CELTA: Written Assignments: Analysis, Evidence and Referencing

The assignment types

CELTA written assignments typically cover language analysis, focus on the learner, language skills, and reflection on teaching. Each has a rubric: read it closely and answer every part explicitly. Assignments are assessed on whether you address the task, support claims with evidence, and write clearly and concisely.

Traps

• Describing rather than analysing: a narrative of what happened is not analysis.
• Unsupported assertions: “This activity is good” means little without reference to learners, theory or classroom evidence.
• Ignoring the word count and structure: use headings that mirror the rubric.
• Copying without referencing: plagiarism and poor proofreading are serious.
• Confusing the focus: a skills assignment needs task design and rationale, not a grammar analysis.

Worked example

For a language analysis assignment on used to, cover: meaning (a past habit that is no longer true), form (used to + base verb; negative didn’t use to), pronunciation (/ˈjuːstə/), anticipated problems (confusion with be used to), and a practice activity with CCQs. Link each point to a source or to classroom evidence.

Rule of thumb: every paragraph should answer a rubric point; every claim should have evidence - learner data, observation notes or a reference - or be framed as a hypothesis to test.

Keep quotations short, paraphrase where possible, and reference consistently. Leave time to proofread for clarity, spelling and punctuation.