CELTA

Assignment 3: Language Skills

I chose reading as a receptive skill for this assignment and writing as a
productive skill. “Reading texts also provide good models for English writing” (from
How to Teach English, Jeremy Harmer).It took me a while to find an „authentic
text‟ which will motivate my students to read.‟ They give exposure to „real‟ English
and can be very motivating for learners.” (Extract from Learning to Teach
English A practical introduction for new teachers, Peter Watkins)

The learners are mainly from Easter European countries whose motive for learning
English is quite varied. The other is the age factor of the student which means they
have different needs, competence and cognitive skills. The students in this group
have from basic to average competence. The majority of students are Romanians
and tend to sit together and help each other. The problem however, is the use of
their mother tongue which provokes errors and confusion. (L1 interference )

The authentic text I chose is from a British Health Foundation magazine „Heart
Matters‟ issue 41. The text is about the top UK railway walks. I believe that this text
will interest learners because it gives information to explore UK in an inexpensive
way and gives them an opportunity to get together and have a real exposure to
practice their English.

Most of the text has proper names of places which will help students identify
Capitalization of Proper Nouns.

Students will find that there aren‟t many new words in the texts which will motivate
reading and easy understanding.

Receptive Skills
Reading skills include the sub-skills

 reading for gist

 reading for specific information
 reading for detailed comprehension (intensive reading task)

1
Lead-in : A lead-in question to set the context of the reading.

Rationale: Setting lead-in questions is a way of focusing learners on the most

important part of the text. Therefore by setting up this task I build interest in the
text, prepare the students to predict the subject they will read and give them a
chance to think of what they already know about the subject which enhances the
understanding process.

Developing the task

I direct the learners to the questions for general discussion by displaying the
questions on the board. I will also give them as a worksheet and group the
students in pairs or in groups of four to talk about their own experiences. I will give
them time to read the questions and discuss. I will monitor and listen to ideas and
help students with difficult vocabulary. When the time is up elicit from students
their answers. I will then verify their predictions and check for inaccurate guesses.

Reading Task 1
This reading task will be skimming for gist. “A typical skimming task would be a
general question from the teacher, such as „Is this passage about Jill‟s memories of
summer or winter?‟ (J. Scrivener 2005)

Rationale: I chose this reading task to encourage skimming of the text and focus
students‟ attention on the overall theme or main idea of the text. Students are not
expected to read every word. This kind of task helps students‟ to quickly skim for
main topics example from newspapers, magazines or adverts. The quick reading for
the main topic also generates more interest to read the text further.

Developing the task

I will display the gist question and give students time to think about the questions.
Then I will elicit answers from students and verify and give feedback.
At this point I will introduce and draw students‟ attention to the vocabulary box and
explain the meaning of the words. This brief activity will help the students prepare
for the next task which is involved with details of the text. They do not need to
know every word in the text. “In order to make students better readers, we need
first to raise their awareness that it‟s not essential to understand every word,” J.
Scrivener, 2005
Reading Task 2

2
The task is to scan the text for specific information.
Rationale: I have chosen a scanning task for the students. This task will help
students to match keywords and link to their search to complete the given task.
Students will be able to identify relevant information quickly through scanning
which helps as an effective filter.
”There are two reasons to use the first two reading task (skimming and scanning).
First, these reading skills are worth practising in their own right because they are
frequently used in „real life‟ reading. Second, they are designed to help the more
intensive reading because the reader already has some understanding of the text
and how it is organised.” (Learning to Teach English, Peter Watkins, 2005)
Developing the task

I will ask students to read the task first. Then students will scan quickly the task
identifying keywords in the text and write „T‟ for true and „F‟ for false. The students
will work in pair to correct each other. I will give the correction and feedback.
Students are now ready to do an intensive reading to be able to do the next task.

Reading Task 2A
This is an intensive reading task for students to read in more details and give short
answers to comprehension questions.

Rationale:
I chose this task to introduce students to intensive reading. The task focuses on
intensive comprehensive understanding of the text. I believe this task also helps
student to understand and work out meaning of words from context.

Developing the task

Students will reread the text and answer the question. They will not have to write
full sentences. I will encourage students to read text for detail.
Comprehension question could be used to assess student performance.
Students will work individually and compare their answers in pair or in groups of
three or four. I will monitor and help them focus their reading.

Productive Skills

3
Writing skills include the sub-skills

 Short creative writing

 formal/informal writing (e-mail/letter writing)

Writing Task 1
Students will write a short/brief description of two famous/places of interest from
their own country/town using the text or the given example as a reference.
Rationale:
I chose this writing task to introduce students to write about something related to
their own with limited options. Students will study the sample of the text or the
example given and they will be able to model texts similar to what they want to
write. (J. Scrivener, 2005)

Writing Task 2
Students will write a short informal e mail to a friend giving information about the
places they want their friend to visit in their own country/hometown.
Rationale:
This task is real-life means of communicating. Having an informal style of writing
encourages students to write using simpler conjunctions („and‟,‟but‟) and to use
contractions.
Pre teaching
I will prepare an activity of an e-mail cut-out in a series of cards and instruct
students to reorder them to make a complete e mail. This activity will be done in
groups of four or by each table. If students are having trouble with the sequencing
I can give them some references they can look for. Following the corrected activity
they can now write the e-mail on their own.

Bibliography
Jim Scrivener, Learning Teaching (Macmillan Publishers Limited 2005)
Peter Watkins, Learning to Teach English, A practical introduction for new teachers (Delta
publishing 2005)
Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching, Fourth Edition (Pearson Longman 2007)

4
 Vocabulary

Get on Track: Take your pick Tunnel

scenery
from these top UK railway walks.
foothpath

Lead-in Task route

Instructions: Ask and answer the following alongside

questions.
a. Do you like walking or cycling around the countryside?

b. Do you walk to exercise instead of going to the gym?

c. Do you walk to your college?

d. Do you think it’s good for your heart to walk?

Railway tunnel
scenery

Reading Task 1
Instructions: Read the article quickly and answer the
questions.
What is the article about?
How many railway walks has the author listed in this article?

5
Reading Task 2
Read the text and choose if the statement is true or false.
Write T for true or F for false in the space provided.
a. All the walks and cycle routes are outside London. ___

b. The Mawddach Trail in Wales is only a cycle route. ___

c. You can walk near a railway line in Norfolk. ___

d. Northern Ireland includes one of the UK’s oldest railway tunnels. ___

e. The Tarka Trail in Devon is popular only with families. ___

f. The Monsal Trail includes the reopened tunnels. ___

g. A six mile, tree-lined route runs from Finsbury Park. ___

footpath

Reading Task 2A (Extra Activity)

Instructions: Read the text again and answer the following
questions. (give short answers)
a. How long is UK’s oldest railway tunnel?

_____________________________

b. Where does The Marriott’s Way start?

______________________________

6
 c. Where do you find the reopened tunnels?
______________________________

d. How much does it cost per household to join the Railway Ramblers?

______________________________

e. Where do you find an estuary?

______________________________

f. What runs for 9.5 miles from Barmouth To Dolgellau.

_______________________________

Writing Task 1
Following example given write 2 short descriptions of an interesting or famous place
a tourist can visit in your home town. (Remember all names of places must be in
capital letter .Only give a short discription)

BIG BEN
The clock tower houses
the bell known as Big
Ben. It is one of the
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________

most famous sites in ___________________________

___________________________
___________________________
London. ___________________________

___________________________

7
Writing Task 2
Your friend John has e-mailed you and asked you to write
him about a tourist attraction in your home town. Write an
e-mail to John telling him:
 Where to go
 What to visit
 Which hotel to stay at

Dear John,

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Best Wishes,

(your name )