Methods
A method or approach to teaching in which the teacher presents language items in instructions and the learners have to do exactly what the teacher tells them; e.g. the teacher says: Stand up and the learners stand up.
Total Physical Response
Is used to see how well learners have learned the language and skills taught in class.
Achievement Testing
To discover, judge, or form an opinion on learners’ ability,
Assessment
The process in which incorrect language becomes a habit and cannot easily be corrected. For example, a B2 learner might habitually not add an ‘s’ when saying third person singular present simple verbs.
Fossilisation
An approach to teaching new language in which the teacher presents the language using a situation, gets learners to practise it in exercises or other controlled practice activities, and then asks learners to use or produce the same language in a communicative and less controlled way.
Presentation, Pactice and Production
Is used to identify problems that learners have with language or skills. The teacher diagnoses or finds ou t the language problems learners have.
Diagnostic Test
A type of assessment which does not involve a final examination. Some or all of the work that learners do during a course is marked by the teacher on a regular basis and these marks go into the calculation of the final grade given to learners.
Continuous Assessment
Being able to speak at a natural speed without stopping
Fluency
An approach to teaching and practising language which is based on the principle that learning a language successfully involves real written and spoken communication rather than just memorising a series of rules.
Communicative Approach
Is used at the beginning of a course in a language school in order to identify a learner’s level of language
and find the best class for them.
Placement Test
When a teacher assesses learners and then gives them a formal report or grade, to say how successful or unsuccessful.
Formal Assessment
A card with words, sentences or pictures on it. A teacher can use these to explain a situation, tell a story, teach vocabulary etc.
Flashcard
An approach to teaching which uses a syllabus based on functions. The syllabus would focus on functions like ‘making suggestions’, ‘giving advice’, ‘making requests’, and would present and practise the language used to express these functions, e.g. Can you ...?, Could you ...?, Would you mind ...?
Functional Approach
Is used to see how good learners are at using the target language.
Proficiency Test
When a teacher decides whether a learner is doing well or not, or whether a course is successful or not, by evaluating learners by thinking about their strengths and weaknesses and thinking about their progress rather than setting a test or writing an official report.
Informal Assessment
The reason or purpose for using language
Function
A way of teaching in which learners study grammar and translate words and texts into their own language or the target language. They do not practise communication and there is little focus on speaking.
Grammar Translation
Is used at the end of a course. The focus is on the mark or grade given and feedback is not usually provided.
Proficiency Test
When the opinion or judgement of the person marking a test is not needed to assess learners. The questions in the test/assessment have one correct answer.
Objective Assessment
Language used when speaking or writing to people we do not know well, e.g. using Yours faithfully in a letter of application, rather than writing All the best.
Formal Language