The Distance Delta

Revision Pack on Paper 2 Tasks 2 & 3

This Revision Pack contains:

Suggested Seminar procedure Rubric Extract: scanned material from 'True To Life' Pre-intermediate Worksheets and Keys Course Participant Worksheet One: Purposes (Task 2a) Course Participant Worksheet Two: Assumptions (Task 2b) Course Participant Worksheet Three: Assumptions (Task 2b) Course Participant Worksheet Four: Practice of Task 3

Revision Pack Paper 2 Tasks 2 & 3

The Distance Delta

Revision Tasks
Aims: To review key issues relating to Paper 2, Tasks Two and Three To give further practice in answering these tasks Time: One and a half hours (less time if not all stages are followed) Materials: Extract from True To Life Pre-intermediate, Gairns and Redman, CUP. Please note that this seminar is not based around a piece of material from an actual exam. This is because the most useful examples have already been used, either in the exam training, upload tasks or mock exam. These exam tasks, being based on published materials, lend themselves to practice with many examples from course books. Suggested Procedure: Preparation: If possible, re-read the Exam Training in Unit 2 and Unit 7 Exam Practice as well as the end of Unit Summaries and Feedback Reports and course tutor feedback relating to Paper 2 Tasks 2 and 3 for these Units.. Background Paper 2 Task 2 in Delta Module One Written Examination is always concerned with the analysis of the aims of specified exercises in ELT published materials and the authors underlying beliefs about language learning. Task 3 involves the analysis of how another part of the extract works together with these exercises. Suggested procedure: Focus on Task Two a) Start by reading the rubric and highlighting key areas. Read the extract (material from True To Life) and work through Worksheet One identifying which purposes relate to the purpose of the extract as a whole Check answers against answer key to Worksheet One Brainstorm purposes for exercises 3 and 4 which relate to the purpose of the extract as a whole Check answers against answer key to Worksheet One

Revision Pack Paper 2 Tasks 2 & 3

The Distance Delta

Focus on Task Two b) Start by reviewing the rubric requirements: QUESTIONS FOR CPs 1. What does assumptions mean here? 2. What does it not mean? 3. How many assumptions should you cover? 4. Should you include your own opinion on the value of these assumptions?

ANSWERS: 1a) The underlying beliefs of the authors, i.e. the ideas about language learning underpinning their choice of approach or of language. It is useful to start each answer with learners need... or learners benefit from... to help focus on the right aspect; b) the rationale for this belief. i.e. with each assumption the answer must include something like because or so as to or to or in that in order to gain sufficient marks. It is much more important to include a rationale than to be able to identify the theoretical source of the belief, so participants should avoid trying to make spurious links to a single approach unless its very obvious (e.g. it would be fine to link a pronunciation drill to behaviourist theory or collocations linked to the Lexical Approach; but this is not necessary to gain the marks and should not be the focus of candidates efforts.) 2. Not assumptions about the students prior knowledge, i.e. the type of assumptions we list in lesson plans (I assume that the learners already know the past simple.) 3. A minimum of six convincing key assumptions and the accompanying rationale is needed to gain the marks available; therefore, it is strongly recommended that course participants aim to include seven to cover themselves. Candidates are advised to try to avoid a scattergun approach, as this wastes valuable time and really try to identify key features. 4. No. This is not part of this task; it will waste time and gain no marks whatsoever. The tasks tests candidates knowledge and understanding of a wide range of language learning beliefs and ability to understand the principles underpinning published ELT materials, and not their own views and beliefs

Work through Worksheet Two identifying which assumptions are relevant. Decide on three or four other assumptions to add to the list. Cross check against Key to Worksheet Three. Add three or more assumptions check Complete Worksheet Three with exercise references and reasons Check against the Key to Worksheet Three

Revision Pack Paper 2 Tasks 2 & 3

The Distance Delta

Focus on Task Three: Read rubric, highlight specified exercises and brainstorm ways in which they combine with exercises in Task 2 on Worksheet 4. Check answers against Key to Worksheet 4

Further work Follow-up work in preparation for the exam: Practise by working on other texts you can find in coursebooks. Answer these two questions for each extract. (You could train yourself to write answers in note form, spending 10 minutes on each task.) 1. Identify key assumptions about language learning that are evident in exercises... and explain why the authors might consider these assumptions to be important for language learning. 2. Comment on the ways in which exercises...combine with the exercises discussed above.

Revision Pack Paper 2 Tasks 2 & 3

The Distance Delta

Paper 2 Task 2 The purpose of the extract as a whole is to teach the difference between the past continuous and past simple in narratives a. Identify the purpose of the exercises in the box below in relation to the purpose of the extract as a whole. Exercises Two Exercise 2 Exercise 3 Exercise 4 b. Identify a total of six key assumptions about language learning that are evident in the exercises in the box above and explain why the authors might consider these assumptions to be important for language learning. You must refer to each of the exercises at least once. Task 3 Comment on the ways in which exercises 5 and 6 combine with the exercises discussed in Task Two for Task

Revision Pack Paper 2 Tasks 2 & 3

The Distance Delta

Revision Pack Paper 2 Tasks 2 & 3

The Distance Delta

Revision Pack Paper 2 Tasks 2 & 3

The Distance Delta

Worksheet One: Purposes (Task 2a) Read the extract from True To Life Pre-Intermediate (Ruth Gairns and Stuart Redman, CUP). ii) Look at the suggested purposes below for exercise 2. Which one(s) is/are relevant to the specified purpose of the extract as a whole? i)

Purposes for Exercise 2a: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. To encourage learners to predict the content of the reading To lead in to the reading To check understanding of the reading To motivate learners to read To provide a context for the target language To encourage learners to read for gist To activate schemata for top-down reading

iii) Now identify the purposes of exercises 3 and 4. Remember each exercise can have more than one purpose (you need more than one to gain all the available marks) and it is important to specify only the purposes which relate to the specified purpose of the extract as a whole.

Revision Pack Paper 2 Tasks 2 & 3

The Distance Delta

Worksheet Two: Assumptions (Task 2b) i) Tick the four assumptions which are relevant to the specified exercises in this extract (2,3 and 4). The authors believe in:

1. 2.

The importance of cognitive challenge The need to present language in context

3. 4.

Learning language as lexical chunks: collocations and phrases The value of collaboration

5. 6.

A deductive approach to learning. The importance of a focus on phonology

7.

The encouragement of learner autonomy

Revision Pack Paper 2 Tasks 2 & 3

The Distance Delta

Worksheet Three: Reasons for Assumptions (Task 2b) For each assumption, give an example of the exercise/s and explain why the author might consider these assumptions to be important for learning. The first three assumptions have been given to you, add others you can identify. Assumption The importance of cognitive challenge Exercise/s Reason

The need to present language in context

The value of collaboration

Revision Pack Paper 2 Tasks 2 & 3

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The Distance Delta

Worksheet Four: Combining (Task 3) EXERCISE Exercise 5 HOW EXERCISE COMBINES WITH EXERCISES IN TASK TWO

Exercise 6

Revision Pack Paper 2 Tasks 2 & 3

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The Distance Delta

Key to Worksheet One (Task 2a) ii) Whilst all are valid purposed for exercise 2 in its own right, only 5. To provide a context for the target language relates to the purpose of the extract as a whole. Thus marks would only be awarded for that purpose. iii) NB where same purpose occurs for more than one exercise, marks can only be awarded once EXERCISE Exercise 3 INTENDED PURPOSE Encourage learners to exploit reading for language work Help learners notice target verb forms Test learners current knowledge of use of past continuous Encourage learners to exploit reading for language work Help learners notice target verb forms Encourage learners to focus on meaning of target language Encourage learners to deduce difference in meaning of target language Focus on / review (and extend) knowledge of rules for some meanings/uses of past simple and past continuous

Exercise 4

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The Distance Delta

Key to Worksheet One Assumptions (Task 2b)

1. The importance of cognitive challenge Yes 2. The need to present language in context Yes

3. Learning language as lexical chunks: collocations and phrases 4. The value of collaboration Yes

5. A deductive approach to learning.

6. The importance of a focus on phonology 7. The encouragement of learner autonomy Yes

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Key to Worksheet Three Practice of Task 2b Assumption The importance of cognitive challenge to learners as an aid to understanding and to retention of language. Exercise/s 3. Possible Reasons By asking learners to replace the sentences in the text, the cognitive challenge involved will be stimulating and aid in the memorisation of the language. Students will be motivated by a problem-solving approach to learning and so more involved and active in the learning process. This helps learners understand the meaning and use of language in authentic settings. The context aids understanding of meaning.

It is important to present or revise language in its context of use.

Visual aids can stimulate prediction on a topic and help orientate the learners to it.

By activating the learners schemata on romantic relationships, the learners will be more able to understand the text and will be motivated to read the story. This will help them to access the information in the text more easily. Understanding of language is 3 A top-down approach via pre-set aided by a focus on meaning questions to look at meaning of the before form. reading text before they analyse it for language is more effective as learners are motivated by understanding the meaning of language. The value of including multi-skill Reading Multi skill work can help us cater to work as different learners have then these different learning styles and to different learning styles speaking 2 provide a more rounded approach to (discussion), learning. 2 reading, then 3 discussion. The value of collaboration in the 2, 3, 3 The teacher is not the only source of learning process. (pairwork) knowledge in the classroom; by collaborating learners can learn from each other, leading to learner autonomy. It is more involving and also encourages more communication/speaking. Class rapport is developed through collaborative learning. The importance of focus on 3 This could be because students need discrete language items which a clear language focus.

Revision Pack Paper 2 Tasks 2 & 3

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have been selected and graded for the learner; here the past continuous Guided discovery of rules of 4 language use promotes cognitive engagement with the target language and aids understanding. This takes an inductive approach where language is in context and learners move from examples to discovering form. 4 The encouragement of learner autonomy

It is a structuralist view that discrete language items be presented and are best learned in an order of difficulty. Again promoting cognitive challenge. Learners are seen as active participants in their learning and not as passive recipients of knowledge.

Learners cant do everything in class and need to be able to learn independently if they are to make good progress. Here students are pointed to research answers for themselves in the grammar summary rather than relying on the teacher. This reflects a belief that learners retain information better if they work it out for themselves.

Revision Pack Paper 2 Tasks 2 & 3

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Key to Worksheet Four: Combining (Task 3) Remember marks are only awarded once for a point, even if the same point is valid for more than one exercise EXERCISE Exercise 5 HOW EXERCISE COMBINES WITH EXERCISES IN TASK TWO Provides controlled written practice of target language from ex 4 Maintains scaffolding/step by step approach were learners are supported by being given forms to select from/ not thrown in deep end Continues the focus on meaning / use rather than form f the verb structures Maintains narrative genre of extract Gives an opportunity to use the target language from exercises 3 and 4 provides more variety of skills (i.e. gives a speaking / writing task after work on reading)/extends to spoken practce maintains the theme and (narrative) genre of the extract (whilst varying details) continues the learning mode of active learner engagement provides a focus on communicative success and fluency after accuracy work gradually increases the level of challenge as learners need to change details and produce the forms introduces first opportunity for creative/productive practice Maintains scaffolding/step by step approach were learners are supported by being given forms to select from/ not thrown in deep end

Exercise 6

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