Assignment 01 samples

06 examples

CELTA Assignment 1 example

I’ve been waiting here for two hours.

1. Meaning

I was waiting here 2 hours ago.

I am still waiting here.

2. Form

Subject + have/has + past participle (been) + present participle

3. Pronunciation

Contraction of I and have. Been has a short /i/. Stress on ‘/Wei/’ in waiting.

4. Eliciting

Show picture 1 of a man standing with a clock above his head. The time is 12pm. 

Show picture 2 of the man still standing but the clock now says 2pm and he looks 

unhappy while looking at his watch. Ask – What is he doing? He’s waiting.

How long for? 2 hours.

Is he still waiting? Yes

To elicit – “so give me a sentence, I....”

5. Concept Questions

Was he waiting 2 hours ago? Yes

Is he still waiting now? Yes

6. Anticipated Difficulties + Solutions

Form: Subject +have/has + past participle (been) + present participle. Students 

might say I has or he have. They may say “I’m waiting for 2 hours”. They may say 

“wait” instead of “waiting”. Solution: Drill. Highlight form on whiteboard.

Phonology: Students might wrongly pronounce been by extending the “ee”. /i:/ rather 

than /i/. Students might not use the contraction I’ve, you’ve, he’s etc. Students might 

put stress on wrong syllables. Solution: Drill and model on fingers, write phonemes 

on whiteboard.

Concept: Students might think “waiting” only refers to something that happens now. 

Solution: Draw timeline on whiteboard

It suits you -versus- It fits you

1. Meaning

Suits:

It looks good on you.

You and the item go well together.

Fits:

It’s not too small for you.

It’s not too big for you

It’s the right size for you.

It’s the right shape for you.

2. Form

(For both) Subject + present simple +s + Object

3. Pronunciation

Fits – Stress on whole word.

Suits – ui sounds like /u:/.

4. Eliciting

Fits:

Show students a picture of a man wearing clothes which are too small for him. Ask –

Are the clothes too big or small for him? Yes

Show students a picture of a man...

CELTA ASSIGNMENT 1

LANGUAGE-RELATED TASK

1st pair of sentences:

1a) She’s lived there for years.

1b) She lived there for years.

Form:

1a)’s conventional grammar term is ‘present perfect’, and its constituent parts are: 

subject + auxiliary verb has (conjugated here for ‘She’ i.e. has) + _____ed (i.e. past 

participle)

1b)’s conventional grammar term is ‘past simple’, and its constituent parts are: 

subject + ______ ed (i.e. past tense)

The meaning of 1a) is that ‘she’ lived ‘there’ in the past, she lives there now, and 

she will presumably be living there for some indeterminable time in the future, 

whereas the meaning of 1b) is that ‘she’ lived ‘there’ in the past, for some years, and 

is not living there now.

Generative context

An estate agent, after showing somebody around a house.

This could be just a dialogue on a CD, a video or on paper, with pictures:

Interested party A) So, when was the last time someone lived there then?

Estate agent B) Hmmmmm, well, it was lived in briefly a couple of years ago by a 

mother and her young son, but before that, well that takes us back a few years…. 

From 1976 there was a lady - she lived there for years.

It’s a lot to take on – there’s a lot of improvements to be made… Do you know 

anything about the neighbours?

Well there’s a lovely family next door that side… they’ve only lived here for a year or 

two, but in that house there, (points) there’s an old chap – he’s lived there for 

years…

Anticipated problems with form

• The contractions of ‘has’ to ‘s and ‘have’ to ‘ve in the present perfect maybe 

difficult for learners to deal with, therefore they may avoid using them, consequently 

appearing too formal. • Irregular verbs.

…with meaning

• The different times present perfect is used, and the meanings it can infer.

• With the past simple, the meaning is more straightforward, but deciding which of 

the two to use may cause problems therefore..

05 example

CELTA WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 1 - Language Related Task

1. The plane leaves at 10.00 tomorrow.

a) The present simple + time marker.

Subject + verb in present simple tense + time marker.

b) Talking about a scheduled future event.

c)

 • Students may have difficulty understanding the concept that this is talking about a future event, as the present tense is used. • Students may have difficulty when pronouncing “tomorrow”, esp. the weak form at the beginning of the word: tomorrow. • Students may struggle pronouncing the weak form in “the” and “at”.

d) A businessman needing to book a last-minute flight for an urgent meeting.

e) Has the event already taken place? (No)

 When is it? (The future) 

What is happening at 10.00? (The plane leaves)

How does the businessman know? (He booked the flight, he was told the schedule)

2. If I had a lot of money, I’d buy a boat.

 a) The past and present tenses together with the second conditional. If + subject + past simple + noun, + modal verb (would) + verb in the present + noun. 

b) Talking about a hypothetical event in the present.

c)

 • Students may have difficulty with understanding the hypothetical context. • Students may struggle with the pronunciation of the contracted form of the verb “I’d”. • Students may have difficulty grasping the different forms of the conditional (Zero, first, second and third). • Students may use an incorrect tense in the ‘result’ part of the sentence. E.g. If I had a lot of money, I’ll buy a boat. If I had a lot of money, I’d have bought a boat. • Students may have difficulty with pronouncing the weak forms in “I”, “a”, “of”. d) Somebody talking to his friends about playing/doing the lottery. 

e) Did he have a lot of money? (No) 

Does he have a lot of money now? (No). 

Did he buy a boat? (No) 

Why? (doesn’t he buy a boat?) (He...

04 example

This assignment focuses on your ability to identify the significant features of the form, phonology, meaning and use of language items and the use of relevant information from reference materials.

Analyse the following language items:

NB Target language is underlined; where the examples are paired, you will need to contrast them.

1. I was going to phone you yesterday, but I forgot.

2. She must have gone home by now.

3. Open the window, will you?

I wonder if you’d mind opening the window.

4. She’s phoned 3 times today.

She phoned 3 times today.

5. A stranger

A foreigner

Include the following in your analysis:

1. Generative context

2. Meaning

3. Form

4. Phonemic transcription, an indication of stress and comments on pronunciation

5. Concept checking questions (with answers), and, where appropriate, time lines, diagrams, pictures, etc

This assignment should be written / word-processed on the table provided. An electronic version is available from ISE Reception, on request. The assignment should be error free and 750 – 1,000 words in length. It must be submitted complete with marking grid(s).

Please see the next page for an example.

CELTA Language related assignment.  Example

She shouldn’t have walked home alone

1. Generative Context A woman student in Brighton walked home by herself late at night and was mugged.  She was carrying a lot of cash, didn’t tell her friends she was leaving the club and walked down some dark steps.  The next day I criticised her actions.

2. Meaning 

We use this form to express a critical attitude towards the past actions of someone else. (Advice after the event – Rosemary Aitken – Teaching Tenses – p. 138)

3. Form

(subject) + should (+ not)  + have  + past participle 

4. Phonemic transcription, including marking the main stressed syllables

(Longman dictionary of contemporary English)

Particular attention needs to be paid to the weak form of “have” and, possibly there may need to be some revision of the various pronunciations of the “ed” ending of the past participle

5. Concept checking questions (with answers), and, where appropriate, time lines, diagrams, pictures, etc

Did she go home by herself?                                    Yes

Was it dangerous?                                                   Maybe

Was it a good idea?                                                 No

Am I criticising her?                                                Yes

Am I talking about the past or the future?            The past

03 example

1. Model sentence: You shouldn’t have told her!

Analysis of Meaning:

We are using modal verb ‘should’ to give advice or to express something that is necessary/unnecessary. 

Context:

Two friends Bob and John are talking about the last night’s dinner at Bob’s house. His mother made her favourite dish, a vegetarian lasagne. When asked how it was, John told her that it was a bit too dry and overdone. “You shouldn’t have told her! It made my mom really sad.” – said, Bob. 

Checking Meaning: 

Ask students if John told Bob’s mother that lasagne was good. (Yes)

Was this a nice thing to say? (No)

Show examples of giving advice:

“You should stop smoking”

“You shouldn’t drive too fast”

Form:

Modal verb ‘should’ is used to offer advice and express something that is necessary or unnecessary. 

Phonology:

I would need to help students with the stress on “shouldn’t” and “told” as these carry the meaning of the sentence.

2. Model sentence: “I’ll have finished the project by Friday.” 

Analysis of Meaning:

Future Present Perfect is used to express the action which has started sometime in the past, it is still going on now, and it will end at some point in future. We do not know when the action started but we DO know when it will end.

Context:

I started writing my homework last Friday at 8pm. I am still working on it because it is long, and I will finish it by Tuesday morning at 8am. 

Checking Meaning: 

Did I start writing my homework last Friday? (Yes)

Am I still writing my homework? (Yes)

Will I finish my homework on Tuesday at 8? (Yes)

Will I finish my homework on Monday? (No)

Form:

I    will   have     finished        the project by Friday. 

      will + have    + past participle

Phonology:

To help students with to stress will have and proper pronunciation of finished(d)

3. Model sentence: “John ran out of money.” 

Analysis of Meaning:

We are using a phrasal verb construction to indicate that John has spent all his money and that he no longer has any. 

Context:

Two friends go out for a dinner together. One of them spends all his money to pay for food and drinks. He does not have money to pay for taxi to go home. 

 

Checking Meaning: 

Did John walk/rush out of a restaurant? (No)

Did John pay for the dinner? (Yes)

Does John has any money? (No)

Ask students if John can pay for a taxi home? (No)

Form:

Phrasal verbs are idiomatic expressions which consist of a verb+preposition. Their individual parts have one meaning but put together they form another meaning – different from their individual parts. The verb “run” means to move fast while “out” is opposite of in. The phrase ‘run out’ means that you have no more of something. 

Phonology:

I would need to help students stress ‘ran’ and ‘money’. Also, I would have them pronounce ran out as one word ranout. 

4. Model sentence: “I had my car repaired.” 

Analysis of Meaning:

In this example we are using the causative to show the proper grammatical structure when we want to show when a person or a thing causes another thing or person to do something. This particular causative is in a passive form. 

Context:

I think I will have my windows fixed. 

I think I will have Rob fix my windows. 

In the first example we are not naming a person who will do the fixing (passive form) while in the second example we do, Rob. (active form)

Checking Meaning: 

Did I fix the car myself? (No)

Did I have someone else fix my car for me? (Yes)

Do we know who fixed my car? (No)

Form:

Causatives can be either in passive or active voice:

The active:

Subject

Causative verb

Agent

Action verb

Object

My teacher

         had 

me

     redo 

my assignment.

The passive:

Subject

 Causative verb

Object

Action verb

      I 

       had 

my hair 

   cut. 

Notice that in the passive form there is no agent!

Phonology:

I would have to point them out to pronunciation of car and repaired; only one ‘r’ should be pronounced thereby linking the target words into one – careparied – with an emphasis on a bit longer ‘r’. 

5. Model sentence: “I don’t mind working late.” 

Analysis of Meaning:

We are using Present Simple + Verbal (Gerund) to express a habit or a generalisation. In this case the speaker is saying that he often works late and that it is not a problem for him. 

Context:

I work at the bank. My work hours are 9 to 5, Monday to Friday. However, my boss asked me to stay longer on Tuesday and on Friday. I worked till 7 in the evening, which was all right with me. I do not have a problem with that. 

Checking Meaning: 

Did I work after 5 o’clock on Tuesday and Friday? (Yes)

Do I have a problem with that? (No)

If my boss asks me again to work late will I do it? (Yes)

Form:

I don’t  mind  working late. 

   verb        +         gerund

Gerund is a verb used as a noun. Verb+ing=gerund. 

Phonology:

I would point the students to stress don’t and to the fact that often in colloquial speech ‘t’ is often lost. 

02 model for giving instructions on Assignment 01

ASSIGNMENT 1

LANGUAGE RELATED TASKS

Candidates can demonstrate their learning by:

a) analysing language correctly for teaching purposes

b) correctly using terminology relating to form, meaning and phonology when analysing language

c) accessing reference materials and referencing information they have learned about language to an appropriate source

d) using written language that is clear, accurate and appropriate to the task

Length: 750 - 1,000 words 

This assignment follows on directly from the input sessions on Phonology, Language Awareness and Planning. It will help you with the practical task of completing Lesson Plans for TP, that is, when you are preparing to teach a lesson involving new language items you will need to include something similar on your language analysis sheet.

To pass this assignment, you must have no more than four major errors in your description of form, meaning and phonology. Please write you word count on your assignment.

Task

Analyse each of the underlined language items below, using these headings and following the format overleaf.

1.     Contexts/situations for presentation; create a context to illustrate the meaning.

2.     Characteristics   i) Meaning: the essential elements

                                  ii) Form: use appropriate labels

                                  iii) Pronunciation: think about how a native speaker would say the                    

                                      sentence and identify any phonological features of the target language

3.     Check understanding; use concept questions and devise timelines when appropriate.

Language Items 

a) I’ll be lying on the beach this time next week. (Intermediate)

b) There’s the bell. It must be the postman. (Intermediate)

c) I remembered to lock the door vs I remember locking the door. (Upper Intermediate)

d) Would you mind opening the window? (Intermediate)

e) That child is spoilt. (Pre-Intermediate)

Example

Target Language: She used to go on holiday with her family (but now )

Level: Pre-intermediate

1.  Context

I'd describe a Shirley Valentine character, using a magazine picture of a tropical paradise to show where she goes on holiday now. I would draw two pictures, one of the character in 1990, with husband and children in Blackpool, the second of her this year, lying in a hammock under a palm tree with friends. I would then try to elicit the target sentence.

2.  Characteristics

i) Meaning:       Different from the Past Simple – repeated 

      activity not a single action and no longer true

ii) Form: She (subject pronoun) + used to + bare infinitive 

Did she use_ to + infinitive? 

She didn't use_ to + infinitive

iii) Pronunciation:       She used to go. /ʃɪjuːstəgəʊ/

Weak form of 'to' /tə/

The ’d’ of 'used' is not pronounced

Main stresses on `used' and `family'

3.  Concept checking questions

Teacher Students

Is this sentence about now or the past? The past

Who did she go on holiday with? Her family

One time or many times? Many times

Does she go with them now? No

Who does she go with? Her friends

Recommended Reference Books 

● Practical English Usage, Michael Swan, OUP 

● How English Works, Michael Swan and Catherine Walter, OUP

● English Pronunciation Illustrated, John Trim, CUP 

● Sound Foundations, Adrian Underhill, Macmillan ELT 

● The Good Grammar Book, Michael Swan and Catherine Walter OUP 

● Teaching English Pronunciation, Joanne Kenworthy, Longman

● Headway Upper Intermediate Pronunciation  Bill Bower and Sarah Cunningham OUP (i –xi) 

Example 01

 CELTA P/T

Karolina Szybinska

Assignment 2: Language Related Tasks

1. He hesitated before jumping.

a. CONTEXT.

Introduce a context by getting the students to talk with their partners for

2 minutes about the things they are scared of and afraid to do. Group

feedback. Then, show them a short clip from a MacGyver series. MacGyver

will be known to European students as a maverick spy who can build

anything out of nothing, but who is afraid of heights. In the episode he

flies a hot air balloon and needs to jump off it when the balloon is

damaged. Get students to talk to their partner about MacGyver, in

particular what he’s fears are. Get them to tell you what happened in the

scene. Elicit: He hesitated before jumping.

b. CCQs. 

• Did he jump? (yes)

• Did he wait before jumping? (yes)

• Was it a long wait? (no)

• Was it before he was scared? (most probably yes)

a. FORM.

Subject + verb + past form (+ time adverbial+ verb+ ing)

2. I’m meeting Peter for lunch on Saturday.

Assignment 2

CELTA P/T 

Karolina Szybinska 1

a. CONTEXT. 

b. CCQs:

• Are we talking about present or future? (future)

• Am I planning to stay at home on Saturday? (possibly, but most

likely not)

• Am I going to have lunch on my own? (no)

• Did I plan this or is it a spontaneous decision? (planned)

a. FORM.

Subject + to be (1st person singular) + verb+ ing + object (+ preposition +

object+ adverbial of time)

Assignment 2

CELTA P/T 

Karolina Szybinska