CELTA APPLICATION FORM

References:

(please include name, telephone number, e-mail contact. These must be professional/academic references and not friends/family).

1. About you

In my opinion the three most important qualities, which make a good teacher, are (justify your answers):

Using the following questions as a guide, write a couple of paragraphs outlining your expectations in connection with the course.

a. Why do you want to teach English?
b. What are your long-term career plans?
c. From any previous experience you have, do you believe you are suited to teaching? Why?

2. Addressing student’s errors

For homework, a student wrote this letter of introduction to his teacher. It has 32 mistakes which need correcting. As an example, the first 2 have been corrected for you.

Jacques L’Éclair
34 Duke Street Brighton BN1 1BS
21 september 2000

Dear Anna

Find the other 30 mistakes and write the correct form.

My names’ Jacques and I’m studing with you in your saturday morning class from 9.30 to 12.30. I’m writing this letter to introduce myself to you and to tell you
why am I here in Norwich learning English?

As you already know (from my accent if nothing more!), I was born near to
Toulouse in southern France, although actually, I feel as if I’m from Nice as I’ve
been living there since I was a child. I’m twenty-four years old, single and I haven’t
got any children. I still live with my parents in a nice flat in the city centre, about
ten minutes from the main square, station and market area. It’s a cosmopolitan,
lively, large city with plenty to do and lots of green areas where we can relax, get
some fresh air and meet with our friends. My father’s now retired but my mother
and grandmother both continues to work part-time in the nearby hospital.

I’m a Taxi-driver and am learning English for my job. I speak a little of Italian, and
French of course, but in my work I’ve to talk to a lot of tourists with much different
accents, so during this course, I’d like lots of speaking and listening practice
please. I tryed to learn English at school. Despite taking classes twice a week, I
didn’t manage to speak anything. I hope I’m more lucky this time.

I’ve been in Brighton for three months now and feel as if I’m making a reasonable
progress, but my main problem is being able to join into a conversation with native
speakers. They speak so quickly! All the word seem to run together. Why
are you British so hard to understand. I never have this problem in my language!

So far, I’m really enjoying life in Norwich. It’s so much fun! I love coming to your
classes too and thought you’re an extremely excellent teacher. You’re funny, you
explain very well and obviously want us to succeed. I know I don’t usually do the
homework, not because I don’t like the exersises you give us or because I don’t think
their necessary, but because I’m very busy as I have to work at Macdonalds
everyday to pay for my stay here. Sorry! I’ll try doing more from now on.

Anyway, that’s all I have time enough for now. Thanks for helping me with my writing. Looking forward to meeting you again in our next class.

All the best
Jacques L’Éclair

3. Helping learners understand differences in meaning

Comment on the differences in meaning between the following pairs of sentences. In each case, outline how you might teach these differences in meaning to a language learner.

1. (A) If I win the lottery, l'll buy a new car. (B) If I won the lottery, I'd buy a new car.

2. (A) The house was very isolated. (B) The house was very secluded.

3. (A) Make me a cup of tea, will you? (B) Could you make me a cup of tea, please?

4. Phonology

I. Word Stress

Every word of more than one syllable has one syllable which is normally stressed above the others. This is called primary stress.

e.g. Italy = Ooo, Japan = oO, Australia = oOoo, England = Oo

Mark the primary stress on the following words:

II. Sounds

Look at the underlined sounds and match the words which have the same sound.

5. Classroom Practice

Learners may have problems grasping the meaning of new language, with its pronunciation and with its use and spelling in a sentence. For example, in the sentence "I 'read' a book." 'read' can be pronounced to rhyme with 'reed' or 'red', according to whether it refers to the present or the past. Consequently, learners could find both the meaning confusing and the pronunciation difficult.

Describe any problems learners might have with these words? Consider meaning as well as pronunciation.

Classroom instructions:

You are teaching a group of elementary students (CEFrA1). Turn the following examples of teacher instructions into language that is more comprehensible. Look at the example first:

Example:  Teacher: “Just have a listen to what I’m going to play you now.” ❎

                 Teacher:  “Listen to the CD.”     is much clearer and simpler.       ✅

6. Your Learning Experience

Describe either a successful or an unsuccessful NON LANGUAGE RELATED learning experience you have had. State your reasons for viewing the experience as successful or otherwise.

7. Coping with the Course

How well you think you'll cope with the aspects of the course listed below. Please, give examples.