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Questions 86-90 refer to the following case study:
Jenn has just finished her training and gotten settled into her new apartment in Turkey. Although she has
some previous teaching experience, she will be teaching very young children for the first time in her life.
The average age in her class is 5 years old. There are a handful of 6-year-olds and one 4-year-old, soon to
turn 5. She is looking forward to a fun year, although she is concerned about losing control of her
students should things get off track. She can’t imagine trying to manage a room full of such young
children if they barely speak English! She had the opportunity to shadow a more experienced teacher
who taught some 8- and 9-year-old students, but due to the term schedules, the youngest students
don’t start until the second week of the term, so she didn’t get to see quite how her classes are
supposed to run. Her classes start on Monday, so she has the weekend to prepare.
Question 86 Flag for review
Jenn received the class list on Friday before she went home for the weekend. Although it doesn’t give
much information, it gives her a list of names and a number of students. She has seen the layout of her
classroom. There are three large tables, so her plan is to seat six students at two of the tables and five at
the other. Before the first day of class, all new students are taken to the auditorium and briefed about
the school rules and expected behavior. Each student will be given a handout explaining the rules that
they must take home and have signed by their parents. With the rules set and the seating plan drawn up, what are some things that Jenn can prepare to do on
the first day to make her teaching experience a success? Choose two of the following answers: a.
Jenn should choose some common English names for her students. Classroom management is always
easier when the teacher knows the students' names, and it can be difficult to learn unfamiliar names
from a foreign culture. Giving English names is a common practice at many ESL schools around the
world, so this shouldn't be a problem with parents or the administration. To make it more enjoyable, she
could give her students a chance to pick their own names. b.
You only get one chance to make a first impression, so Jenn should have one of the local teachers or
administrative staff help her with the introductions on the first day. She would like to tell her students a bit about herself, and she would like to learn a little about each of them, but with the language barrier,
that could prove very difficult if there is no one who can translate. Ensuring that the introductions go
smoothly will help set the class off on the right foot. c.
Jenn should spend some time on the first day teaching the routines and procedures she wants to
establish for her classroom, and she should reinforce these routines the following day and throughout
the term. There is less opportunity for mischief when students know what is expected of them and what
they should be doing. Young children find routine comforting. Establishing routines for standard tasks like
lining up in the morning, handing in homework, preparing for lunch, and asking to go to the bathroom
can streamline her day and make Jenn's classes run more smoothly. d.
Jenn should prepare some songs, games, and other fun activities for the first day. This will help her to set
a lively tone and an enjoyable environment from the start. She wants her students to look forward to her
classes. While learning should always be the focus, the more enjoyable the lessons are and the more the
students look forward to class, the easier they will be to teach and the more they will learn. Question 87 Flag for review
Jenn’s previous experience teaching ESL was with adults at a university in Suwon, Korea. Much has been
made of the differences in the ways that children and adults learn a new language. Language acquisition
and language learning are two different means to the same end. Which of the following most accurately describes the differences in the way children and adults learn
new languages? a.
Adults can only develop their language skills through language learning, while children primarily develop
their skills through language acquisition. Language learning is a PPP process: Presentation, Production,
and Practice. Acquisition, in contrast, is an ESA process: Engagement, Study, and Activation. b.
Children learn language through immersion and repetition. They must be surrounded by the language
for a certain period of time and immersed in it for several hours per day. If these criteria are met,
children will naturally pick up the language as long as the process of learning is not interrupted by direct
study. Adults, on the other hand, must actively study the language to acquire it. They cannot absorb it
through mere observation and repetition; they must study the mechanics and the structure of the
language. c.
Young children will naturally acquire the languages to which they are exposed so long as they have the
opportunity to practice the language and have some motivation to do so. Adults, on the other hand,
derive most benefit from consciously studying the languages they wish to learn. There is some overlap
between the two, but generally speaking, as people grow from childhood into adulthood, their natural
acquisition skills decline while the cognitive capacity to study languages increases. d.
When provided with comprehensible input, both children and adults will rough tune the input they
receive into meaningful language. For children, this process is automatic as their minds are primed to
acquire the languages to which they are exposed. For adults, this is a learned skill, so they must
concentrate in order to correctly tune the input for storage and later retrieval as communicative
language. Question 88 Flag for review
Emil, one of Jenn’s young students, has begun referring to all wheeled vehicles as “trucks”, except for
motorcycles. He recognizes motorcycles, but whenever he sees any other motorized, wheeled vehicle,
whether it is a car, bus, convertible, or transport truck, he refers to it as a “truck”. What is likely going on, and how can Jenn help Emil to learn the differences between the different kinds
of wheeled vehicles? a. Emil can differentiate motorcycles from trucks, but he over-generalizes the word "truck" to encompass
all vehicles with more than two wheels. This type of categorization error is common in young children as
they learn a new language. Jenn should devise some activities to help Emil expand his vocabulary. Using
pictures and flash cards, Jenn can teach him the words for various types of four-wheeled vehicles and
contrast these with trucks. This vocabulary expansion can help Emil to appropriately identify different
classes of vehicles and reinforce the categorical differences to prevent over-generalization. b.
Depending on how Emil was first taught the word "truck", this could be a simple matter of not clearly
seeing the defining shape and characteristics that make something a truck or not a truck. Motorcycles
are easily identified due to their open seat and two wheeled design, but the differences between a car
and a truck are more subtle. Jenn should find some clear images of various non-truck vehicles and
contrast those images with pictures of trucks. c.
Over-generalization is a common mistake made by students, and children in particular, as they learn a
new language. Emil likely learned "motorcycle" first, and then when he learned "truck" he overgeneralized the most obvious difference between the two, i.e. the number of wheels, to assume that all
vehicles with more than two wheels were trucks. Jenn can help Emil to correct this problem by outlining,
in detail, the differences between trucks and other vehicles. Explaining all the differences will help him to
learn what distinguishes one type of vehicle from another. d.
It is no secret that native language influences subsequent language learning. Vocabulary, pronunciation,
and grammatical structures from students' first languages can have a profound influence on the learning
of subsequent languages. In Emil's first language, the word for "vehicle" may be similar to the English
word for "truck", and this similarity may have caused some confusion when Emil was first taught the
word. Jenn should attempt to introduce all new vocabulary in the students' first language, and then
follow that up with a lesson in English so students can make the connection between the two without
confusing one language for the other. This will help to eliminate categorization and other such errors
stemming from similar-sounding words in the two languages. Question 89 Flag for review Keeping young children on task and paying attention is a challenge for any teacher, even more so in a
second-language classroom. Jenn has found that it’s getting more and more difficult to get her students
to stay focused on their work. They frequently get off task, and when she tries to get their attention to
explain something or get them back on topic, they are unresponsive. She has tried raising her voice, but
while that worked the first few times, she is finding even that is becoming less and less effective. She
doesn’t want to become that teacher who yells all the time, so she is hoping to come up with a better
way to keep her students focused and get their attention when needed. They are generally a wellbehaved class, but they don’t listen as readily as she would like. What can Jenn do to improve this situation? a.
Jenn should get some toys or games for the classroom, and allow the students 5- to 10-minute breaks
where students can choose their own activities, then play together to burn off excess energy. During this
time, Jenn should not worry about whether or not the students are playing in English. Once the break is
over, the students will be able to focus more readily on the English lesson at hand. b.
Jenn has not been consistent in applying her classroom rules and expectations. One of the most
fundamental rules of classroom management is consistency. If she does not correct inappropriate or
undesired behavior consistently, her students will not know where the boundaries are. She can correct
this lapse by reintroducing her classroom rules and reminding her students of the importance of paying
attention when she gives instructions or explanations. If students don't respond, she will have to enforce
consequences for their misbehavior. As long as she does this consistently, her students will fall in line and
she should once again have a productive, attentive classroom. c.
Jenn's students may be disengaging from the lesson at hand because they are unable to concentrate for
long chunks of time on a single task. Young children need frequent breaks and changes of activity. After a
certain amount of time, her students' minds will begin to wander to other stimuli in the environment.
With this in mind, Jenn should create more interesting and varied lessons with regular transitions to new
activities to allow her students' minds to reset. With careful planning and awareness of the cognitive
limitations of children of this age, she should be able to keep her students focused on the lesson, and
she will find it much easier to get their attention if they are properly focused. d.
Modulating vocal tone and volume is an effective means of getting student attention and conveying
emotion. Jenn tried raising her voice, but this alone is not sufficient. She must also adjust her tone. Even
changing the pace of her speech can get students' attention. Jenn should try altering various aspects of
her voice to find out what works most effectively to get her students' attention. Question 90 Flag for review
Vocabulary provides the building blocks for all language development. While grammar provides the
structure and framework for the relationship between words, the words themselves are the foundation
of communication. Without vocabulary, there is no language. When first exposed to a new language,
students have a tremendous amount of vocabulary to learn. Thus they advance very quickly in the early
stages while they learn common words and phrases. Concrete nouns and actions are some of the most
basic lexical items students learn. When it comes to teaching actions, which of the following is the least effective method of getting
students to understand the vocabulary being taught? a.
Carefully explaining what each word being taught means. Students may be confused by the words used
to describe the action words being taught. b.
Pantomime. Teachers jumping and running at the front of the class to demonstrate various actions can
prove distracting for students as they might not properly connect the vocabulary to the action the
teacher is performing. c.
Using flash cards. Flash cards are effective for teaching nouns, but since they can only show static
images, they are far less useful for teaching actions. d.
Drawing on the board. In much the same way that flash cards are ineffective for teaching action
vocabulary due to the static nature of the images on the cards, drawing on the board cannot properly
convey the meaning of action words. Questions 91-95 refer to the following case study:
Brian is a naturalized Japanese citizen and he runs a specialized academy for adult learners in Fukuoka,
Japan. It is a small academy with Brian as the only full-time teacher in the evenings, although he has a
secretary and rents classroom space to three kindergarten teachers during the daytime. Although
sometimes companies will pay for a group of their employees to take his evening courses to improve
their English skills, the students at Brian’s academy typically hail from a wide range of backgrounds and
interests. Some are doctors, engineers, and other professionals, some are teachers and university
students, and some are retired people just looking to continue their life-long quest for knowledge. With
such varied demographics, the classes present interesting challenges for Brian. The students’
motivations, goals, and previous experience with educational environments color their expectations, and
these are all factors for Brian to consider when planning his lessons. Although the preparation is
challenging, Brian finds it greatly rewarding to teach such diverse groups of students.
Question 91 Flag for review
Given the typical diversity of his classes, what are two things Brian should be sure to do early on with
each new class? Choose two of the following: a.
Brian should have a brief diagnostic assessment to find out what level his students are at in various areas
of English such as their speaking and writing skills. b.
Brian should begin by outlining the most fundamental aspects of English grammar such as basic
sentence structure (subject, predicate, object) and the root tenses (past, present, future) to give his
students a firm foundation for future learning. Adult students benefit from direct grammar instruction to
help them analyze the language. c.
Brian should hand out a survey or have a class discussion to talk about his students' goals for learning
English, as well as having them share some information about themselves. Asking them why they want
to learn English and what sort of previous experience they have with learning English (and other relevant
questions) will help him to shape his lessons to tailor them for this specific group of students. d.
Brian should collect some biographical data on his students before class begins. This can give him a sense
of why they wish to learn English, what sort of background they have, and what some of their goals are.
He can then devise a quiz-show style icebreaker activity to tell all of the students about one another to
make them more comfortable and foster class unity. Question 92 Flag for review
One of the things that adult students often find very difficult to master when learning a new language is
pronunciation. In addition to specific phonemes such as ‘r’ and ‘l’ that trouble many learners, what are
some aspects of pronunciation that students must learn? a.
The pitch of words, voice, and the dialect of spoken vocabulary b.
The rhythm of sentences, cadence, and the beat of words c.
Stress within words, emphasis within sentences, and intonation d.
Pauses between words, syllables, and the volume of different types of sentences Question 93 Flag for review
One of Brian’s students, Yushin, is a retired school teacher. While he never formally studied English, he
worked with several Japanese English teachers over the course of his career, and he picked up enough of
the language to carry on a conversation. Yushin’s intent and meaning are usually understandable, but he
makes a number of syntax and pronunciation errors that sometimes make the finer points of
communication difficult. Yushin is generally accepting of instruction and seems genuinely interested in
further developing his English language skills, but there are certain errors that he refuses to correct.
When Brian attempts to address these issues, Yushin becomes defensive and argues that Brian is
mistaken. He holds that what he learned from the English teachers at his school is correct despite Brian’s
claims to the contrary. How can Brian work with Yushin to correct these problems if he won’t heed Brian’s expertise? a.
While Yushin's reluctance to trust Brian is an issue, Brian cannot drop everything to cater to Yushin. He
should use positive classroom reinforcement to encourage his students to trust him. By praising the
other students in the class that accept Brian's corrections and expert advice, he will foster a sense of
unity in the class and Yushin will eventually come around as he sees the success his classmates are
enjoying. b.
Brian should speak with Yushin and explain that while he respects Yushin's English-teaching colleagues,
some of what he learned is incorrect. Brian will have to work to gain Yushin's trust, but by appealing to
text books and other sources of authority on the subject, he can convince Yushin to trust his judgement. c.
Yushin, understandably, has faith in the teachers he worked with for so many years. Having not
witnessed any critical assessment of their teaching, he assumes that they were infallible. This is very
common in older learners who were taught to accept everything the teacher says at face value. Brian
could help Yushin to see this error by bringing in a Japanese friend who can explain some of the incorrect
things she was taught as a student. This will illustrate that all teachers are fallible in some way. d.
Brian needs to establish himself as an authority on the English language. To do this, he will have to
demonstrate to Yushin the falsity of some of his previous learning. He should promptly correct any errors
Yushin makes that are carryovers from his prior learning. By showing the frequency of these errors, Brian
will establish his own competency with the language, and that will help Yushin to see that Brian's
expertise can be trusted. Question 94 Flag for review
Brian often makes use of group activities for dialogue and role play to get his students speaking. He has
devised a number of scenarios that enable them to practice both conversational and transactional
exchanges. He usually starts each class with a brief introduction followed by a group activity. Then, later
in the class, he goes over his observations from the group activity and teaches any relevant points based
on his observations. The second half of each class is spent formally dissecting the language used in the
group activity to cover grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure. In his most recent class, there are
seven engineers from the same company and they are all frequently late for his class. They often arrive
to class mid-way through the group activity and it is very disruptive to the class. How should Brian handle the situation? a.
Brian should speak with the group of students to find out why they are frequently late for class. If there
is some reason that they cannot make it to class on time every day, perhaps Brian could adjust his
lessons to move the group work to later in the session to accommodate these students' expected
tardiness. If such an adjustment would not negatively affect the class as a whole, it could be a workable
compromise. b.
To avoid disruption of the rest of the class during ongoing activities, Brian should suggest that the late
students wait in the hall until the group activities are completed. Then they can rejoin the class and
participate in the analysis portion of the class. Although they will miss out on some context and practice,
this is the least disruptive approach to take. c. Brian should speak with the group of students to find out why they are frequently late for class. If there
is some reason that they cannot make it to class on time every day, then perhaps he should suggest that
they seek out an academy with a more suitable start time. d.
Brian should talk to the students and explain the importance of regular and punctual attendance. Brian's
lessons are designed in such a way that lateness is very disruptive. Brian has other students to consider,
so he cannot alter his plans simply to accommodate one group. Question 95 Flag for review
The structure of Brian’s academy is such that students can continue to enroll in classes as long as they
wish. There is no formal graduation or set point of completion. He has had numerous students over the
years who have stayed for several terms. Some have even stayed at his academy for a few years before
moving on. Brian is always accommodating to his returning students, and if they are willing, he even
involves them in helping him teach some of the lessons. Given this informal style and format, is there any benefit to formal evaluations and tests? a.
Sometimes. Periodic quizzes and other assessments are beneficial, but comprehensive evaluations are
unnecessary if there is no marking structure in place. It is time consuming for both students and teacher,
and writing the test takes valuable time away from in-class instruction. b.
Yes. Tests, quizzes, and other means of assessment can have a motivating influence on students by
encouraging them to study and practice. It can also be a valuable diagnostic tool for the students and
teacher to see areas of weakness that need extra attention. c.
No. Formal evaluations can add unnecessary stress to the course. His students may be turned off by the
additional pressure of the tests, and the evaluations serve no tangible purpose. d.
Yes. While the course does not have report cards or a graduation objective, it is still valuable for students
to have some form of evaluation. Even in the absence of a direct need for formal evaluation, students do
not wish to fail or receive a low score, so they will study to avoid embarrassment.