Language Link China – Cambridge CELTA pre-interview Task
Name: ……………………. Date:………………..
This task is designed to help us assess your ability to think about and research language. We recommend you use the grammar reference books below to help you:
English Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy (CUP)
Practical English Usage by Michael Swan (OUP)
How English Works by Michael Swan & Catherine Walter (OUP)
The aim of the task is to give us some idea of your suitability for the course and it will be referred to, and expanded on, during the interview. If you are attending the interview by phone / Skype, please have the task nearby.
1. Grammar (form): tenses
In each of the following sentences underline the main verb and identify the tense used.
e.g. I was living in Italy in 1998.
I was living in Italy in 1998. – past continuous
a) We never go to the theatre these days.
b) We’re saving up to travel abroad.
c) We’ve already been to Europe.
d) We didn’t have enough money to go further.
e) We had spent all our savings by the end of the summer.
2. Meaning.
For each of the following sentences:
a. Correct the error
b. Explain, as simply as possible, why the corrected version is more appropriate
Example:
I’m getting up early every morning
a. I get up early every morning
b. Present Simple here is used to describe a habit or routine (every morning).
1. I have been to China in 2005.
a. ……………………………………………………………………………………………
b. …………………………………………………………………………………………...
2. There are a lot of furnitures in this room.
a. ……………………………………………………………………………………………
b. …………………………………………………………………………………………...
3. The China is located in East Asia.
a. ……………………………………………………………………………………………
b. …………………………………………………………………………………………....
3. Parts of speech
Match the parts of speech in the box to the underlined words.
e.g. Suddenly an idea came to her.
Idea is a noun.
a) Have you seen the new Nokia phones?
b) We went for a walk through the park.
c) That’s the one I was talking about.
d) A man walks into a bar and says, “ouch”.
e) Drive carefully - the traffic here is terrible.
f) They’ve just bought a new house.
4. Add two more similar items to each list:
a) taken, written, been
......
b) I’m, haven’t, it’d
......
c) cutlery, luggage, news
......
5. What would you say to a student who asked you to explain the difference between these pairs of sentences?
e.g. I bought a newspaper this morning. / I’ve bought a newspaper this morning.
In the first sentence, the action started and finished in the past, i.e., it is no longer morning. In the second sentence, the newspaper was purchased in the recent past, i.e., it is still morning.
a) Did you remember to sign the letter?
Do you remember signing the letter?
b) I stopped shopping.
I stopped to shop.
c) When I arrived he’d left.
When I arrived he left.
6. How would you explain to a learner of English the difference in meaning between the following pairs of words?
a) rob – steal
......
b) sensitive – sensible
......
c) borrow - lend
......
7. Pronunciation (word Stress)
Look at the words below and underline the syllable that carries the main stress.
e.g. photographic
a) example d) dictionary
b) grammar e) communication
c) referee f) authorise
8. Pronunciation (sentence stress)
Which word in the sentence below would you stress each time in order to express the three given meanings?
I wish I’d married Rob.
1. I didn’t, but Anna did. ______
2. I married Mike instead. ______
3. Rob and I had an affair when we were young. ______
9. Function
Look at this short conversation. The labels to the right indicate the function of the language, in other words, what the expression is trying to do.
Joe: Would you like to go out to dinner this evening? INVITATION
Mary: Yes, lovely. ACCEPTANCE
Label each sentence in the following conversation according to the function of each.
Joe: Get me the red file! ______
Mary: Excuse me! ______
Joe: Oh, sorry. That was a bit rude. ______
Could you get me the red file, please? ______
Mary: Sure.
10. WRITTEN TASK
Choose 2 of the following and write approximately 250 words for each. Please attach your writing tasks and submit them via e-mail along with your application.
a) Describe what you see as the teacher’s main role in the classroom. Should the language classroom be teacher-led or student-centred? To what extent would you encourage pair-work and group-work and why?
b) Describe either a positive or negative learning experience you have had. As a result of this experience, say how this experience would affect your approach to teaching.
c) Looking back at your professional experience so far and having done some research on the CELTA course, what do you think your strengths and weaknesses will be on the course?
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