BKC - International House Moscow

A MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL HOUSE WORLD ORGANISATION

TEACHER TRAINING CENTRE

Assignment Two: Language related tasks

Length: 750 - 1000 words
Due: 6th March
This assignment requires you to research and reflect on language. The types of target
language to be considered are grammar and vocabulary. You are asked to analyse concept,
form and phonology and identify important problems that students may have with the
language, giving solutions to these problems, just as you need to do when planning lessons.

Task

Look at the attached texts. These contain some useful language. Look at the items underlined
in the text and in the box below and for TWO of the grammar structures and THREE lexical
items:

 analyse the meaning, form and pronunciation

 describe how you would convey and check understanding of meaning: include the
CCQs, clines, visuals, text context, etc that you would use for this.

Important: Although you can use any context for elicitation, make sure the meaning you elicit
is the same as the meaning the language item has in the text.

 anticipate problems students might have with Meaning, Form, Pronunciation and give
a solution for each problem. You should identify one problem and solution correctly
meaning and form and pronunciation for each grammar items (three in total for each
grammar point) and identify two problems and solutions correctly for each lexical
item minimum.

 state which reference books you have used to help you in your analysis

You need to analyse one grammar point and one lexical item from one level, and the rest from
the other level (ie you cannot choose all of your items from one level only).

NB: Look at the examples provided below for a grammar structure and for a lexical item and
follow the layout. Use the same templates you use for teaching practice for your write up.

Assessment Criteria:

Successful candidates must demonstrate that they can

1. analyse language correctly for teaching purposes
2. correctly use terminology relating to form, meaning and phonology when analysing
language
3. access reference materials and reference information they have learned about
language to an appropriate source
4. use written language that is clear, accurate and appropriate to the task
Grammar (Pre Int)
1. Tomorrow, I'm having interviews for four different jobs.
2. If I don't apply for the jobs, I will lose my benefit.
3. They said he was in a meeting.
4. I didn't have enough money for the bus.
5. I've filled in seventeen application forms.

Grammar (Upper Int)

6. He's always whistling.
7. I never wanted him to have a boring, ordinary job like an accountant.
8. … she went over to my maths teacher, who was in the crowd, and shook his hand.
9. I try to run away as fast as I can.
10. She does cause us a lot of embarrassment.
Lexis (Pre Int)
1. an application form
2. unemployment benefit
3. chips
4. overqualified
5. a waste of time
Lexis (Upper Int)
6. dread
7. nickname
8. humiliation
9. clown around
10. want the ground to open up and swallow you

Recommended Literature:
Swan - Practical English Usage
Carter, et. al. – English Grammar Today
Parrot – Grammar for English Language Teachers
Murphy – English Grammar in Use
Aitken – Teaching Tenses
Scrivener – Teaching English Grammar
Dictionaries
Grammar Reference in the coursebooks (e.g. Headway, Cutting Edge etc)
Grammar Analysis
Language-based lessons (form, concept, phonology) This page is ONLY for language focused
lessons (i.e. grammar or functional language). Vocabulary focus should go on the separate sheet.

What is the language point?

TARGET
LANGUAGE He used to pay me a bit of money: 'used to' to describe past
habits

What context will you use to elicit the language from sts? Be specific and include
the eliciting questions

Remind Ss about Alex helping his dad out in his job on a regular basis when Alex
was younger. Make it clear Alex doesn't do this now.

Ask: What does Alex say in the text about his dad giving him money for this? (He
used to pay me a bit of money)

Form and Phonology Analysis

He used to pay me a bit of money

Sub+used to+base form

He didn't use to pay me a bit of money

Sub+didn't [did not] use to+base form

How much money did he use to pay you?/ Did he use to pay you money?
(Question word)+did+subject+use to+base form?

Concept:
CONCEPT /
MEANING 'Used to' is used to talk about actions you did regularly in the past or more
permanent states in the past. Usually these have changed now, or at least the time
period has changed.

Concept Checking Questions or other Technique You’ll Use to Check Meaning

Did Alex's father pay him in the past? Yes

Does he pay him now? No
Did this happen once or many times? Many times
Is he comparing the past and the present? Yes

ANTICIPATED
PROBLEMS & Ss will pronounce the 's' as /z/ in 'use/used /, say the /d/ in 'used ' and use the strong
SOLUTIONS from of the vowel sound rather than 'schwa' in 'to'.

PHONOLOGY Model and drill this chunk separately and add the phonemic script of 'used to' and
'use to' to the board record.

ANTICIPATED
PROBLEMS & Ss try to use it for something that happened only once, or to describe a specific
SOLUTIONS event in the past ('I used to go to my brother's wedding. It was great')
MEANING
Make sure it is clear in the context that the actions are repeated or the states long
term and ask concept questions that check this. Correct any wrong usage in
practice.
 Ss try to use this for something they did in the past and still do now without any/
much change ('I used to like reading. Detective stories are my favourite type of
books')

Make sure it is clear in the context that the situation has changed and ask concept
questions that check this. Correct any wrong usage in practice.

ANTICIPATED
PROBLEMS & Ss will try to add a 'd' in the negative and question form.
SOLUTIONS
FORM Draw Ss' attention to this at the board record stage and elicit that it is not needed
in negatives and questions.

Reference
Materials Used Practical English Usage by Michael Swan, 1996, Oxford University Press

English Grammar Today by R. Carter et. al., 2011, Cambridge University

Press

Vocab item Definition Context (story, Clarification of Problems and

(include stress, dialogue, picture meaning (ccqs etc) solutions
phonemic etc) and eliciting
transcription [if question
necessary] and
part of speech

What colour does your Ss will confuse

embarrassing A situation that Kayleigh's mother face go if something is 'embarrassing' with
/ / makes you feel dresses up as a 'embarrassing'? (red) 'embarrassed'.
ashamed or stupid. giant bird and Ask a concept check
adjective dances around in Is 'embarrassing' the question about this and
feeling or what makes be prepared to give more
public. Kayleigh is you feel? (makes you examples/ correcting
a teenager and she feel)
is worried people 'Confusing' is a false
will laugh at her Do you feel very very friend for 'embarrassing'
bad? (Not very very) in Russian.
because of her Ask concept check
mother. How can If you go to a coffee questions which focus on
we describe shop and drink your this. Be prepared with
Kayleigh's mother/ coffee, and then realise more examples.
you don't have enough
her job for money, is that Ss willl put the stress in
Kayleigh? What 'embarrassing'? (yes) the wrong place:
does it say in the embaRASSing not
text? 'emBARing' and/ or not
If you are in a train use the schwa sound for
(embarrassing) station and the 'rass'
announcement says Model with finger
'platform 9' and the highlighting for stress
signs say 'platform 7' is and correct during
that 'embarrassing'? drilling if necessary
(no)

Reference materials used: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/

 Changing Jobs
Pat Side is unemployed and looking for a job. This her month long diary
of her experience of looking for a job.

Day 2: I went for an interview at the Jobcentre today. Mr Mills, my

interviewer, gave me an application form for six jobs.
Day 4: Tomorrow, I'm having interviews for four different jobs. The
salaries are low – more or less the same as my unemployment
benefit. But if I don't apply for the jobs, I will lose my benefit.
Day 5: I didn't get the jobs. They said I was too old. It's the first time in
my life that I've wanted to cry.
Day 8: Back to the Jobcentre. I waited for three hours to speak to Mr
Mills. They said he was in a meeting, but I think he was having a long
lunch. He gave me two more application forms.
Day 12: I've never worried about money too much, but today I got two
bills in the post. Gas and electricity. I haven't got the money. What am
I going to do?
Day 15: Another interview again today. I didn't have enough money for
the bus so I walked. Five miles in the cold and the rain and I didn't get
the job. Chips again for dinner.
Day 16: Finally, finally my unemployment benefit money arrived and I
paid the gas and electricity bills. I've never felt so happy!
Day 18: I went for another interview today and took the bus. Surprise
surprise, I didn't get the job. They said I was overqualified.
Day 29: I've filled in seventeen application forms and been to seven
interviews, but no success. I am beginning to think this is a waste of
time.

Two weeks later, Pat Side found a job in a telephone call centre. She
enjoys her new work and says the money is good.

Adapted from Straightforward Pre Intermediate Philip Kerr Macmillan

Publishers Ltd 2005
 Problem Parents

Alex Courtley finds it difficult to see the funny side of his father's job. His
father, Paul, is better known to his fans as Corky the Clown.

Alex says: My dad couldn't have become Corky at a worse time – it was
about ten years ago, and I was at the age where I knew what it was
like to feel really, really embarrassed.

At first I dreaded my friends finding out what he did, but eventually

everyone at school got to hear about it, and they nicknamed me
Corky Junior. But the worst times were when he took me to children's
parties and made me join in the act. He used to pay me a bit of
money, but nothing could compensate me for the humiliation.

My dad is always clowning around. He's a total exhibitionist, the loudest

person I know. He sings out loud when we go shopping and he's
always whistling. He's also been on television quite a lot and he's
done adverts. I used to wish he wasn't Corky, but I never wanted him
to have a boring, ordinary job like an accountant.

Kayleigh Rolls is thirteen years old, a difficult age to have an

embarrassing parent. Her mum is the club mascot for Cardiff City
Football Club.

Kayleigh says: Even though she wears a bird costume, everyone knows
it's our mum underneath. She has to wear a really silly Bluebird
costume and fool around to entertain the crowd.

Once, she went over to my maths teacher, who was in the crowd, and
shook his hand. Then she took her bird head off and said, 'I'm
Kayleigh's mum!' I just wanted the ground to open up and swallow
me. I'm one of the ball girls for the club and our mum loves to chase
me around the ground. I try to run away as fast as I can, but
sometimes she catches me and makes me cuddle her in front of the
whole crowd. She does cause us a lot of embarrassment, but life is
never dull, and she's our mum and I think we are lucky to have her.

From: Inside Out Upper Intermediate Sue Kay and Vaughan Jones with
Jon Hird and Philip Kerr Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2001 text adapted
from the Sunday Mirror Magazine 16 May 1999 'Embarrassing
Parents' by Deanna Allen
 BKC - International House Moscow
A MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL HOUSE WORLD ORGANISATION

TEACHER TRAINING CENTRE

CELTA Written Assignment 2: Language related tasks
Candidate name: _______________________________________
This is my own work. Signed:____________________
Word count (750­1000 words): ___________________
                                     

Assessment Criteria
1st Sub 2nd Sub

1. analysing language correctly for teaching purposes

2. correctly using terminology relating to form, meaning and phonology when

analysing language

3. accessing reference materials and referencing information they have learned

about language to an appropriate source

4. using written language that is clear, accurate and appropriate to the task

Pass/  Date 1st marker 2nd marker

Resubmit/ 
Fail
1st Submission: 
                      
Pass or Resubmit?
2nd Submission:
Pass or Fail?
Overall Comment
 Cambridge CELTA
Information for CELTA Candidates
Assessment criteria not achieved: Resubmit

Your assignment has not met the assessment criteria indicated on your cover sheet and is
not at pass standard. As this is your first submission you may resubmit your 
assignment. The resubmitted assignment should be handed in at the date 
determined by the tutor.

Please note that only one resubmission per assignment is allowed and that both the 
original assignment, the resubmitted assignment and all feedback, including this 
information, should be placed in your portfolio for scrutiny by the assessor and / or 
the University of Cambridge.

If you choose not to resubmit the assignment you will be awarded a fail grade for this 
assignment. It is important that you understand the implications for your overall 
assessment on the course. The University of Cambridge allows that a candidate who 
has failed a maximum of one assignment may be recommended for an overall ‘PASS’ 
grade on the course, providing that there is sufficient evidence of their ability to 
meet specific assessment criteria in all other aspects of course assessment. It would 
therefore be very important that you demonstrate that you are able to consistently 
and convincingly meet the relevant assessment criteria in your planning and 
execution of your teaching practice lessons and in all remaining assignments. 
Candidates who fail more than one assignment are not eligible for a pass.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss this further, please make an appointment 
with your tutor.

Assessment criteria not achieved on resubmission: Fail

Your resubmitted assignment has not met the assignment criteria indicated on your 
cover sheet. This assignment is not at pass standard and has been awarded a fail 
grade.

It is important that you understand the implications for your overall assessment on the 
course. The University of Cambridge allows that a candidate who has failed a 
maximum of one assignment may be recommended for an overall ‘PASS’ grade on 
the course, providing that there is sufficient evidence of their ability to meet specific 
assessment criteria in all other aspects of course assessment. It would therefore be 
very important that you demonstrate that you are able to consistently and 
convincingly meet the relevant assessment criteria in your planning and execution of
your teaching practice lessons and in all remaining assignments. Candidates who 
fail more than one assignment are not eligible for a pass.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss this further, please make an appointment 
with your tutor.
N.B. Please note that if you do not submit your assignment on the given date of 
submission, that assignment will be counted as a resubmission and you will not have
the opportunity to redo any areas that may not meet the criteria.

If you have any doubts or questions then please talk to your tutors.