zofia came to Canada from Poland 15 years ago when her son signed a contract with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and moved to Canada. Her son brought his family with him – his wife and two daughters (7 and 9yo) Zofia helps around the house, takes care of her granddaughters. She also likes to go to the church with her friends and that’s where she attends English classes. However, she complains that at her age it’s hard to memorize new words. She loves to cook, read books and watch TV.
Effects on lesson planning
· She spends a lot of time with her granddaughters and will be interested in vocabulary related to this age
· Focus on speaking skills
· Focus on her interests – cooking, reading
· She loves to read, which means she is curious person and likes to learn things. She’d probably be interested in learning more about her new home -Canada
· As she has memory difficulties, it wouldn’t make sense to overload her with new words in one lesson
Education and Experience
Zofia graduated from the Technical College back in Poland. She speaks Polish fluently. Now has recently started taking free English classes.
· Focus on speaking and vocabulary not grammar
· People of her generation usually good studying habits and take things seriously. Can expect her to do her best in her studies
English Language Proficiency
A2 – basic user
· Appropriate level curriculum
· Lots of repetition of new material
· Encourage simple dialogues with a meaningful purpose ( Where are you from? )
Digital Skills
Doesn’t own a computer, has negative attitude towards technology. Owns a simple cell phone to call family members
· Assignments on paper only
· Won’t be able to study online
· Will feel left out if students will decide to start a group on social media
Learning Strategies
Takes initiative to study at home as she some free time during the day when her granddaughters are at school; asks the teacher for clear instructions and is not afraid to ask questions.
· Expect her to be prepared with her home assignments
· Praise for taking extra steps when learning English
Cultural Considerations
Small talks and smiles is not her things, she considers them waste of time.
Zofia is quiet and observant, not very open to talk with new students but when she learns more about them, she opens up.
· Have backup activities ready for her in case she doesn’t feel comfortable to role play small talk
· Group and pair activities in the area in her immediate interest
Motivation and Desires
To be able to talk to her granddaughters, read to them and discuss whatever they are interested in
· Role play dialogues using vocabulary specific to their age
· Support her effort, not every grandma would learn a new language to better understand her grandkids!
Goals and Expectations
To become a Canadian citizen
· Prepare variety of activities such as quizzes to include questions she might have during her citizenship test
Obstacles to Success
Lack of time, she has many responsibilities around the house and her grandkids
Her memory capacity is not that high any more
· Don’t overload with homework
· Keep instructions clear
· Don’t overload with new vocabulary
Unique Assets
Despite her age, Zofia is quite an energetic woman
She remained her natural curiosity for things and open to learning new things
· No need to motivate her
· She will be appreciative of your work
· She has lots of life experience and can share her wisdom with others
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