Cambridge DELTA Module 1 Quizlet

8/13/2019 Cambridge DELTA Module 1 Quizlet

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(De)Suggestopedia

Definition: (Giori Lozanov) an approach based on

lowering the students' affective filter as much as possible

to encourage acquisition

Example: using baroque music, sitting in comfy chairs,

creating new identities all form part of this approach

Further Point: there is a 'receptive' 'activation' phase in

class

Anaphoric Reference

Definition: a type of grammatical cohesion - something that refers

back to a previously mentioned item in a text.

Example: "Susan lives just round the corner. She's my best friend."

'She' refers back to 'Susan'

Further Point: can be seen in contrast to cataphoric reference

(refers forward) and exophoric reference (refers to something

'outside' the text, which is common knowledge)

Aptitude test

Definition: a test of a student's natural ability to learn a language

(in this case)

Example: in pronunciation, a test to check the ability to

imitate/distinguish sounds in an unknown language

Further Point: clearly it is much simpler to test aptitude in systems

like grammar, pronunciation or lexis, rather than skills

Audio-Lingual Approach

Definition: an inductive approach based on drilling and

pattern practice, moving towards substitution of elements

Example: Teacher: "That cat is cute." Students: "That cat

is cute." Teacher: "Dog." Students: "That dog is cute." etc

Further Point: most interaction is teacher-student,

students should 'overlearn' so that usage becomes

habitual.

Backwash

Definition: the effect a test/exam has on the teaching

leading up to it

Example: a global language exam decides to include a

speaking test for the time. This causes teachers to begin

including speaking practice in their classes

Further Point: the effect of backwash can be positive or

negative


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Behaviourism

Definition: a belief that language is learned behaviour

and we learn by imitation of good models

Example: the Audio-lingual Method is the classroom

approach of behaviourist ideology

Further Point: this approach works on a stimulus-

response-reward/punishment model

Bottom-up Processing

Definition: processing a text starting with the smaller elements of a

text (words, sounds, etc) then building upwards to decode the text

as a whole

Example: listening or reading for the times of a particular train

Further Point: can be seen in comparison to 'Top-down'

processing, which starts from 'global knowledge' to process

meaning

Cataphoric Reference

Definition: a type of grammatical cohesion - something that refers

forward to another thing mentioned later in the text

Example: "Given that it is bad for you, smoking still remains very

popular." 'It' refers forward to 'smoking'

Further Point: can be seen in contrast to anaphoric reference

(refers back) and exophoric reference (refers outside the text)

Cloze test

Definition: a test where a number of words have been removed from

a text. Students have to complete the text

Example: FCE Use of English Part 2, where students have fill the

gaps left in the text

Further Point: traditionally, the missing words were every so many

words (e.g. every 9th word was missing) - there are also open and

multiple choice cloze tests

Co-text

Definition: the words immediately around a particular

item in the text which help to deduce its meaning

Example: on the way back to the market (the underlined

words are the co-text of 'back')

Further Point: the co-text can be the same topic as the

context (they are about the same things) or can be a

digression away from the context


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Community Language Learning

Definition: (Charles Curran) an approach designed to

form a group identity and lower the affective filter by

building a conversation for later analysis/practice.

Example: Ss sitting in a closed circle whisper to T

(outside the circle) what they wish to say to another S

in L1. T translates, drills and S records utterance.

Further Point: a student-led process syllabus

Construct validity

Definition: how much a test tests what it is supposed to

and nothing else (precision)

Example: a gap-fill where the gaps have other possible

answers, apart from the desired answers, is less construct

valid than one where there is only one answer per gap

Further Point: we can talk about a test having high

construct validity or low construct validity

Content validity

Definition: to what degree a test tests what it is supposed to

(thoroughness)

Example: a test of present simple with more examples, including +

-, ?, short answer, has higher content validity than one with few +

examples only

Further Point: content validity also refers to how thoroughly a test

reflects the course of study before it e.g. a grammar test following

an integrated systems-skills course has low content validity

Context

Definition: the basic gist of what a text is about

Example: in a manual about how to use the internet,

a context might be 'running a search on the web'

Further Point: can be confused with 'co-text', which is

text around a particular item in a text, which may or

may not be about the context

Criterion-referenced test

Definition: a test graded according to explicit criteria

Example: a test marked using banded descriptors or

can-do statements, such as FCE speaking

Further Point: usually for Proficiency tests which test


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Deductive Approaches

Definition: approaches which are based on the students

being given rules to apply logically

Example: the Grammar-Translation Approach is an

example of a deductive approach

Further Point: deductive approaches can save time and

some students may regard them as more adult

Deixis

Definition: a type of grammatical cohesion - referring to

something that you would only understand if you were

present in the original conversation

Example: "Can you pass me that, please?" You would

only understand what 'that' was if you were present in the

conversation

Further Point: : often accompanied by hand gestures or

other body language (paralinguistic features)

Diagnostic test

Definition: a test undertaken to test strengths and weaknesses in

skills and systems

Example: a list of incorrect sentences for student to put into correct

grammar, thereby testing grammatical areas they are good and bad

at

Further Point: the results of these tests are often used as needs

analyses, thus dictating future course content

Dictogloss

Definition: a type of reconstruction activity based on natural-speed

dictation of a text

Example: the teacher dictates a short text at natural speed and

students just listen; on a second dictation they note key words and

phrases, then work together to reconstruct the text

Further Point: Usually holistic in language focus, but can be

discrete item

Direct Method

Definition: A method from the 1880s based on speaking

and listening instead of reading/writing, with lots of

teacher talk and quick-fire 'display' questions.

Example: The teacher asking a string of questions about

what the names of things are and what we use them for

Further Point: a lot of the language content is not very

'natural'. Berlitz is the most famous proponent of this

approach


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Direct test

Definition: a test of the language point or skill by

focusing just on that language point/skill

Example: testing use of linkers with a gap fill

Further Point: High face validity for the student

Discrete-item test

Definition: a test of one particular area of grammar, lexis or

discourse

Example: a test on phrasal verbs or tenses

Further Point: typical as part of a product oriented syllabus /

common in course books with a multi-layered syllabus with a

central core syllabus of discrete items

Ellipsis

Definition: the missing out of words in informal speech or

writing. A type of grammatical cohesion.

Example: "Where you going?" Here, the auxiliary 'are'

has been elided or 'Having a great time' in a postcard

Further Point we commonly elide subject pronouns and

auxiliaries

Exophoric Reference

Definition: a type of grammatical cohesion - referring to something

'outside' of the text, which is commonly known by all

Example: "Share prices slumped in the City today." 'The city' refers

to the economic centre of a country, which is assumed knowledge.

Further Point: can be seen in contrast to anaphoric reference

(refers back within the text) and anaphoric reference (refers

forward within the text)

Extrinsic motivation

Definition: requirements for learning which come from

'outside'

Example: a need to learn to get a job, pass an exam or

because parents have made you

Further Point: can be balanced against 'intrinsic'

motivation, where the impetus comes from inside


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Face validity

Definition: if a test looks like it tests what it is supposed to

test (impression)

Example: a learner may consider a pronunciation test

which requires no speaking to not have face validity

Further Point: we can talk about a test having high face

validity or low face validity

Field-dependent learner

Definition: describes a learner who only sees systems in

terms of the general structure

Example: a learner who would not notice grammatical or

lexical patterns in dialogue

Further Point: we can also talk about field-independent

learners, who see things in terms of larger structures

Field-independent learner

Definition: describes a learner who notices systems in larger

structures

Example: a learner who notices verb patterns within dialogue

Further Point: we can also talk about field-dependent learners,

who only see things in terms of general structures

Formative evaluation

Definition: evaluation during a course / s tudy programme

Example: a weekly test of the grammar and lexis learnt in that

week

Further Point: can be compared to summative evaluation, which is

done after a course of study. Is also a way of assessing the course

itself.

Genre Approach

Definition: an approach to writing that prioritises the relationship

between the reader and the writer - the purpose of the text, the

social context and intended audience

Example: analysing authentic examples to consider how and why

they have been written as well as language and layout

Further Point: recently there has been a move to combine

approaches - the 'genre-process approach', which combines

analysis of authentic examples of the genre with good procedures

in the writing process


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Grammar-Translation

Approach

Definition: A deductive approach based on the translation of

literary texts from and into L2 with a focus on lexis lists and

grammar rules

Example: Spanish students are given a section of Don Quixote in

Spanish and piece by piece translate it into English

Further Point: Seen as a way of 'sharpening the mind' rather than

language learning. The only speaking was reading translated texts

aloud.

Guided Discovery

Definition: students work things out by themselves so that they are

more cognitively engaged and the rules are more memorable

Example: giving students examples and guiding them to work out

the rules is an example of inductive guided discovery

Further Point: can be deductive (give students rules to match to

examples) as well as inductive

Holistic learner

Definition: describes a learner who learns language through globa

exposure to language

Example: a student who doesn't feel the need to sequentially work

through things and doesn't feel the need to make constant

connections between things

Further Point: these types of learner benefit from doing a wide

range of activities in a wide range of topics - breadth of experience

is important

Impact

Definition: the impact of the test on society, educational systems

and individuals.

Example: the experience of preparing for a test will affect the

individual and how they view language and language courses

Further Point: Two further aspects of the testing system can impact

on individuals - feedback on their performance and decisions made

based on results

Indirect test

Definition: a test of something within the context of something els

Example: testing a student's use of l inkers by getting them to write

a discursive essay.

Further Point: Can be oral or written, often in the form of an

informal test, e.g. students talk about their holiday experiences as a

way to test their use of the present perfect / past simple tenses in

the lead in stage of a lesson


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Inductive Approaches

Definition: approaches which are based on the students

initially being given examples from which they work out

the rules for themselves

Example: the Audio-lingual Method is an example of an

inductive approach - students work out form patterns

from oral repetition

Further Point: the idea is that working things out for

oneself is more memorable/has more cognitive depth

Informal test

Definition: the everyday testing we do in class - not under test

conditions i.e. not timed or graded etc

Example: eliciting, test-teach-test, monitoring etcetera

Further Point: this is the most common type of testing carried out

on a language course

Innatism

Definition: a belief that we are born 'hard-wired' for

language learning i.e. with an innate capacity

Example: Chomsky's Universal Grammar theory holds

that all people from all cultures have the same innate

'rules' inside them

Further Point: many believe that this knowledge has to be

triggered within a 'critical period' and is therefore

sometimes not relevant to learning L2

Instrumental motivation

Definition: desire to learn caused by the need to achieve

something

Example: needing to pass an exam or to get a career

promotion

Further Point: this kind of motivation could be either

intrinsic or extrinsic

Integrative motivation

Definition: the need to learn is based on the student's

requirement to 'fit in' inside an L2 environment

Example: needing to know a language because you've

moved to another country

Further Point: this kind of motivation can be intrinsic or

extrinsic


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Integrative test

Definition: a test of various aspects of systems or skills at

the same time

Example: a cloze test tests lexis and grammar and

discourse at the same time

Further Point: used as a measure of general linguistic

ability rather than knowledge of a single item

Interactive Processing

Definition: using a mixture of 'top-down' and 'bottom-up

processing in order to decode meaning

Example: looking for your name on a list of exam results

(top-down= knowing it's alphabetical, so starting roughly

in the right place; bottom up= recognising your name)

Further Point: interactive processing is, in reality, what

we normally do when trying to decode a text, although

the 'perfect mixture' of the two is still up for debate

Intrinsic motivation

Definition: a desire to learn based on some kind of

internal requirement or satisfaction

Example: a learner who comes to English classes because

s/he loves learning languages

Further Point: can be balanced against 'extrinsic'

motivation, where the impetus comes from outside

Key-word transformation

Definition: a test type where two sentences are given - one

complete and one incomplete. Students must use a given

key word to complete the second sentence so that the

meaning of both sentences is the same

Example: FCE Use of English Part 4

Further Point: key word transformations are used to

gauge a student's grammar and lexis

Learner (Strategy) Training

Definition: an approach based on the belief that students need

training in 'learning' to make them more effective learners

Example: by teaching a student to underline the key words in

rubric, they will become more effective at ensuring the question is

answered correctly

Further Point: Learner training also emphasises the importance of

learner autonomy and self-assessment as a means of improvement


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Learner Profile

Definition: an overview of a learner's strengths and

weaknesses in terms of what learner styles and

intelligences they have

Example: Student A is a good visual and auditory learner

but doesn't get much out of kinaesthetic activities

Further Point: learner profiles can be used to base the

needs of your students on when designing courses and

activities

Learning Styles

Definition: the mode in which learners best acquire

information, knowledge, language, etc

Example: some students learn best through seeing things

(visual learners)

Further Point: We can think of styles in terms of VAKOG

(Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic, Olfactory and Gustatory).

Students normally have a blend of these styles

Mastery orientation

Definition: students who are motivated by the desire to improve a

skill regardless of how others are performing have mastery

orientation

Example: a student who sets him/herself goals to achieve and

doesn't care if people do better in an exam is mastery-oriented

Further Point: can be balanced against performance orientation,

where students are motivated by the desire to be better than those

around them

Multiple Intelligences

Definition: definitions of learner styles/types divided into

different 'intelligences' conforming to a different sphere o

activity

Example: some people are good with numbers and

patterns - they have logical/mathematical intelligence

Further Point: 7 intelligences have been identified,

though many now include an 8th (naturalist).

Multiple matching

Definition: a test type where students have to match two

or more sets of linked words, pictures or sentences

Example: FCE Reading Part 3

Further Point: this test type often relies on the student's

knowledge of lexical fields and synonyms


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Multiple-choice test

Definition: a test where a number of answers are given. Students

have to choose the correct answer

Example: FCE Reading Part 1, where students have a choice of

ABCD answers

Further Point: this type of test has high reliability as it is objective

(does not involve the marker's subjective opinion)

Natural Approach

Definition: an inductive approach formed by Krashen

that students should have as much comprehensible input

(i+1) as possible

Example: classes where students listen to a large amount

of language and read a lot, roughly at their level, would

be using the natural approach

Further Point: there is no focus on form in the natural

approach.

Norm-referenced test

Definition: a test graded in comparison to the whole

group of exam takers

Example: A test in which there had to be a certain

number of passes, grade Bs, grade As, etc

Further Point: usually for Proficiency tests which test

Noticing

Definition: the idea that exercises which lead students to pay

attention to form will lead to noticing these forms in future input,

leading to acquisition

Example: teacher highlights 'let's face it' in a text in class and later

a student consciously notices the phrase in their reading/listening

and they acquire it

Further Point: Studies in L2 acquisition suggest that we need to

consciously notice language for input to become intake

Objective test

Definition: a test that where there can only be right or

wrong answers i.e. no subjective judgement on part of the

marker

Example: a multiple-choice test, where only one of the

option is correct

Further Point: the fact that answers can only be right or

wrong means that the test will have higher reliability


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Parallelism

Definition: repetition of all or part of a grammatical

structure or pattern

Example: "We will fight them on the beaches. We will

fight them on the landing grounds. We will fight them in

the fields and in the trees." Here, 'we will' has been

paralleled again and again.

Further Point: normally used for dramatic effect

Paraphrase

Definition: a skill that allows the speaker (or writer) to report

something said in a different way, or to circumlocute difficulties

Example: A: "He totally blew his top."

B: "You mean he got angry? Why?"

Further Point: paraphrase is often used in academic writing to

outline what other authors have said without resorting to a quote

Performance orientation

Definition: students who are motivated by the desire to be better

than the people around them have performance orientation

Example: a student who systematically goes around after a test to

see if they have the highest marks is performance-oriented

Further Point: can be balanced against mastery orientation, where

students are motivated by the desire to improve a skill regardless of

others

Placement test

Definition: a test done to place a student in the correct level/class

at the start of a course

Example: a multiple-choice grammar test followed by a spoken

interview to ascertain ability

Further Point: placement tests can have a 'forward wash' effect,

rather than backwash, as they are before the course.

PPP

Definition: Presentation - Practice - Production model for

the teaching of discrete items of grammar and lexis

Example: Introducing key examples of target language in

context, followed by restricted use to build

accuracy/confidence, then target language is used in a

freer context to practise accuracy/fluency

Further Point: An accuracy to fluency model which is

much criticised nowadays


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Progress test

Definition: a test to find out if the aims of a course/part

of a course have been achieved, and the content absorbed

Example: A grammar test at the end of the month, testing

what has been covered in class

Further Point: also called an achievement test or can be

classed as formative testing (during a course)

Reliability

Definition: the consistency of the results gained from the test

Example: 2 students of identical level should get the same result, or

the same student sitting the test on different occasions

Further Point: we can also talk about 'marker reliability' in that the

marker should also mark the same across different tests

Repetition

Definition: the repeating of key lexis. A type of lexical

cohesion as it provides language links throughout a text

Example: "This year we'll be stronger because this year we

need to be. This year we deserve it." 'This year' has been

repeated again and again.

Further Point: normally used for clarity or dramatic effect

Sample

Definition: an example of a student's work to see what

their rough ability is. Not taken under test conditions

Example: at the start of the course, getting students to

write a letter to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses

Further Point: you can take samples of productive skills

(writing, speaking) but not receptive skills

Scanning

Definition: a reading sub-skill which involves looking

through a text very quickly to find specific information

Example: you want to find the birth and death year of a

famous person, so you look very quickly through a text

focusing on years until you find it

Further Point: often involves bottom-up processing in

that you are trying to find specific word items. You know

what you are looking for.


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Schemata

Definition: a mental representation of a s ituation or the context of

a text

Example: If you see an article with the title 'riding a bike', you

picture the act of riding a bike, which brings to mind words and

possible situations involved with it e.g. falling off, mending a

puncture, etc

Further Point once our schemata are activated, we can predict

information and language within familiar circumstances, topics,

etc, which aids top-down processing

Serialist learner

Definition: describes a learner that needs to analyse elements

sequentially

Example: a student who wants to do tenses in a strict order would

be a serialist

Further Point: serial learners can be thought of in opposition to

holistic learners who learn through global exposure

Short answer

Definition: a test type where students have to provide a

short answer to a given question

Example: In what year was JFK assassinated?

____________________________________

Further Point: questions of this type have to be very

focussed to ensure they are reliable and objective

Skimming

Definition: a reading sub-skill which involves moving you eyes

over the text quickly to get a general idea of the topic, content and

main ideas

Example: looking quickly over an essay you find that a) it is about

computers, b) the 1st paragraph is on advantages, c) the 2nd

paragraph is on disadvantages, and d) that the author thinks

computers are good

Further Point: involves interactive processing - through

recognition of words combined with prediction

spin off

Definition: the effect a test/exam has on the teaching that follows

the test/exam

Example: a teacher notices that students are doing consistently

poorly in the listening part of a language test, causing the teacher

to focus more on listening

Further Point: forward wash can be positive or negative


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17/18

Task-Based Learning (TBL)

Definition: an approach based on the belief that students learn by

using, with a focus on being fluent first and accurate later

Example: students try a communicative task, the teacher provides

help and upgrades language, the students have a better go at the

task

Further Point: comes out of the belief that 'teaching is not the same

as learning' - led to a move away from the PPP model

Test-Teach-Test

Definition: a method where you find out student ability initial ly,

work on problem areas as necessary and then check student

improvement

Example: Teacher tests knowledge of articles with a gap fill, then

teaches rules, then students correct the gap fill by applying the

rules

Further Point: this can be for discrete items or for skills e.g. to test

for the presence/absence of a particular sub-skil l

The Lexical Approach

Definition: (Michael Lewis) marked by the belief that lexis

is the most important element - language is

' grammaticised lexis' not 'lexicalised grammar'

Example: syllabi that focus on lexical chunks and

collocation with little or no grammar input are lexical in

their approach

Further Point: at low levels there is a strong emphasis on

reading and listening

The Silent Way

Definition: the teacher elicits and speaks as a last resort,

uses gestures, charts and Cuisenaire rods to work on

structures.

Example: Teacher taps Fidel chart of phonemes in 3

places repetitively. Students provide word: r-e-d. Red.

Further Point: interesting that the silent way works on a

structural syllabus, but is inductive in approach

Tolerance of Ambiguity

Definition: a learner is happy to wait for a language rule and cope

with only part of the story

Example: a student accepts the reason, "that's just the way it is," is

tolerant of ambiguity

Further Point: students can be intolerant of ambiguity as well and

feel they need to know rules they can apply in any situation


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Top-Down Processing

Definition: applying world or context knowledge in our decoding o

the meaning of a text

Example: looking at a title of an article and then thinking about

what is known about that 'topic' before starting to read

Further Point: can be seen in comparison to 'Bottom-up

processing', which starts at individual parts of the text (words,

discourse markers, etc)

Total Physical Response (TPR)

Definition: (James Asher) an approach based on students

responding at first physically and then verbally to teacher

commands

Example: Teacher: "If you like chocolate, stand up." (all

students stand up) "If you also like crisps, sit down."

(some students sit down) etc

Further Point: there is lots of listening at lower levels

leading to more reading at higher levels

Word formation

Definition: a test type where students are given a word

that they have to change the form of to complete a

sentence or longer text

Example: FCE Use of English Part 3

Further Point: word formation tests the students lexical

knowledge

Cambridge DELTA Module 1 Quizlet

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