DELTA Module Two key terms

The process of gathering information about learners' goals, current abilities, and context before designing a course or lesson. It identifies what students need to be able to do and informs decisions about content, methods, and assessment.

The planning of what will be taught across a course and in what order. It involves selecting, sequencing, and justifying content, such as functions, grammar, topics, or tasks, according to learner needs and institutional constraints.

The study of how people learn an additional language after their first. It covers developmental sequences, the role of input and interaction, and individual differences such as motivation, aptitude, and age, informing teaching decisions.

Language addressed to learners that is slightly beyond their current level but understandable through context, gesture, or simplification. It is central to Krashen's input hypothesis and supports noticing and language development.

A learner's evolving internal language system, distinct from both the first language and the target language. It contains systematic rules and errors that change over time as the learner receives more input and feedback.

The systematic study of learner errors to understand underlying language systems. It distinguishes errors, which reflect developing competence, from mistakes, which are performance slips, and helps teachers decide what to correct and how.

Information given to learners about the accuracy of their language. It can be explicit, such as direct correction, or implicit, such as recasts and clarification requests, and may be delivered immediately or delayed.

An implicit form of corrective feedback in which a teacher reformulates a learner's incorrect utterance correctly without drawing explicit attention to the error, for example repeating the sentence with the right tense.

The conscious attention a learner pays to a particular language feature in input or output. Noticing is considered a necessary step for learners to process and eventually acquire new forms.

Temporary support provided by a teacher or more capable peer that enables a learner to complete a task they could not manage alone. Support is gradually withdrawn as competence grows.

Vygotsky's concept describing the gap between what a learner can do independently and what they can achieve with assistance. It justifies guided support and collaborative tasks pitched just beyond current ability.

The capacity of learners to take responsibility for their own learning, including setting goals, choosing strategies, monitoring progress, and evaluating outcomes, with decreasing dependence on the teacher.

Instruction that develops learners' awareness and use of strategies for learning, such as guessing meaning from context, organising vocabulary, or planning written work, so they can study more effectively independently.

The ability to use language appropriately and effectively, encompassing grammatical, sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic knowledge. It underpins communicative language teaching and contrasts with purely formal accuracy.

An approach that prioritises meaningful interaction and real communication as both the goal and the means of learning. Activities typically involve information gaps, negotiation of meaning, and authentic purposes for using language.

An approach in which lessons are organised around meaningful tasks rather than discrete language items. Learners complete the task first, and language focus arises from needs that emerge during performance.

A traditional lesson framework in which the teacher presents a language item, learners practise it in controlled exercises, then use it more freely. It suits clear, discrete teaching points but is often criticised for limited authenticity.

A lesson shape that begins with a task to diagnose learners' needs, follows with focused teaching of a gap identified, and ends with a further task to check and consolidate learning.

An inductive approach in which learners examine examples and work out rules for themselves, with teacher prompts and support. It promotes deeper cognitive engagement than simply being told the rule.

Techniques, usually questions, used to confirm that learners understand the meaning of a language item rather than merely its form. Good concept questions are simple, use known language, and target the key distinctions.

Techniques for drawing language, ideas, or answers from learners rather than supplying them. It increases learner talking time, activates existing knowledge, and helps the teacher assess what students already know.

The proportion of a lesson in which the teacher speaks. Excessive amounts can reduce learner practice and engagement, so teachers aim to make their talk purposeful and to increase student talking time.

The ways talk is organised in a classroom, such as teacher to whole class, teacher to individual, pair work, and group work. The pattern chosen affects participation, practice opportunities, and learner independence.

A classroom organisation in which two learners work together, typically to practise language or complete a task. It maximises individual speaking time and supports collaborative learning.

A classroom arrangement in which three or more learners collaborate on a task. It can promote negotiation of meaning and shared responsibility, but needs clear instructions and monitoring to stay productive.

Practice activities in which the target language is tightly constrained, such as drills, gap fills, or repetition tasks. Learners focus on accuracy with limited choice of language.

Practice activities in which learners use the target language with greater choice and personalisation, often in discussion or role play. The focus shifts towards fluency and meaningful use.

An activity in which learners act out a scenario in a specified role, often with a communicative purpose. It provides contextualised practice and can develop fluency and sociolinguistic awareness.

An activity in which learners hold different pieces of information and must communicate to complete a task. It creates a genuine reason to exchange meaning and is typical of communicative teaching.

The planning stage in which a teacher predicts likely difficulties with language, tasks, or classroom management and prepares solutions. It is a standard component of a detailed lesson plan.

Statements of what learners should achieve by the end of a lesson. Effective aims are specific and learner-centred, distinguishing main aims from subsidiary aims such as classroom language or skills development.

The sequence of stages within a lesson, each with its own purpose and interaction pattern. Clear staging gives a lesson coherence, manages timing, and links activities logically towards the aims.

Assessment carried out during learning to inform teaching and help learners improve. It includes feedback, questioning, and peer or self-assessment, and is not primarily used for grading.

Assessment that measures achievement at the end of a period of study, such as a final test or exam. It typically produces a grade or certification and summarises what has been learned.

The use of assessment evidence to adapt teaching and help learners take the next step. It emphasises clear learning intentions, feedback, and learner involvement rather than ranking or reporting.

The extent to which an assessment measures what it is intended to measure. A test of writing ability, for example, lacks validity if it only uses multiple-choice grammar items.

The consistency of an assessment: whether it produces similar results across different occasions, markers, or versions. Clear criteria and rater training improve reliability, especially in speaking and writing tests.

The effect of testing on teaching and learning. Positive washback encourages good classroom practice, while negative washback can narrow the curriculum towards test preparation.

The descriptors that define levels of performance in a task or test. Clear criteria support consistent marking and help learners understand what constitutes successful work.

Information provided to learners about their performance relative to goals. Effective feedback is specific, timely, and focused on improvement, and can come from teachers, peers, or self-reflection.