International House Teacher Training Dept.

CELTA

Cambridge ESOL Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults

Trainee Handbook

Contents

General Information

3

Record Keeping and Filing

5

Guidelines for Teaching Practice

6

Teaching Practice Grid

7

Immediate evaluation sheet

8

Summary of TP Administration

9

Language Analysis Sheets

10

Guidelines for Observations

12

Generic observation task

13

Guidelines for the Assessed Written Assignments

14

Personal objectives assignment

15

Assessed written assignments

16

Syllabus and Assessment criteria

23

Online reading

26

Handbook quiz

27

Mid course Evaluation

28

Teaching practice observation tasks

29

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 2

General Information

Course times
The intensive course takes place every day from approximately 09.00 to 17.00, and the semi-
intensive from approximately 09.00 to 17.00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at International House /
Accademia Britannica, Viale Manzoni 22, 00185 Rome. Refer to the attached timetable for a
detailed overview of each day.

Telephone
The school telephone number, to be used in emergencies only, is 0670476894. The school
administration is unable to take or pass on personal messages.

Fax and e-mail
The school is able to accept incoming faxes and e-mails. The direct fax number to the school is
0670497842. The e-mail address is: [e-mail]

Course Staff

•

The teacher trainers at this institute are: Norman Cain, Elizabeth Duncan, Rebecca Haag,
Margaret Horrigan, Ian Nuttall and Deborah Whitworth.

•

The Administrative staff are: Diana Cappelloni, Claudia Battistini and Chiara Persi Del Marmo
(See them for any questions concerning payment for the course)

•

The School Director is Norman Cain

•

The Assistant Director is Joanna Glaiser

•

The Director of Teacher Training is Margaret Horrigan

•

The School Caretaker is Giancarlo Bevilacqua

School opening and closing times
The school is open from 8.30 Monday to Friday and from 9.30 to 12.30 most Saturdays. Please
check for exact dates. You are welcome to come in to prepare for teaching from that time. Classes
may already have started in some of the training rooms. Please check the room plan to see which
rooms are free for you to work in. The school office is open from 09.00 to 13.00 and 15.00 to
19.30 every day except Friday, when afternoon opening hours are 16.00 to 19.00.

Rooms
Please remember to leave the rooms as you would expect to find them and ensure that you
remove all your belongings. Should you forget something, please DO NOT interrupt a lesson in
progress.

Equipment
Each room is equipped with a whiteboard and tape recorder (OHPs are also available for use on
request, as are portable CD players and video/DVD players). The equipment is checked regularly
but you are advised nevertheless to check it before your lesson. Please report any problems to the
tutors or to the school office and ensure that you use aids carefully. There are some computers
available for your use, but please bear in mind that hand written lesson plans are perfectly
acceptable.

Stationery and materials
The following items are provided, but may be in short supply and have been known to go missing!
It is worth having your own supply.

•

DRY WIPE board markers (Please ensure that they are dry-wipe!)

•

Scissors

•

Glue

•

Blu tac

•

Card

•

Coloured pens.

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 3

The CELTA Library
The library contains recommended reading for the course as well as reference books and a
selection of teaching materials. Books may be borrowed for a maximum of two course days.
Please obtain a library card (pay €30 deposit and keep the receipt for your refund) for access to
these materials or any books that you borrow.

The Ih Manzoni CELTA Wiki
In order to provide all participants with access to material online we have created a wiki. Here you
will find supplementary reading material for all your assignments and many other useful adjuncts.
The address is http://celta.wikispaces.com; please take full advantage of this service! The
discussion board is password protected. In order to post a comment the ID is always 'celta
+1/2/3...12' and the password is 'manzoni'. The discussion board will be useful for you to share
ideas outside course times and to provide the centre with anonymous feedback.

Photocopying
Each course participant may use their card (for which you need a further €30 deposit) to make up
to 250 photocopies for teaching practice and course related matters. Photocopies from
published materials must be fully acknowledged. Please try to use the copier sparingly,
bearing in mind its environmental impact. If you do need to go over the 250 copy limit, your
card can be recharged at a cost of €30 per 100 copies.

Refreshments
Tea and coffee making facilities are available in the teacher trainees’ room.

Lunch break
You have between 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes for lunch: please check the exact times on
your course timetable. You are welcome to bring a packed lunch to eat at the school. Please
make sure you leave the classrooms tidy, however, with no potentially smelly food remains left in
the classroom waste bins. If you want to eat outside, there are bars nearby, a pizzeria, a Chinese
restaurant and a small garden in Piazza Dante near the post office near the school.

First Aid
There is a first aid box in the school office.

Emergencies
The emergency services can be contacted by telephone at 113.
Please check the emergency procedure list in all classrooms.

Smoking
Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the school premises. If you smoke outside, please do not
drop cigarette ends in front of the building.

Other Candidates
During the course you will be working with other candidates who are also following the Cambridge
ESOL CELTA course. Remember you are working as a team and that co-operation and support
are an essential part of the overall success of this, or any, course, and of the teaching profession
in general. There may also be candidates in the school who are following other training courses at
the same time as yours (parallel CELTA, DELTA or CELTYL), and who need to use the same
facilities.

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 4

Record Keeping and filing

It is your responsibility to maintain two files.

Personal File
Keep all your own notes from seminars and reading in this. It is your PRIVATE FILE, for your own
use, and will not be assessed by the tutors or the external assessor. Organise it so you can
retrieve information from input sessions easily.

Assessment File

(Portfolio)

You must keep everything that will form part of your assessment in this file . It will be viewed by
the course tutors and used for assessment purposes. At the end of the course the contents must
be returned to the school, and will be retained by us for one year. You are therefore advised to
keep your own copies of everything.

The centre will lend you a course file for this purpose. It is divided into separate sections. Keep the
following in it:

•

Your copy of the official course record booklet CELTA 5 (see below).

•

Your lesson plans, filed together with your tutors’ written feedback and your personal
evaluation of your own lesson.

•

All your marked written assignments with the tutor feedback sheets.

This file must not leave the school. It must be stored in the appropriate place and remains

the property of the centre during and after the course

If you wish, you may have the contents of your course file back within 12 months from the end of
your course. To do so, you should contact and inform the Director of Teacher Training, Margaret
Horrigan, at least two weeks before the twelve month period is up.

The Course Booklet
This is the official candidate record booklet. It contains a record of:

•

Your attendance on the course

•

Your assessed teaching practice

•

Written assignments

•

Progress reports and tutorial records.

The course booklet should be kept up to date at every stage of the course and requires the
signature of your TP tutor after each assessed teaching practice.

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 5

Guidelines for Teaching Practice

You are required to complete a total of 6 hours (360 minutes) of assessed teaching at a minimum
of two different levels. The school organises two or more classes of students who come to school
for lessons on each day of the course.

Organisation
The CELTA course participants are divided into teaching practice groups. Each group works with a
TP tutor who evaluates the lessons that are taught. Usually, each lesson lasts for 120 minutes,
but you will only teach for a part of that time and your peers will teach for the remaining time. We
call this a TP slot. The aim is to give you practice in teaching at different stages of a lesson.
When you are not teaching you will be observing your colleagues. As you gain experience the
teaching practice slot could become longer.

Teaching practice minutes
The Course Director organises the teaching practice minutes for the course, so you will know how
long you are teaching for, and on which days. A copy of the timings is enclosed in this handbook.

Setting up for TP
You will set up for each teaching practice under the guidance of a tutor. This is timetabled into the
course programme. This is when you will make decisions about what the aims of the lesson are
and what to teach in each slot. You will then produce a lesson plan for your slot before teaching it.
As the course progresses and you gain more experience the tutors will expect you to make more
of the decisions about the lesson. Templates for lesson plans are provided.

Teaching practice materials
Each group will initially work with course materials selected by the tutors. The school provides you
with the materials you need for teaching, though you may also choose to design your own
materials for teaching purposes. You must return all books and material at the end of the course,
so please do not write in them.

Feedback
Feedback takes place after each lesson. This is where we look at the strengths and weaknesses
of the lesson and think about the implications of these for future teaching. The first stage of
feedback is oral feedback and involves the whole TP group. Later, you will receive written
feedback from the tutor on your own TP slot, indicating whether the lesson was at pass standard
or below standard for that particular stage of the course.

The aim of feedback is to help you develop as a teacher and must be as objective and supportive
as possible.

Self-evaluation
After you have finished teaching your slot, fill in the TP evaluation sheet. This can be referred to
during oral feedback.

Teaching Practice Grid
On the next page you will find a grid that you and the other members of your teaching group
should complete to help you keep track of the type of lessons you have taught. The grid should
show that you are covering a range of systems and skills in your lessons. Your tutor may refer to it
during your tutorial.

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 6

International House

Cambridge ESOL Examinations

Teacher Training Rome

CELTA

NAME

Rdg

Listg

Spkg

Wrtg

Gram

Voc

Phon

Func

Other

…………

…………

…………

…………

…………

…………

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 7

International House

Cambridge ESOL Examinations

Teacher Training

CELTA

Rome

Immediate Evaluation of Lesson

(Use this sheet to write notes immediately after your lesson)

Name.……………… Lesson date…….. Level…………. Length of lesson…………

1. What are your general feelings about the lesson today and why?

2. To what extent did the students manage to achieve the lesson aims?

3. To what extent were your own self training aims achieved?

4. Look back at the plan. With hindsight, what did you learn from the lesson, and what would

you change if you used it again?

5. What action points (things to work on) can you list, as a result?

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 8

Summary of TP Administration

Before your lesson:

•

Make a copy of your lesson plan, including Language Analysis sheets, if relevant, for the tutor
and give it to the tutor before you teach. Include copies of all handouts (make sure these
have a copyright).

•

Copy a self-evaluation form to fill in after your teaching slot.

After each teaching practice and feedback session:

•

File the original lesson plan, tutor feedback and your self-evaluation in the assessment file.

•

Complete the record of assessed teaching practice in the course booklet (Celta 5).

•

Ask the TP tutor to sign the relevant column in the course booklet

•

Fill in the teaching grid for the type of lesson you taught

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 9

Language Analysis Sheet: GRAMMAR

Complete this, as thoroughly as you can, for grammar / function-based lessons or skills-based
lessons where there is a clear language component.

Language area (e.g. 3

rd

conditional, modals of deduction, etc.)

Context (the situation - Who? Where? When? – in which the language is used, and the sort of
reading or listening text in which it is contained, if a text is being used)

Focus on meaning
(meaning check questions, timelines etc. This would also include levels of formality for functional
language. N.B. you should research the point in one or preferably two reference books, if possible,
in addition to the coursebook)

Focus on form (analysis for students as it will appear on whiteboard, if appropriate)

Focus on pronunciation
(contractions, weak forms etc. Phonemic transcription of target sentence, if appropriate)

Written record
(how students will have a clear record of item, with meaning, if appropriate, e.g. substitution table;
if on whiteboard, include a description in your lesson plan).

Anticipated problems with solutions
(possible difficulties with meaning, form and/or pronunciation etc. and how you propose to deal
with these).

N.B. Your analysis may require more space than provided on this page

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 10

Language Analysis Sheet – VOCABULARY

Complete this, as far as you can, for vocabulary-based lessons or skills-based lessons where
there is a clear vocabulary component.

Lexical area
(e.g. adjectives of personality, phrasal verbs for stages of a relationship, a group of words in a
reading/listening text):

Context (the situation - Who? Where? When? – in which the language is used, and the sort of
reading or listening text in which it is contained, if a text is being used)

Lexical sets / word lists
(Planned or predicted items. Reference to coursebook, handouts, etc., if appropriate)

Focus on meaning
(How you will show / check meaning e.g. labelling pictures, concept questions, dictionary check
etc. Include specific items if appropriate.)

Focus on pronunciation
(phonemic transcription of problematic items if appropriate.)

Written record
(how students will have a clear record of items, if appropriate, with meaning. e.g. labelled diagram,
matching item/definition handout, copied whiteboard list etc., if on whiteboard, include a plan in
your lesson)

Anticipated problems with solutions
(possible difficulties with meaning and/or form e.g. adjective order - clear table with headings)

N.B. Your analysis may require more space than provided on this page

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 11

Guidelines for Observation

There are three types of observation on the Cambridge ESOL CELTA Course. We call them
Internal observation, External observation and DVD observation.

Internal observation

This is when you observe your colleagues during teaching practice. It is an essential part of the
course and you may have tasks to complete (either set by the tutor or decided by the TP Group)
while you are watching. These enable you to focus on specific aspects of the lesson, often related
to seminars or previous TP slots. The task may be referred to in teaching practice feedback.

External Observation and DVD

Observation

This is when you watch experienced EL teachers in action in their own classes. You have to
complete 6 hours (360 minutes) of external observations and DVD observations to fulfill the
conditions of the course. Observation of your trainers can sometimes be programmed during
course hours; otherwise you will be observing other teachers at the school. In this case, you will
need to book your observations on the schedule in the teacher trainees’ room. You should write
your name in the space provided on the date of the lesson you wish to observe. You will also
observe 2 hours’ teaching on DVD during course hours.

External observation tasks

Below are some guidelines for observation which combine with common sense and common
courtesy, and which should be followed closely:

•

The teacher will know you are coming, please ask her/him where you should sit.

•

Never turn up late! Professional attitude is part of the assessment criteria.

•

Comply with the wishes of the teacher as regards discussing the lesson. Some teachers do
not have time to talk, others like to discuss the lesson with you. Be ready/available to do
either.

•

Let the teacher know you may be making notes on the lesson. It can be distracting for a
teacher to see someone sitting at the back of the class scribbling away without knowing what
is being recorded.

•

Stay for the agreed amount of time. Never leave earlier than you had agreed.

•

Please respect the teacher’s availability, do not chat to other trainees or disturb the lesson
unnecessarily. Make sure your mobile phone is turned off.

•

Teachers being observed should be referred to as discreetly as possible in any post-
observation discussion. Rome, in an EL teaching context, is a small city and it is
unprofessional to pass around names and personal judgements of teaching styles and
abilities.

Summary of administration for external observations

•

Complete the record of observations of experienced teachers on page 3 of the CELTA 5
Booklet (THE CELTA 5 BOOKLET MUST NOT LEAVE THE CENTRE). Ask the teacher you
observed to initial your entry.

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 12

Generic observation task

Note seating arrangements and any changes during the lesson:

e.g.: o o o
o o
o o

0

Note the 'formats' (pairs, groups, whole-class) at each phase of the lesson.

During the lesson, do learners listen to a recording, watch a video or read anything?
Yes ... No ...
If yes, note % of time spent on these and any preparatory or follow-up activities.

Notes

What opportunities did you notice for learners to use their English, in conversation, role-
play, etc.?

What opportunities did you notice for learners to increase their knowledge about English
grammar/vocabulary/phonology/appropriacy etc.?

Note anything which you feel contributed to the effectiveness of the lesson or part of the
lesson that you observed.

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 13

Guidelines for written assignments

You are required to complete four assignments during the course with a combined total of not less
than 3,000 words. You are also asked to write one non-assessed assignment at the start of the
course (‘Assignment 0’).

The Cambridge ESOL CELTA assessment criteria state that all assignments must be submitted
and only one "Fail" grade is allowed. (You have the possibility to resubmit each assignment once if
the first attempt is not to standard). If you fail more than one assignment you automatically fail the
course.

Written assignment deadlines

The deadlines for written assignments are on the course timetable. If you think that you cannot
meet the deadline you must inform your tutor at least the day before the due date to obtain an
extension. Extensions of assignment due dates are rarely granted, and only if there are
extenuating circumstances. Give the original assignment to your tutor. You may also wish to make
a copy of your marked assignment if you want to retain one.

As you are training to teach English, please ensure that you proof-read, and spell-check your
assignment if it is computer written, prior to submission. Ensure that it is free of punctuation
errors, grammar errors, etc. It should be organised in a reader-friendly fashion, with sub-
headings where appropriate and clear paragraphs. The zero assignment must be handwritten.
Please write on one side of the page only; this is to allow for tutor comments on the reverse.

Summary of administration for assessment of written work

•

ALWAYS make and keep a copy of the assignment before handing it in.

•

On return of a written assignment, complete page 5 of the CELTA 5 booklet and sign to
confirm that it is your own work.

•

The marked assignment must stay in the file and be available for your tutor and the course
assessor.

•

If you resubmit an assignment, you must put both the original version and the resubmission
in your file.

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 14

International House

Cambridge ESOL Examinations

Teacher Training

CELTA

Rome

Personal objectives assignment

For this first un-assessed assignment, we would like you to write down your own personal
learning objectives for this course.

You may want to refer to the outline CELTA course programme, the CELTA syllabus
online and also to the following questions:

What do I want from this course?

How might I stop myself from getting it?

How am I going to get it?

How will I know that I've got what I wanted?

You should do this task on another piece of paper and we ask you to write it by hand,
leave margins and write on one side of the page only. The assignment should be
between one and two pages long.

This “assignment” - will not be "graded" in any way. It is simply intended to encourage
you to reflect on how you might get the most out of this course. It will be returned to you
later on in the course.

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 15

International House

Cambridge ESOL Examinations

Rome, Manzoni

CELTA

Focus on the learner assignment

(Length: 900-1000 words max.)

For this assignment, you should observe the students in your teaching practice class in the first
week of the course at times when you are not teaching: note the way they like to learn. Look at
how they interact with other students and with teachers, at their use of dictionaries and notebooks,
and at any examples of risk-taking or risk-avoiding. You must also give the learners a written task
for homework which you must collect, photocopy and analyse but remember to return the
corrected homework to the learners.

Part A: Class Profile
During your observations, make notes about the following points and then use these notes to write
your report:

•

Comment briefly on the students’ backgrounds, previous learning experience and learning
styles

•

Discuss the students’ level and general strengths and weaknesses.

•

What are their motivations and reasons for learning English?

•

The students’ classroom manner: Do they appear relaxed or uncomfortable? Do they
participate or withdraw from different types of activities?

•

Do the students appear to prefer some activity types over others? How can you tell?

•

How well do they follow what is happening in class? How can you tell?

•

What is the students’ feedback on the lessons? Do they think they are learning?

Part B: Error Analysis
Also during your observations, make notes of at least 6 specific errors the students make. Once
you have noted the errors:

•

Identify the errors by type (tense, pronunciation, vocabulary, word order, etc). Make sure
you have a variety of error types, ie. not all grammar errors.

•

Suggest possible reasons for the error (L1 interference, mistake, gap, etc)

•

Recording your findings in a chart is recommended, as it helps to prioritise the most
important errors (see example below).

•

Identify any patterns that emerge from your class’s errors.

•

Are there certain types of grammatical or lexical errors common to the class as a whole
that could provide the basis for a future lesson?

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 16

Part C: Skills Needs Analysis

As well as noting grammatical, lexical and pronunciation errors, you will need to identify language
skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) difficulties that your students have. Comment
briefly on:

•

Which skill proves most difficult for the students?

•

How could you tell?

•

What skills work do the students seem to most enjoy/dislike?

•

Suggest some reasons why this is so.

•

What skills development would you see as a priority for these students and why?

Part D: Recommendations for work inside and outside the class

For this section:

•

Choose 1 error from Part B that you identified as a priority to work on with this class.

•

Select an activity appropriate to the learners' level from a coursebook or resource book
that will help the students overcome the error type you have chosen.

•

Explain why you have chosen the activity

•

Choose the skill from Part C that you identified as a priority to work on with this class

•

Select an activity from a coursebook or resource book that will help the students
overcome the difficulty with the skill you have prioritised, please be careful NOT to focus
on a system here

•

Explain why you have chosen the activity and how it enables the learner to improve

•

Submit copies of the activities. Be sure to reference all materials

•

Find your activities in books other than the Student’s book, workbook and Teacher's book
you are using on the course

Assessment Criteria for this assignment 1:

a) showing awareness of how a learner’s/learners’ background(s), previous learning

experience and learning style(s) affect learning

b) identifying the learner’s/learners’ language/skills needs
c) correctly using terminology relating to the description of language systems and language

skills

d) selecting appropriate material and/or resources to aid the learner’s/learners’ language

development

e) providing a rationale for using specific activities with a learner/learners
f) finding, selecting and referencing information from one or more sources using written

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

NB:

You must include a bibliography at the end of the assignment, giving the titles and authors of

the books you used in writing this assignment and submit learners' written samples that have been
analysed and referred to in the assignment body.

Recommended Reading:

Learner English by Swan and Smith – a non-print version is on your wikispace.

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 17

International House

Cambridge ESOL Examinations

Teacher Training

CELTA

Rome

Language skills and systems assignment

(Length: 1,800 -2,000 words max.)

This assignment is in 2 sections. The first aims to evaluate your ability to exploit texts for skills
practice, the second evaluates your ability to analyse language in context.

Section 1

Outline how you would exploit the piece of material provided online. Set out how you would
deliver a reading skills lesson, which also includes one of the following skills; speaking, or writing,
for a multi-lingual group of adult learners at intermediate level, living in the target language
community.

The lesson should show how you plan to develop two of the students’ skills (i.e. show your ability
to provide graded work to improve the students’ reading and speaking, or writing skills via freer
and controlled practice activities). The lesson should provide a brief rationale for what you have
the students do and why. The lesson duration should be one hour. Please remember the main
focus of this section is NOT grammar!

The lesson should show:

•

how you would introduce the topic

•

the tasks and activities you would like the students to do

•

the vocabulary areas that might be a problem

•

the teacher’s and students’ roles during the activities

•

the follow-up tasks you will have the students do

Do not write this assignment in the form of a lesson plan but as a written text.

Your assignment should also include the following elements:

•

evidence of background reading related to skills teaching

•

a bibliography, with particular reference to the photocopied chapter from Reading by Grellèt
available in your room and full book in the SSC (remember to check the wikispace for other
references)

•

identification of receptive and productive skills and sub-skills that can be practised.

•

a brief rationale as to why these tasks are suitable

•

recommended word range 750 -1000.

Please look at the assessment criteria and remember, spelling and punctuation are considered
vital in all assignments as evidence of your use of the language. This assignment can be typed or
hand-written.

In order to pass this assignment you must:

1. correctly use terminology that relates to language skills and sub-skills
2. relate task design to language skills development
3. find, select and reference information from one or more sources using written language

that is clear, accurate and appropriate to the task

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 18

Section 2

Part One

1. Match the concept check questions on the right to the item on the left.

a)I wish I lived in the country

A) Does it look good on the person?

B) Where is her house?

b)That hat suits you.

C) Can you drink from it?

D) Did she like the film?

c)That was a really moving film.

E) Did she feel strong emotions about it?

F) Is the colour good?

d)Can you get the kettle for me please?

G) Do you put tea or hot water in it?

H) Does she want to move house?

2. Circle the concept check questions (CCQs) which are checking the concept, expressed
by the underlined words, appropriately, sometimes all three are possible:

§

The suspect was seen in the vicinity of the bank.

Do we know who saw him? Did someone see him? Was he near the bank?

§

Come and sit down Jim – you’ve been working in the garden all day!

Has Jim been working? Is Jim working in the garden now? When did he start?

§

Her coat isn't in her office – she must have gone home

Is she in the office? Is this obligation? Is she at home?

§

Lesley takes after her grandmother.

How are they similar? Did Lesley take something? Are they similar?

3. Look back at the concept questions in question 2 above and:

a)decide on a logical order of delivery for the CCQs you selected

b) justify why you didn’t select the other questions

4. Look back at the examples in question one and create a context for each example.

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 19

Part Two

For each of the vocabulary and grammar items underlined in the text online you must:

1. Explain the basic meaning of the item in its context (the text)

2. Write the CCQs for the item in the context

3. Mention any other ways of clarifying/checking (eg. Mime, time-lines, pictures, etc.)

4a. For grammar items only, analyse the form of the structure and provide its name, if one exists.

4b. For vocabulary items, identify the part of speech

5. Foresee possible problems for students, e.g. pronunciation, word order, etc.

6. Reference materials you have consulted.

NOTE: Please group the grammar items together and analyse them first, and then group the
vocabulary items together and analyse them second.

Example 1 (grammar item): You’ve had your hair cut!

1. Used when we ask someone else to do something for ys (usually for payment). In this case, a

person has been to the hairdresser's and now her hair is noticeably shorter.

2. Concept checking questions:

- did she cut her hair herself?

No

- did someone else cut it?

Yes

- was it free, or did she pay?

She paid.

3. Perhaps picture of someone at the hairdresser’s.

4. Form: have+object+past participle. Label: the “causative have”

5.The learners may confuse it with the Present Perfect (have + past participle), it is also possible

to ‘get something done’ and fail to hear the weak form of 'have' /həvjə'hæd/

6. Swan, M. (1996), Practical English Usage, pp112-114.

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 20

Example 2 (a vocabulary item): We had a wicked time at the disco.

1. It was very exciting, lots of fun.

2. Concept checking questions:

- is “wicked” positive or negative?

Positive.

- did they enjoy themselves at the disco?

Yes.

- very much?

Yes

3. Ask for examples of things they did at the disco, or examples from other contexts.

4. An adjective.

5. Confusion with “terrible”, pronunciation is sometimes /

'

wɪkəd/

6. OUP (2000) Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary, pp1969

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 21

International House

Cambridge ESOL Examinations

Rome, Manzoni

CELTA

Lessons from the classroom

(Length 750 - 1000 words max.)

Aim

At this stage of the course you will have seen your tutors and experienced teachers within the
school teach, and have also observed more than 30 hours of teaching practice. You have
completed observation tasks and also written your own feedback.

The aim of this task is for you to reflect on your own teaching and evaluate what you have seen in
your observations. You should be able to identify some of the main strengths and weaknesses in
your own teaching and think of some strategies for overcoming the weaker areas.

Assignment

Identify two areas in which you feel you are now strong, e.g.’ classroom management’ or ‘dealing
with language in the class’, and give specific examples from your own lessons, of how you have
improved. Detail any observation you have seen which has helped you improve.

Identify two areas in which you still feel weak. Give examples from your teaching and specify
strategies for improving those areas. Give examples of good classroom practice you have
observed in other teachers relating to the areas of weakness you have specified.

Describe how you can develop your growing ELT knowledge and skills beyond the course

Style

The assignment may be handwritten or typed. It can be written in separate paragraphs with
underlined headings but should be in complete grammatical sentences and not in note form.

Please leave wide margins and write on one side of the page only.

Remember, spelling and punctuation are considered vital in all assignments as evidence of
your use of the language.

Keep a copy of your assignment as it will be retained by the centre at the end of the course. You
may prefer to do this after the assignment is returned to you with comments on it from your tutors.

In order to pass this assignment you must:

1. note your own teaching strengths and weaknesses in different situations in light of

feedback from learners, teachers and teacher educators

2. identify which ELT areas of knowledge and skills you need further development in
3. describe in a specific way how you might develop their ELT knowledge and skills beyond

the course

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

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 22

Assessment Criteria

2.1 - Focus on the learner

The design of the assignment to include:

Candidates can demonstrate their learning by:

Length 750 – 1,000 words

•

investigation of the learning context
and assessment of learner needs
with reference to a specific learner or
group of learners

•

identification of sources for language
development and, where appropriate,
personal support

•

suggestions for specific
language/skill focused activities and
an explanation/rationale for the use
of these activities with the specific
learners outlined

1. showing awareness of how a

learner’s/learners’ background(s), previous
learning experience and learning style(s)
affect learning

2. identify

the

learner’s/learners’

language/skills needs

3. correctly using terminology relating to the

description of language systems and
language skills

4. selecting appropriate material and/or

resources to aid the learner’s/learners’
language development

5. providing a rationale for using specific

activities with a learner/learners

6. finding, selecting and referencing

information from one or more sources
using written language that is clear,
accurate and appropriate to the task

2.2 - Language related tasks

The design of the assignment to include:

Candidates can demonstrate their learning by:

Length 750 – 1,000 words

•

identification of significant
features of the form, phonology,
meaning and use of language
items/areas and the use of
relevant information from
reference materials

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

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 23

2.3 - Language skills related tasks

The design of the assignment to include:

Candidates can demonstrate their learning by:

Length 750 – 1,000 words

•

evidence of the candidate’s
background reading in the topic
area

•

identification of the receptive
language skills and/or sub-skills
that could be practised and
developed using course book
material or authentic text

•

identification of productive
language skills that could be
practised and developed in
relation to that text

•

task design in relation to the text
with brief rationale

4. correctly using terminology that relates to

language skills and sub-skills

5. relating task design to language skills

development

6. finding, selecting and referencing information

from one of more sources using written
language that is clear, accurate and
appropriate to the task

2.4 – Lessons from the
classroom

The design of the assignment to include:

Candidates can demonstrate their learning by:

Length 750 – 1,000 words

•

candidates’ identification of their own
teaching strengths and development
needs

•

reflection on their own teaching

•

reflections on the implications for
their own teaching from the
observations of experienced ELT
professionals and colleagues on the
course

•

identification of action points

5. noting their own teaching strengths and

weaknesses in different situations in light
of feedback from learners, teachers and
teacher educators

6. identifying which ELT areas of knowledge

and skills they need further development in

7. describing in a specific way how they

might develop their ELT knowledge and
skills beyond the course

8. using written language that is clear,

accurate and appropriate to the task

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 24

The CELTA syllabus and assessment criteria

The CELTA booklet "syllabus and assessment guidelines" gives a full overview of the syllabus
and criteria for assessment. A copy is available on your wikispace for your reference.

The following information has been summarised from the booklet

Assessment
Assessment is continuous and integrated. Continuous means that assessment takes place
throughout each course. Integrated means that the each assessed component contributes to the
overall grade. Any one component can cover a number of topics and objectives in the syllabus.

The course tutors evaluate your progress at every stage of the course, in relation to the syllabus
guidelines relevant to that particular stage of the course. If they feel that your performance is not
up to standard at any particular stage (i.e. that you are failing the course) you will be informed, and
appropriate tutorial support will be given.

At the end of the course the course tutors recommend your final grade based on your
performance in all the course components throughout the course.

The course components
The three components of assessment are as follows:

•

Teaching practice

•

Written assignments

•

Candidates’ professional development.

Full details of the assessment criteria can be found in the appropriate booklet. The assessment
for the marking of written work is also given with each assignment.

The course programme and syllabus

Specifically, the course is designed to enable candidates to:

1. Develop an awareness of language and knowledge of the description of English and apply

these to their professional practice.

2. Develop an initial understanding of the contexts within which adults learn English, their

motivations and the roles of the teacher and the learner.

3. Develop familiarity with the principles and practice of effective teaching to adult learners of

English.

4. Develop basic skills for teaching adults in the language classroom.

5. Develop a familiarity with the appropriate resources and materials for use with adult learners of

English for teaching, testing and reference.

6. Identify opportunities for their own future development as future professionals in the field.

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 25

Grades, Results and Certificates

At the end of the course your tutors will inform you whether you have passed the course or not.
Please remember that your final grade will not be issued until confirmed by Cambridge ESOL. All
results are still provisional until confirmation from Cambridge ESOL examinations.

The course results can be either Pass, Pass B, Pass A or Fail.

After course completion, you will be contacted to collect your certificates. If you live abroad then
your certificates will be mailed to you. You receive two certificates; one with the dates of the
course and your grade, and the other giving details of your specific ability on the course and an
overall comment on your teaching skills.

Candidates who fail to meet the criteria in some or all assessed components will be informed
that they have failed.

Course Feedback

The tutors will ask for informal feedback throughout the course. We run training courses
throughout the year and your comments are invaluable in helping us to improve our programme. If
you feel that there is something we need to know about the course, please tell us.

There will also be two tutorials, one at the half-way stage and one towards the end of the course.
These tutorials are carried out in private and individually, and serve as a basis for discussion both
of your personal progress and the course in general.

Procedure in case of a problem or complaint

If you are unhappy or worried about anything, do not wait until the time-tabled tutorials. Fix a time
to see the tutor concerned.

If you have a complaint that you are unable to resolve with a particular tutor, observe the following
procedure:

1. Raise the matter with the Course Director who is responsible for the overall smooth running of

the course. Check which tutor is Course Director.

2. If you are unable to resolve the problem with the Course Director, or if the Course Director

feels it is necessary, the problem will be referred to the Director of Teacher Training, Margaret
Horrigan.

Online reading

The following sites offer a range of materials and resources. Please remember that a lot of 'on-

line' lesson plans are not very good and that part of Cambridge assessment criteria is to plan

for a specific group of learners. This essentially means that you should not download plans from

the web for teaching purposes over the duration of the CELTA course but refer to them as they

may give you ideas on how to approach your own lesson planning in different ways.

●

http:/celta./wikispaces.com

●

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/

●

http://hotpot.uvic.ca/

●

http://www.reward-english.com/

●

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/

●

http://www.onestopenglish.com/

●

http://www.eslbase.com

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 26

Handbook quiz

1. How many assignments do you have to do on the course?

2. How many hours of teaching do you have to do?

3. Write the web addresses of two sites that you can refer to during the course..

4. When do you have DVD observations?

5. What is the last seminar on the first Tuesday?

6. What is the CELTA 5?

7. Who is the assessor and what is their role?

8. On what page is the ‘self evaluation’ that you need to complete after your lessons?

9. What do you have to keep in your portfolio?

10.Who are the people in your TP group? Write their names and phone numbers here:

……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..

11.What do you have to sign every time you submit an assignment?

12.What is the course number?

13.What site can you visit for on-line materials?

14.What is the title of assignment four?

15.When you include vocabulary in a lesson what sheet must you complete?

16.When do you have your second phonology seminar?

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 27

Mid-Course Evaluation

Is the course what you expected with regard to the following?

•

the amount of time you are putting into it

•

the experience of working closely with a group of peers for TP

•

the proportion of time allocated in seminar sessions to the various aspects of
teaching/learning languages

•

the materials and facilities available to you

•

the observation of regular classes in this school

In these areas, are you able to offer any suggestions as to how we might improve the
course?

Before the start of the course:
Do you feel the pre-course interview prepared you adequately in terms of what to
expect, given the available time of one hour?

Did you find the pre-course task useful in preparing you for the course?

Did you do any other background reading to prepare yourself for the course? If so
what?

Which books, if any, were recommended by the interviewer?

What background reading, if any, would you now recommend to someone intending to
do the course?

Reading during the course
How many books on average have you taken home from the SSC library?

Which ones have been most useful to you?

Seminars
Are there any areas from seminar sessions that you would like clarified in later
sessions?

Are there any seminars that have been particularly useful?

Are there any other areas (not covered by the program) that you would like to see
included in seminar sessions?

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 28

Teaching practice observation tasks

1. Lesson parts
a. How does the lesson start?
b. What does the teacher do?
c. What are the lesson activities, how many activities are there and how much time is
given to them during the lesson?
d. Do learners (Ls) have enough time to complete the activities during the lesson?
e. Are Ls involved in the tasks?
f. Is there a clear ending to the lesson?
g. What is the topic of the lesson?
h. What are the main language or skills aims of the lesson? Are these appropriate for
the learners?
i. Are these achieved by the end of the lesson? How?
j. What did you like in the lesson? Why?
k. What didn’t you like? Why?

2. Rapport
a. How do the learners react to the teacher?
b. Does the teacher (T) use only English?
c. How much English is used during the lesson?
d. How does s/he refer to Ls? For example, is s/he friendly or demanding or firm or
lenient?
e. Does s/he motivate Ls? If yes, how? If not, why do you think so?
f. Does s/he know Ls’ names?
g. Does the T use any system of gestures or signs?

3. Class organization
a. Does T address the whole class only?
b. Do Ls work in pairs or groups?
c. How much time is dedicated to student-teacher interaction and how much to
pair/group work?
d. What does the T do during pair/group work? Does s/he monitor Ls? How? What
for?
e. Are the interaction patterns suitable to the activities/lesson stages?

4. Learners (Ls)
a. Do they listen to the T and follow the instructions? Why?
b. Are they involved in the lesson? Why?
c. Are they concentrated and attentive? Why?
d. Is the ratio of English to Ls’ first language appropriate?
e. How do Ls show interest and boredom?
f. How are they seated throughout the lesson?
g. Do they change their seating positions at logical moments?
h. How do Ls know if what they’ve produced is correct or not?
i. Is there ample opportunity for peer teaching & checking?
j. Do the Ls have enough chance to speak?
k. Do they have a chance to express their ideas and be creative?

5. Instructions & explanations
a. Note down all the T’s instructions.
b. Are they short and clear?
c. Does the T have to rephrase them, repeat them?
d. Has the teacher checked that the Ls know what they have to do? How?
e. Is it done in English? Yes/no, why?
f. Do Ls ask additional questions? Why? Why not?
6. Error correction

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 29

a. Are mistakes corrected immediately or is delayed correction provided?
b. How are mistakes corrected?
c. Are Ls corrected in the same way no matter what they are doing: grammar tasks,
listening, reading, speaking or writing tasks?
d. Does the T encourage self-correction?
e. What feedback does the T provide the Ls with and why?

7. Use of materials & aids
a. What materials are used during the lesson? Are they appropriate for the Ls?
b. What audio materials /visual prompts are used? Why? How?
c. Do they stimulate Ls or not? Why?
d. How is board work organised?
e. Are materials error-free?
f. Do the materials look professional?
g. Do the materials help or hinder the overall aims? How?

8. Skills based lessons
a. Note down all the steps that are followed.
b. Do the steps relate to procedures recommended in seminars? How?
c. Are the Ls interested in what they are doing? Why?
d. What is the teacher doing in practice moments?
e. Have the Ls fully completed each task? How? Why are they doing the tasks?
f. How does each task lead up to the main aim?
g. Would you like to be a student in this class? Why?
h. Do Ls have opportunities o relate the topic to the real world?
i. Do the Ls have a good understanding of the text by the end of the lesson?

9. Systems based lessons
a. Is the language contextualised? How?
b. Are the teaching tools used appropriately? How?
c. Are the Ls 100% sure of meaning? How?
d. Is form, meaning and use dealt with for vocabulary/grammar? How?
e. Are the language items appropriate for the learners? How?
f. Do Ls have a record of items learnt?
g. Do Ls get an opportunity to use the items meaningfully? (Yes? Check Task 8
above)

10. Miscellaneous
a.

Was there anything you would use from the lesson? Why?

b. Was there any moment you felt confused? Why?
c. Were the Ls interacting in real-life skills?
d. Were the Ls always challenged appropriately?
e. ______________________________________________________?
f. ______________________________________________________?
g. ______________________________________________________?

Rome, Manzoni CELTA Handbook 30