CELTA – Written Assignment 1:Focus on the Learner

In this assignment you will write a profile of the first group of learners you have taught. To do this you will need to:

  • interview the students
  • observe the students in class
  • do some background reading on motivation and learner styles

By Wednesday Week 2 you need to hand in the following:

  • one group copy of the completed interview grid
  • the completed assignment
  • a copy of one or more pieces of published materials and any of your own materials that you have chosen to use in the problems section

NB:

  • this assignment can be hand written or word processed. You can print or download the blank assignment from: (CELTA downloads)
  • you must show evidence of your background reading by including quotes e.g. “When we listen, we use a variety of strategies to help us pick up the message” Scrivener, Learning Teaching p.178

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:

Successful candidates can show evidence of:

  • awareness of how learners’ backgrounds, previous learning experience and learning styles affect learning
  • identifying the learners’ language / skills needs
  • correctly using terminology relating to the description of language systems and language skills
  • selecting appropriate material and / or resources to aid the learners’ language development
  • providing a rationale for using specific activities with learners.
  • finding, selecting and referencing information from one or more sources using written language that is clear, accurate and appropriate to the task.

750 – 1000 words (only for text within the boxes of the assignment)

Introductory information:
Trainee’s name:
Learners’ English level: / No. of learners evaluated:
Age range:
Range of educational backgrounds:
Examples of professions:
Learning Background. Where and for how long have they studied English?Have they learned any other languages?Have they lived or studied abroad? Give examples.
Motivation. Why are the students learning English?Which reasons given are examples of intrinsic motivation, and which are extrinsic? Are all the students equally motivated to learn? How is this reflected in the classroom? Give examples.
Learning styles. What do you perceive to be the dominant learning styles within the group, Visual, Auditory or Kinaesthetic? Is there much variation amongst the individual members of the class? Give examples.
Learning preferences. What types of classroom activities do the students like? What do they dislike? Give examples.
Specific problems and suggested solutions: identify specific problems which are common to several of the students. You must include a piece of published material for at least one of the problems below. You may also include your own ideas or materials.
Specific problem 1 Language-related(grammar or vocabulary).Please give one or more examples of the error. / Solution(s) to problem 1
How will you help students with meaning and form issues?
How will you check students understand this?
What practice activities (controlled and freer?) will students do?
How will you use either published materials or your own materials to do this?
Specific problem 2 Pronunciation related(individual sounds, stress or intonation).Please give one or more examples of the error. / Solution(s) to problem 2
How will you help students overcome this pronunciation error?
What practice activities will students do?
How will you use either published materials or your own materials to do this?
Skills: individual strengths and weaknesses. For the following skills areas identify two students who are strong and two students who are weak (in total, write about four different students).
Student / Example of strength or weakness
Example: Listening
Marta - strong / Marta has spent several months in the UK and one year in the States. She has significantly fewer problems than other students in understanding our different accents. She is usually the first to comprehend instructions. In two difficult listenings from the course book she was the only student to answer all detailed questions.
Speaking
Writing
Listening
Reading
Conclusion: How successful do you think these students will be as language learners? Do you think any will be more or less successful? What advice would you give to other trainees who are going to teach this class?