TKT: Practical: Classroom teaching trainers notes

Description
This activity explores the areas assessed in classroom teaching in TKT: Practical.
Participants consider sample comments by an assessor and decide which of the
assessment criteria they refer to. This helps to familiarise participants with what is required
in the different assessed areas.
Time required:

60 minutes

Materials
required:

Participants worksheet 1 (one for each pair of participants)

Participants worksheet 2A (one for each participant in Group A)

Participants worksheet 2B (one for each participant in Group B)

Participants worksheet 3 (one for each participant)

Participants worksheet 4A one for each participant in Group A)

Participants worksheet 4B (one for each participant in Group B)

to introduce the different areas assessed in a lesson for TKT:

Practical lesson

to provide participants with examples of good practice and practice

that may need improvement

Aims:

Note: this activity is intended to be given as the fourth and final activity in the sequence of
four TKT: Practical activities, following the activity on lesson planning.
Procedure
1. Elicit from participants some ideas of the skills they think a teacher would be
assessed on when teaching a lesson. Accept all answers at this stage.
2. Put participants into pairs and give each pair a copy of Participants worksheet 1.
Ask participants to read the clues and to solve the crossword puzzle. The words all
relate to things that might be assessed in classroom teaching. Check answers in
open class (see Key below).
3. Tell participants that for TKT: Practical candidates are assessed on planning and
teaching a lesson. Remind them that they are assessed on 40 minutes of teaching.
This can be one 40 minute lesson or two twenty minute lessons. The next exercise
will look at some of the areas assessed in a TKT: Practical lesson.
4. Divide participants into two groups: Group A and Group B. If there are a large
number of participants, divide the groups again but try to ensure that half of the class
are working as As and the other half are working as Bs.
5. Hand out Participants worksheet 2A to Group A and Participants worksheet 2B
to Group B. Explain that on the worksheet there are some comments made by an
assessor observing candidates for TKT: Practical. Ask participants to read the
comments and to write a P if they think the comment is positive or an N, if they think
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the comment is negative. Participants should do the task on their own, then compare
their answers with other members of their group.
6. As the groups finished comparing their answers to Participants worksheet 2, give out
Participants worksheet 3. Tell participants that these are the assessment criteria
for the classroom teaching (not planning) assessment of TKT: Practical. This is taken
from the Assessment form, which can be seen in the TKT: Practical handbook.
Participants work in their groups to decide which of the criteria the assessors
comments on Participants worksheet 2A/B relate to. They should complete the right
hand column on their worksheet with the appropriate letter from Participants
worksheet 3.
7. Give out the answer key Participants worksheet 4A to Group A, and the answer
key Participants worksheet 4B to Group B. Participants check their answers in
their groups.
8. Regroup participants into pairs so that a participant from Group A is working with
someone from Group B. Participants tell their new partner the assessors comment
from their worksheet and their partner should say whether the comment is positive or
negative and which criteria it refers to. Allow up to 10 minutes for this.
9. Round up to summarise main points covered and to remind participants of some
requirements for TKT: Practical. Review:
How long is the TKT: Practical assessment? (Candidates are assessed
teaching for 40 minutes. This can be either one 40 minute lesson or two twenty
minute lessons.)
What are candidates assessed on? (The assessment criteria for TKT: Practical
are on Participants worksheet 3 relating to classroom teaching skills and
candidates must demonstrate that they can deal with both language development
and skills development.)
10. Allow five minutes for participants to ask questions then direct participants to the
Cambridge ESOL website www.CambridgeESOL.org where they can access the
TKT: Practical Handbook and get information about TKT: Practical.

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TKT: Practical: Classroom teaching answer key

Key to Participants Worksheet 1
1

N
4

N
5

S
T
6

R
U

C
E

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TKT: Practical: Classroom teaching answer key

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TKT: Practical: Classroom teaching Participants Worksheet 1

Complete the crossword puzzle

Across
1. The way letters, words and sentences are said
6. When learners use the language they have learnt in a controlled situation
7. The relationship between the teacher and the learners
Down
2. The things a teacher says to tell learners what to do
3. Telling or showing how they can improve their mistakes
4. Listening and observing learners when they are doing a task
5. The speed of the lesson

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TKT: Practical: Classroom teaching Participants Worksheet 2A

P/ N
1

At some stages the learners were unclear as to what to do.

There was some limited focus on the form, meaning and

pronunciation, but this was very unsystematic.

Some learners had problems when producing the new language

item. The candidate should have done some error correction.

The candidates language was well graded overall and appropriate to

the learners level.

The candidate had a positive presence in the class and she

showed awareness of the individual learners. She kept the
learners engaged.

The board was used very effectively and materials were

appropriate for the level and the aims.

Feedback was inconsistent and too teacher-led.

Explanations and language modelled for learners is generally

accurate and clear.

The candidate set up and managed a range of classroom events

including pair, whole class, individual, and group work.

10

The focus on skills (reading/listening) was very limited and the

candidate missed out on good opportunities to develop receptive
skills more effectively there was no work on gist or detailed
information.

Criteria

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TKT: Practical: Classroom teaching Participants Worksheet 2A

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TKT: Practical: Classroom teaching Participants Worksheet 2B

P/ N
1

The teacher conveyed the meaning of new language with clear

and appropriate contexts and checked learners understanding.

The candidate used a variety of interaction patterns and materials

were used effectively in accordance with the original lesson plan.

There was some purposeful monitoring and the candidate

provided some linguistic support to learners during tasks.

The candidates language was sometimes too complex. Modelling

was mostly accurate, but opportunities for eliciting were missed.

The candidate had a very confident manner during the lesson and
made sure everybody was paying attention. She maintained an
appropriate pace and used body language to support oral
language.

There was a good attempt to use noticing techniques using a

reading passage as input but the reading passage was read aloud
by learners, which is not very suitable to enable comprehension.

Language for managing the class and setting up activities needed

to be more effectively graded.

The candidate checked answers to tasks; this was done only

orally and on the board.

Although the atmosphere was positive on the whole, the learners

were not called by their names, there was little praising and
encouragement.

10

Timing requires improvement.

Criteria

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TKT: Practical: Classroom teaching Participants Worksheet 2B

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TKT: Practical: Classroom teaching Participants Worksheet 3

The lesson - the candidate can:
f

create a positive learning atmosphere, ensuring involvement of all the learners

(i) focus on language: form, meaning and pronunciation, and include appropriate
practice and (ii) follow appropriate procedures and use activities to improve learners
skills

set up, manage and time whole-class and individual, pair or group activities, using
materials, resources and aids effectively to deliver the planned lesson so that aims are
achieved

use English appropriately e.g. when explaining, instructing, prompting learners, eliciting,
conveying meaning, praising

monitor learners and provide feedback on language and tasks, including oral or written
correction

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TKT: Practical: Classroom teaching Participants Worksheet 3

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TKT: Practical: Classroom teaching Participants Worksheet 4A

P/ N

Criteria

At some stages the learners were unclear as to what to do.

There was some limited focus on the form, meaning and

pronunciation, but this was very unsystematic

Some learners had problems when producing the new language

item. The candidate should have done some error correction.

The candidates language was well graded overall and appropriate to

the learners level.

The candidate had a positive presence in the class and she

showed awareness of the individual learners.

The board was used very effectively and materials were

appropriate for the level and the aims.

Feedback was inconsistent and too teacher-led.

Explanations and language modelled for learners is generally

accurate and clear.

The candidate set up and managed a range of classroom events

including pair, whole class, individual, and group work.

10

The focus on skills (reading/listening) was limited and the

candidate missed out on good opportunities to develop receptive
skills more effectively there was no work on gist or detailed
information.

UCLES 2009. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. For further
information see our Terms of Use at http://www.teachers.cambridgeESOL.org/ts/legalinfo

TKT: Practical: Classroom teaching Participants Worksheet 4A

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TKT: Practical: Classroom teaching Participants Worksheet 4B

P/ N

Criteria

The teacher conveyed the meaning of new language with clear

and appropriate contexts and checked learners understanding.

The candidate used a variety of interaction patterns and materials

were used effectively in accordance with the original lesson plan.

There was some purposeful monitoring and the candidate

provided some linguistic support to learners during tasks.

The candidates language was sometimes too complex. Modelling

was mostly accurate, but opportunities for eliciting were missed.

The candidate had a very confident manner during the lesson and
made sure everybody was paying attention. She maintained an
appropriate pace and used body language to support oral
language

There was a good attempt to use noticing techniques using a

reading passage as input but the reading passage was read aloud
by learners, which is not very suitable to enable comprehension.

Language for managing the class and setting up activities needed

to be more effectively graded.

The candidate checked answers to tasks; this was done only

orally and on the board.

Although the atmosphere was positive on the whole, the learners

were not called by their names, there was little praising and
encouragement.

10

Timing requires improvement.

UCLES 2009. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. For further
information see our Terms of Use at http://www.teachers.cambridgeESOL.org/ts/legalinfo

TKT: Practical: Classroom teaching Participants Worksheet 4B

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Page 9 of 9