Cambridge TKT cheat sheet

Grammar describes form (morphology and syntax), meaning (semantics) and use (pragmatics); tense locates time while aspect shows how an action is viewed, such as progressive or perfect.

Lexical items include single words, collocations, idioms and fixed chunks; denotation is literal meaning while connotation is associated meaning.

Phonology covers phonemes, syllable stress, sentence stress, intonation and connected speech processes such as assimilation, elision and catenation.

Behaviourism explains L1 acquisition through imitation and reinforcement; innatism posits an innate language acquisition device; interactionist views emphasise negotiated input and output.

Krashen's monitor model includes the input hypothesis (comprehensible input at i+1) and the affective filter, which can block acquisition when anxiety is high.

An error reflects incomplete knowledge and is systematic; a mistake is a performance slip the learner can self-correct; interlanguage is the learner's developing rule system.

Motivation can be integrative (identifying with the target culture) or instrumental (practical goals); intrinsic motivation comes from interest, extrinsic motivation from external rewards.

Assessment distinctions: formative assessment supports learning during a course; summative assessment measures achievement at the end; validity concerns whether a test measures what it claims; reliability concerns consistency.

The CEFR organises proficiency into A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2; A1-A2 are basic user, B1-B2 independent user, and C1-C2 proficient user.

A lesson plan typically states main and subsidiary aims, procedures, stage timing, interaction patterns, materials, anticipated problems and assessment evidence.

A main aim states the overall learning outcome; subsidiary aims cover secondary language or skills; SMART aims are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.

PPP sequences presentation, practice and production; a task-based lesson sequences pre-task, task, planning, report and language focus.

ESA sequences engagement, study and activation; TTT (test-teach-test) begins with a diagnostic task before focused teaching and retesting.

Syllabus types include grammatical or structural, lexical, functional-notional, task-based, content-based and integrated; a syllabus specifies what will be taught and in what order.

Authentic materials are produced for real communication, not for language teaching; created materials are designed for learners; adaptation changes level, length or task focus.

CCQs check understanding of meaning or form; ICQs check understanding of task instructions; both are used before an activity to prevent confusion.

Interaction patterns include teacher-to-student, student-to-student, pair work, group work and individual work; variety supports participation and different learning goals.

Bloom's revised taxonomy orders thinking skills as remember, understand, apply, analyse, evaluate and create; it can guide task challenge and questioning.

Teacher roles include controller, organiser, facilitator, monitor, resource, participant, tutor and assessor; the role chosen affects learner autonomy and talk time.

Teacher talk time (TTT) and student talk time (STT) are balanced according to the aim; fluency tasks generally require higher STT.

Elicitation draws language from learners through prompts, visuals or questions instead of supplying answers; nomination selects who answers.

Instructions are short, sequenced and demonstrated; ICQs verify task understanding, while CCQs verify language understanding.

Grouping options include whole class, pairs, small groups, mingles and jigsaw; group size and task type affect participation and noise.

Correction can be immediate or delayed, explicit or implicit; fluency work often uses delayed correction, while accuracy work may use immediate correction.

Feedback can be evaluative (praise or grades) or descriptive (specific information); peer and self-assessment support learner autonomy.

Routines and clear transitions reduce management problems; seating arrangements such as rows, horseshoe and clusters influence interaction.

Differentiation adapts task, support, outcome or grouping to learner differences; scaffolding provides temporary support that is gradually removed.

CLIL teaches subject content through an additional language with a dual focus: content learning and language development are planned together.

The 4Cs framework comprises Content, Communication, Cognition and Culture; effective CLIL addresses all four.

Cummins distinguishes BICS (conversational fluency) from CALP (academic language proficiency); CLIL tasks often demand CALP and therefore need scaffolding.

The language triptych distinguishes language of learning (subject vocabulary), language for learning (classroom functions) and language through learning (emergent language from activity).

CLIL lesson stages commonly include activating prior knowledge, comprehensible input, guided processing, student output and assessment.

Scaffolding in CLIL includes visuals, graphic organisers, glossaries, word walls, sentence frames, modelling and worked examples.

Cognitive discourse functions in CLIL include describing, defining, explaining, classifying, comparing, hypothesising and evaluating subject content.

CLIL assessment separates or clearly combines content criteria and language criteria; formative assessment and performance tasks are common.

Higher-order thinking in CLIL is promoted through tasks that require analysis, evaluation or creation, not only recall of subject facts.

Young learners typically have short attention spans, concrete thinking, a strong need for routine and praise, and learn effectively through play and multisensory activity.

Total Physical Response (TPR) links language to physical actions and is suited to young learners' kinaesthetic learning and listening development.

Songs, chants, stories, games and crafts provide repetition and context; repetition supports retention without requiring formal grammar explanation.

Classroom routines and signals, such as a bell or counting down, support transitions and reduce anxiety for young learners.

Young-learner assessment is mainly formative: observation, checklists, portfolios, self-assessment and performance tasks; formal high-stakes testing is inappropriate.

Cambridge English Qualifications for young learners are Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers and A2 Flyers; they assess listening, reading, writing and speaking through child-friendly tasks.

Vygotsky's zone of proximal development and Bruner's scaffolding describe support that enables a child to complete a task just beyond independent ability.

Phonics teaches the relationship between letters and sounds; synthetic phonics blends phonemes to read words, supporting early literacy.

With young learners, correction is often gentle and meaning-focused, using reformulation or modelling rather than explicit metalinguistic explanation.