Cambridge University Press & Assessment
978-1-009-09534-1 — The CELTA Course Trainee Book
Scott Thornbury , Peter Watkins , Sandy Millin
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1 – Learners and teachers, and the teaching and learning context
1 Learning and teaching contexts
A Warm-up
1 Think back to a language learning situation you know well. Picture as many details as you can. Consider
these questions:
• How many learners were in the class?
• Was it a face-to-face class or were lessons online?
• What resources were available to the teacher?
• What was the age range of the learners? Recognizing the complex and
• Did the learners share a common first language (L1)? diverse nature of ELT classrooms
• What reasons did the learners have for learning the around the world … is the starting
language? How motivated to learn did they appear? point of our exploration of roles,
relationships and interactions in
2 Describe the learning context you thought about to a partner. second language classrooms.
How similar are the two contexts? How do you think each context
impacted on the style of teaching and the lessons generally? Graham Hall, 2011
B Learners’ purposes
1 Here are some commonly used abbreviations to describe learners’ different purposes for learning English,
and also the situations in which they learn and use English. Can you match them to the definitions?
1 EFL a The use of a language other than the learners’ L1 to teach a
English as a foreign language school subject such as science or physical education, with the
aim of developing competence in both the target language and
specified subject.
2 ESL b The way in which English is now used by many non-native
English as a second language speakers to communicate with other non-native speakers; also
called English as a lingua franca (ELF).
3 CLIL c The teaching of English with the aim of developing a learner’s
Content and language ability to function effectively in a particular domain, such as
integrated learning business or medicine.
4 EIL d The learning of English in a context where English is not
English as an international generally the medium of communication. For example, this
language would include a Spanish student having English classes in Spain.
5 ESP e An example of ESP with the aim of developing a learner’s ability
English for specific purposes to function effectively in academic contexts, such as studying at
an English medium university.
6 EAP f The learning of English over a sustained period in a context
English for academic purposes where English is generally the medium of communication. For
example, this would include someone from China living and
working in the UK.
6
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Cambridge University Press & Assessment
978-1-009-09534-1 — The CELTA Course Trainee Book
Scott Thornbury , Peter Watkins , Sandy Millin
Excerpt
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1 Learning and teaching contexts
2 Here are profiles of learners of English. In each case, identify their purpose for learning English. Use the
abbreviations above.
• Han is currently studying a course which focuses on writing essays, giving presentations and
following recordings of lectures. She hopes to enrol at an English-speaking university, if she
can pass the English language test required.
• Lucia is an Italian-speaking teenager who is studying English as one of her school subjects in
Bologna. She also attends an English class twice a week in a local language school.
• Kazankiran is an asylum-seeker in Canada. She speaks Kurdish and Arabic, and is attending
English classes with a view to settling in Canada permanently.
• Carmen, who is Brazilian, is the head of marketing in a large export company. She attends a
one-to-one English class in Sao Paulo to help her in her business dealings, which are mainly
with Middle Eastern clients.
• Kah-Yee is Malaysian and when she was at school, she learned mathematics in English. Her
English lessons aimed to ensure that she could follow the mathematics lessons effectively.
C Needs and needs analyses
1 Which of the five learners above are likely to have the most clearly specified needs?
2 Think about the questions below. When you are ready, discuss your ideas in small groups.
a How might the needs of an ESL learner vary from those of an EFL learner?
b How might the needs of an EAP learner vary from those of an EFL learner?
c In a CLIL context, where science is being taught through the medium of English, what sort
of language content would you expect to be included?
d Can you think of any implications for teaching if a student is, or will be, a user of EIL (as
opposed to using English in an environment in which English is the main language)?
3 How could you find out more about the needs of a particular learner or group of learners? What questions
would you ask?
Work with a partner to write some questions which you could ask a member of your TP class.
When you are ready, compare your ideas with another group.
D More differences
1 Read the quote from Graham Hall (above). As well as the learners’ purpose for learning English, what other
things might contribute to ‘the diverse nature of ELT classrooms’?
2 Your trainer will allocate you either a), b) or c) below. Think about the needs of the learners, their likely
motivations and any specific activity types that you think would, or would not, be appropriate.
a What are the similarities and differences between teaching:
• a group of 17–18-year-olds who are at B2 level of English and have just started an ESP
course in business English?
• a senior manager of a local company on a 1:1 basis, who will shortly be travelling to the
USA for a series of meetings?
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Cambridge University Press & Assessment
978-1-009-09534-1 — The CELTA Course Trainee Book
Scott Thornbury , Peter Watkins , Sandy Millin
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1 – Learners and teachers, and the teaching and learning context
b What are the similarities and differences between teaching:
• a group of 40 14-year-olds who share the same language, at a secondary school in a
country where English is not spoken as a first language?
• a group of 15 14-year-olds of mixed nationality, studying a three-week course in the UK
over the summer?
c What are the similarities and differences between teaching:
• an online general English class with 15 learners?
• an online general English class with one learner?
KEY WORDS FOR TEACHERS
Check you know the meanings of these terms.
• EFL ESL CLIL EIL ESP EAP
• needs analysis
REFLECTION
Complete these sentences:
1 One reason that there is no single ‘correct’ way to teach is that …
2 I would like to find out about the needs of my learners because …
3 I think I would be able to teach ESP in the area of …
4 EAP learners are likely to need …
5 If I had a very small class, I would try to …
6 If I had a very big class, I would try to …
7 In a class where everyone shares the same language, I would …
8 In a class where a variety of languages are spoken, I would …
Reference
Hall, G. (2011). Exploring English Language Teaching: Language in Action. Abingdon: Routledge, p.4.
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Cambridge University Press & Assessment
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Scott Thornbury , Peter Watkins , Sandy Millin
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2 Learners as individuals
A Warm-up
1 Picture this scenario: You start teaching a new class and find that everybody in the class has more or less
the same level of language proficiency. However, after several lessons you start to notice some quite big
differences in learners’ levels. Some appear to have made more progress than others.
What reasons can you think of for these differences emerging?
2 The following learners all study in the same Beginners (A1) English class. How might their language
backgrounds impact on their progress?
Name Nationality Languages spoken
Zhao Chinese Mandarin
Safia Algerian Derija (her local variety of Arabic), Modern standard Arabic and
a little French from when she was at school
Sophie French French, German (from school) and Italian
B Learner Preferences 1. I like talking in groups about things that interest us.
1 Think back to a language learning disagree 1 2 3 4 5 agree
experience of your own. What things did
2. I like studying grammar rules on my own.
you like doing? Were there any things
that you did not like doing? disagree 1 2 3 4 5 agree
Look at the statements in the
3. I like it when the teacher explains grammar rules.
questionnaire and say the extent to
which you agree or disagree with them, disagree 1 2 3 4 5 agree
based on your experience.
4. I like having my mistakes corrected.
2 Compare your preferences with other
people. Did you have exactly the same disagree 1 2 3 4 5 agree
responses as your partners? What can 5. I like translating sentences from my language into English.
you learn from this about planning and
teaching lessons? disagree 1 2 3 4 5 agree
6. I find it useful to review lessons when I get home.
disagree 1 2 3 4 5 agree
7. I find language learning apps useful for reviewing new words.
disagree 1 2 3 4 5 agree
8. I like playing games in class.
disagree 1 2 3 4 5 agree
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Cambridge University Press & Assessment
978-1-009-09534-1 — The CELTA Course Trainee Book
Scott Thornbury , Peter Watkins , Sandy Millin
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1 – Learners and teachers, and the teaching and learning context
C Motivation
1 Think back to a learning experience of your own. Which factors drove you to make an effort? Was there
anything that decreased your desire to learn?
2 Pick four items from the list below that you think are most important for promoting and maintaining
motivation in a language classroom. Be ready to justify your choices.
• a favourable attitude to the target language culture and its speakers
• immediate opportunities to use the language outside class
• having a good rapport with classmates
• doing well in class and a feeling of progress
• using interesting materials/books in class
• knowing there will be regular tests and examinations
• the personality of the teacher
• liking the teacher’s way of teaching
• having a specific long-term goal, e.g. work, study, travel
3 When you are ready, share your list with a partner. Look at your combined list of items and try to reduce it to four.
D Language learning strategies
1 Look at the difficulties (on the left) that these learners have with their English and in learning English. Can
you think of any advice to help them?
2 Match the difficulty on the left with the most appropriate strategy used to compensate for it on the right.
Learner A 1
I get very nervous and anxious in … so I watch videos on the
English lessons … internet with subtitles.
Learner B 2
We learn a lot of new words but … so I find information about
I often forget most of them … topics and plan what I can say.
Learner C 3
I worry when I have to speak … so I do some deep breathing
English in social situations … exercises before I go to class.
Learner D 4
Listening is really difficult for … so I arrive early to class and talk
me – people speak too fast! to the teacher before class starts.
Learner E 5
… so I got an app on my phone
I don’t get to practise speaking
and I make flash cards, which I
very much …
look at a few times a week.
10
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Scott Thornbury , Peter Watkins , Sandy Millin
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2 Learners as individuals
3 Which learner(s) . . .
i . . . decided they needed to control their emotions?
ii . . . decided they needed more social interaction?
iii . . . realized that their learning wasn’t working very well?
4 What advice would you give these learners?
a I need to improve my grammar – what can I do?
b I want to improve my vocabulary – what can I do?
c I want to improve my speaking – what can I do?
Simply stated, language learning strategies … are purposeful mental actions … used by a
learner to regulate his or her second or foreign language learning.
Rebecca Oxford, 2018
E Learner training
Learner training refers to the training given to learners to help them use strategies to become
more effective in their learning and to be able to make the most of learning opportunities, both
inside and outside the classroom.
1 Look at the coursebook you are using for TP. Does it provide any learner training? For example, is there
a section in each unit that gives learning advice, or are there any questionnaires or other forms of
guidance at the beginning of the book? If so, does the material present individual strategies, or several
strategies together that share the same goal?
2 Look at the activities you will use in your next teaching practice lesson.
i Are there any opportunities to give advice to your learners on how to maximize
their learning?
ii Which strategies do you think would help your class the most?
iii How could you present the strategies?
KEY WORDS FOR TEACHERS
Check you know the meanings of these terms.
• learning strategies
• learner training
• learner autonomy
• learner preferences
11
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Scott Thornbury , Peter Watkins , Sandy Millin
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1 – Learners and teachers, and the teaching and learning context
REFLECTION
Answer the questions.
1 From what you already know about the learners you are teaching, how similar or different are
they, with regards to the things we have discussed in this unit?
2 What other individual factors might contribute to diversity in the classroom?
3 What practical things can a teacher do to make everyone feel equally valued and included
in lessons?
4 Look at the quote from Bonny Norton. What are the advantages of teachers ‘understanding
the histories and lived experiences’ of their learners? How might they attempt to do this?
It is only by understanding the histories and lived experiences of language learners that
the language teacher can create conditions that will facilitate social interaction both in
the classroom and in the wider community, and help learners claim the right to speak.
Bonny Norton, 2013
References
Norton, B. (2013). Identity and Language Learning: Extending the Conversation (2nd edition). Bristol:
Multilingual Matters, p.179.
Oxford, R. (2018). Language Learning Strategies. In A. Burns and J.C. Richards (eds.),
The Cambridge Guide to Learning English as a Second Language. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press p.81.
12
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Scott Thornbury , Peter Watkins , Sandy Millin
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3 What do teachers do?
A Warm-up
1 Who am I?
Listen to the clues that your trainer gives you. Can you guess what profession is being described?
2 What clues could you use to describe the work of a language teacher?
B Roles of teachers
1 Match what the teacher says on the left with their purpose for saying it, on the right.
1 I can see how much effort you put into your homework! a to correct learner output
That’s great because you really are improving.
2 When I was listening to you in your groups, I heard b to give instructions
someone say: ‘Can you to swim?’. How can we make
the English better?
3 Work with your partner and write five sentences. c to motivate and encourage
4 Hi, Jorge – did you have a good weekend? d to check understanding of
new language
5 Look at this example: I used to live in Athens. Notice e to build rapport in the class
I don’t live there now – it’s finished, completed.
6 So, if you do something on the spur of the moment, f to focus on language
do you plan it first? Do you think a lot?
2 Look at the examples of teacher talk on the next page.
i Which two are eliciting language from learners?
ii Which one is building rapport?
iii Which one is checking an exercise?
iv Which two are part of managing the class?
13
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Scott Thornbury , Peter Watkins , Sandy Millin
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1 – Learners and teachers, and the teaching and learning context
A B
After a modal verb – things like OK, stop talking to your partners now.
will, may, might – what sort of Thanks. Monika – tell us about your group.
word do we need? What ideas did you discuss?
[As learners come into the room]
C D
Alex, please stop talking now.
Hello, Wang, how are you?
Alex. Thank you. Listen to what
Did you watch the football last
Monika is saying.
night? What a game!
E F
Good. Yes, the answer for question 3 is What phrase can we use
B. Good. And question 4? What’s the when we want someone to
answer for question 4? repeat something?
When you are ready, compare your ideas with a partner.
C Observation
1 Watch the lesson and complete Observation Task 14 on page 198.
2 Compare your notes with a partner.
3 Look back at the questions that were asked. Which questions were ‘real’ questions (i.e. the teacher did not
already know the answer) and which ones were ‘display’ questions (i.e. the teacher invites the learners to
display their knowledge about language)?
D Anticipating roles
A new teacher gets the following instruction:
Use the grammar presentation on used to + infinitive on page 57 of the coursebook. Do the gap-
fill exercise that follows, but also add another more communicative activity to practise the new
language. Perhaps the learners could talk in groups about their childhoods, for example.
• What will the teacher need to do before the lesson?
• What roles will the teacher almost certainly need to fulfil during the lesson, or what things
will they need to do?
• Can you anticipate any other roles that the teacher may need to fulfil, or what things they
will need to do?
14
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Scott Thornbury , Peter Watkins , Sandy Millin
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3 What do teachers do?
KEY WORDS FOR TEACHERS
Check you know the meanings of these terms.
• real question
• display question
• rapport
• eliciting
• checking understanding
• monitoring
REFLECTION
1 How do the roles of a language teacher (or things they do) compare with those of:
– a maths teacher?
– a tour guide?
2 Think back to a language learning experience of your own. Which teacher roles did you feel were most
important? Why?
3 Look back at the observation sheet. Which things:
• have you already performed when teaching?
• have you performed in some other work role or as a student?
• are you confident of performing?
• do you think will take a lot of practice?
• do you think can be made easier by planning what you will say or do during the lesson?
4 What roles will you need to perform in your next TP lesson?
15
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