Centre of English Studies Dublin

Pre-Course Task

Federico Martin Pasquale

Section 1: Learners and Teachers, and
the Teaching and Learning Context
Task 1
1. In what context will you be doing the CELTA course?

The learning/teaching context will be in a multilingual similar ability group with adult learners
from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. I will teach in afternoon classes of 12 to 15
students for a period of 40 minutes or 1 hour.

2. Do you know what context you will be teaching in after you finish the course?

I will probably teach in a similar context. My objective is to work for a language school teaching
adults of different levels. In the future, I would also like to become an expert in one area of the
language and teach at University but there is still a lot to be done before that.

Task 2
1. Think about why you decided to teach adults.

I particularly enjoy teaching adults as they have a great deal of life experience and share their
knowledge of the world, so the classes are very enriching for everybody as we all learn from
each other. The teaching and learning processes are very collaborative and the atmosphere that
is generated in the classroom is in general very productive.

2. Think about what you, as an adult, bring to this learning situation.

I have been a language learner most of my life and I am always studying to improve and become
a better professional. I think I benefit from having learned the language myself too, so as a
teacher, I can easily understand the students’ difficulties. For me, teaching and learning are two
sides of the same coin. It’s a collaborative process in which the key factor is motivation and
being positive. I also have a vast experience teaching the language in a variety of contexts; one-
to-one lessons, lessons in groups, closed and open groups, mixed and same gender classes and
large and small classes which is very beneficial for the students.

3. Look at your answers to questions 1 and 2 and use these ideas to help you to write down what
characterises adult learners.

It is difficult to characterise adult learners as a whole, especially when they come from different
backgrounds and have different motivations to learn the language. However, I could say that in
general terms, adults see the learning process as a mission to achieve a particular goal, i.e.,
learning or improving their level of English for a specific reason; get a promotion, travel, being
able to communicate, etc.. They come to the school with a motivation in mind so, they expect
the teacher to deliver useful and dynamic classes, and above all, be patient and understanding
of their needs. Another great deal depends on personality, some can be extrovert and eager to
participate, while others might be a bit shy or introvert. To deliver successful classes and fulfil
the student’s expectations, the teacher has to bear in mind that they all have different learning
experiences and styles and s/he needs to make the classes as inclusive and entertaining as
possible.

Task 3
1. What would you want to find out about a group of learners that you had to teach so that you
could plan your lessons?

I would like to know their age, nationality, profession, previous studies and jobs, interests,
hobbies, favourite books, films and music and if they speak other languages, as some could be
multilingual speakers. This information will help me find points in common amongst the
students and give me an idea of what the group is like to plan the lessons more according to
their expectations.

2. How would you find out?

I would carry out a survey adapted to the English level of the group to find out the information
or I would make the students fill up a personal profile to share with the class about who they
are and what they like doing. Depending on the level of the class, the students can also
introduce themselves following a certain pattern.

Task 4
If you were teaching a group of learners, each of whom had different motivations for learning
English, which learners would be the most challenging in terms of motivation?

All the motivations listed and which students might have are equally important and need to be
taken into consideration, but there is one thing in common with all of them; the
communicational aspect of the language. Whatever their reason for learning English may be,
the students will use it to get their ideas across, so I would put the emphasis in the
communicative aspect of the language. Nevertheless, some of the motivations could be more
difficult to address, especially the ones that require a good command of the language. For
students who like literature I would introduce or recommend the use of graded readers. Study
and research in English could be demanding depending of the area of specialty. In all cases I
think it is important to give students tools to become autonomous learners, and in so doing
they will be able to achieve their objective earlier than expected. For example, if someone’s
motivation to learn is to be able to understand English films, TV and songs, I would give them
useful pieces of advice during the class as how to work with this so they can do extra practice at
home.

Task 5
Look at the list of qualities and skills that a teacher might have. Which do you think learners most
often rate in the top five?

All of the qualities and skills on the list are important and the answer will depend on the type of
learner and on the context in which the class is given but in my personal experience or if I was a
learner myself I would say that the most important are:

The teacher…
1 is patient
2 builds rapport
3 respects individuality
4 gives clear information and feedback
5 is methodical and well-organised
Section 2: Language Analysis and
Awareness
Task 6
Make a list of associations you have with the word ‘grammar’. (They may not all be negative!)

Many things come to my mind when I think of the word grammar: logical thinking, rules,
different types of grammar such as traditional, structural, generative and functional grammar,
usage and use, linguistics, language analysis, grammar categories and fields of study such as
syntax, morphology and phonology, phonetics, semantics and pragmatics.

Task 7
Look at the following sentences and decide which are correct. Write a correct version of the
examples that are incorrect.

1. We’ve been looking for you for ages. - Correct

2. I’ve been to the movies last night. – Incorrect – I went to the movies last night.
3. He often come late. – Incorrect – He often comes late.
4. They were waiting by the fountain. - Correct
5. Can I have a coffee black, please? – Incorrect – Can I have a black coffee, please?
6. People with 12 items or less can queue here. – Incorrect – People with 12 items or fewer can
queue here.

Task 8
Provide a list of reasons why English language teachers need to know about grammar. In doing so,
try to give some thought to the learners’ perspective.

As it is stated in the booklet, it is important to develop an explicit language awareness and build
up our knowledge of grammar as much as possible. The main reason is that all languages are
governed by grammar rules which form the underlying structure of the language. These
structures vary from language to language and the students need to know how they operate in
the new language they are learning as they may be very different from their mother tongue. For
example, the word order in sentences follows a certain pattern in English which is S (subject) + V
(verb) + O (object). If we don’t know this pattern, we won’t be able to form grammatically
correct sentences. Another reason is that good grammar will give the students a good language
input which is essential in the learning process and it is also part of the curricula as every unit
has a grammar component or aspect of the language that needs to be addressed. Besides,
students will probably ask lots of questions because they might want to make comparisons
between the grammar they are learning and the one of their own language and the teacher
must be prepared to give clear explanations and examples.

Task 9
Identify the underlined words in the following dialogue. Use a grammar reference book or a
dictionary to help you with this if necessary.

A: What are you(1) looking at?

B: Well, it’s a(2) photograph of something very close up, but(3) I can’t work out what it is.
A: Yes, it’s quite(4) abstract(5), isn’t it?
B: Yes. It could(6) be one of those(7) things for(8) unblocking a sink.
A: Oh, you mean(9) a plunger(10).

1. Personal pronoun.
2. Indefinite article.
3. Conjunction.
4. Degree adverb.
5. Adjective.
6. Modal verb.
7. Demonstrative pronouns.
8. Preposition.
9. Verb.
10. Noun.

Task 10

Decide if the underlined verbs in the following sentences and questions are lexical verbs or
auxiliary verbs.

1. He watches TV for at least two hours every evening. – Lexical verb.

2. What are you looking for? – Lexical verb.
3. They aren’t going to come. – Auxiliary verb.
4. What does he want? – Auxiliary verb.
5. They haven’t been here before. – Auxiliary verb.
6. He was waiting on the corner. – Lexical verb.

Task 11
Decide if the underlined verbs be, do and have have an auxiliary or lexical function in the
following sentences and questions.

1. I had a bad headache yesterday. - Lexical function.

2. When do you get up each day? – Auxiliary function.
3. How long have you been learning English? - Auxiliary function.
4. I did it without thinking. - Lexical function.
5. We do some exercise every morning. - Lexical function.
6. Have you had them long? - Lexical function.
7. I was hoping for a quick answer. - Auxiliary function.
8. Are they still here? - Lexical function.

Task 12
All of the following sentences (1-5) contain modal auxiliary verbs that are underlined. Match the
meaning of the modal verb to the definitions below (A-E).

1. You should see a doctor as soon as you can. C

2. You may go now, thank you. E
3. This letter must be from Frank – he’s the only one who hasn’t written so far. B
4. I can’t play the piano very well. A
5. We could go out, but I don’t know if I’m in the mood. D
A. Ability
B. Logical deduction
C. Advice
D. Possibility
E. Permission

Task 13
Match the underlined verb form examples to the correct definition.

1. I worked until 7 o’clock last night. - Past tense form.

2. They’ve been seeing a lot of each other lately. -ing form.
3. She lives not far from here. - 3rd person –present simple tense
4. You have to try harder. - Base form.
5. It was handed to me as I was leaving. - Past participle form.

Task 14
Think of the past form and the past participle forms of the following verbs. Which
are regular? Which are not regular?

hear – heard – heard (I) do – did – done (I) help – helped – helped (R)
think – thought – thought take – took – taken (I) steal – stole – stolen (I)
(I) drink – drank – drunk (I) arrive – arrived – arrived
go – went – gone (I) (R)

Task 15
Identify the different elements (past, present, modal, perfect, progressive, passive) underlined in
the following verb phrases.

1. I was hoping to see you.

It combines past tense and progressive aspect to form the past continuous.
2. They might have got home by now.
It combines the modal verb might with the base form of have and a past participle of get to
create a verb phrase for possibility in the past.
3. We have tried to help.
It combines present tense with perfect aspect to form the present perfect simple.
4. They were being questioned at length.
It combines past tense with progressive aspect and passive voice to form the past continuous
passive.
5. I saw it coming.
It combines the past tense and simple aspect to form the past simple.
6. This time next week you will be lying on a beach.
It combines the modal verb will, the base verb be and the progressive aspect to form the future
continuous.

Task 16
Identify the tense names of the underlined verbs in the following sentences. You will most likely
need to refer to a grammar reference book to help you.

1. I am having a really good time. – Present continuous.

2. We stopped doing that years ago. - Past simple.
3. She lives somewhere near here. – Present simple.
4. We had been for a drink before we met him. – Past perfect.
5. These computers are made in China. – Present passive.
6. You will have been here for 2 days by then. – Future perfect simple.
7. It happened as I was driving home. – Past simple and past continuous.
8. I have been feeling unwell for a while. – Present perfect continuous.

Task 17
The following examples of language contain different tenses which are underlined. The name of
the tense is also given. Decide what the time reference of each example is and remember that
the time reference may not match the tense name.

1. The sun was shining brightly in the sky. (past progressive). Past time
2. They’ll have finished work on the bridge by then. (future perfect simple) Future time.
3. She’s been working in the garden all morning. (present perfect progressive) Present time.
4. Have you got a minute? I was wondering whether we could have a word. (past progressive)
Present time.
5. They own most of the land around here. (present simple) Present time.

Task 18
• What auxiliary verb is used to create the present progressive?
The auxiliary verb be is used.
• What is the form of the lexical verb of the present progressive?
The lexical verb takes the -ing form.

Task 19
Look at the following mini-dialogues below and decide the time reference or use of the
underlined examples of the present progressive.

A: How about going to a movie this evening?

B: I can’t. I’m meeting Judy for a drink.
Future time reference. Present progressive can be used for future arrangements with a future
meaning.

A: Where’s Tony?
B: I don’t know where he’s got to.
A: He’s always running late.
Present time reference. Present progressive + always is used to signal an annoying habit in the
present.

A: It was late at night and dark and I was on my way back to the hotel. Suddenly, I find I’m
walking down the street all on my own and I can hear the sound of footsteps …
Past reference. It is possible to use present simple and progressive to tell a story that took place
in the past as if it is happening now.

Task 20
What is the problem with the following examples?

1. He’s having a brother and a sister.

He has a brother and a sister. Have is a state verb and can’t be used in the progressive tense in
this context.
2. I’m liking this ice cream.
I like this ice cream. Like is a state verb and can’t be used in the progressive tense.
3. What are you thinking of your new job?
What do you think of your new job? The verb think in this example is a state verb.
4. This sauce is lacking salt.
This sauce lacks salt. The present simple is used because it refers to a fact.

Task 21
Make a list of what extra information dictionaries can provide about words apart from the
meaning. It would be a good idea to refer to a dictionary to help you.
They provide information on the pronunciation of the word, the word class (verb, noun,
adjective, adverb, etc.), grammatical information (countable or uncountable noun, transitive or
intransitive verb, etc.), main collocations (for example: interested in), a second meaning of the
word and usage of the word with an example sentence.

Task 22
In the following sentences, there is a vocabulary error of some kind. Identify and describe the
problem.

1. He’s the highest person in the family by more than 2 centimetres.

He’s the tallest person in the family by more than 2 centimetres. The adjective high does not
collocate with people. It is used to describe the altitude of a building, mountain, etc., but not a
person. We use tall instead.

2. I think I’ll go to bed now. I’m feeling a little enervated.

I think I’ll go to bed now. I’m feeling a little tired. Enervated is a very formal word it is not used
in this context. We can use another word such as weak or tired in this sentence.

3. It is an extremely good essay. The ideas in it are original and pretentious.

It is an extremely good essay. The ideas in it are original and brilliant. The word pretentious has
a negative connotation, as it means trying to appear or sound more important or clever than it
is.

4. Her grandfather gave her a loving slap on her face.

Her grandfather gave her a loving caress on her face. Caress is a gentle and affectionate touch
and slap is a hit.

5. Every day I like to go footing after work. It’s good exercise and it helps me to relax.
Every day I like to go jogging after work. It’s good exercise and it helps me to relax. The name of
the activity is jogging. Footing refers to the fact of standing firmly on a slope or other dangerous
surface.

Task 23
In the following sentences, you can find the following examples of collocation:
2 verb-noun collocations; 1 verb-preposition collocation; 1 adjective-noun collocation; 3 adverb-
adjective collocations.
Underline and identify these different examples. Note: some sentences contain more than one
collocation.

1. Not only was he nice, but he was also strikingly handsome. (Adverb-adjective collocation)
2. After he got up, he made his bed and did some housework. (Verb-noun collocation)
3. It was absolutely fabulous! (Adverb-adjective collocation)
4. They both really depend on each other. (Verb-preposition collocation)
5. Their farewell at the airport was highly emotional. (Adverb-adjective collocation)
6. She was caught in a vicious circle. (Verb-preposition collocation) (adjective-noun collocation)

Task 24
Match the terms 1-3 with the definitions A – C.

1. stress B A. the music of our voices

2. phoneme C B. giving emphasis to one syllable
3. intonation A C. an individual sound

Task 25
Match the problems 1-3 with the outcomes A-C.

1. an individual sound is mispronounced B

2. a request is made with very flat intonation C
3. the wrong syllable is stressed in a word A

A. the word is incomprehensible

B. the listener might understand ‘bin’ when the speaker wanted to say ‘pin’
C. the speaker can sound arrogant and demanding

Task 26
What are these words?

1. It can be their or there.

2. South
3. Language
4. Peaceful
5. Young
6. Call
7. Search
8. Equation
9. Sugar

Task 27
Where does the stress fall on the following words?

1. guarantee 2. cavalry
3. mechanisation 4. language
5. retreat 6. speculative
7. success 8. balance
9. identity 10. articulate (adjective)

Task 28
1. Mark the main stress on the words in the following 'word family'. Why do you think non-native
speakers often experience problems with these words?

photograph photography photographer photographic. They are all similar and the stress falls in
different positions.
2. Mark the stress in the following pairs of words. Can you identify a pattern?

to record / a record to increase / an increase

to present / a present to import / an import

The verbs are stressed on the second syllable and the nouns on the first syllable.

Task 29
Underline the /ə/ in the following words:

mother forget announce tonight notable mention patrol indicative

Section 3: Language Skills: Reading,

Listening, Speaking and Writing
Task 30
Think of all the texts you have read so far today and comment on the way in which you have read
these texts.

Today I read a magazine and I used skim reading in some articles I found quite interesting,
detailed reading for the articles in which I was really interested in and reading to infer in some
articles in which I wanted to know the writer’s opinion about a particular topic.

Task 31
Below are some different text types. Think about which of the above reading sub-skills we would
use to read these texts.

1. An academic article we need to read for an essay we are writing. Detailed reading.
2. A telephone directory. Scan reading.
3. The editorial of a newspaper on a topic we care about a lot. Reading to infer.
4. An advertisement for a job that might be suitable. Skim reading.

When people read in a language that is not their first language, they often forget to use
appropriate language skills and will read all texts in a great deal of detail. They are also likely to
overuse bi-lingual dictionaries, pausing in their reading every time they find a word they do not
understand.

Task 32
• What problems are there with this way of reading?

The reading process takes a long time and becomes a daunting task. Bi-lingual dictionaries are
not the best. When it comes to study and learning the language, monolingual dictionaries are
better as they help the process of learning English through English.
Task 33
• Make a list of reasons why you think non-native speakers might find listening more challenging
than reading.

- Different accents
- Speed of delivery
- Background noise
- Terminology

Task 34
• Think of three different situations in which you listened today. Make a note of who you were
listening to, your motivation for listening and describe how you listened.

Phone conversation: I phoned a public institution and I had a conversation regarding

paperwork. I had to be very concentrated to understand the speaker as the tone of voice was
very low and there was also background noise.

Film: I watched an American film in which the characters’ speed of delivery was very fast. I
listened paying a lot of attention and using headphones.

Music: I always listen to songs and music in English. Some are easier to understand than others.
The main problem with lyrics is that they are full of idioms, phrases and informal language
which make them more difficult to understand.

Task 35

• Scan listening
• Skim/gist listening
• Intensive listening
• Listening to infer meaning

Match the above listening sub-skills to the following listening texts.

1. A lecture for a course you are taking at university. Intensive listening.

2. A sales pitch for a computer that doesn’t really interest you. However, you are at work and
you can’t just walk out. Gist listening.
3. Announcements at a train station when you are waiting to hear the time of the next train to
your destination. Scan listening.
4. Instructions from your boss for a new task that is critical for your job. Intensive listening.
5. An interview with someone who is famous and whose political opinion you would like to find
out about. Listening to infer.
6. A radio programme on a topic that is mildly interesting for you. Gist listening.

Task 36
• Think about this disparity between 2 years’ study of a language and a lack of ability to speak.
Why do you think this happens?

In my opinion it is due to the lack of language input in the student’s everyday life. Even though
they can take more classes and practice with films and books they don’t get the necessary
amount of exposure to the language and they don’t have the opportunity to put it into practice
outside the classroom. The transactions are mostly in the context of the lesson with a teacher
and other classmates.

Task 37
Look at the following examples of learner language and decide whether the student has managed
to communicate successfully or not.

1. Could I please have a ….? (learner gesticulates, indicating he is unsure of the word) No
2. You come my house tonight? (said with rising intonation) Yes
3. Yesterday good time. Next week we see, no? (learner smiles) Yes
4. A: How long have you been in New Zealand?
B: I stay here 5 weeks. Yes

Task 38
Decide if the following descriptions of conversations are transactional or interactional.

1. You ask a colleague if s/he would mind helping you with something. Transactional
2. You offer to collect your neighbour’s mail while s/he is away on holiday. Transactional
3. You comment on the weather to an acquaintance at a bus stop. Interactional
4. You visit a friend and spend time admiring and talking about his/her garden. Interactional
5. You participate in a university group tutorial that is useful for an essay you are writing.
Transactional
6. You go out with your boss and other colleagues for a drink after work. Interactional

Task 39
• Make a list of reasons why you think speaking fluency practice could help learners’ language
development.

It helps them build up confidence when speaking.

They put the language they know into practice.
They start thinking in English.
They can realise about some of the mistakes they make and autocorrect them.
They feel less pressure practising with peers than directly with the teacher.

Task 40
Which of the following characteristics would you associate with spoken language (S) and which
with written language (W).

1. Includes gesture and facial expression to back up the message. S

2. Uses punctuation to make the content easier to understand. W
3. Includes hesitation devices and fillers such as ‘yeah’, ‘umm’, ‘ah’ etc. S
4. The communicator usually gets immediate feedback from the person they are
communicating with. S
5. Usually involves greater planning in advance. W
6. Uses pauses, stress and intonation to show where ideas begin and end. S
7. Is spontaneous and planning usually takes place in the moment of communicating. S
8. Suggests that meaning is static in the communication, although open to interpretation. W
9. The communicator may never find out what the person he is communicating with thinks of
his message. W
10. Includes headlines, different type sizes and colours to enhance the content. W
11. Is usually smooth-flowing. W
12. Involves negotiation of meaning between the communicator and the person they are
communicating with. S

Task 41
Look at the learner errors in the sentences below. Identify the mistakes and try to decide why the
learner made these mistakes.

1. She through the ball hard so it hurt when I court it. (Wrong word)
She threw the ball hard so it hurt when I caught it.
The student confused the words because they are homophones through and threw and court
and caught have the same pronunciation but the spelling is different.

2. My brther livs in Swedn. (Spelling)

My brother lives in Sweden.
The vowel sounds are very weak and the student didn’t recognise them.

3. However, hard I try it never works. (Punctuation)

However hard I try, it never works.
Usually, However is followed by a comma but not in this case.

4. first of all he invited me to sit down after that he offered me a coffee I was very surprised by his
politeness – (punctuation missing)
First of all, he invited me to sit down, after that, he offered me a coffee. I was very surprised by
his politeness.
In some languages there’s no punctuation.

Task 42
1. Look at the samples of learners’ writing below and identify the difficulties encountered by
these learners and other learners whose first language do not have a Roman script.

They have difficulties with the spelling of the words, the grammar of the sentences and the
organization of the text as there are very few connectors. The range of vocabulary is also very
poor as they repeat the same words many times. There are also punctuation issues.

2. Suggest some activities that teachers can use to help students to develop basic writing skills.

Teaching sentence structure, basic connectors, paragraphing and also work on vocabulary and
punctuation is essential. Some activities could be;

Giving the students a good model of the text for them to read first
Giving them exercises with connectors
Reading their own work and trying to improve it by adding connectors and using synonyms of
the words they have repeated
Improving punctuation in their texts

Section 4: Planning and Resources

Task 43
Below are some extracts from lesson plans. Decide which part of the lesson plan (1-7 above) they may come
from.
Extract Probably from

a. I’d like to smile more and create a better rapport today. Personal aim

b. Students Students in pairs Interaction pattern

c. By the end of the lesson students will be able to use a range of adjectives to describe someone’s
personality. Lesson aims

d. Teacher hands out text and gives a different set of questions to each group. Procedure

e. Some students may find the pronunciation of several words quite difficult. I must make sure I use lots of
repetition. Anticipated problems and solutions

f. To get students interested in the topic of the listening text. Stage aim

Task 44
Resource Can be used for

1. Published coursebook F a. Encouraging students to expand their vocabulary

and to find out about new words on their own

2. Cassette or CD player G b. Developing students’ ability to read real texts

3. Newspapers in English B c. Giving students work which can be tailored to

their individual needs

4. Internet E d. Developing students’ ability to listen to authentic

speech

5. Overhead Projector (OHP) I e. Finding information on a particular topic area

and developing reading skills

6. Whiteboard H f. Developing students’ language and skills in a

structured way and allowing them to review at
home

7. TV/radio D g. Developing students’ listening skills with specially

prepared or real materials
 8. Teacher’s own materials C h. Writing down new words for students to focus
on, making the form, meaning or pronunciation
features of a language area clear

9. Dictionaries A i. Showing pre-prepared work on a large screen for

clarity

Section 5: Developing Teaching Skills

and Professionalism
Task 45
Below are some instructions given by teachers. In each case the group of learners had difficulty
following the instructions. For each one write:
• Why do you think the difficulty occurred?
• How could you give the same instruction in a more effective way?

1. Jot that down.

Use of uncommon word for a language learner.

More effective: Write/ write it / write it down.

2. I wonder if you’d mind just looking at question number 4 and then if you could just answer it.

Too long and formal.

More effective: Answer question number 4 please.

3. I’d like you to read the text on page 4 and answer the first three, then compare your answers
with the person next to you. After that write a short summary of the story and discuss this with
your partner.

Too many instructions. The best thing would be to divide the activity into different stages.
More effective: First, read text on page 4, second, answer 1,2,3 and compare with your partner.
(Once students do that, I would continue with the other two.)
Now write a short summary and discuss with your partner.

4. Look at the question at the bottom of the page and think about an answer.
The word bottom might be difficult for the learner.
More effective: Think of an answer for the last question.

Task 46
Imagine you are the teacher of the students who made the comments below. How would
you respond to them?
1. I don’t want to work in a group because I will only learn mistakes from other students.

Part of the class is based on group work as this is intended to help students gain more fluency
and communicate without having the teacher correcting them at all times. Also, in real life, you
might need to talk to people with different English levels and you won’t learn their mistakes.
This is about communication so, work in groups and then you discuss the points with me.

2. I wish you could translate more words into my language.

It would be lovely to be able to speak your language but that wouldn’t be so helpful for you in
the English class. The idea is that you make an extra effort to understand English without
translating all the words. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.

3. Please don’t ask me to work with that student. I don’t like people from her country.

I’m sorry but those types of comments won’t be accepted in my class or in this school. We learn
a language in a friendly atmosphere and we all have to interact with each other.

4. Could we just talk in class and not use any books?

I know it is great fun just talking but we need to cover all the language skills and the book gives
us a guideline to follow to achieve that goal.

Task 47
Below is a description of an activity you might use in a language learning classroom.
Read it and describe:

• how you would arrange the classroom to carry out the activity (position of desks, chairs,
students and teacher)
• what resources you could use to make the activity more effective (pictures, real objects,
handouts, music, etc.)
• any problems about the organisation of the activity that you could anticipate.

Information gap role play

Half of the students will play the role of assistants working at an information desk. They will have
information about a range of computer courses at different prices and with different numbers of
hours and different times. The rest of the students will be given the task of finding the most
suitable course for the character they have been given. The students have 20 minutes to ask the
assistants about their courses and agree a transaction.

•I would arrange the classroom with the tables and chairs forming a U shape so that the
assistants are sitting down behind the desks and the other students could walk in the middle of
the classroom asking about the courses to the assistants.

•I would use handouts with the information about the courses and a little notebook so that the
assistants can give the customers a note with the information written down for them to
remember.

•Maybe some of the students don’t understand the character’s role or what course they need
to find. I will be in the middle of the classroom monitoring and helping students who I see have
some difficulty with the exercise.
Task 48
You notice that your students have been confusing certain areas of language. You decide to have
a lesson focusing on these different areas. Describe how you would make the differences clear to
your students. Try to avoid long explanations and use as many different ways as possible
(pictures, stories, diagrams, miming, etc).

• Different meanings
1. Slim / thin.
I would explain that slim also means attractive and it is positive whereas thin is negative
I would use the plus and minus symbols and underline the word attractive too.
2. To wink / to blink
I would perform the action and also draw a picture on the board.
3. I used to get up early / I am used to getting up early
I would explain the first is in the past and the second is in the present. I would use gestures to
indicate the time being referred to and also give examples like “I used to get up early when I
went to school”
4. Nervous / upset
I would give examples of when you are nervous and when upset. For instance: I have an exam,
I’m so nervous! And I lost my phone, I’m upset.
5. 4 weeks ago / 4 weeks before
I would draw a timeline on the board and explain that 4 weeks ago means 4 weeks into the past
from now and 4 weeks before means 4 weeks into the past from another point in time.

• Different pronunciation
6. I do it / I’ll do it
I would explain that ‘ll is the contracted form for will and it means future. I would drill the
pronunciation to make it clear.
7. Read (present tense) / read (past tense)
I would draw the phonetic vowel symbols on top of each word to make the difference clear.
8. Put / putt
I would draw the phonetic vowel symbols on top of each word to make the difference clear.
9. Record (noun) / record (verb)
I would underline the stressed syllable in each case and clap my hands or make a noise to point
the stress. Then ask students to repeat.
10. Live (verb) / live (something happening now)
I would explain the grammar category of each word and the difference with an example: I live in
Dublin and the show is live in Dublin.

Task 49
Below are descriptions of two activities used by teachers. In 1 the teacher was trying to develop
students’ reading skills; in 2 the teacher was trying to develop the students’ speaking skills.
Neither activity was very successful. Read the descriptions and:

• explain why you think the activities were not very successful in developing the students’
reading/speaking skills
• describe two activities (one for reading, one for speaking) that you think would develop those
skills.

Reading
The teacher explained that the text was about looking after the environment. The text was
handed out and each student was asked in turn to read parts of the text aloud. They were all
able to do this. Then the teacher asked some questions about the content of the text. Only one
or two students were able to give an answer. One student said that he hadn’t understood
anything in the text and most of the other students agreed.

The activity was unsuccessful because the students were concentrated on reading the texts
aloud and they were probably focusing on pronunciation rather and meaning and also, they
were asked the questions when they finished reading the text. The teacher should have given
the questions first so that students could pay attention to where the answers were.

I would pre-teach some of the vocabulary of the text related to the topic so that students find it
easier to read, then, give them the text and some minutes to read it in silence and answer a
general question then compare with a partner. Afterwards, I would give them a set of specific
questions and ask them to reread the text again, this time more slowly, and find the answers.
Then again check the answers with a partner. Finally, I would ask students to discuss in groups if
they could suggest or add an extra idea to the text.

Speaking
The teacher wrote the topic “Living in the city” on the board and said this would be the topic of
today’s discussion. The class were asked to give their opinions. One student said he didn’t like
living in the city and another student said he did. These two students had a brief discussion while
the other students listened. The teacher asked some of the other students their opinion, but
none responded with more than the fact that they agreed/disagreed. The teacher decided to
abandon the discussion. The students said they would be happy to write something about it for
homework.

The activity was unsuccessful because the teacher didn’t elicit much information from the
students with regard to the topic or their experiences to enrich the discussion and make it more
interesting. Also, s/he didn’t develop the topic further to enrich the conversation, for example
living in different parts of a city.

For a speaking activity, I would brainstorm and elicit more ideas around the topic of the lesson
and jot the answers on the board. Then make them discuss the positive and negative aspects
about the topic in pairs or small groups which will give students confidence to prepare for the
class discussion, then, discuss the topic all together.

Task 50
Consider how the following form part of a teacher’s professionalism:

• confidentiality • setting standards • punctuality

• course planning/review • record keeping • assessment

• curriculum development • pastoral care • team work

• relationship with students • cultural awareness • self-development

• school/college policies and rules (including equal opportunities and health and safety)

• membership of/contribution to professional bodies

• ESOL/EFL and teacher training research and development world-wide

All the aforementioned qualities make a teacher professional and successful in their daily work.
Some of them are related to the teacher’s personality, others have to do with experience and
others with learning or studying to keep on developing their skills. All of them are equally
important, but I would add one more which is reflection. A professional teacher should be able
to reflect upon their work and work on how it can be upgraded. In relation to equal
opportunities, I would say that the psychological aspect of teaching should also be taken into
account as it is essential to understand students’ special needs and how to approach them.