LANGUAGE RELATED TASKS

Name: Irina Assignment 2: Language related tasks

Course: C1/2021 Date submitted: August 16, 2021

The aim of this assignment is for you to:

 Identify the significant features of the form, pronunciation, meaning and use of specified
language items/areas.
 Establish context, convey meaning and check students’ understanding.
 Anticipate student problems with the language and be prepared to help with them.
 Use relevant information from reference materials to assist in your planning and teaching.

Assessment criteria (from Cambridge English CELTA Syllabus and Assessment Guidelines)
Successful candidates can demonstrate their learning by:
Analysing language correctly for teaching purposes.
Correctly using terminology relating to form, meaning and phonology when analysing
language.
Accessing reference materials and referencing information they have learned about
language to an appropriate source.
Using written language that is clear, accurate and appropriate to the task.
+-750/1000 words.

Each assignment COMMENTS

may be submitted
twice
PASS
1.

RESUBMIT

PASS on
2. Resubmission

FAIL

FIRST MARKER SECOND MARKER

LANGUAGE ANALYSIS SHEET – STRUCTURE / FUNCTION
Whenever you to start out to teach a structure (grammar or function), you need to research the
language and anticipate any potential difficulties for your students. The below categories should help
guide you. Complete it when appropriate and give it to your tutor along with your lesson plan.
Language area (e.g. verb forms in the narrative)
Verb forms in the narrative about the habits in the past.
My grandfather would always have sweets in his pocket for us. (upper-intermediate)
Context:
Repeated activities in the past
Target sentence(s) from the lesson (include affirmative, negative and interrogative if relevant):
My grandfather would always have sweets in his pocket for us. My grandfather’d always have sweets in
his pocket for us.
My grandfather wouldn’t always have sweets in his pocket for us. My grandfather would not always
have sweets in his pocket for us.
Would my grandfather always have sweets in his pocket for us? Yes, he would. No, he wouldn’t. No, he
would not.

What does the structure mean? (Please state in student-friendly language):

We use it as an alternative to the past simple when we describe repeated actions that was common in
the past and are not true anymore.
Describe how you will convey and elicit the language:
As a child I liked visiting my grandad with my friends. Whenever we came to him, he greeted us and
gave us sweets. I knew there were always sweets for us. My grandfather _________ sweets in his pocket
for us.
Timeline:

Concept Checking question:

Did my grandfather always have sweets? (Yes)
Does he have it now? (No)
Was it a habit in the past? (Yes)
Any appropriacy considerations?
We use the structure in books and for formal narratives describing only temporary and repeated
situations in the past.
Anticipated problems and solutions with the target language (Meaning):
 Possible Problem Proposed Solution
 It refers to the future from the past  Highlight that we must analyze the context
 It refers to conditional structures  Remind structures for conditionals, show it
 Using it for permanent states in the past always consists of two parts.
 Explain the difference between would and
used to
Analyse features of pronunciation: (weak forms, contractions, phonemic transcriptions):
would always have
/ wʊd ˈɔːlweɪz hæv /
/maɪ ˈgrændˌfɑːðə wʊd ˈɔːlweɪz hæv swiːts ɪn hɪz ˈpɒkɪt fɔːr ʌs/
Weak form: /maɪ ˈgrændˌfɑːðə wəd ˈɔːlweɪz həv swiːts ɪn ɪz ˈpɒkɪt fər ʌs/
Contracted form: My grandfather'd always have sweets in his pocket for us.
/ maɪ ˈgrændˌfɑːðəd ˈɔːlweɪz hæv swiːts ɪn hɪz ˈpɒkɪt fɔːr ʌs/

Anticipated problems and solutions with the target language (Pronunciation) :

Possible Problem Proposed Solution
 Students may stress ‘would’ in the sentence  Drill pronunciation in the phrase if necessary
 Students may mishear would in contracted  ‘would’ is
forms. ‘grandfather'd always have’ ->
grandfather’s always have
 Stress on ‘would’
Analyse the form (provide features of form of the target item and include the written record):

My grandfather'd always have sweets in his pocket for us.

My grandfather would always have sweets in his pocket for us.

Subject+would+(adverb of frequency)+verb+objects
Anticipated problems and solutions with the target language (Form) :
Possible Problem Proposed Solution
 May use ‘would always have’ as a part of  Conditionals consist of two sentences
conditional structure  Explain the difference
 Use would as a modal
Sources used:
Grammar for English Language teachers, Martin Parrot, (CUP), 2000, p 251, 252
https://tophonetics.com/
LANGUAGE ANALYSIS SHEET – STRUCTURE / FUNCTION
Whenever you to start out to teach a structure (grammar or function), you need to research the
language and anticipate any potential difficulties for your students. The below categories should help
guide you. Complete it when appropriate and give it to your tutor along with your lesson plan.
Language area (e.g. verb forms in the narrative):
Functional language
Context:
Polite request
Target sentence(s) from the lesson (include affirmative, negative and interrogative if relevant):
Would you mind opening the window? (Intermediate)
Yes, I would. No, I would not. No, I wouldn’t.
I wouldn’t mind opening the window.
I would mind opening the window. (Seems irrelevant)
What does the structure mean? (Please state in student-friendly language):
It is a polite request. It means ‘Will you please’.
Describe how you will convey and elicit the language:
We are in the office. It is hot here and the window is closed. I want to open it. I don’t want to do it
myself. I ask you politely. Would you _____ the window?
Concept Checking question:
Do I think it is a good idea to open the window? (Yes)
Do I want to open the window? (No)
Do I ask you to open it? (Yes)
Any appropriacy considerations?
It is a polite request it is appropriate in formal and informal situations. It sounds more polite than ‘Do
you mind opening..?’
Anticipated problems and solutions with the target language (Meaning):
Possible Problem Proposed Solution
 Students may not recognize a request  Provide an example, show it as a typical
 Students may think of it as an offer,  Explain the difference
confusing with ‘would you like’
Analyse features of pronunciation: (weak forms, contractions, phonemic transcriptions):
/wʊd juː maɪnd ˈəʊpnɪŋ ðə ˈwɪndəʊ?/
Weak form: /wəd jʊ maɪnd ˈəʊpnɪŋ ðə ˈwɪndəʊ?/

Anticipated problems and solutions with the target language (Pronunciation) :

Possible Problem Proposed Solution
 Student may stress the sentence in a wrong  Explain an importance of a sentence stress
way to make it rude
Analyse the form (provide features of form of the target item and include the written record):
Would you mind opening the window?
Would + subject+ mind+ gerund + object
Anticipated problems and solutions with the target language (Form) :
Possible Problem Proposed Solution
 Misusing infinitive form. ‘Would you mind  Explaining the rule, learning the form.
TO open the window?’
Sources used:
Grammar for English Language teachers, Martin Parrot, (CUP), 2000, p.174
Practical English Usage, Swan M., Oxford University Press, 2005, p.410
https://tophonetics.com/
LANGUAGE ANALYSIS SHEET – VOCABULARY
Whenever you to start out to teach new words or phrases, you need to anticipate any potential
difficulties for your students. This can also apply to skills lessons where there is new vocabulary included.
The below categories should help guide you. Complete it when appropriate and give it to your tutor
along with your lesson plan.
Lexical area (e.g. adjectives of personality): adjectives of appearance
This child is not just chubby, he’s actually overweight. (pre-intermediate)
Context:
Descriptions of physical features.
Lexical sets / word lists (items to be covered in the lesson):
Characteristics of the body.
What do the items mean? (Please state in student-friendly language):
Chubby – not skinny, round forms, looks healthy, positive meaning
Overweight - fat, having more round forms of the body than necessary, unhealthy, problematic,
negative meaning.
Describe the context you will use, how you will convey and elicit the language:
The boy is about 5 years old. Look at him and you see he loves eating, he is not too slim, not too fat, but
you see his round cheeks. He is chubby (picture 1).
The boy is fat, it is not very good. He has some problems with his health. He is too heavy for his age. He
is overweight (picture 2).
Showing pictures.

Picture 1 Picture 2
How you will check students have understood:
1. Is the boy too slim? (No)
Is he a bit fat? (Maybe)
Is he healthy? (Yes)
2. Is the boy slim? (No)
Is he too fat? (Yes)
Is he healthy? (Probably not).
Any appropriacy considerations?
May be offensive in some circumstances
Anticipated problems and solutions with the target language (Meaning):
Possible Problem Proposed Solution
 Using ‘overweight’ to speak about gaining a  To show the negative connotation of a word
bit more weight.  In many cultures women consider this
 To call a woman ‘chubby’ offensive. Don’t use in this context.
Analyse features of pronunciation: (phonemic transcriptions or problem sounds):
/ˈʧʌbi/ ch -> /ʧ/
/ˈəʊvəweɪt/ weight - > /weɪt/
Anticipated problems and solutions with the target language (Pronunciation) :
Possible Problem Proposed Solution
 / ˈʧʊbi / instead of /ˈʧʌbi/  Drilling
 / ˈəʊvəweɪgt / or / əʊvəˈweɪt / instead of  Transcription on the board
/ˈəʊvəweɪt/

Analyse features of form (provide features of form of the target item and include the written record):
Chubby – gradable adjective. Possible: too chubby, really chubby, chubbier, the chubbiest
Overweight - gradable adjective. Too overweight, extremely overweight, more overweight, the most
overweight.
Anticipated problems and solutions with the target language (Form):
Possible Problem Proposed Solution
 More chubbier  Rules for comparatives
 The overweightest  Rules for superlatives
 Overweight (noun)  The place in a sentence
Sources used:
How to teach Vocabulary, Scott Thornbury (Pearson Education, 2002), pp. 78-82
LANGUAGE ANALYSIS SHEET – VOCABULARY
Whenever you to start out to teach new words or phrases, you need to anticipate any potential
difficulties for your students. This can also apply to skills lessons where there is new vocabulary included.
The below categories should help guide you. Complete it when appropriate and give it to your tutor
along with your lesson plan.
Lexical area (e.g. adjectives of personality):
idioms
Context:
She couldn’t make ends meet with 3 children and so many bills. (advanced)
Lexical sets / word lists (items to be covered in the lesson):
Idioms related to money
What do the items mean? (Please state in student-friendly language):
Manage to pay for everything you need for living when you have little money. To have just
enough money to pay for the things that you need
Describe the context you will use, how you will convey and elicit the language:
She has 3 children and she is a single mom. This month is especially difficult. She must pay so many bills
and her boss has made her redundant and paid no allowance. She barely manages to _______ this
month.
How you will check students have understood:
Does she have a lot of money? (no)
Does she need money? (yes)
Is the amount of money she has enough for bills she needs to pay? (Probably yes, very close).
Any appropriacy considerations?
Informal colloquial language, inappropriate for formal writing.
Anticipated problems and solutions with the target language (Meaning):
Possible Problem Proposed Solution
 Students understands the straight meaning.  Explain that idioms have their own meanings
that may not be connected with the direct
meanings
Analyse features of pronunciation: (phonemic transcriptions or problem sounds):
make ends meet
meɪk ɛndz miːt

Anticipated problems and solutions with the target language (Pronunciation) :

Possible Problem Proposed Solution
 Wrong stress  Drill the stress pattern

Analyse features of form (provide features of form of the target item and include the written record):
make ends meet
Doesn’t have a special form. Changes in the sentences following the rules of the verb ‘meet’
She makes/made/will make/has made ends meet.
Anticipated problems and solutions with the target language (Form):
Possible Problem Proposed Solution
 Trying to convey a meaning using synonyms  Idioms are fixed phrases
e.g. ‘help ends meet’  Learn the idiom as one lexical element
 Changing the word order ‘She managed to
meet ends’
Sources used:
How to teach Vocabulary, Scott Thornbury (Pearson Education, 2002), p.127
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/