Written Assignment 2 – Focus on the Learner

Name Submission Date Word Count

NB: This is non-negotiable
NB This document has 1300 words in total,
after deletions. Subtract that from your total
word count and include here (delete this).
I confirm that this submission is all my own work.

Signed: ________________________ (Trainee) Date:

Reserved for the tutor Assessment criteria

can show awareness of how a learner’s/learners’ background(s), previous learning experience and learning
style(s) affect learning (Section A and D)
can identify the learner’s (s’) language/skills needs (Sections A and C)
can correctly use terminology relating to the description of language systems and language skills (Sections, A,
B, C and D)
can select appropriate material and/or resources to aid the learner’s/learners’ language development
(Sections C and D)
can provide a rationale for using specific activities with a learner/learners
(Section D)
can find, select and reference information from one or more sources using written language that is clear,
accurate and appropriate to the task (Sections A, B, C and D)
Taken from Syllabus and Assessment Guidelines for Course Tutors and Assessors

First Submission Pass Re-submission

Due date:
Tutor Comments:

Signed: ______________________ (Tutor) Date: __________________ Double Mark: ___________________

Second Submission Pass on Resubmission Fail

Tutors comments:

Signed: ______________________(Tutor) Date: __________________ Double Mark: ___________________

Referencing and Plagiarism
Your assignments need to be written in clear, accurate and academic English with
appropriate in text referencing. You should use mainly indirect quotes, meaning that you
paraphrased the text. If specific quotes are used, they should be referenced using author(s)’
surname(s), year of publication and page numbers quoted, e.g. (Richards 2001:98). Page
numbers are not required if indirect quotes are used. e.g. Richards (2001).

The bibliography should be presented in alphabetical order of author’s surname. Year of

publication, city and publisher should be included. This should be presented after the
assignment and before the appendices, and should only include publications referred to in
the text itself.

Referencing should follow a recognised format throughout the assignment. Here are
examples of references according to the APA Publication Manual, (6th ed., 2009); for more
information see www.apastyle.org.

Single author book: Richards, J.C. (2001). Curriculum development in language teaching.
Cambridge: CUP.

Section of edited book: Messick, S. (1989). Validity. In R. Linn (Ed.), Educational

measurement (pp. 13–103). New York: Macmillan.

Journal article: Chapelle, C. (1999). Validity in language assessment. Annual Review of

Applied Linguistics 19, 254–272. Edited book: Graves, K. (Ed.) (1996). Teachers as course
developers. Cambridge: CUP

Electronic source: British Educational Research Association. (1992). Ethical guidelines.

Retrieved 22 May, 2016, from: http://www.bera.ac.uk/guidelines.html

Please note that plagiarism includes:

• copying another’s language or ideas as if they were your own

• unauthorised collusion

• quoting directly without making it clear by standard referencing and the use of quotation
marks and/or layout (indented paragraphs, for example) that you are doing so

• using text downloaded from the internet without referencing the source conventionally

• closely paraphrasing a text

• submitting work which has been undertaken wholly or in part by someone else.
 CELTA Assignment 2 – Focus on the Learner
Length: 750-1000 words*

Instructions:

Section A-
 write a profile of your group. Use the information gathered on day one to help.
 please share info. with others in your TP group but do the writing alone.
 you can mention students by name, especially if it’s useful to explain who the
exceptions are.
Section B-
 provide example strengths in your students’ language use, one each for
grammar, lexis and pronunciation.
 this means specific quotes of things a specific student said or wrote during a
speaking/writing task.
 remember to say why it’s impressive.
Section C-
 provide example weaknesses in your students’ language use, TWO each for
grammar and pronunciation, and ONE for lexis.
 again, this means specific quotes of things a specific student said or wrote
during a speaking/writing task.
 remember to focus on useful errors for the level, and language points which can
be usefully practised in class eg. 3rd person sing. ‘s’ is not challenging for
intermediate sts.
 Comment on why students made the error by referring where possible to their
L1 (first language). Refer to Learner English by Swan to guide you.

Section D-
 Choose ONE of the grammar errors from Section C that you would like to help
students with
 Choose TWO practice activities to help students improve their use of this
grammar point
 ONE must be a CONTROLLED PRACTICE and ONE must be a complementary
FREER PRACTICE.
 They should not come from the coursebook. Use the red folders, books at
reception and resources online. One activity can be self-developed but at least
one must be from a published source.

* Any submission totalling more than 1,100 words of your own work is an automatic
resubmission. If you are having problems here, consider using appendices.
* Please write in continuous prose throughout – full sentences and no bullet points.
Section A – Learner Backgrounds

Find out from the rest of your TP group the information everyone has collected about the
students, and using this information write a summary of the group in the boxes below.

Summarise the
composition of the group,
describing the ages,
nationalities and
occupations.

Why are they studying?

What has been their past
learning experiences?
What kind of activities do
they prefer?

What do you think are

their strengths and
weaknesses? Think about
the 4 skills

What do they say that

they want to study more
of?

(250 words approx.)

Section B – Learner Strengths

Observe the students carefully during TP and note down one specific example of their strengths in
grammar, lexis and pronunciation. You can refer to either spoken language or written language
(but specify which). Simply complete the boxes below.

The learner said/wrote: “While I was waiting, he called.” (delete this text)
Example of
grammar
strength

Why this is This is successful use of the past continuous and past simple for this learner
good usage because… xyz (delete this text)
for this
learner

Example of
lexis strength

Why this is
good usage
for this
learner

(you MUST use phonemic transcription here) (delete this text)

Example of
pronunciation
strength

Why this is
good usage
for this
learner

(Approx. 100 words)

Section C – Learner Weaknesses

Observe the students carefully during TP and note down two specific examples of their
weaknesses in grammar and pronunciation, and one for lexis. You can refer to either spoken
language or written language (but specify which). Simply complete the boxes below.N.B. You can
choose the same areas of weakness as your peers, but the analysis should be your own.

Grammar Error 1
For example, “He have been to Paris”. (delete this text)
What the student
said/wrote (delete
as necessary)

Wrong form of the auxiliary, should be “has”. (delete this text)

What is wrong

The learner knows the third person form, but made a slip while speaking.
Why did the Since only the third person is not formed with “have”, the student has over-
learner make this applied the rule. As a native Thai speaker, this is understandable because…
error? Refer to the xyz. (consult Learner English as a reference) (delete this text)
student’s L1 where
possible.

Grammar Error 2

What the student

said/wrote (delete
as necessary)

What is wrong

Why did the

learner make this
error? Refer to the
student’s L1 where
possible.

Pronunciation Error 1
 (you MUST use phonemic transcription here to indicate exactly how the
What the student learners pronounced the error) (delete this text)
said

(you MUST use phonemic transcription here to show how the above should
How this should be be pronounced) (delete this text)
pronounced

What is wrong

Why did the

learner make this
error? Refer to the
student’s L1 where
possible.

Pronunciation Error 2

What the student

said

How this should be

pronounced

What is wrong

Why did the

learner make this
error? Refer to the
student’s L1 where
possible.

Lexis
What the student
said/wrote (delete
as necessary)

What is wrong

Why did the

learner make this
error? Refer to the
student’s L1 where
possible.

(Approx. 350 words)

Section D – Helping the Learner
Look again at the grammar problems identified above.
1. Select ONE of these grammar errors and choose an appropriate controlled practice and a
complementary freer practice which would enable students to improve in this area. You
can select activities either from a book of supplementary materials in the CELTA library, or
design your own activity. However, at least one of the activities you choose should be
taken from published resource material that is not the coursebook.
2. Attach photocopies of the activities in the appendices, paying due regard to copyright.
3. Complete the boxes below to justify the above.

Grammar State ONE error from part C you wish to address here. Don’t try to deal with
Problem: both problems.[delete this text]

State specific For example, exercise 1.2 on page 12 on Murphy’s Grammar in Use (delete
activity selected this text)
for CONTROLLED
practice
Aim of the The aim of this activity is to xyz… (delete this text)
activity
Why it is suitable This activity is suitable for the learners because… [refer back to part A and
for your learners learner preferences] (delete this text)
– you must refer
back to part A
and your
comments on
learner
preferences to
help
Indicate briefly This activity will help the learners because it requires them to… abc… and I
how you would would first …… then… etc. I would make it more communicative by ….(delete
use it. Is it a this text)
communicative
and/or
kinaesthetic
task? If not, how
could it be made
more engaging
for the students?
 State specific
activity selected
for FREER
practice (to fill at
least 15 mins of
class time)
Aim of the
activity
Why it is suitable
for your learners
– refer back to
part A and your
comments on
learner
preferences to
help
Indicate briefly
how you would
use it. How
would you set it
up?
How is this freer
than the
controlled
practice? How
would you expect
the teacher’s role
to be different
here compared
to the controlled
practice?

(300 words approx.)

Section E - Bibliography
State the resources you used during this assignment, for example:

Adrian Underhill (2005). Sound Foundations. Macmillan. (delete this)

Section F – Appendices

Ensure you include the following:

 Appendix 1: Grammar activity controlled practice

 Appendix 2: Grammar activity freer practice