Language Awareness Task

for: Cambridge ESOL CELTA and International House Certificate –IH Certificate in TESOL/TEFL applicants ONLY

Please complete this task carefully as it is one of the factors we take into consideration when making a decision about your application. You may like to refer to a grammar book – e.g ‘How English Works’ by Michael Swan, published by Oxford University Press, when preparing your answers

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Correcting a student’s mistake

Each of the exchanges below contains a mistake. In each case:

a) write down the mistake b) write the corrected version c) write in simple terms, as if speaking to a learner of English, how you would make the correction clear

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“I’d like some informations about your courses.”
“Certainly, here’s our brochure”

a informations

b information

c Information is an uncountable noun. It can't be used in the plural form.

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“Have you got any money?”
“Yes, I’ve been to the bank yesterday”

a I've been to the bank yesterday

b I went to the bank yesterday

c The present perfect needs a connection with the present. You cannot use the present perfect with specific time expressions such as: yesterday.

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“Is John ill? He’s lost a lot of weight.”
“Yes, he is rather slender these days, isn’t he?”

a slender

b thin

c “Slender” has positive connotations and is more appropriate with a compliment, not when talking about someone who is ill.

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”Why didn’t you answer the telephone?”
“Because I had a bath.”

a Because I had a bath

b Because I was having a bath

c This refers to a continuous action that started in the past and continued for some time, so the past progressive tense is required.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Helping student understand differences in meaning

(i) Comment on the differences in meaning between the following pairs of sentences.
(ii) Outline some ideas on how you might teach these differences in meaning.

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a If I had the money, I’d buy a new car. b If I have the money, I’ll buy a new car.

(i) Sentence 'a' is in the conditional and expresses an unlikely possibility. Sentence 'b' is factual.

(ii) I could explain this by