C A M B R I D G E

E X A M I N A T I O N S , C E R T I F I C A T E S & D I P L O M A S

English as a
Foreign Language

C E E LT

C A M B R I D G E E X A M I N AT I O N S I N

E N G L I S H F O R L A N G U A G E T E A C H E R S

HANDBOOK

Page 2

Our address is:

The EFL Division
UCLES
1 Hills Road
Cambridge
CB1 2EU
United Kingdom

Telephone:

+ 44 1223 553311

Fax:

+ 44 1223 460278

email:

[e-mail]

P R E F A C E

This Handbook is intended principally for teachers and
course designers who are involved in preparing candidates
for the Cambridge Examinations in English for Language
Teachers (CEELT). There are separate Handbooks for other
Cambridge EFL examinations.

CEELT is a language examination for teachers; it tests the
language proficiency needed for a teacher’s personal and
professional development by focusing on the language
teaching classroom and providing tasks related to the work
of a language teacher. CEELT is not a teaching qualification;
it does not test a teacher’s ability to use practical classroom
techniques or strategies, nor does it test the application of
educational or methodological theory.

CEELT Contacts at UCLES

Contact

ASD / EFL Liaison Officer (Ext. 3433) about:
•

CEELT Centre approval.

Contact

The EFL Division (Ext. 3758) about:
•

the content of CEELT;

•

the method of assessment;

•

CEELT Course Design Guidelines;

•

CEELT UK and Overseas Centres Lists.

Contact

The Publications Department (Ext. 3265) about:

•

CEELT past papers.

Contact

The EFL Business Support Unit (Ext. 3827) about:
•

publicity material.

Contact

The Exceptions Units (Ext. 3536) about:
•

exam entries and entry forms;

•

exam results;

•

exam materials;

•

Oral Examiner visit arrangements for UK centres;

•

exam dates;

•

exam fees.

Page 3

C O N T E N T S

This booklet provides the following information about CEELT:

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 4

Background to CEELT .............................................................................................................................. 6

CEELT Content: An overview .................................................................................................................. 6

Grading and Results ................................................................................................................................ 7

CEELT Administration .............................................................................................................................. 7

A Detailed Guide to CEELT

Paper 1 Speaking .................................................................................................................................... 8

Paper 2 Reading and Writing .................................................................................................................. 10

Paper 3 Listening .................................................................................................................................... 12

Common Questions and Answers .......................................................................................................... 14

Bibliography............................................................................................................................................ 16

Page 4

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Introduction to UCLES

The University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate
(UCLES) was established as a department of the University of
Cambridge in 1858 in order to set a standard of efficiency
for schools in England. The Cambridge examinations cover a
wide range of academic and vocational subjects and include
examinations especially designed for international use.

Examinations in English as a Foreign Language were started
at UCLES in 1913, with the Certificate of Proficiency in
English (CPE). The First Certificate in English (FCE) was
introduced in 1939. Other EFL examinations and English
Language Teaching (ELT) schemes have been added since
then, so that UCLES now offers a comprehensive range of
EFL examinations and ELT schemes with a total annual
candidature of over 500,000.

The English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Division

The English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Division at UCLES
has specific responsibility for all the professional and
specialist aspects of the EFL examinations and the ELT
schemes. The EFL team is made up of staff with
qualifications mainly in the area of Applied Linguistics and
ELT, and with considerable experience in overseas teaching
situations.

The work of the EFL Division covers four main areas:

•

Question paper production;

•

Support for the administration of the examinations
(particularly the Speaking tests);

•

Processing of examinations (marking, etc.);

•

User service.

In all these areas there is a programme of on-going
validation, and specialist staff work on analysis and
evaluation. The aim is to ensure that standards are being met
and that the examinations develop in order to meet the
changing needs of candidates and other test users.

The core of the EFL system is the question paper production
process. This is described in detail later in this section.

The general administration and processing of examinations is
largely carried out by other divisions at UCLES. The EFL
Division, however, is responsible for ensuring that various
professional requirements are met. This includes, for
example, the development and implementation of training
and monitoring procedures, which are required for carrying
out the assessment of spoken and written language by
examiners.

For the EFL Division, user service involves professional
matters such as the production of information for test users,
e.g. handbooks, sample materials, reports, etc. It is also the
responsibility of EFL staff to ensure that obligations to test
users are met, and that in this context UCLES EFL
examinations fulfil the Code of Practice established by the
Association of Language Testers in Europe – ALTE (see
below). This Code of Practice focuses on the responsibilities
both of examination providers and examination users and
covers four main areas:

•

Developing examinations;

•

Interpreting examination results;

•

Striving for fairness;

•

Informing examination takers.

The Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE)

UCLES is a member of The Association of Language Testers
in Europe (ALTE), which was formed in 1990. The members
are all providers of language examinations and certificates
from countries within the European Union.

The principal objectives of ALTE are as follows:

•

to establish a framework of levels of proficiency in
order to promote the transnational recognition of
certification, especially in Europe;

•

to establish common standards for all stages of the
language testing process: i.e. for test development,
question and item writing, test administration, marking
and grading, reporting of test results, test analysis and
reporting of findings;

•

to collaborate on joint projects and in the exchange of
ideas and know-how.

More information about ALTE and copies of ALTE documents
can be obtained from the ALTE Secretariat at UCLES.

Page 5

The Production of EFL Question Papers

The production process for question papers for EFL
examinations and ELT schemes begins with the
commissioning of material and ends with the printing of
question papers.

There are five main stages in the process:

•

commissioning;

•

editing;

•

pretesting / trialling;

•

analysis and banking of material;

•

question paper construction.

This process can be represented in the diagram below.

The UCLES Main Suite: a Five Level System

UCLES has developed a series of General English
examinations with similar characteristics, which span five
levels

The most widely taken Cambridge EFL examination is FCE
with an annual candidature in excess of 250,000.

Cambridge Level Five
Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)

Cambridge Level Four
Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)

Cambridge Level Three
First Certificate in English (FCE)

Cambridge Level Two
Preliminary English Test (PET)

Cambridge Level One
Key English Test (KET)

UCLES Specialised EFL Examinations

UCLES has also developed a series of specialised EFL
examinations to meet the language needs of particular
groups of candidates such as Young Learners, EFL Teachers
and those studying English for Business or Academic
purposes. The Cambridge Examinations in English for
Language Teachers (CEELT) fall within this group and are
available at two levels.

Trial

construction

Trialling

review

Trialling

A

B

Vetting and editing of

material

Pretest

construction

Revision

Rejection

Pretesting

Item

Analysis

MATERIALS BANK

Question paper

construction

Commissioning of material

for question papers

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B A C K G R O U N D TO C E E LT

The CEELT examinations, which were first offered in 1987,
are designed to assess the English language competence of
teachers and student teachers of English whose first language
is not English. Through the use of reading, writing and
listening tasks and video sequences, CEELT tests a range of
language skills relevant to the classroom environment and to
the study of language teaching methodology. However,
CEELT is not a teaching qualification. Following a review
and validation study of the examination, a number of
important changes were introduced in 1993, including the
testing of a wider-range of listening skills through the
medium of audio rather than video.

The Level of CEELT

CEELT is available at two levels: Level I is broadly equivalent
to a good pass at FCE - Cambridge Level Three; Level II is
broadly equivalent to CPE - Cambridge Level Five.

Recognition

CEELT has been used as a focus for language training for
teachers in many different countries including Russia,
Kazakstan, Oman, Romania. It is particularly well known in
Brazil, Argentina, Turkey and Greece. Success in all three
papers of Level II exempts a candidate from the language
component of the DOTE (Diploma for Overseas Teachers of
English).

CEELT Candidature

The target candidature for CEELT is non-native speakers of
English who are practising teachers of English or teachers in
training. CEELT is now taken by teachers in about 70
countries throughout the world, although the total number of
nationalities represented in the candidature approaches 100.
The majority of these candidates enter for CEELT in Europe,
the Middle East and South America. Many candidates also
take the examination in the UK.

Age – Most candidates (about 68%) are under 35, although
a further 23% fall into the 36-45 age range.

Gender – Approximately 78% of candidates are female.

Employment – More than 70% of candidates are qualified
teachers within their own country’s education system and a
similar proportion holds a teaching position at the time they
take the examination - 32% in a state institution and 39% in
a private institution. Approximately 39% of the candidature
teach young learners or teenagers; a similar proportion
(37%) teaches adults, and about 24% teach a combination of
the two.

Exam Preparation – The majority (more than 93%) of
candidates undertake a CEELT preparation course before
taking the examination; most of these courses last between
three and twenty-four weeks. Prospective candidates,
however, need not have followed approved courses of study
to enter for the examination.

Reasons for taking CEELT – Candidates’ reasons for taking
CEELT are roughly distributed as follows:

•

for promotion within their own institutions (19%);

•

to enhance employment opportunities (37%);

•

out of personal interest (44%).

C E E LT C O N T E N T : A N O V E RV I E W

The examination consists of three papers at each level.

Speaking

30 minutes (approximately)

Reading and Writing

Level I - 2 hours
Level II - 2

1

/

2

hours

Listening

45 minutes (approximately)

Speaking

There are two parts to the Speaking Test - Reading Aloud and
Oral Interaction. Candidates are required to read aloud (after
preparation time) two passages of the kind they might be
expected to read aloud in the course of their professional
lives. In the Oral Interaction section candidates take part in a
group discussion of a video extract showing a sequence from
an EFL lesson.

Reading and Writing

Candidates must complete two reading tasks, one error
correction and / or identification task and one writing task
related to the work of an English language teacher.

Listening

Candidates are required to listen to three audio inputs
related to English language teaching and to complete tasks
based on the recording.

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G R A D I N G A N D R E S U LT S

Results are given for individual papers; certificates are
awarded for successful performance in all three papers at
each level. Passes in each paper are given at Grade A, B
and C.

The grade boundaries for each paper are set according to the
following information:

•

statistics on the overall candidate performance;

•

comparison with statistics on past examination and
candidate performance;

•

recommendations by the Principal Examiners;

•

feedback from Examiners, where this is relevant.

Candidates who are not successful in a given paper or
papers receive a ‘Referred’ Grade ( R ), and may re-attempt
the paper(s) on two further occasions within a period of two
years, but not in the examination period immediately
following the one in which they were referred.

Awards

The Awarding Committee meets after the grade boundaries
have been confirmed. It deals with all cases presented for
special consideration, e.g. temporary disability,
unsatisfactory examination conditions, etc. The Committee
can ask for scripts to be remarked, results to be checked,
grades to be changed. Results may be withheld because of
any infringement of the regulations or because further
investigation is needed.

Notification of Results

Statements of results are issued through centres
approximately two months after the examination has been
taken. Certificates are issued about six weeks after the issue
of statements of results. Enquiries about results must be made
via Centres or Local Secretaries within a month of the issue
of statements of results.

C E E LT A D M I N I S T R AT I O N

Examination Centres

CEELT is available within the UK and overseas through
examination centres approved by UCLES. Institutions
wishing to apply for centre status must complete a Centre
Registration form available from the ASD / EFL Liaison
Officer at UCLES, 1 Hills Road, Cambridge CB1 2EU. The
completed form should be received at UCLES six months
prior to the session in which the institution first intends to
offer the examination.

All premises used for examination purposes must be open to
representatives of UCLES who may visit any examination
centre without prior warning while UCLES examinations are
in progress.

Role of the Local Secretary

For every centre, there must be a Local Secretary or
Examinations Officer with whom UCLES corresponds, and to
whom entry forms, examination materials, results slips, etc.
are to be sent. The Local Secretary is responsible for the
conduct of the examinations and for ensuring adherence to
UCLES’ regulations.

Examining Periods

The examination may be taken at Levels I and Level II, on
locally arranged dates within the following periods:

1998:

Session 1

23 March - 03 April

Session 2

01 June - 19 June

Session 3

13 July - 28 August

Session 4

23 November - 11 December

Paper 1 (Speaking) must be taken within two weeks of
Papers 2 and 3.

1999:

Session 1

22 March - 02 April

Session 2

31 May - 18 June

Session 3

19 July - 27 August

Session 4

22 November - 10 December

Paper 1 (Speaking) must be taken within two weeks of
Papers 2 and 3.

Course Materials

There is no one CEELT-specific coursebook. There is,
however, a bibliography at the end of this handbook which
lists materials that have been found useful when preparing
for CEELT.

UCLES also produces CEELT Course Design Guidelines for
course providers. Past examination papers, which can be
used for practice, are available from the Publications
Department at UCLES. The papers included in this handbook
are Level I, Version 019 and Level II, Version 018.

Page 8

A D E TA I L E D G U I D E TO C E E LT

PA P E R 1 S P E A K I N G

General Description

Paper Format

The paper contains two parts - Reading Aloud and Oral
Interaction. For the Reading Aloud part, the usual format is
an Interlocutor, a Candidate and an Assessor. For the Oral
Interaction, the usual format is an Interlocutor, three
candidates and an Assessor.

In each case, the Interlocutor reads aloud any instructions
and plays the role of facilitator. The Assessor does not take
any part in the interaction but focuses on listening to the
candidate and making an assessment.

Timing

Approximately 30 minutes per candidate.

Assessment of Reading Aloud

Candidate performance is assessed on two scales: Accuracy
in Pronunciation of Sounds, Stress and Intonation, and
Sensitivity to the Text and Audience.

Assessment of Oral Interaction

Candidate performance is assessed on four scales: Accuracy
in Pronunciation; Range and Accuracy of Structures and
Vocabulary, Fluency, and Interactive Skills.

Part

Main Skill Focus

Task Format

Percentage of Marks

1

Reading Aloud (with 10 minutes’

• A narrative or descriptive text of approximately

Approximately 33%

preparation time and the use of

250 words suitable for classroom use (Level I)

a Pronouncing Dictionary within

• A text of approximately 200 words giving

that time).

instructions for a classroom activity
(Level I and Level II)

• A text of approximately 250 words to be read

aloud to colleagues (Level II)

2

Group discussion (lasting

Viewing of a video clip lasting approximately

Approximately 66%

approximately 15 minutes)

3 minutes showing an extract from an EFL

of a video extract.

lesson. Candidates are each given a cue card
with a written question prompt. After the second
viewing of the video clip, the candidates discuss
and comment on what they have seen with two
other candidates.

Page 9

P R E PA R I N G F O R PA P E R 1

The Speaking Paper is divided into two parts - Reading
Aloud and Oral Interaction - and has a similar format at each
level.

Preparing for the Reading Aloud

Candidates are required to read aloud two passages with
meaning and effect, facilitating the listener’s understanding
of the text. They are assessed on the accuracy of their
pronunciation, stress and intonation, and also on how
effectively they convey the message behind the text by
appropriate use of eye contact, facial expression, gesture,
speed and pausing. Candidates are permitted the use of a
Pronouncing Dictionary in the ten minutes’ preparation time
allowed prior to the Reading Aloud.

Candidates need to be exposed to the different text types
(narrative / description, classroom instructions, informational)
which they will encounter at each level of the examination,
and to be made aware of the strategies required to convey
the message in each. As an awareness raising exercise, the
course tutor could, for example, read aloud a passage with
his or her back or profile to the class, so that no
paralinguistic features are evident. The same passage could
then be read aloud with appropriate paralinguistic features to
facilitate candidates’ appreciation of the difference this
makes. It may also be useful for candidates to discuss and
prepare passages together focusing on key questions, e.g.:

•

Which emotions / feelings / attitudes / opinions are
being expressed? Is this constant throughout the
passage? If not, at which points in the passage does
this change? How can the change in tone be
indicated?

•

Which are the key pieces of information in the
passage? How can these be emphasised?

•

Are there any points / parts in the passage where it
would be appropriate to pause / read more slowly?

•

Are there any words or phrases which are difficult in
terms of pronunciation or stress? (Candidates can
check pronunciation and word stress in their
dictionaries and practise breaking long sentences into
sense groups.)

•

Which paralinguistic features could be usefully
introduced, and at which points, to facilitate the
listener’s understanding of the text?

Group members can then take it in turns to read the passage
aloud. During the reading, other members can use a simple
checklist to make notes and provide helpful feedback, e.g.:

•

Clear and interesting?

•

Any problems with certain sounds?

•

Any problems with word / sentence stress?

•

Too fast? Too slow?

•

Appropriate pauses and gestures?

Preparing for the Oral Interaction

Candidates need to be made aware that, as a group, they
have responsibility for managing and maintaining the
interaction. This includes ensuring as far as possible that
each member of the group is given an equal opportunity to
contribute. Discussion does not need to be confined to the
video extract; candidates may introduce their own
experiences as long as these are broadly relevant. They
should not be afraid to ask each other for clarification if they
have not understood what has been seen on the video or
been said by another member of the group.

Candidates therefore need training and practice in how to
structure their own individual contributions and in how the
discourse of the group can be managed. This entails the
teaching of language which can be used to signal turn
taking, development of the discussion, etc.

Candidates need to be familiar with vocabulary used to
discuss teaching and learning and to be able to use this
accurately when commenting on the video sequence.

It is useful to prepare a self-evaluation sheet for this task to
enable the group to discuss individual and group
performance, e.g.:

•

Did I express my ideas coherently and justify my
opinions?

•

Did I contribute enough?

•

Did I help others to join in?

•

Did I make any grammar slips?

•

Did I use classroom-related vocabulary?

•

Did the discussion flow and develop?

•

What do I / the group need to focus on in future?

Page 10

PA P E R 2 R E A D I N G A N D W R I T I N G

General Description

Paper Format

The paper contains four tasks.

Task Types

At each level there are two reading tasks, one error
correction and / or identification task and one task testing
writing skills.

Answering

Candidates write their answers on the question paper.

Timing

2 hours for Level I; 2 hours 30 minutes for Level II.

Marks

The reading tasks make up 50% of the paper total; error
correction and writing skills make up 25% each.

Task

Main Skill Focus

Input

Task Format

1

Reading to understand the

Main textual purpose: informational

One or more from the following:

main points and details of the

Length:

• table / chart / note completion

text.

350-450 words (Level I);

• matching and / or ordering

450-550 words (Level II).

• true / false / no evidence

Source:

• short answer questions

articles on teaching tips (e.g. from

• sentence or summary completion

MET); instructions for classroom

• summary selection.

activities (e.g. from Teacher’s books);
extracts from brochures (e.g. about
courses or institutions).

2

Reading to identify and

Main textual purpose:

One or more from the following:

understand the main idea(s)

argumentation, attitude or opinion

• table / chart / note completion

and message of the text

Length:

• matching and / or ordering

(Level I and II).

800-1000 words (Level I);

• true / false / no evidence

Reading to identify and

1000-1200 words (Level II).

• short answer questions

distinguish between fact

Source:

• sentence or summary completion

evidence, opinion, definition

extract from EFL handbook or

• summary selection

and hypothesis (Level II).

article on teaching and learning.

• multiple-choice statements or

questions.

3

Error Correction (Level I)

Text based on authentic piece of EFL

Writing the correct version of errors

student writing with 15 identified

in spaces provided below the text.

errors to be corrected.

Error Identification and

Two different pieces of authentic EFL

• Section A - marking a tick or cross

Correction (Level II)

student writing or one piece divided

according to whether the underlined

into two sections.

words or phrases are correct

• Section B - writing a full correction

of underlined words or phrases.

4

Writing

Input provided in the form of one

• (Level I) a letter of between 250 and

of the following:

300 words

a letter or part of letter;

• (Level II) one from the following: a letter,

announcement;

a report, section of an application form

advertisement;

of between 350 and 500 words

to set context and register and to

• the audience for the task at Level I and

specify the intended purpose and

Level II will be one from the following:

audience.

professional contact (e.g. native speaker
acquaintance or friend); official
(e.g. publishers, Ministry of Education);
public (e.g. readers of an EFL magazine).

Page 11

P R E PA R I N G F O R PA P E R 2

CEELT Paper 2 consists of four tasks at each level. Although
the paper as a whole has a standard structure and format, the
task formats for the first two parts do not. The range of task
types which appear on the paper is intended to encourage a
familiarity with different approaches to reading.

Task 1

The reading text for Task 1 at each level has the purpose of
giving information about institutions or courses, classroom
activities or techniques. The length of the text is relatively
short and the task generally expects a detailed understanding
of the text. Candidates need to be familiar with vocabulary
used to describe classroom procedures and management, the
planning and stages of lessons, materials used in lessons, etc.
They also need an awareness of the terminology used to
describe the content of different EFL courses, publications,
etc.

Task 2

The reading text for Task 2 at each level discusses an aspect
of teaching and / or learning and has a theoretical rather
than practical focus e.g. The Lexical Syllabus, Teaching
Listening Skills, Learner Training. The text is of a much
greater length and candidates are required to follow the
argument, identify the opinion of the writer and summarise
the main ideas expressed. The task expects a familiarity with
vocabulary used to describe ELT methodology, language
syllabuses and language acquisition. Candidates also need to
be able to recognise and understand a variety of discourse
markers in formal, written English.

Task 3

In Task 3, Level I, candidates are required to correct errors
that have already been identified in an example of student
writing. The text contains the sort of errors that FCE level
learners typically make in their writing, such as incorrect
auxiliary verbs, subject / verb concord, tenses, prepositions,
articles and misspelled words.

In Task 3, Level II, candidates are required both to identify
and correct errors. A wide range of structures such as
conditionals, modals, reported / indirect speech, embedded
clauses is tested. This part of the paper also tests fixed
phrases, collocations, phrasal verbs, lexical phrases, linkers,
cohesion and appropriate register.

For both levels, candidates can be encouraged to correct
their own or their classmates’ written work, which may also
help to improve written accuracy.

Task 4

Task 4 consists of 1 compulsory written skills question at
each level on an area relevant to the work of an EFL teacher,
e.g. giving information about his / her students (Level I),
describing a lesson which went well or badly (Level II). At
Level I, this always takes the form of a letter; at Level II, this
may be a letter, report or section of an application form.

Input is provided on which candidates must base their
responses; this sets the context and register and also specifies
the audience and purpose for the piece of writing.

It is important that candidates read the input text very
carefully and cover or refer to all essential points of it in
their answer. Responses are also assessed on organisation
and cohesion, appropriate and consistent register, range and
accuracy of language.

As preparation for this task, writing can be done in groups,
and individual answers be produced later. As a variation,
course tutors may wish to use the sample answers to Task 4
which accompany sets of CEELT past papers. To raise
awareness of writing criteria, groups could:

•

evaluate each answer and compare their comments
with those of the examiner;

•

match comments with sample answer;

•

rank the sample answers in order of merit;

•

correct and reformulate one of the sample answers.

It may also be useful to develop a self-assessment chart for
the CEELT writing task.

(See example in CEELT Course

Design Guidelines.)

Page 12

PA P E R 3 L I S T E N I N G

General Description

Paper Format

The paper contains three parts. The input for parts 1 and 2 is
heard twice. The input for part 3 is heard once.

Answering

Candidates write their answers on the question paper.

Timing

Approximately 45 minutes.

Task

Main Skill Focus

Input

Task Format

1

Identifying the main stages / ideas

An audiotaped extract from an EFL

One or more from the following:

of an EFL lesson, identifying

lesson where the teacher is speaking

• short answer questions

the communicative purposes of

for most of the extract (e.g. giving

• listing and ordering

utterances, understanding detail

instructions, presenting language),

• matching

or specific information.

lasting 3 or 4 minutes.

• note / chart / table completion
• multiple-choice questions or

statements

• true / false / no evidence.

2

Identifying the ideas and

An extract from a talk, lecture or

One or more from the following:

supporting detail in an EFL

broadcast relevant to the professional

• controlled note-taking

lecture, identifying and

development of an EFL teacher,

• note / chart / table completion

distinguishing between fact,

lasting between 7 and 10 minutes.

• true / false / no evidence

example, opinion, inference;

• multiple-choice questions

extracting key points involving

or statements.

the co-ordination of related
information.

3

Understanding main ideas, details

A discussion or conversation on

One from the following:

and examples; identifying mood,

an aspect of teaching and learning,

• controlled note-taking

attitude, feeling or opinion.

lasting 4 to 5 minutes and heard

• note / chart / table completion

once only.

• true / false / no evidence.

Page 13

P R E PA R I N G F O R PA P E R 3

Paper 3 has a standard structure of three parts. Candidates
always have time to read through the questions on the page
prior to hearing the input and should use this time to help
predict what they will hear.

Task 1

At each level the input is based on an EFL lesson and
features a piece of teacher-talk e.g. the setting up of an
activity, presentation of language, feedback on homework.
Candidates are required to understand the stages of
instructions, language used for purposes of classroom
management and metalanguage commonly used in the EFL
classroom. Video extracts (heard with or without vision) can
provide useful practice for this task.

Task 2

At each level the input is based on an EFL lecture extract
relevant to the professional development of an EFL teacher
e.g. Teaching Vocabulary, Classroom Management, Changes
in the English Language. The task requires candidates to
follow the talk, identifying the main ideas and distinguishing
between definitions, examples, key points and supporting
detail. Conference videos, such as those available from
IATEFL, provide useful practice material. To help candidates
prepare for this task, it may be useful to provide tapescripts
for post-task checking. This can allow candidates to discover
where any breakdowns in understanding occurred. For
example, they may identify problems which originate in the
following areas:

•

discrimination: (e.g. failure to distinguish want from
won’t);

•

segmentation: failure to locate word boundaries
correctly;

•

lexis: lack of knowledge of vocabulary;

•

extrapolation: failure to recognise a known, written
word in its spoken form;

•

inadequate inferencing.

Controlled note-taking is a common response format for this
task. In practising exam-type questions, students should be
encouraged to limit the length of their answers.

Task 3

At each level, the input for this task is heard once only. At
Level I, one speaker is in the position of giving information
to another speaker e.g. an experienced teacher going
through a lesson plan with a less experienced teacher, a
school receptionist giving information about courses in
response to an enquiry. The candidate is put in the position
of needing to note this information.

At Level II, the input takes the form of a discussion between
two or three speakers on an aspect of teaching or learning,
e.g. use of the L1 in the classroom, how to introduce a
correction code. The candidate is required to follow this
discussion and identify the opinions of the speakers.
Candidates need to be given plenty of practice in listening
and responding to inputs heard once only.

Page 14

C O M M O N Q U E S T I O N S A N D A N S W E R S

GENERAL

Do candidates usually perform uniformly well, or
uniformly badly across the three papers on the
examination?

Some candidates achieve similar grades on all three papers,
but it is more usual for candidates to perform better on the
Speaking Paper than on the other two papers. A greater
proportion of candidates is referred on the Reading and
Writing paper than on the Speaking or Listening papers.

Is the use of dictionaries allowed?

Candidates are allowed the use of a Pronouncing Dictionary
in the preparation time for the Reading Aloud section of
Paper 1, but the use of dictionaries is not allowed in the
other parts of the examination.

Is there a division of topics between those considered
appropriate for Level I and those only used for Level II?

No. Topics may appear at either level but are likely to be
treated in a more complex way if featured at Level II.

If a candidate takes CEELT in, for example, the
November / December session of 1997 and is referred
in one or two papers, when is the last possible session in
which the paper(s) may be retaken?

November / December 1999.

Is it possible for a candidate to enter papers at different
levels, for example, Level II Speaking and Level I
Reading & Writing and Listening?

No. The entry must be made for all three papers at one level.

Does a candidate have to take Level I before Level II?

No.

Is it possible for a candidate to enter for both levels at
the same time?

Yes, but we do not recommend this.

Does a candidate need to follow a CEELT course before
taking the examination?

No, although more than 93% of candidates do take some
sort of preparation course.

PAPER 1 SPEAKING

What is the pass mark for this paper?

The total mark available for the paper is 30. The pass-mark is
18. Candidates need to score between 22 and 25 to be
awarded a Grade B and 26 or more to be awarded a
Grade A.

What is the mark allocation?

The marks for the Reading Aloud section are added together
and divided by 2; the total mark available for this section is
10. The marks for the Oral Interaction section are added
together and marks for the two sections are then totalled.
The Reading Aloud section thus makes up one third of the
mark for the paper and the Oral Interaction accounts for two
thirds.

Are candidates allowed to take notes during the viewing
of the video clip?

Yes, but we do not recommend this. If notes are taken, they
must be given to the Interlocutor before the candidate leaves
the examination room.

In the Oral Interaction section, what happens if the
candidates within the group are mis-matched, e.g., a shy
candidate with two extrovert candidates or a
linguistically weak candidate with two more proficient
candidates?

Oral Assessors are trained to deal with this kind of situation
and can ensure that a good sample of language is heard from
each candidate. Candidates themselves should also be make
aware that they will be ‘rewarded’ if they assist weaker or
shyer participants in the discussion and penalised if they
dominate the discussion.

Should candidates stand up during the Reading Aloud
section?

They may stand up or sit down.

What happens if candidates add phrases of their own to
the Reading Aloud passage or begin the passage with an
introduction of their own?

They are neither rewarded nor penalised for this. We do not
recommend that they do this however, as it is likely to waste
some of the preparation time available.

Page 15

PAPER 2 READING AND WRITING

What is the mark allocation for this paper?

Marks for Reading tasks make up approximately 50% of the
paper. The other tasks (Error Correction and Writing Skills)
attract 25% each.

Are candidates penalised if words are misspelled?

Candidates are penalised in Tasks 3 and 4 (Error Correction
and Writing Skills) for incorrect spelling but they are not
penalised for incorrect spelling in Tasks 1 and 2 (Reading).

Don’t the Writing Skills tasks bias in favour of those
candidates who have a lot of teaching experience?

The tasks are designed to cater for the wide variety of CEELT
candidates. They are phrased carefully to ensure that a
candidate who has little or no teaching experience will be
able to respond. For example, tasks may ask candidates to
respond to the situation described from the point of view of
a teacher or learner of English. However, candidates are
expected to be familiar with teaching and learning related
lexis (e.g. pair work / group work; pre-service / in-service;
elicit / present).

Is use of American English in terms of spelling, lexis and
letter format acceptable?

Yes, if the use is consistent.

Are too short or over-lengthy responses penalised in the
Writing Skills question (Task 4)?

Yes. Markers take this into account when awarding marks. If
responses are more than 50 words below or over the word
limit, one mark is deducted from the total.

If the Reading task response format is of the gapped
note-taking type, are candidates allowed to “lift” words
and phrases from the reading text itself?

Yes, it is quite permissible to use the same words and
phrases as used in the text.

PAPER 3 LISTENING

Are candidates penalised if words are misspelled?

If the word is recognisable and spelt phonetically,
misspellings are not penalised.

If the Listening task response format is of the gapped
note-taking type, are candidates expected to
paraphrase?

No, it is expected that candidates will use similar words or
phrases as heard in the listening input.

Are the candidates penalised for errors in structure, if
the response format requires written notes?

No, providing that the meaning is clear.

Page 16

B I B L I O G R A P H Y

This is a selective list of materials which candidates and
course tutors may find useful when preparing for the CEELT
exams. The first, short list of titles and materials represents a
‘starter kit’ for centres who are considering resourcing CEELT
courses - perhaps for the first time. In the second, longer list
a fuller range of materials has been suggested. Where
possible, the titles have been listed under the papers and
tasks of the examination. However, many of the books are
multi-purpose and can be used for various course elements.
In addition to the classification under CEELT papers, three
other headings have been given; Language Awareness /
Language Description, Enabling Skills, and Source Books and
ELT Methodology.

Also note that the materials have not been classified under
either Level I or Level II as many of these books will find a
place at both levels.

A ‘Starter Kit’ for CEELT courses

Bolitho, R and Tomlinson, B

Discover English Heinemann

Ellis, G and Sinclair, B

Learning to Learn English CUP

Greenall, S and Swan, M

Effective Reading CUP

James, K

Speak to Learn Collins

James, K et al

Listening Comprehension & Note Taking

Course (new edition) Nelson

Jolly, D

Writing Tasks CUP

McDowell, J and Hart, C

Listening Plus E Arnold

Nolasco, R and Arthur, L

Conversation OUP

Rixon, Shelagh

Language Teaching and Learning The British

Council (a video-based training package)

Rogerson, P and Gilbert, J B

Speaking Clearly CUP

Rossner, R and Bolitho, R (eds.)

Currents of Change OUP

Spratt, M

English for the Teacher CUP

Thornbury, S

Language Awareness for Teachers CUP

Willis, J

Teach English Through English Longman

Paper 1: Speaking

Bradford, B

Intonation in Context CUP

Davis, P and Rinvolucri, M

The Confidence Book Longman

Geddes, M, Sturtridge, G and Been, S

Macmillan

Conversation Series:Advanced Level Macmillan

Gower, R

Speaking (Upper Intermediate) OUP

Hadfield, J

Classroom Dynamics OUP

Parrot, M

Tasks for Language Teachers CUP

Wajnryb, R

Classroom Observation Tasks CUP

Woods, P and Hicks, R

English for Teachers Longman

(especially written for trainee teachers in Africa)

Zoltan, D and Thurrell, S

Conversation and Dialogues in

Action Prentice Hall International

Video materials for video-led group discussions

Looking at Language Classrooms CUP

Teaching and Learning in Focus The British Council

Shepheard, J

Teach English: Techniques in Teaching English

as a Foreign Language Angloschool, London

Reflections on Classroom Practice: Video Materials for
Teachers and Teacher Educators University of Sains Malaysia
and Moray House College

International House Video Teacher Training Videos
International House, London

Paper 2: Reading

Brumfit, C (Ed.)

Developments in ELT Macmillan

Brumfit, C

Literature on Language: An Anthology Macmillan

Fairbairne, G J and Winch, C

Reading, Writing and

Reasoning Open University Press

Foll, D

Contrasts: Developing Text Awareness Longman

Paper 2: Error identification and correction

Bartram, M and Walton, R

Correction and Mistake

Management Macmillan

Edge, J

Mistakes and Correction Longman

Heaton, J B and Turton, N D

Longman Dictionary of Errors

and Workbook Longman

Hancock, P

Is That What You Mean? and Is That What You

Mean Too? Penguin

Swan, M and Smith, B

Learner English CUP

Paper 2: Writing

Brookes, A and Grundy, P

Writing for Study Purposes CUP

Hamp-Lyons, L and Heasley, B

Study Writing CUP

Hedge, T

Writing OUP

Nolasco, R

Writing Upper Intermediate Oxford

Supplementary Skills OUP

White, R and Arndt, V

Process Writing Longman

Paper 3: Listening comprehension texts and tasks

Hunter, J and McCrea, J

Talking Texts: School and

Schooldays Penguin

Lynch, T

Study Listening CUP

Rost, M

Listening in Action, Activities for Developing

Listening in Language Teaching Prentice Hall International

Page 17

Language Awareness / Language Description

Alexander, L G

Longman Advanced Grammar Longman

Bowers, R et al

Talking About Grammar Longman

(a workbook to accompany

A Communicative Grammar of

English by G Leech and J Svartvik).

Garson, S et al.

World Languages Project Hodder &

Stoughton (Aimed at GCSE level, provides interesting and
open-ended material; discussion topics and tasks on various
aspects of language and languages.)

Hall, N and Shepeard, J

The Anti-Grammar Book Longman

Harmer, J and Rossner, R

More Than Words Longman

Hughes, G S

A Handbook of Classroom English OUP

Kenworthy, J

Teaching English Pronunciation Longman

Kingsbury, R and O’Dell, F

Using Grammar Longman

MacAndrew, R

English Observed LTP

Mason, M

Language Awareness Part 1 and 2 TRCE (a good

source of ideas for materials, tasks on grammar, and varieties
of language.)

McCarthy, M and O’Dell, F

English Vocabulary in Use CUP

McDonald, C

English Project Work Macmillan (down-to-

earth guide for helping students prepare project work on
language varieties)

Maule, D

The Naked Verb Macmillan

Redman, S and Ellis, R

A Way with Words. Books 2 and 3

CUP

Swan, M

Practical English Usage OUP

Tinkel, A J

Explorations in Language CUP

Wajnrb, R

Grammar Dictation OUP

Willis, D

Collins Cobuild Student’s Grammar Collins Cobuild

Enabling Skills

Smith, M and Smith, G

A Study Skills Handbook OUP

Wallace, M J

Study Skills in English CUP

Self-Access Guides The British Council

Sturtridge, G

Self-Access: Appropriate Material

Sheerin, S (1989)

Self-Access: Resource Books for Teachers

OUP

Source Books and ELT Methodology

Doff, A

Teach English CUP

Edge, J

Essentials of English Language Teaching Longman

Harmer, J

The Practice of English Language Teaching

Longman

Lewis, M and Hill, J

Practical Techniques for Language

Teaching LTP

Matthews, A (Ed.)

At the Chalk Face Edward Arnold

Resource Books for Teachers Series Editor, Alan Maley OUP

Language Teaching: A Scheme for Teacher Education Series
Editors, C N Candlin and H G Widdowson OUP

Longman Keys to Language Teaching General Editor, Neville
Grant

Practical Language Teaching Series Editors, M Geddes and G
Sturtridge Heinemann