English for English Language Teaching: Essential Vocabulary

"communicative language teaching (CLT)"

A methodology that prioritises authentic communication and meaningful interaction over rote grammar drills

"Under communicative language teaching, the teacher replaced gap-fill exercises with role-plays based on real-life scenarios."

"task-based language teaching (TBLT)"

An approach in which learners complete meaningful, real-world tasks as the primary vehicle for language acquisition

"Task-based language teaching meant students planned an imaginary trip to London, using English throughout the process."

"present–practise–produce (PPP)"

A three-stage lesson framework in which the teacher introduces a language item, drills it, then lets students use it freely

"The trainee teacher used present–practise–produce to introduce the present perfect before the class wrote their own anecdotes."

"test–teach–test (TTT)"

A diagnostic lesson structure in which students attempt a task first, revealing gaps that the teacher then addresses

"Using test–teach–test, the teacher identified that most students confused "make" and "do" before targeting that in the lesson."

"dogme ELT"

A conversation-driven approach that discourages heavy reliance on published materials and emphasises emergent language

"Inspired by dogme ELT, the teacher set aside the coursebook and built the entire lesson around a discussion that arose naturally."

"total physical response (TPR)"

A method associating language input with physical movement, especially effective for beginner and young learners

"Total physical response worked well with the kindergarten class: children acted out vocabulary as the teacher called it out."

"content and language integrated learning (CLIL)"

An approach in which a subject such as science or history is taught through the medium of English

"The school adopted content and language integrated learning so that geography lessons doubled as English practice for international students."

"input hypothesis"

Krashen's theory that acquisition occurs when learners are exposed to language slightly above their current level (i + 1)

"Graded readers are designed with the input hypothesis in mind, offering challenging yet comprehensible text at each level."

"concept checking question (CCQ)"

A carefully designed question used to verify that students have understood the meaning of new language without simply repeating it

"After presenting the word "exhausted", the teacher asked a concept checking question: "Can you run a marathon if you're exhausted?""

"instruction checking question (ICQ)"

A question asked before an activity to confirm that students understand what they are supposed to do

"The teacher used an instruction checking question — "Will you write or speak?" — to prevent confusion before the pair work began."

"student talking time (STT)"

The proportion of lesson time during which students are speaking, as opposed to the teacher

"The observer noted that student talking time was only 30%, suggesting the teacher should use more open-ended tasks."

"teacher talking time (TTT)"

The amount of time a teacher spends speaking during a lesson; generally kept to a minimum in communicative classrooms

"Feedback from the CELTA tutor focused on reducing teacher talking time by allowing students more time to respond."

"eliciting"

A technique in which the teacher draws language or ideas from students rather than providing them directly

"Instead of writing the word on the board, she used eliciting by pointing to a picture and waiting for students to volunteer the answer."

"drilling"

Controlled, repetitive oral practice of a language item to build accuracy and automaticity

"Choral drilling of the new pronunciation pattern helped the class internalise the -ed ending before moving to free practice."

"wait time"

The deliberate pause a teacher allows after posing a question to give students time to formulate a response

"Increasing wait time from two to five seconds led to longer, more thoughtful answers from the class."

"boardwork"

The purposeful and organised use of the whiteboard to record, highlight, or explain language during a lesson

"Clear boardwork — with target language, phonemic script, and a model sentence — helped students record the new vocabulary accurately."

"form, meaning, and use (FMU)"

A three-part framework for analysing any language item: its structure, what it communicates, and when it is typically used

"The lesson plan showed form, meaning, and use analysis for the present perfect: structure, contrast with past simple, and real-life contexts."

"phonemic script"

A standardised symbol system (IPA) used to represent the sounds of English independent of spelling

"Writing the phonemic script on the board helped students pronounce "colonel" and "yacht" correctly."

"connected speech"

The natural modifications that occur in pronunciation when words are spoken together in fluent, natural English

"Teaching connected speech features such as elision and linking helped students understand fast native-speaker audio."

"collocation"

A natural pairing of words that frequently occur together and sound idiomatic to native speakers

"Learning that "heavy rain" is a strong collocation while "strong rain" sounds odd helped students write more naturally."

"register"

The level of formality in language, ranging from very formal to very informal, chosen according to context and audience

"The teacher compared the same email written in formal and informal register so students could identify the key differences."

"lexical chunk"

A multi-word unit of language that is stored and retrieved as a whole, such as a phrase, idiom, or fixed expression

"Teaching "as a matter of fact" as a lexical chunk proved more efficient than analysing its component words individually."

"metalanguage"

The specialised vocabulary used to talk about language itself, such as "noun", "clause", or "conditional"

"Students at C1 level were comfortable with metalanguage, so the teacher could use technical grammar terms without lengthy explanation."

"discourse marker"

A word or phrase used to organise spoken or written text and signal relationships between ideas

"Practising discourse markers like "on the other hand" and "in contrast" transformed students' essays from simple lists into coherent arguments."

"error vs. mistake"

A distinction between a systematic gap in a learner's knowledge (error) and a one-off slip from known language (mistake)

"The teacher noted the repeated use of "he go" as a true error requiring teaching, not just a mistake to be corrected in passing."

"on-the-spot correction"

Immediate error correction during a fluency or accuracy activity, delivered in the moment

"During the grammar drill, the teacher used on-the-spot correction to ensure students practised the target form accurately."

"delayed correction"

Error feedback provided after a communicative activity has finished, so as not to interrupt the flow of communication

"The teacher noted errors on a clipboard during the discussion and gave delayed correction as a reformulation exercise afterwards."

"reformulation"

A correction technique in which the teacher restates a learner's erroneous utterance in correct English without explicitly labelling the error

"When the student said "I goed there", the teacher used reformulation: "Oh, you went there? That sounds interesting.""

"recast"

An implicit correction in which the teacher repeats the learner's utterance with the error repaired, without interrupting the communicative flow

"Recast is a gentle technique: the student said "I have went" and the teacher simply responded "You have gone — interesting!""

"explicit correction"

Direct identification of an error accompanied by the correct form, making the correction unmistakable to the learner

"For persistent fossilised errors, explicit correction with a clear explanation proved more effective than recasting."

"fossilisation"

The stabilisation of a learner error that persists despite instruction and exposure, as if it has become permanent

"The student's fossilisation of "I am agree" had gone unchecked for years and proved very difficult to eradicate."

"error log"

A personalised record kept by a learner of their recurring errors, used for self-monitoring and targeted revision

"Asking students to maintain an error log reduced the same mistakes appearing in successive writing assignments."

"validity"

The degree to which a test actually measures what it claims to measure

"The validity of the listening test was questioned because students needed high reading ability to understand the instructions."

"reliability"

The consistency of a test — the extent to which it produces the same results under similar conditions

"Inter-rater reliability was improved by training all examiners on the same marking rubric before the speaking assessments."

"washback effect"

The influence that a high-stakes test has on the teaching and learning that takes place in preparation for it

"The washback effect of the IELTS exam meant teachers spent disproportionate time on formal academic writing at the expense of speaking."

"placement test"

An assessment used at the start of a course to assign learners to the most appropriate level or group

"The placement test combined a grammar multiple-choice section and a short spoken interview to assess both accuracy and fluency."

"progress test"

A periodic assessment used during a course to check whether learners have acquired recently taught material

"A short progress test at the end of each unit helped the teacher identify concepts that needed re-teaching."

"proficiency test"

A standardised test measuring overall language ability, independent of any specific course of study

"Cambridge C2 Proficiency is a widely recognised proficiency test used by employers and universities worldwide."

"portfolio assessment"

An evaluation approach in which learners compile a collection of their work over time to demonstrate growth and achievement

"Portfolio assessment encouraged students to revisit and redraft writing pieces, deepening their engagement with feedback."

"can-do statement"

A descriptor from frameworks such as the CEFR describing what a learner is able to do with language at a given level

"The course was mapped to CEFR can-do statements so that students could clearly see their progress from A2 to B1."

"CELTA"

Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults — the most widely recognised entry-level teaching qualification worldwide

"After completing her CELTA in four intensive weeks, she accepted a position at a language school in Barcelona."

"DELTA"

Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults — a Cambridge qualification for experienced teachers seeking to deepen their expertise

"Completing Module 2 of the DELTA involved a teaching practice portfolio scrutinised by external examiners."

"observed teaching practice (TP)"

Supervised classroom teaching that forms part of a training course, assessed by a tutor or mentor

"During observed teaching practice, the trainee received written feedback on her use of concept checking questions."

"lesson feedback"

Structured evaluative commentary given to a teacher after an observed lesson, identifying strengths and development points

"Lesson feedback highlighted the trainee's strong rapport with students but suggested more varied drilling techniques."

"director of studies (DoS)"

The senior academic manager responsible for teaching quality, teacher professional development, and course design at a language school

"The director of studies observed every teacher at least twice per term and held individual progress meetings."

"needs analysis"

A systematic process of identifying learners' goals, current proficiency, and learning gaps before designing a course

"A thorough needs analysis revealed the Business English students prioritised email writing and telephone skills above grammar."

"English for Specific Purposes (ESP)"

A branch of ELT focused on teaching English for a particular professional or academic domain rather than general communication

"Her expertise in English for Specific Purposes meant she designed courses for aviation engineers and medical professionals."

"reflective journal"

A personal written record in which a teacher regularly documents, analyses, and evaluates their own classroom experiences

"Keeping a reflective journal throughout the CELTA helped the trainee identify patterns in what caused her lessons to succeed or fail."