CELTA PRE-COURSE TASK

Section 1
Learners and Teachers, and the Teaching and Learning
Context
A. Teaching and learning contexts
Task 1
1. In what context will you be doing the CELTA course?
Lessons in groups
Monolingual groups
Open groups
Part-time course
Similar ability groups
Mixed gender
Smaller groups (8-10 students)
Day classes
Learners with some previous education

2. Do you know what context you will be teaching in after you finish
the course?
One to one lessons and lessons in groups
Multilingual groups
Closed or open groups
Part-time courses
Learners with little, no or some previous education
Mixed and similar ability groups
Mixed gender groups
Average sized classes (14-17 students)
Day and evening classes
Teachers with English-speaking backgrounds

B. The learners cultural, linguistic and educational backgrounds

Adult Learners
Task 2
1. Think about why you decided to teach adults.
Ive personally taught students of all ages from 7 to 70 years of age. In my
11 years of expertise in teaching English, although there is still undoubtedly
much to learn, Ive come to a conclusion which tells me though adults are
somewhat engaged in the learning process, they are motivated to achieve
certain goals such as a desire to move abroad or to be promoted at work.
However, under pressure of possibly being sacked or not being able to move
at all. I see this as a challenging issue because, while children do as theyre

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told by a teacher who gains their respect, although adults do respect the
teacher, they dont always do as theyre told. With adulthood comes great
responsibilities and their personal lives tend to affect their focus which makes
them less interactive in the classroom, less prepared for lessons and they
regret the reason why theyre learning English due to the pressure they
receive from the outside of the classroom walls. From my own personal
experience, adults are more challenging to teach despite being less
rewarding than teaching children. However, I do appreciate a challenge. On a
personal level, I sense that my job as a teacher involves creating an
interesting, stimulating and objective learning experience for the students,
despite their age, using a child-mind-set-based lesson for children and an
adult-mind-set-based lesson for adults.
2. Think about what you, as an adult, bring to this learning situation.
I bring objectiveness and discretion in order to attain or accomplish the
students goals. Moreover, I bring clarity and subtlety towards gaining the
students utmost attention and confidence. Furthermore, I find it
indispensable to create a more social and friendly environment which makes
learning English less frustrating.
3. Look at your answers to questions 1 and 2 and use these ideas to
help you to write down what characterises adult learners.
Adults have specific goals
They have expectations as to what they can achieve
They have their own beliefs, personalities and backgrounds
They have less focus and interaction when they have excessive
responsibilities in their personal lives
They are more open to recognize their errors/mistakes.
They demand less recreational activities than children, which makes it
less challenging to entertain adults.

Find out about learners

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?
Is the group a mixed gender class?
Is it a closed or open group?
Is it a multilingual or monolingual group?
What level is the class on?
How many students are there in the class?
What are their goals?
What have they previously learnt?
Do they have mixed or similar abilities?

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2. How would you find out?
Id have a look at class records, previous teacher lesson plans, student
records from the school. Id look into their placement test evaluations if
they were available to me. In our first few lessons, short individual
interviews could be made in order to find out facts about the students and
also build a friendly environment between teacher and students.

C. Motivation
Motivation for learning English
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?
On my point of view, all adult learners have a clear reason to why they want
to learn English, although they are more susceptible to being affected by
hindrances from their own personal lives, which result in less interaction and
less motivation to pursue their goals. These learners are definitely the most
challenging because in these cases the teacher has to find a way of subtly
grasping the learners focus and head it towards the lesson and from
personal experience, entertainment is not always the best solution for
gaining attention and getting rid of distraction. Therefore, the challenge does
not come from the learner, but from the distraction itself.
D. The Qualities and skills of a good language teacher
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?

Gives clear information and feedback

Is approachable
Is enthusiastic and inspires enthusiasm
Empathises with the learners
Is friendly

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Section 2
Language Analysis and Awareness
A Grammar
Task 6
Make a list of associations you have with the word grammar.
Rules of a language
Fundamentals of learning a language
Necessary for learners to develop their own speech and not always to
depend on ready built sentences
Necessary for clarity, understanding and communication
Confusing and perplexing when taught by a boring teacher
Exciting and rewarding when taught by and enthusiastic teacher
Task 7

1
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3
4
5
6

Look at the following sentences and decide which are correct. Write
a correct version of the examples that are incorrect.
Correct.
Incorrect. I went to the movies last night.
Incorrect. He often comes late.
Correct.
Incorrect. Can I have a black coffee, please?
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.
English language teachers need to be up to date with their grammar in order to
teach it effectively. You need to have a clear understanding of grammar before you
decide to teach it. In order to be able to correctly answer questions and make
students grasp onto the teachers explanation, English language teachers need to
know grammar and know how to explain it creatively. Also it means that English
language teachers are less likely to be blindsided by a question that they are
unable to answer and it gives the teacher a clearer knowledge of teaching grammar
in a more captivating manner. Nevertheless, students expect a teacher to
understand and know what they are teaching, although they do expect enthusiasm
and creativity because grammar is known to be boring and confusing which can
lead to unmotivated students. They are paying for a service and expect to receive a
high quality of teaching and that does not mean the teacher only needs to know
grammar abundantly but also teach it creatively.

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Word Class
Task 9
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You: personal pronoun

A: indefinite article
But: a co-ordinating conjunction for contrast
Quite: adverb (of degree)
Abstract: adjective
Could: modal auxiliary verb
Those: (Adjective/Pronoun) demonstrative determiner
For: preposition
Mean: verb
Plunger: noun

Types of Verbs
Task 10
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3
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5
6

Lexical
Lexical
Auxiliary
Auxiliary
Auxiliary
Lexical

Task 11
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2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Lexical
Auxiliary
Auxiliary
Lexical
Lexical
Lexical
Auxiliary
Lexical

Task 12
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2
3
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5

C
E
B
A
D

Task 13

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1
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5

Worked: Past tense form

Seeing: ing form
Lives: 3rd person present simple tense
Try: Base form
Handed: Past participle form

Task 14
Base Form

Simple Past

Past Participle

Hear

Heard

Heard

irregular

Do

Did

Done

irregular

Help

Helped

Think

Thought

Thought

irregular

Steal

Stole

Stolen

irregular

Go

Went

Gone/Been

irregular

Drink

Drank

Drunk

Arrive

Arrived

Arrived

Helped

regular

irregular
regular

Verb Phrases
Task 15
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Was hoping: Past Progressive

Might have got: Modal Present Perfect
Have tried: Present Perfect
Were being questioned: Past Progressive Passive
Saw: Past Simple
You will be lying: Modal Progressive

Task 16
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7
8

Am having: Present Progressive

Stopped: Past Simple
Lives: Present Simple
Had been: Past Perfect
Are made: Present Passive
Will have been: Future Perfect
Happened: Past simple; was driving: Past Progressive.
Have been feeling: Present Perfect Progressive

Task 17
1
2

Was shining: Action took place in the past, over a progressive period of
time.
ll have finished: Distant future, Action that is now being mentioned will be
completed at a specified time period in the future.

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3
4
5

s been working: Action started in the past and progresses into the present.
Was wondering: Polite way of saying the action is taking place in present
Own: The action is present but started at unspecified time in the past and is
can remain as so into the future.

Present progressive
Task 18
What auxiliary verb is used to create the present progressive?
to be am/is/are.
What is the form of the lexical verb of the present progressive?
-ing form of a verb
Task 19
m meeting: Future, a plan has been made
s always running late: Present, an individuals habit
m walking: Past, story-telling is commonly narrated in the present tense and
present progressive to give the false sensation the story is happening now.
Task 20.
1

2
3

Having cannot be used as it has a more continuous meaning rather than a

static meaning.
He either has a brother and a sister or he doesnt. To say hes having gives
the false impression hes giving birth which is pure non-sense.
You either like something or not. You do not continue to like something in the
present progressive form. Like is a state verb.
Thinking implies you still consider or debate your opinions on the new job. It
cannot be used in the present progressive tense as the person who asks this
question should assume you have already made up your mind as to how you
like the job. Thus Think can only be progressive when it defines a constant
action of reason: Wait! Im thinking!
The sauce either lacks salt or it doesnt. Statements mustnt be used in a
progressive manner, as they are real, determined, static and sometimes
unchangeable facts about something.

B Vocabulary
Words and dictionaries
Task 21: Information in a dictionary
Word class (Part of Speech)

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Dictionaries correct spelling

They give synonyms/antonyms
They give accurate pronunciation/ phonemic transcript
They give alternative words
They give examples of correct usage in sentences
They give the words etymology (Middle English, Old French, other
origin)
Variations of usage (adjective, verb, noun)
Excerpts from all kinds of literature

Task 22
1

Highest: High is not used to measure height in people. The correct word
is tallest. Highest would be used for mountains, buildings, trees, etc.
However, if a person is too high it may mean he is out of reach.
Enervated: describes a state that is without force or vigour. It is incorrect to
apply to a persons state of being awake, as it is too formal. The correct word
would be tired.
Pretentious: has a negative connotation. The overall sentence is praising so
the word pretentious would be incorrect. A more correct word to use could
be Bright.
Slap: Slap is not something that would be delivered lovingly. An alternative
verb could be pat as it implies the same kind of gesture but in a more loving
and soothing manner.
Footing: Walking would be a better word choice. To foot does also mean to
walk in English, although it is not widely used, despite being found in various
pieces of old literature. The origin could be of French influence due to the fact
that the French word for jog is literally translated as the verb foot.

Task 23
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6

Not only was he nice, but he was also strikingly handsome. (adverbadjective)
After he got up, he made his bed and did some homework. (verbnoun, verb-noun)
It was absolutely fabulous! (adverb-adjective)
They both really depend on each other. (verb preposition)
Their farewell at the airport was highly emotional. (adverb-adjective)
She was caught in a vicious circle. (adjective-noun)

C Phonology
Overview
Task 24

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1 Stress: B. Giving emphasis to one syllable
2 Phoneme: C. An individual sound
3 Intonation: A. The music of our voices
Task 25
1. An individual sound is mispronounced. B. The listener might
understand bin when the speaker wanted to say pin.
2. A request is made with flat intonation. C. The speaker can sound
arrogant and demanding.
3. The wrong syllable is stresses in a word. A. The word is
incomprehensible.
Task 26
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7
8
9

There / their
South
Languages
Peaceful
Young
Call
Search
Equation
Sugar

Task 27
Where does the word 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

Task 28
1 Photograph Photography Photographer
Photographic
Non-native speakers often experience problems with these words as
they have words with similar spelling in their native language but
shifting word stress.
2 The stress exists on the last syllable for two syllable verbs.

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The stress exists on the first syllable for two syllable nouns.
Task 29
Mother / Forget / Announce / Tonight / Notable
Indicative

/ Mention / Patrol /

Section 3
Language Skills: Reading, Listening, Speaking and
Writing
A Reading
Ways of reading
Task 30
Think of all the texts that you have read so far today and comment
on the ways in which you read these texts.
Firstly, I read the messages on my mobile as soon as I woke up. Most
messages were from the bank to let me know my account balance. I read
banking messages most days out of habit. I quickly scanned the messages
for the information that I wanted, noted my account balance and ignored the
additional information that was of no use to me. I only paid attention to the
particular information that I needed.
Later on this morning, I read my Face2Face English course book, scanning the
unit headlines to find the last lesson I was on. When I found it, then I read the
full lesson. Often when I find the lesson isnt hard for me then I will just
quickly skim through the rest of the unit pages to get the gist of it.
I also read to relax and exercise my brain, although I do so in a more
intensive way than reading a cereal box. If it is a well-written and
entertaining book, then I will re-read paragraphs as I want to deeply
understand each meaning in a passage and get the authors feeling.
I am also reading my pre-course task. I am doing so in an intensive manner. I
want to ensure that I dont make any unnecessary mistakes. So I am reading,
re-reading and checking the original text as I answer the questions.
Task 31
1

An academic article that we need to read for an essay that we are

writing. Initially you would read intensively through the text, highlighting
any relevant information. Then you would also read to infer what it is that
the author implies. ( Intensive, Read to infer)
A telephone directory. You would quickly scan through the pages to get
to the relevant initial, then you would scan the alphabetical list for the
name/number you need. Finally you would intensively read the required
name and number to ensure that you have the correct details. (Scan,
detailed reading)
The editorial of a newspaper in a topic we care about a lot. You
would read this intensively and also read to infer what the authors
implicit message in the text is. (Intensive, read to infer)

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4

An advertisement for a job that we might be suitable. You would

scan through this text to see if the job requirements are suitable for you. If
they seem suitable enough, a more detailed reading would be
undertaken. (Scan, detailed)

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

It takes a long time to read and understand each and every word.
Reading a long passage in a highly detailed way causes people to
focus on the meaning of individual words rather than the meaning of a
passage.
It takes the intonation out of reading which makes it difficult for
listeners to understand the true concept of the passage.

B Listening
Ways of Listening
Task 33:
Non-native speakers may not be familiar with a particular accent or
dialect.
Non-native speakers can re-read a written text but may not have the
opportunity to listen to a text repeatedly.
They can control the speed at which they read, but not at which they
need to listen. The spoken text may be too quick for them to
comprehend.
They may misinterpret a word and not have the opportunity to recheck
it, which leaves them with a mistaken or incomplete opinion of the
listening text.
Task 34
Think of three situations in which you listened today. Make a note of
who you were listening to, your motivations for listening and
describe how you listened.
I had a quick face-to face conversation with my wife in the morning. It was
6am so I was only half-listening and relied on picking up the gist of the
conversation to be able to converse.
I also spoke to my sister-in-law who wanted to talk about raising children. I
was listening for detailed information on how I could use her advice to raise
children of my own. For the rest of the conversation, I was able to skim listen
and reply to what was asked.

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Task 35
1

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

listening, Listening to infer meaning
2 A sales pitch for a computer that doesnt really interest you.
However, you are at work and you cant just walk out. Skim/Gist
Listening
3 Announcement at a train station when you are waiting to hear
the time of the next train to your destination. Scan, Intensive
4 Instructions from your boss for a new task that is critical for your
job. Intensive
5 An interview with someone who is famous and whose political
opinion you would like to find out about. Intensive, Listening to infer
meaning
6 A radio programme on a topic that is mildly interesting to you.
Skim/Gist listen

C Speaking
Ways of speaking
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?
Non-native speakers have not had the opportunity to utilise the
language.
They have not engaged with the language as a whole, by taking
interest in cultural and linguistic particularities of the English language.
They lack confidence in their pronunciation or their ability to hold a
conversation.
Sometimes non-native speakers are embarrassed to make mistakes so
they dont speak unless completely certain of what they are saying.
Task 37
1 Could I please have a ......? Probable unsuccessful attempt as the
listener is unsure of what the speaker wants, though gestures can help
the listener to guess.
2 You come my house tonight? Successful, although the sentence is
grammatically incorrect.
3 Yesterday good time. Next time we see, no? Successful, although the
sentence is grammatically incorrect.
4 A. How long have you been in New Zealand?
B. I stay here 5 weeks. Unsuccessful, as the person asking the
question does not get a satisfactory reply to their question. Person B may
have misinterpreted the question or confused their verb tenses. Person A
would be left confused as to whether Person B has been here 5 weeks, or
is planning to stay 5 weeks.

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Task 38
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6

Transactional
Transactional
Interactional
Interactional
Transactional
Interactional

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

It develops their speaking skills.

The language they have learnt in class can be utilised in a more practical
rather than theoretical manner
It help students to improvise and use learnt vocabulary/grammar in a
spontaneous way.
It encourages speech and discourse, which develops learners confidence in
speaking a language.
It brings a more lively, friendly and challenging environment to the classroom
experience.

D Writing
Differences between written and spoken English
Task 40
1 S
2 W
3 S
4 S
5 W
6 S
7 S
8 W
9 W
10 W
11 W
12 S

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Task 41
1 She through the ball hard so it hurt when I court it.
She threw the ball hard so it hurt when I caught it.
Through and threw are homophones; they have the same
pronunciation but different spelling and meanings.
Court and caught are homophones in standard British English (not
in AmE),
2 My brther livs in Swedn.
My brother lives in Sweden.
The learner is possibly spelling phonetically
They may also have a learning difficulty such as dyslexia
The learner may also frequently use SMS language or textese,
where words are shortened by omitting vowels or other
adaptations.
3 However, hard I try it never works.
However hard I try it never works.
The learner has learnt a rule for the use of However and has taken
this model and incorrectly applied it to another situation. Moreover,
the learner may not be sure of punctuation.
4 first of all he invited me to sit down after that he offered me a coffee I
was very surprised by his politeness
First of all, he invited me to sit down. After that, he offered me a coffee. I
was very surprised by his politeness.
The learner lacks knowledge of written punctuation (Capitalisation
of first letters, full-stops, commas, etc).
The learner may also frequently use SMS language or textese,
where punctuation is left out omitting capitalisation of first letters,
full-stops, commas, etc.
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.
Writing from left to right
Writing from bottom to top
Writing on the line
Punctuation use:
Lack of capitalisation or incorrect usage of capitalisation
Homophones: misuse of words that have the same pronunciation but
different spellings and meanings
May not be able to write in first language, so holding a pen and making
correct script symbols may prove difficult
The mistranslated idiomatic expressions from their native language
into English

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The false impression that commas and apostrophes are sounded

letters as in their native language.

Section 4
Planning and Resources
A Planning and preparation
The lesson plan
Task 43
a 3. Personal aim
b 6. Interaction pattern
c 1. Lesson aims/learning outcomes
d 5. Procedure
e 2. Anticipated problems and solutions
f 7. Stage aim

B Resources
Task 44
1 F. Developing students language and skills in a structured way and
allowing them to review at home
2 G. Developing students listening skills with specially prepared or real
material
3 B. Developing students ability to read real texts
4 E. Finding information on a particular topic area and developing reading
skills
5 I. Showing pre-prepared work on a large screen for clarity
6 H. Writing down new words for students to focus on, making the form,
meaning or pronunciation features of a language clear
7 D. Developing students ability to listen to authentic speech
8 C. Giving students work which can be tailored to their individual needs
9 A. Encouraging students to expand their vocabularies and to find out
about new words on their own

Section 5
Developing Teaching Skills and Professionalism
A Developing Teaching Skills
Teacher language
Task 45
1 Jot that down. Colloquial language that learners may be unfamiliar with.
Learners may be more familiar with Write this or Note this down.

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2 I wonder if youd mind just looking at question 4 and then if you
could just answer it. The sentence is too long and complex for learners
to be expected to understand everything. A better instruction would be
Answer question 4.
3 Id 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 are being given at once, and this
may lead to confusion. Instructions should be staged throughout the
lesson.
Task 1: Teacher: Read the text on page four and answer questions
one, two and three.
Students should be allowed time to complete the first task
Task 2: Teacher: Compare your answers with the person next to
you.
Students are allowed to complete task 2
Task 3: Teacher: Write a short summary and discuss it with the
person next to you.
Students write a summary and discuss it.
4 Look at a question at the bottom of the page and think about an
answer. The instruction lacks clarity. The teacher should clarify whether
the questions should be thought about or should be answered; Read the
question at the bottom of the page and answer it/ Read the question at
the bottom of the page and think of an answer. Also, questions in course
books are usually numbered; Answer question 6 at the bottom of the
page

Task 46
1 I dont want to work in a group because I will only learn mistakes
from other students.
Firstly I would explain the importance and the purpose of speaking
English, to communicate with others, to engage actively with others and
to interact. Then I would explain the benefits of group work; more talktime for student, increased confidence in speech, more interaction, and
peer-teaching. Group work also allows them to participate actively and
create a more social and interactive classroom. It also develops their
social skills, necessary to communicate in any culture. Also it will give
them an increased motivation to learn English, as they will be frequently
using it and are able to monitor their own success and improvements.
2 I wish you could translate more words into my language.
I would explain that the language of the classroom is English and that it is
more beneficial for all students that English remains the dominant
language in the classroom. However, I would explain that dictionaries may
be used to reference words and phrases. I would explain that for a goal of
increased fluency in English that students need to be able to think and
speak in English rather than translating all the time.

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3

Please dont ask me to work with that student. I dont like people
from her country.
I would explain that it may be more beneficial to all to place them in the
same group as English is a universal language that unites the people of
the world and it is used to break down barriers rather than building them.
I would also explain the benefits of group work as written above.
Could we just talk in class and not use any books?
I would explain to the student that the course book is merely a learning
tool we use to facilitate in the overlapping, multidisciplinary skill set:
auditory, visual and kinaesthetic. I would explain the benefits of using all
skill sets and incorporating all learning styles by showing them the
different types of information that they will learn throughout one lesson
using the course book, whereas not utilising the course book would lead
to an auditory based lesson for many students who learn better in other
ways.

Organisation of the classroom

Task 47

How would you organise the classroom to carry out the activity?

The desks could be set up in a semi-circle with the students acting as assistants
seated at them, with the course information in front of them. The prospective
customers can then move from desk to desk discussing the options and finding a
suitable course. The teacher could mingle among them and observe and participate
if needed.

What resources you could use to make the activity more effective?

Initially, I could show them pictures of computers or popular computer courses from
their country to visualise what it is that they are doing; and to open a discussion on
the topic with the students. The assistants could have the course information with
different, prices, times and dates written on a sheet of paper on each desk. To make
the activity more challenging, the prospective customers could have information
cards with requirements, personalities and identities which the customers would
have to role-play.

Any problem about the organisation of the activity that you could
anticipate?

Quieter students may not wish to participate. Some students may move quickly
from desk to desk, while other students move more slowly. I dont see the rushing
as a big problem itself, but it is probable some students will do the activity without
following the instructions properly. Students will need time to read and analyse their
information sheets and identity information.
Dealing with Language
Task 48

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Different meanings:
1 Slim/Thin: Different picture slides could be shown on the screen and
students could be asked to categorise them into thin and slim; and then
decide whether they have positive or negative connotations.
2 To wink/to blink: Miming could be used to show each and then a few
students could be selected to either close one eye wink, or two eyes
blink and say which is which.
3 I used to get up early/ I am used to getting up early: A picture of a person
waking up with a clock showing 5am and a caption with a past date such
as 1988-1995 could show the past habit of that person; In contrast to
that, another picture of another person waking up at 5am with a caption
with NOW (2016). The teacher could say in the first picture this was my
habit 20 years ago, I used to get up early and in the second picture the
teacher could say this is my habit now, I am used to getting up early.
Miming can be used to explain waking up. An alarm clock could be used to
show an early time.
4 Nervous/Upset: Two comparative stories could help explain the words; I
feel nervous when I go to the dentist. I feel upset when I argue with my
friends. Miming can also be used to demonstrate facial emotions, while
shaking shows nervousness, a frown and crossed arms could show youre
upset. Then the students could answer alternating questions as to when
they feel upset or nervous.
5 4 weeks ago/ 4 weeks before: A quick explanation of ago using
stories...as in 4 weeks ago I went to a concert and a date.
And 4 weeks before as in 4 weeks before the concert, I bought the
ticket and another date.
Furthermore, diagrammatic sketches could be used to exemplify this:
May 1st

X 4 weeks ago

May 29th

X Now

X 4 weeks before
April 3rd

Different pronunciation:
6 I do it/ Ill do it: Firstly I would break down the sentence into whole words
rather than abbreviated and write the two sentences on the board. Then I
would shorten will so students understand where the [ll] came from.
Then I would put my closed fist in front of my face and stretch out my
fingers as I say the words to show that even with [ll] there are 3 syllables
in both sentences. Finally I would write the phonemic structure of the [I]
and [Ill] and drill for accurate pronunciation.
7 Read (present tense)/read (past tense): I would drill for pronunciation
using the different IPA phonemes: /i:/ for read (present tense) and /e/ for
read (past tense). Id also remind students that the name of the colour
red is the same pronunciation as read in the past tense.
8 Put/putt: I would drill for pronunciation using the IPA phonemes // for put
and // for putt. As I drill each word, I would mime each action, while

CELTA PRE-COURSE TASK

saying put I would place a book on a table or a pencil in a pencil case
and while saying putt I would mime a golfer swinging his golf swing
strongly then giving it a small putt.
9 Record (noun)/ record (verb): I would explain that word stress is at its
peak on the first syllable for nouns and on the second syllable for verbs.
Then I would highlight the stressed syllable on the board and overemphasise it in speech.
REcord (noun) and reCORD (verb). I would also draw an old vinyl record
and a record button on the whiteboard. Then I would point to each
drawing expecting the students to say the right word.
10 Live (verb)/live (something happening now): I would show the different
phonemes for the two words and show how I use my mouth to create the
sounds. Live (verb) would be represented by // and a closed mouth. Live
(something happening now) would be represented by phoneme /a / and
an open mouth.

B Developing Skills
Task 49
1 Reading:
Why the activity was not successful:
There was no lead-in or introduction to the topic, so the students had not
activated their interest in it.
The activity wasnt successful because it was too advanced for the group,
and they may not have had the pre-required vocabulary to access the
meaning of the text. The teacher could have done a vocabulary check before
doing the reading exercise.
Asking the students to read each a particular passage of a text out loud gives
them the idea they dont have to read the rest of the text to themselves so
they dont pay attention to their classmates reading.
Alternate activity to develop reading skills:
Beforehand, teacher must anticipate problems and solutions in the lesson
plan.
Check that students understand key vocabulary for the task.
Establish interest in the task by asking questions and creating a classroom
discussion around the task.
Ask the students to quickly scan read the text, looking for words they might
not know the meaning of.
Then provide some detailed questions to check their understanding of the
text, which uses their intensive reading skills. True or false sentences could
be a good alternative here, where students could be asked to justify their
answers with excerpts from the text itself. Allow the learners to work silently
on the reading part of the task.

CELTA PRE-COURSE TASK

Then, the teacher may have 3 or 4 pre-prescribed questions written on the

whiteboard which the students, in groups, describe and discuss the text in a
free-speaking activity giving their opinions and asking follow-up questions.
In the end, the teacher could ask students to share with the class their
classmates opinions and beliefs.
2 Speaking:
Why the activity was not successful:
The teacher did not test the vocabulary that students had or equip them with
the necessary vocabulary.
Interest in the topic was not established for all the students.
Students may feel shy in voicing their opinion to the whole class, but feel
more comfortable in pairs or groups.
Alternative activity to develop speaking skills:
Bring a short video to class about the theme, with images and perhaps
peoples opinions on that subject. Students watch it and then check new
vocabulary with the teacher on the whiteboard.
Base the speaking topic on that video they have watched;
Give them a handout from which to work from, a survey, a questionnaire or a
quiz on the theme.
Break the class into pairs or smaller groups and have each group discuss
their opinions or complete a task that requires them to ask the opinions of
others and give their opinions.
In the end, the teacher may ask students to give their survey results to find
what the majority of the class thinks and find reasons why.

Task 50: Consider

professionalism:

how

the

following

form

part

of

teachers

Confidentiality: Firstly, from a legal standpoint, students records or reports

should never be shared without the students prior consent. It is important to
keep confidential all students records and to be discreet when discussing
teaching issues with other members of staff. It also helps in building a
stronger student-teacher relationship, based on respect, trust and honesty. It
is imperative that a teacher behaves professionally in all situations relating to
confidentiality, including sharing personal issues during a lesson, for it seen
as unethical and not the place or time for sharing those issues.
Setting standards: Standards set by any school should be followed by their
staff. To adjust to a set standard means that students are given a realistic
expectation of their development. As a teacher, it is important to uphold set
standards so that you, yourself, are also respected as a teacher who teaches
effectively and consciously.
Punctuality: It is rude and unprofessional to be late. A teacher needs to be
conscious that students have other places to be, after the class ends. A
teacher should be reliable and consistent in turning up a few minutes early to
prepare the classroom and greet the arriving students. The class should start
punctually as a respect to the students who arrived on time. Latecomers can
join in as they arrive.

CELTA PRE-COURSE TASK

Course planning/reviewing: are important in laying out the aims of a

course and what you hope to achieve. While planning out a course, it focuses
your mind on what is needed in individual lesson plans. In order to give a
professional quality lesson, it is important to have a planned outcome and
aim for the overall course. It is also important to review the course along the
way to ensure that it is achieving what is set out in the course plan.
Record keeping: is an important task as it allows other teachers to pick up
where you left off, if they have to cover your class. It also allows you to track
a classes progress. It also allows students to see their progress. It also
serves you as a parameter for lecturing the same subject to another class.
Assessment: are necessary to ensure that learners understand meaning; to
test what students know and remember; or test other skills such as
pronunciation and listening. 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. Assessments should
form a clear part of the learning process, so that students can see the benefit
of them, although I personally dont find written based tests essential to
assess students in order to know what level of English they are on.
Curriculum development: should be undertaken in a holistic manner.
Primarily the needs of the learners need to be understood and taken into
account at all stages. A process of input assessment should be included in
the framework to ensure that learning outcomes are being met. Either by
occasional tests, homework from an exercise book or progress tests on a
course software.
Pastoral care: A teacher needs to be respectful of the student and ensure
that they trust the teacher enough to make the classroom a safe-haven from
his anxieties. This may mean referring them to someone out the classroom if
they become distressed at any point during the course. As a teacher, one has
to be respectful of a students emotional needs and know where to seek
professional help for them and in the lack of help, to ensure a friendly and
welcome environment.
Team work: It is important that a teacher is able to work in a team, as often
many teachers work in the same school, and classes may overlap. Teachers
need to be considerate, respectful and helpful to one another, which may
include sharing ideas and experiences, encouraging others, sharing
resources and maintaining records. They need to create a good working
relationship through team work, professionalism and respect.
Relationship with students: A professional student-teacher relationship is
one based on mutual respect. A teacher needs to do more than teach; they
need to be able to build up a rapport with students, by taking an interest in
their lives outside of school, chatting to them after class, and by being
approachable.
Cultural awareness: is a must for all teachers, as very often an innocent
gesture may offend students. It is important to research the culture of your
students, especially if you are living within their country. It is also important
to be sensitive to the cultures of all students within your class, and
understand where they are coming from.

CELTA PRE-COURSE TASK

Self-development: Professionally, a teacher should ask to observe another

teacher from time to time so that they can gain ideas and learn new skills.
Also teachers should ask to be observed and given feedback from time to
time, when working in a school. Occasionally feedback could be gathered
from students so that any weakness or strength can be identified.
School/college policies and rules (including equal opportunities and
health and safety): The policies and rules of a school have been put into
place so as to keep the students safe from harm. They should be followed
strictly. Health and safety of students should be a number one priority. Equal
opportunity policies should be implemented. As a teacher, you should
request to have access to these policies and documents and familiarise
yourself with them. If necessary, your input to the development of these
documents should be made professionally and with the best interests of the
students in mind.
Membership of/contribution to professional bodies: Professional
membership of one of these bodies means that you are acting as a
representative of them in your professional work. Membership of these
bodies allows you greater access to further course material, latest teaching
methodology and developments in the ESL field. Contribution to these bodies
ensures that these bodies are there to support other ESL teachers at home
and abroad with accurate information and assistance.
ESOL and teacher training research and development world-wide:
Professionally we all have a duty to contribute to a greater understanding of
the field that we work in. Research, advanced training and new
developments promote greater communication between individuals working
as teachers and thereby further our knowledge of different methodologies
and techniques. The more we understand about how language works, how it
is learnt and how it is utilised; the more we can develop and implement
teaching strategies that benefit both teacher and student.