CELTA Written Assignment – Language Related Tasks

Candidate name:
(in capitals and signed to testify that this is entirely your own work)

Date:
Word count: 750-1000

Include this page with your assignment.

The submission date is non-negotiable.
Assessment criteria Tutor's comments
a. analyse language correctly for
teaching purposes

b. correctly use terminology

relating to form, meaning and
phonology when analysing
language

c. access reference materials and

reference information they
have learned about language
to an appropriate source

d. use written language that is

clear, accurate and appropriate
to the task

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Tutor name and signature:

Pass Pass on resubmission Fail

Tutor comments on resubmission:

Tutor name, signature and date:

Tutor 2: (signature and date):

I have read the assignment and agree with the grade and comments.

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 Assignment Two: Language Related Tasks

This assignment requires you to research, and reflect on aspects of language. The types of target language considered include grammar and
vocabulary. You will be asked to analyse concept, form and phonology and identify important problems that students may have with the language,
giving solutions to these problems, as you need to do when planning lessons.

Task:
Part A – Grammar; Part B - Vocabulary
Here are 2 sentences with a grammatical structure underlined in each one and 2 sentences with a vocabulary item underlined. Follow the
instructions below a – g for each task (2x grammar and 2x vocabulary)

You need to analyse one grammar structure and one lexical item from each 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. Your answers should be about 300
words for each grammar item and 200 words for each of the vocab items.

● Grammar (Elem)
1. You mustn’t smoke here.
● Grammar (upper intermediate)
1. I wish I hadn’t lost my temper.

● Lexis (Pre intermediate)

1. He takes after his father
● Lexis (Intermediate)
1. I was so embarrassed about it.

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a). Analyse meaning: say what the statement means, using appropriately graded language for the level of students (in brackets)

b). Imagine you are teaching this language item to a class of the specified level & they ask you what it means, or when do we use it? Describe a
context that would help convey/clarify its meaning.

c.) State how you would check student’s understanding of the language item. Write concept questions you would ask & provide the answers. IF a
timeline is appropriate, you should also include this. You can include other ways of checking too, if you wish. Link these questions to your context
(point b)

d.) Highlight the key pronunciation features of the spoken form of the target language (use phonemic script where useful). Word or sentence stress;
weak forms; features of connected speech ( contractions, linking, assimilation, elision etc.)

e). Highlight the form and label the parts (using terminology) as if you were doing it for students in the classroom on the board. Name the
structure or tense if it has a name, or the “part of speech” (e.g. noun) for vocabulary.

f). Identify at least ONE problem in each area (meaning, form and pronunciation) that students might have with the features you listed above. Make
these appropriate to the specified level.
● What aspects of the meaning might be difficult for students to grasp? Do these words/structures have other uses (meaning)? Are there other
words/structures that express something similar? Does the structure exist in students L1?
● What form-related mistakes might students make when trying to use the item?
● What problems might students have with particular sounds, word stress or other pronunciation issues? Use your common sense as well as
reference sources.

g). State which reference books or other sources you used to help you analyse this structure.

Recommended Literature:
M. Swan - Practical English Usage
Carter, et. al. – English Grammar Today
M. Parrot – Grammar for English Language Teachers
Graham Workman – Concept Questions and Timelines
Murphy – English Grammar in Use
Dictionaries
Grammar Reference in the coursebooks (e.g. Headway, Cutting Edge etc)

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What are we looking for? (Code: v-fine, x-needs improvement, N – inappropriate)

Task A: Grammar You Grammar Grammar Comments

structure 1 structure 2

1. Clarify the meaning of

language

2. Provide a clear and appropriate

context to help convey the
meaning

3. Check the students’

understanding of the target
language appropriately.

4. Clarify key pronunciation

features of language.

5. Clarify the form of language,

using appropriate terminology.

6. Identify at least ONE potential

problem with meaning, form
AND pronunciation.

7. Use reference books to

analyse language and
acknowledge sources.

Task B: Vocabulary You Grammar Grammar Comments

structure 1 structure 2

1. Give the meaning of the word

or expression

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2. Give the meaning of the word
or expression

3. Check students’ understanding

of each lexical item.

4. Clarify key pronunciation

features of lexical items.

5. Identify the form of each lexical

item

6. Identify at least ONE potential

problem with meaning, form
AND pronunciation

7. State what reference

books/dictionaries you used to
help you

WORKED EXAMPLES: STRUCTURE/GRAMMAR

Target statement: Mary used to do exercise. (Intermediate)

a) Meaning

In the past Mary regularly did exercise, but she does not now.

b) Providing a context/conveying meaning:

Tell an anecdote about Mary as a 16 year-old. Mary went running every morning and often went
to the gym in the evening (use pictures/mime, if necessary). Then she stopped running and
stopped going to the gym when she was about 25. She’s now 30 and she doesn’t do exercise at
all. So tell me about Mary now, “Mary …… (try to elicit the target phrase) … used to do

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exercise.”

c) Checking Understanding:

A timeline:

Exercise No exercise

________XX_X_X_X_X__________________________________________

Past Now Future

Concept questions:

Did Mary exercise in the past? Yes

Did she do it once, or regularly? Regularly

Does she exercise now? No

(Note that with this structure both concept questions and time lines are possible. Not every
structure lends itself to both – you will have to decide whether to use one or the other, or both)

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d) Pronunciation

 

Mary used to do exercise.

/’justə/

(used to is linked and to is weak)

e) Form

Mary used to do exercise.

Subj + used to + verb (bare infinitive)

Note that we don't include 'exercise' in the analysis as this is not intrinsic to the structure).

f)Anticipated problems
Meaning:

● Sts may use it for single past events e.g. I used to go to the cinema yesterday.
● Sts use “would” which can be used for repeated actions only (but not for past habits and
states e.g. Mary would smoke.)
● Sts confuse it with “Mary is used to doing exercise” which implies being accustomed to
doing something now which was strange or more difficult to begin with.
Form:

● Sts may use past simple instead of bare infinitive, (Mary used to did exercise …)
● Sts insert “was” e.g. Mary was used to do ..
● In questions and negatives, sts use “used to” (Did Mary used to ..? or Mary didn’t used to …)
instead of “use to”.

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Pronunciation:

● Ss might not use weak form of “to”, e.g. /tu:/ instead of /tə/ (stress all words equally)
● Pronunciation of use /ju:s/ and used /ju:st/ not /ju:z/ and /ju:zd/

g) Reference:

“Practical English Usage”, Michael Swan (OUP, 1980)

“Macmillan English Dictionary”, Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 2003

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Vocabulary. Target statement: John’s borrowed $200 from Holly. (Intermediate)

Context i.e. how will B) Context Tell a story: My friend John is always short of money but he always wants the latest technical objects e.g. mobile, laptop, etc.
you convey meaning? John saw this new DVD recordable player but didn’t have the money so he asked Holly, his girlfriend, to give him $200. He promised to
pay Holly back at the end of the month when he got paid. She said OK so tell me about John. (elicit) He …………… borrowed $200
from Holly.

● Word/phrase Clarify Meaning Checking meaning Any problems with M, F or P? Solutions

● Phon script & (e.g. definition / (e.g. CCQs, extensions, timeline,
Stress pic /mime etc.) personalisation etc.)
● Form
borrow from A) Meaning C) Checking understanding (F) Problems

D) Pron John received Concept questions: Meaning:

$200 that
/’bɒrəʊfrəm/ belonged to Did Holly give John $200? Yes ● Sts use lend instead of Elicit that we borrow from and lend to
borrow e.g. Can I lend
stress on 1st syllable Holly, and
$200?
borrow promised to give What for? To buy a new DVD
it back to her recorder.
E) Form later Form:
Write form on WB, elicit preposition from
To borrow (verb) + ● Sts use incorrect preposition
Is the money a present from Holly?
something (object) + e.g. to borrow sthgto so.
No
from (preposition) +
somebody Pronunciation:
Will she get her money back? Yes, Drill
hopefully ● sts pronounce /w/ at end
● incorrect pron of ed /id/ Highlight word stress on WB
(regular verb)
● sts stress 2nd syllable

(G) References “Macmillan English Dictionary”, Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 2003 ; “Practical English Usage”, Michael Swan (OUP, 20

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