Delta 5a

Module Two
Report for the Language
Systems and Language Skills Assignments

Candidate name Hanna Loch

Centre name The Distance Delta
Centre number 10239
Candidate number 008
LSA number Internal 2
Assignment focus Skills
Assignment title Helping learners write effective informal emails
Date of assessment 25/8/2015
Level of class Elementary
Number in class 8
Length of lesson 60 minutes

Tutor's / assessor's grade

Background essay Pass
Planning, Teaching & Post-lesson reflection and evaluation Merit
Assessor’s name Marie Morgan (CT); Date: 2/9/2015
Julia Efon Asua (LT)
Comments for the moderator (external assessor only):
Please consider for award of Please select for the following reasons
Comment

Any other comments

Delta5a14
 Assessment criteria for the background essay

1. Quality of writing
Successful candidates demonstrate that they can effectively present an essay which:
a) is written in language which is clear, accurate, easy to follow and is cohesive and
Partially met
clearly ordered
b) uses appropriate terminology accurately Partially met
c) refers to and references key sources Met
d) follows the conventions of a standard referencing system for in-text referencing and
Met
the bibliography
e) respects the word limit (2,000-2,500 words) and states the number of words used Met
Comment
Strengths:
1c) It is evident you have read a good number of key texts on your skill/genre; well done.

1d) Citations are generally accurate in the body of the essay.

1e) The bibliography is well-presented.

To work on:
1b) Terminology is often used accurately/appropriately but sometimes it lacks examples or is not used
appropriately (e.g., concordancing).

1a) Double check at proof reading stage to edit out any remaining typos, etc.

2. Clarity of topic
Successful candidates demonstrate that they can effectively make clear the topic of the essay by:
a) identifying for analysis a specific area of the grammar, lexis, phonology or discourse
Met
system of English, or a skills area (listening, speaking, reading or writing)
b) defining the scope of the area they will analyse with reference to e.g. learners,
Met
teaching approach, method, learning context, learner needs or text type
c) explaining with reference to classroom experience, reading and research why they
Met
have chosen this area
d) making all parts of the essay relevant to the topic and coherent Met
e) following through in later parts of the essay on key issues identified in earlier parts Partially met
Comment
Strengths:
2a / 2b / 2c) You have chosen writing as your skill, and defined the scope appropriately with reference to a text
type (informal emails). You support this choice well with reference to your learners and to your reading.

2d) All parts of the essay are relevant to the topic/genre.

To work on:
2e) There is follow through from points of analysis to later sections, and in many cases between
issues/solutions. Just check that stated aims are reflected in the procedure, and that the latter is described fully
enough to show the follow-through in terms of application of principles.

3. Analysis and issues

Successful candidates can effectively demonstrate an understanding of the specific area by:
a) analysing the specific area with accuracy, identifying key points Met
b) showing awareness of a range of learning and teaching problems occurring in a range
Partially met
of learning contexts
Comment
Strengths:
3a) Overall, the analysis section is a strong part of the essay; well done. You have consulted a range of authors
and mapped points of analysis around their concepts as well as include your own voice/opinion at times. You
have removed earlier draft references to learners from this section, which is also good to see. You mostly give
examples of features but on occasion use terminology without providing a clear example; this is something to
watch for in LSA3/4.

To work on:
3b) You go some way towards outlining problems relevant to your chosen genre. You bring in learner's voices,
which adds nicely to the section. Sometimes this needed to be allied more explicitly to a generic
problem/pattern that a group of learners in a particular context may exhibit. Give more of the allotted word count
to the problems, whether you present them together with the solutions (as here) or as a completely separate
section of the essay.

4. Suggestions for teaching

Successful candidates demonstrate that they can effectively draw on experience and research to:
a) outline and show familiarity with relevant key procedures, techniques, resources
Met
and/or materials
b) evaluate how the selected procedures, techniques, resources and or materials might
Met
be used effectively in classroom practice
c) demonstrate how the procedures, techniques, resources and/or materials address
Partially met
points raised under 'Analysis and issues'
Comment
Strengths:
4a) You show familiarity with a range of procedures and resources (apart from 'concordances'). There is some
mention made of different approaches to writing and some techniques which help raise awareness of some
features of informal emails.

4b) There are clear attempts to evaluate the activities provided in terms of learning styles, age, etc.

To work on:
4c) Make sure in LSA3/4 that you do not rely on appended materials/links to 'do the talking' for you in the
procedural section here. Include specific examples of the tasks to demonstrate understanding instead, and
supply appended materials simply as fuller support. Check procedures mesh with stated aims.

Overall comment
Strengths:
The scope/skill was appropriately identified overall (2a / 2b).
The rationale for the choice of topic/area was well-grounded and you have included your own voice and
experience to counterbalance the theory, which allows for some appropriate criticality (2c).
You provide a very effective analysis of the informal email (3a), supported by your reading (1c).
Good work.

To work on:
3b / 4c / 2c) There are a range of problems outlined/solutions suggested. Sometimes the former don't always
mesh with the activities exactly and/or the solutions are not detailed sufficiently in the body of the essay to be
reconstructible. Remember if you present a problem followed by a solution not to 'undercut' the word length
given to the problems; these different problems need to come out at between 500-650 words so use more of
the full word count for that section to help with this in LSA3/4. Working on these points will add to overall follow-
through across the essay sections.

1a / 1b) Double check essays for any typos at final proofing stage to add to the overall quality of presentation.
Check also that you are being consistent in giving examples relating to key terms/concepts used from reading.

Working on the points above can help raise the grade of an essay like this.
Overall, this is a good Pass assignment, Hanna. Keep up the good work.
 Assessment criteria for Planning and preparation, Teaching and Post-lesson reflection and evaluation

5. Planning and preparation

Successful candidates have designed and presented a lesson plan and supporting documentation which:
a) includes
(i) a brief general overview of the group of learners and the course Met
(ii) information about individual learners relevant to the lesson Met
b) sets out clear and appropriate overall aims and learning outcomes for the lesson in
Met
relation to language systems and/or language skills and learner needs
c) provides relevant analysis of target language in terms of form, meaning/use and
phonology in the case of language systems, and in terms of linguistic, discoursal and Partially met
communicative features in the case of language skills
d) outlines any relevant link(s) between this lesson and relevant aspects of preceding
Met
and subsequent lessons, and if relevant the course as a whole
e) states assumptions made about the learners’ knowledge, abilities and interests
Met
relevant to the aims and learning outcomes of the lesson
f) anticipates and explains potential problems in relation to the lesson’s aims and
learning outcomes, the learners and the learning context, and the equipment, Met
materials and resources to be used
g) suggests appropriate solutions to the problems outlined in 5f Met
h) describes suitably sequenced procedures and activities appropriate to achieving the
Met
stated overall aims and stage aims
i) states materials and/or resources to be used, which are appropriate to the teaching
and learning context, the learners, the lesson aims and learning outcomes, and the
Met
time available, and includes a copy/copies of suitably presented materials, sourced
where necessary
j) assigns realistic and appropriate timing for each stage and/or group of stages in the
Partially met
procedure
k) includes a commentary, of between 500 and 750 words, which provides a clear
rationale for the lesson plan with reference to learner characteristics and needs and Partially met
the candidate’s reading and research in the background essay
Comment
Strengths:
5a)(i) (ii) You have provided some focused information on the individuals/class and noted some characteristics of their writing. It's clear
you have done some good background analysis of learner samples.
5b) Your aims relate to needs of your learners which you have identified, such as appropriate layout, purpose, tone and style of very
informal emails. Try to incorporate awareness-raising and production into the opening sentence of your aims when both are present in
the lesson procedure.
5c) You analysed several aspects of the ‘model’ informal emails you use in your lesson: register, layout, netspeak, and grammar (of
possible new lexis/structures). You also briefly outline the relevant writing processes for your students in this lesson: purpose and
recipient, content and layout.
5d) You outlined the links between this and previous writing lessons, considered the topic of this lesson in relation to the course
content, and mentioned how you will be following on from this lesson to motivate students to continue improving their writing.
5e) You were already aware of your students’ knowledge in relation to writing informal emails, and what they were likely to be capable
of.
5f) 5g) You have identified a number of problems related to genre, writing processes, language systems and management/affective,
and suggested practical solutions. You could also mention your handouts and resources and how these are targeted to help overcome
some of the potential problems and support the activities.
5h) The lesson is logically sequenced, and each stage supports the achievement of one or more of the aims.
5i) Appropriate, clear flipcharts and a variety of branded handouts are provided: two ‘model’ emails, ‘netspeak’ list, layout mind map,
layout/example matching cards and blank email templates for students to write their emails on.
Areas to work on:
5c) Adding extra detail to the Writing Processes section to provide more detail of what students will need to consider when writing
their emails would have strengthened this section. Note that there may be no need in this circumstance to analyze pronunciation as
your main focus is on writing here; if omitted, the reason for this can be flagged. Some of the analysis of 'looking forward to' needs
reviewing - e.g.,, use terminology like 'auxiliary' where appropriate, and distinguish between gerunds and present participles.
5j) This is an ambitious lesson in terms of what you want to achieve within the given timeframe. Be careful in coming LSAs of over-
packing lessons so there is time for learners to process content and for you to deal with any emerging issues.
5k) You provided a commentary of 697 words which justifies the choice of lesson in terms of learner needs and interests, supported by
some of your own research in the area of informal emails. More could be done here in terms of discussion of rationale for the
approaches/techniques related to writing per se to deepen links between theory/practice though it is very evident that your reading
inspired and informed your choices. This would also enable you to show the reading you have done on the approaches to writing as
well as that clearly done on the genre itself.
Proof read documents carefully at final editing stage to remove any remaining typos, etc.

6 – 9 Teaching
6. Creating and maintaining an atmosphere conducive to learning
Successful candidates demonstrate that they can effectively:
a) teach the class as a group and individuals within the group, with sensitivity to the
learners’ needs and backgrounds, level and context, providing equal opportunities for Met
participation
b) purposefully engage and involve learners Met
c) vary their role in relation to the emerging learning and affective needs of learners
Met
during the lesson
d) listen and respond appropriately to learner contributions Partially met
Comment:
Strengths:

6a) You were aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the class as a whole, and also individual students. You also knew which
students were friends. When pairing and grouping students, you ensured that dominant students were not grouped together, and
weaker students were with those who would support them. You nominated evenly to encourage equal participation. While monitoring,
you were able to support individual students in their personal areas of weakness.

6b) You generated interest well at the beginning of the lesson, both in your friend Emily and the topic of informal emails. The class was
engaged throughout the lesson by the topic, tasks and your enthusiasm. They particularly enjoyed the netspeak activity and receiving
replies to their emails. You asked a lot of simple, concept-checking questions that even weaker students were able to respond to and
feel involved in the lesson.

6c) At the beginning of the lesson, you had to deal with latecomers, whom you managed to integrate swiftly with the minimum of
interruption. After this point, your role varied between controller/prompter/organizer/resource, depending on the activity/stage of the
lesson.

6d) You responded positively to all contributions from your eliciting and various productive tasks, and clearly valued your students’
efforts. When students made a mistake, you were usually able to elicit the correct response.

Areas to work on:

6d) When dealing with emerging language and new vocabulary, elicit and note the word stress and part of speech.

7. Understanding, knowledge and explanation of language and language skills

Successful candidates demonstrate that they can effectively:
a) use language which is accurate and appropriate for the teaching and learning context Met
b) adapt their own use of language to the level of the group and individuals in the group Met
c) give accurate and appropriate models of language form, meaning/use and
Met
pronunciation
d) give accurate and appropriate information about language form, meaning/use and
Partially met
pronunciation and/or language skills/subskills
e) notice and judiciously exploit learners’ language output to further language and
Met
skills/subskills development
Comment:
Strengths:
7a) Your spoken language was always suitable for the context. The authentic emails pushed the students but were not beyond them.

7b) Your own use of language was appropriately graded for Elementary students. While monitoring, you were able to support students
by adapting your language further as necessary.

7c) You chose to draw the students’ attention to four lexical items in the emails, and also examples of salutations, openings, closings,
sign offs for informal emails. These were accurately and appropriately presented in the two authentic emails.

7d) You highlighted the –ing forms in ‘be looking forward to..’ and ensured students understood the meaning after you explained it by
asking each student what they were looking forward to. You also gave accurate and appropriate information about the layout of emails
and suitable phrases reflecting the style and tone of modern informal emails.

7e) After the students found ‘shopaholic’ in the first email, you encouraged them to think of other ‘-aholic’ words. Students had to
write a reply to their partner’s email. While they were writing, you noted good examples of language on the board, and also drew
students’ attention to common errors which needed to be corrected.

Areas to work on:

7d) As 6d), when dealing with emerging language and new vocabulary, elicit and note the word stress and part of speech on the board
for students to record.

8. Classroom procedures and techniques

Successful candidates demonstrate that they can effectively:
a) use procedures, techniques and activities to support and consolidate learning and to
Met
achieve language and/or skill aims
b) exploit materials and resources to support learning and achieve aims Met
c) deliver a coherent and suitably varied lesson Met
d) monitor and check students’ learning and respond as appropriate Met
Comment:
Strengths:

8a) You used a range of procedures, techniques and activities to support and consolidate learning and to achieve language and/or skill
aims: generating interest in the topic by showing a photo of the recipient and eliciting some information about her, focussing on the
question-answer aspect of emails, encouraging students to skim and scan, clarifying new lexis through mime, examples and brief
explanations, and drawing students’ attention to the structure and stylistic elements of the authentic emails.
8b) You exploited the two authentic emails by asking the students to read for gist, find questions in the first and the answers in the
second, find vocabulary which is related to informal emails, and look for examples of netspeak. These enabled students to write their
own emails at the end of the lesson. Ensure all text on flipcharts is visible during the guided discovery stages.

8c) You used a range of task types which ensured students remained engaged, such as guided discovery using two authentic emails,
using a mind map to identify language, matching cards, decoding netspeak, writing and email and responding to a reply. The activities
were logically ordered and worked well together.

8d) You checked students’ learning by monitoring them while they were engaged in pair and individual work. You motivated those who
were less confident and lacking ideas, and elicited the correct forms etc when they made mistakes.

9. Classroom management
Successful candidates demonstrate that they can effectively:
a) implement the lesson plan and where necessary adapt it to emerging learner needs Met
b) manage the classroom space, furniture, equipment, materials and resources Met
c) set up whole class and/or group and/or individual activities, as appropriate Met
d) ensure the learners remain focused on the lesson aims and the learning outcomes Met
Comment:
Strengths:

9a) You implemented the lesson plan as written but allowed additional time to explain and concept-check new lexis, as was clearly
necessary.

9b) The eight students were seated in two blocks of four, which provided the opportunity for pair and group work. All students could
easily be accessed while seated for effective monitoring of their work. The IWB and whiteboard could be seen by all students.
Handouts were distributed at the appropriate time and students made good use of the highlighter pens provided when analysing the
two authentic emails.

9c) You set up activities efficiently and paired up students quickly. You checked instructions to ensure everyone was on task, and
monitored immediately to double-check.

9d) The lesson moved at an energetic pace, and the variety of activities ensured the students remained motivated. While monitoring,
you ensured everyone was on task and supported and encouraged them as necessary.

10. Reflection and evaluation

Successful candidates demonstrate that they can effectively:
a) reflect on and evaluate their own planning, teaching and the learners’ progress as
Partially met
evidenced in this lesson
b) identify key strengths and weaknesses in planning and execution Met
c) explain how they will (would) consolidate/follow on from the learning achieved in the
Partially met
lesson
Comment:
10a) You have reflected on your planning and delivery of the lesson; it sounds to have been very useful for you and the class. In LSA3/4,
stay focused in the R&E on the lesson at hand rather than include comments about other lessons, however. Make sure that you give
sufficient focus to the main aims of the lesson when you consider the strengths/weaknesses in terms of planning and delivery - here,
the lexical work seems to take precedence, possibly because some of this was unexpected and required you to be flexible and respond
to it.

10b) You have identified a range of strengths/weaknesses, and signalled where your LT also made comments. It is good that you
mention timing in relation to planning decisions; this is key learning for you, and particularly here when working with lower levels - as
you noted.

10c) There are some valid follow-up ideas here; some reasons behind these would add further. It is not necessary to append materials
to the R&E; summarise what happened in the 'follow-on' comments instead.

Proof read documents carefully at final draft stage to enhance the quality of overall presentation.

Overall comment (Please summarise strengths and weaknesses with reference to the criteria)
Strengths:

Overall, this was a strong lesson in terms of planning a class which really addressed students’ needs in terms of their email-writing
(5a/7c), and took into account their interest in the latest informal email conventions, which made writing emails more fun and relevant
to them.

The lesson moved at a lively pace, was delivered with plenty of enthusiasm, and students were engaged throughout. There were a
variety of task types to maintain their interest and helped you achieve your aims (8a/8c/6b/5b).

You are very aware of the strong and weak students in the class, and grouped them to ensure they were most supportive and
productive. Your monitoring was thorough (8d) and you nominated evenly to ensure equal contribution from all students (6a).

Areas to Consider:

5c) Check language/skill analysis is fuller in relation to targets in lesson. (6/7d) Give/elicit fuller information about any key language
which emerges in lessons and is relevant to lesson aims.

5j) Prioritise activities in order to achieve your main aims within the prescribed timeframe; additional tasks could be noted in your
Timetable Fit and/or flexi-stages included in the plan. Try not to over-pack lessons.
5k) Give a little more attention in the Commentary for discussion of key techniques/approaches relating to the target language/skill aim
of the lesson to deepen what is present already.

This lesson is graded a Merit overall, Hanna. Very well done.

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