CELTA – Written Assignment 1: Focus on the Learner

In this assignment you will write a profile of the first group of learners you
have taught. To do this you will need to:

 interview the students

 observe the students in class
 do some background reading on motivation and learner styles

By Wednesday Week 2 you need to hand in the following:

 one group copy of the completed interview grid

 the completed assignment
 a copy of one or more pieces of published materials and any of your
own materials that you have chosen to use in the problems section

NB:

 this assignment can be hand written or word processed. You can print
or download the blank assignment from: www.clic.es/en/student-
resources (CELTA downloads)

 you must show evidence of your background reading by including

quotes e.g. “When we listen, we use a variety of strategies to help us
pick up the message” Scrivener, Learning Teaching p.178

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:

Successful candidates can show evidence of:

 awareness of how learners’ backgrounds, previous learning experience and learning
styles affect learning
 identifying the learners’ language / skills needs
 correctly using terminology relating to the description of language systems and language
skills
 selecting appropriate material and / or resources to aid the learners’ language
development
 providing a rationale for using specific activities with learners.
 finding, selecting and referencing information from one or more sources using written
language that is clear, accurate and appropriate to the task.

750 – 1000 words (only for text within the boxes of the assignment)
 CELTA – Written Assignment 1: Focus on the Learner

Introductory information:

Trainee’s name:

Learners’ English level: No. of learners evaluated:

Age range:

Range of educational backgrounds:

Examples of professions:

Learning Background. Where and for how long have they studied English? Have they learned
any other languages? Have they lived or studied abroad? Give examples.
 CELTA – Written Assignment 1: Focus on the Learner

Motivation. Why are the students learning English? Which reasons given are examples of
intrinsic motivation, and which are extrinsic? Are all the students equally motivated to
learn? How is this reflected in the classroom? Give examples.

Learning styles. What do you perceive to be the dominant learning styles within the group,
Visual, Auditory or Kinaesthetic? Is there much variation amongst the individual members of
the class? Give examples.

Learning preferences. What types of classroom activities do the students like? What do they
dislike? Give examples.
 CELTA – Written Assignment 1: Focus on the Learner

Specific problems and suggested solutions: identify specific problems which are common to
several of the students. You must include a piece of published material for at least one of
the problems below. You may also include your own ideas or materials.
Specific problem 1 Language-related Solution(s) to problem 1
(grammar or vocabulary). Please give one or How will you help students with meaning and
more examples of the error. form issues?
How will you check students understand this?
What practice activities (controlled and
freer?) will students do?
How will you use either published materials
or your own materials to do this?

Specific problem 2 Pronunciation related Solution(s) to problem 2

(individual sounds, stress or intonation).
Please give one or more examples of the
error.
How will you help students overcome this
pronunciation error?
What practice activities will students do?
How will you use either published materials
or your own materials to do this?
 CELTA – Written Assignment 1: Focus on the Learner

Skills: individual strengths and weaknesses. For the following skills areas identify two
students who are strong and two students who are weak (in total, write about four different
students).

Student Example of strength or weakness

Example: Listening Marta has spent several months in the UK and one year in the
Marta - strong States. She has significantly fewer problems than other students in
understanding our different accents. She is usually the first to
comprehend instructions. In two difficult listenings from the
course book she was the only student to answer all detailed
questions.
Speaking

Writing

Listening

Reading
 CELTA – Written Assignment 1: Focus on the Learner

Conclusion: How successful do you think these students will be as language learners? Do you
think any will be more or less successful? What advice would you give to other trainees who
are going to teach this class?