BOSTON 2015 C1 CELTA JANUARY 5 - JANUARY 30

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Comment by Joseph ONeill on January 12, 2015 at 8:20pm

I'm doing a grammar lesson tomorrow that's the tail end of a 3 part lesson with my co-trainees. We're all going to be talking about the simple present, but mine will focus on questions with short simple present answers and the auxiliaries do/don't/does/doesn't.

My question is: Should I be making a Grammar Analysis Sheet on SIMPLE PRESENT in general or SIMPLE PRESENT questions/answers and the use of auxiliaries?

Comment by Matthew Noble on January 11, 2015 at 8:46pm

Review of 2 main points from Matthew's Grammar 1 input session. See PDF attached. Also, my suggestion: if you get really stuck with a point in a grammar analysis, post it as a question here. If and when I can I'll give help. Otherwise, y'all can help each other out. See you all tomorrow :) Main%20important%20points%20from%20Matthew%E2%80%99s%20Grammar%201%...

Comment by Matthew Noble on January 8, 2015 at 5:25pm

Having killed a bunch of trees producing the big fat packet for the Vocab/CCQ session today containing most of the PPT slides we looked at, I sheepishly submit to you a YouTube clip of the original author of said slides walking you through them more expertly (and with a much lovelier accent!) than I ever could. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPtrf3BdQVk

...and have a look at all the videos on her channel for great CELTA support material to watch/listen to at home, half naked.

Comment by Matthew Noble on January 8, 2015 at 5:18pm

FYI...fresh off the line: a local language center is hiring. It's actually just up the road. So if you're looking to get some teaching experience here before you set off abroad check it out. We've known trainees to apply for - and line up - teaching jobs in the US and abroad even before the course ends). There's not much specific info attached to the job ad.

Google it and stuff, and let me know if you think you might be interested in applying. I may still know some folks at GEOS as I taught some classes there a couple years back.

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Teachers - GEOS Languages Plus Boston

GEOS Languages Plus Boston is a language school in Downtown Crossing/State St. area looking for qualified teachers for full-time positions, part-time positions and substitutions. Certification/teaching experience required, test preparation experience (TOEFL/IELTS) a plus.

Classes are Monday through Friday from 9:00 am-2:30 pm.
If interested please send resume and cover letter to academic@geosboston.com

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Comment by Matthew Noble on January 8, 2015 at 3:22pm

Also, as a reminder: From TP3 on, there is ALWAYS a Language Analysis sheet included in your lesson plans. Here's the breakdown:

READING LESSON: Vocab LA Sheet
LISTENING LESSON: Vocab LA Sheet
SPEAKING LESSON: Vocab LA Sheet
WRITING LESSON: Vocab LA Sheet

^ so, all 'Skills' lessons = Vocab Analysis

VOCAB LESSON: Vocab LA Sheet
GRAMMAR LESSON: Grammar LA Sheet
FUNCTIONS LESSON: Functions LA Sheet

We'll check in about how to fill in each box tomorrow during the Grammar input session (2nd session). In the meantime, don't forget that there are examples of filled-in LA sheets in your handbook! Have a look, and use them as models.

Finally - all the good practice in vocab teaching we explored today: none of it happens 'naturally' like Mark described in the video until way down the road. This is why we NEEEEEED to analyze our grammar and explicitly plan out what and how to treat it in our classes.

My advice? Enjoy the mental journal of language analysis. It's kind of like analyzing poetry...getting "underneath" everyday words and taking nothing for granted! It can be a really rich and rewarding process in itself. :)

Comment by Matthew Noble on January 8, 2015 at 3:15pm

For those of you adding a Language Analysis Sheet - Vocabulary to tomorrow's TP3 lesson plan:

Here is one of the best sites for transcribing your words/phrases into the phonemic script (IPA or 'International Phonemic Alphabet'): http://www.photransedit.com/Online/Text2Phonetics.aspx

A couple of things to keep in mind:

1. Click on the GA (General American) button before you enter the words into the top box to be transcribed. It's not the end of the world if you keep the setting on RP (Received Pronunciation or 'proper British') but there are a few differences and therefore different phonemic symbols.

2. Type your word or words into the top box and click 'transcribe'. You'll see the IPA transcription in the box below. Copy that into your Vocab Analysis entry boxes in the 'Pronunciation' section either directly or by hand, up to you.

If you have any trouble with this or questions, just post a comment here!

Cheers and good luck!

Comment by Matthew Noble on January 7, 2015 at 6:27pm

I'm sharing a link to a PDF of Jim Scrivener's "Learning Teaching" 1st Ed. (it's older & shorter than the newer ones) for use as a resource for your Skills Related Task (Assignment 1). In this edition, the relevant Chapter is 10, and I'd point you towards p.152-156 specifically to look for support for your task design etc. in the paper. Find that here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6s45WWdJGrcTV9tVWw4UDUxXzQ/view?u...

As for the books in the cabinet:

Harmer's "The Practice of English Language Teaching" (PELT): reading p.289-302 specifically. Also, p. 270-278 has some great rationales for why and hot reading tasks are designed the way they are (i.e. 'top-down' vs. 'bottom-up' processing, etc.).

In the 3rd Ed. of "Learning Teaching" on the shelf here it's Chapter 10 and the most relevant pages are 264-270.

In addition, here are some further recommended resources...(Links to PDFs and URLs below):

"An A-Z of ELT" in which you can look up entries for 'Reading', 'Skimming', 'Scanning', 'Authentic materials', etc. and find expert descriptions and insight. Scott Thornbury literally wrote the book on the CELTA back when so I'm not sending you off the reserveation here in terms of sources! ;) Find it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6s45WWdJGrcam9DNF9hdllBNlE/view?u...

Not a source to cite, but something to help you consider your options when thinking about tasks to choose and design around a text: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6s45WWdJGrcNEdhQ0I2RXhiODg/view?u... -- Remember, consider carefully WHAT THE LEARNERS NEED TO DO in each case...skim? scan? find gist, detail, specific information? Deduce meaning from context? etc. etc.

At the risk of piling on, more general advice re: selecting an authentic text: http://elt-resourceful.com/2012/03/26/tips-on-selecting-effective-a...

If you've read this far you're in luck. I've saved my favorite for last: a webinar recording on 'Using Authentic Materials' by a brilliant and prolific CELTA trainer in the UK named Jo Gakonga. That's here; http://elttraining.mdl2.com/mod/page/view.php?id=164 <-- you should note that that is just one of MANY fantastic videos from Jo on much of what we cover on the CELTA. So, look through the archive on her site/her YouTube channel. Many specific things (CCQs, teaching grammar, listenings, etc. etc.) you may want to brush up on, extend, or review from our input sessions can be found on there. Highly recommended as perhaps weekend review (with a gin and tonic in hand, perhaps? gotta relax some time even as you bust yourself to the limit ;)). That's all for now! Congrats on making through your first pretty darn INTENSE half-week of the CELTA course. It ain't like anything else is it! ;D PS - I don't mean to freak you out with all of stuff above. I know you're already overwhelmed. The KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid!) still applies here; follow the instructions for this assignment in as straightforward a way as you can, and don't over do it on the research, etc. this isn't Harvard! But the above is simply meant as extra support and optional resources you can draw from. Check some of them out and maybe something will catch your eye :)

Comment by Matthew Noble on January 6, 2015 at 12:35pm

Hi guys,

I'll occasionally be posting things up here during the course. None of them will be essential material, but supplementary readings etc. Things of interest or that relate to what's going on in the course.

You can also use this wall to communicate with the group. It's really your space - an extra, virutal line for info sharing, etc. So use it!

Every time something is posted here, all the members of the group get an email with I think, a preview of the message and a link here to read the whole thing. I see that there are only 7 members of the group signed up so far...so...if you're reading this - please help someone who hasn't signed up do so!

So, I wanted to share somethign realted to GRADED TEACHER LANGUAGE. I saw this linked to on Facebook and my immediate thought was: "all of that applies to learning how to grade your speech in class during the CELTA course!". Have a look, I think it's a cool article and really does do a nice job of describing the approach and principles behind being conscientious and intentional about your "Teacher Talk" in lessons.

Maybe *particularly* important at the lower levels, yeah?

Article here: http://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2014/12/19/language_trave...

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