delta exams training section 1

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The Distance Delta Module One

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Unit 2 Exam Training

Exam Thread: Paper 1 Tasks 1 & 2 and Paper 2 Tasks 2 & 3

Summary

In this unit we will be looking at Tasks One and Two from Paper 1. We will be workingthrough the tasks in some detail, reviewing mainly the grammatical system and methodologyand approaches. We will also look at Paper 2 Tasks 2 and 3 and consider the assumptionsabout learning in coursebook materials. You will then have the opportunity to do another taskof each type and upload them for marking and feedback from your Course Tutor.

Objectives

By the end of the unit you should

have become more familiar with ELT terminology, specifically related to languagesystems, methodology and approaches

be better able to relate underlying principles to classroom practice, particularly in theevaluation and exploitation of ELT published materials

feel more confident about tackling these types of task in the exam


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Contents

1. Introduction to Paper 1 Tasks One and Two

2. Training: Paper 1 Task One

2.1. Identifying the topic and key words

2.2. Applying terms

3. Training: Paper 1 Task Two

3.1. Features of a definition

3.2. Writing a definition

4. Training: Paper Two Tasks 2 and 3

4.1. Identifying key instructions

4.2. Task 2a: Identifying the purpose

4.3. Task 2b: Key assumptions

4.4. Task 3

5. Exam Practice

Appendices


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1. Introduction to Paper 1 Tasks One and Two

Tasks One and Two test your understanding of key ELT terminology, focusing on a broadspectrum of the syllabus: knowledge of language systems and skills, methodology andapproaches, and assessment. In this initial exam training thread for these tasks we will focusprincipally on language systems, methodology and approaches.

Whilst knowledge of terminology may not be a valid aim in itself, ELT terminology is a keypart of our professional language and increased familiarity with it will give you access to awide range of ELT literature for teachers.

Preparation for these exam tasks is not a matter of learning long lists of terminology anddefinitions. Rather, as you read and research different areas of the syllabus, you will find yougradually pick up the various terms, until they are all very familiar and you can use themcomfortably, without any particular effort. In addition, it is anticipated that preparing for thispart of the examination will mean candidates need to understand the ELT-related concepts

they are introduced to. This is the positive effect of Tasks One and Two.

As well as providing a specific focus on exam techniques, training for these tasks will giveyou the opportunity to review and deepen your understanding of many areas of the syllabus.

2. Training: Paper 1 Task One

For this task you are given six definitions of ELT-related terms. You need to supply thecorrect term. This is a very short answer, usually just one or two words, not a whole clauseor sentence. Dont hedgeyour bets by offering two different answers for any definition asyou will not be awarded any marks at all if you offer two possible responses.

You only have five minutes to do this task and it is important to note that timings for eachtask give an indication of the number of marks available. There are 6 marksavailable forthis task and it can be viewed as a quick warm-up task for the exam. Essentially you eitherknow the term or not, so while it may be an easy way to gain a few marks, if you cannot geta particular term quickly, it is important to leave it and move on. It will continue working awayat the back of your mind as you work on the rest of the paper, and you may well find itcomes to you suddenly, perhaps prompted by something elsewhere in the paper. Then youcan quickly go back to fill in the missing term.

2.1. Identifying the topic and key words

We suggest you underline key words in the definition to help prompt the terms and ensureyou do not stray off target. You may find it helpful to identify the topic area first. Where thereis an example given, you may find this the most effective prompt.

Example: An approach to language teaching where learners are given examples oflanguage items in use, and then have to work out the rules from the examples. The rulesthemselves can be explicitly stated by learners or left unstated.

The topic area here is an approach


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Key words you might underline are:

An approach to language teaching where learners are given examples of language items inuse, and then have to work out the rules from the examples. The rules themselves can be

explicitly stated by learners or left unstated.

Can you remember the term for this kind of approach where learners work out rules fromexamples? (See below the box for the answer).

ACTIVITY 1: Identifying the topic area and key words (5 minutes)

Look at the task below.

i) identify the topic area

ii) underline the key wordsTask One (5 minutes)

Provide the term for each definition. Please provide only oneanswer per question.

a. The name for a type of question designed to check and guide learners understanding of

a new language item by isolating its core meanings e.g. for She used to smoke: Does

she smoke now? Did she in the past? Did she do it once or regularly?

b. The process by which a sequence of words is fine-tuned in order to reduce ambiguity

and create a more complex message than just lexical items can express e.g. She work

project 3 monthShell be working on the project for 3 months.

c. A communicative syllabus which is organised according to universal concepts or

meanings, and the exponents used to express them e.g. habits, location, frequency,

quantity.

d. The theory that there is a period (e.g. age 2 until puberty) during which language can be

acquired rapidly and perfectly, and after which it is no longer possible to achieve the

same level.

e. The person or thing that is affected by the action of a transitive verb in a sentence or

clause e.g. You heard me.

f. The ways in which the relationship between a verb and the noun phrases associated

with it can be changed without changing the basic meaning of the sentence. The active

and passive make up the system e.g. Her chauffeur took her to the airport / She was

taken to the airport by her chauffeur.

See Appendix 1 for answers

Answer: Inductive(learning / approach)


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2.2. Applying Terms

ACTIVITY 2: Applying Terms ( 3 minutes)

Now try to do the task: Write down the terms for the definitions above.

See Appendix 2 for answers

Exam Tips

Only write one answer.

Keep your answers shorta few words will usually suffice, and sometimes just one

word is enough.

Dont spend too long on this task if you cant think of the answer, leave a space andcome back to it later. There are only six marks at stake.

Follow-up Tasks

You can create your own terminology revision flashcards by going towww.quizlet.com.

Why not write some definitions of your own and post them on the Module One

forums, to see if other members of your group can work out what you are defining?
http://www.quizlet.com/http://www.quizlet.com/http://www.quizlet.com/


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3. Training: Paper 1 Task Two

In this task you are given six terms. You need to choose four of them and supply adefinition, an appropriate example and some further information about the term. Youhave slightly longer for this task, 15 minutes, a clear indication that there are more marks

available for it. There is a total of 12 marks for this task: for each item, you will get one forthe core definition, one for the example and an extra one for any relevant additionalinformation. This means you need to ensure your answer is as comprehensive as possible,include all the key information and any relevant extra information you know e.g. theauthor/researcher linked to a particular methodology, or when it was first introduced. Forlanguage items, you could list other examples of the type (eg: types of subordinate clause).You must also remember to give an examplejust one example is sufficient.

As you can choose which four of the terms to define, we suggest that, as you read throughthe list for the first time, you tick the ones you know. In this way you know how many youreally have to choose from. You are likely to find some definitions easier to word than others.If you are struggling with one definition, it is helpful to know if you have another option you

can choose instead and can move on, or whether you need to keep working away at thatdefinition because you have used up all your possible options.

We will look at how to write a sufficiently full definition so that you stand a good chance ofgaining the extra mark. Whereas during the exam and in your uploaded exam practice taskyou should choose four of the six, in training we will be working with all the terms to ensureas full a process as possible. In the exam, however, it is important to remember only to do 4as extra answers will not be considered for this particular task only the first four will bemarked.

3.1. Features of a definition

Your answer needs to be as full as possible, encompassing all keypoints, but not writingeverything you know about the area, as this takes up too much valuable time. The last twotasks of Paper One (Tasks Four and Five) carry far more marks than the first two, so youshould ensure you leave enough time for those. You generally need to write a few sentences(rather than a long paragraph) and you should remember to include an example.

Look at the following definition:

Term: collocation

Definition: words that go together e.g. have breakfast

Although this definition is not wrong, it does not go far enoughfor example, it could apply

to a compound word such as headache. To be sufficiently comprehensive and thereforeacceptable, it needs to include the issues of i) how many words (i.e. two or more) and ii)frequency (i.e. commonly / more than by chance).

So we could improve the definition to: two or more words that commonly co-occur moreoften than would be expected by chance. E.g. have breakfast

There you would have a core definition and an example.

You then gain an extra mark by giving further information. Examples for collocation includepoints such as:

the relation between the words could be grammatical (apply for, have breakfast) orlexical (two content words e.g. a close shave)


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the collocation can be stronger or weaker depending on how often they co-occur

ACTIVITY 3: Improving Definitions(10 minutes)

Look at the following examples of answers for this task. For each one decide what key

element is missing.

1. Question Tag

A kind of yes/no question e.g. You hated it, didnt you?

2. Subject

The agent in a sentence or clause that causes the event expressed by the verb.

3. Multiword Verb

A construction which is a combination of a verb and a preposition e.g. cut off

See Appendix 3

3.2. Writing a definition

ACTIVITY 4: Writing a definition(10 minutes)

Now have a go at writing your own answers from scratch.

Provide a full definition, including further information, and an appropriate brief example orillustration for the terms below.

a. Proper noun

b. Total Physical Response

c. Style

d. Relative clause

See Appendix 4

Exam Tips

Remember to only give answers for FOUR out of the six possible terms

Dont forget to give an example one correct example is enough

Aim for the full three marks by giving some further information about the term


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Follow-up Tasks

Look through the Delta topic areas (e.g. Discourse, Approaches, Listening, Error) andchoose the two you feel least confident about. Set yourself a time limit and a specificsource (Distance Delta course materials, chapter in a teachers resource book, article) toread up about themit often makes much more sense a second time around.


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Training: Paper Two Tasks 2 and 3

In Paper Two Tasks 2 and 3, you will be provided with an extract from published adult ELTmaterials that are used in class. These can be course books, accompanying resource packs,workbooks, student grammar, vocabulary or pronunciation reference books, skills books or

learner training books. Task 2 asks you to identify the purposes behind each one of a set ofexercises in the extract and then list and explain assumptions about language learningunderlying all or part of the material, giving reasons why these assumptions would beconsidered valid; Task 3 asks you to comment on the ways in which a selection of theremaining exercises in the rest of the extract combines with (all or some of) the exercisesalready discussed in Task 2.

These tasks are quite weighty in terms of available marks: Task 2 has 30 marksand Task 310 marks.For task 2a, you will get 2 marks for each purpose for the activity which youidentify correctly, and for task 2b, 3 marksfor each assumption about language learningwhich you identify, and for the reasons you give. Check in Exam Tips below for moreinformation about exactly how many items we recommend you should attempt to cover in

your answer.


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3.3. Identifying key instructions

ACTIVITY 5: Identifying key instructions (2 mins)Read the tasks and the extract below. Underline key words in the tasks. (You may findyourself underlining a fair amount of the rubric).See Appendix 5 for suggested answer.

Cambridge ESOL Sample Paper

Unit 3B of face2face Pre-Intermediate, Chris Redston and Gillie Cunningham, CambridgeUniversity Press, 2005, pages 2223.

The text for tasks two and three is reproduced on pages 5 and 6.

Task Two (25 minutes)

The purpose of the extract as a whole is to teach the differences between the present continuousand the present simple to pre-intermediate level learners.

a Identify the purpose of the exercises listed in the box below in relation to the purpose of theextract as a whole.

Exercises for Task Two

Exercise 3Exercise 4Exercise 5Exercise 6

b Identify a total of six key assumptions about language learning that are evident in the exerciseslisted in the box above and explain why the authors might consider these assumptions to beimportant for language learning. State which exercise or exercises each assumption refers to.

Task Three (10 minutes)Comment on the ways in which the exercises in Vocabulary Focus(Exercises 1 and 2) and GetReadyGet It Right (Exercises 9 and 10) combine with the exercises discussed in Task Two.


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Task 2a: Identifying the Purpose

The first part of the task asks you to Identify the purpose of the exercises below in relationto the purpose of the extract as a whole. The rubric will always specify the overallpurpose for you. It is important to limit your answer to how each exercise relates to thisoverall purpose, and not include any other purposes you can identify in the exercises withoutrelating them to the overall purpose. So for example, a discussion activity will give learnersfreer speaking practice, but will also probably be designed to practise target language whichhas been introduced earlier in the extract. A gist reading exercise will probably be designedto ensure students have grasped the overall meaning of a text which will then be used tofocus on some target language in the following exercises. Examples of this target languagewill be in the text. The purposes of these two tasks then (the discussion/the gist readingexercise) need to be considered within the overall purpose of the extract, and not simply toprovide freer speaking practice or to provide practice reading for gist.

You do not need to write much for each purposea brief sentence is fine, but it is importantto remember that each exercise usually has more than one purpose, or you risk losing outon marks. It is also a good idea to use the infinitive of purpose to keep you focussed on thetask, and to help you avoid describing whatstudents do (which is easy), rather than whythey are doing it (more difficult!).

Here the overall purpose of the extract is to teach the differences between the presentcontinuous and the present simple. Look back at Exercise 3 in the extract. Exercise (a)asks learners to first look at the two photos and describe whats happening in them, and thenin (b), to match the photos and letters. To do this, they will be reading the text (the twoletters) quickly for gist but whats key to the overall purpose is that the text contains

examples of the target language (present simple and continuous) in context. We cantherefore identify the purposes of Exercise 3, (a) and (b) as:

To introduce the context/topic of the lesson/to activate schemata

To encourage learners to read the texts which contain the TL for gist

To expose the learners to the TL (as they arent focussing on the tenses at thispoint)

To contextualise the TL (as the text they are reading gives the language incontext, thus making the meaning easier to work out)

To check understanding of the context of the TL (as if the learners can correctlymatch the photos and texts, we can assume theyve understood the contexts)

Exercise 3 (c ) then requires learners to read the texts in more detail, in order to correct anysentences which are incorrect. These statements include examples of the TL (presentsimple and continuous) but this is for passive recognition focussing on the differencesbetween the two tenses comes later. Here they simply read for meaning, and by the timetheyve finished doing this activity, we can assume they will know the texts in quite somedetail.

We can therefore identify the purposes of Exercise 3 (c ) as:

To encourage learners to read the texts which contain the target language indetail (reading for detail)

To expose the learners to further examples of the TL for passive recognition To further check understanding of the context of the TL


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ACTIVITY 6: Identifying the Purpose

Look at the remaining exercises below and identify the purpose(s) of each in relation to

the purpose of the material as a whole.

Exercise 4

Exercise 5

Exercise 6

See Appendix 6 for suggested answer

Exam Tips

Relate your answers to the overall purpose of the extract

Use the infinitive of purpose to keep you focussed on the reasons behind theexercises (e.g. to check learners understanding of)

Avoid describing what students dohere you need to talk about whythe exercisesare there and whystudents do them

Give more than one purpose for each exercise. Aim for a minimum of 8 purposesover the whole set of exercises

Underline or use a highlighter pen on the exam paper rubric, to ensure you arewriting about the correct exercises

4.3 Task 2b: Key Assumptions

This task will always ask you to Identify a total of six key assumptions about languagelearning that are evident in some or all of the exercises in the box above and explain whythe authors might consider these assumptions to be important for learning. State whichexercise or exercises each assumption refers to.

This type of task is designed for you to demonstrate your understanding of the thinkingbehind an activity / a sequence of activities i.e. what is the reason for choosing this particularapproach/activity/procedure? It helps to have some knowledge of different theories oflearning/teaching and language and how these influence materials design but you do notalways have to mention these specifically.

You can approach this task by putting yourself in the shoes of the writer of the material. Forexample, at one extreme, you might believe that it is very important that learners have no


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explicit focus on language such as grammar, but simply read or listen to authentic textswhich are just above their level and gradually acquire language in this way. If this is one ofyour fundamental beliefs, your materials might favour a deep-end approach and consistentirely of authentic reading and listening texts of increasing difficulty together with speakingand writing tasks with little or no explicit language work at all. Interestingly, there is nocourse book (yet?) that has aimed at such a radical approach.

On the other hand, you might believe that talking about personal issues is of great value inthe language classroom, and that this helps students to engage with the topic and thelanguage, and therefore be more likely to remember what they have learnt. In that case,your materials will provide the students with plenty of opportunities for personalised practice.

ACTIVITY 7: Underlying Assumptions (10 mins)

a) Look at the two columns below. On the left, you will see activities and on the right,assumptions. Match each activity to an assumption and its associated reasons (R1and

R2). NB this is not related to the extract discussed above.

b) Underline phrases in the assumptions column which would help you in formulatingassumptions and their associated reasons, e.g. X is important because

Activity Assumption + Reasons

1. Students talk about their firstday at school

a) This is based on the idea that a guided discoveryof grammar rules is effective because

R1 engaging students cognitively may help

retention of language as well as being moremotivating.

R2 it provides useful learner training so studentscan continue learning outside the classroom

2. Students listen to a modelsentence on a tape and repeat itpaying attention to stress andconsonant clusters.

b) The belief is that lexis should be taught not onlyin individual words but also in combinations, in thiscase collocations because

R1 this is how we learn and store lexis mentally

R2 because learning lexis in collocations aids

fluency in production

3. Students match verbs fromone box with nouns from asecond box, e.g. to do / yourhomework

c) The importance of learner-training since

R1 it helps learners to become more aware of theirown strategies and find ways to develop these sothey become better language learners.

R2 this can also encourage greater learnerautonomy so that learners can continue theirlearning after the end of their course.

4. Students do some listening,

speaking and writing around the

d) The value of personalisation as

R1 the writers believe that learners are more


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same topic and functional area. motivated by talking about themselves as thismakes the activity more meaningful

R2language is more likely to be retained.

5. Students answer a series of

written questions about the formand concept of the past perfectafter reading a text containing it

e) language is best learnt by repetition since

R1 students will learn better if there is an explicitfocus on areas of difficulty

R2 repetition can help learners to remember andproduce the vocabulary.

6. Students work in pairs to checktheir answers to a listeningcomprehensions

f) Teaching language through integrated skills iseffective because

R1 it mirrors the way we encounter language in reallife

R2 each skill reinforces the other and the language(functional exponents)

7. Students are given guidanceon how to record some lexicalphrases

g) The importance of progressing from known tounknown and a progression of challenge since

R1 it helps learners confidence as they are notoverloaded from the beginning and they will havetime to absorb the easier target language beforemoving onto new language.

R2 it can also be diagnostic, allowing learners tosee which words they dont know and thus helping

them to focus their efforts.

8. Learners start with somesimple vocabulary and this isextended to more complex formsand then integrated intofunctional language.

h) The value of collaborative learning as

R1 learners can benefit from each othersknowledge

R2 they can get more practice than can beprovided by one on one interaction with theteacher.

See Appendix 7

Commentary

It is important to include at least 2 reasons for each assumption as there are two marksavailable for these. Label them R1 and R2 as above and this will help remind you to includethem. Although some reasons may be valid for a variety of assumptions (eg studentmotivation), you can only gain marks for each reason once so avoid using the same reasonfor different assumptions.


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ACTIVITY 8: Underlying Assumptions (20 mins)

Write an answer to Task 2 of the material above (from Face2Face)

See Appendix 8 for the Guideline Answer

Exam Tips

Only refer to the exercises specified

Do not stray off-task into simply describing the material or even evaluating it.Remember the aim is to uncover why the writers have included these particularactivities and what beliefs about language learning they hold which has led them tothese decisions

Make sure you specify which exercise you are referring to each time

Aim to include at least6 assumptions with 2 different reasons each. If you canthink of an extra assumption or reason, include them in case one is incorrect. Youare awarded marks for your 6 highest scoring assumptions, so here it is worth havinga safety net.

Lay your answer out as follows:

Assumption:

R1

R2

Do not repeat the same reason (eg: it aids retention of new language) more thanonce.

Follow-up Task

A good place to start investigating the assumptions underlying any course book material, isin the TeachersBook, where these beliefs are laid out. It might be interesting for you to readand take notes of these from the major course book series (for example , Cutting Edge,Speak Out, Headway etc.). However, you do of course need to read with a critical eyebecause sometimes the stated beliefs are not borne out by the material in the book! Forexample, communicative and interactive are often bandied about in a rather loose way.


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4.4 Paper 2 Task 3

Task 3 always asks you to look at a different sequence of exercises in another part of theextract and comment on the ways they combine with the exercises discussed above. Sohere you need to relate the specified exercises back to the exercises you looked at in Task 2and show how they all work together. There are tenmarks available for this task, one for

each valid point you make.

The specified exercises can combine with the exercises in a number of different ways. Hereare some guiding questions to consider:

Are the exercises preparatory ones e.g. setting the topic, introducing languageneeded later, providing the context?

Do they provide opportunities for teacher and learners to find out how much thelearners know? Do they provide opportunities for feeding in new language needed forlater exercises?

Do they provide further practice of some kind? If so, what kind of practice? Is itwritten/spoken, controlled/freer, more personalised?

Do the exercises move on to a different or additional aspect of the language / skillalready looked at, or perhaps to a different skill altogether? Is form now focussed on,now that meaning/use has been covered, or is the focus now on pronunciation?

How does the approach in the focus relate to that in the exercisesdoes it mirror anapproach taken earlier or later?

Is it different, to take into account different learning styles or a different classroomdynamic (eg: a mingle exercise following a lot of individual work, something light andfun after some serious analytical work on language)?

Are the same topics maintained, or are new topics introduced?

What about the level of challengedo these exercises raise the bar?

ACTIVITY 9: Paper 2 Task 3 (10 mins)

Now write an answer to Task 3 in the sample exam task. Use the guiding questionprompts above to help you.

Comment on the ways in which the exercises in Vocabulary Focus(Exercises 1 and 2) and

Get ReadyGet It Right(Exercises 9 and 10) combine with the exercises discussed inTask Two.

See Appendix 9 for suggested answer.


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Exam Tips

Make as many points as you can about each of the exercises under consideration.There are ten marksavailable in total.

Look for areas such as practice(types of practice such as written, spoken,controlled, freer, personalised), the topic(is the topic maintained, extended orchanged), level of challenge(is the level of challenge increased), language andskills work (does the exercise bring variety, move from receptive to productive)diagnostic (if the task is an introductory one, does it help teacher and students seehow much they know already) and student learning styles(does this appeal tokinaesthetic learners, analytic learners, does it therefore appeal to a variety ofdifferent learner styles). These are some ideasyou may have more of your own.

Use a highlighter pen on the exam question rubric to ensure you are looking at thecorrect exercises. Dont waste valuable time writing about other exercises which are

not part of the task.

5 Exam Practice

Look at this units exam practice tasks in the Resources section on the Distance Deltawebsite and start or join a discussion thread on the forum to brainstorm ideas. Take care tojoin the group indicated by the coordinator for each task. Then sit down with your notes andwrite your answer to upload.


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Appendices

Appendix 1: Identifying the topic area and key words

i) Topic areas:

a. Methodology

b. Linguistics / First and Second Language Acquisition

c. Methodology

d. Critical Age (Hypothesis)

e. Grammar

f. Grammar

ii) Key wordsa. A question designed to check and guide learners understandingof a new language

item by isolating its core meanings e.g. for She used to smoke: Does she smoke

now? Did she in the past? Did she do it once or regularly?

b. The process by which a sequence of words is fine tuned in order to reduce ambiguity

and create a more complex message than just words can express e.g. She work

project 3 monthShell be working on the project for 3 months

c. A communicative syllabus which is organised according to general meaning

categories which are universal concepts e.g. habits, location, frequency, quantity

d. The theory that there is an period (e.g. age 2 until puberty) during which language

can be acquired rapidly and perfectly, after this it is no longer possible to achieve the

same level

e. The person or thing that is affected by the action of a transitive verb in a sentence or

clause e.g. You heard me

f. The ways in the relationship between a verb and the noun phrases associated with itcan be changed without changing the basic meaning of the sentence. The active and

passive make up the system e.g. Her chauffeur took her to the airport / She was

taken to the airport by her chauffeur


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Appendix 2: Applying the terms

a. Concept (questions)

b. Grammaring / grammaticisation

c. Notional (syllabus) / notionalfunctional (syllabus)

d. Critical age (hypothesis)

e. Object

f. Voice

Appendix 3: Improving Definitions

Suggested answers:

1. Question Tag

Here you need to include some information about the structure. It is added to a statementand consists of a subject pronoun and an auxiliary verb or form of the verb to be.

A kind of yes/no question that is added to a statement and consists of a subject pronounand an auxiliary verb or form of the verb to bee.g. You hated it, didnt you?

For the third mark for further information, you could mention different types of question tagseg. positive statements usually take negative tags and vice versa OR how differentintonation patterns change meaning etc.

2. Subject

The definition here is full but it is important to remember to include an example, otherwiseyou are throwing marks away.

The agent in a sentence or clause that causes the event expressed by the verb. e.g. Hegave her the money back.

Further information: In passive sentences it is the thing or person affected by the action ORSubjects can be realised by nouns, noun phrases or clauses.

3. Multiword Verb

You need to give more information about the form: there can be one or two particles andthey could be an adverb or preposition or both

A construction which is a combination of a verb and one or two particles. The particle canbe an adverb or preposition or both e.g. cut off

Further information:

The meaning (often idiomatic) can often not be deduced from each of the component partsas they operate as one unit of meaning OR Phrasal verbs can be categorised into different


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Appendix 5: Identifying Key Instructions

Suggestions for underlining:

The purpose of the extract as a whole is to teach the differences between the present continuousand the present simple to pre-intermediate level learners.

a Identify the purpose of the exercises listed in the box below in relation to the purpose of theextract as a whole.

Exercises for Task Two

Exercise 3Exercise 4Exercise 5Exercise 6

b Identify a total of six key assumptions about language learning that are evident in theexercises listed in the box above and explain why the authors might consider these assumptionsto be important for language learning. State which exercise or exercises each assumption refersto.

Task Three (10 minutes)Comment on the ways in which the exercises in Vocabulary Focus(Exercises 1 and 2)and Get ReadyGet It Right (Exercises 9 and 10) combine with the exercises discussed inTask Two.


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Appendix 6: Identifying the Purpose

Suggested answers:

Exercise 4:

To focus on the forms (positive, negative and question) of the TL

To encourage students to use the context to work out the meaning/use of the TL

To check learners understanding of the difference between state and actionverbs

To provide learners with a written record of the target language

Exercise 5:

To provide learners with a model of the pronunciation of the TL

To encourage learners to improve their pronunciation of the TL

To focus learners on sentence stress/prominence

Exercise 6

To encourage learners to read for gist in order to check understanding of acontext for practice of the TL (the e-mail)

To provide learners with controlled written practice of distinguishing between thetwo forms Present Simple and Continuous

To provide learners with controlled written practice to distinguish between the useof Present Simple and Continuous

To encourage peer checking and peer teaching in feedback, and to provide anopportunity for learners to verbalise the rules they have just learnt

Appendix 7: Underlying Assumptions

1d) 2e) 3b) 4f) 5a) 6h) 7c) 8g)

Note useful sentence starters to help you phrase your answer:

This is based on the idea that

The belief that because

The importance of this can lead to

The value of.. as..

The assumption/principle is that since..

and you can add to these:

It is important to.. so that. Language is best learnt by because.

This assumes that as.


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The writers believe that.since

The principle behind this is that. in order to..

Assumption (Ex(s))R1

R2

For example, this exercise assumes that personalisation aids learning is insufficientbecause it doesnt provide any reasons and means you miss out on most of the availablemarks.

When doing this task in the exam it is essential to specify which exercise(s) you are referringtoif you dont you wont get any marks!


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Appendix 8: Underlying Assumptions

Guideline Answer

Here are some suggested answers. Please note that some reasons may also apply to other

assumptions but remember you cannot use one reason more than once.

AssumptionLearners need to see language in context (ex: 3)R1so that they can see how it is usedR2it mirrors how L1 is learntR3context gives a guide to meaning and students may be able to work out the meaning inthis way

AssumptionLearners need a task to focus them on the overall meaning of a text (ex: 3a)

R1to prevent them from trying to understand every wordR2in real life we usually have a purpose for reading a text so this mirrors real life

AssumptionLearners need to understand a text in detail before focussing on language (ex: 3c)R1if they dont understand the context, they may not understand the languageR2 - at lower levels, a superficial reading of the text (as in ex: 3a) may not be enough forlearners to process the text for meaning

AssumptionGuided discovery approaches to studying grammar are useful (ex: 4)R1cognitive engagement with language, thinking and working things out leads to greaterretention of the languageR2 learners often understand things they have worked out for themselves better thanthings they are told

AssumptionExplicit grammar rules using metalanguage are useful for learners (ex: 4)R1this is what many learners expect and are used toR2this approach appeals to analytic learnersR3 learners can learn and use this metalanguage in their own research and this makesthem more autonomous

AssumptionPronunciation work is useful for learners (ex: 5)R1 this gives them a complete picture of language, so that meaning, form andpronunciation are all coveredR2pronunciation is a key feature of language workR3learners may not have exposure to natural features of spoken English if they are notstudying in an ES environment

AssumptionControlled/restricted practice exercises are useful for learners (ex: 6)R1this increases learner confidence at manipulating forms of languageR2this type of exercise allows for quiet study time and for students to get further practice

at discriminating between tenses


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AssumptionContrasting language forms is a good way to focus on meaning (all exercises)R1learners may have learnt both these forms separately and this helps them distinguishbetween themR2 the use of a tense may only be clearly seen when it is contrasted with another oneclose in meaning

AssumptionComparing answers and collaborative learning is useful for lower level learners (ex: 6c)R1learners can learn from each otherR2it gives learners confidence if they can explain language rules to each other


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Appendix 9: Paper 2 Task 3

Guideline Answer:

Exercise How exercise combines with exercises in task twoExercise 1 Provides vocabulary which can be used in the later exerciseswhen students manipulate the target language

Pre-teaches vocabulary that learners may need to know forreading exercise 3

Gives the teacher an opportunity to find out how much vocabularyon the topic students know, so it acts as a diagnostic exercise

It introduces the topic of work, so sets up the topic for the wholeunit

Students focus on stress here, as they do later in ex: 5

Exercise 2 This exercise allows learners to manipulate the vocabulary in

preparation for possible use in exercises 8 and to a lesser extent9 & 10

Gives students the opportunity to personalise the vocabulary bytalking about themselves and people they know

Exercise 9 This provides an opportunity for students to practisedistinguishing between state and action verbs, after this washighlighted in ex: 4 (c)

It provides further practice at distinguishing between PresentSimple and Continuous (use) following on from ex: 4 (b)

Students are given material for the semi-controlled spoken

practice exercise (10a) This combines the work on vocabulary in ex: 1(b) with the

grammar in ex: 4

Students get further practice at forming questions in both presentsimple and continuous (ex: 4b) so a focus on form

Exercise 10 This provides a change of focus and interaction (a mingleexercise) for kinaesthetic learners

A more fun activity after the serious study of the grammar

Students can personalise the language by providing their ownanswers

This extends the language and provides freer practise ofquestions forms in ex: 4a (follow up questions)

This provides meaningful freer communicative practice of thetarget language, especially in ex: 10 (b)

This moves the exercise away from accuracy and more towardsfluency.

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