CELTA Precourse Task
CELTA Precourse Task
Section 1 A
Task 1
1. The classes will be done in groups of people from multiple language backgrounds. It will be
full time, and grouped in similar ability. I estimate the class sizes will be of around 12-15
students, and done during the day.
2. I intend to teach in a variety of contexts upon completing the course. The positions I am
applying for overseas have similar contexts however, in that it will consist of group lessons
of monolingual groups of people of around the same ability and age. I could potentially be
working in schools that take place during the day, or training schools that take place in the
evenings and weekends.
Task 2
I’d like to teach adults because their motivation is often a lot higher for learning a language. It could
be that they are wanting to improve for their career, for their family, as part of a desire to move
abroad, or they’re wanting to pursue higher education. Adult learners also have their own wealth of
knowledge due to life experience, which can also bring certain attitudes to learning. They could also
have had past learning experience which has impacted them in some way. I can also relate as
someone who’s gone through the struggle of learning a foreign language as an adult which would
help me to help them target areas of difficulty.
Task 3
1. I’d want to find out why they are learning English and if they have any specific goals or skills
that they need in the future. It would also be good to learn about their past learning
experiences and what activities they’re used to, their expectations of the course, and any
interests or hobbies to create engaging content.
2. This information could be found by filling out a short questionnaire, asking the students
directly and eliciting for answers, speaking to previous teachers or looking at past test
results, to name a few.
Task 4
I think the most difficult learners would be ones who are pressured into learning and don’t have as
much intrinsic motivation. Students also need to see a point in learning English, or have a clear idea
about why they want to learn, so that they can focus and work towards that.
Task 5
Builds rapport
Sensitive to the culture and backgrounds of the learners
Patient
Knows about language and learning
Approachable
Section 2
Task 6
Task 7
1. Correct
2. I went to the movies last night
3. He often comes late
4. Correct
5. Can I have a black coffee, please?
6. People with 12 items or fewer can queue here.
Task 8
Teachers need to be knowledgeable in this area because students will have a lot of questions that
can really only be logically answered by grammar. Students will expect the teacher to know about
grammar and know how to explain it well. If the student makes a mistake, the teacher should be
able to correct the student and say why the student was incorrect in the first place.
Task 9
1. Subject pronoun
2. Indefinite article
3. Co-ordinating conjunction
4. Adverb (of degree)
5. Adjective
6. Modal auxiliary verb
7. Demonstrative determiner
8. Preposition
9. Verb
10. Noun
Task 10
Task 11
Task 12
1. C
2. E
3. B
4. A
5. D
Task 13
Task 14
Regular Irregular
Help Hear
Arrive Do
Think
Take
Steal
Go
Drink
Task 15
6. This time next week you will be lying on a beach. present modal progressive
Task 16
6. You will have been here for 2 days by then. modal present perfect
Task 17
1. The sun was shining brightly in the sky. Past progressive – refers to the past
2. They’ll have finished work on the bridge by then. Future perfect simple - refers to the future
3. She’s been working in the garden all morning. Present perfect progressive - recent past up
until the present
4. Have you got a minute? I was wondering whether we could have a word. past progressive –
refers to the present
5. They own most of the land around here. Present simple – past, present, and probably future
Task 18
Auxiliary ‘be’ (am, is are). The –ing form is used for the lexical verb
Task 19
Dialogue One - Used here to express a planned action / event in the future
Dialogue Two - Used here to indicate an ongoing habit in the past present, and probably future
Dialogue Three - Used here to indicate a past action, but placing emphasis on it by putting it in the
present tense to make the narrative more dramatic
Task 20
All of these are stative verbs / verbs of state. Which means that they cannot be used in a continuous
form, only simple. Often the continuous form is used with more “dynamic” verbs.
Task 21
Dictionaries can be used to provide information on how to pronounce the word, example sentences
showing the word in context, synonyms and antonyms, whether it is used colloquially or formally,
and grammar information like the type of word it is.
Task 22
1. He’s the tallest person in the family by more than 2 centimetres. - “High” is used with
buildings and mountains- but not with people and physical height.
2. I think I’ll go to bed now. I’m feeling a little tired. - Enervated has been used incorrectly as it
is very formal to be used in every day speech.
3. It is an extremely good essay. The ideas in it are original and clever. - Pretentious has a
negative connotation which contradicts the rest of the sentence’s positive tone
4. Her grandfather gave her a loving touch on the face. – “Slap” has a violent connotation and
is not normally something that is delivered lovingly.
5. Every day I like to go walking after work. It’s good exercise and it helps me to relax. –
“Footing” appears to have been mistranslated from another language- footing does exist as
an English word but it makes no sense here.
Task 23
1. Not only was he nice, but he was also strikingly handsome. (adverb + adjective)
2. After he got up, he made his bed and did some housework. (verb + noun, verb + noun)
Task 24
1. B
2. C
3. A
Task 25
1. B
2. C
3. A
Task 26
1. Dear
2. South
3. Language
4. Peaceful
5. Young
6. Call
7. Search
8. Equation
9. Sugar
Task 27
1. Guarantee
2. Cavalry
3. Mechanisation
4. Language
5. Retreat
6. Speculative
7. Success
8. Balance
9. Identity
10. Articulate
Task 28
In two-syllable nouns the main stress is on the first syllable. In two-syllable verbs the main stress
is on the second syllable.
Task 29
Mother
Forget
Announce
Tonight
Notable
Mention
Patrol
Indicative
Section 3
Task 30
Some of the texts I’ve read today are text messages, this task, food packets, and newspaper articles.
I’ve skimmed briefly, scanned for information, and some I’ve had to read over and over again for
deeper understanding.
Task 31
1. Reading to infer
2. Scan reading
3. Intensive/detailed reading
4. Skim/gist reading
Task 32
This way of reading can slow the learner down by quite a lot as it is very inefficient. It can break the
flow of reading and make comprehension more difficult.
Task 33
Task 34
I listened to take someone’s coffee order, and in this situation I listened to glean specific
information, so that I could give them the correct coffee that they asked for. I listened to music, just
for fun, and I didn’t really get any meaning out of it. I also was listening to my flatmate in a
conversation this morning to listen to her stories/opinion, listening to understand, so that I could
reply and contribute to the conversation
Task 35
Task 36
Studying just grammar and vocabulary means that learners will have good passive knowledge but
below-average active knowledge. If learners don’t get the opportunity to practice what they learn,
they won’t be able to develop those active skills like speaking and within that, pronunciation.
Task 37
1. No- the learner uses correct grammar, but the lack of vocabulary makes it hard for the
listener to ascertain what he wants.
2. Yes- the message is clear although grammatically the sentence is incorrect.
3. Yes- the message is clear although grammatically the sentence is incorrect.
4. No- This sentence is ambiguous and unclear for the listener.
Task 38
1. Transactional
2. Transactional
3. Interactional
4. Interactional
5. Transactional
6. Interactional
Task 39
Task 40
1. S
2. W
3. S
4. S
5. W
6. S
7. S
8. W
9. W
10. W
11. S
Task 41
1. There are many words in English that sound the same when spoken but are written
differently
2. Could indicate general problems with literacy, or highlight the differences in the first
language of the learner to show that those vowels don’t exist in that language
3. The punctuation is incorrect- this could be because “however” is normally followed with a
comma in written text, but this is only the case when it’s being used to introduce a
contrasting idea
4. There’s absolutely no punctuation, which could be a result of interference from the first
language’s written style.
Task 42
1.
2. Writing fluency activities with controlled production, writing a daily journal, analyzing written
texts and reproducing them.
Section 4
Task 43
A. Personal aim
B. Interaction pattern
C. Lesson aims/learning outcome
D. Procedure
E. Anticipated problems and solutions
F. Stage aim
Task 44
1. F
2. G
3. B
4. E
5. I
6. H
7. D
8. C
9. A
Task 45
1. “Jot down” is a relatively colloquial phrasal verb and unless the students have been explicitly
told what that means, it could cause some confusion. The more effective instruction is as
simple as “write this.”
2. There’s a lot of complicated language in that instruction, and sounds very long-winded. The
teacher should simplify the language to “Read and answer question 4.”
3. Too many instructions are given at once. They should be given one by one and with enough
time for learners to complete each stage.
a. Teacher instructs “Read the text on Page 4 and answer questions 1, 2, and 3”
b. Learners read and answer the questions.
c. Teacher instructs “Compare your answers with the person next to you”.
d. Learners compare answers.
e. Teacher instructs "Write a short summary of the story, discuss it with your partner.”
f. Learners write and discuss.
4. The instruction is ambiguous- it’s unclear whether learners should think or answer.
Task 46
1. Sometimes the teacher is not always the one standing at the front of the class. You may find
that your classmates are better at explaining or teaching something to you – this is why we
do pair work.
2. That would be helpful, but in the long term it would make things more difficult for you.
What will happen when you’re in a situation where nobody can translate these things for
you? Sometimes there are also some words and phrases that do not have a direct
translation.
3. Actually, I think it will help you to be a better student if you work with people you don’t
necessarily like as it will teach you to be more adaptable.
4. I can see that just talking in class is a great way for you to improve, however you aren’t the
only person in this class and maybe there are students that benefit greatly from using books.
Everyone learns differently and we are accommodating for this.
Task 47
The classroom will have desks in a circle around the room and the assistants will be standing
behind the desks on the outer circle. The learners finding out about courses will stand in the
inner circle.
Some resources could be images printed out onto a sheet, including tables or diagrams with the
necessary information. The learners asking about the courses could have roleplay cards to help
them remember their character and what information they need.
Learners might find the layout of the classroom confusing, or be reluctant to move around. Their
role play cards could be too broad and they might not have enough information to successfully
carry out a roleplay- so they need to be given time. Some students may take longer than others
Task 48
Different meanings
1. First it would be good to describe the connotations to each word- slim is generally used in a
more positive way than thin. Picture cards could be used and students have to categorize
them into slim and thin, then decide whether they view it positively or negatively.
2. An easy, practical version of Simon Says could be used to show the difference between
winking and blinking, and students could take turns calling out what they have to do.
3. Go through a series of questions in pairs about things they used to do - i.e. what were some
of the things you used to do as a child? – to elicit and get them thinking about that particular
time.
4. Get the students to mime nervousness and the feeling of being upset. Students can discuss
the difference between the two.
5. A diagram of a timeline with clear markings that show which phrase refers to a certain point
on the timeline.
6. Breaking up the contraction using blocks and highlighting the difference in pronunciation.
7. Show both words in context and get learners to discuss the difference in meaning between
the two. The teacher could demonstrate the different phonemes used in each one and show
similar minimal pairs.
8. Show learners the shape of the mouth and lips with each word.
9. Show both words in context. Explain where stress falls on each one, and emphasize it in
speech.
10. Show the difference in the shape of the mouth between the two words due to the different
phonemes.
Task 49
1. Reading
-The teacher didn’t try to get the students excited about the topic beforehand
- Reading aloud focuses on pronunciation and individual words rather than the content/meaning
of the text
- The learners might not have all the knowledge necessary to understand the text successfully
To improve:
2. Speaking
To improve:
- Use Think-Pair-Share
Task 50
Course planning / review – The course needs to be planned well and reviewed to ensure
that students are getting what they need out of the course and that their needs are
being met on a continuing basis since they are paying for the course and have a level of
outcome and expectation that they wish to gain.
Curriculum development – Same as above. The needs of the learners need to be
understood and taken into account at all stages. This should be a collaborative approach
that has the best interests of the learners at the centre. Learning outcomes should be
set, with input from all parties. A process of input assessment should be included in the
framework to ensure that learning outcomes are being met. Finally, a system
of accountability should be set in place to ensure standards are met.
Setting standards – standards (normally set by the school) are important for the
reputation of all parties involved. Having high standards also means that the reputation
of the course is maintained. To adhere to a set standard means that students know how
they measure up against their peers and gives them a realistic expectation of their
development.
Record keeping – Record keeping is important to keep track of the student’s progress
and to catch problems as they arise. If anyone has to cover your class this is also very
useful. It’s also important for course planning and review purposes.
Pastoral care – Caring about your students and what might be going on in their personal
lives will affect their study and therefore their learning outcomes. By being patient and
understanding of any external factors in their lives, you can assist them where you can
with their learning needs, and if necessary, refer them to professional help.
Assessment – Assessments should be fair and based on the merit of the work. Any
problems that might arise should be dealt with on a personal level without any singling
out in class to make a student feel inadequate or stupid. Help can be given out when
necessary but only when the student is struggling and is being left behind.
Professionally, teachers should know how to administer assessments which are fair,
varied and interesting and which have clear testing objectives and criteria for the
students.
Team work – the teacher / student relationship is that of a team, their success is your
success as a teacher and so working as a team to reach their goals and expectations is a
joint venture. Often many teachers also work together in one school, so teachers should
also create a good working relationship through teamwork and respect.
Self-development – keeping on top of one’s self development is important as there is
always more that one can learn in order to be the best that they can be.
School / college policies and rules (including equal opportunities and health and safety)
– these are important as they pertain to the workplace and may involve forms of
legislation and duties of care, and safeguards the students and teachers. This might
mean dressing appropriately and acting in a manner which also takes into account the
reputation of the school or college.
ESOL and teacher training research and development worldwide – As above but with
emphasis on learning more about the field in which you work and how there are always
new and better ways in which the outcomes and goals of your students can be reached.