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Kealo · Joined: 03 Mar 2009 Posts: 13

Good day,

I am a newbie. I am currently trying to fill out a CELTA application. Do the evaluators expect you to know all of the answers to the questions on the pre-interview task?

I.E. What's an effective way of teaching vocabulary to a group of elementary learners?
... I don't know, thats why I'm attending the course.

Another section says to rephrase the following sentence into language that is more appropriate for elementary English learners. "Do you think you could tell me what you might say if you wanted to ask an elderly person how you would get to the domestic terminal at the airport"
And so on and so forth...

I just don't know the answers. Am I just stupid, or is there some other reason why they ask these sorts of questions?

I like to think that I could become a successful English teacher, but maybe I'm wrong... thanks for any advice!

nickpellatt · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 1522

My feeling (and this could be wrong) is that the pre-interview questions are often used as a 'teaching tool' themselves. That is, they are to kinda teach you about the sort of problems you need to think around and overcome in EFL. They are used to illustrate the type of things teaching involves, and the type of things the course may tackle.

I dont think you need to 'ace' the interview questions to get a place on the course, again, I could be wrong ... and we do have some teacher trainers that use the forum that may also answer you.

What you should do ... is show a little initiative and common sense when considering an answer, and that is what the course provider will be looking for. You wont have to get everything 100% right ... but you should be able to make some steps in the right direction. The course is quite hard for some people, challenging and stressful. If you, as a prospective course candidate when to the interview and said quite rudely ... 'Im paying �1000 for you to teach me these answers', you might have a problem.

Think back to when you learnt a language. did the teacher give you 100 words to learn each lesson by sitting and quitely memorising them ... or did you learn them in smaller chunks?

Did you learn words that were related to each other or not?

Did you have to repeat them, or just listen to them....etcetcetc.

Northern Sol · Joined: 16 May 2009 Posts: 24

I think the main thing is not to give an answer that demonstrates that you are inflexible.

Don't say that your answer is the one and only answer with no possibility of improvement.

In the course, you will need to respond to criticism and adapt your teaching style accordingly. If you don't then you will probably fail.

fluffyhamster · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 7:54 pm Post subject:

These are the sort of answers I reckon they're looking for:

It is best to teach vocabulary to elementary learners by ostensive means (directly demonstrative, showing things) wherever possible. So when they are puzzled by 'car', you say "Hang on a second", run out of the room, they hear a distant vrooming and then you crash back in through the wall behind the wheel of your Ferrari. Realia in action! (Methods with less literal impact would be simply showing them a picture, or a model car, or miming a car's outline, opening its door, stepping in, starting it up and going for an imaginary drive etc - if so, don't hit any desks or students on your lap(s) of the classroom!).

What the directions question to/elicitation from elementary learners needs is MORE, not less: "Do you think you could tell me what you might say if you wanted to ask an elderly person how you would get to the domestic terminal at the airport, irregardless of the fact that elderly people may not be the best sort to ask when one is running late for a flight and needs the clearest and most dependable directions possible".

Hope this helps!

Very Happy

MrMrLuckyKhan · Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 4:29 am Post subject: Re: CELTA Pre-Interview Task

Kealo · Joined: 03 Mar 2009 Posts: 13

Thanks for the information everybody!

Looks like I'll be utilizing the bullshitting skills that I learned from my American education. Laughing

Kealo · Joined: 03 Mar 2009 Posts: 13

In case anyone was wondering, I submitted my application. Four questions were incorrect, and they're making me re-submit my application with corrected answers.

nickpellatt · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 1522

Thanks for the update ... its useful for the next person who applies for a course to have some understanding of the process.

Care to share your questions and incorrect answers?