CELTA: Teaching Practice: Planning, Delivery and Reflection

What is assessed

CELTA teaching practice is assessed against criteria covering planning, language analysis, classroom management, teaching skills, awareness of learners, use of materials and professionalism. You must show you can plan a coherent lesson with clear aims, stage it logically, and adapt when things change. Trainers look for learner-centred decisions, not a performance.

Traps

• Aim vs activity: “Students will do a gap-fill” is not an aim. An aim states what learners will be able to do by the end.
• Over-teaching: too much teacher talking time, unclear instructions, and no checking of understanding.
• Missing language analysis: for a grammar or lexis lesson, know meaning, form, pronunciation and anticipated problems.
• Not grading teacher language to the learners’ level.
• Ignoring feedback: action points from previous TP should appear in later lessons.

Worked example

Weak aim: “To practise the past simple.” Stronger: “By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to use the past simple to describe a completed holiday, with correct -ed endings and common irregular forms.” Every stage - lead-in, presentation, controlled practice, freer practice - must serve that aim.

Rule of thumb: plan backwards from the aim. If a stage does not help learners achieve the aim, cut it or move it.

For skills lessons, pre-teach only blocking vocabulary, set a gist task before a detailed task, and give clear instructions with ICQs. Use CCQs to check meaning rather than asking “Do you understand?” Monitor and note errors for delayed feedback.