CELTA Online Unit 14 Task 7 – How to reformulate

You will watch a short clip of a teacher, Jacqueline, conducting feedback and then reformulating
students’ language after a speaking activity where students were asked to tell their group about an
experience they had had with buying tickets.

As you watch the clip, make notes on the three items of good language Jacqueline highlights and at least
three language items Jacqueline chooses to focus on and how she prompts students to reformulate.

Your responses
Good language
1. I booked in advance (opposite - last minute) season tickets
2. for free (she said cost me any more)
3. somebody doesn't come (turn up ) can't make it

Language items to reformulate How she prompts students

1. 1.
2. they are not true (genuine) 2.

opposite fake adj + n

3. face value 3.
mark up

Suggested answers
Good language
1. book in advance
2. a season ticket
3. for free

Language items to reformulate How she prompts students

1. someone doesn’t turn up 1. elicits synonym from ‘someone doesn’t
come’
2. someone doesn’t make it 2. elicits synonym from ‘someone doesn’t
come’
3. genuine 3. writes ‘they’re not true’
‘they’re not g_______’ on the board
4. a fake 4. elicits opposite of genuine
5. a mark up 5. recalls Selena’s experience and elicits real
price of ticket and the amount Selena paid
and writes £23 and £25 on the board. Then
gives students phrase ‘mark up’
6. jump the queue 6. recalls Selena’s experience and elicits that
she didn’t have to wait in the queue. Writes
on board ‘she j_____ the queue’ and elicits
 ‘jumped’

Commentary

As was shown in the clip, it is useful and motivating for teachers to highlight good language as well as
respond to the students’ errors and gaps. Jacqueline elicited language that she thought the students
might know, for example, she jumped the queue but where the language was clearly unfamiliar to the
students she gave it to them, for example, mark up.