DELTA Module Two flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Acquisition versus learning

Krashen's distinction between implicit, incidental internalisation during meaningful use and explicit, conscious study of rules; the strong separation is contested by later research.

Comprehensible input (i+1)

Input containing language slightly beyond the learner's current level, which Krashen claims drives acquisition; the precise meaning and measurability of i+1 remain problematic.

Affective filter

Krashen's hypothesised filter of anxiety, low motivation and low self-confidence that reduces the amount of comprehensible input a learner takes in and processes.

Monitor Hypothesis

Conscious rule knowledge acts only as an editor of output, and only when the learner has time, focuses on form and knows the rule.

Output Hypothesis

Swain's claim that producing the target language forces deeper syntactic processing, noticing of gaps, hypothesis testing and reflection, complementing input.

Interaction Hypothesis

Long's account that negotiation for meaning during interaction connects input, learner attention and output, making interaction a key site of second language development.

Noticing Hypothesis

Schmidt's position that learners must consciously notice a form in input for it to become intake, so attention is necessary though not sufficient for acquisition.

Zone of Proximal Development

Vygotsky's gap between what a learner can do alone and with expert or peer support; scaffolding within this zone enables development through mediated activity.

Skill Acquisition Theory

DeKeyser's model in which declarative knowledge becomes procedural through practice and is then automatised; practice must be meaningful and specific to the target skill.

Willingness to communicate

A learner's readiness to enter discourse at a given moment, shaped by self-confidence, anxiety, motivation and the immediate classroom or social context.

Complex Dynamic Systems

A view of interlanguage as a non-linear, self-organising system of interacting variables, so variability, plateau and backsliding are normal features of development.

Main aim versus stage aim

The main aim states the overall intended outcome of a lesson; stage aims state observable sub-outcomes for each procedure step and guide task selection.

Blocking lexis

Vocabulary that learners must understand to complete a receptive task; only such items are pre-taught, keeping pre-teaching brief and task-focused.

Gist versus detailed task

A gist task checks global understanding of a text before a detailed task checks specific information; sequencing gist first preserves authentic reading or listening purpose.

Test-teach-test

A lesson shape that diagnoses language through a communicative task, teaches the emerging gap, then re-tests in a new task; suits known or emergent language.

Presentation-practice-production

A lesson shape moving from teacher presentation of new language through controlled practice to freer production; suits clearly gradable new language but risks over-controlled output.

Concept-checking questions

Closed, simple questions that verify learners understand meaning and use of target language, asked after meaning is established and before form practice.

Grading language versus task

Teacher language can be simplified through speed, lexis and syntax, while task demand is adjusted separately; conflating the two obscures which difficulty is being managed.

Interaction patterns

The grouping arrangement of an activity, such as individual, pair, group, open class or mingling; each pattern changes talk time, feedback and control.

Hot versus delayed correction

Hot correction occurs during an activity and suits accuracy work; delayed correction after a fluency stage collects errors for later focused attention.

Elicitation as feedback

A correction technique in which the teacher prompts the learner to supply the correct form through a pause, gesture or prompt rather than providing it.

Lesson self-evaluation

Post-lesson reflection judging whether stage aims were met, using evidence from learner performance, and identifying specific, actionable points for the next lesson.

Module Three assignment

A small-scale investigation of a chosen ELT specialism covering rationale, needs analysis, course design, implementation evidence and evaluation against stated criteria.

Needs analysis

Systematic gathering of information about learners' goals, present abilities and context through questionnaires, interviews, tests or observation, used to justify course design.

Triangulation

Using two or more independent data sources or instruments to check a finding, increasing the credibility of conclusions drawn from a small sample.

SMART objectives

Objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound, each linked to evidence that shows whether it was achieved.

Syllabus types

Organising principles for course content, including structural, lexical, functional-notional, skills-based, task-based, text-based and content-based designs; choice follows from needs analysis.

Reliability and validity

Reliability is consistency of an assessment across occasions and raters; validity is whether it measures the intended construct; both trade off against practicality.

Washback

The influence of an assessment on teaching and learning, which can be positive when the test reflects course goals and negative when it narrows the curriculum.

Formative versus summative evaluation

Formative evaluation monitors progress during a course to inform adjustments; summative evaluation judges overall achievement at the end against stated objectives.

Diagnostic assessment

Assessment used before or early in a course to identify strengths and gaps and inform planning, rather than to grade or certify learners.

Informed consent and anonymity

Participants must understand how their work and data will be used and be unidentifiable in the report; these requirements constrain what evidence can be presented.