UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
CELTA MODULES
JAROLD ENRIQUE MARQUEZ MARQUEZ
NOVIEMBRE –FEBRERO
Unit 1: The Learner First
The starting point for teaching is the learner.
The learner is central to English Language Teaching (ELT) and the learner’s
needs, motivation and interests are central to the decisions teachers make
about a lesson.
Understanding learners’ needs, motivation and interests helps teachers
engage students in the lesson, which is key to creating a positive learning
environment.
This unit will explore why students learn languages and how teachers can
engage students in the lesson.
CELTA Online Unit 1 – Types of Lead-in
Below is a collection of different ideas for lead-ins:
Remember that certain lead-ins will be more suited to particular topics. For example, if the topic
of the lesson is accidents, asking students to share their own experiences might be upsetting for
students so it might be better for students to brainstorm words or phrases connected to accidents
instead.
Unit 2: Helping Students Understand Texts: Reading
Completion requirements
Done
Learners need to develop effective reading and listening skills so that they
can understand a range of texts. In this unit the focus is on written texts i.e.
what we read, but the term ‘text’ can also refer to what we listen to.
Reading and listening are collectively known as 'receptive skills'. This unit
focuses on reading. Listening will be considered separately in Helping
Students Understand Texts: Listening.
Written texts appear everywhere in everyday life, for example, news
stories, emails, text messages, shopping lists and instructions.
Depending on your students’ needs, any of these types of text can be
brought into the classroom.
Unit 3: Dealing with Language
Completion requirements
Done
The previous unit on helping students understand texts demonstrated how
a text can be exploited to develop and practice the receptive skills of the
learners. Along with this important part of their development, learners also
want and need to improve their language use.
One way of drawing learners’ attention to language use is through a text. In
this unit you will continue to use the mid-intermediate lesson about the boy
in the bank to exemplify ways of clarifying language.
CELTA Online Unit 3 Task 7 - Overview 1
You are now going to listen to Alastair, an experienced teacher, talking about why a focus on
MFPA is central to language teaching. As you listen, makes notes in the table below.
Your notes
Using context:
It should be doing in context, it is necessary to introduce talking language with context, and the
context should be interesting, relevant and appropriate for the students, making it easy to
understand
Lecturing students:
Avoid lecturing, not focused on meaning and pronunciation, the lesson should be more
interacting, eliciting from the students and guide them to speak, how they can notice the meaning
by themselves to discover it.
The ordering of MFP
Start by the meaning first, before highlight the pronunciation and do not repeat words they do not
know or recognize the meaning
Unit 4: Classroom Management
Completion requirements
Done
The starting point of successful teaching is being able to manage a class.
The Orientation Module introduced basic techniques that teachers use to
manage a class effectively and efficiently. This unit will explore these
techniques in more depth.
CELTA Online Unit 4 Task 2 – Giving Instructions
A task needs to be set up so that students are clear on what they will have to do and can start it
confidently.
Watch Danny, an experienced teacher, talking about four steps to giving clear instructions.
As you watch the clip, make notes of what he says in the table below. The first one has
been started for you.
Your notes:
Task 2: Giving Instructions
Steps for clear instructions
1. Stand in the centre where all the students can see you…
This is used to get the attention, to allow students to focus on the teacher and avoid distractions,
in this way, teachers do not have to wave their hand or ask for attention.
2.
Use very clear language, not being formal, should be clear language as simple.
3.
Show activities, so they can see what is the activities about. Check if the instruction understood by
the students, by asking questions about the activity, verify if all students got the instruction clear
4.
Look arround and check what are the students doing if they follow instructions
Answers
Steps for clear instructions
1. Stand in the centre where all students can see you (sitting or standing). Get the attention of
the whole class by using signal words such as OK, listen!, or put your hand up or maintain a
long silence.
2. Use clear language. Use imperatives, for example, Do this gap-fill rather than What I’d like you
to do now is this gap-fill. Show/Point to the activity so that students can see.
3. Check students understand the instructions. Do a demonstration with students to check they
have understood. Ask a question, for example, Do we have to change the form of the verb?
Yes or no?
4. Look around the class as students start the task to see if anyone is looking lost or puzzled.
CELTA Online Unit 4 Task 7 - How to monitor
Now watch a clip of Maureen, an experienced teacher, monitoring the students while they are
doing
a speaking activity. As you watch, make notes on how she monitors in the table below.
Your notes:
1. Where is the teacher when she is monitoring the students?
The teacher is near thestudents,observing really close to them
2. Does the teacher interrupt the students?
Yes,when she needs to reorganize the groups to engage them to share with others, but when they
are talking together ,the teacher just monitor them
3. Is the teacher available for students to ask questions?
Yes, she is always near the students and is speaking when necessary to provide assistance
Answers
1. Where is the teacher when she is The teacher walks behind the students and
monitoring the students? listens
to them unobtrusively.
2. Does the teacher interrupt the students? No. The focus of the activity is for the students
to practise speaking so the teacher does not
interrupt the students.
3. Is the teacher available for students Yes. Although the teacher does not interrupt
to ask questions? the students, she is clearly available if they
have
any questions or doubts.
Commentary
As was shown in the clip, when students are working together the teacher needs to use this time
to monitor their progress. In this case, the focus of the activity was on communication so it was
not useful for the teacher to interrupt. However, when learners are working on language tasks
where the focus is not on communication, such as adding the correct verbs to sentences, then the
teacher can monitor more closely to help and guide students who are struggling.
Many teachers will monitor from behind the students’ desks whereas other teachers may
approach students from the front. Either way of monitoring is acceptable but it is important not to
stand over the students too much as they work because this can be intimidating.
