The Framework is an open-source online tool, a 360° View of Communicative Competence at Work. Designed by the Ontario Government the framework is a resource for foreign trained professionals to provide strategies, approaches, and areas for language development that support intercultural workplace communication. The tool does not come with a teacher's guide or classroom activities, but it can serve as a starting point for classroom conversations and independent study. The tool also includes a video and downloadable pdf.
The focus of this resource is to build awareness and improve intercultural communication in culturally diverse work environments. It is intended for foreign-trained professionals, but will also be a useful resource for their Canadian counterparts and for the professional development of ESL instructors.
The resource has four parts: a series of 19 short (2-minute) videos, supported by an activity guide, a booklet of scene-by-scene breakdowns for the videos to give context to each scene, and a guide containing the full transcripts of each video.
The scenarios in the videos are based on the lived experiences of newcomers. (The resource is not referenced to the CLBs, but the language is at an intermediate/advanced level.) The videos present authentic challenges in intercultural communication in a workplace setting: refusing to shake hands, failing to understand the unwritten rules in a meeting, not communicating problems to a supervisor, having a difficult conversation about uncomfortable behaviours.
The resource aims to increase intercultural awareness and competency, build and practice workplace skills and appropriate language. The aim is to enhance the employability of newcomers, give them the tools to navigate communication differences in multicultural settings, not only to enter the labour market but also to maintain employment.
The resources from this website below will be useful to instructors and learners in understanding culture. English Language Lessons (Canadian point of view). Below are two examples:
This playlist on YouTube, produced by the University of Oregon's Centre for Applied Second Language Studies, consists of nineteen short videos intended for independent learning by students. The topics covered would provide a very helpful introduction to intercultural communication and pragmatics, and could be assigned for independent viewing or as part of small group discussion. The various themes would allow for interesting and lively cross-cultural comparisons between rules around politeness, backchannelling, social distance, discourse markers and more.
