/ CELTA Application Tasks

Name ______

The CELTA course requires candidates to have an adequate level of English, ability to research language items and an aptitude for teaching. These tasks are designed to help you think about the English language and how it works.

To complete these tasks, you are encouraged to refer to grammar reference books, such as:

  • Practical English Usage,by Michael Swan (Oxford 2006, 2013)

Grammar for English Language Teachers, by Martin Parrott (Cambridge 2010)

LANGUAGE TASKS

A.Grammar

Look at the incorrect sentences and

a)correct the verb;

b)name the tense;

c)comment briefly on the use of the correct tense.

Example sentence: I had learned to play chess in school.

Correction:I learned to play chess in school.

Tense:Past Simple

Use:An action completed in the past

  1. He is checking the door every day before going to bed.

a)

b)

c)

  1. They have been shopping yesterday.

a)

b)

c)

  1. By the time he is seventy, he will visited many countries.

a)

b)

c)

B.Meaning

How would you explain to a learner of English, the difference in meaning between the following sets of sentences?

Example sentences:

A.He’s been to Portugal.

B.He’s gone to Portugal.

Explanation:

A: Means ‘that he visited Portugal sometime in the past and only the experience

important now

B: Means ‘ that he went to Portugal in the past and is still there at the present moment’.

  1. He stopped to call her back.

He stopped calling her back.

Explanation:

  1. I am joining the team next month.

I am going to join the team next month.

I will join the team next month.

Explanation:

  1. She needn’t have completed all the work.

She didn’t have to complete all the work.

Explanation:

C.Functions

1. Look at the following sentences and decide what function is being used in each case. The first one has been done for you.

Sentence / Function
We are going for a walk. Why don’t you come along too? / Invitation
He lost his job? What a shame!
You could have fed the cat.
I must stop eating junk food.
Could you possibly do this on your way back?
Let’s go for a walk.
How annoying!
We are sorry about the delay in processing your claim.
Please wear your seatbelts and switch off your phones.

2. What other functions can you think of that haven’t been expressed by the sentences above? Write them in the table in the spaces provided.

3.a. Consider this request: Can you help me with this project?

Give examples of four other ways we could make this request. Write down two increasingly formal ways of making the same request and two less formal ways.

1.

2.

3.

4.

3.b. What factors are important in deciding which of these forms should be used?

3.c. Which exponent of request would you choose to teach to a beginner class? Why?

D.Vocabulary

When we look up a word in the dictionary, we find itsliteral(denotative) meaning and suggestive (connotative) meaning. Depending on our associations, emotions and experiences, certain words can have a positive, negative, or neutral connotation.

Explain in simple terms, the difference in meaning between the following sets of words:

Example words:childish/youthful

Explanation

‘Childish’ has a negative connotation and refers to someone behaving in an

immature way.

‘Youthful’ has a positive connotation and refers to someone who seems young, lively

and energetic.

1.aggressive/assertive

2.affect/effect

3.gourmet/glutton

E.Phonology

Indicate the number of syllables and the main stress in the following words, using:

 stressed syllable

O unstressed syllable

Example words: ability ooofurniture oo

  1. association
  1. insurance
  1. to decrease
  1. a decrease
  1. chairperson
  1. probability

1

/ CELTA Application Tasks

1

/ CELTA Application Tasks

WRITING TASKS - APPROACHES TO TEACHING AND LEARNING

Please write full answers in continuous prose. Please ensure your check your spelling and grammar carefully when you have completed this section.

1.Think about your experience(s) in learning a foreign language. What do you think makes an effective language lesson?

2.Describe the best/worst team you have been a member of and how you handled the situation and got all your work done.

3.In some cultures, students are expected to speak only when spoken to by the teacher and to interact only with the teacher. Do you think this is good practice? Justify your answer.

1