Glossary

Below, you will find a glossary of key abbreviations and terms in

ELT/TESOL that are used in the book, defined according to how they have been used
in the book.
All abbreviations and terms are printed in bold the first time they appear in the
main body of the chapters of the book. A word that appears in italics indicates that it
has a separate glossary entry.
Abbreviation/
acronym/term

Meaning

advanced

A level of proficiency at which language learners have achieved

operational command of the language. Misunderstandings,
errors, and inappropriate language may occur, but are rare.
Compare with: beginner; elementary; intermediate

aims

A broad, general, description of what learners are expected to

achieve as a result of a course of instruction. Compare with:
objectives

Applied
Linguistics

A branch of Linguistics which is concerned with applying

linguistic theory to language problems. The teaching and
learning of foreign languages is an established branch of
Applied Linguistics.

assessor

See: visiting validator

aural

Listening, for example, aural skills are listening skills. Often

used together with oral as in oral/aural skills, meaning
speaking and listening skills.

authentic
materials

Materials originally prepared for purposes other than language

teaching and used in the language teaching classroom without
having first been linguistically simplified in any way. Examples
include newspaper articles and tape recordings of natural speech
from radio or television.

beginner

A level of proficiency at which learners have little or no ability

to use English beyond a few isolated words.
Compare with: elementary; intermediate; advanced

British Council

A United Kingdom-based public body and registered charity

which exists to build cultural and educational relations between
people in the United Kingdom and other countries. It does this

partly through its English language teaching centres, of which it

currently has 91 in 57 countries (British Council, 2005b).
Cambridge
ESOL

An organization in the United Kingdom that validates courses,

that is, ensures identified quality standards are met.

Cambridge
ESOL CELTA

Cambridge English for Speakers of Other Languages Certificate

in English Language Teaching to Adults, an initial teacher
training qualification for those wishing to enter ELT/TESOL.
Compare with: Trinity College London CertTESOL; School for
International Training TESOL Certificate

Cambridge
ESOL DELTA

Cambridge English for Speakers of Other Languages Diploma in

English Language Teaching to Adults, a further qualification
that can be taken after 1200 ELT/TESOL teaching contact
hours.

CELTA

See: Cambridge ESOL CELTA

CertTESOL

See: Trinity College London CertTESOL

closed pairwork

An activity in which all learners in a class are asked to work

together in pairs simultaneously.
Compare with: open pairwork

collocation

Words that tend to occur together. Examples include utterly

appalling or utterly disgusting but not utterly lovely; we say
genuine article but real thing rather than genuine thing.
Compare with: idiom

connotation

The associations that a word or phrase has. For example, blue,

in English, is often associated with feelings of sadness or
depression.

countable noun

Countable nouns have both singular and plural forms. For

example, car, book, poster, rock, step and tunnel are all
countable they can all be singular or plural: cars, books,
etc. Countable nouns are sometimes known as count or unit
nouns.
Compare with: uncountable noun

course book

A text book that aims to provide everything a learner needs for a

particular course of instruction. Examples include Cunningham
and Moores (2001) Cutting Edge Elementary, often supported
by a teachers guide and other materials such as a workbook.
Compare with: supplementary materials

(course)
participant

Anyone taking a certificate course. Often referred to as a

trainee.

CPE

Certificate of Proficiency in English (a Cambridge ESOL

English language proficiency examination).

CTEFLA

See: RSA CTEFLA

DELTA

See: Cambridge ESOL DELTA

denotation

The central meaning of a word. For example, the denotation of

the adjective blue is having the colour of a clear sky on a fine
day (Longman Active Study Dictionary, 2000).
Compare with: connotation

directed
observation

See: guided observation

discourse

Extended, complete examples of written or spoken language.

Examples include letters, poems, newspaper articles,
conversations or lectures.

drill

A common technique in language teaching in which learners are

required to listen to a model and repeat it in different patterns, in
order to practice the target language.

EAP

English for Academic Purposes.

EFL

English as a Foreign Language, used to refer to the English that

people learn for eventual social, educational or professional
gain, not necessarily widely used in the community in which it is
being studied.
Compare with: ESL

elicit

Elicit means to draw out. A teacher elicits when he or she

uses techniques that encourage learners to produce language.

ELT

See: English Language Teaching

elementary

A level at which learners are able to convey and understand

general meanings in limited, familiar situations. Communication
breakdown occurs frequently.
Compare with: beginner; intermediate; advanced

English Language A term used to refer to the profession. Its use appears to be
particularly widespread in the United Kingdom.
Teaching
Compare with: Teaching English to Speakers of Other
Languages; Teaching English as a Foreign Language

ESL

English as a Second Language, used to refer to the English

learned when people find themselves, or expect to find

themselves, living and working or studying in a country where

English is the first or official language, or where it is used as a
language-in-common. In these circumstances English is spoken
in the community in which it is being studied.
Compare with: EFL
ESOL

English for Speakers of Other Languages, used to refer to

English when it is taught to students who are learning it as a
second language.
Compare with: TESOL; EFL; ESL

evaluator

See: visiting validator

false beginner

A learner who, despite having had some instruction, has a level

of proficiency in the language equivalent to a beginner.

FCE

First Certificate in English (a Cambridge ESOL English

language proficiency examination).

feedback

Information supplied to a person which comments on his or her

behaviour.

flashcard

A word or image used to teach or elicit language, usually printed

on a large card to allow the image to be displayed to all learners
in a class.

form

The written or spoken shape of a unit of language: how a word

or phrase, for example, looks or sounds.
Compare with: function; meaning

function

The purpose of a unit of language; for example, the purpose of

the phrase I wouldnt do that if I were you may be to warn
someone.
Compare with: form; meaning

grammar

A systematic description of the structure of written and spoken

language.
Compare with: lexis; phonology

(guided)
observation

A certificate course component, alternatively called directed

observation, which involves watching a class in progress.
Classes for this purpose are usually live, but it is also possible
to observe classes that have been video recorded.

headword

Any word that is defined as a separate word in a dictionary, that

is, it has its own separate entry.

IATEFL

International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign

Language, a professional organization to support those involved
in ELT/TESOL.

idiom

A group of words that commonly occur together, and where it is

difficult or impossible to deduce the meaning of the group from
its parts. Examples include out of the blue; throw ones
weight around and take a leaf out of someones book.
Compare with: collocation

IELTS

International English Language Testing System, a test of

English language proficiency administered jointly by Cambridge
ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Australia.

input

A certificate course component in which tutors directly teach

participants. A variety of approaches may be taken including
lectures and group work. Input sessions are sometimes known as
workshops.
Compare with: guided observation; teaching practice

intermediate

A level at which learners have partial command of the language.

They are able to cope generally with conveying and
understanding meaning in many situations. They may make
frequent errors, though these will not always lead to
communication breakdown.
Compare with: beginner; elementary; advanced

intonation

The rise and fall of the voice that conveys meaning.

L1

A persons first language, or mother tongue

L2

A persons second language; this is English in ELT/TESOL.

language
awareness

A participants knowledge and understanding of all aspects of

English Language (grammar, phonology, lexis, etc.), including
its terminology.

language learner

A person who is learning a foreign language, in ELT/TESOL,

English. This person may also be known as a language student.

learner

See: language learner

(learning)
outcome

An objective may be expressed in the form of several learning

outcomes. These are descriptions of discrete behaviour expected
of a learner, against which his or her actual performance may be
measured. Outcome is sometimes used as a synonym for
objective.
Compare with: objective

lesson plan

A description of the aims and objectives and/or outcomes of a

lesson and the activities, techniques, procedures, and materials
that a teacher intends to use in order to accomplish them.

level

A stage of learning such as beginner, elementary, intermediate

and advanced.
level descriptor

A short description of what a language learner who has reached

a particular level of proficiency can be expected to convey or
understand in the target language.

lexis

The words or vocabulary, known as lexical items, of a language,

studied in contrast to its grammar.
Compare with: grammar; phonology

Linguistics

The scientific study of language as a phenomenon.

materials

Any text or exercise, spoken or written, used for teaching,

including for example course books, reading texts, and passages
recorded for listening, etc. The term is also sometimes used to
refer to everything a teacher needs for teaching, including things
such as OHTs.
Compare with: supplementary materials

meaning

The relationship between linguistic items and the objects,

events, facts, situations, feelings, etc. which they express,
describe or refer to.
Compare with: form; function

modal auxiliary
verb

An auxiliary verb is a verb that is used with another verb. A

modal auxiliary verb conveys a speakers attitude or mood
towards the event or situation expressed by the other verb.
Examples include may come; must try and should stay. In
each case, the modal auxiliary verb is the first of the two verbs.
Modal auxiliary verbs are also sometimes known as a modals
or modal auxiliaries.
Compare with: mood

moderator

See: visiting validator

monolingual

Classes consisting largely or entirely of speakers of the same

language.

monolingual
learners
dictionary

A dictionary designed for language learners which uses English

throughout and contains information of particular value to a
learner such as a pronunciation guide.

mood

A term used to describe the attitude of a speaker towards the

factual content of what he or she is conveying. Attitudes that
may be expressed include uncertainty, possibility and necessity.
This is primarily done in English through modal auxiliary verbs.

multilingual

Used to refer to classes consisting of speakers of different

languages.

native speaker

Someone who uses a language as his or her first language.

non-native
(English) speaker

Someone who uses a language (such as English) as his or her

second (or third, fourth, etc.) language and is not bilingual.

observation

See: guided observation

objective

A specific, detailed, description of exactly what learners are

expected to achieve as a result of a lesson or part of a lesson.
Compare with: aims; learning outcomes

OHP

Overhead projector. A piece of equipment that allows visual

images to be displayed to a large audience using OHTs.

OHT

Overhead transparency. A reusable plastic sheet, usually A4

size, that can be written on for display to a large audience using
an OHP. OHTs are also available for use in a computer printer
or photocopier.

open pairwork

An activity in which two learners in a class are asked to carry

out a speaking activity in pairs while other learners in the class
listen.
Compare with: closed pairwork

oral

Spoken language. Often used together with aural as in

oral/aural skills, meaning speaking and listening skills.

orthography

The spelling of a language.

participant

See: (course) participant

pedagogic
grammar

A grammar of a language prepared for teaching and learning

purposes.

peer observation

A certificate course component in which participants observe

other participants doing their teaching practice.

phoneme

A distinctive sound unit in a language, that is, the smallest unit

of sound that makes a difference between two words, which
would otherwise be considered to be the same word. Thus the
first sounds in pen, Ben, ten and den are different
phonemes in English.

phonemic chart

A collection of phonemic symbols representing all of the

phonemes or distinctive sound units in a language, displayed on
a wall chart. Underhills Phonemic Chart has 44 phonemic
symbols and also provides additional symbols to help the user to
indicate word stress and intonation. (Underhill, 2005)

phonemic symbol

A symbol representing a phoneme, or a distinctive sound unit in

a language, indicated by the use of slashes on either side, as

follows: /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /e/, etc.
phonology

The identification of the phonemes of a language and the study

of their production, perception and patterns.
Compare with: grammar; lexis

placement test

A test taken by learners at the start of a course of instruction in

order to place them in a class appropriate to their level of
proficiency.

portfolio

A collection of a course participants work on a certificate

course, including, for example, copies of lesson plans and
assignments.

pre-course task

A task that applicants for certificate courses may be asked to

complete before a course, possibly before or after an interview.
Such tasks may perform two functions: orientation towards field
and/or as a test of conceptual skills and commitment.

Preparatory
Certificate

An early forerunner, no longer available, of the Cambridge

ESOL CELTA.

Prep. Cert.

See: Preparatory Certificate

Proficiency

How well someone can use a language, that is, read, write, speak
and listen to it.

pronunciation

The way in which a language is spoken and perceived; that is,

how its phonemes are said and heard.

realia

An object not designed specifically for teaching purposes but

which is brought into the classroom for a particular lesson. For
example, apples are countable, while rice is uncountable and so
such items may be brought into the classroom in order to teach
this language point.

reflection

The ability to look back and learn from problems that you have
faced, and then apply that learning to future situations.

RSA CTEFLA

Royal Society of Arts Certificate in Teaching English as a

Foreign Language to Adults. A forerunner, no longer available,
of the Cambridge ESOL CELTA.

School for
International
Training

A college based in the United States which offers a TESOL

Certificate in the United States and other countries.

(School for
International

An initial teacher training qualification for those wishing to

enter ELT/TESOL.

Training) TESOL Compare with: Cambridge ESOL CELTA; Trinity College

London CertTESOL
Certificate
semantics

The meanings of words, or items from the lexis, of a language.

sentence stress

The rhythm of a sentence or phrase, which occurs in English as

a result of approximately equal intervals between the stressed
syllables in a sentence or phrase.

SIT

School for International Training

statement

Learning outcomes, objectives or components. A description of

what is expected of participants on certificate courses.

stressed syllable

The pronunciation of a syllable with greater force than the other

syllable(s) in the word, that is, when more air is expelled from
the lungs when producing this syllable than when producing the
other syllable(s).

STT

Student Talking Time. This refers to the amount of time that a

student is able to spend in class practicing speaking.
Compare with: TTT

(supervised)
teaching practice

A certificate course component (often referred to as TP) which

involves teaching classes of learners, followed by feedback on
performance. Supervised here means observed and assessed.
Much or all teaching practice may be supervised on certificate
courses.

supplementary
materials

Materials that are used in class in order to complement or

support an area addressed in a course book. Examples include:
Murphys (1997) Essential Grammar in Use with Answers: A
Self-study Reference and Practice Book for Elementary Students
of English.

Teaching English
as a Foreign
Language

A term used to refer to the profession. Its use appears to be

declining in favour of English Language Teaching (in the
United Kingdom) or Teaching English to Speakers of Other
Languages (in the United States).

Teaching English
to Speakers of
Other Languages

A term used to refer to the profession. Its use appears to be

particularly widespread in the United States.
Compare with: Teaching English as a Foreign Language

teaching practice
point

Guidelines provided by tutors outlining what participants should

teach in teaching practice classes. These guidelines may be
more or less detailed according to the stage of the course.

TEAL

Teaching English as an Additional Language, sometimes used as

an alternative to TEFL, TESOL or ELT.

TEFL

See: Teaching English as a Foreign Language

TEFLA

Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Adults.

Compare with: TEFL

TEIL

Teaching English as an International Language, occasionally

found as an alternative to TEFL, TESOL or ELT.

tense

The way a language expresses the time in which events occur. In

English, tense is expressed through verb forms.

TESL

Teaching English as a Second Language. Sometimes used to

refer to the profession, but TESOL and ELT appear to be more
common.
Compare with: TEFL; ELT; TESOL

TESLA

Teaching English as a Second Language to Adults.

TESOL

See: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

However, this abbreviation is used to refer to both the profession
and a professional organization that supports those involved in
ELT/TESOL.
Referring to the profession, compare with: TEFL; ELT

TESOL
Certificate

See: School for International Training TESOL Certificate

TOEFL

Test of English as Foreign Language, used to evaluate a

candidates ability to use and understand American English at
college or university level, administered by a United Statesbased organization, ETS.

TP

See: (supervised) teaching practice

Trinity College
London

An organization in the United Kingdom that validates certificate

courses; that is, ensures identified quality standards are met.

Trinity College
London
CertTESOL

Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to

Speakers of Other Languages, an initial teacher training
qualification for those wishing to enter ELT/TESOL.
Compare with: Cambridge ESOL CELTA; School for
International Training TESOL Certificate

TTT

Teacher Talking Time. This refers to the amount of time that a

teacher spends talking in class, usually understood to be
negative as the more time a teacher spends talking, the less time
there is for students to practice speaking.
Compare with: STT

UCLES

University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate,

succeeded by Cambridge ESOL.

uncountable noun Uncountable nouns have only one form and cannot be plural. It
is, however, often possible to use a . of with such
nouns. Examples include: rice (a bowl of rice), electricity (a unit
of electricity), water (a glass of water), and work (a pile of
work). These nouns are sometimes known as mass nouns.
Compare with: countable noun
validation

Approval by an external body after a process to ensure the

course, in terms of its entry requirements, syllabus, length,
assessment procedures and so forth, meets identified quality
standards.

validating
organization

An external body or organization whose function is to ensure

courses meet identified quality standards. Examples include
Cambridge ESOL and Trinity College London.

visiting validator

A generic term used in this book only to refer to the external

assessor (CELTA), moderator (CertTESOL) or evaluator
(TESOL Certificate); that is, the person whose function is to
visit a course to ensure that it is being run according to the
standards set by the validating organization.

word stress

The pronunciation of a word or syllable of a word, with greater

force than the other syllable(s) in the word, that is, when more
air is expelled from the lungs when producing this syllable than
when producing the other syllable(s).
Compare with: stressed syllable

weak form

In the stream of speech, in normal pronunciation, a word may be

pronounced weakly, as is the case with a and of in Ill have
a cup of coffee, or can in I can help you, if you want. The
pronunciations of a, of and can in these two phrases in
normal connected speech are unstressed and weak.