EM12: Intensive English – Unit 5

Assignment (50 pts.)

Directions: With the same group you had from the previous activity, watch the provided
videos and answer the questions below. Use this word file to write your answers. Every
member has to turn in their group output, indicating the names of all the members. (Note:
Submitted individual task will not be recorded.)

Part 1: The IELTS Speaking Test

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uG_c8yWkbJJ-ApYXCLaXDksGpGdhVd63/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LK4ri7E3ZdOExbKY6iCRq-eASmt8JudQ/view?usp=sharing

1. Compare and contrast the speaking performances of the two candidates in the following
videos in terms of:

a) vocabulary
➔ A vocabulary is a collection of words or phrases in a language. Choosing the right
word or phrases to be used in expressing ideas to communicate is significant. The two
candidates have shown different levels of knowledge when it comes to showcasing
their vocabulary. The first candidate demonstrates a wide vocabulary. She was
confident in her word choices. Thus, she was able to effectively express her ideas
through words. The fact that she is fond of reading, as she mentioned in the video, is
most likely one of the reasons why she has a wide vocabulary. Furthermore, it was not
difficult to understand and visualize the events she described in the video because of
her use of the appropriate words for each of the specific events she provided. On the
other hand, the second candidate clearly did not demonstrate a broad vocabulary. She
can express her thoughts using language, but she cannot express them effectively.

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 During her speaking performance, there were a lot of times when she used words or
phrases that were not appropriate for the context. Therefore, it was hard to
comprehend the information she was trying to share. In this case, she wasn’t able to
communicate well or even clearly express her ideas.

b) grammar
➔ Grammar is how a person can use the rules of language governing the sounds, words
and sentences that they use. Whenever we speak we try to use the right words and
forms to let our audience understand us better but there are still mistakes in every
perfect conversation. The first candidate had used the proper form of words to plainly
state her answer and give us a clear point that she understands her topic well. While
the second candidate tried her best to give the right words. Both candidates learned
English and that varies on how long they've been learning it.
c) pronunciation
➔ Pronunciation refers to the way a person utters or makes the sound of words correctly
in a spoken language. Pronunciation matters more than what you think. It makes the
listeners understand you better and allows you to avoid being misunderstood. To
differentiate the two candidates, the first and second candidate have good and bad
pronunciation respectively. The first candidate speaks with the correct enunciation
and it contributes to her clarity of delivering her words. We can understand her well
because of her good pronunciation, which is not the case for the second candidate.
The other candidate undoubtedly has bad pronunciation. It can be observed that she
struggles on pronouncing the words correctly which greatly affects how we will
comprehend her narrative. A lot of mispronunciations are portrayed to the point that
her narrative is almost not comprehensible.
d) fluency
➔ Fluency is how one can express their narrative in an efficient manner. This is shown
differently in the two candidates. The first candidate expressed her ideas efficiently as
with fluency. This allows the listener to comprehend what she was trying to convey
easier. The flow of the conversation is also going smoothly because of it. We can also
see that she never hesitated answering questions which shows that she is comfortable
with the language used. The second candidate, on the other hand, is the complete
opposite. She takes her time to formulate answers to the questions which creates an
awkward atmosphere between her and the recipient of information. She also repeats
her words at times.

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Give at least 2 examples for each.

2. Consider the elements of speaking and the strategies, describe how they dealt with the
questions in the following parts: Part 1, 2, and 3. Cite specific lines/utterances that can
support your answers.
● The two candidates have different strategies and focus while answering the
interviewer that leads them to receive their scores. During the interview of the first
candidate it can be seen that she relaxed herself first and answered greatly. She has
been given a chance to take down notes and she used it wisely. And for the second
candidate she was thrilled and that's how she answered the questions with a smile. She
was comfortable and was answering proudly with her.

3. Do the two candidates deserve to receive 9.0 and 4.5 band scores, respectively? Justify
your answers. You may use the IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors as reference.
The two candidates deserve to receive 9.0 and 4.5 band scores respectively for various
reasons. Starting with the first candidate who got a 9.0 band score. She definitely deserves
her score because her performance lives up to the IELTS Speaking Band Description. Firstly,
she speaks with fluency as she can deliver her narrative decisively and efficiently. There is a
little to no repetition and self-correction in her answers and she never showed any hesitation
in answering the questions which means that she is comfortable using English as the medium
of language. Cohesiveness in her ideas is evident when presenting her topics effectively. An
example of which is when she was asked what weather she would prefer and she immediately
responded that she prefers cold weather the most and provided her detailed reason as to why
it is the case in a cohesive and easily understood way. Another reason for her band score is
her rich use of vocabulary and good pronunciation. She is flexible with her usage of words in
the sentences and pronounces these words correctly and with confidence. Take for example in
their convo which is about her describing a gift or present somebody gave to her recently. She
answered, “I am going to talk about a present my husband gave me last year for my birthday.
We had gone to Istanbul for a few days. … I am really interested in art and so even though I
had no real desire to go to Istanbul, I was totally captivated by all the beautiful buildings and
the wonderful arts and crafts that were available there. The blue mosque is my favorite
building. From the outside, it just looks like a typical ottoman mosque. But, the inside is quite
startling because of the large windows with light reflecting on the exquisite blue tiles. It is
just breathtaking.” This narrative is well-made with rich vocabulary where the words are
pronounced correctly.
For the second candidate, she received a 4.5 band score which is understandable
based on the performance she gave. It was noticeable how she answered questions slowly
with long pauses and repetition of words. Her sentences are also basic and she lacks more on
the vocabulary aspect. Misunderstanding can occur in their conversation due to frequent
errors on her part. Primarily, her pronunciation is not entirely correct which mostly hinders
our understanding of her narrative. Example of which is when she was asked about the
differences between family parties and more formal parties. She answered, “The differences

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between family parties and more formal parties I think it’s different in the costume are the
cost that they wear because even you know in the families, we can wear you know no more
cost something like this that is that outside cost can wear jean and you can every cost you
want. But you know when you in something like for most party is something like work parties,
you have to wear a suit. It’s quite important to make you know something lights are formal.”
Upon listening her answer to the question, it is indeed hard at times to understand what she is
trying to say. There are a few grammatical errors and incorrect usage of words in the
sentences. Repetitions in the phrase “you know” is evident and lack of alternative words to
replace the word “cost” which is used a lot of times in the narrative is also noticeable.

Part 2: The ESL Teaching

1. Watch the video and list down all the tips mentioned. Give 2-3 supporting statements
to describe each tip.

The following are the tips mentioned in the video:

● Arrive on time
Arriving on time is important in ESL Teaching since it allows the teacher to be
prepared for the upcoming teaching-learning process. They can check if the tools are
prepared, accessible, and other matters. Overall, arriving on time is a good example
for the students.
● Establish rapport
Establishing rapport in a communicative setting is very important as it creates a safe
and open environment for a conversation to take place. Giving compliments is a good
strategy to make your students feel comfortable as they would be motivated to talk to
you more since they trust you with their ideas. The trust that was built can serve as an
avenue to open more opportunities for a meaningful conversation and teaching.

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● Establish your credibility
The credibility of a person is always taken into consideration when acquiring new
ideas from them, especially if the person is a teacher whose responsibility is
embedded into teaching. Showing you are credible enough to be trusted with the
education of your students allows for a meaningful teaching experience. This is
because the students know you are reliable and the information you provided can be
trusted.
● Know why the students wants to learn English
Learning a language can be rooted from different reasons. As a teacher, asking your
students the reason why they want to learn English helps you in making the teaching
style enough to cater their English learning needs.
● Show genuine interest
It is important for the teacher to pay attention to what the students are sharing with
you. It will make them feel included and appreciated as you show them that you are
all ears to their talk. With this, they are more likely to present more ideas with you
because they know you are always there to listen to them.
● The goal is to be a friend
Building a friendly relationship with your student is a good strategy to make your
students feel safe and comfortable around you. Students will learn best when they are
heard, safe, and especially comfortable. Being a friend is a step in creating a safe
learning environment for your students.
● The lesson should have a clear benefit
From the start of the classes, the student should be made aware of the benefits of
paying attention to your class. By this, students would understand the importance of
listening to your discussion and would most likely do it on their own.
● Assess student’s language proficiency level
Every student has its own particular level of proficiency in the language. Assessing
the student’s language proficiency level is important for the teacher to be able to cater
the different learning needs of the students without compromising their growth.
● Adjust your teaching accordingly
Teachers should adjust their teaching according to their students. Students vary
depending on their learning needs. Making a lesson that responds to the learning
needs of the students can help them learn in the class effectively.
● Mention how the lesson will help them
It is always important to mention how the lesson will help them. They have their own
purpose as to why they enroll to your class which means that you should at least
provide reasons how your discussion aligns with their goals.

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● Build a connection between the lesson and student
Having a connection between the lesson and the student is important. If the students
are inclined to the lesson, they can better understand the ideas and perform effectively
in class.
● Be responsive to what’s happening
If a student shows you something personal, you should at least know how to respond
properly in that particular situation. Showing something personal means that the
student is comfortable around you and you should also show the same interest
towards them.
● The lesson must be relatable
The teacher should make the lesson relatable to the students for them to follow the
discussion easily. Warm-up activities are a good way to make them feel emotions and
you should heightened these emotions when you further present your discussion.
● TPR may be used in moderation
Total Physical Response (TPR) may be used in moderation. Pairing verbal cues with
nonverbal ones is a great way to convey your message effectively because this allows
the students to remember the unfamiliar terms better.
● Consider knowledge extension
Teachers are not necessarily inclined to teach students only to what their outlined
lessons present to them. But, they should also know how to extend the knowledge of
their students by applying learnings that are not covered in class but are something
that can benefit the students later on in their real life.
● Don’t make the students feel stupid
A teacher should never make their students feel stupid especially in the process of
learning something new. Doing so would only make the students feel downhearted
and unmotivated to learn in your class.
● Students should be taking 70% while teacher is 30%
Student-centered learning should be an approach integrated in ESL teaching. Teachers
should always take into account what’s best for their students by allowing them to be
in control of their learning.
● Give positive feedback
Feedbacks are very important for the student’s progress, especially positive ones.
Providing students with positive feedback allows them to stay motivated and do well
in the class.

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2. Compare and contrast the contents of the video below and above in terms of:
a. handling the 2 types of students- Which is easier or more difficult to handle?
Why?
● The easier one to handle is the student named Julie because she follows the
teachers instructions. She follows the teacher's lead and makes teaching easier.
While the other student who is much more older than Julie is hard to teach or
understand. One of the barrier might be his Kate learning of speaking English
which is new to him and harder for him to understand.

b. the advantages and disadvantages in teaching speaking to adults and kids, given
that they have the same English-speaking level
● Both students have given their all in learning yet the difference is that the age
where they are learning might be a hindrance. Learning at an early age is a
great factor for acquiring the knowledge in speaking and understanding
English. Julie was much younger than the other student which gives a lot of
advantages. For the older student, his age can be a hindrance because of the
late acquiring and processing of knowledge in speaking and understanding
English.
3. Which among the speaking elements should be emphasized in teaching the adult
learner in the sample video? How about with the kid? Why?

➔ All the speaking elements are important in teaching both adult and young
learners, but for teaching adult learners, the speaking element that should be
emphasized is the pronunciation. Poor pronunciation serves as the main reason
why it is difficult to communicate. This is because, as I have noticed in the
sample video, the adult learner can understand and speak English but has poor
pronunciation. Therefore, it is a struggle to comprehend what the adult learner
was trying to say. Emphasizing pronunciation during their learning sessions
will assist the adult learners in developing their speaking skills.
➔
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 When it comes to young learners, the speaking element that should be
emphasized is vocabulary. This is because vocabulary is important in teaching
kids. As I have noticed in the sample video, as the English teacher provides
instructions, she chooses words that are within the range of her learner so that
it will be easier for her learner to understand. When you are presenting new
words to young learners, you need to provide its definition in order for the
young learners to grasp the topic well.

4. What challenges would you encounter in case you become an ESL teacher? How do
you think you would work on those?
➔ One challenge that I would encounter would probably be the difficulty in
understanding the different learning styles of students. I would work on this
challenge by doing some background research about different learning styles
and studying the actions and reactions of my students during learning sessions.
Another challenge would be the language barrier. This is a common challenge
as an ESL teacher. I believe I would approach this challenge by learning some
important and basic words from my student's native language in order to
communicate with and understand my student. I would also work on my
pronunciation so that my students would not have a hard time understanding
the words I say. The last challenge that I think I would encounter is staying
encouraged and motivated at all times. This is a challenge for me if I become
an ESL teacher, because clearly not all the time I am encouraged and
motivated. I would work on this by staying professional in my work. This
means that I would not let my personal issues jumble my career. To be an ESL
teacher, I must encourage and motivate my students to learn about the
language and develop their communication skills using the language.

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