IN-SERVICE CERTIFICATE IN ENGLISH

LANGUAGE TEACHING

COMPONENT 1

Language Task 3
Focus on the Learner’s Written Language

CANDIDATE: Wilmer Rolando Espinoza

Date Set: April 2nd, 2019

Date Hand- in: March 26th , 2019

Return date:

COURSE TUTORS: Mr. Orlando Mata

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 ICELT

In-Service Certificate in English Language Teaching

Declaration

I Wilmer Rolando Espinoza, declare that the following Language Task is entirely
my own work and that it is written in my own words and not those copied
directly from any other source, except for those that are properly
acknowledged.

Signature

Wilmer Rolando Espinoza

Date: March 26, 2019

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IN-SERVICE CERTIFÍCATE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING
COMPONENT 1 - LANGUAGE FOR TEACHERS

TASK 3- Focus on the learner's written language

Task outline
You are required to identify and correct the errors in a sample of written work from two
learners who are at different levels and provide appropriate feedback for the learners
Guidelines
1. On one copy identify and correct all the errors (the corrected version)
2. Correct and annotate the other for the learner; include a brief summarizing comment
written to the learner (the annotated version)
3. Write a brief rationale for the choices made in the annotated version explaining why
some errors have been corrected and some not.
NOTE:
1. One of the samples must be written by a learner of at least intermediate level and be of
around two hundred words in length
2. Before starting work on the assignment you should label the work, indicating learner
level and age if appropriate. You should then make two copies of both samples
3. The rationale should give justification for such areas as: the style of feedback (e.g. error
code, full correction); any type of errors consistently left uncorrected; the style and content of
the summarizing comment to the learner

General Assessment Criteria PASS level assignments will show that the candidate can:
Accuracy
1a use accurate language in summarizing comments to learners

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1b demonstrate understanding and use of terminology to describe learner language
Range and Flexibility
1c employ appropriate professional discourse in describing the rationale for correction
1d use appropriate language in summarizing comments to learners
Organisation and Content

1e identify and correct all errors in the corrected version

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Table of Contents

Introduction.................................................................................................................................6
Student A: A2 Level (see appendices 1-3).................................................................................6
Profile:......................................................................................................................................6
Rationale:.................................................................................................................................6
Style of Feedback....................................................................................................................7
Student B: B1 Level (see appendices 4-6).................................................................................7
Profile:......................................................................................................................................7
Rationale:.................................................................................................................................7
Style of Feedback:...................................................................................................................8
Conclusion:.................................................................................................................................8
Bibliography................................................................................................................................9
Appendix 1: Student A – Original Work.....................................................................................10
Appendix 2: Student A - Corrected Version...............................................................................11
Appendix 3: Student A – Annotated Version.............................................................................12
Appendix 4: Student B – Original Work....................................................................................14
Appendix 5: Student B – Corrected Version.............................................................................15
Appendix 6: Student B – Annotated Version.............................................................................16

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 Introduction

Error-correction and feedback is a turning point aspect in the process of ESL process. For the teacher,
because it allows to reflect about the students’ language accuracy and fluency, and for students, since
it leads them towards a more independent and self-conscious performance in their academic
development. Kathleen M. (1999) claims that “errors are seen as reflections of a learner's stage of
inter language development and as an indicator of natural progress of learning the second
language.”(p.6). hence, the aim of this assignment is threefold: to correct the errors, annotate the
written task and give students a brief rationale of the corrected and annotated tasks.

Student A: A2 Level (see appendices 1-3)

Profile:

Tatiana Capa is a 16 years old student. She takes 5 hours class every week at the high School,
besides, she started taking an extra course in an English Institute, and currently she is in A2 level. She
has huge assets in verbal, tactile and kinesthetic learning due to her sociability and leadership.
Reading is her strongest ability since she has a good level for making inferences, reasoning and
analysis but she requires some assistance and feedback in speaking and pronunciation especially in
the /r/ /d/ and /t/ /l/ consonant sounds due to the lack of listening comprehension. She has a broad
range of vocabulary which eases her to write littles statements, nonetheless, she needs to work on
grammar, forms and functions.

Rationale:

Tatiana’s topic was interesting. As she is an A2 student, she is yet acquiring some general basics of
the language, but she can express some accurate ideas, therefore this rationale is focused on form of
parts of speech, grammar and vocabulary which she needs in order to broaden her language
awareness to reach accuracy.
The error-correction and feedback are not concerned with fluency and the stricture of the essay,
since she lacks insights in writing mechanics, cohesion and coherence, main ideas and supporting
details.
The items are coded by: G=grammar, P=punctuation, V=verbs, WW=word order. She has a good
asset of vocabulary, words like: apply, requires, benefit, creativity, economics, achievement, unstable,
collapse, compilation make a more sophisticated task, Yet, The error-density in the usage of parts of

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speech is quiet high. Sentences and phrases in lines 6 and 8 are unnecessary since it lacks meaning
she also makes false cognates. She needs to work more on articles, singular and plural forms, verbs
and quantifiers and take action to lessen this mistakes.
She fails in spelling as showed in lines 1, 2, 4, 9, 10, 16 there are some mistakes to be taken into
account.

Style of Feedback:

I have emphasized the error-correction and feedback on input-proving style such as: explicit
correction, recasting and repetition so that the student can be aware of her weakest aspects of
linguistic performance regarding spelling, syntactic cohesion of the parts of speech in sentences,
functions of (verbs, nouns, prepositions, articles) as well as the word order in sentences and
paragraphs. On the other hand, with clarification feedback style the student will realize her errors and
mistakes in-depth so that she can manage her drafting and editing successfully

Student B: B1 Level (see appendices 4-6)

Profile:

Roberto is a 32-years old adult learner who attends to CEC-EPN Institute two hours every day in the
advance level. He is a professional student who requires the proficiency level B1 to get a Master
Degree; therefore, he makes a great effort to achieve his goal. Roberto has a high comprehensive
ability and language verbal reasoning for reading, consequently he comes up easily with ideas for
writing compositions and essays. He is highly sociable and cooperative student that makes easy for
him enroll in English speaking environments and contexts and because he is in touch with native
speakers due to his job, yet he thrives a bit with listening especially in distinguishing different accents
and intonations which has caused him a headache in the listening tests, so these days he is practicing
a lot because of the final approval test

Rationale:

I have focused my corrections on the structure of the essay, which was written in a formal style with a
quite structured paragraphs. The introduction was not so clear, yet body and conclusion were more
accurate, it lacks punctuation, subordinations and conjunctions for more accuracy. I did not put
emphasis on the field-related vocabulary since he has yet more written tasks left to use more
sophisticated vocabulary for the test.
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Nonetheless, T checked the parts of speech regarding spelling, grammar and punctuation. In doing
so, I have deemed the error codes such as: G=grammar. V=verb, P=punctuation, S= spelling and
provide the correct answer.
Concerning spelling. He has just two misspelled words, in line 8 things and 9 “Unfortunately”. On the
contrary, to the target-structured verbs checking I consider he has to work more in verb tenses, for
example in line 3, 8, 10, 14 there are considerable errors to be cared of. I also emphasized on
common ESL punctuation, transition words which show the meaning like in lines 2, 9 and 12, and are
compulsory for an academic and formal writing and it was highlighted in the feedback.
I haven’t either checked meaning because the essay was not focused on any specific field therefore,
expressions and ideas were spread out by the student randomly. Nevertheless, I have pointed out in
the type and function of text in depth and since he should develop a good writing for his proficiency
test and I challenged him to give more effort regarding language forms and accuracy to avoid all the
language skills mistakes.

Style of Feedback:

The feedback was focused on the explicit correction style regarding essay structure and the parts of
speech mistakes by providing the corrected forms of words through recasting and repetitions of errors
in the text so that the student can compare the errors in context. Clarification style was also important
to take for some words needed to be put in context and implicit meaning.
Using codes and patterns to identify the parts of speech were important to make student understand
the main errors he has to focus on in future writings. I think it will ease for the student to correct and
give more accuracy of the text.

Conclusion:

When correcting and giving feedback, the teacher has to take into account both: the cognitive and
affective feedback. On the one hand, Harmer (1998) points out that “correction helps students to
clarify their understanding of the meaning and construction of the language” that is to say, through the
cognitive feedback T can identify students’ problems regarding the accuracy and fluency of systems
and skills of language.
On the other hand, the affective feedback which stimulates Ss to gain more self-reliance, confidence
and intrinsic motivation which challenge them to involve in tasks and activities in a positive way.

1025 words

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Bibliography

Allwright, Dick and Bailey, Kathleen M. 1999. Focus on the Language Classroom.
United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Brown, H. Douglas. 2000. Principles of Language Learning And Teaching. New York: Longman Gower,
R., Phillips, D. & Walters, S. 1995. Teaching Practice Handbook. New York:
Macmillan Heinemann English Language Teaching, Oxford

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Appendix 1: Student A – Original Work

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Appendix 2: Student A - Corrected Version

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Appendix 3: Student A – Annotated Version

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Appendix 4: Student B – Original Work

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Appendix 5: Student B – Corrected Version

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Appendix 6: Student B – Annotated
Version

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